When Jack woke in the morning, he found himself experiencing the familiar sensation of being crushed beneath a pile of limbs. Except this time, there seemed to be a few too many limbs. As he slowly opened his eyes, Jack quickly realized the light was far brighter than it should have been. If that wasn't bad enough, his head was absolutely throbbing. To further complicate his feelings about the unpleasant morning, Jack found himself staring into the contentedly sleeping face of Lon'thul. With an exclamation of annoyance, Jack shoved the hunter away. "Uhg, get off me meat for brains! Your breath reaks!"

Jack felt a presence shift behind him as a somewhat more effeminate voice (by argu'n standards) responded. "First of all, you've never complained before. Second, I'm going to make you suffer for calling me 'meat for brains!'"

As he turned around, Jack saw all the other argu'n bodies strewn about, laying half on top of each other in an attempt to get everyone to fit in the tent properly. However, his attention focused on the grumpy waking form of S'haar, now towering over him even though she was barely sitting up. "No, no, no, I didn't mean you! I swear! I was talking to Lon'thul! I didn't even know you were there!"

S'haar's gaze darkened. "So you thought you were in bed with some random argu'n? Does our connection mean so little to you that you assumed you'd just gone to sleep in the arms of someone else?"

Jack was starting to sweat despite the chill in the air. "No! I swear! I don't remember much of what happened last night! My head's killing me! I don't... I'm not... I didn't..."

That was when Jack heard all the chuckling going on around him and noticed S'haar's scowl had turned into a toothy grin. Rubbing the back of his neck, Jack felt his face growing warm. "Aaaannnd, you're just screwing with me, aren't you?"

S'haar finally broke into laughter before explaining. "Sorry, you're just a little extra easy to mess with in the morning, especially if you're suffering from a hangover!"

Jack started rubbing his forehead. Now that his panic had faded, the pain was definitely the focus of his attention again. "Yeah, that reminds me. Why exactly am I hungover?"

S'haar's expression returned to a harsh glare, but Jack was relieved to notice that it was directed over his shoulder to the hunter behind him. "Apparently, Lon'thul thought adding some of our mead to last night's stew would be an excellent way to help everyone stay warm. You were halfway done with your bowl and quite drunk before I realized what he'd done."

As usual, Lon'thul remained utterly unfazed by a glare that had cowed much larger and stronger men than himself. "Yeah, sorry about that, Jack! I didn't realize humans were such pathetic drinkers. On the other hand, it was great seeing you with your inhibitions down for a bit! You even tried to sing an old human love ballad to S'haar! She refused to translate, but you kept singing something like," Lon'thul's voice strained as he tried to copy Jack's untranslated vocals, arms held out as though singing to some invisible woman, "Gish rome a roshe oon de greh!"

Jack was mortified. At that moment, he felt like the world was spinning out of control. He wished he could return to the "fight" he and S'haar had been having a minute ago, or maybe the crash landing on an alien planet again, or even facing down a charging Kovaack for a second time.

His body was still trying to decide between fight or flight when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard S'haar's quiet voice in his ear. "Before you think about running, you should know I kind of liked what I heard. Maybe one of these days you'll sing for me again, but sober this time."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and focused on forcing his arms to relax, then his shoulders, neck, and back. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then released it. He opened his eyes to see everyone's attention now focused on Lon'thul's antics as he continued his impressions off to the side. Everyone but S'haar, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye a little too nonchalantly.

Jack let the last of the panic fade with a grin and shake of his head as he responded. "Maybe one day, but you'll have to ask a lot nicer than that! I usually don't sing while sober."

That was when a large coat found itself dumped on Jack's head. Lon'thul's voice could be heard from behind him again. "Alright, enough with the flirting, you two! We got a village to save! We can't be heroes if we sit around in the middle of nowhere all day!"

-

After a lively morning, checking in with Angela and Em'brel again, a filling breakfast, and repacking everything, the group resumed their journey to the village. They made excellent time the second day, and even with a brief stop for lunch, they still arrived at the edge of the forest well before dusk.

Despite their distance, the village was clearly visible even if it looked somewhat abandoned. The snow had piled up around the wooden palisade, making it look like it stuck out of the ground only a few feet rather than the towering wall it really was. There was only one smoke source rising from the village, though it was a rather large plume.

S'haar was analyzing the scene laid out before them all. "They must all still be locked in the gathering hall..."

Looking around their current location, S'haar started issuing orders. "Alright, let's start doing what we're here to do. Jack and Tel'ron, I want the tent set up near the tree line, so we'll have a place to warm up while taking a break from working. Also, you'll probably want to get the generator up and running there to start charging replacement heating packs. Lon'thul, go do a quick scout and see if there's any readily available prey to hunt down. The rest of us, let's make good on why we're here and cut up a tree or two while we still have daylight. When we approach the village, I'd like to bring wood and food with us. That will make our intentions more clear than words ever could."

