Chapter 18: Sharing the Good Stuff

Seraya didn't notice Raska watching her leave with the look of someone clinging to the last scrap of comfort in her miserable life; after a whole day of hacking at stone and wrestling timber, she cared far more about the fruit she was supposed to fill her empty stomach with.

First Warrior, a cave of my own, and a dinner that would leave even a rabbit asking where the rest was... Fucking wonderful.

She turned the prize over in her hand, looking for a side less bruised from the foraging, and was just about to head back when Morra stepped into her path, raising a hand to signal her to wait.

"What is it?" Seraya asked, looking up from the fruit she had already taken a bite out of.

"The Grand Shaman told you to come once you finish eating," the elder said, her bear ears twitching faintly as voices of women demanding their portions drifted from behind them.

Seraya stopped chewing, staring at Morra for a moment with as much bewilderment as if she had just declared that from tomorrow on, fruit would be rationed by ticket only.

"To her? What for?"

"She didn't say, but it seemed urgent to her."

That was enough for Seraya to deduce the most likely reason for the summons, though she frowned right after, wondering why Vaelira hadn't sent for her earlier.

Did it seize up on her again? I was hanging around nearby all day - she could have just sent someone to call me.

"Fine, I'll go right now," she declared, biting into the fruit with enough resolve to finish the evening meal in a single go.

"Now?" Morra glanced at the food in her hand. "You were supposed to first..."

"If the old ha... Grand Shaman is calling, it's probably urgent, right?" Seraya cut in, swallowing both the fruit and the slip of the tongue at the last second. "I'll eat on the way."

Not waiting for the elder to ponder that suspicious slip, she brushed past her and picked up her pace, feeling an uneasy chill run down her spine.

Fuck me, another second and I would've begged for another interrogation.

A few paces off, Niva looked up, meaning to call after her, but seeing the hurry with which Seraya strode toward the shaman's dwelling, she bit back her words, her white ears slowly drooping.

If the Grand Shaman needs her, I shouldn't get in the way...

She watched the departing figure for a moment longer, then clutched her portion of fruit to her stomach and headed toward the communal cave, trying not to dwell on how much she had hoped for even a brief chat.

The two guards outside Vaelira's cave must have received orders beforehand, as they stepped aside without a word at the sight of Seraya, letting her enter with the half-eaten fruit in hand.

Warm firelight flickered across the rock walls, picking out scattered pelts, vessels, and a few small bundles of herbs lying by the bedding, as if someone had picked them up one by one and tossed them aside in frustration.

Vaelira sat slightly hunched, pressing a forearm to her lower belly, and snapped her head up at the sound of footsteps, her face worn with pain.

"What happened..." Seraya began, looking down at the grass beneath her feet, but the shaman cut her off.

"Why did it help yesterday, but doesn't work today?" she demanded, pointing to the nearest bundle. "I did the exact same thing you did."

Seraya crouched, set her fruit onto an empty leaf, and parted the edge of the makeshift compress, touching it gingerly with the back of her fingers while arching an eyebrow.

The plants were lukewarm at best, and the flimsy wrap fell apart with every touch, leaving dry, brittle bits across Vaelira's skin.

The exact same thing, sure... I made a warm compress, and you just dumped a handful of hay on your belly and waited for it to cower before your title.

"Well?" Vaelira pressed, wincing as another cramp bent her deeper over her arm. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Seraya looked at her face, where little of her usual aloofness remained; while she had no intention of leaving her to suffer, the urge to score a small payback for earlier proved stronger than good sense.

She let out a heavy sigh, picking up one of the botched bundles with as much caution as if it were something far more dangerous than dried stalks.

"Grand Shaman, you should have called me before trying this on your own."

Vaelira froze, her gaze flicking from the bundle straight to Seraya's face.

"What did I do?"

"Let's just say that's not quite how it was supposed to go," Seraya dodged, the corners of her mouth twitching dangerously.

"Did I make it worse?"

Genuine worry laced the shaman's voice, enough that Seraya turned away under the pretense of examining the other plants, biting her lips tight to keep from laughing in her face.

Holy shit, she actually bought it.

"Easy, we can still fix it," she said after a moment, putting on her straightest face as she swept the scattered stems away from the bedding.

Vaelira nodded with uncharacteristic meekness, tracking her every movement while Seraya selected familiar mugwort sprigs from the remaining herbs and assembled a sturdier wrap, taking care that warming it by the fire didn't make it scalding hot.

No mystical power lay behind it, let alone a cure for the root cause, but since warmth had brought Vaelira some relief earlier, it could help again now.

"Here, try this," she said, offering the finished compress.

The shaman eyed it warily, though she reached out almost immediately.

"And if it fails again?"

Seraya straightened a fraction, lifting her chin like someone who had just been asked a deeply insulting question.

"Do you doubt my divine power?"

She could barely keep from rolling her eyes at her own words, but Vaelira took them far more seriously, carefully placing the bundle on her lower abdomen and holding it with both hands.

Seraya sat opposite her, and when the shaman's tense shoulders relaxed after a while with a long sigh, she figured that for now at least, she wouldn't have to endure more complaints.

See? A little heat... Though the divine power line definitely sounded more professional.

She picked up her fruit, gave it a quick look, and went back to eating, the loud crunch filling the cave alongside the quiet crackle of wood in the hearth.

