The two spent the rest of the morning working over the fallen scaled stag.
Sereth showed Caius how to properly butcher the beast without damaging the parts that could be useful later. They carefully carved away the meat, separating the tender portions from the tougher cuts that could still be preserved over the fire. Nothing was wasted.
The stag's heavy scales were removed along with the tough hide beneath them. Sereth took particular care around the neck and back, where the overlapping scales were thickest and most resilient. The broad, iron-like antlers were sawn away from the skull, and the bones were separated from the remaining flesh.
Finally, Sereth opened the beast's chest and carefully reached inside, removing its mana core.
The small, faintly glowing sphere rested in his palm.
Caius leaned closer, examining it with quiet interest. "It is smaller than I expected."
"Herbivores usually have smaller cores than predators of the same size," Sereth explained, holding it up to the pale light. "But never judge a beast by the size of its core alone."
They kept the core, the broad antlers, the thick scales, the clean bones, and the best portions of the meat. They could not take the entire carcass. There was simply too much to carry.
Caius looked down at the remaining meat and bone resting on the river stones. "Can we store the rest?"
Sereth shook his head, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "Our storage rings cannot hold something that large."
Caius glanced at the ring on his own finger. "Even mine?"
"Unless you want to cut the entire beast into tiny pieces and store it one morsel at a time."
Caius pictured the enormous stag and the hours it would take. "That would take forever."
"Exactly."
They took what they could carry and left the remainder for the scavengers of the valley.
By the time they returned to the ruined stone structure, Caius was carrying a heavy bundle of fresh meat while Sereth carried the cleaned hide and the other valuable components.
The ancient stone shelter became their temporary workshop.
Sereth spread the scaled hide across the floor and began showing Caius how to clean it properly. He carefully scraped away the remaining flesh and fat, making sure not to nick or damage the thin, pliable leather layer beneath the overlapping plates.
Caius watched every movement closely before taking the scraping tools and attempting the process himself.
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"Slowly," Sereth cautioned, watching the boy's hand. "If you cut too deeply, you will ruin the hide."
Caius adjusted his grip, easing the pressure against the skin. "Like this?"
"Better."
They continued working side by side as the hours slipped away.
The hide had to be meticulously cleaned, stretched, and treated before it could be transformed into anything useful. Sereth explained which parts needed to remain flexible for joint movement and which sections could be reinforced without restricting speed.
"We'll keep the pelt intact," Sereth said, running a gloved hand over the stag's overlapping crests. "The scale-hide is light enough for proper footwork, but tough enough to turn a blade. It'll make you a fine set of leathers."
Caius looked down at his current armor. The steel-plated gear Cullum had given him had protected him during the battle, but it was heavy, rigid, and noisy.
Sereth noticed his gaze. "Your armor is too heavy for the journey ahead."
Caius looked up at him. "Too heavy?"
"For traveling through the high mountains, yes. You need something lighter." He tapped the hardened scales on the floor. "This leather is tougher than ordinary hides and considerably lighter than your steel plate. It will give you protection without slowing your footwork."
Caius nodded, understanding the wisdom in the elf's words. "Then we'll make it."
Sereth offered a faint, rare smile. "We will."
They spent the remainder of the day preparing the hide and preserving the meat. By evening, a steady fire crackled inside the ruined stone structure, and strips of seasoned meat were suspended over the warmth to dry.
Caius sat beside the flames, resting his tired shoulders while Sereth worked on conditioning the leather.
After a long silence, Sereth spoke over the crackle of the embers. "We will stay here for a week."
Caius looked across the fire at him. "A week?"
"Yes." Sereth continued his rhythmic scraping against the leather. "We need to practice your Flow Step. Your natural instinct is remarkable for someone who has just learned the technique, but your circulation is still rough and uneven."
Caius looked down at his legs, remembering the strange, dark flow of his energy. "I can refine it."
"You will." Sereth nodded toward the dark valley outside the doorway. "We will also hunt. It will give you practice tracking beasts, honing your marksmanship, and moving through the terrain without being detected."
Caius looked out toward the cold, gray valley. "And after the week?"
"We begin the journey north." Sereth's expression grew serious, the firelight casting deep shadows across his sharp features. "The frozen wasteland is not like this valley. The land is harsher, the weather can kill you in your sleep, and there are far fewer beasts to hunt."
Caius listened attentively, soaking in every word. "So we will not be able to rely on hunting for food."
"Precisely," Sereth said. "And the beasts that do survive there are far more dangerous. We cannot simply hunt the larger ones whenever we need meat. Some of them are stronger than anything you have ever encountered."
Caius thought back to the armored stag and its iron-like antlers. "If the beasts are that strong, how will we survive?"
Sereth looked him in the eye. "By knowing when not to fight."
He returned his attention to the scaled hide, smoothing down an edge. "That is why you will train here first."
Caius looked down at Nightdancer resting against his knee. His father's sword. His father's ring. The ancient warbow Sereth had entrusted to him. Everything he carried was a silent reminder of the life he had lost.
But now, a clear path stretched out before him.
A week of intense training in this forgotten valley. Then two months of brutal travel through the mountains toward the frozen northern waste. And somewhere beyond those desolate lands waited Sereth's people, along with the answers about his father's mysterious past.
Caius stared into the dancing flames. He was not ready yet.
But by the time they left this valley, he would be.