Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 46: The Warm Pack sets out

Everyone stands, looking at Heta, who has fallen asleep.

The hut is still silent with the weight of their decision.

"We had to do this. Not just for ourselves, but also for Shasha. I’ve said before, I don’t trust the priest. I don’t know what he will do. I also do not intend to stand against him until we are strong enough." Xeno’s voice moved through everyone.

Whether his words were justification for what they had or the truth, no one wanted to dig deeper.

The sun was about to come up over the horizon when they set out.

They walked, acknowledging any person they may have passed. However, they did not stay to talk.

At the edge of the Tiger tribe camp, two people stepped out of the shadows: the Tribe Leader and Priest.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked, his voice trying to sound calm but tinged with dissatisfaction.

"Yes. We’ve already told Heta we are leaving. Since we only needed to stay the night, we will go now." Uri stated, his voice even.

The tribe leader didn’t respond; instead, looking at the people who were previously Tiger tribe members.

"This is your home. You do not need to leave." The authority in his voice never wavered.

"This isn’t our home. You threw us out during winter. If it wasn’t for Heta wanting to come back, you would have never seen us again." Xeno said with certainty.

"Tribe leader Jorun, I don’t appreciate what you just said." Uri’s tone firm. "This has not been their home since the day you left them to die." He put up a hand before the tribe leader could continue. "You sent them away knowing if they couldn’t fend for themselves, they would die."

The tribe leader had nothing to say. He didn’t expect them to survive when he pushed them out. The boy, Xeno’s younger brother, was cursed. There was no reason for them to care about their life and death after they left.

This is the way it has always been. Who would have known they would come back? Not only did they not die, but they came back, better than ever.

"We all know this is the way of the tribe," the priest spoke up. "The boy was cursed. Had we not made him leave, the entire tribe would suffer."

"You all suffered without him. We thrived with him." Uri’s statement shook their heart slightly.

Their eyes went to the young boy, Kit, who was holding his father’s neck, looking at them.

Neither the tribe leader nor the priest acknowledged the statement.

"We are willing to give you land. You do not need to stay in the camp, only within the boundary. You may act independently."

"We refuse to be a part of the Tiger tribe. We prefer to find our own home. If we choose to stay within the boundary, it means we accept being part of your tribe," Uri said.

"You will need protection; that is what we offer, nothing more." The tribe leader responded.

"We don’t need your protection. We’ve got all the protection we need right now." Xeno chimed in.

The tribe leader took a deep breath. If they must leave, he didn’t want them to leave on bad terms. He thought it would be easy to get them to stay. Even though he and the priest had spoken about it before, he didn’t expect such a direct refusal.

Unable to say anything, he signalled the priest.

"If you don’t want protection or land. I would like to recommend an alliance." The priest’s tone was calm, almost indifferent.

None of the people in the group voiced their opinion when they heard the mention of an alliance. Their eyes flitted back and forth between Uri and Xeno, then at the Tribe Leader and the Priest.

"An alliance...it can be discussed." Uri’s eyes took in their every move. "When we find a place to live. A home of our own. When we have something to offer in return, we can discuss an alliance."

Uri didn’t wait for a reply. He motioned for everyone to follow. It was early, but it would take some time for them to leave the Tiger tribe territory.

The tribe leader and priest watched as they walked past.

"I told you they wouldn’t stay," Zeek said, his eyes trailing them.

Jorun gritted his teeth, anger rising. "There’s still one more. Since we can’t get anything from them, we’ll get what we need from her."

The priest nodded. "It was foolish of them to leave someone behind who knew their story. When I read her later, we will know all we need to know."

"Let’s go," Jorun said, walking towards the hut.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive.

When they arrived, Heta was still sleeping.

The tribe leader had no patience and decided to wake her up. The sooner they got the information they wanted, the sooner the tribe would prosper.

Heta woke up seeing the face of the tribe leader and priest.

She looked around, wondering where she was.

She noticed she was no longer in the cave. Instead, she remembered it was the hut in the tribe that they used to welcome guests. She didn’t understand why she was here.

The tribe leader spoke, "Heta. You have rejoined the tribe. We need you to tell us what they have been hiding. This is for the good of the tribe. As long as the tribe prospers, you will too." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Heta blinked, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Tribe leader, why am I here? I was just in the cave last night." Heta searched the hut, looking for Cato or Nimo, but she found neither.

The tribe leader’s jaw clenched. "Heta, you do not need to pretend. We know they are hiding something. We just do not know what."

"They? Who? Where’s Cato and Nimo?" Heta looked even more confused.

The priest placed his hand on Jorun’s shoulder before he could get angrier.

"Heta, look at me." The priest’s tone was calm, mesmerizing. "I want you to talk to me. Tell me what your winter was like."

Heta looked into the priest’s eyes, her hammering heart resuming its regular pace.

"We found a cave. More than a week away from the tribe. We lived in a cave. We hunted, ate, and tried to stay warm. Someone came and wanted the cave. We..."

Heta stopped speaking. Her brows furrowed as she tried to remember.

"Tell me, Heta, what did you do?" The priest held her gaze forcefully.

"I...I don’t remember."

Zeek looked at her. He used his power to try to get through to her. He could still read her. But something was missing. She didn’t have the same confidence as yesterday.

His eyes narrowed.

He didn’t ask any more questions. He turned to the tribe leader.

"It seems they aren’t as foolish as I thought they were." He turned his head towards the horizon. "They have a secret."