"I've got an idea," I started, "but I don't really know the lay of the land around here. So cut me some slack if I say something off-base, alright?"
Better soften them up first.
Luckily, the folks in this room were all level-headed leaders. They showed nothing more than a flicker of surprise—then quickly schooled their features back to neutral.
"Go on," Xia said, his tone gentle as he looked over at me. "We're here to hash this out together."
"I heard Xuan mention these roaming beastmen have been pestering the other two tribes way more than us," I explained. "This is the first time they've dared hit our tribe—and we chased 'em off easy. So honestly? The threat's bigger for *them* than it is for us, right?"
Every beastman in the room nodded in unison. Xuan shot me a thoughtful glance and gestured for me to keep going.
"So dealing with these roamers shouldn't be our tribe's problem alone. We don't have to shoulder the whole load. The other two tribes should pitch in too. We can go visit 'em—form an alliance, and drive the roamers out together."
Simple enough: if our tribe was short on hands, drag the other two into this mess with us.
The second the words left my mouth, Lan's eyes lit up—then narrowed again, a frown tugging at his brow as he voiced the obvious concern.
"Would the other two tribes even agree?" he asked. "Their beastmen aren't as strong as ours, and they've got fewer people."
My idea was pretty out-of-the-box for this world. Here, tribes lived and breathed as independent units. Each tribe's hunting grounds stretched for miles, and overlaps between territories were rare—next to nonexistent, actually.
So when trouble hit, no one ever thought to ask another tribe for help.
The only reason Waterwood Tribe had come begging to Greenhill Tribe before was because the roamers' attack had been a total surprise—striking right during their autumn hunt. The damage was so bad, they couldn't have survived the winter on their own.
Tribes only reached out to each other when their very survival was on the line.
"I can't say for sure," I admitted, turning to Xia. "I don't know much about their tribes. But if these roamers are really messing up their lives that bad? Chances are, they'll jump at the chance to team up."
"Elaborate," Xia said, his eyes sparking with interest. He could already see the potential in this plan.
I felt Xuan's hand pat my back gently, a silent show of support. I gathered my thoughts and kept going.
"Driving the roamers out benefits *all* of us. It's not fair that we do all the work while the other two sit back and reap the rewards. Besides—we're not the ones taking the brunt of this. *They* are.
"They're probably even more desperate to get rid of the roamers than we are—they just don't have the firepower to do it alone. Our tribe's got the strength, but going at it solo would be way too risky.
"The best move is to split that risk three ways. We just need to make it feel manageable for them. We can take the lead—then bring them in as allies."
I rambled on for a good while, then licked my dry lips. Right on cue, Xuan handed me a stone bowl full of water.
He waited until I'd finished drinking before speaking up.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "You want the three tribes to each send a group of beastmen, combine our forces, and take the fight to the roamers together?"
"Exactly—and they'll *definitely* agree!" The more I thought about it, the more confident I felt. "If they want to get rid of the roamers for good, this is their best shot. Our beastmen are stronger than theirs—it'll be a safety net for them."
"YES!" Lan suddenly shot to his feet, excitement written all over his face. "If we went alone, we'd have to send nearly half our beastmen. But with three tribes? Each sends a small squad, and we've got enough people to get the job done. Most of our warriors can stay behind to keep the tribe running smoothly!"
Xia leaned forward, his eyes blazing with newfound energy.
"That's exactly it!" he exclaimed. "The other two tribes *could* drive the roamers out—if they sent most of their beastmen. But they won't do that, because it would leave their tribes defenseless and without hunters. But if we team up? That problem disappears entirely!"
"Right," I said, already slumping back in my seat, ready to tune out the rest of the meeting and chill. "As for the exact number of warriors each tribe sends? That's up to you guys. I don't know the other tribes' strengths well enough to say."
Just then, Xuan pulled a berry out of nowhere and held it out to me, sneakily.
My eyes lit up. I snatched it and took a big bite, then glanced around the room—everyone else was deep in heated debate.
"The other two tribes have fewer people than us—fewer beastmen, too," one of the beastmen was saying, crunching the numbers aloud. "They can't send as many warriors as we can. So we'll probably have to contribute the largest group."
I nudged Xuan's arm, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Hey—how many beastmen do each of the three tribes have, anyway?"
"Our tribe's got 462," he whispered back. "The other two both have a little over 300."
"Then here's an idea," I said, still keeping my voice low. "We send 100 beastmen. They each send 50. That adds up to 200 total—enough to take on the roamers, and enough left behind to guard the tribes."
The second the words left my mouth, the room went dead silent.
I looked up.
Every single eye was locked on me again.
My hand tightened around the half-eaten berry, my grip just a little shaky.
Really? You guys were all yelling so loud a second ago! I whispered that quiet enough for a mouse—how'd you all hear me?
A soft snort came from beside me.
I whipped my head around, shooting Xuan a glare that could kill.
We're in the middle of a serious meeting here! Quit laughing! Ugh, who knew you were such a troublemaker, Xuan? Sitting here acting all proper, but really you're just slacking off and enjoying my misery!
Xuan caught my death stare, then quickly wiped the smile off his face. He turned to Xia, his expression all business.
"Father—what do you think?"
"I think it's perfect," Xia said, nodding firmly. The other beastmen all nodded in agreement, too.
With the numbers sorted out, the conversation shifted to who would actually go on the mission. Li was the first to speak up, his voice full of fire.
"I'm going," he said, jaw set. "Those bastards bit my boy Mu bad. I'm gonna make 'em pay for that."
"I'm in too!" Fei chimed in, pumping his fist.
One by one, the other beastmen all volunteered to join the fight.
Xia watched them quietly, his hands clenched into fists behind his back.
He wanted to go, too…
But he was the tribe's chieftain. This wasn't like a regular hunt—gone for a few days, back before you knew it. This mission would take time, and the tribe couldn't afford to be without him for long.
Every beastman in this room was one of the tribe's strongest fighters. Lan was already planning to stay behind to keep things running. With Xia staying too, they still needed one more leader to hold down the fort.
The argument over who got to go was getting so heated, it looked like they were about to shift into beast form and settle it with a brawl—when suddenly, the beastman sitting next to Xia stood up.
"Alright, alright," he said, throwing his hands up. "I'll stay behind. Those young beast pups still need me to train 'em. Can't have 'em running wild while I'm off gallivanting, now can I?"
"Hey—Shu! You're a lifesaver!" Li clapped him hard on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
With the last spot for the "stay-behind team" filled, Xia composed himself and clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention again.
"Alright, then—it's settled," he said, his voice steady, though I could hear the quiet disappointment underneath. "We move out in ten days. These next few days, wrap up all your business, make sure everything's in order back here. No loose ends. Now—dismissed."
The hide curtain suddenly whipped aside, and a limping figure stumbled in.
"Yang?" Every beastman in the room looked shocked. After what happened ten years ago, Yang barely ever showed his face anymore—sticking to his duties with the hunting and patrol parties, and nothing else. He hadn't set foot in the council hut in years.
Yang ignored everyone else. He marched straight up to Xia, his gaze so intense, it felt like he was staring right through him.
He stopped a meter away from Xia, his voice low and rough.
"You really wanna go, don't you, Xia?"
...
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