What was he going to do again if he was faced with a crazy wolf? Jiyong was standing absolutely still, not daring to move a muscle. Even though the creature in front of him was indeed a real life boy, he wasn't acting like it. The boy was covered in dirt from head to toe and his hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months. Even though it was freezing, he was only wearing some sort of animal skin around his waist. It was dirty and worn, but Jiyong guessed it was off a deer. His skin was almost blue from the cold, how long had he been out here? The boy was staring fiercely at him, his eyes only slits so he could barely see his pupils. He was snarling continuously, baring his teeth. It was like he was a wild animal, Jiyong was lost for what to do. He doubted reasoning with him would be an option. It occurred to him that his life might be in danger, yet he couldn't just leave this poor boy out here in the cold. He seemed to have his leg stuck in something, but he was protecting it so Jiyong couldn't see it clearly, his body posture screaming 'If you come any closer you will be bitten.'. This was not what he had in mind this morning when he headed out for a refreshing walk around the area, enjoying the solitude.

Jiyong stared in his eyes and the boy stopped snarling, opened his eyes a little wider and stared back at him, for a moment it was quiet. Jiyong could almost hear his own heart pounding. The boy's eyes had a haunting beauty about them, Jiyong had never seen eyes like that before. They were not the eyes of a young man, they were the eyes of a wild dog, fierce with a kindness mixed into them. Jiyong could see he was ready to do whatever it took to survive, no questions asked. He was breathing rapidly, his bare chest moving up and down, smoke coming out his nose with each breath. They were two dragons in the night, fighting for their territory, their survival. Only Jiyong didn't like his odds.

Without warning the boy peered his eyes again and completely lost it, barking and growling, still staring intently at him. If his foot wasn't stuck Jiyong had no doubt that he would have been half way through tearing his body asunder by now. Then why didn't he run away, did he have a death wish? The boy fought to break free, trying to jump forward with his leg holding him back, shaking his upper body, pulling on his leg. Yet every time he pulled, he howled from the pain. Every howl pierced through Jiyong's heart like an ice needle. He wanted to help him, only he had no idea how. If he got any closer it would be game over. So he just stood there, helpless.

The boy's leg was bleeding heavily and he could see he was getting paler. If this continued, the boy wouldn't last much longer. Suddenly the boy let out a piercing cry and fell unconscious to the ground. He had damn near tore his foot off and fainted from the pain, Jiyong assumed. Jiyong approached him cautiously, he was still breathing. His back had numerous scratches and scars on it, both old and new. What was this boy's story? How did he end up like this? Jiyong felt for him, he could see life had been a struggle for him.

Jiyong made his way to where his leg lay motionless at an odd angle, so much blood. Jiyong got goose bumps down his back as he bent down. The boy's foot was caught in a bear-trap, the teeth of the trap buried deep into his skin. Jiyong was lost for what to do. He looked around for ideas and saw a stick lying on the ground. He picked it up and examined it for a moment, it would do. He went back to the trap and wedged the stick into the middle of it, he only needed to wrench it open long enough to remove the boy's foot from it. Hopefully it would work.

Jiyong could feel a pearl of sweat freeze as it ran down his forehead. He hadn't expected it to be so hard to pry the trap open, it took more strength than he had. Now the endless hours in the gym to get a cut body were paying off. As an actor he needed to be in top form at all times, but it wasn't really his favorite part of the job. His manager was less than understanding when it came to playing hooky from the gym and lately he had been hard on his case to stick rigorously to the rehabilitation schedule. He hadn't liked this remote cabin idea one bit when Jiyong had told him about it. He already had a new movie-project lined up and couldn't understand why Jiyong didn't just it up and get back to work. His manager was a nice enough guy, but he took his job very seriously, almost too seriously. That was what had made him sign with him in the first place. Jiyong had a very strict work ethic and under normal conditions he would have returned to work the day after the accident, fighting the doctors every step of the way. But the accident had done something to him, he felt different, broken.

*Crack!* The trap split open. Jiyong hurried to remove the boy's leg from it, careful as he wiggled the teeth loose that were embedded in his flesh. The wound was bleeding, but not as much as Jiyong had expected, thankfully. Jiyong removed his jacket, throwing it on the ground, and proceeded to rip the sleeve off his shirt. Jiyong cursed at the quality of his clothes, tearing them was near impossible. He was a stickler when it came to his clothes, he only bought the best, no matter the cost. *Rip* Ah finally the sleeve came off. He took off his belt, wrapping the sleeve around the boy's calf, covering the wound and tying the belt tight to stop the bleeding, holding the sleeve in place. There. That should do. Jiyong was pleased with his work and spread his jacket out on the ground. How he was going to get the boy on top of it was another matter. He tried lifting him but there was no way he could hold him up long enough to move him. Instead he rolled him over on his back and pulled on his hands to raise his upper body, sliding the jacket under it. He tied the sleeves of the jacket around his chest and made a sturdy knot. He had been a Boy Scout when he was little, but that was a lifetime ago. He was surprised how much he remembered still. All the while the boy didn't move a muscle, Jiyong was getting worried. He grabbed the collar of the jacket with both hands and pulled. It was working! The jacket worked as a very rudimentary sled, making it possible to drag the boy through the snow.

Jiyong was about to pass out, they were half way to the cabin and he was exhausted. Now his manager should be happy, this had to earn Jiyong some workout-points. He paused for a moment. He didn't like the look of the boy, the color in his face was fading, a grayish blue hue taking over. He had to keep going. “Hang in there.” he told the boy, even though he knew that in the unlikely case that he could hear him, he wouldn't be able to understand him. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and continued.

There it was! He could see the cabin. Finally! A tear of joy escaped down Jiyong's cheek. He had been on the verge of giving up, he had already used up every ounce of the energy he had had and now he was running on empty. He felt so alone and lost. He felt responsible for the boy's life and it was weighing heavily on his shoulders. He wasn't sure if the boy was still breathing, but there was little he could do for him here. He had to get him home. Seeing the cabin gave him a shot of adrenaline, he could do this!

Somehow he managed to get the boy through the front door and into the cabin, laying him down on the rug in front of the fireplace. He checked his pulse, it was faint but it was there. Thank heavens, Jiyong thought, breathing a little easier. He fetched a blanket to put over him, to keep him warm until he could get a fire started. His leg looked terrible, the sleeve around it that had once been blue was now completely red. Jiyong put a pillow under his leg, remembering his nurse's words. He had broken his leg badly in the accident and his nurse told him to keep it elevated as much as he could to prevent the loss of blood and decrease swelling.

The boy was shivering, Jiyong felt his forehead, it was burning up. This wouldn't do, he needed help. He ran to the phone and keyed in his nurse's number. “Hello?” a voice said in his ear but Jiyong didn't reply. He had turned to check on the boy, but the spot before the fireplace was empty.