Chapter 83: Beyond the Lake
Kellar and Krag walked toward the crest of a small hill situated between the frozen lake and the tribe’s new construction site. The cold wind whipped across the peak, fluttering their clothes.
"Tell me, what do you see?" said Kellar, gazing out at the horizon.
"I see houses... I see people working, and I see that everything has changed in very little time," said Krag, looking down at the bustling settlement below.
"What else do you see?" said Kellar.
"I see the lake... that lake that once terrified us," said Krag, observing the vast, dark expanse of water.
"What else do you see?" said Kellar.
"I don’t know, Shaman. I don’t understand what you want me to see," said Krag, lowering his head in confusion.
"Exactly. There are things we can see, but cannot understand," said Kellar, turning his back to the village. "I want you to know what I see. I see the past, I see the present, and I see the future."
Kellar extended his hand toward the horizon.
"Look off into the distance. Over there is where the tribe was just a few days ago," said Kellar. "Look where the tribe is now, and look at the lake. What do you think lies beyond that water? Where do we want to go? This small place is surrounded by beasts, but if we are surrounded and trapped... who is outside and free?"
Krag stood frozen in shock. Was the shaman talking about going beyond the lake? Was such a thing even possible? The beasts along the shore were colossal, and no one knew what horrors lurked in the depths. Could they even cross it or build something to traverse it?
"The world is so vast, Krag, so vast that we only see what is in front of us, but we fail to look beyond," said Kellar, watching the captain’s expression. "I know what you’re thinking. I’ve handed out responsibilities to others, and you feel like you’ve been reduced to an errand boy."
"No, Shaman! I..." said Krag, trying to explain himself.
"You don’t need to say anything, I understand" said Kellar, cutting him off calmly. "But you don’t see what I see. I want you to be capable of doing what I do, but I cannot simply teach it to you; you must learn it on your own. For now, just follow me. Your job is to learn how I would act. In the future, do you think this small place will be enough to hold our people? We’ve lost men, but we will recover them and the tribe will grow. Soon we will have to expand, and I want you to be the one to lead that expansion. Don’t despair, just trust me."
"I trust you with my life, Shaman," said Krag, striking his chest firmly.
"Good. Now do me a favor," said Kellar, his tone turning serious. "Send our best tracker. I want him to locate the exact place where our enemies are hiding."
"Don’t tell me you want to..." said Krag, his eyes widening.
"We must take the initiative," said Kellar, looking out into the shadow of the forest. "Last time, they attacked at the beginning of winter. Winter has already arrived, and they haven’t come. We cannot sit around and wait for them. We need to find them and destroy them. The Bear God is with us."
Krag nodded with determination and hurried off to execute the order, while Kellar walked back down the hill toward the settlement. Seeing him approach, Maya rushed over to greet him, bringing a bowl of steaming soup and a wooden basin filled with roasted meat. Kellar found a large log to sit on and lit a small, makeshift campfire. With the recent land clearing, timber was abundant everywhere, making it convenient.
The three women—Maya, Mila, and Meli—came over and sat down beside him.
"Things are changing so quickly around here," said Maya, looking out over the quiet camp.
"There is still a long way to go," said Kellar, taking a spoonful of soup. "You’ll see that everything will change even more soon."
"I don’t care what comes or how much this place changes, as long as you are here with us," said Meli.
Kellar smiled faintly and wrapped his arm around her in a warm hug as they continued eating together. As the hours passed and night fell the villagers gradually retired to their huts. Mila and the others prepared to head inside to rest as well.
"Aren’t you coming inside to sleep?" said Mila, pausing at the entrance.
"I want to stay out here a little longer," said Kellar.
The three women nodded and went inside, leaving him alone beside the crackling fire. The surrounding area grew empty and silent. High above, a full moon shone brightly, casting a cold light over the snow. A slight weight settled onto his shoulder as the small white cat reappeared out of nowhere.
"You really don’t like being around people, do you?" said Kellar in a low voice. "What have you seen? Has that thing from the lake appeared again?"
[No, Master. There has been no movement in the lake,] said the creature’s voice in his mind.
"Excellent. Help me with something... A hunter left the village earlier today, did you see him?" said Kellar.
[Yes, he left a little while ago,] said the white cat.
"Follow him," said Kellar. "He must be tracking the people who attacked us. Don’t let them kill him; if he gets discovered, protect him."
[Understood, Master. I will not take long,] said the creature, tensing its paws.
"And one more thing: do not kill the rest of the people," said Kellar, fixing his gaze on the flickering flames. "There is a blood debt to collect, and it must be the tribe’s hunters who wipe them out."
Kellar knew very well that if he ordered the cat to eliminate the enemy on its own, the small beast could easily pull it off. It was terrifyingly fast and lethal, but this victory had to belong to the tribe if he wanted to forge them into true warriors.
[As you command,] said the voice in his mind before the white silhouette dissolved into the night, leaving not a single trace on the snow.