Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 102: Celebration and alliance

[Task complete: The River’s Curse]

[Reward: 300 EXP, 150 CP, Alliance: River Clan]

That night, the River Clan had a celebration. They didn’t hold a ritual; instead, it was more like a party. The smell of roasted fish drifted through the entire clan. The shouts and chatter of people filled the space. They played reed flutes, the tunes of which were lively, along with the chattering songs.

Xeno stood on the bank watching everyone. He didn’t join and only watched as they played around. Usually, when he was with the pack, it wouldn’t be a problem to play around with others. Even though he was a leader, many of the people in the current pack are actually his family.

When it was time for him to take his position as leader, he still had a level of respect. However, as someone who came with a delegation in search of an alliance, it wouldn’t look good for him to play around with everyone. It was only when an elder splashed him with water and laughed mischievously that he gave in.

He had shifted, and with a might leap, he plunged into the water, creating a wave that sent the clan tumbling with delighted shrieks.

Uri watched it happen. A smile stretched into a grin. He was genuinely happy in his surroundings. He analysed and memorized the social dynamics of his new allies.

Kaelen was running around with the children. The first time they had seen him this playful.

Visha sat beside Uri, taking it all in. She was sipping on a sweet wine that otters made.

"Maybe we should start celebrating like this in the pack," Visha said. She was relaxed, her eyes glassy.

"Should we?" Uri asked. "I do not think it is necessary."

She turned to him, eyes questioning.

"This is a normal day in the pack. Nimo and Kit play in the water. Xeno joins. We laugh by the fire at night. The only difference is the music," Uri pointed out.

Visha thought about it. He was right. They had fun on their own in their own pack. When it got larger, there would be more time to have fun. The only thing that got her down was that they were the leaders of the pack. Once the pack got to a certain size, they would no longer be as free as they are now.

She nodded and leaned into Uri. She closed her eyes after taking another sip of wine.

As the celebration started winding down, Mira found them. "You have given our clan the opportunity to live, Priestess Visha," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "Our Rivwer Clan will not forget this. Tomorrow we will ally and trade. Tonight we are friends."

The following morning, the mood was different. The celebration had passed. Now it was time to talk business. The trio met with Mira and the other elders in the same place as before. A grotto near a waterfall.

"An alliance," Mira began, "is built on more than gratitude. To that end, we will help you with trade. Our trade routes are the river. We have built a large raft and use it to travel downstream. We trade with the grass-walkers for hide and unique dried fruits. The stone horn in the high mountains is for salt. They value our woven and good and the pearls we get from the river."

Visha nodded, taking in the information. "Do you help others to trade, too?"

"No, we trade directly with everyone. From one to the other. If the others wish to trade, they may seek passage on your raft or go themselves. To be unwilling to show your face for a trade means you are weak. No tribe wants to be seen as weak."

Uri stepped forward. "We will trade with you," Uri stated. "When the time comes, we would like to travel with you. We will also trade with you. We have goods you may be interested in."

"We have cement, which can create strong structures and we have the flare crystals. We also have knowledge of healing; however, that would require going to each tribe to demonstrate. Currently, it is not a viable trading option for other tribes, but it would be for both of us."

Mira nodded, understanding what they were offering. The cement piqued her interest.

"In return," Mira countered, "we can offer clay pottery, iron-scale carp used for making armour and pearls." Mira smiled. "We would also like to ask for the recipe for the purification mixture."

Visha had already expected they would ask. She hadn’t intended to give it. However, the system just asked her to get their pearls, so she is willing to bargain. She wasn’t sure as to the reason; the system suddenly wanted her to get a large quantity of their pearls, but she wasn’t about to argue.

Uri and Xeno left the decision up to Visha. It was her own recipe.

"I am willing to give the recipe for the purification mixture. There is something I want in return," Visha stated.

Mira did not speak; she motioned for Visha to continue.

"If I give the recipe, you will still need to get the flare crystals from us. We can trade them; however, I would need the supply of pearls you use to trade."

Mira and the elders’ eyes widened. The pearls were the things they traded most. They hadn’t expected Visha to ask for a monopoly. This wasn’t a decision they could make lightly.

"The cement, flare crystals, and recipe are already enough for the River Clan to accept. You can use the cement to make stronger dwellings. The flare crystal can help both in battle and keep your rivers clean. The recipe is for your livelihood. I do not believe we are asking for too much," Xeno declared.

Their request may sound excessive, but in reality, the one who gets the best part of the deal is the River Clan. They have stronger dwellings and better things to trade with others. Visha, Uri, and Xeno are not naive enough to believe that they won’t trade their things with the other tribes.

They are sure they have more trading partners than they mentioned. No one wants to do business at a loss. And the way they reacted shows that the pearls are more valuable than their Warm Pack had understood.

The chittering came from the elders who were listening to the trade agreement they were trying to make. After chittering for some time, they finally agreed and Mira spoke.

"A fair trade. The pearls are precious, but we are willing to trade them for a cure for our rivers and stronger dwellings. Now, for practicalities. Coming into the tribe every time we need to trade is not viable."

"We can establish a trade point," Uri suggested. "One day’s journey from here is a plain both our people can access."

"Agreed. When the new moon rises, we will meet you with the shipment," Mira said.

"We can both bring our trading materials on the day, and we can decide how much and what to trade at that time. I’m sure you have many designs and such that we have not seen," Visha said.

As the conversation continued, an approximate price was agreed upon by everyone. The conversation did not end until midday. After which, Visha and her people left the River Clan.

The recipe was given in advance. Other final details would be decided the next time they met.