Ch. 1 Tribe, Magic, and the Path to Leadership20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIekm5vehG
The smell of wood burning woke her as her brother stroked the embers of a new fire he had started the day. She wasn’t sure what time it was. He always got up before her, so she just accepted it. She was about to roll over and go back to sleep when he spoke.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI92yJkYKK5
"Stay awake; we have chores," he said flatly, without looking at her.
No, I am tired. "Let me sleep!" she protested.
I have finished mine; now it is time to work. She hated his early wake-up rule, the tribe's motto "work for a better tribe," and its simple enforcement.
We mostly just watch the adults. What matters? She made one last attempt to persuade her brother to let her sleep. The kids did not work but watched and learned how the adults lived so they could find their place in a better tribe…
“Nina, you know how things work.” He said flatly, always to the point. She thought he was only a year older and acted like an adult. It always bothered her why didn’t he get bored and want to play….
Their home was simple, a canvas-like tent. There was a fire pit, small bed rolls, and a chest for their belongings. The tribes always enjoyed living lightly with the land.
Though she heard stories of those who preferred the city or town life with a set home, she only knew this life, so she couldn’t say what she preferred. She wanted to see them, though it sounded fun.
They ate a small meal of berries, and warm milk heated from the fire. They would eat a better meal from the adults, making it later.
She reluctantly got dressed in a simple robe, the same as her brother. They both were foxskin humanoid beast.
She heard stories of how people fought wars over those with monstrous appearances, but seeing her brother, she thought he was normal.
He had a serious face, always trying to learn red hair the same as hers, with cute pointy ears and a nice bushy tail. Why would they think he was a monster?
She got excited and tried to hug her brother, happy he was there, but he pushed her away, indifferently. "Stop, we must see the elder, not play." "That hurt; he was always like that."
They left soon after, with her much more somber. Their home was in an open plain with vast open lands, many tribes wandered these plains, they shifted randomly,
she was not sure why, but thought she heard rumors it was because of dungeons.? Nobody explains it yet, so who knows…
Her brother led her among the camps to the elder. The adults ignored them, doing random chores. It was a mix of races, which got her excited to see as she loved the variety in people; there were bears, cats, wolves, even humans!
They were rare, and she always tried to follow them, but they always seemed the same, just no tail and smaller ears. Sometimes she would see them with a darker color, which she liked.
It reminded her of darker furs, but beyond that, they were the same as all the others. She wondered why people fought wars over tails when humans lacked them. Maybe they hated not having tails that much. A scary thought …
The trip to the elder was a short one. She was always in the middle of camps; they met there twice a day, once for the rules of the day and the other for lessons or stories
Disliking the rules, she sought comfort from her brother, but he ignored her, entering the tent alone.
The inside was quite large enough to fit twenty people at once. There was a fire pit much like theirs and more random things hanging along the sides. They smelled pleasant and added a bit of mystery to the place.
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***
While talking to an adult, the elder noticed them entering; meanwhile, the young female foxkin glanced at everything, and her older brother focused, waiting for their next steps.
She found their differences amusing;
His sister was a stark contrast in that she did not hate him, just felt troublesome. She was carefree and very loving, but selfish in a way.
They both were young, around seven, if she remembered right. Their parent died in a monster hunt but saved others, so the village sang their praise for years since that day.
But like all things that pass, we expected things to return to normal afterward;
"See that the task is done, please," she finished, addressing the bear kin before bowing off to do the task.
The kids watched him go, one with wonder, the other indifferent, wanting the task for the day. She smiled and beckoned them closer. The girl, feeling emboldened, blurted out.
“How come we always randomly meet just to talk?”
"Nina," the brother chided, and the elder waved him down. It was a good question.
To build bonds and maintain leadership, we need daily meetings with adults.
Teaching the young and keeping adults busy is important, just as checking on the kids is. "Nina paused before asking her next question."
Why can't we simply do what we want? At that, her brother tensed, and she saw the girl wilt as if she had done something wrong.
“Another good question,” the elder said, trying to soothe the tension. The brother still felt offended.
But the sister felt better after being assured she wasn’t dumb. The elder addressed her brother, Nebo, saying, “You are older and therefore know more.” Be nice to your sister, trying to learn. “
"Ok," he said, he didn’t mind, he just wanted her to grow up …
“Now, why do we meet? It is so that we all gather and learn. "
“to how best to serve the tribe.”
