Chapter 134: A reason to Celebrate

The following morning, Anaria was helping Kai keep Ana occupied when one of the elders came looking for her.

She was sitting outside their shelter with Ana on her lap, watching the little girl grab at Kai’s fingers while he tried to encourage her to stand. Rylan had gone to check on the settlement’s water supply, while Kenai was helping some of the men repair a section of fencing.

"Anaria, do you have a moment?" the beast elder whom was a cheetah asked.

She looked up. "Of course. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." The old man settled down on a nearby stool. "Actually, the elders have been discussing something, and we’d like to hear your thoughts."

Anaria adjusted Ana when the baby began chewing on Kai’s finger. "What is it?"

"We think the settlement should hold a feast."

She blinked. "A feast?"

"Yes. It’s been a while since everyone gathered for something other than work or a meeting." The elder glanced towards the nearby shelters. "Look at what we’ve accomplished recently. We have clean water, better shelters for the elders, a place where the women can work together, and now the children have somewhere safe to play."

He paused before continuing.

"These things may seem small to some, but they have made life easier for everyone. The villagers have worked hard, and we think they deserve a chance to celebrate."

Anaria considered the suggestion.

She had been so focused on completing tasks and finding solutions to the settlement’s problems that she hadn’t really thought about celebrating their progress. There was always another project waiting, another problem to solve, or another improvement she wanted to make.

But the elder had a point. The villagers had contributed to the changes, and they deserved to enjoy the results of their efforts.

"I think it’s a good idea," she said.

The elder smiled. "We were hoping you’d agree."

"Have you decided when to hold it?"

"We were thinking of the day after tomorrow. That should give everyone enough time to prepare."

Anaria nodded. "That sounds reasonable. What about the food?"

"We’ll ask the families to contribute what they can. Some can provide meat, others fruits or whatever they have gathered. Nobody should be forced to give more than they can afford."

"Good." Anaria shifted Ana onto her other leg. "And please make sure the children and the older people get their share first. I don’t want anyone going hungry because they arrived late or couldn’t push their way through a crowd."

"We’ll take care of that."

She thought for a moment before adding, "We should also make sure there’s enough drinking water. If everyone is gathering in one place, we’ll need more than usual."

The elder nodded, taking note of her suggestions.

"Is there anything else you’d like us to arrange?"

"Not at the moment. You and the other elders can organize the preparations. If you need my help with anything specific, just let me know."

The old man looked mildly surprised. "You’re not going to oversee everything yourself?"

Anaria laughed. "Why would I? You people are perfectly capable of organizing a feast."

"That’s true," he admitted, chuckling.

"Besides, the whole point is to celebrate what everyone has accomplished. It wouldn’t make sense for me to take over the preparations and make it look as though I’m the only one who can get things done."

The elder seemed pleased with that answer. He rose from his seat and thanked her before heading towards the other shelters to inform the remaining elders.

Kai, who had been listening while playing with Ana, finally turned to her.

"So, we’re having a feast?"

"That’s what he said."

"Does that mean more meat?"

Anaria stared at him.

"Of everything we just discussed, that’s the part you heard?"

Kai grinned. "I heard the rest. I just think the meat is important."

She shook her head, laughing despite herself.

Ana suddenly squealed and slapped both hands against Kai’s arm, apparently agreeing with him.

"See?" Kai said, pointing at the baby. "Even Ana understands."

"She doesn’t even know what you’re talking about."

"She knows enough."

Anaria was still laughing when Rylan returned. He stopped beside them and looked between their amused faces.

"What’s going on?"

"Kai has discovered that we’re having a feast," Anaria told him. "Apparently, the only thing that matters is the meat."

Rylan glanced at his fellow mate. "Then I suppose we’d better make sure there’s enough for him."

"Exactly!" Kai exclaimed.

Anaria rolled her eyes.

For once, the settlement had something to look forward to that didn’t involve solving a problem. She was more than happy to let everyone enjoy it.

By the following morning, preparations were already underway.

The news had spread quickly through the settlement, and the villagers seemed eager to contribute. Some families had gone out early to gather fruits and edible plants, while the hunters discussed how much meat they could provide without leaving the settlement short of food for the coming days.

Others had taken responsibility for cleaning the area where the feast would be held.

Anaria watched the activity as she walked through the settlement with Ana secured against her chest. She had expected the villagers to participate, but seeing so many of them organize themselves without waiting for instructions still pleased her.

Near the gathering area, several women were sorting through the fruits they had collected. A little farther away, two men were carrying large containers of water while another group arranged sturdy wooden benches.

"Anaria!" one of the women called when she noticed her approaching. "Come and see what we’ve gathered."

Anaria went over, peering into the baskets.

There were several kinds of fruits, some familiar and others she had yet to identify. The women explained which ones were sweet, which were better eaten after being prepared, and which needed to be kept away from the younger children.

"This is a good collection," Anaria said. "Just make sure you separate the ripe fruits from the ones that need more time. We don’t want everything spoiling before the feast."

"We’ve already started doing that."

"Good."

One of the women glanced at the baby resting against Anaria’s chest.

"Will Ana be joining us?"

"Of course. Why wouldn’t she?"

"We thought she might be too young for such a gathering."

Anaria smiled. "She’ll be with us. As long as she’s comfortable, there’s no reason she can’t come."

The woman nodded and returned to sorting the fruits.

Anaria continued towards the gathering area, where she found several people debating how to arrange the cooking spaces. She listened for a moment before suggesting that they keep the cooking fires a reasonable distance from where the children would be playing.

They agreed, and the discussion continued without her needing to intervene further.

That was one of the things she wanted to see more of in the settlement. People sharing ideas, making decisions, and helping one another without expecting her to approve every little thing.

Near the fencing, Kenai was helping the hunters organize the meat they had brought back. He had already divided the available supplies into portions, making sure the feast wouldn’t consume everything the settlement needed for its regular meals.

Anaria approached him.

"How are things going here?"

Kenai looked up from his work. "Fine. We have enough for the feast, provided nobody decides to eat half of it before it’s cooked."

She laughed. "Is that a warning to Kai?"

"It could be."

"I’ll make sure he hears it."

Kenai’s mouth curved into a small smile before he returned to his work.

Anaria stayed for a little while, watching as he and the others finished sorting the supplies. She offered a few suggestions about keeping the meat covered and protected from insects, then left them to continue.

Elsewhere, Rylan was helping the elders decide where everyone would sit, while Kai had somehow ended up carrying baskets of fruit from one group to another.

Anaria wasn’t entirely sure he was doing it out of a desire to help or because he wanted to inspect everything that would be served at the feast.

Knowing Kai, it was probably both.

By midday, the gathering area looked different from how it had that morning. The cooking spaces were ready, the seating had been arranged, and the collected food was being stored safely until it was time to prepare it.

The women had also brought some of the toys they had made for the children, and a few little ones were already gathered around them, curious about the unfamiliar shapes and bright materials.

Anaria paused to watch them before continuing towards her shelter.

There was still plenty to do before the feast, but the villagers had things well in hand. Nobody was standing around waiting for her to tell them what came next.

For the first time in a while, she could help without feeling as though the entire settlement depended on her doing everything.

And that, more than anything else, made her look forward to the feast.