The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 265: The snake sheds its skin to grow, Ari

The silence that followed my words was so thick you could hear the water dripping off the eaves of the tower. Noah froze with his tunic halfway over his head, and Fenric’s hand stopped mid-air as he reached for his boots.

"Are... are you sure?" Noah asked, pulling the fabric down and looking at me with a mixture of shock and profound respect.

"There’s everything you worked hard to get in there," Fenric added, looking just as shocked at Noah.

He was there when I got the pots, he was there when I got the bowls, he was pretty much there to see how much effort I put into the things in that troller.

Damar looked at me with the same shock.

How could I just decide to give up on the troller? No, forget the troller. How could I even bear to part with the tools I worked so hard to acquire?

I closed my eyes, tightening them.

I understood their shock, I understood their worry, and I understood the gaze they were looking at me with even though I didn’t meet their eyes.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked at my hands—calloused, scarred, and still trembling slightly from the night before—and then I looked at my children.

"Those things kept us alive in the cave," I said, my voice growing stronger as the realization settled into my soul. "The pots, the bowls, the heavy winter hides... All of it, but at the same time, they’re just a reminder of how desperate we had to survive out there. What I want... Is a fresh start." I looked up at them.

I felt the lightness that came with the decision. It was like shedding a heavy winter coat in the middle of spring.

"We have the cubs, we have each other, and we have the clothes on our backs," I continued. "Anything else we need, we’ll find or we’ll make. But I don’t want to spend the next three days dragging a broken-wheeled troller through the mud just because I’m afraid to let go of the past."

I never liked the past, and I never liked to dwell on it either. The past, the future, those are what matter to me.

Damar was the first to react. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine, his emerald eyes swirling with a quiet, fierce pride.

"The snake sheds its skin to grow, Ari. Perhaps it is time we do the same."

Fenric let out a long, low whistle, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

"No more dragging that wooden box through the mud, huh? I think I might actually love you more for this, haha."

Noah walked over and knelt beside us, his hand covering both of mine. "It’s a bold move, little tiger. It means we’re walking into the West-Way with nothing but our names. But honestly? I think I prefer it that way. It’s a clean start."

With the decision made, the energy in the room shifted from sluggish recovery to a sharp, focused intent. A fresh start was waiting.

"Right," I said, finally pushing myself up despite the protesting groan of my joints. "Since we’re leaving the heavy stuff, we don’t have to wait for the mud to dry. We can move through the high grass and the rocky outcrops just like we did to get here, right?"

Noah let out a chuckle.

"Tita will have a heart attack when she finds out we’re leaving already," he said, already helping me into the fresh tunic she had left me.

As I dressed, I felt different. The linen was soft, the leather of the skirt supple. A higher quality leather than what we got from the squirrels. It made me wonder what animal hide they used, but I’d probably find that out later.

I picked up the cubs, who were now wide awake, and placed them in their basket, one by one.

I brushed Phina’s chin and then smiled.

"We’re going on a trip once again, little ones. Brace yourself."

"Ready?" Noah asked, standing by the door.

I looked at my three husbands—each a pillar of strength in their own right—and then at the open horizon visible through the doorway.

"Ready," I said, but just then my stomach gave an embarrassing growl.

I froze still.

After all that posing and confidence, only to end up being embarrassed by my own stomach.

My face burned red and I lowered my head.

"Hungry?" Damar asked and I slowly nodded.

"Don’t worry, Arinya. It’s nothing to be worried about." Fenric said and picked up the piece of meat Tita had caught for me. "I’ll whip up a nice skewer for you."

"Ah, do you have salt?" I asked, remembering I couldn’t pack the salt with me on my way here.

"Yeah," he said, showing me the pouch he carried along.

I was sure he didn’t have that last night. Did he head back to get it?

I sat down and watched him stab the meat pieces with a stick and sprinkle salt on them.

He looked like a natural chef now after doing it so many times.

The skewer was already smelling so nice and I drooled.

Then, I noticed the cubs looking out, towards the roasted meat in curiosity.

They must find the scent delicious as well, but they won’t be able to eat it because they have no teeth.

’Maybe I should try feeding them fish.’ I thought, but let the thought slip away. ’Well, maybe later. They’re still too young.’

Soon, the skewer was ready and I ate to my fill.

Once I was done, Damar licked the corner of my lips, where a bit of the meat sauce stuck.

And after the licking came a direct kiss to my lips.

Then, he pulled back and smiled softly at me.

"Shall we leave now?" He asked and I blushed, nodding.

"Alright."

It was finally time to move forward. Though u said I didn’t want to be queen, I definitely wanted to see the world Noah had lived in up till now.

The extent of the civilization his tribe had reached.