Lark opened her eyes.
The reddish-brown walls came into view, somewhat resembling the cave Blood Rose usually resided in, except they were far more orderly. Turning her head, she realized she was in an unfamiliar room. The bed, covered in soft and warm animal skins, was comfortable. Light filtered through the cracks in the window, and faint voices could be heard outside.
She sat up abruptly.
There were no restraints; the iron chains that had always been fastened to her wrists were gone. The wounds left by the chains, along with the other injuries on her body, had miraculously disappeared, leaving only faint scars barely visible to the naked eye.
She vividly remembered being struck hard on the head by an ironwood vine shield wielded by that barbarian warrior just before losing consciousness. She raised her hand and carefully searched her scalp for any sign of injury but found nothing—no pain, no soreness.
Even the tattered animal-hide clothing and the bandages wrapped around her chest...
They had been changed!
Lark's mind went blank as a wave of chilling darkness engulfed her. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and tears welled up. She didn't dare imagine how long she had been unconscious or what might have happened during that time. Clutching the animal skin covering her, she felt overwhelmed and lost.
The door creaked open, and Lark turned her head sharply.
The figure at the door wasn't tall, even appearing a bit frail. It wasn't Blood Hammer's disgusting face or that of some other vile individual. Instead, it was someone she never dreamed she would see.
In an instant, the strength that had gathered in her body, ready for a desperate fight, vanished entirely.
"Water Stream—!"
Lark launched herself forward, throwing her arms around Water Stream. The fear and terror that had filled her heart finally spilled out in waves of sobs as she cried uncontrollably.
Water Stream smiled gently and held Lark close. The girl in her arms was only five or six years younger than her but had always seemed like a child. There wasn't the slightest hint of the fierce spirit Lark displayed in the arena. Feeling Lark's trembling and her rapid heartbeat, Water Stream also felt a surge of warmth and emotion, her own tears nearly spilling over.
"Am I dreaming? How are you here?"
Once her crying subsided, Lark sniffled and asked, her eyes swollen like peaches.
Before Water Stream could answer, a loud gurgling sound came from Lark's stomach, and her expression instantly turned pitiful and embarrassed.
"Don't worry, Lark, we'll talk later." Water Stream guided her back to the bed. "Let me get you something to eat first. Today, the kitchen is serving stew."
After the establishment of a hunting team, the supply of meat in Spear Valley began to improve. However, with the addition of new non-human residents, the supply had once again become tight. Kent had recruited several new hunting squads composed of orcs, and the meat supply gradually increased.
Fortunately, there were still several cartloads of grain looted from Blood Hammer's camp, supplemented by the hunters' gains. This ensured that the territory could survive the winter. Some of the hunt's yields were even processed into frozen meat or jerky to stockpile for spring, when Kent planned to organize a large-scale hunt for young herbivores to kickstart animal husbandry.
"Lark, how did you end up captured by Blood Hammer? Are the others safe?"
Watching Lark devour the soup and rice in her bowl, Water Stream's heart ached for her.
Including the time when she had been poisoned and captured by the cave dwellers, it had been months since she had left the Blood Roses' secret camp. Her sisters were probably in disarray after so long without news.
"When the mountain quail returned, she said you were injured while saving Skylark and were taken away... This food is amazing; what is it?" Lark paused to finish her first bowl of soup, ignoring Water Stream's amused expression as she grabbed another bowl.
"...The sisters were worried and sent out three squads to rescue you. But later, we heard that the convoy hadn't returned to the Raging Rapids Tribe and assumed it had been ambushed by a raiding party. So, we split up to search nearby settlements and camps. I had just arrived at Blood Hammer's camp when his men caught me right at the gate." Lark spoke between mouthfuls before suddenly freezing. She stared at Water Stream. "Did you... change my clothes?"
"Who else could it be?" Water Stream nodded and glanced at Lark's chest. "Little Lark has grown up; you're almost bursting out."
"Ah! Water Stream—!" Lark's face flushed crimson as she buried her face, puffing her cheeks in indignation, while still shoveling food into her mouth in defiance.
Watching Lark's innocent demeanor, Water Stream felt a warmth in her heart.
"What kind of meat is this? It's so good!"
"It's your luck to taste something cooked by the Spear Valley Lord himself."
"The Spear Valley Lord? Where are we? How did you save me?"
"This is Spear Valley. It's a long story."
Water Stream briefly explained the events of the past few months.
"What will you do now, Water Stream?" Lark asked after hearing the story. She was still just a child, unfamiliar with the world beyond Blood Rose, but her curiosity was piqued. Giving advice, however, was beyond her.
What would she do?
Water Stream's mind churned.
The rumors about the cold and bloodthirsty leader of Blood Rose were far from accurate. She was someone who always repaid kindness and enmity alike—a truly complex individual.
Meeting Kent, however, had stirred something within her. His demeanor and ideas, especially his vision of "paradise," resonated with her in a way she couldn't quite understand.
The Blood Rose raiding party, their infamous name carved out through blood and hardship, hid a story of desperation and survival.
If Spear Valley could truly become that "paradise," then relocating her sisters there might be the best choice for them all.
But in what capacity?
Her thoughts grew increasingly tangled. Two hundred lives depended on her decisions. Their teacher was gone, leaving her alone to shoulder this heavy burden. She couldn't back down.
Blood Rose needed a leader to guide them forward.
She already knew her answer but wasn't prepared to become one of Kent's subordinates just yet.
Perhaps, deep down, she was hoping for something else.
Something undefined, yet filled with possibility.