The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 154: For now, let them live

"Do you want us to finish it?" Fenric asked.

"No," I said, my voice firm. "We aren’t monsters, Fenric. We don’t kill the ones who didn’t fight."

After I said that, I noticed from the corner of my eye that his lips curled up in a proud smile, and this made me wonder if he had just tested me.

He wanted to see how dark I had fallen after witnessing a slaughter for the first time.

And to his satisfaction, I was still me with a good heart that knew when to pardon and not cross the line.

I wonder. If I had said to kill them all to avoid any of them causing trouble again for the rabbits, what would he have done?

Would he have given me an excuse not to or would he ask me to reconsider before carrying out my will?

In my case, I don’t think I’ve fallen that deep so it’s fine.

I stood up from my limestone throne and walked slowly toward the huddle. The Marten women hissed instinctively, pulling their children back, but I didn’t stop until I was standing right in front of the scarred leader.

"Listen to me carefully," I said, looking down at him. "The rabbits are under our protection now. If I hear even a whisper that a single Marten has set foot near their burrows, I won’t send my mates back. I’ll come myself."

I felt like I could wipe them off with my eyes closed, Kya.

I leaned in, letting the deep golden glow of my eyes flare just enough for him to see the tiger behind the female.

"And I promise you, I’m much less patient than they are."

That should do for a threat.

I straightened my boys, my hands on my waist as I called out to the rabbits.

"You guys can come out now."

Behind me, the bushes rustled as Gram, Dani, and the other rabbits slowly emerged.

I could see the horror in their gaze, a deep-seated fear of the power they had just witnessed. He was relieved, yes, but he was also profoundly glad that our group was on his side. If we hadn’t been, the rabbit burrows would have been nothing but a memory by dawn.

They looked at the Flat Rock—at the fallen Martens and the absolute submission of their former oppressors—with an expression of pure, unadulterated awe. They had lived in fear for quite a while but in one night, that fear had been shattered.

Dani ran up toward me, but stopped short, looking at the blood on the stone. He looked at me, then at the Marten kits.

"Are you... are you letting them live?" he whispered, his voice small.

"We’re giving them a choice, Dani," I said, ruffling his ears gently. "They can be neighbors, or they can be ghosts. It’s up to them now."

"What if they choose to be terrifying ghosts?" He asked and I looked into his genuinely worried eyes.

I let out a little breath and squatted down to his height.

Even when squatting, I was still taller.

"Then, what do you do when you see ghosts?"

"Hm, try to get rid of them?" He asked and I nodded.

"That’s right. We will definitely get rid of them then. But for now, let them live."

Dani looked past me at the kits and the helpless females. He seemed to see my point and nodded.

"Female, you might be ugly but you have a good heart." He said and that broke my spine like a rock had been suddenly dropped on my back.

"U-ugly?" I asked and he smiled.

God, it must be the green stuff on my face. I’m not ugly at all but I’ll have to live like I’m ugly for the time being.

This sucks.

I turned back to the Marten leader.

"Do we have an agreement, or do I need to let the tiger out of the cage?" I asked.

The Marten leader bowed his head into the dirt as he said,

"We agree," he rasped, his voice trembling with a mixture of pain and absolute submission. "The Reach belongs to the long-ears. We will stay in the crags. We will not... we will not hunt them again."

I stood up, the tension finally leaving my shoulders. I reached my arms high above my head, stretching my form until my joints popped, letting out a long, weary sigh.

"I guess that’s settled," I said and turned to Gram. "Does this work for you?"

Gram, now having an emotional and glad expression, same with the others, could not help but nod, saying words of appreciation.

"Yes, yes, thank you so much, savior. Thank you. Our tribe owes you a debt we could never pay back."

"Oh come on, what debt. This is us paying for the two fowls, remember? It was a nice meal, so it’s better to pay off nicely after eating something nice."

But they were still so emotionally driven that it began to feel too much.

To get out of this situation, I stretched again.

"The night is stretching longer than it should," I murmured, glancing up at the moon.

As the adrenaline began to fade, the reality of the scene truly set in. The violence and bloodshed that just occurred have dyed the soil red. And not just the soil...

I looked over at Damar and Fenric. The silver of Damar’s hair and the white of Fenric’s skin were both marred by streaks of deep, drying red.

The copper scent of blood was heavy in the air, and seeing it smeared across my mates made a knot of discomfort tighten in my stomach, so I frowned.

I turned toward Gram.

"Gram," I called out softly, trying to break the trance of his terror. "Is there a place nearby where we can wash? Somewhere with clean, running water?"

Gram jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, then nodded frantically, his long ears flopping.

"Y-yes. The Whispering Creek is just down the slope, through the cedar grove. The water is clear and cold... it comes straight from the mountain springs."

Ooh, is there a mountain nearby?

"That sounds nice," I said, walking over to Fenric and taking his hand. It was sticky, and he gave me a look that was half-apologetic, half-fierce. "Let’s go. I’ve had enough of the scent of blood for one night."

As we walked away from the Flat Rock, leaving the defeated Martens to gather their dead and the rabbits to process their newfound freedom, the forest seemed to settle.

I looked into the night sky, with gently shifting clouds and the full bright moon.

I took in a deep breath and let it out.

Our activity just after leaving the tribe was so thrilling that I forgot myself for a moment.

Will our days always be filled with this kind of excitement? I hope so.

It wouldn’t be an adventure if all we did was walk now, would it?