Visha drifted along the river. All her protective clothing made the perfect life preserver. Because of this, she was able to save her life. As for how long she would be alive, no one was sure.
Along the way, she was lucky enough to be caught by a branch.
That branch was currently her lifesaver. It hooked itself tightly into Visha's clothes, bobbing up and down with her weight. Both Visha and the branch could only wait for someone to rescue her from the water.
Xeno was doing his daily rounds. Winters in Arkash were detrimental to all its inhabitants. With no food, people starve. And the situation of his friends was dire at the moment.
For beast men like them who had no tribe, they were seen as rogues. They had no priest, and many injuries couldn't be healed.
A few days ago, Uri encountered Wind Wails. He was patrolling when the winds suddenly shifted. Everyone knows that the strong winter winds carry Wind Wails. Leaving would mean luring the Wind Wails to everyone, so Uri had no choice but to fight.
He managed to get away, but he lost an arm.
Every winter, they would travel with the wind, wreaking havoc. It didn't matter where you were; they somehow knew how to find the tribes. They would take the weak females and kill any beast man who tried to oppose them.
Xeno could still remember a few years ago, when he encountered the Wind Wails. Back when he had a tribe. His eyes flashed a hint of something subtle. He willed the emotion to pass quickly. He wouldn't dwell on it; he couldn't.
He made his choice when he left with his family. He would make sure to protect them.
He made his way along the riverbank. Today's task was to patrol and get some water for everyone. He carried a large stone bowl with him. It was approximately 3 feet tall and just as wide. It was wrapped with vines, which were dried in the summer and placed on his back.
He approached the place where they would normally get water. He took the large stone bowl off his back. This particular part of the river was shallow enough for him to lower the bowl. He placed it in the water, allowing the water to fill it.
Xeno continued to survey his surroundings, not only for safety, but because he was curious to see if there were any animals foolish enough to go out in the cold. If there were, he could catch them and bring them back to everyone.
He quickly scanned his surroundings. Except for a few patches of dirt or branches not completely covered by snow, he didn't see anything else. He continued until his vision stopped on a branch that was bobbing in the water.
Something was attached to it. He crouched, hoping it was a trapped animal. He slowly made his way toward it. He couldn't scent anything in the air, which made him wonder.
He didn't know that the clothes Visha was wearing were designed with scent isolation in mind.
He approached slowly, ready to react should there be any danger. He stealthily came closer, noticing that the thing hadn't moved.
He didn't immediately fish it out, only looked at it, making sure it was safe. Then, he heard a moan coming from it.
It was, of course, Visha, the clothing still covering her from head to toe. The part the Wind Wails had grabbed was submerged in the water, so the only thing Xeno could see was a black mass.
After making sure there was no danger, he fished it out.
He looked at the thing he had taken out of the water. He saw two legs and arms, although wrapped up tightly. He couldn't make out a face; however, he could smell the scent.
He couldn't smell anything when it was in the water, but he could now. The more he smelled, the more he realised what it was. His eyes went wide.
Female!
He couldn't stop his heart from pounding in his ears. What was a female doing here?
He looked around. He knew females didn't travel alone. They usually had a male with them, or they would travel with their tribe.
However, Xeno knew no one was out here. If it weren't for being driven in this direction, they wouldn't come here either. He was aware that this was no man's land. Luckily for them, they found a cave they could live in.
Thinking about the fact that they had been here for days and never seen her, he could conclude that she had only recently appeared. He decided to take her back.
Even if he wasn't sure what was happening, when she woke up, he could help her get back to her tribe.
Xeno carefully picked her up, making sure not to squeeze. Females are fragile. Next, he went to pick up the bowl and made his way back to everyone.
What Visha felt when she woke up was herself being carried. In a panic, she tried moving. The last thing she remembered was falling into the water, and now she was being carried.
She didn't know where she was, who was carrying her or how to leave. But at this point, she didn't care. After seeing those things chasing her, she just wanted to run.
At least running would bring a hope of survival.
However, she found that no matter how she moved, the person holding her would not let go.
"Let me go! Put me down right now!" she said as she tried to move.
Xeno looked down at the female talking to him and found he couldn't understand anything she said.
"Stop moving, I don't want you to fall," Xeno responded.
The only response he got was more movement as she struggled to get out of his arms.
Visha couldn't understand what the man was saying, but she was determined to get down. She wiggled until she felt him place her on the ground.
As soon as he let go, she felt the cold on her back and remembered that those things almost had her for breakfast. The only saving grace at this point is that it wasn't nearly as cold here as it was on the ice cliff.
That didn't mean she wasn't cold; it just meant she could endure for a while.
She looked around at her surroundings, still feeling the cold. It was still the same vastness of white. She could see patches of brown from the bare trees around her, but not much else. She wasn't sure where to turn at this point.
Finally, she turned to look at the person who was carrying her. She didn't expect to be looking at his chest.
At 175cm (5ft 7in), Visha was by no means short. She may not be the tallest woman, but she is still above average. She has seen men over 182cm (6ft), but this one. She had to look up as if she were trying to stare at the ceiling. If she could guess, she would assume he was almost 213cm (7ft). She took a step back to fully see his face, as he looked down at her curiously.
The cold seeped into her skin, making her shiver. If this were someone she knew, she would definitely crawl back into his arms. But seeing this tall man, wearing animal skin, she had to endure it.
Apparently, he saw her shivering because he spoke, "If you are cold, let me carry you."
Xeno would never admit to himself that he just wanted to hold her and never let go. If it weren't for not wanting to bring more trouble to everyone, he would claim her right now.
But fear of the unknown made him wait until everything was clear.
Hearing him talk, Visha listened carefully. She wanted to know if it was a language she spoke. If not, it would at least give her clues as to where she was now.
"I have no clue what you're saying. I don't even know where I am." That last part was said quietly, but Xeno was still able to hear.
He realised they couldn't understand each other. Knowing this, he made no move to say anything. Instead of wasting time in the cold, he may as well get back to the cave. So he started walking, and while doing so, he made a motion for her to follow him.