The trial of combat was scheduled for the next day. The Dechen tribe made camp on the mountain slopes looking down to the city since there was no room anywhere. The entire Dechen tribe entourage was quiet. The mood was heavy
Tenzin wanted to be left alone. The trial of combat was always tp the death and hadn't been used since the age of the god Dalai. Tenzin was a veteran of many battles and was not afraid of dying. He was afraid for all the grey skins and what would Tride do to the Dechen tribe.
"Everything alright?" said Rufus who came to talk to Tenzin.
"I thought I wanted to be left alone," Tenzin said back feeling annoyed.
"I know a grumpy old man like you. Well, he claims he is not old, but after looking at his face you can't be blamed to think otherwise. He always said he wanted to be alone, but that just made him more grumpy. Eventually, you just had to pester him and his mood would change," Rufus muttered and talked about old man Haufen.
Tenzin looked amused. He relaxed a bit.
"He seemed like my father," Tenzin said.
Rufus sat down next to Tenzin.
"That Tride person didn't seem to like you that much. Do you have a past with him?" Rufus asked.
"You could say that. We had ones gone on a raid together. We had just taken grain from a village's storage to move back to the mountains for our people. We had forced the inhabitants to stay in a barn. Tride wanted to massacre them on the spot. I urged the other warriors not to do it. When the warriors of the raiding party hesitated Tride decided to massacre all of the humans himself.
"He showed no mercy to the humans. The carnage was so hard to watch that many grey skin warriors looked the other way. He later said I am unable to do what must be done. He sees me a weak person unfit to lead," Tenzin explained.
Rufus started to feel scared of this Tride. Rufus looked at the flickering flame in front of them.
"Wouldn't you rather talk with your two siblings?" Rufus asked.
"They are worried about me. They need time with their own thoughts now. For them, it might be good for them to be left alone," Tenzin explained.
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Rufus looked confused.
"Wow. You are a terrible brother," said Rufus and laughed.
"Hah. You might be true. You know when we met Pema he was just probably only ten years old. We first started to hear that the forest was full of dead animals. We thought a lion was roaming in the woods. I went personally to hunt down it with some of my hunters. We thought we were hunting it, but soon realized that we were the ones being hunted. First one of my hunters died. Then the other until I was by myself in the forest.
"When I saw the beast that had brutally killed all my hunters I was shocked. A small kid with eyes cold as the winter. At first, it tried to kill me and came really close. I was finally able to subdue him. I took him back to the town. Had to lock him in a cage for two years and slowly train him like an animal.
"Had to teach him even how to speak. He was naturally gifted and smart so maybe that was the reason how he survived in the wilderness for so long. Also lucky was that he was blessed with divine power.
"To help him to be accepted by the other tribesman I took him in as my brother. It seems though that it wasn't enough for the rest of the tribesmen to accept him, but you did it in just a few months. Maybe that is your true divine power. To be able to make everyone trust and like you. You did it to me and our entire tribe," Tenzin said and smiled at Rufus.
"Pema had the power to do that all by himself," Rufus said.
"Perhaps, but you did help him considerably and helped break barriers among my tribesmen. People truly believe we can live together among the humans after getting to know you," Tenzin explained.
Tenzin looked up into the starry sky.
"I have a wish from you. Please take care of my family and the Dechen tribe if something is to happen to me tomorrow," Tenzin said.
"I will protect them gladly," Rufus said and smiled.
All this time Amala was listening to them behind a tent.
~ ~
The trial of combat started the next morning. All of them were taken to a large amphitheater. A pit with snow on the ground and seats for all the spectators. The elders themselves had the best seats in the amphitheater.
"When I think of grey skins I previously would have thought of something like this. A barbaric way of dealing debates," Edward said and looked around.
"It is a barbaric custom. Haven't been used in a long time. It fuels discontent and disunity among the tribes and keeps the elders powerful. Tenzin had no other choice than to accept," Amala explained and felt uneasy.
"Does Tenzin have a chance to win?" Haley hesitated but still asked.
"Tenzin doesn't lose. He is the most powerful grey skin I have ever faced," Pema said and looked at the amphitheater.
Tenzin and Tride entered the snowy pit. All of them had just pants on with their upper body bare in the cold air. The two mighty grey skin warriors, both at least over 2 meters and twenty centimeters tall, stared at each other.
An elder rose from his seat.
"We are gathered here to hold one of our most important customs. We fight to honor our dead god Dalai and our people. It is my privilege to call this fight. LET THE FIGHT BEGIN," The elder yelled and proclaimed.