"Enough…" Ivar muttered, shoving the cubs away from his face. He rubbed his eyes and let out a long, resigned sigh. He had planned to stay in bed the whole morning, but it seemed the cubs had other plans. He couldn't help but wonder if bringing them with him had been a mistake.
He glanced at them. They stared back, small ears twitching, their eyes almost accusing after being pushed away. He snorted softly. "What're ye two lookin' at?"
He pushed himself up from the furs and swept his gaze around the tent. Nothing was out of place. Good.
Rising fully, he stretched his limbs, feeling the lingering stiffness from yesterday ease slightly. His qi had already recovered, thanks to his cultivation still being at the second level of body cultivation. His dantian had yet to expand fully from its meager size, which meant it only took a few hours of cultivation to replenish his reserves.
He had taken the time to cultivate last night before returning to sleep, making sure he had enough in reserve in case anything unexpected arose. Thankfully, nothing happened. He made his way to the meat pile and cut two portions, tossing them down in front of the cubs. They pounced on it at once.
"Eat yer fill," he said, watching them for a moment. "Ye'll need it fer what's comin'."
A faint, almost cruel glint passed through his eyes as he said that. Whether the cubs understood or not, they didn't stop eating. Only after making sure they had enough did he turn away. He strode toward the fur flap, pushed it aside, and stepped out into the cold morning air.
"Mornin'."
Ivar nearly jumped and kicked the boy sitting beside his tent the moment he heard the greeting. Fortunately, he stopped his leg just in time, his foot halting inches from the boy's head.
"F*ck…" Ivar muttered under his breath. He lowered his leg and gave Boroq a sharp knock on the head. "What're ye doin' here? I almost kicked yer skull in just now. Don't ye ever do that again."
Poor Boroq clutched his head, looking utterly confused. He hadn't expected that reaction at all. He had only meant to greet him.
"M… sorry," he muttered quietly.
Ivar exhaled, the tension from the sudden scare easing out of him. "What're ye doin' here anyway?"
"Ulf had me stay here all night," Boroq said, still rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. "Said I should keep watch. In case anyone tried t' come near an' disturb yer sleep."
Ivar paused, then scratched the side of his ear, a little awkward now. "…Oh."
It seemed Ulf had understood that he didn't want to be disturbed last night and had assigned one of their own to guard his tent. Ivar nodded to Boroq after a moment, then quickly changed the subject. "Ye don't have t' guard me tent anymore. Go get some sleep."
Boroq's face lit up at once. He stretched and let out a loud yawn. "Aye. Finally." Without another word, he turned and trudged off toward his tent.
Ivar watched him go, a faint smile tugging at his lips, before his gaze shifted around his own tent. The gathering from the night before had left its mark, scattered ashes, trampled snow, bits of bone and refuse left behind.
He frowned slightly at the mess but didn't linger on it. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
He hadn't gone far when he spotted his band gathered at their usual place near the edge of the hollow. They were already awake, some sitting, some standing, speaking among themselves.
Ivar slowed for a brief moment, then continued toward them.
Along the way, some of the clansmen greeted him, while others avoided his gaze altogether. He nodded to those who greeted him and paid no mind to the rest. He hadn't quite felt what had changed yet, not fully, not since being named chieftain the night before, but one thing was certain. He had become the center of attention.
He could feel it in the way eyes followed him, in the quiet glances, in the hushed voices that fell silent when he passed. The weight of it was almost… ticklish. Annoying. Still, he brushed the feeling aside and kept walking. It didn't take long before he reached his band, and they greeted him at once.
"Mornin', Ivar!"
"How's our chieftain, eh?"
"How'd ye sleep, Ivar?"
"Did ye eat?"
"Mornin'," Ivar greeted them all, answering their questions one by one, sometimes with a light laugh, and sometimes with a glare that quickly silenced whoever asked something he didn't like. Still, he liked the way that not much had changed since last night. After finishing his greetings, he made his way toward Ulf, Torren, and Haldor, who were sitting close together at one corner.
"What're ye three talkin' about?" he asked as he approached, then sat down on a rock near them.
"Ye becomin' the chieftain!" Haldor replied energetically. "We knew it was comin'! Didn't think it'd come this fast, though." He grinned, then suddenly frowned. "An' me food. Where's me food?"
