Two days of walk later I finally returned to the lake, but there was a little problem, something even I didn't expect.
Humans, many of them, there were at least thirty, and many of the looked sick, wounded and malnourished, whatever happened to them was probably the work of beasts or other people.
After a while I identified the one that seemed their leader not far away from the group, he was talking with another woman and contrary to the others he seemed healthy, he was inspecting my tent.
As I was pondering what to do with them, since a part of me wanted to approach them while the other part wanted to stay away from them just in case they revealed to be dangerous, as it was never wrong being carefull, the chief turned his head in my direction alarmated.
Our eyes met and even with the bushes and the trees between us I understood that he saw me, for precaution I decided it was time to flee, even if a pity I had to leave my tools and food there, they were always re-obtainable.
This wasn't the end, maybe these cavemen would turn useful in a way or another.
***
The chief, Arger, was talking with Aris, one of the few healthy people of his group on how they should divide the food between the others, even if sometimes weird and way too energetic she was one of the most intelligent members of the clan.
When at one point he felt a menacing gaze on him, that gaze gave him shivers, turning his head towards the gaze he saw it, two eyes as shiny as stars loomed straight at him from the inside of the forest, a primordial fear ignited inside him, the fear of the unknown.
As the eyes stared at him he prepared himself for a fight that might happen any time, but just as they appeared they returned into the forest running away.
"And so I think it's better to help the children first they are our future, they man and women are a second priority... hey Arger, are you listening me?" Aris asked after ending her speech.
"Uh...It's nothing I just sensed something in the forest, mhm" he replied looking quite troubled.
"Maybe It's the owner of this tent why don't we try interact with it, maybe It's friendly" Aris said with a glint of curiosity that sparkled in her eyes.
"For now it's better to stay away from him, whatever that thing is it's smart and probably angry because we took what was his, we better prepare in the case it comes back" the chief said with a serious face.
***
A few days later
"Well this might be a problem " I said as I was going towards the basin " but those people aren't that important for now, they are far away from me and I have an important battle ahead, it's time to prepare for revenge"
Arriving at the basin I asked the system "System how many possibility to win against the shadow bear I have ?".
The voice of the System that I long stopped earing rang once again in my head ' Around 30% if the shadow bear hasn't completed his evolution '.
"As optimistic as always" I joked seeing the cold response of the System.
***
"It's time " I declared as I took Thunder Fury and wore a leather armor that I made with the wolf skin and fur, I also put a headpiece with the head of the Alfa wolf on it, as I looked in the distance I started walking towards the western side of the central forest, there lied my prey.
Three whole years passed and each moment made me more anxious, this hunt would have only one ending, my victory.
Looking in the distance for a moment I resolved myself and ran towards the forest, while sprinting I thought 'Let's just hope nothing unexpected happens '.
***
Meanwhile in the cavemens camp.
Arger looked at the far away black clouds, that seemed quite intimidating, after this he signed and whispered "It seems this is gonna be a rought day, let's just hope that those clouds won't bring a tempest ".
It was the third year that is clan, or what remained of it stationated itself in the area around the lake, even if some of them didn't survive there were around twenty people alive right now, if not for the food found in the tent by Aris then probably not even ten of them would be alive.
The territory around the lake started to change with even some little wooden houses around it.
Just as the chief started thinking about how far his clan got an old woman approached him saying "Chief, it's starting " after these words the chief eyes immediately posed on her, a while later he said " bring me to her ".
Following the command the old woman took the chief inside a big wooden house, inside laid a beautiful pregnant woman, she looked kinda tired but healthy, as her eyes posed on Arger she spoke "Sweety you're finally here if you hadn't come in time I would have took you here myself " as she ended her speech Arger promptly aswered "Aris sorry for the delay but I had a bad feeling, lets just hope that our child will be fine ".
Years gone by since he sensed that terrible gaze on himself and after that the strange creature disappeared, his clan started to heal from their troubles and he and his lovely wife were going to have a child, but even now in that happy moment he felt something amiss, something wrong.