Two settlements, one tribe.

"Filter the ashes well, the boar hair brushes are so thick they could only ruin it by being very clumsy."

Blake watched as the women filtered the liquid using sticks with boar hairs as a filter.

"Now boil it and put in the fat you removed from the meat over the last few days, plus the pine leaves."

In a pot they placed the filtered liquid to boil for a couple of hours, adding the animal fat and other aromatic ingredients, whisking with a spoon.

"Now it's ready, put it away in the boxes."

Finally, the women stored the final product, which looked like a viscous black liquid, in small carved chests that Blake had prepared beforehand.

"Well done, you've mastered the proper way to make soap, next time I won't supervise you and will just watch the final product. You can split 3 chicken eggs each as a prize."

The women looked happy at Blake's words, but Blake only gave them a few minutes to rest before continuing with his teaching.

What they had just made was in question, wood ash soap, made by using the fat from the animals the hunters brought in and the wood ash with which he made lye.

It was the cooks who were in charge of making this soap and distributing it to the workshop.

In the first settlement, the soap was already distributed to the whole tribe, and they knew how to use it, but it was very early for this place, so the soap was only used in the kitchen and the workshop.

It was a very important product, as was glue, which the cooks also took care of. This is why Blake held the cooks in such high esteem, demanding that they learn everything he taught them with the utmost care.

"We cannot make mistakes, since we serve food to the whole tribe, the slightest mistake can cause the whole tribe to fall ill, causing death and irreparable damage."

It had been 3 months since Blake had begun work on the second settlement of the black axe tribe.

Many of the huts had been built, thanks to the efforts of the tribe's warriors, who knew more or less what to do. And Blake worked every night making regalia, as well as teaching in a newly built workshop so that a portion of the population of the second settlement already had complete houses and regalia.

Blake would have liked to build strong buildings for the workshop, kitchen, and stores, but the labor force at his disposal did not have the skills to follow his orders, and these buildings would be very unsafe, so the workshop, kitchen, and stores had been built like huts, only larger, where a large number of people could work.

"Remember, always before handling food, you should dissolve a little soap in a bowl of water, and all, without exception, wash your hands and face. You should also wash your whole body every 3 days and wash your clothes, to avoid carrying dirt on you while in the kitchen."

Blake realized it was already getting dark, so he left the kitchen, walking towards the fortress where several men had ropes tied to a wooden sculpture, ready to lift it.

"You're just in time Blake, do you want to do the honors?"

Blake looked up at Benton, who with a smile pointed to the large wooden sculpture.

Blake had carved a large oak trunk, turning it into a totem pole of sorts.

On the totem pole were carved the faces and names of all those who died in the battle of the outpost fortress. At the top of the trunk, he carved a replica of his father's black axe, which was the symbol of the tribe.

This would be a reminder to all about this battle.

"Okay, start pulling!"

The huge stride was placed in a hole a couple of meters deep, which was then covered with rocks and sand, to be followed by compacted, leaving the totem in full view of everyone.

"YEEAA!"

"IT LOOKS GREAT!"

"THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE OUR BROTHERS, BLAKE REMEMBERS THEM ALL!"

All the warriors of the tribe who participated in the battle and survived began to shout with excitement seeing the great sculpture. Some pulled out Wineskin they had in storage and began to drink, having a party, singing as they mourned for the fallen.

Blake nodded, as this was the reaction he had hoped for when he decided to make this memorial. He wanted his warriors to leave the last spark of resentment for this battle, to be remembered as a glorious moment.

"Bring the wine and meat from my storehouse, let's feast for the rest of the day!"

"YEEEAAHH!!!"

The men in the fortress shouted.

The second settlement of the tribe was not prepared to feast all of its inhabitants, so the memorial had been placed inside the fortress, and the celebration was limited to all those who participated in the battle as defenders, a couple of dozen of the 150 warriors Blake brought as reinforcements, and the people who had the most authority among the group of newcomers to the tribe.

Blake was thankful that his father Oswin had to stay behind at the first tribal settlement while he was gone, for had Oswin been present, the feast would surely have been much larger.

"Drink old Ham, I owe you more than one life!!!"

Blake watched as Zafar, the son of Ham, made old Ham drink a whole skin of wine while all the other warriors shouted and cheered. Most of them were already drunk.

Zafar was a tall, burly man, he was Cam's first son he had when he was just 13 years old, and Osha's older brother, so Zafar was quite a man by this point. He wore a big black beard, which along with his long hair made him look like a mighty warrior, which was no cover, Zafar was one of the best warriors in the tribe.

