Days for the members of the Ormus Tribe, and probably for all tribes, started as soon as there was enough light to not stumble and trip over things. Light was precious for everyone, and so time was precious as well. There was always plenty of work to be done, and the earlier everyone got it out of the way, the earlier they could all relax and enjoy each other's company. Crops had to be watered and harvested, tools and clothes had to be made or cared for, food prepared, the camp tidied and cleaned; it was a busy life. Some of the younger members still had lessons to learn as well; things like reading and writing, tribe customs, or simple arithmetic, and various trade skills were passed on, such as cooking, fletching, and sewing.
Mako had finished with his basic schooling years ago, and while he despised learning arithmetic, he greatly enjoyed the reading and writing. Making paper was hard work, and very time consuming, and as a result, not many of the tribes people cared for it. Mako would spend every other of his free days making as much paper as he could, spending most of the morning gathering fibrous plants, preparing them, cooking them, and then working them into a pulp to spread over canvas where they would be pressed by wood and dried in the sun. It was tedious and time consuming, but he could often get several sheets prepared in a day, which would then be cut into smaller pages. He'd gotten quite good at the process over the past few years, and wasn't even aware that he'd surpassed those who'd taught him the skill.
Most of Mako's daily chores consisted of helping to water the crops near the camp, then work on any leathers that needed to be tanned, cured, or cared for. Leather-working was another favorite of his, and he enjoyed the rare moments when there was enough leather for him to use scraps to make decorative pieces to be worn. Zeke and Kosh were often busy making sure weapons and tools were properly cared for, and repairing any damaged pieces, as well as helping with any tents needing to be moved or repaired.
Mako was down at the river, filling a large animal skin with water when movement caught his attention across the river. The tree-line ended on the north side, the camp's side, of the river, but just to the south was flat, grassy plains, and Mako could see someone running through the tall grass right towards him. His eyesight wasn't anything special, but he recognized the long blond hair atop a dark brown frame; it was Tarn, one of their scouts. Tarn was one of a couple scouts that would patrol a few miles off in the distance to keep an eye out for anything that could pose a potential danger to the tribe. If he was heading back to the camp this early in the day, then something was going on.
Mako closed the skin and dropped it on the bank of the river, too heavy to run with it, and bolted back towards camp, heart and mind racing with the possibilities of what could cause a scout to return. In the years he'd been alive they'd never been at war with another tribe, and the last time he'd seen another tribe was when he was three, and that was nothing but a distant memory. It couldn't be a brush fire; there'd been no storms, and a fire approaching from across the river wouldn't be of any danger to them. The otter found his father almost immediately, the large wolf helping erect a bigger tent for one of the couples expecting a child soon. "D-dad! There's..." the otter stopped for a moment to catch his breath, shaking his head. "Tarn is running back to camp. I saw him from across the river," he huffed out, standing up and taking a deep breath.
There was only a brief moment of worry on the wolf's face, though other nearby members who heard showed considerably more stress on their features. "Show me," he said firmly, carefully putting his work aside and beckoning to a few others to follow as well.
The three men followed Mako back out of the camp and towards where he'd left his water skin, jogging most of the way to get there sooner. When they arrived at the bank of the river, they could see Tarn almost at the water's edge. This was the shortest spot to cross for some ways, and he waved in acknowledgment at the four members before diving into the water, swimming perpendicular to the current and managing not to get swept away. It still took a couple minutes to cross, and Garis helped pull the horse from the water. He only had a quiver of arrows, a knife, and bow strapped to him, and Mako's eyes flicked over the heavy sheath that hung there, his face going bright red. Tarn's blond hair was messy and hung wetly over the back of his head and neck, but that was the least of anyone's concern now.
"What's going on? Why do you return?" Garis asked.
Mako would have needed a few minutes to catch his breath if he'd run from as far out as the horse had been, but Tarn hardly seemed to notice. "Chief, there's a tribe moving towards us coming from the south. At their pace they'll be at the edge of this river by sunset. I couldn't get much of a count, but it looked to be nearly four hundred," he said, trying to hide the worry from his voice; a tribe of that size, if at all motivated, could likely wipe out their own.
Meng and Fagan, the two that accompanied Garis looked worried and were about to speak when the wolf raised a paw to silence them. "They're heading in this direction? Towards out camp?" he asked, just to make certain.
Tarn frowned and nodded slowly. "Yes, Chief. Maybe a little at an angle, but yes, in this area. I don't know if they plan on crossing, but this is the shortest spot to do so, so it's likely they'd find our camp," he said.
Garis sighed and looked across the river at the grassy plains. The camp wasn't visible from across the river unless you knew specifically what to look for, but if you crossed the river, you'd have a much better chance seeing it through the trees less than half a mile off. "Did you see anyone scouting ahead for them?"
"Yes, Chief. Three scouts, one in front, and to each side," Tarn said.
"Good. I'd like to ask for you to deliver a message to the scouts for me. If you say no, I'll completely understand," the wolf said, bowing his head respectfully. With new tribes, there was always the possibility that they would be uninterested in any talk or trade, and would kill any foreigner on site.
Tarn thought about it for only a second before shaking his head. "I will deliver your message, Chief," he said, bowing his own head to the wolf.
Garis removed his large, bone necklace that went down his chest and handed it to Tarn. "Tell them that the Chief of the Ormus tribe sends this as a gift of peace, and would like to meet with him when the tribe nears the river."
Tarn nodded and took the necklace, tucking it into a pouch on his arrow's quiver were it would stay secured while he swam. "Is there anything else?"
"That's all, Garis said, nodding.
