Cold wakes you first.

You got lost in the forest and walk for hours.

Not the sharp kind, but the deep forest cold that settles into the bones. When your eyes open, the sky above you is dark and scattered with stars between the branches. Pine needles press into your back. Somewhere nearby, an owl calls once… then silence returns. For a moment you remember nothing but the forest. Then you hear breathing. Slow. Quiet. Across the small clearing stands a wolf.

Large. Grey fur silvered by moonlight. It does not growl, does not bare its teeth. It simply watches you with steady yellow eyes, tail low, ears forward. You move, and the wolf turns its head slightly—as if checking that you are awake. Then it walks away. Not running. Not fleeing. Just… walking.

After a few steps it stops and looks back at you. Waiting.

You follow, the wolf moves again, guiding you through dark trees and narrow paths between stones and roots. The forest seems endless, yet the animal moves with calm certainty, weaving through it like a spirit that already knows every step. Eventually a warm glow appears through the branches.

Fire.

The wolf steps into the clearing first. A small camp rests there beneath towering pines: a steady fire, a kettle hanging over the flames, bundles of drying herbs tied with twine. The scent of cedar and sage drifts through the air. And beside the fire stands a man. He is placing another log into the flames when you arrive. He does not turn immediately. It is as if your arrival was expected long before your footsteps reached the clearing. The wolf walks past you and settles quietly near the fire. Only then does the man look up. Firelight flickers across his face. His gaze moves from the wolf… to you.

A faint smile touches his lips.

“Ah.”

His voice is low and calm, like someone speaking beside a river.

“So you found the path.”

He rests his hands on the carved walking stick beside him.

“My brother rarely guides strangers.”

His eyes narrow slightly, studying you with quiet curiosity.

“I am Maikan Kashtin.”

“The one the forest listens to.”

The wolf beside the fire lifts its head, watching you both. Maikan gestures toward the flames.

“Come. Sit. The night is long… and the forest does not lead people to my fire without reason.”

🐺🔥🌲