Chapter 273: We Have Come to Beg

Her former tribe members?

What did they want now, and why were there only two of them?!

Tera used the system to scan the area, and true to its word, there were only two beast folk.

[Host, they are still some distance out and are moving slowly]

[One of them is limping]

[?( •? ? •? )?]

Tera didn’t want to laugh, but the system was making things difficult.

But she was debating whether to send them back or give them an audience.

[Does Host want to send them back again?]

[Why not listen to what they have to say, Host?]

Tera frowned at the thought. ’Excuse me?’

Honestly, being around those beasts did not sit well with her, especially with how they have been behaving. And she doubted those two were even here to apologise or anything.

Tera then realised she hadn’t exactly consulted Ermin regarding this.

It would be a good thing to let him know just in case.

Calis looked at Tera, noticing her change in demeanour. "What’s wrong?"

Tera quickly pecked Calis. "I’ll be right back. Members from my former tribe are coming."

Calis sat straight, but rethought his decision when he saw Althea sleeping in his lap.

Tera left to go find Ermin.

He was sitting outside in a group with a few clan members, sorting through the seasoning they would use in preparing the meat for the night.

Ermin looked up when Tera reached him.

"Two of them are coming," she said. "From the Jackdaw."

Whispers swept through the group.

Ermin’s brows rose in surprise before he looked slightly irritated. He looked aside. "What do they even want?"

"Do you want me to send them back?" Tera asked him.

He went still. "You are asking me?"

"Yes."

He stared at her, surprised until one of the others told him that she had been sending back the members that had repeatedly been trying to sneak into their clan. This surprised Ermin, and Tera felt sad about it, because this was something she could have told him. But she had wanted him to have the space to grieve properly without being disturbed or bothered by those pesky tribe members.

Even now, Ermin had still freshly lost his uncle.

However, Tera, for some strange reason, had still preferred to come ask Ermin, as she was considering meeting the two beasts and seeing what exactly they wanted.

Maybe the fact that only two of them were coming could mean they wanted to give peace offerings.

She immediately remembered their nasty mocking smiles and thought better of it.

Maybe she should just throw them away again.

Ermin looked surprised and almost impressed. "You did it that many times?"

Tera folded her hands and huffed, "They threw you out too. You hadn’t done anything, and they did it anyway."

Ermin stared at Tera for a while, surprised. Then he laughed gently, slightly pleased Tera had done this for him. He didn’t think she would happen to be the one protecting him at any point.

She was completely different from before, and he really liked it this way.

His thoughts drifted back, and his smile saddened.

If he knew that things would turn out this way, he might have taken his uncle along with him. Maybe he would have had more time with him then.

[Host, he’s reminiscing about his uncle]

Tera’s heartstrings pulled at the sad look on Ermin’s face.

She knelt down, hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.

A few of the clan members blushed and looked away, while some had cheeky smiles.

Ermin smiled sheepishly, shy all of a sudden, but he really liked the small kiss on his cheek.

Tera laughed and rubbed her cheek against his.

"Everything will be fine, Ermin."

"I wonder what they will have to say," he whispered, dropping the leaves he had been sorting out.

Tera nodded, getting her answer.

Ermin got up and followed Tera.

To her surprise, Calis darted in front of her, curious about her former tribe members. Tera smiled, not minding the support. But she especially noticed how a few of her clan members crept forward as Tera made her way to the edge of the farm, where she could see down the slight slope where the beasts would come from.

Before long, the two beasts came into view. They were both males. The older one was in front, and the younger came behind him, limping badly on his left leg.

For a moment, she almost felt sorry for them. They looked weak, tired, and dirty, which was strange unless they were too far from the nearest stream source.

But couldn’t they have easily found one if they searched long enough?

The two males had not yet reached the farm when they stopped to look at Tera. Then they looked even more surprised to see Ermin beside her.

They raised their hands in defence and crept slowly towards them for fear that Tera would send them away again.

She vaguely remembered these two. The younger male was actually one of the members she used to pester and fight with as a young female.

Tera felt slightly embarrassed. The young male was gentle and shy, and even though he had the same disdain towards Tera for being shiftless, and also laughed at her along with the others, he tried to stay out of everyone’s way.

When both males came close enough and realised Tera wasn’t sending them away, they both got down on the ground.

This stunned Tera and her two mates.

The males flattened themselves on the ground, their foreheads kissing the dirt as their arms went flat out.

"What are you doing?"

"We have come to beg."

Tera’s brows shot up. "Oh, is that so? I didn’t hear that clearly. What did you say?"

[(╭?_•?)]

[Host, you heard them the first time!]

"WE HAVE COME TO BEG!"

Tera was stunned at how loud the males had yelled. Even Ermin and Calis’ ears had shot up at the sound.

[( ? -?)?]

[So much shouting]

"Must you shout?" Tera quickly whispered, quickly looking back at the clan.

Many of them were huddled against the trees, peering at Tera like raccoons waiting for a dustbin they were about to feast on.

The older male lifted his head just enough to look up at her, and the look on his face shocked her.

He looked so tired, and there was no ounce of pride in his face.

"We came without the tribe knowing," he said.