“It’s why we teach young children.”
“and adults find their place in the various tribes,”
that always requires new things
“So we seek the elders of those tribes to find where we can help, like our motto.”
For the tribe.
"For the tribe," Nebo said proudly.
"For the tribe," Nina repeated, her voice lacking pride.
The children's learning pleased the elder. ‘So you are in for a treat! Today, we are gathering all kids aged seven to ten to be tested! “
“For what? “Nina wondered
"Magic!" Nebo blurted, interrupting the elder before he could speak, his shame forgotten.
“Yes, magic, the stronger, the higher you place!” the elder said with pride. Nina wondered what was so special about magic and didn’t care; she just wanted to play, but asked her next question, anyway.
What if you had no magic, as we do now? The elder looked pained at that, and both Nina and Nebo noticed the shift.
They weren’t sure how they felt about that, and it made them uncomfortable
This felt wrong to the self-assured elder; the children's reaction worried her, complicating the matter.
She sighed. “Their no simple answer.”
“You kids are a blank canvas now. “
“But if you stay blank?”
“It’s… frowned upon that our tribe won’t abandon those weak in magic,”
Others will. The wolf tribe is little…. Too much into magic.
“We, too, honor magic.”
“Above all, it is a gift from the gods.”
“But we don’t abandon those that give to the tribe. “
“It is why we have so many races with us. All are welcome.” Nina pondered those words.
Are there different tribes? She asked.
"Goodness, yes!" Hundreds even. The number shocked Nina.
“So many, I could have a lot of friends then!” Her brother frowned but said nothing while the elder laughed.
“Indeed, but they go much farther than just this plain,”
We stay near the city and give to it. “
“and those that are more… ridged,”
“Be in the world and stay away from humans.”
“Why?” the sister asked, full of questions.
The elder said slowly, another touchy topic, “They don’t trust humans, especially those with no magic.”
“They feel the gods abandon them,”
“So they do the same.”
“to those with powerful magic,”
“They show respect or even reverence.” Nina didn’t understand, but nodded anyway.
The elder told them where to meet later and where the test would begin. They wished the elder well and left for the day.
***
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Free till the time needed. Nina tried to play with her brother, but he ignored her. Instead, he chose to watch and follow adults to learn their ways, leaving her feeling alone with nobody.
"I like your ears." The sudden voice made her jump; turning, she saw a young catkin, its tail swishing, gazing into her eyes.
She had pretty blue eyes and pure white hair with small pointy ears and a long, slim tail. She was wearing a similar simple dress to hers.
"Thank you, I like your tail. It is so long! " Giggling, the girl swished her tail at Nina's face, making Nina laugh. Nina responded by swishing her tail back.
It was much shorter but more bushy, so it could slap the girl’s entire face easily, though it was a gentle brush with no real hate.
Both girls took turns attacking each other while trying to dodge the same fate.
A few adults saw them playing but just left amused, letting the kids play. “My name is Teva. What’s yours? “
The cat girl asked once they had worn themselves down. Nina, happy about finally having a friend, responded with pride.
“NINA! I also have a brother, Nebo.”
“But he doesn’t like to play.” Teva nodded and looked around. "Wait one sec," she said, and then left beyond a few tents.
Nina was worried her friend had left her behind, and she was lonely, wondering what went wrong. A few moments later, she was back with a treat,
Little chocolate sticks wrapped in a cloth. She offered some to Nina, who eagerly took a few of them.
“We bought them from the city. Have you had them before?” Nina nodded.
“The elder gives them once a week as a treat.”
“If we don’t cause trouble. They ate the treat happily and silently for a while. Then Nina wondered, "What brought you here?" I don’t remember you.”
“Something about magic tests my aunt, the one doing it usually stays and works in a village far away,”
“But she visits the tribes and tests the kids to help the tribes. When I grow up, I’m going to live in that village too.”
“Really? Maybe I can go too!”
"Maybe," she responded, swishing her tail and focusing on the candy. I got to go, it was fun, let's do it again sometime. “
Perhaps we will meet for the test? Teva said casually.
Okay, thank you for the treat. She waved goodbye to her new friend; Teva waved back and dashed away to unknown places.
She eventually found her brother. She tried to tell him about her new friend, but he was more interested in where they were supposed to go.
