Chapter 36

Under the Trees of the Forest Outside the Tribe

A-Yin was munching on his food, not particularly hungry, but his brother insisted he shouldn’t waste any, so he ate slowly.

Nearby, a leopard had found a low branch and leaped up, stretching out lazily as it sharpened its claws.

“Awoo? What brings you here?”

A-Yin chewed thoughtfully, glancing up at the leopard perched in the tree. “Awoo. I’ll be there in a bit.”

The leopard nodded and settled down, quieting its chatter.

Once A-Yin finished his meal, the two leopards began to patrol the forest outside the tribe, heading up the mountain. The flower leopard would occasionally yawn, trailing behind A-Yin and saying, “Awoo, awoo, awoo.”

They discussed the hunting team’s plans, strategizing on how to catch the herds of horses and spotting their trails. “It’s such a pity we didn’t run into any baboons this time. My older brother got scratched on the face by one of those nasty baboons.”

Upon heAh Ring this, A-Yin let out an agreement with a growl. “Awoo.” Exactly.

After finishing his thoughts, the leopard stole a glance at A-Yin. The silver leopard was focused, inspecting any rustling in the grass, even though the area was quite safe. Still, the flower leopard followed closely behind.

“Awoo, awoo, awoo.” There’s plenty to eat: reindeer, horned sheep, horse herds. If you want to hunt, you can wait until you’re an adult. In any case, don’t even think about going after the mammoths; it’s far too dangerous.

Xiao Xian had mentioned several times how much your brother cares for you. He sees you as his best companion and constantly reminds me to keep an eye on you, worried that other beasts might bully you. If anything happens, Xiao Xian would cry.

You don’t know this, but when my little brother cries, our parents will beat us!

It’s just me and my older brother.

The leopard rambled on, revealing quite a bit. In truth, Xiao Xian’s second brother had this kind of personality. None of the beasts in the tribe wanted to play with him—his odd demeanor made him less appealing to others. He could be talkative, and sometimes his thoughts would just spill out.

A-Yin paused to listen to the leopard’s chatter. Deep down, he knew his brother really cared for him. Tilting his head slightly, he gazed in the direction of the morning sun. “Awoo.” I want to go.

The leopard, now at the end of its monologue, suddenly burst out with a series of exaggerated yelps: “Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh!”

It was as if it was ready to let out a grand roar to the heavens.

Did you even hear what I said? I really don’t want to have to tell your brother; I don’t want to be a snitch. That’s just not right. This is your business, but seriously, you cannot go into the mammoth territory. Did you understand? You could die!

Ah Ri is dead; his beast father was fierce in the tribe. Apart from Ada’s mother, Ah Ri’s father was also a great warrior. Ah Ri learned hunting skills from a young age, yet he couldn’t handle a mammoth. His father survived, but rumor has it that he’s now limping.

You’re just a young beast. Don’t go thinking foolish thoughts.

“Awoo.” I know. A-Yin looked back at the leopard, sensing its concern for him. He felt compelled to explain, “Awoo, awoo, awoo.”

I’m not going now. I’m starting to train every day. Plus, I’m not going to hunt a mammoth; I’m just going to their paths to search for salt.

“Awoo, awoo.” I know you don’t believe there’s salt over there, but my brother says so, and I believe it. I will definitely go.

After heAh Ring this, the leopard looked up at the sky, then scratched at the ground.

“Awoo, awoo, awoo.” Thanks for not telling my brother.

The leopard lowered its head, scratching a wild grass patch that was already in tatters. It hadn’t made up its mind yet, but it said, “Awoo, awoo.” No need for thanks. “Awoo, awoo.” By the way, I’m called Ato.

“Awoo.” A-Yin.

“Awoo, awoo.” I know.

The two leopards resumed their patrol. They spent the morning on their rounds, and though A-Yin didn’t intend to head back, Ato, feeling a bit drowsy and wanting to nap, decided to follow A-Yin as he dashed outside the tribe.

“Awoo, awoo?” Where are you going?

A-Yin replied, “Awoo.” Going to fight.

Upon heAh Ring this, Ato’s tail perked up, and he quickened his pace to catch up. He wanted to see what trouble this young beast was getting himself into, especially since he was planning to venture near the mammoth territory. Maybe he’d get knocked down by some other animals, and that would deter him from going.

