The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 284: He didn’t just go for a swim; he was the hurricane,

Their serious faces lightened up right away, formerly cold, worried expression disappeared completely.

"Arinya!" Fenric’s voice boomed across the valley, a grin splitting his handsome face. He looked ready to tackle a mountain now that he knew I was okay.

Noah stepped forward, his gaze locked on mine as Damar finally slowed to a halt in front of them and set me down. I barely had my feet on the ground before Noah swooped me into his arms ina tight hug.

"The cubs, the cubs!" I frantically reminded him before he flattened the basket of cubs into pancakes.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized, freeing me from the hug, and the cubs, who were already wide awake, breathed a funny sigh of relief that they didn’t become pancakes.

But Noah still didn’t let me down, gripping my shoulders as he checked me for injuries with frantic eyes.

"I’m so glad you’re back, and without a single scratch too." Noah breathed, his voice thick with relief.

"Well, I did stay out of danger," I said and looked back at Damar, catching his breath, the exhaustion getting to him. It worried me.

"I thought..." Noah spoke up, and I turned my gaze back to him to find him looking at me with soft eyes of relief. " I was about to tear that gate down and then come find you."

I smiled, knowing he was definitely capable of that.

"Well, I’m fine, and that’s all that matters. But we don’t have time for a reunion. We have a whole sea to save," I said.

"Why? What happened?"

"We found the mer folks," I reported, shaking my head. "But things aren’t looking good for them and the sea. We already came up with a solution, but for things to work out, I’ll need every single one of those sheep to start shedding their coats."

Fenric walked up, looking at a very damp, very tired Damar with a respectful nod.

"Damar looks like he went for a swim in a hurricane. What happened?"

"Ah, he didn’t just go for a swim; he was the hurricane," I said, giving Damar a proud look. "But now, we need the wool. All of it. Noah, tell the tribe. We’re going to shave them bald, and it’s to save their fish friends so they don’t have the privilege of complaining unless they don’t really care what happens to them."

Noah blinked, looking at me a little confused, but he knew I didn’t do useless things, so he looked at the flock of sheep behind him, then back at me. "I understand it’s important and it’s to save the mer folks, but little tiger, if the sheep tribe shaves off all their wool, they could freeze."

Ah!

I paused. That is something to consider, but Robin didn’t look like he was worried about freezing when I told him the plan earlier on. Maybe Noah was just too worried.

"Robin,"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that you’ll freeze without your wool?" I asked, but he shook his head.

"It is true that the wool on our backs keeps us warm, but we have a habit of shaving them off from time to time so they don’t overgrow. We can do without the wools on our back and rely on the warm cotton clothes we made for that period instead, so we don’t freeze."

"But right now," I said and glanced back. Aside from the clothes on their backs, they don’t have any spare after their village was razed. What will they do now?

I looked at Robin again, at the few sheep closest to him. They were scared and uncertain. They had already lost their homes, and now I was asking them to lose the last thing that made them feel secure.

Was I the bad person here?

The wind rolled down from the pass, cool and dry. It tugged lightly at the sheep’s coats and brushed against my damp sleeves. I felt the shift in the air, the quiet question hanging there.

If they gave up their wool now... what would protect them tonight?

Robin stepped forward before I could ask again.

"Our coats will definitely grow back," he said, louder this time so the flock could hear. "It does not serve as a weapon or shield, so we are not helpless without it. As for the cold, we will fight it with the clothes on our backs."

A few sheep murmured nervously. Robin made such a bold move, and his decision to sacrifice for the now was praiseworthy, but his bravery... not all sheep could follow in his footsteps.

Some looked toward the narrow pass where Garrow’s beasts still stood in a solid line, threatening to strike any beast that came any closer, watching us with their sly smile.

The Hyenas grinned with thin smiles, and wolves lowered their spears to point at us in order to seem more imposing.

They probably felt we weren’t attacking because we were scared of them, but honestly, they were just irrelevant at the moment.

I turned back to the flock and then decided to do one of those brave speeches that moved the crowd. I don’t know if I’m good at it; I never did it before, but I was confident in my own words and belief, and that was all that mattered.

"Fenric," I called as I handed the basket of cubs to Noah. "Put me on your shoulder."

Fenric had no idea what I was planning, but did not hesitate to pick me up from the floor and seat me on his shoulder. From here, I definitely seemed more imposing.

"Listen up!" I called out, and everyone raised their heads to look at me, including Noah’s loyalties.

I swallowed once, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

So this was what it felt like to stand above a crowd and have all their eyes waiting.

"I know what Robin just offered isn’t small," I began. "And I know some of you are afraid."

A few sheep lowered their heads slightly.

"You’ve already lost your homes. You’ve already been driven from your fields and nearly degraded to slaves, and livestock. Now we’re asking you to give up the very thing that keeps you warm."