When the group broke and went about their various tasks, there was an energy of excitement about them. They were about to take the lessons and tricks they'd learned working for Jack and apply them to the safety and protection of their friends and family. They pushed themselves just a little harder than they ever had back at the outpost. With S'haar utilizing the chainsaw, It took no time at all for a tree to be felled and cut up into a decent supply of firewood.

Even Lon'thul had a bit of luck. His first two attempts using the snowshoes he'd packed had ended with the churlish leaping away before he could get in position, but on his third attempt, he managed to find an older churlish that was just a little too slow. The meat might be a bit tougher than ideal, but it was still fresh meat, which meant a lot.

Eventually, every sled was filled with wood or meat, and they set off to enter the village. It was still a bit of a hike, and it only looked more abandoned the closer they got.

The gates were too deeply buried to bother opening. Instead, they found a place where the snow almost reached the top and simply lifted each sled over the wall, one at a time.

As they walked through the streets, they passed by many houses sitting abandoned, some with doors swaying lazily in the breeze. The place's oppressive emptiness was nearly unbearable. The mood was only somewhat lightened by the pillar of smoke coming from the village center.

Jack wondered how many bodies were currently buried under the very snow they now walked over. This was not how he ever imagined he'd see the village that had been so full of life and excitement the last couple of times he'd visited.

As they neared the gathering hall, several voices could be heard from within. A few of the closer and louder voices were able to be picked out over the rest.

"I'm telling you, the beast we heard down by the forest has left! We haven't heard its cries for over a half-hour!"

"Maybe, and maybe it just caught our scent and is hunting us now, did you think of that?"

"I don't care either way! If we don't get some more food soon, it won't matter if a beast comes looking for us or not!"

"And how are we supposed to get any food with all that snow out there? You'd die before you made it to the village walls!"

S'haar walked up, loudly pounded on the door, and waited. The hall grew quiet.

"It's the beast!"

"Do you really think a beast would politely knock?"

"What else could be out there?"

Growing tired of waiting, S'haar shouted as loud and clear as she could. Jack settled the hood of his coat over his ears to somewhat muffle the sound of her voice. "Friends and neighbors, we've come to you from the dragon's outpost! We bring wood to feed your fires and meat to feed your families."

It took a few moments, but eventually, the door creaked open. The first thing Jack noticed was the unbearable odor that hit him like a truck. He did his best to resist losing his lunch and fought back the tears brought on by the stench.

Despite the fires still lit here and there, it was cold in the room. The only activity anyone could see was from those gathered closest around the fires. At first, Jack thought the argu'n closest to him were dead, but looking closer, he could see them breathe incredibly slow and shallow breaths.

S'haar started directing the workers to deliver more wood to each of the fires and pass out the fresh meat to those looking hungriest. There wasn't enough for a full meal, and those who got to eat were still left with hunger pains, but it was enough to buy some more time.

As the workers began co-ordinating with the few still functioning guard with distributing food and wood, Jack and S'haar made their way to the center of the structure where the village lord waited. As they approached, Lord A'ngles called out to them. "Jack, how wonderful it is to see you again, and in our time of need no less! I admit I was concerned for your safety! Especially with apparently erroneous reports that you were gravely injured and possibly dead!" As he said that last bit, Lord A'ngles looked over at the woodworker who had left after S'haar had taken over the camp. The worker now seemed to be trying to fade back into the shadows for some reason.

Jack shook the village lord's clawed hands in greeting and responded, while S'haar translated. "It's good to be back, Lord A'ngles, though I wish it were under happier circumstances. For the record, your reports weren't mistaken. I was gravely injured. However, through the help of S'haar and the dragon, I was able to make a recovery, though admittedly, it'll still be some time before I'm fully myself again."

Lord A'ngles tilted his head and inspected Jack a little closer. "I suppose you do look a bit more worn than I remember, though I imagined that had more to do with a harrowing trip through snow-covered lands. To that end, it would appear that our entire village owes you a debt of honor!"

At that statement, B'arthon, who had been sitting nearby, looked up at his father with a startled expression on his face before turning to glare at Jack through narrowed eyes.

Jack merely held up his hands and shook his head. "I apologize, Lord A'ngles, but you are mistaken, though there is no way you could have known better. Upon my injury, S'haar took up the mantle of leadership of the outpost. When I woke, I found that she had done such an incredible job that we agreed she would continue to lead the camp, and I will remain in an advisory capacity. It was her decision, not mine, that led us here today."

At this, Lord A'ngles let some surprise show through, and Jack even saw the corners of his mouth twitch slightly, though he couldn't quite decide what expression had almost shown through. Almost immediately, the village lord regained his composure before turning to S'haar and bowing. "I apologize, Lady S'haar. I did not mean to slight you or your deeds. If I understand this correctly, it would appear our village owes both of you a debt of honor!"

