More than half a month later, February had arrived.
The Northlands Wasteland was still cold, but no heavy snow had fallen during that time. The snow and ice had packed down enough that travelers no longer sank unpredictably with every step. Riding a horse was just about possible.
According to the veterans from the Barbarian Tribes who lived in the territory, the tribes could begin their winter hunts around this time. Game might be hard to find, but a successful hunt could provide vital food and help a tribe through the bitter winter.
That day, a small party of hunters from the Horseshoe Tribe, a vassal of Two Rivers County, followed their quarry far beyond the tribe's pastures.
They weren't short of food. The tribe's elders simply refused to abandon the custom, and they had organized the winter hunt to train the younger generation.
The hunters hadn't expected to catch much, but then they found the tracks of a herd of wild sheep and followed them.
They pursued the tracks for two days and nights before discovering a stream fed by a natural hot spring. Its water was warm enough to keep it from freezing even in winter.
Hu Tuk, an experienced old hunter, judged that animals in the area came to the stream to drink in winter. He led the other hunters into an ambush nearby.
To avoid being spotted by their prey, they built a snow shelter on a small hill not far from the stream. By day, everyone stayed inside except for one lookout, taking turns at the post.
They hid their horses in a cave at the foot of the hill, where the animals' scent was less likely to draw predators searching for food.
But after two days of waiting, no herd appeared. Instead, a force