And with that, Tarn dove back into the water, crossing to the other side, before taking off at a fast jog towards where the tribe was. They all watched him go, none speaking until he was nearly out of site. Fagan, a caribou in his mid forties, just looked at Garis, frowning and then back across the river. "Do you think it's wise for him to deliver the message?"
"Or for you to meet with their Chief?" Meng added. Meng was a short, stout tiger with white stripes instead of black, and he was a few years younger than Garis. "He might agree to meet just to kill you as a declaration of war."
Garis sighed and beckoned for the others to follow as he started back towards camp. "I have to at least extend the offer," he explained. "To not do so would show hesitation, weakness, a lack of confidence. By asking for a meeting up front, we tell them that we have nothing to fear. By offering gifts of peace, we show we have no hostile intentions, either,"
Mako listened silently as the others spoke, picking up his water skin and hefting it onto his back before following behind. Another tribe moving towards their own? It had been a long time since he, or any of the others, had seen another tribe. He knew how dangerous it could be, and that the numbers alone would put their tribe at a disadvantage. Hopefully his father's show of peace would do them good.
When Garis returned to the camp word of the approaching tribe spread like wildfire. There was mild panic among some of the members, but Garis assured them that things would be fine if they could be prepared. Everyone began working together to make sure that there would be enough prepared food to share with some of the tribe, another sign of their good nature and generosity. All the same, weapons were made readily available for everyone at a moment's notice, just in case there was no choice. Garis took great care in cleaning and donning his best and most extravagant ceremonial attire.
There was a canoe sheltered near the river in case people needed to cross with items they couldn't carry through the current, and Garis went down to the river with four from the tribe; Meng, Fagan, and his two older sons. They were equipped with bows, staves, and stone daggers, dressed in their simple loincloths, but adorned with bone necklaces and face paints. Mako's insides were in a knot as he watched most of his family leave to await the arrival of the other tribe. It was nearing dusk, and from this side of the river he couldn't make out the approach of the other tribe, but they'd be within range soon. There wasn't much left for those at the camp to do except wait at this point.
Mako was sitting on the edge of the river, feet dangling in the cool water as he kept his eyes out for any movement in the dying light. He was worried for his brothers and father. What if they never returned? What if the other tribe attacked? Would anyone survive? Would they be taken prisoner?
He was so lost in thought, as he often was, that he never noticed his mother walking up behind him. "You're worried, aren't you?" Chang asked.
The younger otter nearly fell into the water as he let out a surprised squeak. HE looked up to see his mother standing there, smiling softly.
She lowered herself to the ground next to him and dipped her feet into the water. She was dressed in a knee-length dress of soft, black leather adorned with fringe along the waist and hem. "They'll be alright. They'll come home," she said quietly, looking across the river into the darkness.
Mako didn't say anything for a few minutes before he looked back up to her. "How can you be certain?" he asked, his voice cracked and dry from not speaking in a few hours.
"Garis is a strong, intelligent man. He's very wise, and I don't believe he'd do this if he believed that he would be in any harm, much less your brothers. I trust him; don't you?" she asked, looking back at Mako, observing him.
The younger otter frowned and looked down at his paws, considering the question. "Yes. I do," he said.
"Then why have you been so withdrawn? So careful? You have acted like you're afraid he's going to lash out at you." Chang looked back across the water, sighing softly and shaking her head.
"I..." Mako started to say, his chest tightening as he tried to overcome his apprehension. "I'm worried about my Ascension. I don't want to go on the hunt," he said, breath caught in his throat and his nerves making him shiver at the admission.
Chang looked at her son and smiled warmly, nodding her head. "I know," she said.
"You do?" Mako said, looking startled.
"Of course. Do you think parents don't know their own children? We raised you!" she said.
Mako frowned and chewed on his tongue. "Does that mean... does dad know?"
Chang chuckled and pat her son's leg. "Of course he knows. You've never shown much interest in the hunts, and took more towards your crafts than training with weapons," she said.
The young otter grimaced and hugged himself close with both paws, feeling particularly insecure. "Is he disappointed?"
Chang frowned a little and looked back to the water. "A little. It hurts him to know that his own son is too afraid to tell him the trouble he's having,"
"No, I meant about the hunt," Mako said.
"Were you not listening, child?" she asked softly, bringing her paw up to rest on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "What do you think? If he's disappointed that you can't talk to him, what do you think?"
Mako ground his teeth together, kicking his feet in the water a couple times, careful not to splash or make any noise. "That... maybe he is. Because I'm not like Zeke or Kosh. I don't want to go hunting, or fight or train," he said, a few tears welling in the corner of his eyes.
Chang laughed and rest her arm over Mako's shoulders, pulling him into a sideways hug. "Thank the spirits you're pretty, because they didn't bless you with wits, did they," she teased. "You are you. You are not Zeke or Kosh. Your father loves who you are and wouldn't want to push you into a life not suited for you. Above anything, he wants you to be happy,"
Mako sniffed a bit, wiping some tears from his face as he leaned back up from his mother's side. "Then why hasn't he said that?"
"He did tell you that! You don't listen. You worry. He also wants you to become confident enough to tell him what's bothering you, to face him, and admit things to him like you just did to me," she said, sighing and shaking her head, standing up from the edge of the river.
Mako sat there quietly, looking down at the water and thinking over those words. She was right, of course. He'd been too busy worrying about potential outcomes that he hadn't paid attention to how those in his life really treated him. His father had never been unsupportive or uncaring, why would his Ascension be any different?
"Do you want to come back to the camp while we wait?" Chang asked, turning to leave.
Mako shook his head and looked back up across the river at the darkness. "No, I think I'm going to sit here awhile... just wait and think," he said.
Chang nodded and reached down to squeeze his shoulder before walking back off to the camp.
