Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 44: The Chief and the priest

While the three observed, locked in each other’s embrace, someone was watching them.

The tribe leader, Jorun, and the priest Zeek, who have yet to give Visha their names.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, an old habit. A show of their dynamic.

They look out at the people in their tribe.

"They eat as if they’ve never been full," said Jorun.

"They haven’t. At least, not for a while. Let them have their fun." Zeek responded. "They’ve found new food. For tonight, they can eat their fill. Tomorrow is another day we need to search."

Jorun’s eyes slid from his people to the trio sitting together. Uri sat on a large stone in a relaxed but alert posture. Visha sat beside him, leaning on Xeno. Xeno’s arm wrapped around her.

The three sat together, laughing among themselves.

The tribe leader frowned slightly, "Xeno never smiled like that before."

The priest nodded in agreement.

The behaviour they were seeing in Xeno wasn’t something they had seen previously. They were aware that he was averse to the females in the tribe. He did not try to form a mating pair with them.

They knew of his friend outside the tribe. The one-armed man.

They knew they had trouble during the winter. The last time they saw that man, he had both arms.

It seemed that although they had trouble, they were able to pass the latter part of the winter with ease. They looked between the group that came with Xeno and their own people.

The difference was evident.

"They centre around the young female," Jorun stated.

"They do," Zeek agreed. "Xeno never looked at females in the tribe like he does her. They may have both partnered with her."

"Sharing a female? No male would want to do that. Our instincts wouldn’t allow it," the Tribe Leader said. Yet as they looked at the trio, they could not deny the fact that they looked like three partners.

The possessive way Xeno touched her waist. Uri’s smile and the way he leaned in to her as she spoke. Even Visha’s unintentional touches showed they were all partners.

The priest spoke, "That is their choice. It’s not that we haven’t seen it before. Someone always ends up getting hurt. It is their own choice. Afterall, they are no longer a part of the tribe."

Jorun glanced at the people from Visha’s group. He watched them interacting with his tribe.

"They aren’t a part of the tribe now. But what if we take them back? Plus the three newcomers."

The priest shook his head, "They already have a leader. The one-armed man, Xeno’s friend, who used to stay outside the tribe."

"Leader?" he sneered. "Who would want a rogue leading their tribe? They don’t even act as a tribe would."

"True. There seems to be no hierarchy, no visible dominant structure. But it works. So far, no one has been able to find anything out of the ordinary. No matter what they ask, they all give the same answer. Even Heta, who wants to return." Zeek’s gaze scanned the group.

"I don’t like it," the tribe leader huffed.

"You rarely like anything you can’t control."

"What do you think about her? The young female." The tribe leader chose to ignore the priest’s statement.

"There is something strange about her," Zeek said.

"You should be able to see it with your powers as a priest," he noted.

"Yes, that’s why I find it strange. Every one of them, except Heta, seems to be out of my reach." He watches the trio interact. "There has never been a time I have not been able to see through someone. Yet here we are."

The shock hit like a physical blow. Jorun didn’t think it was possible for Zeek to be unable to see through someone. He can see a person’s spirit, their hopes, fears, and loyalties. It’s because of his power that he has been able to keep the tribe from tearing itself apart.

"It’s strange. I cannot see through them. They do not look like a tribe but operate as such. In terms of physical dominance, Xeno has the best chance of being their leader. But instead, they chose a rogue. The group is an enigma to me now." He paused before continuing. "The couple, I don’t see anything from them. Completely blank."

The tribe leader looked over to where Zeek had nodded. He looked at the young couple. The female, laughing with other females, as her partner stands beside her.

He doesn’t make a move to speak to anyone. His gaze follows her, yet his body is alert.

"Blank?!" Jorun exclaimed

Zeek nodded. Turning his gaze back to the trio, "Perceiving them is also a challenge. They aren’t blank. But I also cannot read them as individuals. If I try to read one, I have to try to read all three. And trying to read all three is like staring into a void."

The tribe leader opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He couldn’t figure out what to say. Everything the priest has said sounded impossible.

They came to the tribe, healthy and strong. There is something they aren’t saying. The tribe leader’s eyes hardened.

"We need them to stay," Jorun stated. His word heavy with finality.

"How do you propose we do that?" Zeek asked, his eyes boring into him.

"What do you see in the others?" Jorun asked, not answering his question.

Zeek’s eyes roamed the group, speaking with their Tiger tribe people. "I also cannot read them, but it’s not like the other five, where I get nothing. For them, it’s as if something is blocking my power."

"So you weren’t able to read them earlier? How did you get them to stay the night?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I didn’t read them with my gift, I read them with my eyes. They had been part of our tribe before. Now, they are willing to accompany Heta and bring her back. They must have longed for friends and family, so I expected them to want to stay for a night."

Jorun smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Then we can get them to stay by using those friends and family."

The priest shook his head, "If they truly see the young man as their leader, they will not stay."

"We can offer them land. What person doesn’t want to stay close to their friends and family? If not land, then protection. If not that, then alliance. Keep them close, keep them under our thumb."

"They might refuse," he deadpanned.

"Only a fool would refuse," Jorun scoffed.

"You may have met such fools." He stood up, about to leave. "Let’s wait until tomorrow. We will see if you can get them to stay. If they don’t, there is still Heta. She may be unsure now, but her determination is to stay with the Tribe."