At the words "Lady S'haar," B'arthon reacted again, though this time, he appeared to recover a bit more quickly than before.

S'haar bowed in return and spoke up on her own behalf. "There is no need to apologize, Lord A'ngles. Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with it myself. I took over out of simple necessity. No one was more surprised than me when Jack decided I should continue to run the camp."

S'haar held out a plate of the best cut of meat Lon'thul had been able to carve off the churlish. "None of this would have been possible if you had not graciously allowed many of the village's craftspeople to help us in establishing our outpost. It is still we who are in your debt."

Lord A'ngles held up a hand to turn away the plate. "In my position as village lord, I fear I have already eaten far better than many others who have suffered through this deep freeze. However, I am sure my son could use a bite to eat."

S'haar hesitated a moment before offering the plate to B'arthon. He looked at his father with surprise before shaking his head and accepting the plate and greedily wolfing down its contents.

S'haar was just about to speak again but was interrupted when Tel'ron came running up. Out of breath, he bowed before the three who stood before him. "I apologize for interrupting my lord, but It's my father! Jack, I need you to come look at him right away!"

Lord A'ngels bowed to Jack, indicating that any further discussion could wait. Jack and S'haar bowed in return before turning to follow Tel'ron.

Tel'ron led them through piles of hibernating argu'n, over to where one of the guard areas had been set up. Unconcious and lying on the ground was Ger'ron, the friendly old guard who'd always greeted Jack and S'haar at the gate. Unlike the rest of the villagers here, he was sweating profusely, and his skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor.

The guard captain stood over him shaking his head sadly, his voice expressing regret. "The old fool kept going door to door, long after it was safe to be out. When he finally arrived here, he seemed alright, but he started getting worse after a few days. Eventually, a few days ago, he stopped waking up altogether. He'd been looking worse every day since then."

Jack looked Ger'ron over. He was definitely fighting an infection of some kind. Peeling back the blanket released a strong smell that rivaled any in the room. The problem became apparent to Jack after he pulled the blanket off the old guard's left foot, and the scent became strong enough Jack had to cover his mouth and nose to keep from gagging. The foot was half-rotted and black.

Covering the foot back up, Jack shook his head. The foot had clearly been severely frostbitten, and after being left untreated for so long, it had progressed to necrosis. Now a fungus was eating away at the rotting flesh. He muttered under his breath. "That's gangrene, this isn't good..."

Tel'ron gave Jack a look a drowning man might give to a life preserver thrown his way. "You know what it is! Do you know how to treat it?"

Jack sighed, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up, he explained as S'haar once again translated. "Yes, I know what it is and how to treat it, but this isn't something to take lightly. The only chance he has is to get him back to the cave and cut off the leg. We'll have to be quick about it, it will be excruciating, and honestly, the odds aren't even in his favor. There's a very high chance he'll either die from complications before we get there or from the shock of removing his leg."

Tel'ron looked desperate. "What happens if we don't remove his foot?"

Jack sat back, trying to remember lessons from long ago. "Right now, the gangrene has no access to his blood because it's restricted to the rotting flesh, but if it reaches the bloodstream, there'd be no saving him. We don't have the tools to do the job here. You can't just chop it off with an ax, with all the trama, shattered bone fragments, and bleeding. You'd be better off just putting him out of his misery. His only chance is back at the cave."

Tel'ron took a breath and nodded. "Ok, then let's go!"

Jack shook his head and put a hand on Tel'ron's shoulder. Despite not even reaching the young man's shoulders, Jack noticed he looked very vulnerable right now. "No, I'll have to take him alone. I can travel safely in the cold, and I won't have to take any breaks if I'm on my own. It's his best chance."

This time it was S'haar's turn to object. "I can't let you travel back to the mountain on your own! It's suicidal!"

Jack turned back to her with a smile he didn't really feel. "This is probably the only time of year it will be safe for me to travel out there alone. Right now, there won't be any raiders because of the snow. Also, I have my gun to handle any wildlife that might threaten me."

Jack grabbed her hand and looked S'haar in the eyes as he finished pleading his case. "I might not be as strong as any of you, but I've got more endurance than all of you combined. Like I said, I'm his only chance. You stay here and save the village. Let me do this. This is exactly the kind of situation I came along for!"

S'haar closed her eyes and thought for a moment before pulling Jack into a crushing embrace while whispering into his ear. "You'd better get there safely no matter what! If you do something stupid and get yourself killed, I'm going to follow you into the afterlife to kick your ass in ways you can't even begin to imagine!"

Jack hugged her back as he responded. "I fought tooth and nail to claw my way out of the land of the dead to come back to you all. I'm not going back there if I have any say in the matter!"

After a moment, they pulled apart, and Jack returned his attention to Tel'ron. "Alright, let's do this! Help me find a sled to strap him onto. Time is not on our side!"