A deep, almost deathly silence hung over the camp, broken only by the rustle of wind against the hide shelters. The vast majority of the able-bodied villagers had ventured deep into the valley - some tracking game with the hunting party, others combing the thickets in search of edible fruits and fibrous plants.
It wasn't until they reached the very edge of the tribal grounds, right in the cool shadow of a steep rock face, that Elizabeth and Valeria spotted a small group of children.
Smeared from head to toe in gray muck, the little ones were carelessly rolling in the mud, wrestling on the packed earth, and squealing loudly with joy as they splashed through puddles.
“Who are these kids?” Elizabeth asked, her lips slightly parted as she watched their genuine, grimy smiles.
“They're orphans… None of the adults take personal care of them because their parents were killed by the Green Snake Tribe,” Valeria answered quietly. An incredibly complex, painful expression washed over her face.
She typically gave this part of the camp a wide berth. The sight of these little ones left to the mercy of fate always brought a sharp pang to her heart, and as a mere recruit, she felt utterly powerless to tangibly change their harsh destiny.
“And what about their daily meals? What do they even eat to survive?” Elizabeth furrowed her brow deeply, looking closer at their thin shoulders.
“The entire Tribe collectively rations out basic food portions for them, mostly dried fruits. If any of them show sufficient physical potential, once they turn fourteen, a Totem Warrior will take them under their wing. They'll teach them how to properly train and temper their body, and start feeding them massive quantities of fresh beast meat to drastically boost their vitality, which eventually allows them to awaken their dormant Totem,” Valeria explained calmly.
“And what happens to those who show absolutely no combat talent?” Elizabeth pressed, her expression softening slightly in relief that orphans weren't entirely abandoned to starvation in this harsh world.
Having grown up in an earthly orphanage herself, she intimately understood their plight. In her heart, she resolved that the moment the stores permitted, she would make improving the living conditions of these little ones a priority - after all, these children were the very future of the clan.
“Children lacking talent simply perform all the essential camp chores: they gather edible fruits, help pitch and patch tents, and tan and soften animal hides…” Valeria recited matter-of-factly.
“You made your own clothes too, right?” Elizabeth asked with genuine interest, looking over her well-fitted outfit.
“This outfit I'm wearing right now - I sewed and tailored it entirely with my own two hands,” Valeria replied proudly, lifting her chin slightly as if it were the most obvious thing under the sun.
Taking advantage of the moment, she stealthily sized up the blonde standing beside her, cementing her previous assumption even further in her mind:
Our new Sharu absolutely must hail from an unimaginably powerful, wealthy tribe…
Otherwise, how could she have no idea about such elementary daily tasks?
“Why are you looking at me so strangely again? Do I have something on my face?” Elizabeth touched her smooth cheek with a smile, catching the girl's scrutinizing gaze.
“No, not at all! There's nothing there!” A flustered Valeria quickly masked the fact that she had been caught staring. She hurriedly changed the subject, pointing to the nearby shelters: “Sharu, let's go this way. My friend works in that large tent over there.”
After a dozen paces, the two arrived before a tipi standing five or six meters tall, expertly constructed from gray, black, and dark brown hides stitched together with thick forest vines.
“Li - ” Valeria opened her mouth to call out to the girl at the top of her lungs.
“Wait, don't call her just yet,” Elizabeth quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, silencing her with a gesture before asking in a whisper: “Is she in there completely alone?”
“No, she lives there together with several other women, and the tent itself serves as their main workspace during the day,” Valeria answered, somewhat bewildered by the Sharu's caution.
“Alright. Before I speak with her, I want to observe your friend secretly from hiding to gauge if she truly has the right temperament to become my personal Priestess,” Elizabeth explained quietly.
The matter was crucial to her. The person appointed as her closest assistant would inevitably come into contact with many of her deepest secrets, including the magical items regularly materialized by the daily Draw System.
Even seemingly insignificant character traits, manners, discretion, and innate diligence had to be carefully vetted to ensure she didn't appoint someone reckless or talkative to such a strategic position.
“I understand. That makes sense.” Valeria hesitated for a moment before obediently nodding her horned head and stepping back.
Elizabeth approached the entrance soundlessly. She carefully lifted the edge of the heavy leather flap and peered through the narrow slit into the interior, which was illuminated by thin shafts of light.
Inside, three figures were focused intently on their tasks. A petite, young girl with a look of intense concentration was meticulously stitching two pieces of thick animal hide together with a bone needle. Across from her sat two older women, roughly thirty years old, expertly braiding long, sturdy ropes from dried grass.
Elizabeth focused her observation on the young girl.
Looking closely, she discovered that the girl had a pair of long, snow-white ears with pinkish interiors sprouting from her head, which twitched energetically with her every movement - rabbit ears.
Elizabeth instantly realized she was dealing with a rabbit-eared beast-kin.
Naturally, whenever a few women gathered and boredom set in, they gossiped about trivial matters.
“Lily, why don't you go live with Team Leader Riven? You're suffering, having to squeeze in here with us,” one of the older women spoke up.
“Yeah, the new Sharu is so young. You're the niece of the hunting party commander. You definitely have a shot at serving the Sharu, especially since, from what I've heard, our new Sharu is a Luna,” the second woman chimed in.
“No way, my aunt is pregnant and needs her rest. If I was sitting around in there, Uncle wouldn't be able to focus on pleasing her at night!” Lily shot back with a wide, cheeky grin, winking conspiratorially. “Besides, it's way more fun in here with you two!”
“You are truly impossible… and too good to others. Commander Riven is a Totem Warrior, yet you still prefer to set aside the best cuts of meat for them instead of eating your fill,” the older woman said, shaking her head disapprovingly, though her voice was laced with warmth.
“Well, duh! Auntie's little belly needs to be full so the little warrior grows up strong and firm!” Lily beamed, energetically pulling a vine through the hide.
“My wife passed away too soon… Otherwise, she could have become a Totem Warrior, and we wouldn't be lacking meat to eat,” the second woman sighed suddenly, and the atmosphere instantly turned somber.
Both older women fell into their own heavy thoughts.
Lily had no intention of letting sorrow take over the tent. She quickly finished her stitch, gracefully set the hide aside, and sprang to her feet. Stretching her waist, she unabashedly thrust her large bust toward her brooding companions.
“Oh, come on, aunties! It's time to find some new, strong men from the hunting party! I can talk to Uncle so we can take our pick of the most well-built ones!” she cackled loudly, her rabbit ears twitching playfully.
The women instantly flushed red, nearly choking on the air.
“Lily! By the spirits of the ancestors, shut your mouth already!” the older woman shouted, fanning her burning face with her hand.
At that exact moment, Lily raised her head and met a pair of blue eyes peering at her through the slit in the tent flap. Instead of being startled, her pink eyes flashed with wild curiosity, and the corners of her mouth curled into a sultry, mischievous smirk.
“Oho, and who is that peering at us so shamelessly? Some naughty brat came to take a peek?” she called out loudly and provocatively, proudly straightening her long rabbit ears and taking a step toward the exit.
“What?” The other two women turned around in alarm, but all they saw was the entrance flap swaying slightly.
“Someone ran off! What a shame, I could have invited them inside and seen what they're capable of,” Lily giggled, licking her lips without a care in the world.
“You truly have absolutely no shame, girl!” the older woman groaned, clutching her forehead.
“Well, our Lily is eighteen, and such a brazen beast that no husband or Luna in the village will be able to handle her,” the second woman joked, still trying to cool the blush from Lily's earlier teasing.
“Let them try! They'll be the ones running out of the tent squealing, not me!” Lily retorted resolutely, laughing musically as she returned to her sewing.