That day, the two leopards ventured further and further away.

Meanwhile, Back at the Tribe

The meal situation was sorted out—it should be noted that the hunting team had brought back an abundance of meat these past few days. Adding to that, A-Yin had also returned with half a horned sheep, making their meat supply plentiful. FeAh Ring it would spoil, Zhuo Yan was busy trimming the fat and eating with his eyes closed.

Without salt and in the hot weather, Zhuo Yan found he had little appetite.

And Dudu fruit was gone.

Is there really no seed for grains in this world? While eating roasted meat, Zhuo Yan often looked up at the sky with tears in his eyes, praying for seeds of grains to exist on this continent. It’s just that his current exploration map was small, and he hadn’t found any yet.

He wasn’t asking for corn or rice; even some coarse grains like red beans, green beans, or millet would suffice.

Although Zhuo Yan loved meat, one couldn’t eat it every single meal, especially when it was served without salt.

“Zhuo Yan, you look like you’re suffering,” said Aman, who was propping his chin on his hand, biting into a tasteless piece of roasted meat. “It’s definitely true. We’re running low on salt at home too. Soon, I’ll be feeling just as miserable.”

Xiao Xian piped up, “I still have some at home, but not much.”

Among their group of friends, Xiao Xian was indeed from a wealthy family.

As for Qiao, he had recently moved into a new home with his partner, starting fresh. While other necessities were manageable, they couldn’t spare any salt; they too were eating meat without seasoning just like Zhuo Yan.

“Just hold on a little longer; the salt season is approaching,” Zhuo Yan said, trying to console his friends. After finishing their lunch, they decided to head into the mountains to gather berries and wildflowers.

Now that they had some oil at home, they could finally make soap.

By evening, they had produced four bars of soap, bringing his total to nine. He arranged them neatly, planning to make twenty bars and then weave some baskets for packaging—an essential skill in their world.

Zhuo Yan didn’t want to carry too much weight; he didn’t want to impose on Qiao’s kindness.

That day, A-Yin came back late, a shadow of a leopard trailing behind him. It was Xiao Xian’s second brother. Zhuo Yan chuckled at the thought of how amusing it was that the leopard was named Ato.

“Awoo~ Brother! Brother!” A-Yin called, a bunch of wildflowers clamped in his mouth.

Zhuo Yan squinted to see what A-Yin had brought back. The flowers were beautiful, red and pink, quite different from the yellow and green ones usually found in the mountains. “Where did you go playing? Let me see.”

Today, A-Yin wasn’t injured, but his fur was still fluffy and disheveled, as if he had rolled around somewhere.

As Zhuo Yan held the flowers, he brushed the grass off A-Yin’s fur. A-Yin squatted obediently, looking up at his brother.

“All done.”

“Awoo, awoo.” Thank you, brother!

Zhuo Yan scratched A-Yin’s ears, admiring the large petals of the flowers. “These are perfect for making soap.” He cleaned the flowers and laid them out on the stone slab of the stove to dry. Once dried, they would be perfect for the next batch of soap.

Later that night, after washing up, Zhuo Yan opened a bowl containing half a serving of berries.

“We found these in the mountains today. They’re sweet and tangy, a great way to cleanse the palate. I ate some already, and I saved these for you.” He needed to make sure they got their vitamins; eating nothing but meat was tough on the body.

A-Yin nudged Zhuo Yan’s finger with his nose, refusing to eat.

“Alright, let’s share them.” Zhuo Yan took a bite and offered A-Yin a berry. The sweet-tart flavor was delightful, with a texture reminiscent of strawberries and peaches.

That night, the two of them drifted off to sleep on the stone bed. As he lay there, Zhuo Yan thought about how he would likely open the pig trough kiln tomorrow. He had checked it earlier, and the soil on top had already settled and hardened.

Tomorrow evening, or perhaps the morning after, he would open the kiln.

Just to be safe, he decided on the morning after. Zhuo Yan planned to keep himself busy tomorrow since he hadn’t had much appetite lately. He might as well work on the shed above the stove; that project had been lingering for far too long.

The next morning, Zhuo Yan brushed his teeth and washed his face. The bar of soap he used felt exceptionally clean. “And it smells so good,” he noted, the scent lingering nicely.

A-Yin took a bucket and went to fetch water.