Even after finding the spot in an open area to the far left of their home, past the meal tent, he still wasn’t interested in hearing about her friend. Which sobered her good mood. It wasn’t till that magical voice came back that she was happy once more.
"You made it! "It was Teva, and she was just as happy to reunite.
“Yeah, this is my brother!” he nodded but was indifferent otherwise. Teva noticed his indifference and didn’t push, instead focusing on her friend.
“I had to go see my aunt. She made it safe.”
"I was helping her prepare a testing area. "Nina looked around at the fifteen children and several adults, but didn't see a testing area.
"Um, there's nothing here." Teva laughed.
"No, silly, we conduct the test in the open."
“Well, people do it in a church, but for us,”
“We do it in the open.”
“So kids have room to use magic if they want,” Teva said, full of mirth
"Well, in towns and cities, things are different," she added as a afterthought while She grabbed Nina's hand, pointing over there and pulling her along for a moment.
She wanted to bring her brother, but he made no move to follow or looked like he cared. She had to accept that he would find his way.
Teva effortlessly dodged the random kids talking or adults watching, bringing them to the front of the crowd
Past this point, she saw adults setting up a simple tent.
A woman in robes walked to it and sat down. “Is that your aunt?” Nina questioned. Teva nodded and smiled.
“She prefers the shade.”
"That is why she likes the indoor church."
“But she makes the trip out here at least once a year.”
“It is why the age group can vary so much.” Nina nodded, a little nervous about being in the front but happy to have a friend to share it with.
The aunt, once settled, noticed them and whispered to an adult. This triggered a series of events, resulting in adults arranging the children into groups. Somehow, they ended up at the front of one.
And we're called into the tent. Nina saw a veiled aunt with a moving black tail and blurted, "Are you blind?"
Teva laughed, and the women gently smiled, amused too
“No, I can see just fine,”
However, I find it easier to use my power when my eyes are closed. Nina wasn't sure she understood; noticing her confusion, the woman tilted her head.
She reached out a hand to a nearby adult and whispered to him. When he moved closer, he nodded and stepped away, then shouted.
"The seer is busy."
“She uses darkness magic to see your magic.”
"She hid her eyes."
“If she rushes you, it is not personal.”
“She has many more tribes to visit within the week.” Nina felt embarrassed and looked down. She made the seer say that, and she heard a voice break through her musing.
"Either way, I’d have him say it’s a common question. " She saw the seer lift the veil from her eyes.
She had black hair and brown eyes like deep earth or a nice leather cloth; she thought before the veil went back down. “I am busy though, ok, so let’s move this along, ok? “
“Ok, Auntie.” Teva moved in front to sit before Nina could react. “My niece first?”
"A surprise blessing," she mused, before watching her niece closely, wondering how that happened.
When she saw eyes appear in the cloth, she froze, seeing eyes of darkness stare at her friend.
But her friend seemed indifferent after a moment. The eyes turned to her and then faded. The seer rubbed her eyes under the cloth and looked a little faint before speaking.
“You are both blessed, my niece. You have level three water. Be proud of the Gods gift.”
Teva got excited and cheered a bit. “Not to downplay your gift, but Nina has a rarer gift,”
“level four earth…”
“Make sure you see the elder. That is rare.” Teva deflated a little, and Nina felt bad.
"Sorry," she didn't even care about magic; she wanted a friend more.
“It’s ok,”
“The gods blessed me with high magic.”
Nina felt relief at Teva's next words: "It is enough," meaning she wouldn't lose her friend.
I have limited time, so please clear a path for others. Seer insisted.
I still have a way to go, and this will be exhausting.
“So I prefer to finish before resting,” they both bid farewell, knowing she meant no disrespect.
They played nearby. Nina was happier to be free playing than the result that she was special. They had random kids join them, saying their level; most were two or one, a few levels were three proud, but she did not want to say hers…
It was Teva who did blurt it out, and instead of the praise that the level two or three got, they went quiet and avoided her. Why was more power worse?
It took a while for her brother; he was one of the last. When he said his power, she felt bad. Level one fire, he seemed mostly indifferent till she said her…
He tried to see if she was lying, but saw no joy from her and knew she was serious. She wondered if this would make him more distant and wanted to give away her power, but it didn’t work that way… an adult approached them, leading them to lunch.
It was a somber meal; even her new friend brought her no joy, and mid-meal, it got worse when the news came from a random adult.
