23 Over The Garden Wall (1/2)
Rock, Stick, and Smoke walked up to Sun after the chief left and the retainers. Sun's actions baffled them, and they wanted answers. ”Why did you say that to the chief? You know full well that we can't hunt those wolves at our current state?” Smoke told Sun profusely. ”You just woke from your long sleep, and Rock is still recovering from his injuries.”
”Did you not hear what the chief said! He was going to kill the slaves and use their remains to feed us. Our mothers are slaves, Smoke. I had to do it to keep our mothers safe. What else could I do?”
”Anything but hunt the wolves! We could've just escaped with them,”
”And where will you go? We barely know the outside world, and most of them could barely walk. This is the only way.”
Smoke knows escaping is futile with the weather, but hunting those wolves pose an equally impossible task. But Sun did so much for them. He taught them how to fight, to read, and to learn to appreciate their mothers and the life they gave them. He took a deep breath and asked Sun, ”What's the plan then?”
”Stick,”
”Yes,” Stick answered.
”Do you still have those stinkbombs.”
”Yeah, I do.”
”Give us one of each, and you will take the rest. You will stay here and keep our mothers safe. Use your portion of the stinkbombs in any way you see fit, as long as they are safe.”
”Wait, what about you guys? Don't tell me you guys are going to hunt without me?”
”I need someone to stay here to protect in case the chief doesn't stand by his words. I need you here.”
Stick found it difficult to answer, but he agreed regardless. ”Ok, I'll stay here.”
”And how will Stick protect slaves?” Flute walked up to the brothers. ”Also, who gave stinkbomb? Cloud give that?”
”No,” Stick and Sun answered.
”Yes,” Rock replied by mistake. The brothers looked at Rock with an infuriated expression. ”Did I say something I shouldn't have?”
Flute laughed it off and told the brothers not to worry. She was willing to help the brothers protect their mothers and the other slaves. No one likes to eat them, not because of the taste but because it felt wrong. This surprised Sun since he witnessed Rock and Smoke kill and essentially ate some flesh of their mother during their rage-inducing hunger not so long ago. However, both of them feel guilty for it, which meant the act of eating slaves could be considered taboo. Though not as severely looked down upon, especially now.
Sun yelled out to the crowd hoping to garner support for their hunt, knowing they hate to eat the slaves. Sadly, no one replied to the call. The tribe's fear of dying between the wolves' teeth were far greater than their disgust of human flesh.
The brothers climbed up the hill to gather supplies. Salacity and his followers were also there preparing for their knives. Salacity saw the four of them and called out to them. ”Halflings, come here! Take this.” He handed Sun a red buckler shield. ”Sum kill wolf with shield. Sum use shield keep open wolf's mouth, then jabbed spear inside. Use it.”
Sun couldn't believe what is happening, Salacity is helping them. ”Thank you. I won't fail.”