Once the household chores were finished, Zhuo Yan patted A-Yin’s ears. “You can go patrol now. We’ll each do our own thing. Don’t worry about me; I have food.”

He wasn’t feeling like eating meat today; he’d had too much yesterday and wasn’t hungry. While demi-beasts couldn’t go for days without food like full beasts could, A-Yin could manage a day without eating after a big meal. Today, he planned to explore the fine tree forest; if he found any edible fruit, he could snack on that.

Today, the stone wasn’t showing up again.

Qiao, Xiao Xian, and Aman arrived. Qiao had to deal with tanning the hides today, leaving Aman and Xiao Xian to help Zhuo Yan chop trees, all while chatting and working on the slender trunks.

“Zhuo Yan, my second brother came back yesterday and praised A-Yin, saying he learns quickly.”

Zhuo Yan perked up. “Did they go out patrolling together?” He didn’t mind A-Yin’s outings; given the dangers in their world, it was essential for him to develop survival skills.

“Yeah. My brother said they ran quite far and even encountered some jackals and had a fight.”

Zhuo Yan’s heart raced. He thought A-Yin and Xiao Xian’s second brother were just playing around, but it turned out they had encountered real jackals!

“Jackals?” Just a moment ago, he had been in the mindset of a supportive guardian, but now he was feeling anxious.

Aman’s ears perked up as well. “I’ve heard that wolf tribes like to travel in packs. If they’re beasts, jackals are similar, right?”

They had encountered a pack of wolves!

Xiao Xian quickly chimed in, “Zhuo Yan, my brother said they were just play fighting and ran back afterward.”

“Can you really play fight with wolves?” Zhuo Yan asked, bewildered.

Aman hesitated. “Maybe the wolves mistook A-Yin for one of their own, thinking he was a pup.” He added quickly, “Or perhaps they thought he was a wolf cub.”

Zhuo Yan felt a mix of disbelief and a strange sense of logic. However, recalling how A-Yin had returned in such good spirits yesterday, with not a single fur tuft out of place, it seemed likely they had indeed just been playing.

So, Zhuo Yan reverted to his role as the understanding guardian.

Aman chuckled quietly. When they were lugging the slender trunks back and stopped by the river to rest, they found Qiao working on the hides. She paused when she noticed them.

Aman started, “Qiao, you should have seen Zhuo Yan; he was really worried about his brother A-Yin.”

“…Isn’t it normal to worry?” Zhuo Yan brushed off the teasing, unfazed by the lighthearted banter. When it came to the topic of ‘mating,’ he didn’t mind.

Once Aman heard Zhuo Yan’s reply, he felt the urge to tease dissipate.

Qiao said, “A-Yin is in the patrol team now, so he should be relatively safe. Don’t worry too much, Zhuo Yan.”

“By the way, let’s eat together at noon? Ada just brought me a rabbit.”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“The hides need soaking now.”

Zhuo Yan agreed. “Let’s drop the trees off first and roast by the river. I’m worried my rabbit will get scared and pee itself.”

“Hahaha, sounds good!” Qiao chuckled, her laughter ringing through the air.

The group ascended to place the logs, and as Zhuo Yan glanced down the slope into the burrow, he didn’t spot any rabbits. Chickens, however, were leisurely pecking at the ground for bugs. He grabbed his bone knife and made his way down to join Qiao.

When it came time to clean the rabbit, Qiao was efficient, expertly skinning it and tossing the fur into a bucket of water to soak. In the past, orcs would just bite the critters to death, leaving a chaotic mess and ruining the pelts. But now, under Zhuo Yan’s guidance, Qiao had learned to dispatch these little creatures with a well-placed blow to the head, ensuring the fur remained intact.

The four friends gathered by the riverbank to feast on roasted rabbit while chatting amiably. After their meal, Zhuo Yan returned to his task of chopping wood. He split each log in half, then cut them down further. The shorter pieces would be placed above the burrow entrance, while the longer logs would form a framework for the stove shelter. Zhuo Yan planned to layer the roof with straw and a mix of dry mud to help insulate against the harsh winter snows.

“…I don’t want to have to clean it up all the time,” Zhuo Yan explained his plan to his friends.

Last winter had been brutal; snow accumulated in thick layers within half an hour, and he couldn’t be expected to shovel it every day.

