Confronting a Furious Elder

Suddenly, every tribesman was startled yet again.

Though the elder's arrow was shot past LaRee's side in order to target the intruder, the arrow still failed to reach its target. It was chopped in half before the arrow could offer any threat to Ayse.

LaRee stiffened his gaze while holding out his tomahawk. "I said don't shoot!"

"You can't order me!" the elder blurted without hesitation. "Only Chief LaRoe orders elders. Not you, boy! Step aside!"

"What are your terms!?"

That question didn't make much sense to the tribesmen. But the elder groaned before opening his mouth to reply.

Yet it was Ayse that answered first, shouting, "I need to lock my boat! And I keep my things!"

The elder was furious to hear the culprit speaking so frankly, readying another arrow. "How dare you–"

"I accept! Hurry, please!" LaRee replied with a yell, keeping his face on the elder instead of Ayse.

"Thanks," Ayse quickly replied while turning toward his ship.

Seeing the young but accomplished hunter treating the intruder so casually, the vintage warrior shouted with veins bulging from his neck, "I'm an elder! You can't defy me! LaRee! Spoiled boy!"

But LaRee didn't stand down at all. Instead, LaRee stepped closer to the elder. "My father is out cold. I'm in charge of my band, now. I made terms with the intruder. You dare tarnish our deal? You dare belittle the tribe's pride?"

All the while, Ayse leaped to the ladder rungs jutting from the side of the ship. In seconds, Ayse was back on deck, disappearing from view.

"You trust the intruder? After he hurt Chief?!" the elder blurted. He stepped closer to get in LaRee's face.

And LaRee stood strong. "Elder Kano, a deal was made. We honor the deal. Unless the intruder breaks the terms."

"Why? The culprit hurt Chief. And fell from the sky–"

Before Elder Kano could finish his sharing his reasoning, Ayse had already leaped back to the ground. Only, Ayse was no longer wearing his jacket. Without his coat, wearing only pants and boots, Ayse appeared to have no knives or weapons on his person.

"I'm unarmed!" Ayse yelled with his hands up for all to see. "I have nothing. Only my… wristband. I'm ready to go!"

When the elder pulled back his bowstring, LaRee shouted in reply, "Then we move out! To the village! Peacefully! Right? Elder Kano?"

At first, Elder Kano eyed LaRee while keeping his bow pointed at the intruder. But… the elder grunted and lowered his bow. "Fine! We move out!"

LaRee was about to heave a subtle sigh of relief.

Then, Elder Kano added, "With the intruder in binds!"

Squinting in frustration, LaRee leaned into the elder's face.

But Ayse stepped forward and extended his hands. "That's fine. But don't touch the wristband."

"MOVE!"

As Elder Kano took full command of the scene, the wolves howled and the hunters grunted in unison.

Still, LaRee wasn't done.

Elder Kano motioned for his wolf to come forward. He removed a strange grey cord from a pouch and waltzed up to the intruder with no fear.

But LaRee stepped in front of the elder, saying, "I made the deal. I'll bind him."

Chuckling, the elder willingly handed the cord over. "Very well. Hurry. Make it tight!"

LaRee begrudgingly took the cord. It was quickly but carefully wrapped around Ayse's wrists, with two meters of slack left over.

"Now tie it down," Elder Kano added with a smirk, patting the back of his wolf.

"Do it."

Shattering Elder Kano's smug demeanor, breaking LaRee's frustrated expression, Ayse stepped closer to the wolf. "Do it, LaRee. Tie it down."

Stuck between the scoffing elder and the compliant Ayse, LaRee sighed. He fastened the cord to the wolf without any further objections. Even though he was fearful of pushing Ayse too far.

"Hyah!"

Without waiting, Elder Kano kicked his wolf into gear.

All able-bodied wolves took off at top speed. Though, all three wolves were slowed by the extra cargo they now carried.

Both veteran hunters ran alongside the slowed wolves, coming in at the rear of the formation.

LaRee was also on foot. However, LaRee made it a point to keep up with Elder Kano, even if LaRee needed to push himself to make the full distance at such a pace.

Elder Kano chuckled. But not for long…

When the elder glanced back at his captive, it dashed away Elder Kano's amusement.

