chapter 34
From the main house of the Hyun family to my mother’s hometown at the foot of the Snow Mountain, the road was well-maintained, taking a full day to traverse.
Our family sent back the carriage we had taken to the massive mountain entrance and switched to a carriage driven by a driver familiar with the Snow Mountain.
The driver, Mr. Tabal, said that now it would only take four days to reach the Snow Mountain by carriage.
“The mountain road has been completed.”
“Finally?”
“Yes. It took quite a long time.”
The newly paved road was wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side and had a gentle slope.
This road had long been the wish of the many tribes living on the Snow Mountain. With a safe and level road, communication with outsiders would be much smoother.
“Before, running in wolf form took five days. It’s really improved.”
My mother smiled with satisfaction as she looked at the road.
“With this road, we could arrive in just three days.”
“Ohh.”
Still, my mother decided to travel by carriage, even if it was a bit slower. She said she wanted to show me the scenery of the Snow Mountain as we ascended slowly, since I was still young.
“This mountain is home to so many living beings.”
“Including you, Mom?”
“Yes, including me.”
She pressed her nose against mine and laughed.
At that moment, my father, who should have been joining in, was unusually quiet. My mother and I turned our gaze toward him.
There he was, asleep as if he had fainted.
He had insisted on joining the journey so much, but after a day of travel, my father had dramatically “fallen in battle.”
Mom and I simultaneously put our index fingers to our lips and shushed. Mr. Tabal, sensing the situation, quietly set the carriage in motion.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage ride was more enjoyable than I expected.
The scorching midsummer sun became bearable once we passed through dense coniferous forests, and birds chirped all around.
We even caught glimpses of wild animals among the tall grass.
“Ugh.”
My father finally opened his eyes late in the evening, after being unconscious all day. By then, we had already stopped the carriage, and my mother was preparing to spend the night while roasting rabbit meat she had hunted.
“Are you awake?”
“How long have I been asleep? I feel terrible.”
“Don’t just say that. Try a bite. You’ll like it.”
Mom fed him a piece of rabbit meat as he splashed water on his face.
As my father chewed, his eyes lit up with delight.
“Delicious.”
“Right?”
Mom smiled broadly as she finished roasting the remaining rabbit meat. Beside her, Mr. Tabal placed dough in a small cast-iron pot, covered it, and gently piled hot ashes on top.
Soon, a rich aroma filled the air.
It was the first day ascending the Snow Mountain.
And it felt wonderful.
The Snow Mountain was enormous.
According to my father, it occupied nearly one-tenth of the entire Seolgok region. Truly a staggering size.
It was also extremely tall. The base was densely forested, while the higher elevations became barren.
On the second day of our ascent, we passed through thick woods and came upon a vast, open landscape that made me gasp.
“Terraced fields!”
“It’s a short stretch. Mostly they grow hardy crops here.”
We paused the carriage briefly.
We had spotted a roadside vendor. The sacks inside were filled with various vegetables, presumably for travelers passing by.
“Would you like to buy one?”
Noticing us peering curiously, the woman came out of the field. My mother pointed to some potatoes, and we bought a sack at a very reasonable price.
“Oh my, what a beautiful child!”
The woman’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
“How old are you?”
“I’m five.”
“If you’re still single, there’s a fine child in our tribe. What do you think?”
I had just been offered a marriage proposal!
“My child already has a partner.”
Unlike my startled reaction, my mother remained calm. Only the woman seemed disappointed.
I showed her the thread bracelet on my wrist, a sign that I indeed had someone.
“This was given to me by my fiancé.”
“Oh my! How lovely. Such a wonderful token…”
The woman stiffened as she examined my bracelet. Then, she suddenly transformed and leapt—turns out she was a rabbit species with perked ears.
“Biiik!”
“Oh dear.”
My father covered my bracelet with his hand and clicked his tongue.
“She must have smelled the residue of your tiger scent.”
In other words, she had been shocked by the tiger scent.
Really? I sniffed my bracelet. Faintly, it seemed to carry the scent of Sobaeksan Mountain.
“The feline tribes are sensitive,” my father explained.
I felt sorry for the woman. As an apology, we also bought a sack of corn displayed next to the potatoes.
The higher we ascended, the cooler the temperature became. Tall trees disappeared, replaced by wide, grassy plains. We spotted herders tending livestock here and there.
“Are those sheep?”
“Look over there. That tribe raises cattle.”
“Wow!”
If you looked closely, wild animals were hiding all around. As we climbed further, the terrain became increasingly breath-stealing.
“Ho-oh.”
At night, our breath became visible in the cold, reminding me how frigid high altitudes could be.
