Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Mama has not eaten for many days. She keeps giving me her food
Swanly watched him.
Strong fighter.
Experienced leader.
Terrible judgment around Selka.
Old connection to Swanly.
A walking wound for Kael.
Useful did not mean trustworthy.
"Outer candidate group," she said. "Not the first ten."
Arion’s amber eyes hardened.
"Why?"
"Because you only speak after the damage is done."
Kael’s claws slowly withdrew.
Arion stepped aside with humiliation burning across his face.
Swanly selected twenty candidates.
Ten appeared honest, useful and low-risk.
The other ten needed more observation.
The moment everyone realized she was not immediately choosing the whole group, panic returned.
"Please take one more."
"My mate is injured."
"We cannot survive outside."
"Do not leave our cubs."
A tiny voice cut through the noise.
"Please."
Swanly turned.
A little rabbit beastgirl stood near the front.
She looked perhaps five or six in human form.
Her long white ears drooped against her pale hair. Her hide dress hung from her thin shoulders. Dirt covered her bare feet.
Her name was Lumi.
She bowed so low that her forehead nearly touched the ground.
"Please take my Mama."
Behind her sat Ena, a white rabbit beastwoman with one hand pressed against her chest.
Her breathing came in tiny, painful pulls.
Lumi raised her head.
Her eyes were huge in her tired face.
"Mama has not eaten for many days. She keeps giving me her food."
Ena tried to stand.
"Lumi, stop."
The child shook her head.
"She says she is not hungry, but she lies."
Her voice cracked.
"I can work. I can carry water. I can pick leaves. I will not eat much. Please let Mama stay."
Swanly’s heart folded immediately.
The system sighed beside her.
{Host has encountered a small child. Rational thought is now endangered.}
Be quiet.
Swanly looked around.
There were many cubs.
Too many thin faces.
Too many drooping ears.
Some slept because hunger had drained the strength needed to cry.
One bird cub hid beneath a damaged wing.
A young wolf sucked on an empty strip of hide.
Swanly wanted to open the gate and pull everyone inside.
She stopped herself.
That would be foolish.
The danger was not only more mouths to feed.
A hidden bite could appear after the system scan.
A scratch might have been too fresh to show infection.
Riverbone did not have endless food, water, medicine or shelter.
Old grudges could enter with them.
Thieves could enter.
Violent males could enter.
A frightened crowd could panic inside Riverbone and overwhelm its guards.
Too many strangers near injured people and cubs could turn one mistake into a massacre.
Accepting everyone as members immediately would make Riverbone vulnerable.
But rejecting them was also dangerous.
They would starve outside.
Some would become infected.
Their bodies might join the next horde attacking the gate.
Riverbone needed hunters.
Builders.
Healers.
Guards.
Caregivers.
Strong bodies for the migration Swanly still had to convince them to make.
She could not throw away more than one hundred possible allies because five loud people had made her furious.
Swanly took a breath.
"We are not accepting everyone as full members today."
Fear rippled through the survivors.
Lumi’s little face crumpled.
Swanly raised one finger.
"But we are not sending you away."
The crying stopped.
Even Soren looked at her more carefully.
"You will build a temporary camp outside Riverbone’s inner barrier."
She pointed toward the cleared land beside the stone wall.
"Families remain together. No cub will be separated from a parent. The wounded will receive treatment outside the barrier."
Relief began moving through the crowd.
Swanly continued before it became celebration.
"All weapons will be surrendered."
Several males stiffened.
Raku folded his arms.
"Anyone who refuses may leave."
No one argued.
"Every wound will be checked again tonight and again tomorrow morning. Bites, scratches, fever, black veins, strange hunger or violent behavior must be reported immediately."
Nahla lifted her medicine stick.
"Anyone hiding a wound will answer to me."
The jackal male looked terrified.
Swanly pointed toward Soren.
"Inside this land, Riverbone’s rules come first. Not Garran’s. Not Maela’s. Not Arion’s. Not Selka’s."
Garran’s face became rigid.
Selka nearly shook apart with rage.
Swanly met her eyes.
"Especially not yours."
A few survivors looked down to hide relieved expressions.
"The first ten trustworthy survivors will enter Riverbone under probation. Another ten will remain in the outer camp while their skills and behavior are tested."
She looked across the entire group.
"The rest will receive food, water and protection in the temporary camp. You will enter gradually after proving you can follow the rules."
Soren touched two fingers to his forehead.
He had known Swanly would not abandon the cubs.
He had not expected her to turn one emotional decision into a controlled border plan within moments.
Kael watched her with quiet pride.
Lumi clasped her little hands.
"My mama can stay?"
Swanly looked at Ena.
"Yes."
The rabbit child burst into tears.
She ran back and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
Ena held her with shaking hands.
The survivors dropped to their knees.
"Thank you."
"We will work."
"We will follow every rule."
"You saved our cubs."
Swanly’s throat tightened.
She had not accepted them blindly.
She had not endangered Riverbone.
She had simply given them a chance.
The Riverbone guards relaxed.
Even the former elders exchanged grudging looks of approval.
The system chimed.
{Ten trustworthy survivors successfully recruited.}
{Task Seven completed.}
{Reward: six hundred points.}
Swanly’s ears lifted.
{Remaining debt of two hundred and thirty-six points deducted.}
Her eyes widened.
{Current available balance: three hundred and sixty-four points.}
For one beautiful moment, Swanly forgot every person around her.
She was no longer in debt.
She almost wanted to dance.
Then she felt someone staring.
Selka stood at the edge of the crowd between her two mates.
Her body was injured.
Her face was swollen.
Her tribe was thanking Swanly.
Nerin had been chosen before her.
Arion had been placed outside.
Her parents had knelt.
Garran had lost authority.
And Selka herself would now be searched, watched and treated like a possible danger before being allowed anywhere near Riverbone.
Her red fox eyes burned with such hatred that they almost looked infected.
Swanly smiled at her.
Selka’s claws sank into Brann’s arm until blood appeared.
She had arrived believing Swanly would lower her head.
Instead, the female she had once thrown away now decided whether she was allowed to sleep beside a wall.
...
Someone asked if ants have nipples. I refuse to search that up, but congratulations, now it’s stuck in your head too 😗 Also, I hate ants. They traumatized me, and I will not be explaining myself. (Don’t try to give me a smart reply)
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