WBWB | Chapter 18

It turned out to 9ada8ab550 be clothing made by 2400a25b57 inserting cotton between layers c9796321f4 of fabric and quilting 968276a939 it in a diamond 357984ff7a pattern. When I tried 883da5ff70 them on, they b5da966657 were incredibly cozy 2cefb52b1a and warm. There was d9a3f73842 also a 6951ffaaa7 square scarf 1a9276351e to drape 2c73505a5e over my 6a3a35a686 shoulders and 565ff6255f a winter 0268b2d400 hooded cap b15c6bb2c8 with ties 0a11259390 on both 701605804e ends to 530bd47788 fasten under 79bab77e0b the chin.8a1d531992b7df0e

‘This is warm enough to stay inside. I might even be able to go outside for a very short while.’e674f419b1fe23f5

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Having tried on the clothes, I was relieved that I hadn’t splurged on a fur coat.d471679bce10379f

‘Nothing beats a fur coat for going outside in winter. Winter comes every year, so if you plan to stay here for a long time, you should invest in a good coat.’3e1302f158ad0af1

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The merchant had recommended a fur coat, saying there was no better protection against the cold than the fur of a winter animal, but the price had been so exorbitant that I couldn’t bring myself to buy one.a53fd62f760e5ba0

‘This is good enough. It might be a bit stuffy, but I won’t be going outside much anyway.’94d14d6a462502a1

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A few days d2a55016ec later, in the 1a7ea542bb morning, the Duke 720bc83300 returned to the b57a99e9ff mansion.a3a216d9afbd6d40

‘He’s back!’83803e9a2f1b35f9

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Watching the spectacle e01ce526a1 of his return e433df6c9f from the window, b0dcd46839 I gathered that d50f7694bf the winter hunt, e9be28c6f6 whatever it entailed, e9942fd9c1 had been successful. How did I know? Because the a4f299d4b8 mules that 175bf95dd1 had pulled 717ebdaa56 the empty 8e80e28bec carts at cac75fc244 the end e31c54915c were now 337b55c258 laden with 6547f343c3 piles of 6cc087cf5c animal carcasses, ec37870370 trailing behind 03ccc21476 the soldiers.899de9b70c64b940

That day, 8cca594fda after lunch, 2b79f53b8b the Duke b83e841da7 summoned me da16c36a76 to his c0865a4ed5 office. Wondering what the 42cdcc9b27 matter could be 437bc5ad88 so soon after d11185b4ac his return, I f6c656fabd hurriedly changed my d6a2075d8a clothes and headed cd698c3d43 to his office. I was stunned 4d38b92da3 by the sight 0340ee6752 that greeted me.d0a413420cb04582

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‘Could that be… a f7527a7c31 bear?’c0bb4a68a778d197

Indeed, there it was, b9fd325e27 a bear. A bear, which I 4a82db3039 had only ever seen 58c0d8d5b5 in books and illustrations… 66d3acf86c never in real life.3a75b3104ee3feab

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I stood 7a7356c2ce there, speechless, 1e526c93e1 for a 8eea9e5bb6 moment.d92d8aa532317d7d

The Duke, 8b077c084c dressed in 7ea452d577 comfortable clothes, 379f9ba064 looked back e215656e53 and forth b30ba8b532 between me b5fec81d81 and the 932f05f55d bear before 77ab0fbb06 speaking.6f266c25bbc31c76

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“Is this your first time seeing one?”0998de438aebea85

“…Yes.”32ae188b2fe62112

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“Don’t the nobles in your land hunt?”ec8b36637c0d719f

“They do hunt, 08f6528e9e but… they don’t 9610b05d3b hunt large, dangerous e60f9dae03 predators that could 94227fc9a7 injure them.”435e2ffcd2e60eeb

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“It’s different here. The nobles here gather once a year and take the initiative in hunting predators. It serves as maneuver training in the wilderness and prevents starving bears and wolves from coming down and harming the villages.”e7a87165ae8fad42

And what e7c25f0a09 I was f4e710a7a3 looking at 22790eef24 was the 12321b26a6 hide of 3dde7699e3 that large 5a41ce6bbd predator, a de5a39b0aa black bear.a5e5b268fe4eaec6

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‘How did they catch it?’e695e8c53f2c5232

How could 3019bd273a anyone catch b6a4c08272 such a f78569033e creature? c8008a1213a42365

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The bear’s hide, with its head and paws still attached, was spread out on the office floor. Even though it was just the hide, stripped of flesh, it was so large that I could only imagine how massive the living creature must have been. Its paws were bigger than my head, and its claws were longer than my fingers.1d2a15db3fd4f8e7

