You make camp near a river. You can see fish darting along the quick-flowing water.\n\n[[Take your spear and wait|f2]]\n<<set $fish = 0>>

You stand on the bank of the river and close your eyes. You take a deep breath. \n\nYou can feel the bitter wind on your face. You can hear the rustle of the trees behind you. You can smell the scents of animals in the forest.\n\nYou take a deep breath.\n\nYou block out all these sensations and focus on the task at hand. You raise your spear and stand motionless.\n\nAs you open your eyes, a fish leaps from the water.\n\n[[Throw your spear|fo1]]\n[[Wait|f3]]

The fish lands back in the water and you watch it swim away. It is for the best; that would not have been a good throw.\n\nThere will be other fish.\n\n[[Wait|f4]]

Half an hour passes. More fish swam past but it would never have been the right throw.\n\nYou see a fish find a patch of water without as strong a current, behind a rock. It swims in slow circles and nuzzles at the bottom looking for food.\n\nIt is a reasonable throw.\n\n[[Throw your spear|fo2]]\n[[Wait|f5]]

The throw was far from perfect. There will be other chances.\n\n[[Wait|f6]]

An hour passes.\n\nThere are fewer fish now. No other opportunities present themselves.\n\n[[Wait|f7]]

Another hour passes. The light is starting to fade.\n\nYou haven't seen a fish in the past 10 minutes. The nights are short in the North and you need to be rested to continue your journey.\n\n[[Give up for tonight|w1]]\n[[Wait|f8]]

There is barely any light left. You strain to see signs of movement in the water.\n\nBut your patience pays off. Two fish are swimming down the river close to each other. They pause in the slow current, side by side.\n\nThis is the right throw.\n\n[[Throw your spear|fo3]]

The bear is almost upon you.\n\nTime is at a stand still.\n\nThere is a reasonable change to land a killing blow.\n\n[[Stab|bso2]]\n[[Wait|bso3]]

You hesitated and missed your strike.\n\nThe bear charges into you before your attack was properly set. A ton of muscle easily outmatches you.

The bear is lumbering towards you. \n\nIt begins to circle you 4 feet away.\n\n[[Swipe at the bear|bso1]]\n[[Wait|bs2]]

The bear growls. It swipes a massive paw towards you. You easily dodge it.\n\nThe bear squares up to you. It rears up and roars.\n\n[[Stab|bso1]]\n[[Wait|bs3]]

You take a deep breath.\n\nThe bear throws its weight down towards you.\n\nTime slows. You know the artery to aim for.\n\nThere is no chance to hit it yet.\n\n[[Stab|bso1]]\n[[Wait|bs4]]

Too late.\n\nThe bear has been roused by your activity. You can't outrun it.<<if $wounded>> Your wounds haven't healed. You'll need to be cautious.<<endif>>\n\n[[Ready your spear|bc1]]\n\n

Snow crunches underfoot while also gathering in the firs lining your hood.\n\n[[Keep going|s1]]

The wolf bares its teeth. It is growling at you.\n\nThe wolf takes another step closer. It is close enough to kill you before you can respond.\n\n[[Wait|wo5]]\n[[Attack with your knife|wo4]]

The wolf sniffs at the fish. It begins to move closer: head down; hackles up.\n\nThe wolf takes another step closer. It is close enough to wound you before you could respond.\n\n[[Wait|w5]]\n[[Lunge with the spear|wo2]]

You remain motionless as the wolf draws nearer. It's on its own, not part of a pack. Maybe just hungry. \n\n<<if $fish == 2>>Good thing you've got some spare food.<<else>>You have no food to spare. What's left on the menu?<<endif>>\n\nThe wolf takes another step closer. It is close enough to attack you. No sudden movements.\n\n[[Tighten your grip on the spear|wa1]]\n<<if $fish == 2>>[[Hold out the other fish on a stick|w4]]<<endif>>

A branch snaps in the darkness. You remain motionless. Something is moving towards you.\n\nA single wolf appears in the halo of the firelight.\n\n[[Lunge with the spear|wo1]]\n[[Wait|w3]]

<<if $fish == 0>>You spend the evening crafting a new spear as you have nothing else to do. You cut down a sturdy looking branch and affix a spare spear-head by the firelight.<<else>>You cook dinner over a fire pit and begin to eat.<<endif>>\n\nThe forest has grown quiet since night fell. All you hear is the crackle of the fire.\n\n[[Listen|w2]]\n<<set $wounded = false>>\n

This site is better than reasonable. This may be the right site. You look around some more.\n\nYou notice one of the trees has its bark shredded up to 6 feet off the ground. You notice several trees have their bark shredded.\n\nThis is no longer a reasonable site. Time to move on.\n\n[[Keep going|b4]]

Yet virtues are luxuries. And in the frozen North, you can afford very few luxuries.\n\n[[Keep going|f1]]

