Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 31

r 31A Bear’s Help

Chapter 31 A Bear’s Help

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The next moment, just as Riley was about to give the rope another tug, the weight in her hands vanished all at once.

Sylvie dropped into the snow, and that soft, familiar glow enveloped her once more.

When the light faded, a sturdy brown bear stood where the girl had been.

Before Riley could wrap her head around it, the bear rose onto its hind legs on its own, grabbed the rope with its broad paws, and slipped it over its thick shoulders.

It glanced back at Riley. Its small eyes held a silly, almost proud look–like it was saying, “See? I’ve got this!”

Then it dropped to all fours and pulled, almost effortlessly.

“Whoosh-”

The sled, which had taken some real effort for Riley to move, now slid forward like a child’s toy, carving a deep trail through the snow.

Riley just stared.

*****

Back at the campsite, the bear hauled the sled into the open area near the toolshed before shimmering back into the small, slender girl–not a trace of that raw power showing on her face now.

Riley walked over to the stack of logs and pulled up her system screen.

“Large quantity of timber detected. Recycle?”

“Yes.”

A brief white flash later, the pile of logs vanished, replaced by tidy numbers in her inventory.

“Obtained: Wood *120”

Seeing her wood supplies replenished, Riley felt a wave of relief.

Just then, a small hand appeared in front of her.

Sylvie was holding out the largest, reddest wild berry from the haul, her expression hopeful.

Riley paused, then glanced at the sled still piled high with foraged fruit. She almost laughed.

The girl must have noticed the few berries from last night still sitting untouched on the bedside table and

a

sledful.

Actually… I’m not

really i

these, Riley admitted gent/p

not wanting to hurt her feelings.

1/3

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20:18 Mon, May 46

Chapter 31 A Bear’s Help

She accepted the berry anyway and took a bite.

Tart juice flooded her mouth.

“Tastes good,” Riley managed, giving a thumbs–up even as her face twisted slightly.

Sylvie’s cyes instantly brightened, and she reached for another.

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Riley quickly held up a hand. “I like them, but I really can’t eat more. These… Why don’t you keep them? Or we could make jam later.”

She pointed at Sylvie, then at the berry pile, miming “for you“.

Sylvie tilted her head, thinking. She seemed to partly understand–but seeing Riley’s smile was enough for

now.

“If only we could talk properly,” Riley murmured.

The language barrier was becoming a real issue.

Sylvie wasn’t slow–maybe she could manage to learn the tongue.?

They carried the berries into the main cabin and sat down for lunch.

Riley pulled out two loaves of white bread and opened a can of corned beef. After a moment’s thought, she also retrieved a carton of orange juice from her precious stash and poured two glasses.

When Sylvie saw the vibrant, sweet–smelling drink, her eyes went wide,

She carefully lifted the glass and took a small sip.

The sweet–tangy flavor, completely new to her, was an instant hit. She stared at Riley in awe, eyes round with surprise.

g

The way Sylvie looked at her had shifted–from gratitude to something closer to reverence, mixed with a quiet kind of devotion.

Feeling a little awkward under that intense gaze, Riley took a bite of bread and tried to gesture a question.

She pointed outside, then toward the starter supply crate nearby, making a “searching” motion followed by a “box” shape, then looked at Sylvie expectantly.

“Have you seen crates like this out there?”

Sylvie paused, then seemed to catch

She nodded, then shook her head.

1. on.

Next, she pointed deep into the woods, used both hands to frame a large square, and hummed seriously.

Then she spread her hands empty

and shrugged, her expression turning puzzled.

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20:18 Mon, May 4

Chapter 31 A Bear’s Help

Riley pieced it together

You mean you used to see them, but not recently?”

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Sylvie nodded, then pointed to the forest again and mimed an animal running. Slowly, she brought her hands together until only one finger remained.

Riley frowned. “Wildlife in the woods is getting scarce too?”

It made sense.

As the cold worsened and ghouls roamed, normal animals had either frozen, been taken by monsters, or retreated deeper in.

Resources were thinning–a dangerous sign.

Riley was quietly worrying about how she’d secure supplies in the coming days, absently chewing her beef, when a system alert chimed unexpectedly in her mind.

A