"Chieftess, I don't think one night would be enough to come up with something well-detailed," Orion responded promptly.
Chieftess Zara nodded in agreement, "That is why I want you to give it your all and present your ideas to the Caretakers. They can figure out a way, or even add their own ideas to improve it further if possible. Do you understand what I am suggesting?" she asked, her gaze fixed intently on Orion.
Resigning, Orion nodded his head in defeat, realizing that he couldn't win this argument, no matter how he stretched the conversation. It was better for him to leave and focus on the plan for reintegrating the children back into the village. He needed to figure out how to present his ideas to the Caretakers and hear their input.
"Alright," Chieftess Zara responded with a smile, pleased that he wasn't pushing his luck and accepting her decision. After what had transpired yesterday, she knew that both Fiona and Orion needed to be punished.
However, her husband had advised her on how to handle the situation, and this was the least severe punishment she could give at the moment, even though she wanted to make it a little more memorable since their actions had endangered the Village Chief's life.
'You really have to stop pampering this boy like this, or else your son could become jealous,' Chieftess Zara thought, predicting the potential arguments between father and son when their son returned home from his exploration.
She remembered one more thing and immediately added, ".....and before I forget, I want to let you know that the new hut for you and your family, including Ayla, will be ready by tomorrow. In the evening, while everyone is at rest, some warriors will guide you all to your new location, where your partners and the women pregnant for you will stay until they are ready to give birth."
"I will be sure to inform them, Chieftess," Orion immediately responded, wondering if there was anything else the Village Chieftess wanted to discuss. As he had expected, she wasn't done yet, and after giving him a moment to absorb her previous words, she continued, "Also, since there is a holiday today and tomorrow, I want to remind you that you should use tomorrow to prepare for your return to warrior training."
"Your six-star potential and the current circumstances demand that you don't skip a day of training. Falling behind your peers would be undesirable, and as a warrior, you are vital to the village. So please, do your best, alright?"
"Don't worry, Chieftess," Orion responded confidently, shaking his head to dismiss any doubts the Village Chieftess might have had about him. He continued, "I can definitely assure you that I won't lag behind my peers or play catch up with anybody. Instead, you should be more worried about how they will feel when they are overtaken by their fellow peer who missed several days of training."
"Hmph!" Chieftess Zara snorted in response, "We will see," she replied, not entirely convinced by Orion's words. "In the meantime, you can leave and inform your family of the latest arrangements for tomorrow, while you also get ready for the meeting with the caretakers."
With the meeting finally over, Orion stood up from the floor and nodded in understanding, giving the Village Chieftess a final acknowledgement. "See you tomorrow, Chieftess," he said before turning around, walking towards the door, and leaving.
As the door closed, Zara turned her head towards her sleeping husband with an irritated frown. "How long are you going to pretend to be unconscious?" she said, her voice tinged with annoyance. "You do understand that you have to wake up sooner or later so that I can brief you on what took place today and so you can resume your position as the Village Chief tomorrow. Also, there's a meeting set with Orion and the Caretakers that you might need to attend."
It only took a few moments before the Village Chief's body finally moved. Instead of replying to his wife, he turned to the side of the mat, his back facing her, and let out a loud yawn. "You did a good job today, so I think you'll do even better tomorrow," he said, making sure his wife, Zara, could hear every word. "And besides, not just anyone can get the chance to enjoy the Village Chief position for a few days. I'm doing this because you're my partner, and I want you to enjoy it for longer."
He added, "Oh, and on your way out, tell Greta to prepare more sleeping herbs for me. Also, it seems that Lola is improving with her medicinal herbs. I think it's best to allow her access to more of the farms so she can train better and we can see how much she can grow."
"YOU!!" Zara's brows twitched as she listened to her husband's words. While any ordinary villager might dream of being the next Village Chief and relishing the position for even just one day, Zara knew the tremendous burden it had placed on her partner. The time and energy consumed by the Village Chief's responsibilities left him retiring to his mat exhausted every day.
As such, having witnessed firsthand the toll it took on him, the thought of taking his place, even for a day, made her feel extremely tired. She had no interest in holding the Village Chief's position, and the mere idea of doing so was enough to make her want to relinquish it back to him as soon as possible.
The weight of the village rested on his shoulders, and she respected his dedication and sacrifice, but she was content being his partner and supporting him from behind the scenes.
"You know..." Zara sighed tiredly, "Sometimes I can't help but feel that you're pampering this child just to groom him for the moment when he can take over and manage the development of the new village we've planned. It's as if you want him to reach his full potential precisely when the burden on your shoulders becomes too heavy." She looked at her husband, expecting an immediate response or a retort to her statement.
However, he remained silent.
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