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had been unconscious all day. Ker wanted to get ready and return to his family's den to fetch a healer, but Dero dissuaded him. He asked him to cook something nutritious and try to feed the unconscious man, while he gathered more firewood, because the sick man was constantly shivering from the cold, even though Dog was warming him and it was warm. First, however, they decided to relieve Wiatr and laid him on Ker's blanket and the skins they were covered with. However, as soon as the dogs had eaten, they lay down on either side of Zon, further warming him with their warmth. When Ker had cooked the soup and somehow managed to feed the unconscious man, he noticed that he was trying to open his eyes.

"Don't tire yourself out, you need to rest, we can't afford to let you be sick too long," he sent a thought.

"What happened, is he regaining consciousness?" Dero asked.

"Yes, but I told him not to overexert himself. He's asleep now. I'll give him more of the soup in a while, and you can eat it too."

- I think we managed to send our forces to father, since Zon lost them, I knew he must have greater skills than me, Bera mentioned it once, but I didn't know what she meant exactly, now I see it.

"If you're right, then your brother simply needs a good night's sleep.

Rest would take some time, though. They stayed in that place for two more days until they were completely certain that Zon had regained the strength he needed for the rest of his journey. However, they decided to conserve his strength for a while and avoid contact with his father, and Zon had to learn to manage the energy he was receiving so that he, too, would have some left. They wandered for a long time through the forest, stopping occasionally to rest. They had already crossed the Ziemon territory the first day they left their hospitable home. Ker, however, knew the path leading to the edge of the forest, so they moved at a fairly brisk pace. The dogs wandered alongside them, sometimes only venturing off individually but returning immediately, sometimes simply overtaking the travelers to check for danger ahead. They traveled this way for several days, always keeping watch at night. Ker was a pleasant companion, sustaining his brothers' spirits when they lost hope or strength. He was very strong, carrying what the brothers would have had to divide among themselves, and he didn't tire himself. Sometimes they would put their luggage on the backs of one of the dogs, leaving two of them light so they could defend themselves in case of danger. However, as they walked through the forest, they encountered no one who would try to hinder them. The forests were full of singing birds, sun-scented tree leaves, and all sorts of animals, both large and small.

The day was already drawing to a close, and the six friends planned to continue until it was almost dark. Ker warned the others that just a little longer and his knowledge of the route would be exhausted. And indeed, they hadn't gone far when a terrible sight came before them. They were still in the forest, but this one looked terrible, with tangled branches stripped of most of their leaves, and if there were any, they were yellow or even brown. The ground ahead was muddy and covered with rotten vegetation.

"This is the edge of the forest I know. We've never ventured any further because anyone who tried would immediately drown in this swamp. I'm sorry, but it seems to me this path is impassable." Ker told them his opinion.

"But why didn't you tell us earlier what awaited us at the edge of this forest? We would have taken a different route." Dero became angry.

"Because there's no other way. On both sides of this forest are bare rocks that are impossible to climb. They're the reason our forest is so warm and green, blocking out most of the cold and rain.

"In that case, we should think of something," Zon said, "and in the meantime, I suggest we stop, eat something, get some sleep, and maybe something will come to mind." So they did, setting up camp, cooking a meal from what they found, and eating it. They even found a small stream, where they decided to wash themselves and fill their water skins. They had no idea what route awaited them; their supplies could have lasted them a long way, because in addition to what the brothers had before meeting the Ziemons, they had also received various delicacies there, and along the way, they ate what they found or quickly hunted. But as for water, it was running out very quickly, and the forest ahead didn't seem to have any fresh, clean water.

They slept through the night undisturbed, and in the morning they ate a large breakfast of fish they had caught in the stream and roasted over a fire. Ker smelled and tasted baked fish for the first time, though eating it was no small feat for him; he thought he'd never tasted anything so delicious. He'd waved his trunk in all directions whenever a forgotten bone found its way into it, snorting so comically that Zon and Dero were laughing their heads off, especially since it was the first time they'd heard any sounds coming from Ziemon. The dogs just stared with puzzled eyes and cocked their heads as if waiting for the end. They also enjoyed the baked fish, but they were given pieces without bones. It was time to move on; they still had no idea how to get through these swamps. The best idea they could come up with was to climb trees and jump to the next ones, or use the roots that protruded here and there. The dogs weren't particularly impressed, but they treaded very carefully once they set off to continue their journey. The travelers didn't even try to stand on them. Climbing the first tree wasn't much of a problem, even for Kero, who had large feet. The Frostoids, though tall, had graceful feet that seemed to mold to the ground. They removed their leather boots so they wouldn't get in their way. Branches sprouted everywhere, as if trying to compensate for the loss of leaves. The travelers climbed from one tree to another, laboriously, for whenever they tried to accelerate, a branch would creak as if it were about to break. When they were so tired they didn't know where to place their feet, Rose began to squeak, and Leaf and Wind followed suit. They looked down and saw a small island surrounded by swamps. On this island sat dogs, watching their friends invitingly.

