The signs of winter's retreat were all around us; the steady drip-drip of melting snow, the slight increase in temperature, the hints of green poking through the frost. I was walking on a thin, icy path, noting the changes, the emergence of a world waking up from its long, cold slumber. It was finally happening. The end of winter was here.

Walking around our tribe, I pondered over the tasks that lay ahead. There was so much I wanted to do, to teach, to create. One idea sparked another and soon my mind was a whirl of thoughts and plans. I needed a way to keep track of the days. A calendar of sorts. And not just the days, but the time of day as well. Perhaps a sundial? It didn't sound too hard in theory. All I needed was a stick to cast a shadow and a circular dial to measure the shadow’s length. I decided to make this my project for the day.

Just as the sun started to rise, coloring the sky with shades of orange and pink, I spotted Liora getting ready to leave the tribe. The woven basket in her hand told me she was about to go foraging. As I approached her, I called out.

"Liora," I said, causing her to turn towards me.

"Good morning, Tak," she replied, her voice warm.

"I was thinking we could explore further down the stream today. See if we can find any new fruits or vegetables. You up for it?" I asked.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sounds like an adventure. Let’s do it. Maybe we should bring Enara too?" she suggested.

I considered her words. Enara, one of the Wulani survivors, was a pleasant young woman. She was also quite adept at foraging and could prove useful. "Alright," I agreed.

As we started our walk through the tribe, I asked Liora about her relationship with the Wulani. She admitted that while the language barrier was still there, things had gotten better.

"Still can't understand half of what they say, but we're getting there. And you're right about the kids. They seem to understand each other better than we do," she laughed.

It was true. The younger ones adapted faster, their minds like sponges, soaking in the new language and culture. It gave me hope.

As we neared Enara's hut, Liora called out her name. A young woman emerged, her long black hair flowing down her back, her azure eyes sparkling in the morning light. She held a basket in her hands, and when she saw us, a smile spread across her face.

I tried my best to greet her in Wulian. Though her smile grew wider and she responded enthusiastically, I was aware that I had a lot to learn. Despite the challenges, I found myself looking forward to the day's exploration.

We left the tribe behind, following the river downstream. It was a beautiful morning, the sun spreading its warm light across the landscape, turning the lingering frost into droplets of dew. The rush of the river was a pleasant backdrop to our walk, and the air was rich with the scent of moist earth.

As we walked, Liora turned to me, her emerald eyes shining with curiosity. "How are Maeve and Zulu doing?" she asked.

"They're doing well," I replied. "I woke up to an empty hut this morning. My guess is Maeve is probably with Aisling helping with the herbs. And Zulu, well, he could be anywhere. That boy has a knack for disappearing when there's work to be done," I added with a chuckle.

Upon hearing our exchange, Enara tried to repeat the names, her tongue stumbling over the unfamiliar syllables. "Mae...ve? Zulu?" she said, the effort visible on her face.

I nodded and repeated their names slowly, pointing to myself as I said, "Maeve, Zulu, my siblings."

Her azure eyes lit up as comprehension dawned on her. "Ah, Maeve, Zulu. Still hard..." she said, her words broken and heavy with the unfamiliar tongue. But she was making progress, and that was encouraging.

We continued our journey downstream until I spotted a potentially good spot by the riverside. The ground was a bit muddier than the surroundings, and I hoped that we might find clay there. I stopped and knelt down, digging my hands into the earth.

Enara looked on, a confused expression on her face. "Tak, what... doing?" she asked, her voice wavering on the unfamiliar words.

I looked up and smiled, "Looking for clay, Enara. Clay," I repeated the word, holding up a handful of the moist, pliable earth for her to see.

Understanding flashed in her eyes, and she nodded vigorously. As we resumed our search, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. We were learning from each other, growing together.

Through the crisp morning air, with the river humming its steady tune beside us, we journeyed onward.

We had ventured a fair distance downstream when Liora and Enara let out exclamations of delight, pointing at the sight of a few fallen apples near the riverbank. The sight brought a smile to my face. It was the first real sign of the impending spring we'd seen.

“Should we venture deeper into the woods?” I suggested. “We might find more apple trees there.”

Liora and Enara glanced at each other and then at me, nods of agreement on their faces. And so, baskets in hand, we trekked into the forest. As we moved away from the gentle gurgle of the river, the sound of rustling leaves under our feet and the sporadic calls of awakening wildlife became our new soundtrack.

Upon entering the denser part of the forest, we were met with a sight that brought gasps from us all – a grove of apple trees, their branches heavy with fresh, ripe apples. The women’s eyes lit up at the sight, their earlier excitement heightened.

We set about picking apples, the rhythm of our movements harmonious as we filled our baskets. Liora and Enara were lively, their laughter echoing in the grove, their joy infectious. I found myself joining in their mirth, forgetting for a moment the challenges that lay ahead.

