Chapter 53: Preparations at the Cabin
When they arrived at the dwelling, Meli and her aunt Maya greeted them at the entrance with warm smiles. Seeing the gigantic bird lying in the snow, both stared at the creature for a moment, but since they didn’t recognize what kind of beast it was or understand its danger, they ignored it and moved on to what mattered: helping Kellar and Mila prepare hot water to wash up after the trek.
While the women arranged the pots, Kellar got to work with the kill right away. Using a clean container, he began collecting every drop of blood draining from the animal, storing it alongside the vessels from the day before.
"Kellar..." asked Maya, watching the filling container with curiosity. "Why do you keep saving so much blood? We still have plenty left from yesterday’s pig."
"You’ll see what it’s for later," Kellar replied with an enigmatic smile, his hands never stopping.
As they continued with their chores and cleared the snow from the yard, Maya looked more closely at the beast’s massive legs and thick plumage lying on the ground. Suddenly, a spark of recognition flashed through her eyes, and her face drained of color.
"Wait... Kellar..." said Maya, her voice trembling as she took a step back. "This creature... where did you find it?"
"About five hours north, near the partially frozen stream," replied Kellar.
"By the gods..." whispered Maya, bringing a hand to her mouth. "You don’t understand what you brought here. This isn’t ordinary prey. The old hunters call them terror birds, but not just because of their size. They are territorial solitary hunters. A single one of these things can ambush an entire party of seasoned warriors and tear them apart in seconds before they can even react."
Meli and Maya looked back and forth between the massive beast and Kellar.
"That’s why we need to be more careful next time," Kellar said calmly, downplaying the danger so as not to scare them any further.
Without wasting time, Kellar began the process of skinning the creature. Seeing the density of the reddish plumage, he looked at Maya, Meli, and Mila.
"Be very careful with the feathers," Kellar instructed them. "Separate them patiently and make sure not to break them. With these, I’ll make you a great coat to withstand the rest of the cold."
Hearing his words, the eyes of all three women lit up with excitement. In such a harsh winter, having a garment so warm was a true luxury. Without hesitation, the three knelt beside the kill and began helping him, handling the feathers with care.
Once the skin was removed, Kellar focused on the limbs. With the ceremonial blade in hand, he began extracting the thick tendons from the nearly two-meter-long legs. He made every cut with precision, ensuring he didn’t waste a single millimeter or damage them in the process.
"What do you want the tendons for, Kellar?" Meli asked curiously, watching him separate them from the bone.
"This will be a big surprise," Kellar replied with a confident smile, keeping the mystery alive.
"Stop being so mysterious and just tell us already!" Maya protested with a teasing smile, crossing her arms as she watched Kellar finish rinsing the tendons.
"I’ll only tell you one thing," he replied. "If this works out, there won’t be any shortage of food for the rest of the winter. Not now, and not ever."
Meli, Maya, and Mila were left fascinated by such a bold statement. Although none of them could figure out exactly what Kellar had in mind, the absolute confidence in his voice filled them with deep trust.
Once he extracted every last tendon, Kellar took them immediately to the containers of hot water to wash them thoroughly, leaving them completely clean and ready.
They continued cutting and preparing the kill. Kellar made sure to carefully separate the juicy leg meat and the breast, reserving the tenderest cuts for their household. As he sliced through the fibers, he noticed the meat was white and lean similar to chicken. Kellar could already taste the feast they would cook later.
Shortly after, the villagers began gathering outside the dwelling. Kellar estimated that the creature would yield around two hundred kilograms of usable meat; after keeping just thirty kilograms for themselves, the rest was ready to be distributed among the families who needed it most.
The distribution began smoothly, but seeing the bird’s meat running out quickly due to the crowd’s size, several villagers started asking for the carcass remains.
"Please, Kellar, at least let us have the bones to make some soup!" one man pleaded with open hands.
"I’m sorry, but the bones have an important use, and I can’t give them all away," Kellar answered firmly.
The people persisted, begging for anything to flavor their evening broth. Seeing the genuine need on their faces, Kellar compromised: he handed over most of the ribs and smaller pieces for their soup, but strictly kept the long femur bones and the spine.
While at it, he checked the pig remains he had saved from the day before and applied the same rule: he gave the secondary parts to the villagers and kept only the massive tusks, the femurs, and the spine.
Satisfied with the bones handed to them, the crowd slowly began to disperse. No one in the village dared to break the order of the line or make a demand of Kellar. If the young hunter chose to keep the best cuts of the meat, everyone agreed it was rightfully his. Kellar would have the meat, but they would at least have a warm, comforting broth, enough for their families to regain some strength.
Once the crowd completely dispersed, they returned inside the cabin. As they set aside the containers and the saved bones, Kellar looked at them and delivered the news:
"Tomorrow I have to go with the main hunting party," said Kellar calmly. "Krag invited me personally before the horn sounds."
Mila and Maya stopped in their tracks, looking at him in complete surprise. In the tribe, young novices fought hard to earn such an honor. The beasts roaming the periphery of the village were relatively weak and safe; the hunters never killed them off precisely to leave something for the youngsters to practice on. Neither of them knew for sure where the main team traveled deep into the forest, but they always returned carrying terrifying, gigantic beasts.
"That’s incredible, Kellar!" Meli exclaimed, her eyes wide.
Maya and Mila congratulated him with pride, but they couldn’t help the concern showing on their faces.
"It’s a great recognition, Kellar... but don’t lower your guard," Maya reminded him solemnly, gently taking his arm. "The deep forest is unforgiving. The things they face out there are real monsters. Be very careful."