Ivar chuckled faintly. "Ye can take from me portion once ye've finished all o' yers. But ye'll have t' pay me back."
Haldor pouted at that and fell silent.
Torren leaned forward slightly from beside him. "Ulf said ye plan t' leave. What's he talkin' about? We turned in early after yer fight, so we don't know what happened after."
Ivar glanced at Ulf, who gave a small nod. Ivar returned it in understanding. He knew he had to explain things now. Better now than later. So he began. "Aye. I'm leavin' the clan. Not today, but soon… maybe a moon from now. Maybe more. But I'm truly leavin'."
Haldor couldn't help but stare at him. His earlier sulking vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "But why? Ye've just become chieftain. Why leave all this behind?"
Ivar met each of their eyes before letting out a quiet sigh, his gaze drifting to nothing in particular.
"I want t' see what's beyond the snow," he said. "I've seen enough o' this place. Snow, hunger, long winters that last fer years… always wonderin' if we'll have somethin' t' eat on the morrow. I'm done with that."
He paused, then looked back at Ulf, Torren, and finally Haldor. "I want t' find out if there's a place where I don't have t' worry 'bout winter comin'. A place with plenty o' food, where ye don't have t' worry every day about what ye'll eat next. Somewhere ye don't have t' fear dyin' before spring ever comes."
His gaze lifted toward the sky beyond the hollow, his voice calm but firm.
"I don't even know if such a place exists," he admitted. "But I'll find out."
Haldor no longer looked like he was thinking about food. Torren's brows were drawn tight, while Ulf simply studied Ivar, as if weighing out every word.
"I'll escort those who want t' leave the clan first," Ivar continued. "After that… I go south. Beyond the Wall. Maybe further. Wherever the road takes me."
He paused, then looked at them directly.
"I won't force any o' ye," he said. "But I'm askin' now."
His gaze lingered on each of them in turn.
"Do ye want t' come with me on the journey?"
The three of them fell quiet after his question, exchanging glances with one another. No one spoke at first.
Ivar said nothing more. He leaned back slightly, relaxing his posture as he waited. It wasn't a decision he could make for them, and it wasn't one that needed to be rushed. For all its weight, the answer was simple.
Stay… or leave. And their answers didn't take long.
Ulf was the first to move. He straightened, his gaze steady as it met Ivar's. "I'll come," he said without hesitation. "Ain't much left fer me here anyway. If there's somethin' better out there… I want t' see it."
Ivar gave a small nod, as if he had expected that answer. Ulf had always been the closest to him, and he had little holding him to the clan.
Torren stayed silent a moment longer. His eyes dropped to the ground, his thoughts turning inward. He hesitated, just for a breath, before lifting his head again.
"I'll come too," he said. "I don't want t' hear yer name being spoken in the future without me in it."
Ivar nodded again, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Then the three of them turned to Haldor.
"I…" Haldor started, then stopped. He glanced away, toward the tents.
"I need t' think on it," he muttered. "If I leave… me ma an' me sister… they might not make it. Not without me."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Ivar let out a soft chuckle under his breath. Of course. He had expected nothing less from Haldor who was already dancing at the palm of his Ma.
Still, he nodded and said simply. "Aye. Think on it. But don't take too long, we might leave sooner than expected."
Haldor looked at him with misty eyes, as if he might cry. "Aye… I'll have me answer before ye leave."
Torren opened his mouth, about to persuade him, but Ivar cut him off.
"Enough, Torren. Let him decide on his own," Ivar said, his tone firm as he shot him a glance. "Else he'll regret it later an' blame us fer it."
He then turned back to Ulf and Torren. "Now that I know ye two are comin' with me, I want ye t' start preparin'. Gather what we'll need fer the journey."
He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Also, divide the band into two. Four days from now, send 'em out t' hunt. Now that I'm chieftain, we might as well provide meat fer the clan, but not fer free."
A faint smirk crossed his face. "Make sure ye get somethin' in return. Roots, wild fruits… or have 'em clean the hides an' our tents. Aye?"
Both Ulf and Torren nodded.
Satisfied, Ivar continued giving out instructions, telling them to ask the rest of the band who wished to join the journey, along with a few other matters, before finally standing up and brushing the snow from his clothes.