To the surprise of the tribesmen, Ayse was keeping up without trouble. Ayse was sweating. But his breathing was steady. His pace was unwavering. His stamina was tested and proven as more than adequate.

LaRee wasn't too surprised though. Not when LaRee had already estimated Ayse as stronger than himself.

That race to the village felt longer than anyone had anticipated. Because the awkward silence was unavoidable. Even when Elder Kano pushed his wolf to gradually pulled ahead of everyone else, trying to overwhelm his tied-down captive, the elder never found satisfaction. Not with Ayse keeping up regardless.

So LaRee kept quiet as he pushed to keep up as well. As if testing himself against Ayse, wanting a firm comparison of their abilities.

After twenty minutes of sprinting through the jungle, leaping through and over foliage, the wolves howled. Replying howls in the unseen distance rang out as well.

And Ayse was sweating with an excited grin plastered across his face. "... Glaciers?"

"Silence, intruder!" Elder Kano barked in fury. "One word, and I cut your tongue!"

"Those weren't the terms," Ayse instantly replied, never accepting the threat at face value.

"Silence!" the elder yelled, showing more bulging veins in his neck. "How dare you! Don't speak back. Only speak when questioned. Nothing more!"

Ayse kept quiet but chuckled all the same.

*It really is an ice age. That's amazing…* Ayse thought, ecstatic to feel the strangely chilling breeze while dashing through the dense jungle.

A few minutes later, they reached the end of the jungle. The group ran out of the trees and into vast, rocky plains. A few smaller glaciers littered those plains, either jutting out of the ground or coating clusters of boulders.

In the distance, a village of wooden huts lined the horizon.

There were a few short, simple towers forming a perimeter around the village. They were constructed with small logs, grey cords like the one around Ayse's wrists, and occasional bunches of dark brown clay.

As they got closer, Ayse noticed at least one archer stationed inside each tower. And all eyes were on him, trying to stare holes through Ayse's heart with malice alone.

A couple dozen meters past the towers stood the huts. They were built with small logs, a lot of sturdy clay, and enormous palm leaves from trees nowhere in sight.

Before any announcements were made, almost two hundred tribe folk stepped out of their homes. Everyone wanted to see the intruder that almost killed the tribe chief. But even more, all the tribe folk was eager to witness the capture of the man that fell from the sky.

"Ready the cage!" Those were the first words from Elder Kano since they arrived in the village. And his tone was filled with the highest form of displeasure.

"Those aren't the terms," LaRee shouted, running a little ways behind the elder.

"The terms say nothing of cages. The cage is allowed," Elder Kano reasoned.

As LaRee shut up again, Elder Kano finally came to a stop.

They were now in the middle of the village. In front of them stood a cage the size of a hut. Inside that cage, five thicker logs were jutting out of the ground with grey cords hanging from the top of the cage.

Elder Kano hopped off his wolf, turned to Ayse, and narrowed his gaze.

He longed to mock the captive, to belittle him for failing to keep up and slowing their march.

But Ayse was already recovering his breathing with controlled focus. He was unfazed by the workout. Though Ayse wished to make a joke, he kept it to himself with the elder's threats in mind. Then again, Ayse's subtle, compliant smile was more than enough to infuriate the proud elder.

"Come. Remain Silent!" Elder Kano barked.

After untying the cord from the wolf, the elder marched into the cage with Ayse in tow. They approached the centermost pole with the entire village watching.

Despite Ayse's silent smile, LaRee couldn't help but feel anxious.

There was no telling whether Ayse, a powerful stranger, would now offer any kind of help if necessary, in the case that Ayse wasn't lying to begin with. And it was impossible to guess when Ayse would break out in retaliation. Those worrisome thoughts were made worse by Elder Kano's treatment of Ayse.

Ptew…

Ayse blinked. He kept smiling. He ignored the spittle now dribbling down his cheek.

Elder Kano hid his frustration after failing to break the captive's compliant calmness. But he just scoffed again while tying Ayse's cord to the top of the pole. And Elder Kano made sure it was tied in a way to force Ayse onto his toes, ignoring the excess cord dangling from the knots.

"Intruder!" Elder Kano shouted at the top of his lungs, letting the entire village hear his announcement. "You harmed the chief! You killed the pack leader! You angered Sky God! The elders will discuss your crimes! And decide your punishments!"