"You, Nina?" She nodded, uncertain about the events unfolding. "The elder would like to see you after lunch," a random beastkin informed her
“Can my brother come? “ she was nervous
"There is no reason he cannot," the man said
“In fact, he would probably be called next.” She looked to her brother for assurance, but he seemed deep in thought, making her lose what little appetite she had, so she asked to break the gloom.
“Should we go now?” she asked while he shrugged.
"Might as well," Nebo said, while she was looking toward her friend, who had been mostly quiet since the adult left.
Since the seer tent, she seemed distant, perhaps out of fear; Teva smiled, breaking the tension.
“I’m happy for you.”
“It’s just I’ve seen this before. “
“So I know what’s next,”
"If that's true, we can't be best friends." What was happening shocked Nina? She was losing her new best friend.
Her brother took her hand before she could ask Teva, surprising her more. He hated holding hands, yet now he was. Why?…
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***
“Are you sure? “
“Yes, elder…” She was not happy with the answer, but not too upset. It was easier to mold a leader with kids who have a mother and father…
This. Added complication… she believes in choice, but a magic that is that rare? That was the gods saying to make her lead; she was sure of it.
She supposed she could cut corners using her brother in place of her parents to guide her, as he was already fiercely loyal to the tribe’s motto for the tribe.
I appreciate you letting me know. Ask them to see me as soon as they can; they should eat now. He bowed and then left. She was surprised by how little time had passed since he left her tent.
With both kids entering, they looked mildly out of place, unsure of what was to come. She smiled to reassure them and beckoned them in.
Don't worry, children; if that's what you fear, you're not in trouble—quite the contrary. Their confidence grew, and they sat before her, eyes wide with wonder.
“Nina,” she said gently, causing her to flinch, still unsure of what was to come. “You have a very rare gift we… no,”
“I wish for you to take my place as the next elder when you grow up.”
Nebo expressed shock, as did Nina. “Do I have to?” The elder knew she was young and asked too much.
Her brother Nebo, annoyed, spoke up.
“For the tribe… remember?” that caused a pang of guilt for the elder. The motto was about the gift of love and giving, not servitude…
“I will not force you to, child,”
But consider this,
“You will be loved by all and help guide the next generation. “
“I was also going to have your brother. “
“Be your guardian and help you lead.” Nebo brightened at that, knowing he had a purpose. Nina seemed more willing, knowing her brother would be with her. “Ok, I’ll try.”
Elder felt pride knowing that the kids were blessed and had found their purpose.
“We will go over the details later. For now, enjoy your day. Much has happened. “
***
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Teva hurried to her aunt’s tent. She knew she was leaving soon for the next place and wanted to catch her before she left.
The tent wasn’t far and was easy to find. She casually avoided the adults, not that any of them would try to stop her, but it was fun sneaking around.
She peered in the flap when she finally made it to her aunt’s tent, and she was indeed inside and had
She admired her black tail while her aunt focused on her trunk.
Not able to stand the suspense, she grabs her aunt’s tail, causing her to scream and jerk around, swishing her now agitated tail. She laughed at her aunt’s face.
“I got you,” she said while her aunt tried to compose herself, then replied with a deep blush upon her youthful face.
"You little monster! You're lucky I don't pull your tail and slap your face!"
That caused her to laugh more; she knew her aunt would never hurt her, and it was very rare she ever showed anger.
"So, why are you here, you little bugger, besides trying to kill me with fright?"
She fixed her hair and tried to smooth her tail as if nothing bothered her, which sobered Teva up as she was here for more than just fun.
“I made a friend…”
“Is that really why you had to come now to say that? I have eyes and saw her. “
“Lovely girl and gifted you did well,”
She can help you later in life, I’m sure. Finally calming her nerves, she went back to packing.
ignoring Teva as she was pressed for time and was going to sleep on the trip.
“We can’t stay friends… well, not best friends.” Her aunt paused.
“Why dear? Who told you that?”
Nobody had to. I remember what happened to Mom. Her aunt frowned at that.
“Your mom made her choice to leave that tribe, just like I did.”
“And you know that it didn’t mean she couldn’t,”
“Keep the elder as a friend.”
But they are not! Teva said, shouting, upset her aunt wasn’t listening.
“Teva!” her aunt scowled. She sighed. Listen, as we grow up.
“We make choices.”
“We don’t always stay the same.”
