The West Woods

Chapter 5 : Howls in the Night

In the beginning of winter things weren't so bad. They had a few berries and the catcoons and spiders left enough of their meat to make meals and feed to the birds. A gobbler had gotten into their garden and eaten the berries after, but it didn't seem to bother them any. They still had the meat and the eggs to hold them over.

After many weeks however the catcoons went into hibernation, just as the bees had in late autumn. The neighboring beefalo would get into fights with spiders and if they were lucky they could slip in and get the meat and wool without being noticed by either mob. Some days it was too dangerous to try.

The meat that did go bad was cooked and given to the birds, and they lived off their eggs. The lumberjack had never been more thankful for the presence of the feathered fiends. The birds meant they wouldn't starve.

Even when they had run out of meat Wes and Woodie went out with shovels and dug up blue mushrooms. And then they ate more and found comfort in full bellies because they would not starve this winter.

It wasn't until the dead of winter that they experienced any bit of problems. First their thermal stones broke, limiting the distance which they could travel for blue caps. Wes worked around this by making rabbit traps, some to set over burrows, others to set around spider dens nearby. Their meals became limited to morsels and eggs.

The cold was beginning to weigh on them. Their bed rolls were breaking down, letting in just a little too much cold, which kept them awake in the night. Their catcoon caps were slowly starting to wear at the seams. They were using more firewood to stay warm these days.

Woodie's fear the other might starve was beginning to grow, turning his gut sour. He couldn't stand to be alone again, not now that he had Wes. Someone to help him, to rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder when needed, someone to make fighting a little less lonely. Sure Woodie had Lucy, but she could only offer him conversation and help in the forest. She couldn't do all Wes had done. The fear was a building tension in his neck and shoulders.

Often times Woodie would offer more of his meal to Wes, he didn't need to eat as often as the other, who seemed to only lose more and more weight even if he was eating both meals. He was so skinny, frighteningly so.

When Wes wasn't checking his traps or cooking he stayed huddled in his sleep bag, the bunny fur and hatch pulled tightly over him and he slept closer to the fire in these days. Woodie could see the shifting of Wes rubbing his hands together. Every now and again he'd duck his head under the blanket to warm his face and blow hot air from his lungs against his frozen fingers.

Whenever Woodie would look terribly worried at Wes the mime would offer a reassuring smile to him, and Woodie would force a smile back. Things weren't exactly awful, but they could certainly be better.

When Wes would take naps during the day to escape the cold for the little while sleep offered, Woodie would speak with Lucy. Her grating voice was a welcomed sound, but their conversations seemed darker these days.

"I'm scared."

'I know.'

"I don't wanna lose him."

'You won't.'

"He's gonna starve."

'Not while the spiders keep coming. He's going to make it, and so are you.'

With her words to calm him Woodie could rest for a time. So he relaxed and he watched Wes. He watched his chest go up and down and this brought him peace and he was able to sleep.

Darkness. Firelight. Darkness. Firelight.

Woodie blinked his eyes slowly open as something roused him from his sleep. Wes' hand rested on his chest and the mimes eyes were glued to the north west woods. A low howl in the distance sent chills through Woodie's spine. His hands and legs felt numb but he was wide awake and quickly removing himself from his sleeping bag.