Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 87: The ritual of veiling

"Let’s go get some binder-reed. We need to do it quickly and leave. There is something else I need to do after this." Visha said.

Kaelen nodded, following Visha. They arrived at the place where she had previously found the binder-reed and started collecting. She and Kaelen worked quickly.

They took a large patch of binder-reed. Most of the ones Visha took had roots. She wanted to try planting them when she went back. It didn’t take long for them to dig up the binder-reeds. After two hours, they stopped. They didn’t want the grotto to be without. So they didn’t take everything.

It would allow the grotto to replenish.

She left the grotto but stayed at the entrance. Before she left, she made sure to check and see if she had Whisperleaf. By some miracle, she was able to find one. She may have taken it to experiment with and forgotten about it.

The Whisperleaf didn’t have many functions. The main thing it is used for is a good night’s sleep because it soothes the mind.

Having received the information on the Ritual of Veiling, Vish started immediately. She crushed the whisperleaf and binder-root together, adding the spring water to create a thick, fragrant, grey-green paste.

With her finer she painted the symbol on the rock face surrounding the grotto. The symbol was a complex pattern of interlocking lines and closed loops.

The paste glowed. Then she placed her hand in the centre of the symbol and closed her eyes, focusing her spirit.

She willed the power to her palm. It glowed for a moment before quickly disappearing.

Visha opened her eyes. The grotto was gone.

Standing there, she saw the rock face, the grass, the moss, everything that should be there. The only thing she didn’t see was the entrance itself.

She felt the tension in her shoulders loosen. She smiled. She could feel that the grotto was still there. Only people in the tribe would be able to feel it.

For anyone else, it was solid rock. It wasn’t anything important. No matter how many times people scouted, they would never be able to find it.

She turned to Kaelen. She didn’t mention anything about what she had just done. When she went back to the pack, she would speak to Uri and Xeno about it.

There was one other thing she needed to do as well. Something they should have done the moment they agreed to become a pack. At first, she thought there was no need for it, especially after the blessing she had done. But now, with this secret hanging over her head, she needed to find time change a few things in the pack.

The flight back to the cave was heavy. Not only did she now have a large secret that would affect her life. She had to deal with Kael and Heta.

She offered them a chance to come back with her. It was yet another choice Heta had to make.

Visha scoffed as she thought about it. If the system hadn’t asked her to do it, she would have left them to fend for themselves. She learned her lesson a long time ago that you can’t turn back time. Every choice you make is one that will shape your future, whether for good or bad.

Kaelen landed silently close to the cave. His eyes turned in a direction close to the cave. "The scent of the two people has faded."

Visha made a sound to say she understood.

They walked towards the cave. Before they left, the tension between them was already thick; now that she has returned, it feels suffocating. Kael was pacing while Heta sat huddled by a dying fire.

There was no greeting or small talk. As soon as she walked into the cave, she spoke. "The two people you were arguing with, who were they?"

Kael stopped his pacing. His lips curled into a snarl. "Why should it matter to you? We aren’t a part of your pack."

"Don’t tell me that. I have said it before, it was her own choice. She chose to stay," Visha countered. "I’ve offered you a part in our pack that is also your choice, but I will not accept people who will betray me."

Visha stepped forward, her eyes ablaze. "Now tell me, were they from the Tiger tribe?"

Kael’s jaw tightened; he refused to answer. It was Heta who answered instead, "Yes."

Kael shot her a frustrated look. "They found us early this morning. I normally go hunting early. This morning, I was helping Heta, and they came up to us."

"They weren’t here to welcome you back." It was a statement. Visha knew that they wouldn’t welcome them back.

"They had been watching. Hoping we would lead them to whatever you all were hiding," Heta said. "But I have no idea what it is."

"When they saw you," Kael continued, "they wanted to make a deal with us."

Visha’s face went blank. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She knew what they wanted, but she wanted to hear him say it.

Kael met her gaze, his eyes unwavering, "They offered us a deal. The first was to find out your secret. If you were willing to tell us, they would allow us back into the tribe. If we couldn’t get the secret from you, then we should capture you." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He took a step forward. "They offered to name me an elite warrior. They offered the best food, a good place to live, the power to make changes...everything we don’t have now."

The Tiger tribe hadn’t just cast them out. They were playing the long game. If Heta remembered, she would be welcomed. She was a tool. She wasn’t even considered a person.

They wanted to use the one thing that beastmen without packs wanted. A place of belonging. They would dangle it over her head like meat and watch her work herself into a frenzy, only to pull it away.

"So the same tribe that cast you out, offered you a way back in." The statement was simple, but it found the essence.

"So what was your decision?"