As midday approached, the Ashaya and Wulani tribes were treading back to our home. The rhythm of the tribal life beat like a heart in harmony with the cycles of the sun. Kiera, her grey hair flickering in the sun, was deep in conversation with the Wulani women. I could see the cautious trust beginning to form in their faces, eyes softening from a hardened fear to something approaching hope.

Mako, with his cool brown eyes narrowed in deep thought, was having a serious discussion with Garan and other tribe members. Lorn, the wise man, and Eamon, the younger counterpart, were actively participating, their voices carrying through the midday air.

Meanwhile, I walked alongside Liora and Silma, Vilthur and another man not too far behind. Liora’s emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her agile fingers danced on the tooth necklace Silma wore around her neck.

“It’s a nice necklace,” Liora remarked, “What animal gave you this tooth?”

“A cougar,” replied Silma, her raven hair glistening under the sun. Noticing the shine of the metal around Liora's arm she asked, "Where'd you get that?"

In response, Liora offered a shy smile, her fingers drifting to the copper bracelet adorning her wrist. “Tak made this for me,” she said, glancing towards me, her gaze full of fondness. Silma's azure eyes followed Liora's gaze, landing on me.

Seeing them look at me, I asked, "What?" Silma just smiled her mischievous smile and said nothing. She then turned to Liora, a spark of curiosity lighting up her blue eyes. "What's your life like in the tribe?" she asked, her voice soft but eager.

Liora paused, considering Silma's question. A soft smile played at the corners of her lips as she gazed at the distance, her emerald eyes reflecting a thousand shared memories.

"It's... peaceful," Liora began, brushing a stray lock of fiery hair from her face. "I usually start my day before dawn, venturing into the forest to forage. The earthy scent of dew-covered leaves, the rustle of small creatures awakening, the song of the morning birds. It's a  life that's hard to put into words."

Silma listened attentively, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity. She nodded for Liora to continue, tucking a strand of her raven hair behind her ear.

"And then there's the river," Liora continued, her voice dipped with nostalgia. "Enara and I, we spend a good part of the day there, frolicking in the cool water, laughing at our shared secrets. At times, Tak joins us, turning the evening into a memory with his stories, his tales different and nice to listen to."

As they strolled, they passed by the outskirts of the tribe's living quarters. Liora gestured towards the houses. "We used to live in huts made of animal skin. But now, we have homes made of fired clay bricks. Oh! There's even a fireplace inside our homes to keep us warm at night."

Silma looked around, her eyes keenly taking in the detail. She smiled at Liora's description, visibly touched. "Fired clay bricks?" she inquired before glancing towards me. "Is this what you were talking about?"

I nodded my head as I listened to the two of them chat. My mind thinking of other thoughts, as my eyes wandered the area ahead of us. Full of tall trees, the ground that was a mixture of patched grass, clusters or rocks, and bare earth. No creatures in sight, but the sound of us crunching on leaves beneath of feet and the conversations taking place around me.

"Oh, we have fields," Liora replied, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. "They yield us fruits, vegetables, giving birth to food we can eat every so often. Then there are the goats we managed to capture. It was hard at first, but fun and a new experience."

"Goats?" Silma asked slightly confused.

Liora nodded her head, as she talked about the three goats we managed to capture. How they looked, and that one was currently pregnant and soon to give birth.

Silma chuckled, "That sounds wonderful."

Liora nodded, "It is! But the best gift is the wolf pups Tak and I found. They were alone, probably abandoned. We brought them back and they've been living with us since then, their playful antics filling our tribe with laughter and joy."

I couldn't help but laugh at that a little, knowing that there was resistance to bringing those pups into our home. There were still many against it, but their cute behavior melted the hearts of the women in our tribe. The children loved them, but they were still wild animals. I made a mental note to myself that I would have to include training into my schedule so we could tame them as best we could. While I was no professional, I had some knowledge regarding this matter. My hope was that they could be used in the future for herding other animals, or hunting with our hunting parties.

I noticed Silma remained silent for a while, taking in Liora's words. She glanced back at the young girl, her smile mirroring Liora's. "Your life sounds wonderful," she said, sincerity etched in her voice. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

Her smile wasn't as glowing as before, it seemed a bit fake to me. Maybe I was imagining it since I didn't know her that well.

"Your turn, Silma," Liora prompted, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Tell us about your tribe."

Silma gave a soft sigh, her blue eyes losing a bit of their sparkle. "Well, it's not too different from what your tribe used to do," she began, her gaze drifting to the horizon. "We follow the animals, migrating with them, hunting them for food. We live off the land, foraging for what we can find."

Liora and I exchanged a glance, our own memories of a similar lifestyle not too distant. "What about settling down? Planting roots?" Liora asked, curious.

A wistful look crossed Silma's face. "We've never thought about it," she admitted, her voice softening. "It seemed impossible. Your way of life... it's quite intriguing to me. That's why I'm here. I want to see if it's possible, to convince my tribe that we can do it."

"You travel and... lose people," I said, my words more of a statement than a question, echoing the underlying sadness that lurked in Silma's words.

Silma nodded, her gaze distant. "Hunts can be dangerous... predators, animals fighting back... it's not easy. We... we don't live long. That's why we... we mate often, to ensure our tribe doesn't dwindle."

I shifted uncomfortably at her words. "That's... that's not a good way to live, Silma," I said my voice heavy.