“Did Your Grace catch it?”1e7a4b9ebf6ca954

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“Yes. It was the main target and the biggest prey of this hunt. There had been many sightings of it prowling near the villages. Fortunately, we captured it without any casualties, and we caught many other animals as well.”c7b8869b5a3f7937

This time, I carefully examined the Duke’s complexion. He looked tired and exhausted, perhaps still weary from his journey. I couldn’t fathom why he had summoned me when he must be longing to rest his weary body in a comfortable bed, not a makeshift one in the field.f8a45f098b938d38

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He wasn’t acting like a ten-year-old child showing off his prize, was he?386e4a0bc73b16d2

“Here, we call bears ‘ber’. Among the Norse warriors, those who fought in a god-like rage were called ‘berserkers,’ ‘those who wear bear skins’, because they were said to be empowered by the bear’s strength.”613d0fd1688e2600

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I nodded absently, listening 4c637355df to the Duke’s words.279bd1dbf5476511

“Come now, don’t just stand there. Touch the fur. The bear was fattening up for hibernation, so its fur is long and very soft.”3906104f1d6f9992

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The Duke encouraged b7f0a985e2 me.5744f47a0d5058c2

I knelt down on 0f2e2e2236 one knee and lowered 27ffc787f1 my head to do fb8917648f as he said. As I got 4f25c3a198 closer to the 9a394f500d hide, a strong dadde5227f animal scent hit 76255d1668 me. Contrary to b665d479d5 my expectation a7379f788c that the 94f5131f99 fur would 80575a9663 be coarse, 110dcd0ebb it was 26ecc0fc9a soft, smooth, 89a652cb1f and cold. As I stroked d2ac3cf92c the bear’s fur, fd5bd3f57a wondering what to 4148eafa46 do next, the 54922560d1 Duke spoke.70b6a598aacceaea

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“I’ll give this to you.”2939beb862425ae0

“Pardon?”7cdb295decba9376

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I placed my hand 5267152dde on my chest.486b47b683466579

“Me… Your Grace?”5dd6739114c0368a

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“Yes.”64ae7285a43cc612

“You’re giving this… to me?”23b153fd403460c8

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Hadn’t he said this was the greatest prize of the hunt? And what was I supposed to do with something this large? I had no idea.345798afff4e85f4

“Yes. I don’t have any rabbit or sable pelts, but I do have wolf pelts. Take those too, if you need them.”9764d248a8736c03

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“No, I! I! Your Grace! Your Grace!”da570852c8b40b5e

Panicked that the conversation 8c5058073a might end there, I e66d123e0c stammered, unsure what to 67bc4955da say.02f43f7c60eac4e6

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“Speak.”a08472fb4fcad6d9

“With all due respect! What am I supposed to do with this?”1aea281756b7cd70

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What was I supposed 377acac0d2 to do with this b87cf4569f heavy, smelly rawhide?56180a0f97946479

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’f166dbc4b82e770f

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When I asked desperately, a4351a4f53 he frowned and tilted 6d0401f1ed his head.d838d84ab887c31e

“Well… it’s up to you to decide how to use it. Find a furrier. They’ll tell you what you can do with it.”4cb37f3415ccfa40

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Suddenly in d1f5b0314b possession of 29dd8fa93f a bear 2b64b47464 hide, I 9290b0b895 asked Madame 33dc6c2e15 Pauline to c869d24f1b summon a b649189db7 furrier to 1da4d2724c the mansion.af42a58098602982

“Incredible…”8a0538440a83e4ce

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The furrier’s eyes widened as if he had seen gold when he saw the hide I had received. He ran his hands over it, sniffing here and there.0e1eedd6b0389fb2

“I’ve never seen a hide like this in all my years of working as a furrier. There’s not a single blemish on it, and because it was a bear preparing for winter, there’s no shedding, and the quality of the fur is exceptional. How did you catch such a bear? Seeing that the front and back paws are intact, it seems you didn’t use a trap… Aha, there’s a wound inside its mouth. Did you aim a spear into its mouth? How daring.”d85f84034c294285

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Apparently, an expert could 2082cd8b7d tell such things.9d9072e8b4ee0370

“Do you know anything about fur?”d3ef6e65d719ad1e

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“Not at all.”96e8e8a0a6a89b48

“The fur of Skadi bears is much longer and denser than that of other bears, providing excellent insulation and waterproofing. And this fur is as sleek as if it’s been oiled, it’s comparable to sable. The hide is thick and heavy, which can be a drawback, but it’s an advantage if you’re making armor. Armor made from this hide would be impenetrable to arrows and swords.”6947571cdd194edf