Haldor raised his hand hesitantly. "What about me? What should I do?"
Ivar smirked. "Think about yer answer first. Once ye've got one, come find me, an' I'll give ye a task."
With that, he turned and walked off, nodding to the other members of his band as he passed. But he hadn't gone far before Hilde stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Heard ye're leavin'. Is that true?"
Ivar slowed and looked at her, a faint smile tugging on his face, then nodded. "Aye. Been plannin' t' leave fer a long time now." He paused before adding, "Do ye want t' come?"
He gestured toward where Ulf, Torren, and Haldor were sitting. "Ulf an' Torren already said they'll come. Haldor's still thinkin' on it. What about ye?"
Hilde's gloomy expression slowly faded, replaced by a small smile, though it soon turned hesitant. "Could I really come?"
Ivar nodded. "Of course. Anyone in me band can come… so long as they don't slow me down."
Hilde glanced around the camp, as if searching for something, or someone, that might hold her back. Finding none, she looked back at him, her expression firm.
"Alright," she said. "I'll come. When're we leavin'?"
Ivar smiled faintly. "Soon. I've already given Ulf an' Torren all of yer tasks. Ask 'em about it."
With that, he stepped past her and continued on his way.
Since he had already decided to bring anyone from his band who wished to come, along with Freya and Ylva, he hadn't bothered counting numbers yet. He would deal with that when the time to depart came.
Instead of returning to his own tent, he made his way toward Ylva's and Freya's, which stood side by side. Lucky for him, he found them both outside their tent, deep in conversation.
He quickened his pace, and as he drew near, he called out, "What're ye two talkin' about?"
Freya looked startled, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't, while Ylva remained calm, offering Ivar a small smile.
"Nothin'," Ylva said. "Just talkin' about what we'll do from now on, since we'll be leavin' soon. Do ye need somethin' from us?"
Ivar frowned slightly, glancing between the two of them before answering. "Aye. I do."
He paused, then continued. "I know part o' bein' chieftain is settlin' disputes in the clan. I don't have the time fer that. So I want ye two t' handle it instead."
He shifted his gaze between them again. "Ye've both done it before, back when Bjorn an' me ma were still around, so I figured ye'd be the best ones fer it. Only fer the time I'm still chieftain, o' course."
He folded his arms. "What d'ye think?"
Freya snorted. "That's it? O' course we will. Ye don't know how satisfyin' it is t' settle matters with ye at the center. Ahh… I'd almost forgotten that feelin'."
Ylva, standing beside her, raised a brow. "An' what'll ye be doin' while we're slavin' away settlin' disputes fer ye, Ivar?"
Satisfied with their response, Ivar smiled faintly and answered, "Preparin' fer the journey, o' course. There's much t' be done. I won't be lingerin' here any longer." He paused, then added, "I've still got somethin' t' do inside me tent."
He was about to leave when his stomach suddenly growled. He glanced down, then looked at Freya. "Do ye have any cooked food left?"
"O' course I do," Freya replied at once. "But not fer free."
"I've got meat in me tent," Ivar said. "Why don't ye take it an' cook me meals from now on? Yer always cookin' fer me anyways."
Freya's eyes lit up. "Really? I can have all the meat ye hunt?"
Ivar nodded. "Aye. But ye cook fer me from now on. An' I'll check me stores every now an' then, t' make sure ye're not cheatin'. Ye can take a share fer yerself, o' course. What d'ye think?"
Freya didn't hesitate. "Deal." She turned at once. "Let me get the food first. I'll come t' yer tent after."
With that, she ducked into her tent.
Ylva chuckled softly, watching her go before turning back to Ivar. "An' what about me? No meat fer me as well?"
Ivar thought for a moment, then recalled something. "I've got a shadowcat hide I don't have time t' work on. Can ye turn it into a cloak fer me? I'll pay ye with meat."
Ylva's smile widened. "Aye, I can handle that. We'll go t' yer tent together then."
A moment later, Freya returned with food and handed it to him. Ivar took a bite of the roasted meat and found it still good enough. With that, he led them both to his tent. Once inside, he handed the meat over to Freya and the hide to Ylva. They didn't linger long and left soon after.