"Next time they will think twice before coming for our fortress!"

The warriors began to shout words of pride, but Blake didn't want them to be too arrogant, as there were several men and women present who had lost their sons in that battle, and the reason he did this celebration was to unite both villages.

Blake walked to the center of the fortress, jumping nimbly onto one of the tables, beginning to sing, taking everyone's attention.

"I see a hall standing there, more beautiful than sunlight,

Thatched with gold.

There bold men will dwell

Enjoy cheer throughout their lives.

***

There bold men will dwell dwell

Enjoy cheer throughout their lives.

***

Enjoy cheer

Enjoy cheer

Enjoy cheer

***

There bold men will dwell

Enjoy cheer throughout their lives."

Blake encouraged the celebration, raising his arms as they chanted, causing the warriors to repeat his chant.

"THERE BOLD MEN WILL DWELL DWELL!!!"

"ENJOY CHEER THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES."

Quickly the fortress came alive again, and everyone sang, drinking and eating, remembering and honoring the dead.

"!!!!!!"

All were silent when a horn sounded from the south.

But they quickly reacted, for that horn meant a visit from a friend of the tribe.

"There's a caravan coming from the south, it's about 30 men!"

The observer shouted from one of the watchtowers.

"Continue the celebration, Cam, Wymond, come with me!"

Blake stopped singing, stepping down from the table and walking toward the door to greet the caravan.

The only ones who could come from the south were members of the tribe's first settlement.

Blake estimated that the caravan he requested should arrive tomorrow, so they had been rushed for some reason.

After a few minutes, they were close enough for Blake to frown as he noticed something.

"BLAKE!!!!"

A girl ran out of the caravan the moment she saw him, and Blake bent down to greet her with a hug.

"What are you doing here? You can't still be here."

Blake scolded the girl with a frown, his heart had felt somewhat relaxed since seeing her, but reason told him he should question her in case something had happened in the tribe.

"It was my fault, she got into one of the wagons when no one was watching out, showing herself when we already had a day's ride. I tried to return her, but she refused, so I could only send some of the warriors to break the news that she was with us."

Meha scratched her head explaining what had happened. Blake had sent her along with Sagara and several warriors to bring news to Oswin about the progress of the second settlement. Also to bring back some things Blake needed.

"Blake wouldn't come back, a long time passed and he wouldn't come back, and no one in the tribe would let me go with Blake!"

Ygritte, annoyed, began to scream still clinging to her brother's hip.

Blake sighed because now it would be impossible to send Ygritte back alone.

"Did you bring everything you needed?"

Blake decided to ignore Ygritte for now, talking to Meha.

"Oswin also sent a lot of meat and spices, he said the tribe's stores are overflowing and you would need it more."

Blake nodded, though smaller in numbers, the first settlement was very efficient, so he would put those resources to more use here.

"Leave the stuff in my warehouse, I'll deal with it later, come to the fortress to celebrate later."

Blake, Cam, Wymond, and an excited Ygritte who was seeing all the new stuff, returned to the celebration, earning a shout full of cheers as they crossed the gate of the fortress.

"Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!"

Everyone inside began to shout, and Ygritte, thinking they meant her, jumped up onto the table singing one of the songs Blake had taught her. Something she did constantly at tribal feasts and celebrations.

Blake watched the whole scene with a peaceful heart, he had thrown the party with ulterior motives, but they were having fun.

***********************************

Hi, today I made some updates to the glossary, for anyone interested in the inspirations and the form that some of the things I mention in the novel take.

If you have questions about how something works, or what something looks like, feel free to leave them in the comments, I'll be able to answer them in the next chapters, or when I update the glossaries again.

I've read a couple of complaints that I'm creating too many characters, and that I'm leaving canon characters aside, I want to tell those people that I often mention canon characters, but with some subtleties. An example of a canon character that I mentioned, happened recently with the deserter, that character that took a good part of the attention of the chapter was Rattleshirt, only that in this point of the story he still doesn't have his complete bone armor, the same with Zafar, who is Osha's brother, or by the gods Oswin himself, that I already mentioned his origins in the glossary. I hope you like the chapter, I'll be reading it in the comments <3.

Glossary of characters: https://mega.nz/file/eeZmkYaQ#F-28_Q8OYxyagOw3DbMFxBAyvOPEeVvNrxaUHo9cCIo

Glossary of articles: https://mega.nz/file/GWY0WbwZ#dLepILZ5YyPzOznapf09l2J6G8EJ8kh9RQQzq8S9Snc