Mänd dragged Mika through the space between tents as they walked towards the largest tent within the encampment.
The leader, elders, strong warriors and sometimes valued prisoners like him (Mänd) of the tribe may live in the caves but all things of importance to the tribe are done in the main tent.
The elders spend most of the time there and chief accompanies them when he is not busy.
There were no important issues been discussed today so he was asked to bring the new addition to the tribe for a viewing.
It didn't take long to stand before the main tent, it's front guarded by two powerful members if the elite warriors who eyed Mänd and Mika with disdain and a sense of superiority they didn't try to hide.
Mänd ignored the look as he was used to it, turned to Mika with a warning yet pleading look, let go of his hand and entered the tent.
The chief and elders were chatting when Mänd and Mika entered. He greeted them and moved to side, with Mika standing across from the sited men and him standing between them not facing either.
Mika knew he had little knowledge of this world having only stayed with kinnai since he arrived and not knowing basic common sense of this world. Right now he could put himself in danger if he said the wrong thing before these powerful men so he must let Mänd speak on his behalf.
There was too much he didn't know and too little time to investigate, to make matters worse Mahlia was not responding to him and just realized life from now would be a hellride if she didn't come back.
Mika looked at the people from across him who had stopped talking since he and Mänd walked in. There were five old people, a single woman and four men with a young looking man sitting in the center position with four more guards standing two to each side of them.
The chief and elders were all dressed in common wild beast skin unlike the other tribes men, that is excluding the elite warriors. The ugly scale with tuffs of hair in between still struck Mika as an offense to the eyes but they somehow made it work.
They were also adorned with teeth and bones of different sorts, maybe to show rank or as war trophies he couldn't tell.
As he studied them, they did the same to him. They were most surprised by animal whose fur he was wearing as it was a low silver beast, a quicksilver fox that not even the chief or his younger brother Toma would dare confront unless they had a death wish but Mika was wearing it's fur now.
Chief Tuca looked at the young boy with long white hair before him in wonder and shifted his gaze to Mänd and then back to Mika.
" I may never have faced a sliverglow beast like the quicksilver fox before but I've seen one and know they are hard to fight.
Tell me young one, how are you wearing one. " he asked with a slight smile on his face.
The awkward silence could not continue and someone had to break it.
" It was given to me as a gift. "
Came the simple reply from Mika .
The elders started murmuring in dissatisfaction at his short reply admist disbelief that anyone would give away something so persious.
The chief narrowed his eyes but continued on with his questioning.
"Where do you come from? Which tribe were you of? Where were you found in the water and what is your rank?"
" He is a southerner chief. He has no tribe because he was separated from them when he was young and has been unable to awaken his beastform.... "
Mänd who had not reacted fast enough the first time, answered in Mika's sterd but was silenced by the harsh glare of the chief.
" Mänd, this child is not without tongue. He can speak for himself and I forbid you to outta another word until I am done questioning him.
Do you understand?" he added coldly.
"Yes chief." Mänd could only agree and hope Mika would not say any strenge things.
The chief turned his icy gaze towards Mika but he quickly changed back to the slight smile.
'it seems I've met the proverbial smiling tiger. ' Mika through with caution forming in his heart.
" I asked you child, do answer."
"I came from the south. I have no tribe or beast. I may look weak to you but an not a child, am an adult and am sliver ranked."
Mika looked at Toca as he answered as the other had called him child.
He had gotten some of his memory back completely and the rest was foggy but he at least knew he was an adult, he just happened to be small compared to the natives here even though he was 6.2 in hight. It annoyed him greatly. As if being called small male by the bear was not bad enough.
All in the tent were shocked into silence when he claimed to be sliver ranked even though he had no beastform. They all looked at the starved and tiny looking weakling before them who was trying to pose as a strong man.
A guard started laughing first and soon the others apart from Mänd and the chief while was looking at the serious faced Mika joined in.
Mänd looked at Mika in panic as they laughed worried he might say something more ridiculous which would upset the chief and elders.
He was about to move towards Mika to stop him from saying more when shouts came from outside. The hunting team was back.