Soon enough, our baskets were brimming with fresh apples. Liora and Enara, their faces flushed with the thrill of their find, announced their plan to return to the tribe.

“Tak, we’re going back. Our baskets are full,” Liora said, her eyes sparkling with the day’s success.

I nodded. “All right. I think I'll stay out a bit longer, though. I want to see where the river leads.”

They nodded in understanding, and with cheerful waves, they left, their voices growing faint as they moved away. I watched them go, their figures becoming one with the shadows of the forest, until I was alone.

The forest around me was waking up, the sounds of the wild more apparent now. The river, I noted, had widened somewhat, the gentle gurgle now a robust flow. I felt a sense of peace settle within me as I moved towards it, my mind a whirlpool of thoughts.

I had an idea, a vision for the future of the Ashaya and Wulani. But it was one thing to dream and another to bring those dreams to life.

Sunlight bounced off the surface of the river, creating a mirrored surface that reflected the sky above. I followed the path of the river, my eyes trained on the waters' flow when something unusual caught my attention. A flash of reflected light from the riverbank flickered, different from the silver shimmer of the river itself. It was an almost brownish hue, interwoven with streaks of green.

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Intrigued, I moved closer, my gaze zeroed in on the source of the reflection. There, half-buried in the damp soil was a rock, or so it seemed at first glance. Yet, its unique coloration and the way it reflected the sunlight suggested otherwise. I kneeled beside it, my curiosity piqued.

Leaving the object momentarily, I went in search of a sturdy stick, scanning the riverbank until I found a suitable one. Returning to the mysterious find, I began to carefully dig around it, the soil yielding under the makeshift tool. The rock was larger than it had first appeared, buried deep within the earth. As I managed to clear the dirt around it, more of the strange stone came into view.

The afternoon sun made the object glisten, revealing a complex pattern of brownish-gold and green lines cracked across its surface. Holding the object, I turned it around in my hands, inspecting it. I pondered aloud, "Could this be... gold?"

But even as I voiced the question, I found myself shaking my head. This didn't quite match the pictures of gold nuggets I'd seen before. The greenish hue that streaked the stone reminded me of something else, something that I'd seen back in my world.

I squinted at the object, my mind racing. The brownish gold surface, the green streaks, it was a pattern I'd seen before but not on gold. It was the color that pennies turned after prolonged exposure. My eyes widened as realization dawned on me, "Could this be... copper?"

Copper was an essential element for any budding civilization. It was one of the first metals to be discovered and used by human societies because it could be easily shaped and did not need the extreme heat required by other metals to be formed into tools and weapons.

The thought of having potentially found a source of copper left me exhilarated. The implications were immense. This could be the first step towards a new stage of development for the Ashaya and Wulani. My heart pounded in my chest at the thought.

The landscape around me held a wealth of hidden riches. As I dug around the copper rock, more and more of the same mineral appeared to be embedded in the earth. My heart pounded with the potential that lay in the soil beneath me. However, without proper tools or help, it was a task too large to handle alone. I made a mental note to return later with assistance and better tools for the job.

For now, I turned my attention back to the path leading towards the tribe. As I walked, my thoughts wandered back to the meandering river that had led me to this unexpected find. I wondered about its origins, its final destination, and just how far it stretched. But with an existing list of tasks at hand, I decided it best to focus on one problem at a time.

As I neared the tribe, my eyes fell upon a distinctively different patch of soil. It was smoother and lighter in color compared to the surrounding earth. Moving closer, I could see it was a patch of clay mud, just the thing I needed for my next project.

Quickly, I emptied my basket, scooping the clay into it. As I held it in my hands, I could see how it could easily be molded into a sun dial, smaller and more portable than a stone one. Plus, the soft nature of the clay would allow for easy inscription of the numbers.

As I worked on the clay, absorbed in my thoughts, I heard soft laughter coming from behind me. Turning around, I found Liora and Enara approaching, their eyes twinkling with mirth as they watched me playing in the mud.

"Enjoying yourself, Tak?" Liora asked, a playful smile on her face.

I grinned back, "More than you know. This isn't just mud. It's clay."

Enara's face scrunched up in confusion. Her grasp of the Ashayan language was getting better, but certain words still puzzled her. I repeated the word, pointing to the clay in my hands, and she repeated it back, a hint of understanding dawning in her eyes.

"Can... be used... making some... thing?" Enara asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

I nodded, a grin tugging at my lips, "Yes, it can be. We can use it to track the time of day, amongst other things."

Their intrigued faces made me smile.

"Track the time?" Liora asked me as she observed the clay I was shaping.

