Am Bush?

Luca was currently walking beside Sarr'ina while leading a small group of people all carrying pots filled with salt. His bearskin was draped over his back and he already had his bow ready of fire at any threat that may come close. His stone sound was sitting in a makeshift scabbard made of boiled leather.

There were a few reasons why they'd been sent instead of anyone else. The primary one was that they were competent fighters and would be able to defend the group against animals or possible ambushes.

The second was the main one however, they were tasked with negotiating with the Olmnar tribe after Luca had suggested doing so to Sarr'vuln... He'd suggested that they make a sort of exclusivity contract with the Olmnar so the Sua'jiki would be the only people selling them salt.

In return, the Sua'jiki would grant the best prices for salt they could give. Of course, this wouldn't exclude any other tribes frm trading with the Gutizia in Olmnar territory, it was simply just for the tribesman itself.

The Olmnar were actually one of the biggest purchasers of salt due to the great amounts of food they produce. Fish didn't usually keep that long, so they'd dry them in brine to last longer. This was exceptionally more important when winter neared, as most other food sources wouldn't be available.

It honestly isn't strange when people in other tribes starve to death in the winter. Most weren't as good at hunting as the Sua'jiki were, and instead relied on foraging and small amounts of primitive farming.

The food the Olmnar trades at those times is usually the only thing stopping a few smaller tribes from dying out completely. As such, if they made an exclusivity agreement wit the Sua'jiki the profits would be astronomical.

Sarr'vuln made sure to send Luca and Sarr'ina as they had a better relationship with Jubba the Shack than most. The man seemingly trying to make up for being unable to help when the Gutizia persecuted them.

Of course, Sarr'bal was also with them. The loveable white giant dutifully trotting next to Sarr'ina. Though, the duo stop when the wolf's ears perk up and his nose raise up in the air. Luca, being incredibly paranoid after sabotaging the Gutizia tribe's salt immediately drops into a low crouch and draws an arrow.

Sarr'bal had the best nose out of everyone, and if the wolf smelt something and didn't immediately sprint after it. It meant that whatever he found wasn't prey.

The rest of the group noticing Luca's 'strange' actions fall back while looking around in alert. Placing their pots of salt on the ground and drawing flint knives and other weapons.

Sarr'ina is the first one to notice someone however, she points her bow into a shadow treeline and shouts, "Come out! We know you are there!"

...

No one reveals themself at first, but after some sort of staring contest between them and Sarr'ina, a lone man steps out of the darkness with their hands held up placatingly. "Peace be, priestess." he drawls, Luca wanting nothing more than to shoot him in the face from his voice alone.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in Sua'jiki territory?!" she asks, the threat of violence clear in her tone.

"No... Me and my friends were just taking a look around." he says, a wide grin forming on his face.

"Friends?" Luca whispers before his eyes widen, he throws himself at Sarr'ina as an arrow passes by where her throat had previously been. More arrows fly at the group, killing a few tribesmen. Some are crippled instead of killed, but they'd still not be of any use in battle.

Luca looks up at the grinning man and lunges at him with his stone blade. The man tries to back away and draw a flint knife, but isn't fast enough to avoid getting his arm cut. The stone blade slices deeply and most likely severs some tendons in his arm causing blood to spurt out in small sprays.

They fall to the ground with a scream, doing their best to apply pressure to their wound so they don't bleed out... Luca is tempted to finish him off, but his mind rejects that thought before he can actualise it...

He glances backwards at Sarr'ina and spots her already firing into the treeline at the seemingly invisible ambushers. Luca grabs his dropped bow and joins her, the remaining Sua'jiki tribesman charges into the treeline after sniffing some white powder.

Screams emit from around the clearing, but none belong to Sua'jiki tribesman... Any who were injured focussed on patching their wounds until Sarr'ina could help them. The still fighting tribesman not feeling any pain at all due to the substance they'd snorted.

Luca leaves Sarr'ina to try and help the injured and joins in the battle, spotting around twenty remaining enemies barely fighting off the Sua'jiki tribesman. He fires arrows at the few ambushers that wouldn't endanger his allies with friendly fire, most hitting none lethal areas like legs, shoulders, and arms. Once he runs out of arrows he charges in himself, his stone blade crippling or rendering his enemies unconscious as he sweeps through them.

By the time the fighting stops, half the Sua'jiki fighters had been killed or crippled despite their victory. Luca helps carry the injured to the clearing so Sarr'ina can use her magic to help them. Luca also tries to help, but he's only able to heal non-lethal wounds.

To be honest, Luca what somewhat ashamed with himself... His strange unwillingness to actually kill their attackers may have allowed more of his fellow tribesman to be injured. It wasn't like he actually cared if enemies died, but something about doing it with his own hand made his body lock up in revulsion.

Sure, he was indirectly responsible for many, many deaths, but... Looking a man in the eyes while gutting him like an animal? He didn't think he'd be able to force himself to do that... Not yet at least.

After he'd used magic until exhaustion, he helps gather the enemy corpses into a big pile so it'd be easier to burn, Sarr'bal even helps up by dragging some corpses he'd 'created' by the neck as if it was a big stick he'd found. Though, before they could burn he decides to examine each and every one of them to find just who had attacked them.

They all seemed dressed in rags, but... There was something off about them. The rags looked too uniformed, as if they were designed to look this way. He rubs his temples, the only reason you'd design clothes that look like rags, is if you had no rags to use and made the rags for this purpose specifically.

Already, Luca could think of a tribe that met most requirements needed for this...

Motive? The Sua'jiki was stealing their business.

Means? The rags, and ambush indicate that they knew the Sua'jiki would be passing by... That or they'd been waiting in this area for weeks to ambush them.

Opportunity? What better way to discredit the Sua'jiki's trade than to sabotage a salt shipment. This shipment was especially important to display that an exclusivity deal with the Sua'jiki and Olmnar would be beneficial and reliable.

Everything points to the Gutizia being responsible... Of course, there was no proof other than these bodies. Even if they dragged them all to the Olmnar tribe and confronted the Gutizia, they'd just deny any connection and that'd be it.

Luca sighs, despite them all living in primitive tribes, justice was still relatively similar to how he remembers. Innocent until proven guilty, unless someone wishes to throw their weight around and seek their own justice.

Regardless, once everyone is patched up and the bodies are burned, they'd still be heading to the Olmnar tribe. The deal was too important to miss, plus, their injured and dishevelled states would only add authenticity to their words.