As dawn broke the following day, Ram promptly directed everyone to pack their belongings for relocation.
"This place is no longer secure. Nina is waiting for us at another temporary camp," she said.
Her demeanor had notably improved since their previous arguments. She even engaged in a low-toned conversation with Harold, appearing to discuss future plans. This finally eased Wu Qingsong's anxieties.
The group resumed their journey, navigating narrow trails through the mountains, this time heading northwest. In places, the terrain was so challenging they had no choice but to dismount and guide their horses carefully by foot.
After an arduous day, they arrived at a secluded valley. It featured a tranquil stream running through its heart, flanked by a rare expanse of grassland within these mountain ranges. Several goats were scattered across the meadow, grazing in a carefree manner. At the grassland’s edge, on the slope, stood a scattering of log cabins, each emitting thin wisps of smoke from their chimneys.
Clearly, sentinels had been posted along the ridge. Upon spotting the party, they began waving multi-colored flags to relay messages. Shortly after, figures started to emerge from the cabins and stood by the mountainside, waiting to welcome the group.
Still, it took them another half an hour to finally reach the cabin area. The first person Wu Qingsong laid eyes on was the Moon Maiden, Nina. She was not wearing the armor she had on during their last meeting. Instead, she was dressed in the casual attire typical of the wolfkin. This change made her seem far more approachable in Wu Qingsong’s eyes.
His heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
"Welcome, everyone! Hot water has been prepared for you to freshen up, and dinner will be ready shortly," Nina greeted their arriving party. She then personally addressed each member of Ram's wolfkin entourage, expressing her care, before finally giving Ram a tender embrace.
"You’ve all been through a lot," she said, gracing them with a warm smile.
The atmosphere among the wolfmen seemed entirely transformed as they stepped into the new setting, especially for Ram. It was as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders, her demeanor noticeably different than before.
Harold's eyes briefly narrowed in what appeared to be approval. He gave a subtle nod but didn't verbalize any comments, choosing instead to follow the others toward the log cabins.
Inside one of the cabins was a large wooden tub that instantly caught Liuli's attention. She let out a cheer, hastily set down her belongings, and hurried to test the water. Fresh, albeit not new, sets of clothes lay neatly on the beds–obviously arranged with their needs in mind.
Liuli and Ling quickly ushered Wu Qingsong and Harold out of the cabin.
Some of the wolfmen were gathering toiletries, presumably headed to the nearby stream for a bath. Wu Qingsong and Harold simply chose to accompany them.
The wolfmen were abuzz with excitement, likely having received promising news from their kin who were already there. Over the past few days, Wu Qingsong and Harold had gotten quite acquainted with the wolfmen, and the barrier of initial formality had clearly been lifted.
Wu Qingsong couldn't help but notice an interesting cultural difference. Although the young wolfmen's conversations were peppered with talk about girls, much like young men in his previous world, they seldom involved Nina in such discussions. Instead, whenever she came up, their language shifted naturally to a tone of respect.
Such a distinction was nearly inconceivable in Wu Qingsong’s original world.
"Taking down so many of those damned mutts in one sweep, they won’t dare encroach upon our mountains this year," an exhilarated wolfman proclaimed. "Without those bothersome intruders, we can finally look forward to a plentiful harvest this year."
"All credit to Her Highness," another chimed in.
"Man, I wish I could go back to the village. I wonder how my family is doing," another wolfman mused.
"Come on, toughen up. You've barely been away," his friend snapped back.
"You're not really missing your family, are you? You're missing someone else. Haha!"
"Leo, you scoundrel. Go to hell!"
Amidst playful banter, the young wolfmen began splashing water at each other, filling the area with bursts of hearty laughter.
"But what we're doing is also vitally important. If it weren't for Miss Ram finding a way to monetize the mountain's resources, we wouldn't have the funds for new farming equipment. Moreover, our shipments of herbs and food are all that's keeping the western villages from starving."
"But the cost of all this is too high. If only we could have our own mining operations."
"And with what tools? Besides, no one here knows anything about mining. How would we even know where to dig?"
"It grates on me that a good chunk of our earnings goes to those bastards."
"If Her Highness hadn't objected, we should have started by eliminating those bloodsuckers in Sil City. Next on the list would be the penny-pinchers in Umber."
"Those guys in Umber deserve to be killed. But the ones in Sil City can at least be bribed with money. But the real lowlifes are from Manaus. They take your money and don't lift a finger."
"Then let's just get rid of all of them."
"You're all talk. You couldn't even take down a single mastiffman."
"Who says? I personally killed two of them in Horton Village last time."
The conversation topics shifted quickly and included several place names that Wu Qingsong didn't recognize, making it hard for him to keep up. However, Harold seemed to glean quite a lot of useful information.
Soon enough, someone inside the cabin beckoned them. Everyone changed into fresh clothes and began heading back.
"Nina and the others have been in a battle, haven't they?" Wu Qingsong quietly asked Harold as they trailed behind the group.
"Seems likely. But there are no formidable standing armies around here, so it was probably a skirmish with some ragtag militia."
"The wolfmen seem pretty excited, it must have been a significant victory," Wu Qingsong observed, catching some of their enthusiasm.
"That might not be something to celebrate," Harold cautioned, shaking his head. "The defense force in Rem City was devastated by a fire. If they've won again and caused instability in the baron's territory, the authorities might request reinforcements from the capital. And who knows who they might send then?"
He let out a deep sigh.
"Are the elves from the imperial capital truly that formidable?" Wu Qingsong couldn't resist asking.
"Shouldn't you know better than us just how formidable elves can be?" Harold retorted.
"I mean, sure, Medivh and Kadgar are undeniably powerful. But it's hard to believe that all elves are as formidable as those two, isn't it?"
"I can't speak for the strengths of this Medivh and Kadgar you're talking about," Harold began, trailing off and shaking his head. "If their actions are localized and relatively minor, there shouldn't be any significant issues. However, if things escalate, the consequences could be dire."
The look on Harold's face led Wu Qingsong to speculate that perhaps he had had some encounters, maybe even conflicts, with elves before. Seeing that Harold wasn't keen on discussing it further, Wu Qingsong chose not to probe.
However, he found it hard to fully agree with Harold's cautious stance. A win was a win, and even a minor one should be celebrated, not fretted over as a potential source of disaster. This cautious attitude might be typical for older folks, but young people like him rarely think along those lines.
Everyone will eventually die. What varies is the when and how. Does that mean there's no point in striving or fighting? What's the point of resistance if we're always going to be worrying about the elves?
Ling and Liuli had already changed into clean clothes and were waiting for them by the house. Liuli ran up joyfully and sneakily shoved a piece of grilled meat into Wu Qingsong's mouth. "Meow~ Tasty?"
"Mmm," Wu Qingsong acknowledged, rubbing her head instinctively, prompting her to complain, "Meow~ Wu, stop rubbing my head, you're gonna make me dumb."
Wu Qingsong burst into laughter.
Just at that moment, he noticed Nina and Ram in the distance, engaged in what seemed to be an intense argument. Nina's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, while Ram appeared to be earnestly trying to convince her.
His smile faded, almost without him realizing it.