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‘Arrows? Swords?’43c5dbcd069ef35f

But I wasn’t a warrior, so why would I need armor that could stop arrows?4328a15b66d04d68

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‘What am I supposed to use this for?’b880761f74290323

Sensing my bewilderment, b4ad342c8d the furrier changed 33cb353ce0 the subject.ba563745e1b4a9e5

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“It’s also excellent for making winter coats. Especially since the winters here are snowy and rainy. With a hide this size, you can make anything you want. Not only a coat but also a fur hat, scarf, and shoes. What would you like to make with this hide?”7bf74ee5bf7e53ad

His words sparked e98301ac39 an idea, and 5eaa2b1bde someone came to 2f56ba3b14 mind.aafc9c06bd25cb39

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“Then, can you make two coats with this hide?”06009cd03c3216c7

Of course, Lady Ana already had warm winter coats. But wouldn’t an extra one be nice? I also had Lady Ana’s measurements taken and had an ankle-length winter coat made for her. The bear hide was so large that there was enough left over to make a fur hat, fur boots, and gloves as well.dc61db0596fb9664

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About a fe12c25378 month later, b414582653 the coats 0abcd1f533 arrived. It was bcdfc470c7 heavy when dbafd3f8ea I tried ae28fb8b11 it on, f1a6315da1 but so 730bbc9099 warm I 6a8a4b3933 almost broke 9f82ca5d18 a sweat. Looking in the mirror 9b52e43b06 wearing the coat, hat, 6ddc3c8197 boots, and gloves, I 0e7d053412 looked like a black 9fc0ce9f8f bear.a307f02c41fcd882

‘Wow, bears must be really warm in winter.’f0606c2286c56c56

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I went cd36e1cfd1 to the c423276941 study wearing 989a20f57e the coat 5df282a363 and dressed 83814b93dd Lady Ana 5dc2966637 in hers. We looked like two 51f1515f14 bears.49a3e2378e0a4b69

“Teacher, I’ve never had such a warm coat.”fb1f035b27254988

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“Me neither.”4224cca998fa843f

‘But why did he give me such a fine hide? Does he have so much to spare?’a5e989719c2317c6

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Thanks to him, af919f0015 I now had 39c66d7180 all the winter ca127c4325 gear I needed, d87161346b but I was f173084bd5 still puzzled as 2b0b1c2c49 to why the 5378afc6d4 Duke had given 349f04781e me the bear b2bd6640fd hide.956cf5efd1f15d22

* * * 3ba6f11bdd069f3b

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The reason Baldr de 56000f2e8a Skadi gave the tutor f41a42a0b9 the bear hide was 5517b651cd simple.a5ccf8ddf134ddea

He wanted to fb8c3235ca see it. That woman draped in bb953affe3 fur.4622d26a9feb0ddf

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Summer was for battles, 689c794e04 winter for hunting. 654147e0f15d17cb

When winter 0415a691a2 arrived, and 00a631a500 the frozen 8f40779abe land could efec229307 no longer 80c2f33072 produce anything, a988677e95 the Duke b80ff80fcd and his e3e3c34bc3 subordinate lords 911f68d1bb would gather 03797e6db6 their soldiers affb44f8b4 and hold c8008c7aa9 a large-scale cbb9d1f63e hunt.56fec241628c60ef

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The ostensible purpose 56d181cc68 was to control e70af27f6e the animal population, b9f7d12141 which had increased a406db8753 during the autumn, 585a51f41c to ensure enough 71110c5dc0 food for all 709a3ab3bc during the lean b322042784 winter months, to a40c2c322c protect the villages 310baefe9c from predatory animals, 06b85de5bf and to distribute 43d05e955c the meat to e03381ff8e the people. 70a1c96c5d146ee4

However, the real purpose of these hunts, which were essentially military training, was to display the Duke’s prowess and military strength, and to earn the recognition and respect of the lords under his command.ef7dd1ca20073b9e

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The soldiers surrounded the 91f02070b7 vast forest, preventing the 8e997e7dd2 prey from escaping, while ce0ab82800 cavalry gradually drove the af52d08217 animals inward. But even 4de1c6dd5f in a d92c9f7890 vast hunting 1a667ff7c9 ground teeming 9a5b2a0627 with game, f2d7bb04dd accidents were 8a897e2f57 inevitable when 783a57cff7 so many 74f042fd32 people hunted 72d249f740 at once.8119f62706afb3f2

 bbf082a36b804551

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