“It is part of life; nobody can force you to be or not be friends, that is your choice. “
“I don’t believe you,” Teva said dejectedly.
“You know I love you, dear. “
“But it has been a long day.”
"Can we please save this for another time?”
"Whatever," she said, hurrying away. An adult overheard the earlier shouting.
but stayed out of respect, asking from outside the tent,
Is everything alright? She composed herself for a moment before replying.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Just my niece growing up. You know how kids can be. “
“Ok, just checking. “
“Thank you…” She could not hear them, but knew they had left. She wanted to help her niece and calm her fears, but she was assuming too much. People grow apart and change that…. life. She could not dwell on this. She still had more tribes to go to and then back to the church…
***
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Back in their tent, Nina dug in the chest and found a doll to play with, happy at the moment, while her brother looked for a book to study; they each enjoyed their activity for a bit before Nina spoke
“Nebo, why don’t you like to play?” It always bothered her since she could remember, he always would play, then one day just stop… she looked from her doll to see his reaction,
He was just staring at his book. Did he not hear me? She was about to ask again when he spoke.
Do you remember our parents? That made her freeze. She kinda did. She remembered a happy mom and dad always going out to hunt and loving them, but not much beyond that.
It was almost like they were just a dream. She stared at her doll, not sure how to answer that…
“I remember them.”
“And I remember the last thing they told us.”
“No matter what happens,”
“Always remember, the tribe loves you. “
“and to love the tribe…” She wasn’t sure what to say to that; she loved the tribe, but it didn’t explain why he was so distant. “I don’t want to be a kid. I don’t want to play…”
“I want to help the tribe.”
“So I’m always trying to learn.”
“You do whatever you want.”
“But stop trying to get me to play it, annoying. “
“Ok…” she said in a low voice, tears in her eyes. At least now she knew why her brother wanted different things than her;
She still loved him and wanted to be close,
But it seemed he did not feel the same. At least she had her new friend, though the way the day ended, she wasn’t sure if she even had that…
A few days have passed since the whole magic thing; she felt no different, not really, but all the kids since that day, blessed or otherwise, have been getting more training,
be it reading, writing, or crafts, the elder gave Nina freedom in how she went about directing things.
It was super easy since everyone came to her and she mostly just sat and listened.
People would tell her what they could do and what was missing, and they just fixed it by sending people or getting more things; nobody complained, and everyone was eager to do more.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNJwnk6z7E
It was odd that nobody wanted to play. True, when the choir was done, they would gather and celebrate a job well done, but it felt weird working to have fun afterward.
Her brother embraced learning to an extreme degree. The elder thought he could easily be a tutor or adviser with the way he was learning so much.
She thought she heard him express a desire to travel, which surprised her he never seemed to mind anything, so they added merchant books to help him with that.
She wasn’t too sure, as she mostly just stayed with the elders and listened to people talk.
The few times she wandered, she could play. Most of the kids were busy, but Teva, her catkin friend, made time for her, which made her happy she still had that friend.
More time passed in a blur; perhaps it was just a few weeks, but it was different. They had been pushing the magic more in kids who had it, especially her…
It wasn’t hard to make it, but it was dull; she did not care about magic. The other kids all got excited trying to make it work, but she just wanted to play normal games, or at least not feel so isolated.
Despite her talent, she faced criticism and went on living a mediocre life.
The gentle rocking of the carriage gave her a blissful dream; she was back at the church with gray robes, offering her food and pleasant greetings away from the harsh sun
And done with the tedious seeing people's magic. She always felt it was wrong that people’s obsession with magic love the people, not the power.
***
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KNOCK KNOCK
“Where here, seer the wolfkin have a spot set up for you after you see the elder…”
She awoke from the place she wanted to be, to a place she did not…. "Thank you." "Thank you. I need a minute…" she said, rested but still irritated; the wolf clan was her last stop before home.
unless something went wrong, and with them, it tended they were the harshest of judgment.
Society frowned upon anyone born with level one magic, and if zero magic...
As she stepped out, the sun stung her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was her aversion to the sun that made it worse or if her darkness magic preferred darkness…
She could blind her eyes and still see with magic, but it got more stares, and she liked less attention, so she tried to avoid that.
A nearby worker from the wolfkin saw her exit, bowed in greeting, and led her to the elder. She made it easy and proceeded inside the tent, which was tiny versus the last elders.