"I think if they're sitting so calmly and squealing, we can go down and rest a bit," Zon said.

So they followed his suggestion and slowly slid down to their furry companions. There wasn't much room, but they could sit and rest. Sleeping sitting up without any support was impossible, but it was also impossible to walk any further. Firstly, they were so tired they could barely stand, and secondly, they hadn't even noticed how dark it had become. They didn't even have the strength to keep watch, but one of them had to, so they sat down with their backs against each other, and as soon as they had eaten something from the supplies, Zon offered to be the first to watch. Dero and Ker fell asleep as soon as they closed their eyes, while Zon sat and stroked Wiatr's head, wondering what was happening at home. He missed his mother and sisters; he knew he'd never see one again, but he also missed his father and wanted to bring him home. He remembered how his father would take all the children on mock hunts to teach them basic techniques, how they'd slide down various hills on skins, how they'd prepare their weapons. As he thought this, he saw blood and bones scattered as if after a large feast and shuddered. He did it in such a way that he woke Dero.

"Is something wrong, little brother?" he asked.

"No, I just thought, go to sleep, I'll wake you when it's your turn to watch."

Dero closed his eyes again and fell asleep, and his brother was lost in his own thoughts, trying to concentrate on praying to the god of life, Tua, asking him to watch over his father. When his time was up, he woke Dero to take up the guard while he fell asleep. Suddenly, a commotion woke him.

"Get up, something's approaching. The dogs are growling and raising their fur, and there's a pair of eyes. Dero called.

"Where, show me?" Ker asked. "You have the entrance." He handed them their spears and sat down, staring at the thing looming in the darkness. It was a huge snake, slithering slowly but surely toward them. In the darkness, they could see its glowing eyes and only the outline of a large snout, from which its tongue protruded. They could also hear the hissing coming from its throat. "Prepare your weapons, and I'll try to lull it to sleep."

The brothers stood with their weapons at the ready, simultaneously calming the dogs. The monster approached them dangerously close. Another moment and it could have reached them, but they immediately noticed that the monster was losing strength, so without waiting any longer, they aimed at it, bending down to retrieve another weapon, which was already ready, but was unnecessary. The snake had no strength left, its massive, approximately three-meter-long body sinking into the swamp from which it had just emerged.

"Great job, the three of us can accomplish a lot," Zon exclaimed with joy.

"Wait until you have the opportunity to see what dogs can do, then you'll see how much we can really accomplish," Ker replied.

"Fine, but let's rest a bit longer, and as soon as it starts to clear, we'll move on." Dero concluded.

They were no longer sleeping, just sitting in silence, waiting for the dawn. After a while, Zon spoke up:

"Maybe we could pack most of the cargo onto the dogs; it would be easier and faster.

" "Why not, but will it still be so easy for them to move through this mud?" Ker thought.

"Let's try one of them; if he can handle it and doesn't start to drown, we'll do that. If he gets carried away a little, it would be easier for us. If you succeed, we'll reward you handsomely." Dero added, patting them all in turn.

As soon as it started to get light, they packed part of the load onto the Wind and told him to walk through the swamp. He walked slowly but didn't sink. However, they concluded they couldn't overload the animals, as they would now be the ones to walk slowly. Besides, they weren't sure how they would fare on the journey, given how flexible the swamp was further down, so they divided the packs so that all six of them carried a little. The dogs had no trouble with the small pack, and their handlers had a slightly easier time. They began climbing again, from tree to tree. At first, it was a little easier because they didn't have as much weight on their backs, but the further they went, the fewer the branches the trees had, and in some places there were only rotten trunks, or worse, empty swamps with no footholds. They had to stop frequently, and every now and then one of them would slide down to see if they could walk on the ground for a moment. The dogs moved slowly, and the deeper they ventured into these regions, the more difficult it became for them to find footing. In places, they had to follow the example of the two-legged creatures and climb trees, which they weren't very good at. The boys tied themselves with a rope so that if one of them twisted, they wouldn't fall into the swamp. When there were no new branches within reach, they would throw a spear, tied to a rope, at the nearest tree or trunk and move along it. Occasionally, however, they found dry spots and took advantage of the opportunity to rest for a while. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any dangerous animals so far, but there were many annoying insects flying around, which they couldn't do anything about except ignore them. They continued walking until it began to get dark. This time, there was no island on which they could spend the night, and they couldn't go any further in the dark, so they decided to spend it in the tree they were currently in, especially since its branches were thick and looked sturdy. They helped the dogs climb and settled in as comfortably as possible. They ate in silence and drank a sip of water. Here in the marshes, they shared their supplies with the dogs, and since the waterskins weren't very large, the water was slowly running out.

