Loren and Furzak had entered his home. The structure curved upward, leaning against the living trunk of an ancient tree; its walls were reinforced with layers of bark hardened by resin and woven root fibers. Light filtered through narrow openings near the ceiling, casting soft green patterns across the floor.

  In the center of the room, embers glowed faintly in a shallow stone basin. The air was filled with the scent of fermented fruit and dried leaves.

  Furzak poured a dark amber-colored drink from a carved gourd and divided it between two polished wooden cups. Without ceremony, he handed one to Loren.

  “You’ve come a long way,” Furzak said. “Drink.”

  Loren took the cup, examined its surface, and took a measured sip. The taste was sharp, slightly bitter.

  “You still make it the old way,” Loren said.

  Furzak gave a slight nod. “Old ways keep us standing.”

  Loren’s yellow eyes drifted toward the faint murmur of trade still audible outside.

  “The gardens look healthy,” Loren said. “Better than last season.”

  “They are,” Furzak replied. “We expanded the gardens on the eastern side. The young ones have learned the finer points of tending them. If the rains continue, we’ll have a surplus.”

  “Everyone will welcome a surplus,” Loren said calmly.

  Furzak looked at him more directly. “You mean the other tribes?”

  “Yes. The forest’s plants and fruits are diverse every tribe wants to trade for these goods.”

  Furzak’s expression remained unchanged, though inwardly he felt pride in his tribe.

  Loren carefully set his cup down on the ground.

  “Kame’Tire also had a strong season. Their stores of medicinal herbs have grown considerably.”

  “That’s a good thing. The Great Meadow’s medicinal herbs are needed by every tribe.”

  “Yes, that’s true. But they’re growing wealthy rather quickly, and they’re at odds with the Anurai. They’re not pleased about it at all.”

  “Are you saying they’re still pursuing a blood feud?”

  “Not openly… but the tension between them is obvious. The eastern clans know it. For now, they trade politely and stay out of the matter between them.”

  “I see. But that has nothing to do with us. We’re only a distant trade partner. Was that why you wanted to speak privately?”

  After a brief pause, Loren spoke what was on his mind.

  “On our way here, we saw a Nuxali scout. He was deep in the forest.”

  Furzak fell silent upon hearing this. A moment later, he asked:

  “How deep?”

  “We saw him near the Poisoned Mushrooms.”

  Furzak remained silent for a long time.

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  One of the embers in the stone basin collapsed slightly, its redness flaring for a brief moment before dimming again. In that silence, only the murmur of trade outside and the sharp cry of a distant bird could be heard.

  Furzak rotated his cup in his hand. His eyes were not on Loren, but fixed on the woven root fibers along the wall.

  “Recently…” he said slowly, weighing his words. “The gatherers we’ve been sending into the forest have run into them a few times as well.”

  Loren’s gaze sharpened, but he did not interrupt.

  “In the first two encounters, they only watched from a distance. There was no trouble. But the third time…” Furzak’s jaw tightened. “They injured a child.”

  The air inside the room grew heavy all at once.

  “The child nearly lost a leg.”

  Loren’s yellow eyes flashed. “How many were there?”

  “Just one.” Furzak’s voice hardened. “Since that day, I’ve assigned guards to accompany the gatherers. They go out in groups of five now. There hasn’t been another incident since.”

  Loren inclined his head slightly.

  “Then why do you think they’re moving this deep?” Loren asked.

  Furzak exhaled. The question had been gnawing at him for days.

  “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Their Queen is difficult to understand. The Nuxali have always been closed-off. They do not share their thoughts.”

  After a brief pause, he continued:

  “At first, we thought they couldn’t find prey in that part of the forest. We assumed they were migrating. But that wasn’t the case. There are still many animals they can hunt on their side of the forest.”

  Loren leaned forward slightly. “Then their movements are completely illogical… is that what you mean?”

  Furzak shook his head.

  “No. The Nuxali Queen is dangerously intelligent, I know that. I’m only saying we don’t yet know the reason behind their movements.”

  The embers crackled once more.

  The murmur outside continued.

  Then he slowly drank the last drop at the bottom of his cup and set it aside.

  “Furzak,” he said in a calm but weighty tone, “you are an experienced chieftain. Since you became leader, your village has only grown wealthier. Your people have never gone hungry under your leadership.

  On top of that, you’ve seen plagues. You’ve seen friction with neighboring tribes.”

  He turned his gaze directly toward him.

  “But you have never experienced war.”

  The words lingered in the air.

  Furzak’s expression did not change, but his eyes narrowed.

  “No,” he said. “I have never experienced war.”

  Loren gave a slight nod.

  “That is not a bad thing. Sometimes not seeing war is a blessing. But the Nuxali… are different. Their hunger constantly drives them toward war. They know how to survive. And most importantly, their Queen’s intelligence and her dominance over them turn them into a disciplined army.”

  “Never forget this, Furzak they are not mindless beasts. They are far more than that.”

  The embers crackled softly.

  “Sending a scout is not a coincidence. Injuring the child isn’t either. This is either a test of your borders… or something else, I don’t know what, but be careful.”

  Furzak crossed his arms over his chest. A brief silence followed.

  “You must take precautions,” Loren continued. “Absolutely. Increasing the number of guards is not enough. You must be aware of everything happening in the forest, observe them closely. Establish watch posts. Change the routes of your gatherers. And most importantly… keep your weapons ready.”

  Furzak’s gaze hardened. “Our weapons are ready.”

  “You will need more.”

  Loren leaned forward slightly.

  “If you wish, I can bring a large number of weapons from the Anurai. Spears, knives, and the new weapon they’ve invented, the bow. I’ll speak with them. I might even convince them to give a few hunting dogs.”

  The offer was a clear step.

  “Dogs that can track forest scents will give warning before any scout does.”

  Furzak studied Loren thoughtfully.

  “We have no open agreement with the Anurai,” he said cautiously.

  “We could,” Loren replied. “I can mediate.”

  The room fell silent again.

  Furzak set his cup down and clasped his fingers over his knees.

  “I will consider your offer,” he finally said. “The safety of my tribe is not secured through rushed decisions.”

  Loren inclined his head slightly.

  “We will inform you of our decision before you leave the village,” Furzak added. “Until then, speak to no one about the Nuxali.”

  Loren rose to his feet.

  “Agreed.” Furzak stood as well, and the two clasped hands.

  As Loren shook Furzak’s hand, he spoke with a serious expression.

  “Your people trust you. They believe you can see danger before it reaches them.”

  Furzak replied in a firm voice,

  “I take your words seriously, Elder Loren. Do not worry.”

  Shortly after, Loren left the house. The murmur of trade outside continued.

  As Loren walked away, Furzak remained at the doorway, deep in thought. The forest was silent, but beneath that silence, he knew many things had already begun to move.

  ------------------------

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