Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

"In a good place, even bears love it, but once human activity starts here, I'm sure they'll move away," said Dante as he walked away from the spot where the bear had been resting.

Kayce had his rifle ready to fire at any moment, though, fortunately, there was no need for it.

"I'm going to explore the house."

Dante took a deep breath and quietly entered the dusty hunting lodge. He walked to the window and pulled open the thick, dusty curtains, allowing sunlight to flood the room.

The cabin instantly became much brighter, and the furniture and details in the corners were now clearly visible.

A thick layer of dust covered the furniture, and it was obvious the place had been abandoned since the previous owner's death.

In one corner of the cabin, a few cobwebs lazily hung from a mounted deer head on the wall, with several bite marks marring the specimen.

A small albino grizzly bear was curled up on the sofa. It simply lifted its head when it heard movement, its eyes filled with lazy curiosity, before burying its head back into its furry body.

Dante shook his head at this, silently sighing at how reckless this unexpected guest was.

He planned to briefly inspect each room to make sure there wouldn't be a bigger surprise, like an adult bear—the cub's mother—having a night in with its father.

Dante entered the adjacent fishing gear room and noticed the window was open, with claw marks clearly visible on the windowsill.

The windowsill's edge was scratched and torn, and muddy tracks outside the house were clearly visible. It was obvious animals had been frequently entering and exiting the house recently, most likely the work of the little grizzly.

The cabin had clearly been tampered with.

Fishing gear that had once been carefully hung on the wall was scattered across the floor, fishing lines and rods were tangled, old fishing nets were torn, and many ropes had been snapped.

The floor was covered with broken floats and overturned tackle boxes, with small hooks and bait bags originally stored inside now strewn across the ground.

Dante knelt and found several tracks left by small animals, possibly raccoons or marmots, likely searching for food.

The bedroom on the cabin's second floor was relatively normal, except for claw marks on the mattress, with tufts of stuffing spilling out.

Dante gave a few pats on the wardrobe next to the wall, causing a cloud of dust to rise.

He checked several potential hiding spots one by one to ensure there were no traces of other large animals.

The storage room's door next to him was slightly stuck. Dante gave it a light shove with his shoulder, and the door creaked open in protest.

Inside, there were several old hunting tools and expired canned goods piled on the floor.

After glancing around to confirm there were no surprises, he finally sighed in relief.

"Looks like this little guy snuck in alone, not with its parents," he murmured as he walked back to the kitchen on the first floor.

The cupboard door was ajar, and the contents inside had been rummaged through. It looked as though someone—or something—had been searching through it.

He crouched and used his phone's flashlight to illuminate the interior. He found several torn plastic bags and bite marks, along with fragments of nuts. These must have been left by the grizzly cub while scavenging for food.

The cooking utensils hanging on the wall were still in order and could likely be used after cleaning off the dust.

Dante decided to test whether the stove still worked.

A reliable source of fire is always a good thing.

He inspected the gas pipes and valves, and after confirming there were no leaks, he turned the stove knob.

With a "click-clack," blue flames leapt up, flickering for a moment before stabilizing.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Dante muttered with a slight smirk. "At least you don't have to worry about not being able to cook when working on this place."

He tested the heat with his hand over the flame. After confirming it was functioning normally, he turned the knob to shut it off. The flames vanished instantly, leaving only faint residual heat.

Dante's gaze shifted to the old refrigerator in the corner.

When he opened it, there was nothing inside except mold and damp stains.

If the door stayed shut, there was a good chance rats might be living inside.

He pressed the switch, but the refrigerator didn't respond. It was clearly broken.

The circuit might have failed, possibly due to rats chewing the wires or internal corrosion from humidity.

Fortunately, Dante still had supplies and a temporary wooden box to use, so he didn't worry too much about future food storage.

Next, he checked the water system, heading to the old sink.

He turned the faucet, and with a dull metallic groan, water sputtered out, bringing with it yellow-brown rust and sediment.

He let the water run until it turned clear, then cupped some in his hands to wash his face.

At least the water pipes weren't clogged, and the water supply was still functional—good news indeed.

Dampening a cloth, he began wiping the dust off the cabinets.

For items and kitchen utensils that could be disassembled, he had a better method—adding them to his inventory, where dust and dirt would automatically fall away.

As the kitchen grew progressively cleaner and more organized, Dante felt the place finally starting to resemble a home.

Dante stepped out of the cabin and walked to the truck, which held the wooden crates he had prepared in advance.

Before setting out, he had made these temporary wooden boxes to store daily necessities, which were now proving useful.

Dante wasn't in a hurry to move the crates; his mind was still on today's gathering experience.

He pulled out his slightly cartoonish axe, his eyes scanning the trees until they settled on a dead spruce. He decided to test his luck.

Positioning himself, he raised his axe and struck the dry, hard trunk with a strong blow.

The sharp blade sank deeply into the tree. His hands tingled from the impact as sawdust scattered and the air filled with a dry, woody fragrance.

Dante adjusted his stance and continued chopping rhythmically, the axe making a soft whooshing sound with each swing.

The notch deepened gradually until the dead tree leaned and fell with a crisp crack, hitting the ground heavily and startling several perched birds.

With a wave of his hand, the entire tree disappeared into his inventory.

Moments later, it reappeared as a neatly stacked pile of identical-length logs.

"In a week, we could make this place livable. What do you think?" Dante asked, looking at his brother, who couldn't stop smiling.

Kayce nodded and said, "It'll be better than the reserve, plus it's much closer."