In the forest at night, Terry Mao ran swiftly with Lily Mao on his back. This was the mountain forest near their village, where he had grown up and knew every detail well. Even in the darkness, he could rely on the faint moonlight to find his way.
"Mason, what's wrong? Hurry up!"
At that moment, Mason Mao stood up, his face blank. His tears had already dried, and he gazed at Terry Mao with deep sorrow.
"Big brother, father..."
Terry Mao said nothing and grabbed Mason Mao's hand.
"Run, Mason."
Shouts and firelight drew closer from behind. Terry Mao broke into a run again. Though exhausted, he never stopped for a moment.
By a small river, Terry Mao finally stopped. He set Lily Mao down and collapsed to the ground, panting. Mason Mao lay by the riverbank, motionless. After running all night, the young boy was completely spent.
But what was worse now was Lily Mao's condition. Her face was deathly pale, lips purple, and she shivered uncontrollably.
Mason Mao struggled to his feet. He remembered there was a cave nearby—he'd found it while hunting. Now, neither he nor Lily Mao could run any farther.
With a crackling sound, Terry Mao gritted his teeth, holding Mason Mao with one arm, Lily Mao on his back. Step by step, he crossed the small river and headed toward the forest.
They reached the cavern—a space large enough for five or six people, with plenty of dry grass inside. Terry Mao had visited not long ago. He laid Lily Mao on the dry grass and carried Mason Mao over.
They couldn't light a fire now; doing so would easily reveal their location to their pursuers. But Lily Mao's condition was worsening.
"We've already done something unforgivable!"
"Big brother, where are you going?"
Mason Mao asked weakly. Terry Mao, holding a bow and spear, smiled as he replied.
"I'm going to get you something to eat. Wait for me."
To Terry Mao's surprise, the tribe members had not followed. He rushed to the river, caught some fish, cleaned them, and threaded them onto branches. After checking that no one was nearby, he returned to the back of the cavern, lit a fire, and grilled the fish.
By dusk, Mason Mao felt better after eating the fish, but Lily Mao was still asleep in the cavern, unable to get up.
After nightfall, Terry Mao lit a bonfire some distance outside the cavern, then went back in and gently cradled Lily Mao in his arms.
"Come here too, Mason."
Mason Mao moved closer, and the three of them huddled together, leaning on each other. Both brothers could feel the coldness emanating from Lily Mao.
For several days, Mason Mao did nothing except go to the river to catch fish. The rest of the time, he stayed close to Lily Mao. Eventually, she regained consciousness and was able to eat again.
"Big brother..."
Lily Mao choked up, eating while tears streamed down her face. Terry Mao placed a hand on her forehead.
"It's all my fault. You two shouldn't blame yourselves. Lily, Mason, from now on, the three of us need to live well together. Don't think about those things anymore."
After wandering through the forest for months, searching for hunting grounds, the three finally settled in a place with a large lake full of fish and plenty of wild rabbits and other game.
However, during these months, Terry Mao often had nightmares and woke up in terror. He had turned his blade against his own father—a grave offense. Even though he tried to convince himself it was over, the guilt weighed on him every day.
Unable to bear the guilt any longer, Terry Mao decided to return to the tribe. He secretly kept this from Lily Mao and Mason Mao, telling them he was going out to scout for new hunting grounds and would be gone for two or three days. He urged them not to wander too far.
Following the path from his memories, Terry Mao wandered through the forest for two days before finally finding the way back to the tribe. A brightly colored totem stood by a narrow path.