I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 3

It had been a week since Saeorin left the tribe and began living in the snow cave. During that week, he managed to catch only one snow rabbit.

Of course, he hadn’t hunted it himself; it had been a stroke of luck that the rabbit got caught in one of the traps he had set. Saeorin had yet to catch anything with his own hands.

Half of the food he had brought was already gone. Being in the small body of a young girl, he hadn’t been able to carry much to begin with.

Returning to the tribe to gather remaining supplies was an option, but it was risky. And there was no guarantee that any food would be left.

The unending winter had left all inhabitants of this land starving. The shallowly buried bodies of his tribespeople, as well as any leftover food, had likely been scavenged by roaming beasts.

“Hah…”

Saeorin let out a deep sigh. He felt guilty for not being able to properly care for the bodies of his fallen tribe members. However, with this frail body, he had done the best he could.

Saeorin hadn’t forgotten about revenge. The White Frost Tribe was known for never forgetting a grudge. But revenge could only be pursued when survival was assured.

He suppressed his simmering rage, knowing it was necessary.

Life in the snow cave was profoundly lonely. There were no tribespeople to talk to, no brothers to hunt with. Even when he spoke to his sister’s body, no reply came.

As time passed, Saeorin found himself talking to himself less and less.

Another week went by, and Saeorin discovered he had fully adapted to the small body of the young girl. 

He had grown accustomed to the breathing techniques, the movements, and even wielding a sword.

He succeeded in his first real hunt, creeping across the snowy plains and finally catching a snow rabbit.

That day, Saeorin felt a sense of pride.

The snow-covered tundra was not a place teeming with game. Even catching a snow rabbit was considered fortunate.

By the time a month had passed, most of the food Saeorin had brought with him was gone. Despite rationing it as much as possible, it had finally run out.

All that remained were a handful of dried berries and a single piece of blackened jerky.

Clutching his growling stomach, Saeorin stood. As a small girl, he had only three options left.

The first was to bow his head and join another tribe. With luck, he might secure a place by bearing the heir of a leader, thus gaining status within the tribe.

This was immediately dismissed.

“I can’t disgrace my sister’s body.”

This wasn’t his body—it was his sister’s. He couldn’t allow her body to fall into the hands of strange men.

The second option was to stay here and starve to death. While this would preserve his pride and his sister’s honor, it was equally unacceptable.

“I won’t let my sister die as well.”

The third option was to leave the tundra. To escape the frigid land and journey to the lands of the outsiders.

Saeorin fastened the small pouch of food to his waist. Once the decision was made, he had to act—time was not on his side.

The small girl stepped out of the snow cave and began walking across the tundra.

Crunch, crunch.

Her tiny footprints stretched far across the vast, snow-covered plain.

Saeorin’s homeland, the frozen tundra, was far from safe. Beyond the freezing cold that could chill the body to its core, predators lay hidden beneath the snow, waiting for prey to pass by.

Among these threats, the cold posed little problem to Saeorin. His natural bloodline had granted him a strong resistance to the frigid weather.

Saeorin felt no chill as he walked across the snowy plains.

The true problem lay with the predators of the tundra. They were relentless and cunning. To them, Saeorin wandering alone across the plains was an irresistible prey.

“Damn it…”

Clicking his tongue, Saeorin broke into a run. Behind him, white snowflakes scattered in his wake. As he left the territory of the White Frost Tribe, a white tundra wolf began chasing him.

The small girl gritted her teeth. If he were still in his original body, he wouldn’t have hesitated to fight. He would have wielded his sword and skinned the wolf with ease.

But now, that wasn’t possible. No matter how much knowledge and experience he had, it couldn’t compensate for the lack of physical strength.

Saeorin glanced behind him without stopping. Only one wolf was following him, and despite the time that had passed, no other members of a pack appeared.

That meant the wolf had likely been cast out of its pack. It was either sick or old—one of the two. But even so, Saeorin had no chance of winning.

So he kept running.

His heart pounded as if it were about to burst. The intense exertion demanded more oxygen, but his small lungs couldn’t meet the demands of his body.

As his oxygen intake dwindled, his physical strength began to decline. His legs grew heavier, and a sharp, almost tearing pain spread across his chest.

