Emily's face paled as she realized the seriousness of the situation. She knew she was in trouble, and her mates were too. The guards closed in, their sticks still pointed menacingly at her mates.
The Shaman's voice rang out, his words echoing through the square. "The tribe will decide their fate. But for now, take them away. They'll face the penalty for their actions."
As the guards dragged Emily and her mates away, the crowd murmured, their voices filled with shock and outrage and the scene was one of chaos and confusion, but one thing was clear: Emily and her mates certainly won't be let off the hook.
The tribes people began to murmur among themselves, lamenting the loss of the bubu birds. "We'll have to travel far to get new ones," one of them said, shaking her head. "It's a shame, really. Those birds were valuable new source of meat that could have been eaten.
The Shaman raised his hands, calming the crowd. "This bird-rearing plan will work, now that the culprits have been caught. We will purify the area and start anew. Ava and her mates have shown great dedication and expertise in caring for the birds. I have no doubt that they will succeed in rebuilding the flock."
As the tribe members dispersed, some Beastmen stepped forward to clear out the birdhouse and dispose of the poisoned feed. The air was thick with tension, but the Shaman's words seemed to reassure the tribe.
The next day, the tribe gathered once more to decide the fate of Emily and her mates. The Shaman spoke, his voice firm. "Their punishment will be severe. Emily, as the mastermind behind the sabotage, will face additional punishment. She will not be given any meat from the group hunts until further notice. She will be given only fruits to eat."
The tribe members murmured in agreement, some nodding their heads in approval. The Shaman continued, "Emily will also partake in small works in the bird farm, under the supervision of Ava and her mates. She will help with tasks such as cleaning the enclosures while her mates will be in charge of gathering and preparing food for the birds."
Ava stepped forward, a determined look on her face. "I will oversee their work personally. I will make sure they do not slack off or try to sabotage our efforts again."
The Shaman nodded in approval. "Furthermore, Emily will not be given bird meat or eggs until I and the tribe leader feel that she has atoned for her crimes. She must prove herself worthy of the tribe's trust once again."
The tribe leader spoke up, his voice stern. "And let this be clear: if Emily and her mates fail to fulfil the tasks given to them, they will be kicked out of the tribe. They will no longer be considered part of our community. We will not tolerate disobedience or sabotage."
Emily's face fell as she realized the extent of her punishment. She would have to work hard to regain the tribe's trust, and the task seemed daunting. Gronk looked defeated, his eyes cast downward. The others seemed resigned to their fate, knowing they had brought this upon themselves.
The Shaman concluded, "Let this punishment serve as a lesson to all of us. We will not tolerate harm to our people or our projects. We will work together to rebuild the flock and move forward, stronger and more united than ever."
With that, Emily and her mates were led away to begin their punishment, under the watchful eyes of Ava and her mates. The tribe members watched them go, some with sympathy for the female who would have to work, others with anger and resentment. But all seemed to agree that justice had been served.
Ava watched as Emily and her mates were led away to begin their punishment. Although she felt a sense of satisfaction knowing they would face consequences for their actions, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the punishment wasn't enough. She knew the Shaman was protective of the females in the tribe, and killing birds, although a serious offense, wouldn't be enough reason for him to kick out a precious female like Emily from the village.
Ava's eyes narrowed as she thought about the situation. She knew she had to make the bear the situation and ensure that Emily and her mates served their punishment.
Ava headed to the punishment pit, where Emily was being taken to wait for her mates who had gone to hunt for bubu birds to restock the farmhouse. As she approached the pit, she saw Emily being escorted by the guards. Ava walked up to them, her eyes locked on Emily's.
"Don't get too confident, Ava," Emily said, a sly smile spreading across her face. "You may have won this time and even have the Shaman and Tribe Leader's support, which might get you perks in the tribe, but you need to stay alive to enjoy them. In the beast world, people and animals die every day for all sorts of reasons, and no one seeks justice for them. You don't want to end up like those bubu birds—dying without a clue, do you?"
Ava's expression didn't change, but her eyes narrowed slightly. "Your thought process is as idiotic as your failed plans," she replied, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you think you can threaten me? I should be the one threatening you. The foundation of this tribe is contribution. Since you've been in this tribe, you haven't contributed anything. You don't help females pick fruits, and you even hinder your mates from joining group hunts at times. You haven't even birthed any cubs. All you've done is cause trouble for the tribe."
"You're the most hated person in the tribe right now" Ava leaned in close to Emily, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If you were to mysteriously die, do you think anyone in the tribe would even bother to find out what happened?"
For a moment, fear flashed across Emily's eyes, but it disappeared in a split second. "Wait, what do you take me for? I'm still a protected female in this tribe. You can't kill me without facing consequences."
Ava shook her head, a mixture of disappointment and disgust on her face. "Before, I actually felt bad for you, since you're practically being forced to bow down to a newcomer. I guess I was too naive."
She turned to Emily, who was standing nearby, her eyes cast downward. "Well anyways, don't think for a moment that you're off the hook. You'll be working in the bird farm, and I'll be keeping a close eye on you. Any sign of plotting or disobedience, and you'll face further punishment."
Emily looked up, a flash of defiance in her eyes, but Ava's stern expression made her look away.
With that, Ava stopped escorting the guards and turned to leave. "Ok, thanks for waiting and could you please make sure she's comfortable in the pit as she'll be there for a while."
The guards nodded and continued to escort Emily to the punishment pit. Ava watched them go, her eyes never leaving Emily's face until she disappeared from view. She knew she had to keep a close eye on Emily, she wasn't yet out of trouble, yet was already thinking of killing.
"Tsk, Tsk" Ava shook her head again "I knew she would not repent so easily" but for now, she had to focus on rebuilding the bird farm and ensuring the tribe's prosperity.
She called out to Kael & George who would be taking turns supervising Emily's mates. "Make sure to work them hard. I don't want them to have any time to slack off or plan anything else. They need to understand the gravity of their actions."
They both nodded, their faces stern. "Don't worry, Ava. We'll make sure they're working like slaves. They won't have any time to think about causing trouble."
Ava smiled, "Good. Hopefully they'll realize the error of their ways and turn over a new leaf."
A few days had passed since Emily and her mates had been given punishment for their disobedience. Emily was seen scraping off bird dung and dried grass from the floors of the bird house, her face twisted in distaste as she worked. She had been instructed to pack and place new dried grass covering on the floors, but she had initially refused, throwing a tantrum and doing nothing.
As punishment, Ava had ordered some beastmen to throw Emily into the punishment pit, where she remained in her stubbornness and was denied any food to eat except water. Her mates had tried to sneak into the pit to give her food, but Kael had anticipated their moves and caught them, beating them up for their disobedience.
Two days passed, and Emily's resolve began to crumble. She was hungry, tired, and miserable, and she finally surrendered and was now begging to be released so she could finish her work. Ava agreed, but only if Emily promised to complete her task without any further disobedience.
As Emily emerged from the punishment pit, she was given food, but only after she had promised to work hard to finish her task. She ate quickly, her stomach growling with hunger, and then set to work, scraping and cleaning the bird houses.
Despite her initial reluctance, she still did the work, her hands moving quickly as she scraped and cleaned the bird houses. As she worked, she couldn't help but feel a sense of resentment towards Ava, who seemed to take great pleasure in her punishment.
But Emily knew that she had to swallow her pride and do as she was told. She had already seen what happened if she disobeyed Ava, and she had no desire to suffer the same fate. So she worked hard, her eyes fixed on the task at hand, as she tried to redeem herself in the eyes of her tribe.
As the days passed, Emily's work began to show signs of improvement. She was diligent and efficient, and the bird houses were soon spotless. Ava seemed pleased with her progress, and Emily began to feel a sense of hope. But for now, she could only continue to work hard and do as she was told, hoping that one day she would be free from her punishment.