After a few bites, Vaelira opened her eyes, studied her for a beat, and tipped her chin toward a cut of meat resting on broad leaves beside a bowl.

"Eat that."

Seraya froze with the fruit at her lips, sure she had misheard.

"What?"

"The meat," Vaelira repeated, closing her eyes. "I have no appetite, and it will spoil by tomorrow. Take it."

For a second, Seraya stared at the offering as if the finest view in the valley had just peeked out from under those leaves, then tossed the scrap of fruit aside and reached for the unexpected prize.

"If you insist, I won't argue," she said with such genuine gratitude she didn't even bother pretending indifference. "Thanks, Grand Shaman."

She wrapped the meat snugly in the leaves and stood, tucking the bundle to her side.

"I'll leave you to rest in peace, then."

Vaelira offered only a slight nod, still holding the warm compress, and Seraya took her leave before the shaman could change her mind or find her appetite again.

Only at the mouth of the cave did she slow down, patting the package hidden under the loose hem of her shirt with a grin.

This day isn't a total loss after all... Walk in with a piece of fruit, walk out with meat.

The joy dimmed slightly as she weighed the portion; after a full day's work, she could easily devour the whole thing herself and still look around for seconds.

Then she thought of Niva, her promise to hunt something better for her, and the way her rabbit ears drooped whenever she tried to hide her worry.

Seraya stopped mid-stride, looking up on instinct to meet the guards' stares.

Both watched her with growing bewilderment; her broad grin, hand clamped to her side, and darting glances didn't look particularly dignified.

Seraya hurried on at once, which naturally did nothing to improve the impression.

"Why is she skulking like that?" one guard muttered, watching her go.

The other simply shrugged, apparently concluding that the First Warrior's antics were beyond rational explanation.

After stashing the meat in her cave, Seraya turned back almost immediately, passing the timber stacked by the wall that still stubbornly failed to resemble a bed after a whole day's effort.

When she entered the communal shelter, several women stopped eating and looked up, clearly surprised she had returned so soon after getting her own place.

"Enjoy your meal," Seraya tossed out with a casual wave, heading straight for Niva without further explanation.

The girl sat by the bedroll, fruit separated before her into two piles - one distinctly larger than the other - her face brightening the second she spotted Seraya.

"You're here!" she said, pushing the larger pile toward her. "I saved some for you for tomorrow, so you'll have something to eat before we return from foraging."

Seraya looked from the fruit to the much smaller portion left for Niva, at a loss for words for a moment.

You really were going to give me most of your food again...

"We'll deal with the fruit later," she said at last, holding out a hand. "Come with me, I have something for you."

"Now?"

"Now, before I change my mind."

Niva slipped her hand into hers and stood, adjusting the pelt slipping from her shoulder, while Seraya waited for her to step around the bedroll so as not to jar her bruised ribs.

They headed for the exit under curious stares, and only then did a choked sound drift from the back of the cave, resembling someone stepping on an exceptionally miserable animal.

Raska sat in the corner clutching a piece of fruit, glaring at their entwined fingers with such despair that Seraya preferred not to ask what was going on in her head this time.

Outside, she stopped a short distance from the entrance, let go of Niva's hand, and glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was tailing them.

"Feel like some meat?" she asked in a low voice, smiling conspiratorially.

White ears perked up instantly and the girl nodded so fast Seraya was already opening her mouth to invite her over, when Niva suddenly shook her head no.

"Hey, I mean real meat," Seraya stressed, figuring everyone might be just as dead on their feet as she was. "The kind you roast and eat."

"I heard you," Niva replied with a troubled look. "Only where will you get it? The hunt yielded so little today that everything went to the chieftain, the Grand Shaman, and the elders."

Seraya relaxed her shoulders, finally catching on.

"Don't worry about that, just come with me."

The girl studied her closely, trying to divine the hidden meaning behind the invitation, then glanced toward the darkening valley and set her jaw with sudden resolve.

"Wait a moment."

She darted back inside before Seraya could object, returning moments later with her mother's wooden spear gripped tight in both hands.

Seraya looked at the weapon, then at Niva, and back at the weapon again, nursing an uncomfortable hunch that she had missed a crucial part of the conversation.

"What's the spear for?"

"We're going hunting, aren't we?" Niva explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's dangerous at night, but a lot of game comes out of hiding, so if we're careful..."

Seraya pressed a palm to her forehead, feeling the last dregs of patience drain from her weary frame.

Naturally. Because if I offer dinner, it must mean we have to murder it together first.

"Niva, come on," she said, taking her free hand again. "Just come with me this time. Really."

She set off toward her cave, her brisk pace setting her chest in motion and giving Niva quite a view.

Niva trotted obediently alongside, spear in tow, but looked back after a few steps with a frown.

"The way out of the valley is the other way, though."

"I know."

"Then why…"

"You'll see in a second."

Reaching the cave, Seraya let go of her hand and stepped inside, skirting the poles gathered for her future bed, then returned with the leaf-wrapped package and parted it before the astonished girl.

Niva stared at the meat in disbelief, looking as if she expected a single blink to turn it back into fruit.

"Hold this while I get the fire ready," Seraya said, passing over the bundle and bending down to gather scraps of dry wood left from the day's work.

The girl stood frozen for a moment, clutching the spear awkwardly under her arm, her eyes darting between the meat and Seraya before a question finally slipped out:

"Warrior... where did you get this meat?"