"I know, Tak," Silma replied, her voice resigned. "But it's hard to change things, even when you're the one speaking. Even as chieftess, not all my words are taken to heart."

"But they should, Silma," I insisted. "You're their leader. They should listen to you."

Silma gave a sad smile. "Should and would are two different things," she said, her voice holding a hint of sorrow.

"Silma," I started, my voice gentle but firm. "As I mentioned before, a large population isn't beneficial if you're constantly moving. It only leads to rapid consumption of resources, forcing you to move even during unfavorable conditions. Your population needs to be smaller, so it can grow with your resources."

Silma shook her head, strands of her hair catching the fading sunlight. "Tak, it's easier said than done. My people, they're set in their ways. Trying to change that... it'll only make things worse."

Liora, who had been silently following our conversation, interjected, "What do you mean, Silma?"

Silma took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Our previous chief tried to alter the way our tribe functioned. He tried to ensure everyone had enough to eat, not just the men. He paid for it..." her voice trailed off, a look of deep sorrow etched on her face.

Liora gasped. "That's... terrible," she muttered, her hand going to her mouth in shock.

I nodded, not knowing what to say. The brutal reality of Silma's tribe was much more daunting than we'd ever imagined.

"But it's the way of our tribe, how it works," Silma continued, her voice regaining its strength.

I felt the need to ask how she became chieftess, but then changed my question midway. "Why do you stay with them, Silma?" I asked instead.

Silma looked taken aback. "And do what, Tak? Live alone?"

I shook my head. "No, leave with those willing to listen. You're not alone in this," I said, glancing back at Vilthur who had been following us silently. "Vilthur would go with you. I'm sure others would join too."

Silma gave a nod, her face thoughtful. "Yes, but maybe not many."

I looked at Silma, her face stoic but eyes revealing the storm inside her. "About that marriage proposal you gave me..." I started, my voice faltering slightly.

Liora turned her head towards me, her wide eyes mirroring her surprise. "Marriage proposal?" She echoed.

Silma gave me a wistful smile. "Yes, I proposed to Tak in hopes of merging our tribes. I thought that maybe with his guidance, my people would be forced to adapt or face the choice of leaving."

I nodded, understanding her intention. "I get it, Silma. But I wasn't the best choice. And besides, even if we wanted to, our tribe just doesn't have the resources to support all of your people."

I looked at Silma, her normally vibrant eyes reflecting a profound sadness. How did she become chieftess? She is supposed to be their leader, and from what I observed from our first interactions it seemed like that was true. However, now it was beginning to look like she truly held no power. She was more of a figurehead than an actual leader. If this was true, then who held the real power? How was their tribe still together?

Liora, who had been silent till now, piped up. "Why don't you join our tribe, Silma?" Her question hung in the air, her innocent face holding a glimmer of hope.

Silma gave her a questioning look, and then her gaze shifted past us, her eyes following the distance between the Wulani, Ashaya tribes and her small group of Mayitan people trailing behind us. "That... might not be as easy as you think, Liora," she said finally, a sense of regret in her voice. "Too much has been done already, and I fear the others won't be as accepting."

"Maybe after the winter, Silma," I suggested, holding up five fingers. "We might be able to take in three or five people at most right now, but no more than that."

Silma looked at my outstretched hand, her eyes studying my fingers. "I will think about it," she said, her voice low. "This conversation... it has given me a lot to ponder."

Silma then slowed down to join Vilthur and the other man trailing behind us, leaving Liora and I to continue our walk. I glanced over my shoulder to see her speaking with Vilthur, their heads bent in intense conversation.

"We have to do something, Tak," Liora said, her eyes earnest. Her conviction made me sigh.

"We can't do much, Liora," I replied, the harsh reality weighing on my words. "We can try, but that's all we can promise."

"We should talk to Mako about it," Liora persisted.

I shook my head. "I could, but the Wulani wouldn't be happy about it."

"That doesn't matter," Liora retorted, her determination unwavering. "If you wed Silma, they won't be able to say much."

I couldn't help but smile at that. Even Liora was now talking about marriage. "I don't know, Liora. Right now, we should be more concerned about our own survival."

"We'll be fine, Tak," Liora reassured me. "You've brought so much wisdom and change to our tribe. More than any elder ever has."

I nodded, contemplating her words as I thought about the life I had helped create.

The concept of farming, capturing animals, the use of clay to build our homes, the forge for our tools and weapons, and the discovery of copper... all these advancements I had introduced, would have taken them thousands of years to discover without me.

There was so much more I wanted to share, so much more I wanted to teach them. But right now, the survival of our tribe was paramount. And yet, the thought of Silma and her people facing another brutal winter without change left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I sighed, pushing away the daunting thoughts. One thing at a time, I reminded myself. I couldn't help everyone unless I helped myself and my tribe first. After our return, I'll have to take another look at what we've done so far and how we could improve on it. What inventions I knew of, and had a decent understanding of how they worked so I could begin crafting them. That part would take the longest because understanding how a certain concept worked and building it yourself with primitive tools was a lot harder. Even without them I was not that much of an engineer. 

First, we had to get through winter. Then we could start to plan and see how best we could help Silma and her tribe. But for now, all we could offer was a sympathetic ear and a promise of a possibility, however faint it might be.

Bluefish

I'll release new chapters at 1pm, whatever time SH uses. I haven't really edited anything much from the stockpile I already had set to release, so like another 7 chapters before I try my hand at adding in more details, filling in background information, and trying to improve what was lacking before.