Xiao Xian listened intently. “So that’s how it is! Zhuo Yan, you’re so clever!”

“Haha, I’m not clever; I’m just lazy,” Zhuo Yan chuckled.

Aman smirked, chiming in, “But didn’t you just say you would be very diligent?”

“Oh come on, you guys are my best friends now. Even if I’m lazy, you won’t stop playing with me. Besides, why work so hard every day?” Zhuo Yan was never one to take life too seriously.

He had graduated from a prestigious university and worked at a company for three years until health issues forced him to resign and return to his hometown to farm. When his college friends heard about it, they were shocked.

Their school was renowned, and their majors were among the strongest in the nation. Although Zhuo Yan wasn’t a top student, the idea of returning to the village seemed like a waste to them.

Some speculated that Zhuo Yan would recover and return to the city once his health improved.

But time passed, and one day, he stumbled upon a video of an old classmate living a pastoral life — raising chickens and cooking them in a big iron pot.

Aman laughed at Zhuo Yan’s playful excuses. He knew Zhuo Yan was right, and he noticed that Zhuo Yan was no slouch when it came to working hard.

“That’s smart lazy,” Xiao Xian affirmed.

“Great praise! Xiao Xian has a good eye,” Zhuo Yan grinned back.

Aman and Qiao joined in the laughter.

“Once we get some salt back, we should cook some chicken stew. If we can find some mushrooms, and maybe some bamboo shoots or wood ear mushrooms…” Zhuo Yan’s voice trailed off as he suddenly remembered something. “Bamboo shoots! Do we have any bamboo nearby? I think there’s some around because I remember there were bears.”

“What kind of bamboo?” Qiao asked.

“You know, the long, thin, green ones that are hollow in the middle, segment by segment. You can chop them down; they make natural drinking cups.” Zhuo Yan gestured animatedly, kicking himself for having forgotten.

Aman frowned, “I haven’t seen any of those trees around here. As for bears, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Bears love to munch on roots and shoots, like bamboo shoots.”

Xiao Xian’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. “Zhuo Yan, are bamboo shoots tasty?”

“Delicious! Just think, if bears like them, they must be good!” Zhuo Yan got carried away with excitement, quickly realizing he had to reel it back in. After all, Zhuo Yan had never been outside the tribe; how would he know what bamboo was?

His tone was relaxed with his friends; Qiao and the others trusted him implicitly.

“I don’t know where bears live,” Aman said.

Qiao thought hard but couldn’t recall. “Zhuo Yan, I’ll ask Ada when I get back and let you know tomorrow.”

“Sounds good, no rush,” Zhuo Yan replied, feeling happy. He appreciated how trusting his friends were, not even questioning where he had learned about bamboo.

“However—”

Before Aman could finish, Zhuo Yan swiftly handed over a stick he was holding. Aman looked confused. “Huh?”

“Hehe, just hold this for me. I’m digging a hole now.”

“Okay!”

By the time they finished their tasks, Aman had completely forgotten his earlier question. After thinking it over, he shrugged it off, realizing it wasn’t important. He returned to help Zhuo Yan build the shelter, which turned out to be quite interesting.

The day passed pleasantly. In the evening, A-Yin and Ah Tou returned first, both of them carrying something in their mouths. Upon closer inspection, Zhuo Yan’s eyes widened: it was an alligator!

“What on earth?!”

“Where have you two been playing today?” Zhuo Yan exclaimed.

A-Yin crouched down, rubbing against his brother’s leg with a playful nudge. Zhuo Yan hesitated to ask, knowing A-Yin couldn’t speak, and instead directed his attention to Ah Tou.

The flower leopard let out a playful yowl, quickly dragging the alligator across the ground.

“Wait up, Second Brother! I’m still here! Can you carry me too? Zhuo Yan, I’m heading home now!” Xiao Xian shouted, the sudden turn of events catching him off guard. Zhuo Yan opened his mouth to speak but found himself speechless as Xiao Xian’s shadow vanished in the distance.

“Qiao, Aman, take some alligator meat back with you. We can’t eat all of this,” he called after them.

Obeying Zhuo Yan’s order, A-Yin stretched out his claws to flip the alligator over, expertly slicing through its soft belly with his sharp nails. Within moments, he had it neatly butchered. Zhuo Yan packaged a hefty chunk for Aman and Qiao, who didn’t hesitate to accept it before leaving.

