It was outside of my train of thought to survive; that hope had already passed. Now all I could do was walk, and keep walking until I could no more. At that point, I would lie on the white blanket, let it cover me even, and then fall asleep under the sweet, melodious lullaby of death. I had already accepted my fate, i understood now that there was no way to avoid it. I had asked myself for the previous days what could I do, what could I use? And the answer was always the same, no matter how far I traveled. The place I resided in was a wasteland, to say the most. It was barren of any substance but snow and chilling air. Even the sun, a sign of hope to my people, was buried within the storm.

---

Yet I continued walking, for reasons I refused to accept. Not only was I at war with the terrain, but with myself. I was lost and dead in all aspects of my life. But part of me knew. Part of me would not allow me to drop to the snow and become part of the white. Part of me believed that if I kept walking hope would find me. And that part of me, small as it was, was strong and ever-burning. It carried my legs, frozen as they were, across the landscape to a place where the sun must be shining, and where hope must be.

---

And without this ounce of belief that resided in the deepest part of my soul, I would have never seen it. Barely darker than the rest of the white, it stood tall. And as I saw and recognized the figure, I saw the smaller counterpart that could be no other than the offspring. And in that moment, I truly was dead. Everything I had ever believed in was contradicting itself, and I knew that I had to forget about my customs and follow my instincts. It was not until this realization that I remembered the spear. It had been in my hand the entire time, and as I attempted to move my hand, i winced in pain. However, I had to overcome myself.

---

I started walking faster, focused on the target. I felt my feet push up through the blanket of snow, felt it cascade of my leather boots. I had regained feeling in my hands as the blood rushed through my body. I rotated my shoulders, extending and contracting my elbow. The beast remained unaware. As I moved in closer, I noticed the snow had stopped falling. And then I saw the one thing that meant everything to me. I saw the sun. I was running at this point, racing through the snow, my legs flying across the top. Out of nowhere came this sudden rush of energy, but oh how glad I was it had came. The animal turned now to face me, turning its entire body and leaning on its front paws, releasing a roar so fierce as to scare away a village of armed men.

---

But I didn't hear it. Everything was silent, no sound reached my ears. It knew my intentions, it comprehended the fact i would not stand down. Now it ran, and its cub stayed, against the snow, frightened. We were near now, the bear and I. My muscles tightened, my senses heightened, and for the first time in days I felt alive. I raised my arm, the spear pointing directly at the beast's throat. I gripped it now with two hands, relaxed and prepared. Then it began. I thrust the spear forward, and in the same moment the monster leaped through the air, claws blazing toward my chest.

---

The spear had dulled, I was now aware. It had barely pierced its neck, yet it went on. It tackled me with the force of ten men, throwing me to the ground. I felt its claws penetrate my skin through my leather tunic, and for the first time felt the cruel warmth of blood run down my torso. It was satisfying, the warmth. As the beast lay atop my body, biting at my face, I held the spear steady in its throat. Mustering any ounce of strength remaining in my body, I pushed. the spear dug deeper into the bear's throat, and as it stopped attacking for the smallest amount of time, it slid of my body. I released my grasp of the spear, and we both rose to our feet, my chest bleeding as his throat did.

---

I now unsheathed the dagger at my side, holding it as I was taught by my father. Lunging at me once more, the monster roared with anger, and I kept my mind. grabbing it around the throat, I through myself on its back and began stabbing it repeatedly, wherever I could land a blow. Bellowing in pain, it clenched its teeth around my arm, and I bellowed in the same manner. However I didn't stop stabbing; I couldn't. Over and over I plunged the knife through its flesh, puddles of blood soaking its snowy fur. And then I felt it. It stopped. Just as the snowstorm had, it stopped. And then it fell. Directly to the ground, just as I thought I would have. Feeling a surge of relief in my arm as it released its grasp, I fell next to it.

---

Breathing heavily, I looked to the cub. Its eyes met mine, and it ran, never to be seen again. I wanted to cry, all my body did. But I couldn't. Deep inside, I knew I had done the right thing. After all, I had my own family to attend to. Looking at the sun, at the clear sky, and at the soft snow all around me, I was suddenly filled with dread. It was what I saw in that very instant that made me wish I was the polar bear. Laying before my eyes, clear as anything.

It was the mountain I had seen four days earlier. I had traveled in a circle.