-230- Avarosa

////Sorry for late...just got home... really busy day...imma sleep now....////

"In the summer, we need to catch more fish, hunt more game, and raise more livestock, so that when winter comes, we can rest more, as Warmother said."

In the midst of the icy wilderness, wearing only thin clothes, wielding a short axe for logging, Casitoya swung heavily, chopping five times before finally felling the tree. After felling twenty trees in a row, tired Casitoya whistled to invigorate himself.

These days, Casitoya couldn't eat enough; there was a shortage of food in the tribe, and the grain was first given to the elderly and children. But strong adults like Casitoya were usually the main ones to eat their fill in any tribe in Freljord because, in this icy wilderness, as a iceborn, Casitoya was a powerful warrior and a competent hunter.

Food should be given first to those capable, not to the elderly and children who cannot contribute much.

But it wasn't the case in Avarosan.

This made Casitoya both distressed and proud. Distressed because the children and elderly, even if fed, couldn't do much, proud because Avarosan's Warmother was indeed as kind and great as rumored.

Self-restraint, wisdom, and dedication to ideals made countless other weak tribes willing to submit to her.

Now, Avarosan had become the most powerful tribe in the vicinity.

Of course, in Casitoya's view, she wasn't a qualified leader. A qualified leader knew who should receive food, but she, like a hero from myth, brought sustenance and hope to the people.

Sometimes, just filling one's stomach wasn't enough; her strength lay in bringing hope to the tribe.

All of Avarosan believed she would unite Freljord and end this long-standing conflict.

Casitoya rested for a while, thinking about drinking delicious fish soup at night. If he was lucky, he might even get some meat. With this in mind, Casitoya rallied and lifted his axe.

He and his tribe had only recently joined Avarosan, although Casitoya's tribe wasn't weak; they had a total of seventeen powerful warriors. However, because they had just joined Avarosan, Casitoya's tribe hadn't been heavily relied upon. But he thought those days would soon pass.

Because his former Warmother, the leader he respected, was now close to Avarosan. Soon, Casitoya believed he would abandon logging and join the hunting team, becoming a warrior for Avarosan.

"Hey, what tribe are you originally from?"

After a while, a woman walked up to Casitoya, looking at the pile of trees not far from him, amazed. "You're really strong."

"Silesus." Casitoya looked at the girl who handed him the water jug and smiled.

Such things could only happen in Avarosan. They didn't know each other before, but as the Warmother said, now they were family.

"I know your tribe," the girl said, surprised, then looked at Casitoya's thin clothes. Her surprise turned into envy as she wrapped her thick clothes around herself and said, "You're all powerful warriors."

"Thank you." Casitoya took a big sip of water and handed the leather water jug back to the girl.

"You're welcome, but you have to be careful."

After putting away the water jug in her bag, which was full of water jugs, she looked at the distant iceberg and said, "Warmother asked me to tell you not to wander too far when logging, stay near the tribe."

Casitoya nodded, understanding the reason. The girl exhaled warm air and continued, "Summer is here, and the Winter's Claw people are heading south again. They're very dangerous. If they find you, you might be killed, or at best, captured."

"I know them; we've had a fight with them."

"Really?"

She looked incredulous, which made Casitoya, who cared about his image, uncomfortable. He quickly said seriously, "Really, I've even seen the Warmother of Winter's Claw myself."

"I heard she's a woman who rides a divine beast."

"Nonsense, she rides a drüvask, just like any other Winter's Claw, only the one she rides is twice as big as the usual drüvask."

Listening to Casitoya's words, the girl swallowed nervously, her eyes filled with fear as she said, "Drüvasks are already big; if they're twice as big as others... My goodness, wouldn't they be as massive as mammoths? How big are those drüvasks?"

Seeing the girl frightened by his words, Casitoya said again, "You guessed right; that drüvask is as massive as a mammoth. So even if four or five warriors join forces, they can't stop it."

"How did you survive then?"

Casitoya hesitated for a moment, then closed his mouth.

When he spoke again, Casitoya said devoutly, "It was the Warmother, she saved us."

"Which Warmother?"

"Of course, it's Warmother Ashe." Casitoya rolled his eyes. "I'm Avarosan now too. Do we have any other Warmothers?"

The girl stuck out her tongue playfully. "Looks like you've integrated well into us."

The girl's gesture caught Casitoya off guard.

This could only be seen in Avarosan.

It was Ashe who brought hope to the people of the tribe.

"You continue logging; I'll go deliver water to other tribespeople." Seeing Casitoya staring blankly at her, the girl immediately said.

"Alright."

Just then.

"Woo-woo!"

"Woo-woo!!"

"Woo-woo!!!"

The horns sounded, startling both Casitoya and the girl.

"Quick, quick, we need to go back!" Casitoya didn't know what was happening yet, but he saw the girl reach out and grab him.

"What's happening?"

"Three consecutive horn blows, that means enemies are coming!" The girl said anxiously.

Avarosan was the strongest tribe in the vicinity, with enough food despite its large population. The strength of Avarosan was undeniable.

And the only tribe that could threaten Avarosan in the vicinity was—Winter's Claw.

Soon, Casitoya's speculation was confirmed.

First, a woman riding a pure white wolf appeared. She had beautiful white hair, deep blue eyes that were as sharp as an eagle's, showing both kindness and determination.

She carried a huge true Ice Bow on her back. Despite the icy wilderness of Freljord, she was dressed very lightly, her blue cloak fluttering in the snow, giving her an elegant look.

After she appeared, the temperature seemed to drop even further.

Although she was not old, she had a convincing demeanor.

She was the Warmother of Avarosan, the hero reborn from legends.

"It's the Warmother!" The girl next to Casitoya exclaimed excitedly.

"Quickly, back to the tribe!"

"Winter's Claw is coming, all civilians, return to the tribe!"

A large black wolf appeared in front of Casitoya, carrying a strong warrior wielding a brass and iron battle-axe. He was shouting loudly—this was a typical Ebrataal tribe member, and the Ebrataal people were the first to follow the Warmother because she didn't treat them as slaves but as members of the tribe, earning their loyalty.

They supported her, believed in her.

She didn't just obtain weapons from Avarosa; she was Avarosa—Ebrataal people believed she could unify Freljord, and they would be her best weapon.

They, riding wolves, quickly disappeared in front of Casitoya.

"Let's go quickly. The Warmother is buying us time; she will protect us."

A group of warriors wearing leather armor appeared, following the wolf riders.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Casitoya, wearing thin clothes, picked up his short axe and suddenly rushed forward, joining the marching troops.

Turning back, Casitoya said loudly, "You should go back quickly. He said all civilians should return to the tribe."

Turning around, Casitoya firmly followed Avarosan and his tribe.

The girl also heard his words.

"I'm not a civilian; I'm a iceborn, I'm a warrior of Avarosan."

"I will fight alongside our Warmother."