Zhuo Yan gazed at the remaining alligator and then at A-Yin.

A-Yin was adorably squatting, tilting his head, and twitching his ears.

…Well, at least he wasn’t hurt.

“Glad you’re okay.”

“Woof woof! I’m not hurt at all, brother!” A-Yin replied cheerfully.

Zhuo Yan stowed away most of the alligator in a bucket. While washing up, he noticed that A-Yin’s fur was surprisingly clean, almost as if he had bathed before coming home, though a few corners still showed traces of dried mud.

“It must be from catching crocodiles.”

The kids have all grown up, and you’re such an enlightened older brother! Don’t waste A-Yin’s goodwill! So while Zhuo Yan was busy cleaning the crocodile, he praised A-Yin endlessly. “I’ve never eaten this crocodile before,” he said. “I had Sister Qiao’s rabbit for lunch today, and you brought back a crocodile for me to share with my friends. You’re really great, thank you, A-Yin!” He continued, “This piece of crocodile skin is so tough. Once I clean it up, we can make some shoe soles out of it.”

In short, he exaggerated his praise.

A-Yin was over the moon, leaping forward to hug her brother warmly, playfully sticking out her tongue to lick him. Zhuo Yan cradled A-Yin’s head, experiencing a bittersweet mixture of agony and joy from this affectionate gesture. His little A-Yin had truly grown up; her tongue felt sharper and more refined than before.

Little did he know, this was just A-Yin’s restrained and gentle licking.

The two brothers happily finished scrubbing the crocodile by the river and took a bath, deciding to save it for tomorrow since the nights in the tribe could get quite cool. Zhuo Yan stood up, carrying a bucket, but A-Yin was quick to snatch it up, her tiny teeth gripping the heavy bucket as she pitter-pattered ahead to clear the way.

Early the next morning, Zhuo Yan roasted some crocodile meat, and to his surprise, it turned out to be quite delicious! The meat was firm and lean, not tough at all, and it had a delightful aroma. A-Yin devoured a big piece before heading out to join the patrol team.

Zhuo Yan arrived at the pig trough kiln, where they were opening the kiln that day.

He waited a little longer because the kids had helped out during the burning process before but hadn’t understood what charcoal was. Today, he wanted everyone to come together to see it, so he found a shady spot to wait.

Before long, four friends arrived. Shi Tou was there too, carrying his little sister on his back. When Zhuo Yan had seen her last year, she was just a little leopard cub, but now she had grown into a primary school student, around seven or eight years old.

The little girl was adorable, still resembling a baby leopard with her round head and large eyes.

Seeing this, Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of the world once again.

Beasts can turn into humans, and humans can become beasts.

“Zhuo Yan, I could only bring her along,” Shi Tou said, a bit embarrassed. His sister was too clumsy and hadn’t yet learned to walk on two legs, spending all her time crawling around in the cave, which made their mother very angry.

“It’s fine,” Zhuo Yan reassured him. “Little ones need to be taken out to bask in the sun and interact with people. They learn quickly.” He added, “We’re opening the kiln today.”

“I know. I heard Aman mention it this morning.” So Shi Tou carried his sister out. He also wanted to see what charcoal was.

Once everyone arrived, Zhuo Yan grabbed a wooden shovel and began digging.

The soil on top was loose, but due to the water and long hours of roasting, it had hardened into clumps. The deeper he dug, the more he found solid mud lumps. Zhuo Yan picked up a piece and smashed it against the ground; surprisingly, it didn’t crack at all.

This mud was excellent! Zhuo Yan felt confident about making pottery.

Xiao Xian imitated Zhuo Yan and smashed a piece too. “Zhuo Yan, why is this dirt so hard and not crumbling?”

“It’s because it’s been baked in the fire and is quite solid,” Zhuo Yan explained. After digging a few more times, he encountered harder patches and had to use his hands to pry them loose. Shi Tou volunteered to shovel, not waiting for Zhuo Yan to mention his sister. He adeptly placed his sister down on the ground.

Then the little sister, Dayun, began to crawl around on all fours.

“It’s okay,” Shi Tou said quickly, noticing Zhuo Yan’s gaze, then addressed his rambunctious sister, “Dayun, don’t go near the river, just crawl around here.”

