Chapter 373: A Mother’s Approval

  The evening bonfires crackled and blazed with bright orange flames, though it did very little to stave off the biting winds that blew through Vulture Woods. Even now, in the early days of summer, little warmth reached this deep into the forest, so close to the frigid Rupture Mountains.

  Even so, dozens of Sylvan folk sat around the fires, roasting meat and vegetables or simply gathering for company after a long day of survival in the scarlet forest. Stryg was no different. He sat next to a bonfire, knees up, and his arms wrapped around his legs. Others talked and laughed with each other, regaling stories of the past, but Stryg sat in silence. He was alone, the other Sylvan folk had given him a wide berth.

  It almost feels like nothing’s changed, Stryg thought glumly.

  The white petals of Blossom slowly pulled around his shoulders with a comforting snug grip. It was odd, even to him, how the cloak somehow always seemed to know what he needed.

  Stryg’s eyes wandered around towards the other fires, at the other goblins talking amongst themselves as they waited for the cooks to finish preparing dinner. He spotted Gathi sitting with other gatherers. They were all laughing about some joke, save for Gathi, who smiled with a small wince.

  White bandages were wrapped around her thin green neck and she scratched at them whenever she tried to talk.

  Why is she…? Oh. Right.

  He suddenly remembered how their reunion had ended; with a pebble thrown straight at her throat. He had just assumed the healers would have taken care of her injury by now, but they didn’t have healers here as they did in the academy. There was only so much mundane medicine could do.

  Gathi noticed his gaze and her yellow eyes widened. She hurriedly looked away in shame.

  Had it been three years ago she probably would have come up to him and insulted him or worse, as she had many times before. One had to know their place amongst the tribe. But now the hierarchy was clear and he was no longer at the bottom. Gathi would not seek revenge for her injury. If she ever encountered Stryg, she would probably do her best to not cause any trouble.

  Things have changed.

  “What are you doing over there? Still ogling pretty girls, I see,” Plum chuckled with a lewd smirk.

  Stryg turned around and looked up at her with a subtle frown, “It’s not like that.”

  “Sure, it’s not,” Plum said sarcastically. She sat down next to him and nudged his shoulder, “So tell me, what does it take to impress someone around here?”

  “Impress? As in…?”

  “After the whole ‘naked river bath’ thing it may have piqued my interest.”

  “You’re interested in bedding a Sylvan, ey?” Stryg smiled. “Tired of Undergrowth women?”

  “So long as they have a pretty face I’m game, man or woman, I don’t care which,” Plum grinned.

  “What are you two lecherous juveniles talking about?” Tauri called out as she walked over to them.

  Plum blinked, “How did you—?”

  “It’s on both your faces. That wanton and lascivious look. No wonder you two are friends,” Tauri said in mild disgust.

  Plum shrugged, “You’re not much different, Miss Katag. Last I recall, you were taking a ‘looong’ bath with Stryg not even an hour ago.”

  “Nothing happened between us,” Tauri glared at her.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, sit down and join our little circle of debauchery,” Plum patted the grassy spot next to her.

  Tauri muttered something under her breath but sat down reluctantly nonetheless.

  “So, where were we?” Plum asked.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think there is any goblin here interested in sleeping with a drow,” Stryg admitted.

  “What? Why?” Plum frowned.

  “They aren’t particularly keen on outsiders.”

  “You didn’t have any problem bedding the beautiful Miss Feli.”

  “I was practically an outsider myself… And like you said Feli is beautiful.”

  “Wait. Are you saying I’m ugly?” Plum glared at him.

  Stryg grimaced, “Well, n-no. I think you’re quite pretty, it’s just that I’m the only goblin here who sees a drow as anything but an outsider.”

  “And they hate outsiders,” Plum sighed. “There goes my chance at an interesting night here.”

  “Oi! Orc! Get up! It’s time you and I had a proper match!” Srixa called out. She held her spear in one hand and a dagger in the other.

  “Ah, this bitch,” Tauri muttered to herself. “I’m beginning to really hate that friend of yours.”

  “She’s not my friend though,” Stryg said offhandedly. His list of friends was quite small and it did not involve anyone from the Blood Fang Tribe. Still, he didn’t want to see Srixa dead either.

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  “I said get up, orc!” Srixa stomped towards them.

  Tauri snarled and began to channel orange mana into her veins.

  Srixa pointed her spear at Plum, “Get out of my way, drow! Or I’ll mess up that beautiful face of yours!”

  Plum’s eyes widened. She turned to Stryg with a triumphant grin, “You see that! She called me beautiful! Hah, I'm not ugly, in your face!”

  “I never said you were ugly,” Stryg sighed.

  “So you’re just going to ignore the part where she just threatened to disfigure you?” Tauri said dryly.

  “Meh, Stryg used to threaten to bite my face off all the time. You get used to it,” Plum shrugged.

  “Why are you all ignoring me!?” Srixa yelled angrily.

   “Be quiet, Srixa!” First Mother’s voice cut through the chattering of everyone nearby.

  The goblins sitting amongst the bonfires shut their mouths and stared at First Mother fearfully.

  Srixa’s face paled. She hurriedly dropped her weapons and bowed her head.

  First Mother slapped her across the cheeks so hard Srixa toppled over, stunned.

  First hissed at her, “The chieftain explicitly stated that Stryg and his companions are under the safety of our tribe. Are you actually trying to break that oath? Do you think I’d allow you to bring dishonor to our tribe?”