We decided to spend the night with a tribe tending livestock. It turned out my mother knew them from before; she had helped them capture a predator that had been plaguing their livestock. That night, they served us a feast of lamb innards, and we were full to bursting.
After cleaning our palate with roasted corn, we set up our tent—a simple one with a hole at the top for smoke to escape from a small fire in the center.
Swish.
Mom threw dried grass onto the fire. Its scent repelled insects. It made my nose tingle, but it was necessary to avoid mosquito bites.
“Now, let’s sleep.”
“Good night!”
The whole family transformed into human-animal hybrids and settled down. I nestled snugly between the towering figures of Mom and Dad.
Crackle. Chirp.
Outside the tent, insect sounds mingled with moths brushing against the tent and the hoot of an owl, forming a natural lullaby.
I blinked sleepily, cocooned in the warmth of my parents.
Honestly, when we had a fire earlier, it had felt hot. I had underestimated mountain nights.
The occasional chill of the high-altitude night air cooled my nose.
“Kiiing.”
I buried my nose in my parents’ embrace and drifted into a familiar, cozy sleep.
The next day, we met no one.
Heavy rain had poured, leaving us shivering with every exhalation.
Despite the harsh weather, we pushed on, with Mr. Tabal feeding the horses sugar and beans to keep them motivated.
That day, we ate a hot meat stew.
The cooking method was unique. Seasoned meat was laid in a cast-iron pot, heated stones were thrown on top, and the lid closed. The stones’ heat made the lid clang constantly. Adding more stones periodically cooked the meat quickly. Once the meat was done, cold stones were removed, vegetables and water added, and hot stones replaced to finish the stew almost instantly.
The rich, flavorful taste banished the damp chill of the rainy day.
After the third day, on the fourth day,
“Look over there.”
Mom pointed to a village on a high hill, smiling brightly.
“This is the village of the Ash Tribe, where I was born.”
“Awoooo!”
From afar, a wolf howled. Mom cupped her hands to her mouth and howled in response.
“Awoooo!”
In my puppy form, I tilted my head and joined in, “Ha-oo, Ao-oo!” The howls echoed from all over the village.
Whoosh!
From the black hills, wolves with ash and light brown fur bolted forward.
Mountain Grandmother and Mountain Grandfather!
They had come to greet our family.
“Hoonk!”
Mom transformed into a wolf and ran toward them. The three wolves tumbled and rolled, an unfamiliar sight at home.
Eventually, they nuzzled and bit gently,
“Hap.”
“Oong!”
They took turns playfully nibbling my head.
I couldn’t see anything.
Grandmother, overjoyed, bit my nape, and it felt as if I might be lifted and carried away.
“Hung! Hoonk!”
Grandfather made a strange sound to Dad, who had been watching. Understanding it, Dad hesitated and then transformed into a large, majestic dog.
“Thup.”
Grandfather gently placed his mouth on Dad’s handsome head. A sign of welcome, I supposed.
Dad’s lush tail wagged contentedly.
The adults transformed back into human forms and hugged in greeting.
Seeing them healthy brought a broad smile to my face.
“Hyeso must be busy with the child.”
“The child is healthy, I hear?”
“Already running around on all fours, Hyeso can’t even take her eyes off him.”
The Ash Tribe village we entered was entirely built from stone.
Due to heavy snowfall and unpredictable weather, poorly constructed buildings were dangerous. Thus, the tribe had perfected stone architecture.
I admired the sloped roofs and chimneys of each house, from which faint smoke rose.
“Fascinating, aren’t the chimneys?”
Grandfather asked kindly.
“Summers are short, and winters are long here, so we pay a lot of attention to heating.”
“Then you must need a lot of firewood?”
Wood wasn’t absent, but sourcing it in the highlands seemed difficult.
“Fortunately, many sorcerers are born in this Snow Mountain.”
Grandmother explained my curiosity. Harsh environments had produced many individuals with special powers. They combined their abilities to bless the hearths every winter, ensuring firewood lasted longer.
“Our tribe has one advanced sorcerer and twelve intermediate ones. Not as much as the Baek family, but still impressive, isn’t it?”
“Amazing!”
I had never imagined the Lang Tribe had so many sorcerers.
Grandmother smiled at my excitement, a smile identical to my mother’s.
“Here, you can obtain what you desire.”
“Yes!”
The house of Mountain Grandmother and Grandfather was spacious and clean. Mr. Tabal stayed in the guest room, while we stayed in my mother’s old room.
Though I wanted to explore the house, there was something more urgent.
“Quickly, let’s go see Aunt Hyeso!”
I had to meet Aunt Hyeso and my adorable cousin, born last month!