The night passed relatively peacefully; nothing attacked them. From a distance, they only glimpsed eyes staring at them, as if whatever was watching them was wondering what strange creatures were perched in the tree. As soon as dawn broke, they set off again. They climbed and leaped, sometimes even walking on the ground, noticing that they were increasingly facing relatively solid ground. The closer it got to evening, the more often they walked, not having to climb. The plants began to take on normal colors, not rotten, and more and more animals passed by, even the occasional bird chirped. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bare field appeared before their eyes, without the slightest tree, just grass and other weeds, nothing else. Before them, only the horizon. They couldn't even see what might lie beyond this green desert. First, they decided to find a stream or river and hunt something for a warm dinner. But first, they set up camp so they knew where to return after the hunt. When the hide hut was ready—and the more they made it, the faster it went—they dispersed in different directions to fetch water, something to eat, and wood for a fire. The dogs remained behind, promised that as soon as one of them returned, they would be free to go wherever they pleased. Ker went in search of water, followed by Leaf, who had crept along unnoticed. He figured the other two would manage just fine without him, and he was thirsty. They headed east from the camp; they didn't have to go far, as soon as the tent was out of sight, a not-so-small river came into view, its current flowing lazily in the direction the travelers were supposed to go, namely south. Ker seized the opportunity, and after filling his waterskins and pot with water, he waded into the water to bathe and catch a few fish. However, due to his lack of experience, he failed. However, when he looked from the riverbank, he saw Leaf, calmly lapping at the water. As soon as he saw this, he went out to scold the dog, which had crouched at his feet.

Dero had gone hunting. He didn't know what animals were hiding there, especially since the grass growing in this field was quite tall, reaching his armpits, though it was shorter in places, including in the very spot they'd adopted for camp. He didn't have to go far, though; there were plenty of smaller animals here. So he caught a few rabbits and returned to camp. Zon was already waiting for him with a lighted fire and Ker with various insects he'd managed to catch, which he was now cleaning out of any extra wings. The dogs were gone; they took advantage of the two-legged return to hunt something and drink some water. While Dero roasted the rabbits he'd caught over the fire and Ker prepared an insect stew, Zon went to catch some fish, which Ziemon had told him about.

"After we eat, I'll go hunt a few more rabbits or other small items, cook them, and we'll have them ready for the journey. We're not out of provisions yet, but it's better to be safe since we have some room in our luggage. It must be admitted that the dogs eat quite a lot, and we have to think about them in case we end up in a place where we can't find anything fresh again," Dero said.

"True, but they're still gaining weight, but you'd better go now. I'll keep an eye on the food, because it'll be too dark later, and we can't afford a long break in the journey." Ker advised.

"You're right, friend, I'm going, then." Dero took his spear and a few throwing knives and, walking off into the thicket of grass, added, "A spearman could be useful here; we lost two spears because of that snake.

" "If you want, I'll show you how we make spears?

" "Great, I'll go when I get back, but wait, you Earthlings don't hunt, so why do you need spears?"

"Actually, they're not exactly spears; we call them gouges. We use them for drawing blood from trees or digging up worms, but they might work as a weapon too.

" "I see, I'm going now."

It was almost dark when he returned with a few rabbits and other small animals.

"I have no idea what they are, but they might be good," he said, placing a creature larger than a rabbit, with small ears, a wide and short tail, long teeth, and sharp claws, and fur the color of grass green, near the fire. "I caught it by accident, I was throwing it because knives for anything that moved are a bit too dark for hunting.

" "It should be tasty, the dogs brought some too, and they ate them until their ears were shaking," Zon laughed. "Now sit down, the food is getting cold. There's some strange but tasty tea in the pot, Ker made it."

"It's a tea made from our herbs. It's not only delicious, but it also gives you a lot of energy. I forgot about it; it was at the bottom of my backpack, because it would have been perfect for when you lost your strength.

" "And now we need to contact our father again. Maybe he needs some of my strength again."

After they ate and rested for a while, they sat in a circle and, holding hands, entered a trance. Ker couldn't help them much, but he wanted to, and that was what mattered, so they invited him to be with them this time when they contacted our father. The session was long; the moon had already risen, making it a bit brighter. Finally, they finished. This time Zon wasn't as exhausted as before, but he was also tired. He immediately drank the tea Ziemon gave him.

"Father's not so bad anymore, I guess," he said.

"Yes, he even passed on the news that his captors had recently forgotten about him." Dero added.

As promised, Ker showed the boys how the Earthmen made spears, or rather, picks. They were lighter than the Frostoids' weapons, but also weaker, as they were carved from thin twigs. When carving them, one had to be careful not to break the twig, or else one had to start over. They also differed from the Dero and Zon's weapons in that their blades were double-edged. Zon liked these light spears so much that even before he went to bed, he went looking for twigs suitable for carving and made himself a few Earthen spears.