Chapter 4: Memories in the snow

It was winter.

Snow drifted gently around a small ranch near the village of Kazan, and the sound of axe strikes competed with the howling wind.

"Samo!..." called a voice at the entrance.

"Help me with the supplies," added Ivan, carrying a bundle of provisions and goods.

From behind the cabin, he appeared — the young Samo. Now a tall man, with long, wavy red hair, dressed in leather that barely kept out the cold. In his hands, a long axe that looked like a toy compared to him.

"Let me help, father," said the young man, easing the burden from the older man's shoulders.

Unlike Ivan, Samo carried the bundle with just one hand, turning and walking toward the house.

"Samo," Ivan broke the brief silence.

The young man turned around, only to find Ivan holding a sheathed sword out toward him.

The boy dropped the axe from his right hand and took the sword, tears falling from his face.

"Thank you... father," he said, sobbing.

The young man then unsheathed the sword. It was simple and humble in design — a common steel blade, the best they could afford with the money they had saved.

"Why not give it a try?" Ivan said to the eager boy.

"Cut the stumps with the sword instead of the axe. I want to see how you handle it," he added with a smile on his face.

"Might not seem like it, but your old man here used to be a knight before he became a lumberjack."

The boy nodded, taking an offensive stance, raising the sword before delivering his strike.