Halfway through her crawl, Dayun turned around and quickly made her way back.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as he scooped her up. Dayun wore a little leather skirt tied with vines, and he dusted off the dirt from her knees and arms. “Does it hurt?”

“Awwo,” Dayun blinked and let out a little leopard-like sound.

Zhuo Yan didn’t understand her. He patted her hair back into place and found a rock for her to sit on. “You can play here; there are a lot of dirt clumps around that could hurt you,” he indicated by pointing at his arms.

Dayun imitated him, raised her arms to look, and then stuck out her tongue to lick.

“Don’t lick that dirty thing,” Zhuo Yan chided, then turned to Shi Tou, “Have you guys eaten breakfast?”

“No need to worry, we’re not hungry.” Shi Tou continued working hard.

So they hadn’t eaten. Zhuo Yan said, “I still have a piece of crocodile meat at home. If we don’t eat it, it will spoil. I’ll go grab it; you guys keep digging.”

When he returned with the meat, he found everyone gathered around the pig trough kiln, including Dayun, who was peeking over. Zhuo Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

As he approached, he heard their excited chatter.

“Wow! It’s not ash!”

“It really didn’t turn to ash; it’s black!”

“I touched it with my dirty hands!”

“Hey, Dayun, you can’t eat that!”

“Apuh awow,” Dayun spat out the black stuff in her mouth. Shi Tou pried open his sister’s mouth to check her teeth, which were fine, and then admonished her, “Don’t eat everything you see.”

Zhuo Yan handed over the meat. “You two can eat this while I check the charcoal.” He looked into the long rectangular pig trough kiln and saw that it was now full of black fragments and charcoal, which had been neatly stacked in four rows before.

It was all burned!

“Shi Tou, don’t eat it yet!” Zhuo Yan called back.

Dayun had already taken a bite, and Shi Tou promptly snatched the meat back from his sister’s mouth. Both siblings looked at Zhuo Yan with wide eyes. Zhuo Yan clAh Rified, “It’s not that I won’t let you eat it; you enjoy roasted meat, right? We have charcoal here. Let’s give it a try.”

“Zhuo Yan, can this really be used for roasting again?”

“Yeah, it’s been burned for several days. Can it still be used?”

Qiao was also curious.

Zhuo Yan said, “That’s why I’m roasting meat for Shi Tou and his sister, so you can see if it can ignite.”

So they put aside other tasks and focused on roasting meat for Shi Tou and his sister.

Xiao Xian found some dry grass to start the fire. Zhuo Yan picked up some larger pieces of charcoal, and Aman gathered stones by the riverbank to stack up. Qiao skewered the meat with a tree branch, and everyone turned their attention to Zhuo Yan.

“It’s time to light the fire.”

Zhuo Yan struck the flint, and sparks quickly caught on the dry grass. He gently placed the charcoal fragments on top, forming a small tower. The flames danced eagerly, licking the charcoal until the black surface glowed red.

“It really caught fire!”

“I can’t believe it’s actually burning.”

Aman, worried it might not ignite, had brought over some dry twigs. Despite the fact that the wood in the pit had been burning for several days, it was astonishing to see it still ablaze now. He stood there, bewildered, clutching the twigs as he stared wide-eyed at the charcoal glowing redder by the second.

What on earth was happening?

Everyone around was either shocked, furrowing their brows in deep thought, or simply giddy with joy. No one really understood the mechanics behind it, but when Shi Tou and his little sister finally sank their teeth into the deliciously roasted meat, while the flames roared triumphantly, a realization washed over them.

Zhuo Yan saw the expression on everyone’s faces, filled with an unspoken understanding: “Forget about the principles! Who cares? What matters is that Zhuo Yan succeeded!”

“Zhuo Yan, did the charcoal really catch fire?”

“It surely did; they’re all enjoying the roasted meat!”

“Yes, it worked!”

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but smile as happiness bubbled up inside him. The success of the charcoal wasn’t just about the burning itself; it also stemmed from the unconditional trust and genuine joy his friends had in him. He glanced at the enormous pile of charcoal, beaming with pride.

“Tomorrow, we’ll start making pottery. We won’t trade this for salt since the pots are prone to breaking. We’ll keep them for our tribe’s own use.”

“Let’s make a vAh Riety of styles! You all can pick first!”

This was exactly what his friends deserved!