You've passed some reasonable sites already. Far from perfect but they would have made do. \n\nYet you know there will be another place. A better place.\n\nPatience. Patience is a virtue.\n\n[[Keep going|s3]]

You haven't seen another person in weeks. They told you that none return from the frozen North.\n\nYou have other ideas.\n\n[[Keep going|s2]]

The bear falls closer.\n\nTime is moving like syrup.\n\nThere is a reasonable chance to land a killing blow.\n\n[[Stab|bso2]]\n[[Wait|bs5]]

The bear is 8 feet away and closing.\n\nIt's at the edge of your attack range.\n\n<<if $wounded>>[[Lunge|bco1]]<<else>>[[Lunge|bco2]]<<endif>>\n[[Wait|bc5]]

The bear is 4 feet away and closing.\n\nIt's almost upon you.\n\n[[Lunge|bco2]]\n[[Wait|bco3]]

The bear roars and charges at you.\n\n[[Brace your spear to meet it|bc2]]

The bear is 20 feet away and closing.\n\n[[Lunge|bco1]]\n[[Wait|bc3]]

The bear is 14 feet away and closing.\n\n[[Lunge|bco1]]\n[[Wait|bc4]]

You used your one chance to attack too early. A massive paw catches you on the temple.

You strike at the bear. Your knife sticks in the bear's throat and you narrowly avoid it falling on you. The bear tries to stand. After a few attempts, it lies still.\n\nYou breathe out.\n\nYou retrieve your knife. You will have to make a new spear.\n\nBut this is now the right site. You will need wood.\n\nEnd

The full force of the bear lands on you. You are left broken in the snow.

You keep looking for appropriate areas.\n\nThis site is too uneaven.\nThis one is too far from water.\n\n[[Keep going|b3]]

Your lunge is well set. It catches the bear in the chest, by the shoulder. You begin to drive the spear in but have to move aside. The spear snaps off in the bear.\n\nAll you have left is a knife. The bear is wounded. It's favouring one side. In less snow you might have been able to get away now.\n\nThe bear is loping back towards you. You grip the knife.\n\n\n\nYou don't want to die up here.\n\n[[Take a deep breath|bs1]]

Patience

You acted too early. Your throw was off balance and your spear misses by a wide margin.\n\nIt disappears into the rushing water and your hear a snap as it is caught between some rocks.\n\nIt will take your the rest of the evening to craft a new spear.\n\n[[Back to camp|w1]]

Your spear finds its mark and pins the fish to the river bed. You wade over and collect your dinner.\n\n[[Back to camp|w1]]\n<<set $fish = 1>>

You spear both fish with your throw.\n\nThe extra food will help take the edge off the biting cold tonight.\n\n[[Back to camp|w1]]\n<<set $fish = 2>>

The wolf is an arms length away. It sniffs at the fish again. It snatches the fish from the stick and backs away. It keeps its eyes fixed on yours. The wolf leaves the camp.\n\nYou breathe again.\n\n[[Sleep|b1]]

You lose your nerve. You lash out with a knife from your boot. \nThe wolf was distracted but catches your forearm in its jaws, opening up several gashed.\n\nYou stab several more times to stop it moving.\n\nYou start bandaging your wounds.\n\n[[Sleep|b1]]\n<<set $wounded = true>>

The sudden movement startles the wolf. It lunges at you.\n\nYou acted rashly. You weren't ready for a fight.\n\nThe wolf's fangs catch your arm. Its claws rake your leg. Hot blood spurts onto the frozen ground. With an artery open, you're dead in minutes.\n

The wolf lunges back but your strike was well prepared. You catch the wolf between the jaws and spear through the back of its head.\n\nThe meat will last several days.\n\n[[Sleep|b1]]

The wolf has caught you off guard. You correct your stance in time to avoid the fangs but the wolf claws at your arms and chest.\n\nYou manage to get your spear under the wolf and drive it into the beast's chest. The wolf falls off you.\n\nThe meat will last several days.\n\n[[Sleep|b1]]\n<<set $wounded = true>>

You mis-timed you attack,<<if $wounded>> your wounds affected your range,<<endif>> leaving yourself defenceless.\n\nA single blow from the charging bear shatters your ribcage.

Tim Skew\n@Sethirith

You remain motionless. The lunge was just a feignt and the wolf holds back.\n\nIt continues to circle the firelight but has let its guard down. You see an opening.\n\n[[Strike|wo3]]

The wolf bares its teeth. It is growling at you.\n\nThe wolf begins to leap at you.\n\n[[Wait|wa3]]\n[[Brace your spear|wo2]]

The wolf sniffs at you. It begins to move closer: head down; hackles up.\n\nIt circles around you, cautiously, staying out of range of your spear.\n\n[[Wait|wa2]]\n[[Lunge with the spear|wo2]]

You went to sleep freezing. You wake up freezing.\n\nYou pack up camp and head onwards.\n\n[[Keep going|b2]]