The Wolfkin tribe believed in need before desire and was minimalist. There were a few pillows for them to sit on. The elder greeted her, and she greeted him in return.
The elder of the wolfkin was a gray-furred, sharp-eyed woman; she was very blunt and cared not about haggling.
The only time she saw them bend as if someone was high level in magic, they seemed to worship it almost as much as the gods…
“It’s good you're here. “
“We have a few pups we are hopeful about.”
Though the elder said it casually, she still flinched; she knew what happened to those who did not meet the expectations.
You know it doesn't have to be only one way. She tried to reason.
“With all due respect, seer.”
“We need your eyes, not your wisdom.” She knew it would be a losing battle to argue her feelings; it wasn’t the first time, but if it happened, it wouldn’t be the last…
The talk remained formal. They fed her, and she went to the spot to test the kids; there were not as many. She counted seven.
Selective breeding for magic resulted in a joyless outcome for the children.
As if they even had a place to call home… she wanted to lie and say they all were blessed, but it only hurt their lives more when they could not do magic later…
A single line awaited her, and they stepped forward. She put on her veil. She wasn’t happy but spoke quickly, scanning each.
Level two water next.
Level two wind next.
Level one Earth next.
The kids went by with no questions, getting their judgment. She missed the more carefree tribe.
Even if it was more tiring dealing with those joyous kids, she was getting almost all the kids done so far with no issues. She was feeling better; this might end better.
Level three fire next
Level one water next
It amazed her that all had been blessed so far; perhaps the gods felt kind today.
Level… zero next
Level… zero…
She felt bitter seeing the last two kids being told they had no magic and could not stay,
They looked defeated and unsure of what to do. They also noted the pride of being part of the tribe from everyone else but them.
“It’s ok,” she tried to reassure them. “I handled cases like this before. You have options.” The female wolfkin looked at her hopelessly.
So, we can stay? The veil concealed her tears, and she was grateful for that, her heart broken.
“No…” it was the male wolfkin. Remember, Mom's words.
“Only those with magic are worth keeping…” She hated hearing a child speak those words, but the wolfkin were that extreme. Your worth was only in magic…
“Come on,”
“Will gather your things and go.” The male wolfkin shook his head and then spoke.
“Dad said if we didn’t pass,”
“We take nothing, that’s what we are worth,”
“That’s what we leave with.” She wanted to stop the cycle this tribe had made, but it was not her place. The best she could do was keep rescuing the abandoned.
She considered seeing the elder before leaving, but knew it was pointless, since she would already know the result...
She guided the kids to the carriage after addressing the issues, and it would be a long ride.
The rocking of the carriage, which lulled her to sleep before now, was just a reminder that she had kids.
And she needed to arrange a place for them. Not pitying the children, she made small talk. “What are your names? “
"Rock," the boy said.
"Zaila," the girl said, smiling.
My name is Seer. Confusion clouded their faces before a small laugh escaped her lips.
It went on so long that I simply adopted the name.
“What about you, rock?”
Is their story in your name? He shrugged and stared into the distance.
“Dad wanted a powerful male.”
“so named me rock, hoping the gods would agree and bless me…”
"Aha, well, you are as strong as stone, even without magic," she offered comfortingly. “You ziala? Thier story for your name also? She paused briefly before replying.
“I don’t think so.”
Mommy just said that was my name. A brief silence ensued before Zaila spoke once more.
“Are you blind?”
“Was that why you were the veil?” she laughed at the innocence of the question, happy their still brief life in the pups.
“It just helps me see with magic if not,”
“I use my eyes too much,”
“And it is harder to see people’s magic.” A quiet fall once more, but a question needed to be asked, “Do you want to join a new beast tribe, one where all are welcome?”
“No..” Rock said flatly, surprising her, and ziala just stayed quiet
“May I ask why?”
“Prefer something else if we can choose; if not, it doesn’t matter…” She guessed he lost faith in the tribes because of how harsh the wolfkin were in their raising.
“Well, there is a city with a church that takes all. "
“My church. It is much farther and is not as well equipped, but it is also an option.”
"I like the city," Zaila said.
“You have never been…” Rock retorted
“I can still like it….” She replied.
She was amused at their banter but had the final say, so she told them they would go there and see how we felt.
If not, we could always detour back to a tribe or her smaller village. She hated the extra traveling, but it was for the kids.
And with that, the rest of the trip gently rolled on.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkvVpXxRLq
