A group of young orcs trekked up the mountain and back down before the sun had fully set, arriving back at their tribe while daylight still graced the land.
The orc tribe was situated facing north with a looming mountain at its back, speckled with countless caves where the orcs made their homes.
Below the mountain spread a vast plain adorned with two rudimentary thatched huts and numerous fire pits flickering in the evening breeze.
Further away, a gentle river meandered, spanning five to six meters wide, flowing down from the mountain to the flat lands below by several hundred meters.
Encircling the orc's activity area were tall and dense wooden fences on both sides of the plain, linked with the mountain and the river, forming a rough rectangular perimeter where the orcs lived.
Atop each of the wooden fences sat a small platform, usually manned by at least one orc on lookout duty.
Observing the fluffy young orc cubs tumble down from the mountain into the tribe, the orc lookout couldn't help but chuckle, emitting a long, amused whistle.
As the Orcs preparing dinner on the plain heard the signal, they looked up to see the young orc cubs descending with large bundles of unknown items, waddling down the path.
"How come they're back so late?" one orc father with keen eyes swiftly caught his approaching cub, embracing the furry little tiger cub, patting its head and scratching his chin absentmindedly while taking the small parcel from its mouth.
"Roar-roar," the orc cub yelped a couple of times, licking its nose and wagging its tail, expressing joy and contentment, the adventures with the older brother were indeed exciting.
Other young orcs were similarly collected by their parents, inspecting them for their well-being and the packages they brought back.
One little leopard cub rolled on the ground, transforming into a young boy with a whoop, taking the orc leather from his father and fastening it around his waist with ease, saying, "This is a gift from our brother."
"One for each?" the parents examined the packages repeatedly, puzzled. "Wasn't that young human subspecies supposed to be particularly poor?"
The young orc sniffed, "Yeah, but our brother still gave us dried fish."
Curious, someone inquired, "What does that young human subspecies look like?"
A few neighboring cubs promptly transformed back into children, eager to respond.
"He's handsome."
"He's the most handsome human subspecies brother I've ever seen!"
"When I grow up, I'm going to marry him."
"No way, that human subspecies brother never agreed to that!"
The adults chuckled, "Have you wiped your noses clean? Already planning to marry a human subspecies?"
Unyielding, the young orcs retorted, "In a few years, it'll be possible."
"Yeah, that human subspecies brother is quite young."
"When I grow up, I can marry him."
The chieftain of the orc tribe, having encountered the giant tiger among Todd's possessions before, now heard the young orc cubs conversing and couldn't help but smile a bit.
"Zoe?" Maria, his second-in-command seated beside him, also caught wind of the conversation, observing the tribe members thoughtfully. "This young human subspecies seems quite easygoing."
When they had first encountered him, this young human subspecies had been wary, eyes wide, stealthily hiding in the bushes with a high level of alertness. It was unexpected to see him getting along well with the young orc cubs.
Zoe replied, "Living alone as a human subspecies in their territory, being cautious is normal. If he can get along with the cubs, he's probably not difficult to deal with."
Maria nodded, casually tossing a stick into the fire, "But it's too risky for a lone human subspecies out there."
Glancing into the distance, Zoe remarked, "This area is our territory, free of large beasts and wandering orcs. It should be fine for the time being."
"I wonder how this human subspecies wandered here," Maria speculated, frowning at the notion of wandering orcs. "He seems to have fair skin, delicate hands and feet, as though he hasn't traveled far. There's also no scent of other orcs nearby; it's all very peculiar."
"Perhaps he drifted downstream with the river, or maybe he wandered over from the orc tribe to the north," Zoe suggested. "He's not very strong, only digging a small cave, and he's cautious around people. If he can get along with the cubs and doesn't seek trouble, that's already a good sign."
"That's true," Maria squinted, "We have plenty of unmarried orcs here. It's a good thing to have a human subspecies willing to join us."