"Yes, track it," I pointed to the sun that hovered above us. "If I make this right we can use it to tell what time of the day it is. How much sunlight is left before it becomes night. I'm hoping we can manage our time better with it." I admitted.

Liora seemed to understand what I was talking about, but Enara was still utterly confused. I spoke fast when I should have went slower for her. So, I explained again this time mixing words as best I could between my lanugage and the one she spoke.

We stood at the river's edge, our chatter silenced by the sight across the water. Four figures appeared, their silhouettes standing out against the bright reflection of the sun on the river. A momentary hush fell over us as we watched them, the two men carrying spears - their menacing aura evident even from this distance.

"Do you recognize them, Enara?" I asked, my voice low. I kept my gaze steady on the figures, my hands tightening around the clump of clay in my basket.

Enara squinted, her azure eyes narrowed as she studied the strangers across the water. After a moment, she shook her head, "No... Wulani."

Liora, who had been standing in silence, her gaze bouncing between Enara and me, piped up, "Who could they be?"

I shook my head, my eyes never leaving the distant figures. "I don't know. But it's better if we don't stick around to find out."

I motioned towards the dense forest that stood behind us. "We should head back through the forest. It will be harder for them to track us if we're concealed by the trees."

Liora's eyes widened, and she quickly nodded in agreement. Enara looked at me, her brows furrowing in confusion. She struggled with the word 'concealed', and I took a moment to explain, using simple gestures and slower words. The understanding lit her eyes, and she too agreed with the plan.

Without wasting another moment, we moved swiftly towards the cover of the forest. Each step we took was careful and measured, making sure to not alert the strangers across the river. As we entered the green canopy, I took one last look over my shoulder. The figures were still there, oblivious to our presence. With a final nod, I turned around, leading the way deeper into the forest.

Our walk back to the tribe was tense, the usual chatter and laughter replaced by silence. Every rustle of the leaves, every snap of a twig made us halt in our steps. But as the familiar sights of the tribe came into view, the weight lifted from our shoulders.

"We made it," I whispered, looking back at Liora and Enara.

"Yes, we did," Liora replied, a small smile curving her lips.

Enara simply nodded, her eyes wide with relief. We had returned safely, and that's what mattered.

As we moved further into the heart of our tribe, the sight of the strangers across the river remained etched in my mind. Who were they? Why were they there? And most importantly, did they pose a threat to us?

Only time would answer these questions. For now, our focus was to keep the tribe safe, no matter what it took. As we continued our day, the need for a better form of protection grew within me. A wall, a fortress, weapons - our tribe needed all of it.

One step at a time, I reminded myself. We would deal with one problem at a time. And together, we would face whatever was to come.

As we neared the heart of our tribe, the laughter of children and conversations of adults welcomed us - a stark contrast to the tense silence that had accompanied us throughout our journey back. Liora and Enara seemed to relax at the familiarity of our surroundings, their steps growing more assured with each passing moment.

"I need to speak with Mako," I said, breaking the silence that had enveloped us.

Enara cocked her head to the side, a frown creasing her brow. "Mako?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. I realized then that she was still getting used to the changes within our tribe, the shift of power that had taken place.

"Yes," I nodded, a soft smile pulling at the corners of my mouth, "Chief Mako."

Liora, who had been silent for a while, looked at me, her hazel eyes reflecting her understanding. "I'll take Enara to the others," she said, gesturing to our fellow tribe members busy with their daily tasks. "You go, talk to Mako."

I nodded in gratitude, thankful for her understanding and quick thinking. Turning to Enara, I said, "Liora will take you back. I'll see you later."

Enara gave a small nod, her eyes still filled with questions. But she said nothing, choosing instead to follow Liora.

As I watched them walk away, I couldn't help but admire their strength and courage. Both had faced unexpected changes in their lives, yet they carried on, never faltering. With a renewed sense of determination, I turned on my heel and made my way towards Mako's hut.

Mako was our new chief, having taken over the position after a series of unforeseen events. He wasn't as wise as Akara, but he was strong, and had a keen understanding of the ways of our world. I knew he would listen to my concerns and act accordingly.

Upon reaching his hut, I called out to him, "Mako!"

A moment later, Mako appeared in the doorway, his gaze questioning as he looked at me. I gave him a nod of acknowledgment before saying, "I need to speak with you. It's important."

Without a word, Mako stepped aside, granting me entry. As I walked into his hut, I couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. The knowledge of the strangers across the river weighed heavily on my mind, their intentions unknown.

As I shared the day's events with Mako, I saw his face harden, his eyes reflecting the concern that mirrored my own. He listened attentively, occasionally asking questions or clarifying certain details. By the time I finished, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over our tribe.

"I see," Mako finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen over us. His gaze was thoughtful, his hands clasped together in contemplation. "This is something we need to take seriously."

I nodded, glad to see that he shared my concerns.