He ran and ran, until he reached his limit.

Saeorin came to a halt.

If he kept running, he would simply collapse and die. It was better to conserve what little strength he had left and take a chance.

Breathing heavily, he gasped for air, letting the oxygen replenish his body. As he steadied his breathing, the wolf revealed itself.

The large tundra wolf was, as Saeorin expected, in poor condition. Its fur lacked luster, with bald patches here and there. Its teeth, dull and yellowed, protruded as it growled. It was an old wolf on the verge of death.

Saeorin set down the bag strapped to his back and gripped the sword in his hand.

The old wolf stared at him but didn’t charge recklessly. Its muscles had withered with age, its vision had deteriorated, and even its sense of smell wasn’t as sharp as it once was.

But the experience it had gained from years of survival hadn’t faded. The old wolf recognized the danger of the blade in Saeorin’s hand.

It circled him cautiously, waiting for the cold to sap his strength.

The icy wind blew between Saeorin and the wolf.

The old wolf made the first move. It kicked off the ground and lunged at Saeorin with surprising speed.

Saeorin’s eyes scanned the air. He couldn’t directly confront it. Even an old wolf’s strength was too much for the small body of a girl to withstand.

As soon as he made the decision, his body reacted. He twisted slightly, letting his leg slip across the snow. His pivot leg dropped, lowering his stance, and then he pushed off the ground into a roll.

Thud!

The wolf narrowly missed him, crashing into the spot where Saeorin had stood moments earlier. Rolling across the snow, Saeorin quickly got back on his feet and swung his sword.

He couldn’t aim for the wolf’s body or neck. His arm strength wasn’t enough to pierce a thick hide. He had to target a vulnerable spot.

The blade grazed the wolf’s nose.

Slash!

Yelp!

A clean strike left a spray of crimson that painted the white snow like blooming red flowers.

Without hesitation, Saeorin retreated.

“Grrraah!”

The injured wolf charged again, more ferociously this time. Its movements were larger and filled with openings, but Saeorin didn’t take the opportunity to attack.

“If I go too deep, it’ll be the end of me.”

As an experienced hunter, Saeorin could see through the wolf’s intentions. 

The openings it showed were bait, luring him to strike deeply, only for the wolf to pounce and overwhelm him in retaliation.

Saeorin swung his sword in the air, feinting a threat to keep the wolf at bay while retreating step by step. 

He maintained steady, controlled breathing, waiting for the right moment. When he finally saw a clear opening, he exhaled sharply and swung his sword.

Shhhk—!

The strike was shallow but effective. As the blade grazed the wolf’s leg, it halted its advance.

Grrr…

The wolf growled low, limping backward with its bleeding leg. It had realized that even if it succeeded in taking Saeorin down, the aftermath would spell its doom.

If the fight continued, the wolf might win, but it would undoubtedly suffer severe injuries. 

For a lone, aging wolf without a pack, a grave wound meant becoming easy prey for other predators.

The wolf licked its bleeding nose as crimson drops fell steadily to the snow. Then, it retreated.

Even after the wolf vanished from sight, Saeorin couldn’t relax. His breathing remained shallow and trembling, his body still in a heightened state of tension. He stood frozen for a long time.

Eventually, he shook his head, snapping out of it. There was no time to waste standing still. As night fell, the predators of the tundra would become more active.

Gathering his scattered belongings, Saeorin began running again.

He ran all day, and when night came, he dug into the snow for shelter and hid. When dawn broke, he emerged cautiously and resumed his journey, keeping as low a profile as possible.

By the time his supplies were completely depleted, Saeorin finally reached the edge of a massive mountain range.

***

Crunch, crunch.

A small, battered girl stood panting at the base of the towering mountains, gazing at the expanse beyond. Unlike the snow-covered tundra behind her, a lush green plain stretched endlessly before her.

“Ah…”

The wind carried a faint warmth, something Saeorin had never experienced in his life on the frozen plains.

He stared at the green expanse, aware of himself, his thoughts, and his surroundings. 

A new memory layered itself over the earliest one he could recall, the memory of a boy growing into self-awareness.

Tap, tap.

Small feet stepped forward. That day, Saeorin left his homeland behind.