Vestiya's recovery had progressed well.

Moran noticed the difference the moment he followed Lira through the doorway.

The chief of the tribe sat upright with the same presence she had the first time he saw her.

Her skin and her sclera had lost most of its yellowish hue, though the white of her Iris remained.

Near her, seated on a tiny stool that seemed utterly drawfted by his massive frame, was Groll.

The mountain made man, was resting his chin on the handle of a club, that rested between his legs.

It was as big as Moran and almost as thick, one of it's side jagged with spikes that could have been teeth.

At second glance the whole thing might've been the jawbone of something massive once.

Groll tilted his head slightly, acknowledging the newcomers without fully looking at them.

His voice was low and rumbling as he finished his sentence to Vestiya.

“…so we don’t plan on it.”

Kai slipped into the half-tent behind Moran.

The Chief’s ghostly white irises darted toward them, though her gaze revealed nothing of who or what she was focusing on.

Lira strode through the room, her steps purposeful as she stopped near her mother’s wooden throne.

With a swift spin, she crossed her arms under her chest and leaned onto one foot, her fiery hair catching faint flickers of light.

“Here they are,” she said simply.

“Thank you, Lira.” Vestiya’s tone was still slightly sore but carried the same calm authority she spoke with during their first meeting.

Her pale eyes shifted toward the men standing in front of her.

Kai corssed the room with quick steps joining his sister at Vestiya's side, while Moran just stood in the middle of the room, the four Shapeless in front and the door behind him.

“I see your recovery is progressing well,” Moran said finally, forcing himself to sound composed despite either three or four people were staring him down.

Vestiya gave a slight nod.

“You seem to have known what you were talking about. The… iron remedy appears to have been exactly what I needed.”

“That’s why I suggested it,” Moran replied. Even he could hear the overbearing smugness oozing out of every word. But after what he had achieved he was of the opinion he had earned that much.

Vestiya seemed to agree, the hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

“Believe it or not, Aurora wants to have a word with you. Make sure you visit her.”

Moran raised an eyebrow. Now what could the villagie's miracle healer want with him?

After all the woman could heal torn off lips or liters of blood in a matter of secounds.

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Compared to that everything Moran could do was mundane, not even worht talking about.

His emotional soaring came to a sudden end.

“I’d be happy to. It’d be a nice change from sitting in my hut all day.”

He answered, doing his best not to let his frustration creep into his voice.

Why exactly was he upset? It had been his knowledge that had healed Vestiya, not Aurora's Heartshape.

Of course without her help the chief would still suffer greatly, her body working to replace the old iron-deficient blood with new one.

Vestiya leaned back in her chair and, with a wave of her hand, gave Moran the greatest news he had heared since he arrived here.

“Oh, you misunderstand. You are no longer confined to the hut.”

He blinked, caught off guard by her words.

“Wait. I’m free to… roam around? Just like that?”

“Not quite ‘just like that,’” Vestiya replied, her tone regal and steady, like a mother lecturing a child.

"There are conditions, of course. The first: you will remain in the hut you have been staying in. It is your home while you stay in our village. No one else could be asked to clean it of the stench you and that place share.”

Moran grimaced slightly but caught himself, muttering, “Fair enough.”

“And second,” Vestiya continued, her gaze shifting briefly to Kai before returning to Moran, “you will have someone accountable for you. Someone responsible for ensuring you honor our trust.”

Before Moran could respond, Kai's arm shot upwards.

“I’ll do it.” He announced, almost like a herald did his kings orders. He shot a unbearably smug smile in Moran's direction.

Vestiya’s raised her eyebrow in a way only a mother could.

“Of course it will be you, Kai. After all, you brought him here. He is your responsibility."

Kai's eyes shot to his mother and his arm lowered, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“Yes, mother.”

From the other side of the chair came the distinct sound of a snort, followed by Lira clearing her throat with an exaggerated cought.

Kai shot her an annoyed glare, which she answered with a pair of provocatively raised eyebrows, as if daring him to say something.

Before Moran could take in more of the sibling dynamic, Vestiya’s voice cut through the moment with a deliberate calm, completely ignoring her two childrens banter.

“Finally,you will need to find a profession. No one in this village lives here for free. We all work to earn our food, our shelter, and our safety.”

Moran opened his mouth to reply, but Vestiya wasn’t done.

“The last foreigners we allowed to stay proved to be excellent additions to our hunting crew. But you…”

Her eyes drifted over him briefly, her tone between a mothers warmth and cold mockery.

“Considering your meager appearance and the actions we’ve seen thus far, it would be wise to look elsewhere.”

Moran bristled slightly but managed to keep his face neutral. “I’ll figure something out.”

“You will,” Vestiya said with certainty, her tone making it clear there would be no argument.

“I expect a report on your decision soon. This is not a discussion.”

Moran nodded. He should have expected that. Maybe he could make a name for himself as a baker or carpenter.

Consideing the vast amount of knowledge he had in the most spezific fields, he couldn't think of what he was doing before he arrived here. A teacher maybe?

“Yes, ma’am,” Moran muttered automatically, the words slipping out without much thought.

A moment of silence passed before Kai spoke up, his voice breaking the quiet. “Are we finished?”

The question earned him an amused snort from Groll, who shifted slightly on his undersized stool, as well as a nod from Vestiya.

“Yes,” she said, her tone carrying only the faintest hint of annoyance. “I suppose we are.”

“Great!” Kai exclaimed, crossing the room in a few springy steps.

He brought his hand down on Moran's back again.

This time however Moran was ready, managing to keep at least half of his lungs volume.

“There’s so much stuff I have to show you!” Kai announced, already half-pulling Moran toward the door.

Moran barely managed a weak smile, allowing himself to be steered.

His mind was still racing. He had done it.

Being allowed in the village might not be assured survival, but it was the biggest step towards it he had done for as long as he could remember.

Even if that only mean't the last one and a half week.

Just as they reached the exit, Vestiya’s voice rang out, stopping both of them in their tracks.

“Moran.”

He turned back, his heart skipping a beat as her pale gaze fixed on him.

“Thank you,” Vestiya said, her voice as calm and steady as the Hungry Ocean. “For my life. And my son’s.”

Moran stood there, caught off guard, the weight of her words sinking into him.

For a single heartbeat, the world seemed frozen in place. Nothing else existed but the chief’s sincere gratitude.

Then Kai’s hand tightened around his arm, and with a sudden shove throught the door, the man brought motion back into the world.

“Come on,” Kai said, his tone hovering somewhere between oblivious enthusiasm and an awkward attempt to defuse an awkward moment.

“There’s so much I want to show you.”