  “Forgive me, First Mother, I did not mean to—"

  First slammed her foot on Srixa’s rib cage over and over. Several audible cracks resounded in the quiet night. Srixa gasped painfully and coughed up blood as the kicks rained down on her. Finally, First stopped and rolled Srixa over with her foot.

  First looked down at her with cold eyes, “Get out of my sight.”

  Srixa nodded weakly and tried to stand. Her arms trembled with strain and she collapsed on the ground. The other goblins watched, with a mixture of pity, but none moved to help. They all knew the consequences of standing in the way of First Mother’s wrath. Even Tauri winced in sympathy at the bloody mess the huntress had been left in.

  A pair of grey hands grabbed Srixa by the arm and helped her up.

  Srixa frowned in shock, “Y-You…?”

  Plum smiled hesitantly, “Can you stand?”

  “Get off me!” Srixa pushed her away. She turned to First Mother, bowed her head, then hobbled off into the darkness.

  First glanced at Plum, “You intervened in my tribe’s matters, drow. You do realize she was trying to kill your companion?”

  Plum stood her ground and glared at First, “Call me a fool, but I believe in mercy. Tauri can handle herself and Srixa had already stopped the moment you called her out. There was no reason to beat her half to death!”

  “The only reason Srixa is still breathing is because I showed her mercy,” First said coldly. “Any other First Mother would have killed her for such blatant disobedience to the chieftain’s decree. And for good reason. The hierarchy matters. Without it we have chaos.”

  “I see… It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the reason why Stryg has such messed up ideals,” Plum said.

  First narrowed her eyes, “Careful what you say. Or I will supersede the chieftain’s decree.”

  Plum shook her head in silent disgust. She sat back down reluctantly, though she stared daggers at First Mother the whole while.

  Finished with her business, First turned to leave, stopped, and instead sat down with them at the bonfire. She ignored Plum’s angry gaze and looked at Stryg, “Your friend does not know our ways. Teach her our rules before she gets herself killed.”

  “I won’t let anyone hurt my friends…” Stryg swallowed hard, “Not even you.”

  First’s lips curled in a small smile, “As it should be. The tribe protects each other... Even if that tribemate is a drow.” She glanced at Tauri annoyedly, “Or an orc for that matter.”

  Plum furrowed her brow. The way First Mother smiled was oddly reminiscent. There was something about it she couldn’t quite place.

  “Stryg, I need to speak to you over Jahn’s proposition regarding your role as the shaman of the tribe,” First said.

  He nodded, “Right, I—”

  “But before that, what is your exact relationship with these two women?” First asked.

  Plum and Tauri felt a shiver run up their spines as they noticed the dangerous look in the matriarch’s eyes.

  But Stryg did not. He smiled obliviously, “I—”

  “Stryg and I are friends, purely friends,” Plum interrupted him.

  Stryg nodded, “That’s true—”

  Tauri nodded, “So am I. We’re just friends—”

  “—Not true,” Stryg said.

  “What?” Tauri muttered in horror.

  “I like Tauri,” Stryg wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “I like her a lot.”

  “Idiot, this isn’t the time for your antics!” Tauri admonished with a whisper.

  First slowly cocked her head to the side, “Is she your woman?”

  “No, I’m not!” Tauri said and tried to push Stryg away. “And he is marrying my sister!”

  Stryg easily pulled her back into his embrace and cradled her in his arms. “I’d rather marry you,” he said lightly.

  “Eh…?” Tauri’s face darkened a shade redder. “You can’t just… You can’t just say something like that! It is not your decision to make! You’re already engaged to Elena! You have an alliance with my House!”

  “Well, technically if he’d marry you, he’d still be marrying into your House, and therefore the alliance would still stand…”

  “Plum, shut up!” Tauri snapped. “You can’t just break off your engagement!”

  Stryg slowly cocked his head to the side, “Why not?”

  “B-Because! There are rules!” Tauri yelled.

  He looked down at Tauri, their faces a hair’s breadth apart. “Do you not like me?” he asked in a quiet earnest voice.

  Tauri swallowed, “That’s…”

  “I don’t approve,” First said sharply.

  Stryg looked up, confused, “What?”

  “I don’t approve of your relationship with this woman. Whatever you have with her, I want it over, now,” First said.

  Stryg frowned, “Why?”

  “I have my reasons,” First said curtly.

  Tauri tried to get up, but Stryg’s arms held taut, so she simply shifted her body until she was sitting upright on his lap. “If I may, First Mother, I understand you’re the matriarch of this tribe and you helped raise Stryg. …More importantly, I understand why you’re distrustful of orcs, but you must know I wasn’t there 300 years ago. I had nothing to do with what happened to Lunis. You may not know me, but believe me I am not your enemy.”

  “Not my enemy…?” First smiled amusedly. “You are a Katag, are you not? A descendant of Katag the warlord, the orc who led his Scarlet Realm armies into the heart of Lunis and helped raze it to the ground.”

  Tauri bit her lip, “Yes, but… I didn’t… I wasn’t there.”

  “No, you weren’t, but you are still the child of our enemy.”

  “That doesn’t make me your enemy.”

  “We shall see.”

  A shout echoed in the distance. Everyone turned to the sudden commotion at the edge of the village square. First Mother swiftly stood up and stepped in front of Stryg and inadvertently Tauri.

  “What’s going on?” Stryg tried to crane his neck to the side to see, but both Tauri and First Mother blocked his vision.

  Dozens of goblins rose to their feet, claws outstretched, ready for battle.

  A wolf rider walked into the village square, escorted by a pair of guards. The rider was adorned in grey fur leather and he sat upon a wolf of similar coloring.

  “A messenger from the Lunar Elect has arrived!” a goblin guard announced.