Ivar finished his meal, then washed his hands and mouth in the basin. Only when he was satisfied that the grease was gone did he sit on the lone stool inside his tent. His gaze drifted to the cubs lying on his furs. He studied them for a moment before muttering, "Now it's yer turn… Let's see if ye survive."
He hadn't taken the cubs with him on a whim. He wanted to test a method, one he could use at his current level, to form a bond with them. It was crude, dangerous, and costly. One of the most primitive techniques a cultivator could attempt as it required his blood essence to work.
Blood essence was among the most precious things a cultivator possessed, second only to the dantian. It carried one's spiritual imprint, will, and life force. To extract even a single drop would weaken the body and shorten one's vitality, if only slightly. That was why the technique was so rarely used, too costly for too little gain, at least in his previous life.
He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. In this world, however… things were different.
He had heard of skinchangers, both from the show he had watched in his first life and from the stories shared by his companions and elders, people who could slip into the minds of beasts, control them, and see through their eyes. The idea had intrigued him from the very beginning. In many ways, it was similar to the methods used by beastmasters in the cultivation world.
Unfortunately, he had never learned those techniques. They had been tightly guarded, reserved only for those within specific sects. What he knew instead was a crude, bastardized method, something he had come across out of idle curiosity in his second life.
Back then, it had seemed useless as it could only tame beasts at a basic level, strengthen their bodies slightly, and turn them into obedient companions. Nothing worth the cost of blood essence in a world where stronger cultivators could crush such beasts with a flick of a finger or just from a stare.
But here… Here, there were no such overwhelming powers, at least, none he had encountered yet.
Which meant… this technique might actually be useful. If it worked…. He didn't know whether the beasts in this world were the same as those in the cultivation world, but he could only gamble. A companion that would not betray him, one bound to him alone, obedient only to his will, was worth the price, in his opinion.
Ivar rose to his feet and began preparing everything he would need. Once he was done, he moved to the entrance and secured the fur flap, fastening the ropes tightly in place. He would be weak and disoriented for a time after the procedure, so he needed to make sure no one could disturb him. With that done, he walked back to the furs, where the cubs lay licking each other, and sat down cross-legged before them.
After settling himself, he closed his eyes and meditated for a moment, clearing his mind of all stray thoughts. When his breathing steadied, he turned his focus inward, toward his dantian. There, his blood essence rested, quiet, potent, and whole. Carefully, he measured out a tiny portion of it, no more than a fifth of a drop. Once he was certain of the amount, he began to separate it from the rest.
The moment he did, a wave of excruciating pain tore through him. It was the worst pain he had felt in this life, but he endured it. His breathing trembled for a moment before he steadied it, forcing himself to continue. Slowly and painstakingly, the fragment of essence broke free. He guided it toward his index finger, then raised his hand over the skull bowl he had prepared earlier and pierced a small hole in his fingertip.
A minuscule drop of blood fell. If not for his enhanced vision, he might have doubted anything had dropped from his fingertip at all.
Ivar felt something within him weaken, as if a small part of himself had been torn away. But he pushed the sensation aside. He wasn't finished yet. Taking the small stick he had prepared, he stirred the water in the skull bowl, ensuring the essence mixed thoroughly. Only when he was certain it had dispersed evenly did he pause to catch his breath. It had only been a fraction of a drop… yet his body already felt lighter and weaker. Fortunately, it was still manageable.
After resting for a short while, he pushed the bowl toward the cubs. Having been denied water earlier, they rushed to it at once, latching onto the bowl and drinking eagerly. It didn't take long before they had their fill and pulled away. Some of the water remained in the bowl, still carrying traces of his blood essence, but he left it as it was. If they survived, he could feed it to them later.
The blood essence was dangerous to anyone who received it. He didn't know how many beasts survived such a process, only that many did not. Whether they lived or died often came down to chance… and fate.
Now, he could only rely on his luck. Not long after drinking, the cubs grew sluggish… and then collapsed into sleep.
Ivar carefully set the bowl aside before easing himself out of his cross-legged position. He lay down on the furs beside the cubs, his body weakened from the loss of essence, and it didn't take long before he, too, slipped into a deep slumber.
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A/N: Thank you. Your supports are deeply appreciated.