Zoe silently agreed but added, "Remind the young orc tribe members not to disturb the human subspecies. And have a word with the humans to be friendly, so as not to scare him away."
"It's already been mentioned," Maria replied, looking towards the subspecies of orcs busily cooking. She hesitated before suggesting, "Should we let Abigail interact with him? Both being subspecies of orcs, they might have more in common to talk about."
Shaking her head, Zoe responded, "Not for now, let's not startle him."
Unaware of the discussions circulating in the orc tribe about him, Todd focused on arranging his parcels.
All the parcels brought by the young orcs were wrapped in orc leather, compact and exquisite in appearance. Todd thought of washing these furs, poking holes with slender vines, and crafting a vest; he had been uncomfortable being shirtless and had intended to repurpose his large rabbit skin for this purpose.
Now that he had other pelts, he considered keeping the large rabbit skin to make a blanket for colder days ahead.
His mind wandered as he absentmindedly opened a parcel to find dark red jerky, each slice larger than his palm.
The meat was dried well, emitting a slightly savory yet fragrant aroma. Todd leaned in, sniffing gently, finding the jerky a tad pungent yet enticing.
The second package contained several fist-sized yellowish balls, resembling fruits. Todd cut one open with his nail, unveiling a sweet and tangy aroma that filled his senses instantly.
Licking his pink tongue, savoring the sweet taste, he found the fruit capsules soft, cool, reminiscent of passion fruit, with small brown seeds inside.
Satisfied with the fruit, he collected the seeds, planning to plant them by the stream.
The third package also held fruits.
Upon opening the fourth package, Todd discovered dark brown crystals with large granules, reminiscent of the MSG he had on Earth.
Intrigued, he cautiously tasted one, feeling it dissolve on his tongue, releasing a salty flavor—salt!
Salt!
Todd's eyes sparkled with excitement at receiving such a precious gift; he estimated the package held at least two or three pounds of salt.
Despite his joy, he felt a twinge of apprehension.
Based on his past readings, salt could serve as currency in relatively primitive societies lacking local production. If the young orcs stole this salt, it might be considered valuable and ill-gotten goods.
After some contemplation, he decided to take the salt to the orc tribe and inquire about its origins. If it was indeed stolen, he would return it.
Carefully placing the salt in a woven basket, along with the meat and fruits, he stashed the bundle in a small cave where he slept. He then resumed crafting pottery by the fire's glow.
He was currently in the stage of preparing the clay.
Anxious about uneven clay formations, Todd had fashioned a flat stone slab to serve as a base on which to shape the pottery. By steadying the slab with one hand, it could spin smoothly on the wooden frame he had created.
After days of pottery work, his molded vessels—bowls, plates, jars, and pots—were well-formed. Now, they were placed at an angle against the mountain wall to dry in the cool mountain breeze.
He planned to work late into the night and finish molding the pottery by the following morning. If the tribe members had not visited him by then, he would go check on them, ensuring the young orcs hadn't meddled with his belongings and possibly gather any relevant information.
Todd's plans were set.
Early the next day, he hastily ate some dried fish he had stored, padded his back basket with large leaves, and ventured downstream to collect a basket of clean, fine sand by the creek.
He intended to craft a few sand-mixed pots for cooking to enhance their thermal shock resistance, making them less prone to breakage upon reheating. While challenging for a novice like him, if successful, Todd planned to incorporate sand in all his future pottery works.
After a busy morning, Todd finally exhausted all his clay. Surveying the results strewn across the leafy pile at the base of the mountain—ten bowls, ten plates, eight assorted jars, six trays, and five sand-mixed pots—he breathed a sigh of relief.
With the northern winds growing chilly, he estimated three to four days for the pottery to dry before advancing to glazing and firing.
If the clay successfully dried without cracks, he could begin firing the pottery within twenty days. However, he pondered the uncertain success rate and how many pieces might survive the ordeal.