Ava's eyes widened in the darkness of her dwelling, a single thought echoing in her mind like a scream: "Did I just make a huge mistake?" The weight of her promise settled like a boulder on her chest, crushing her. She had promised the shaman and the tribe leader that she knew how to preserve meat for months with salt, but the harsh truth was, she had never actually cured meat before. The memory of her past life's camp activities taunted her - she had always found excuses to skip them, and now she was paying the price. With a sinking feeling, Ava realized she had no choice but to embark on a journey of trial and error, with the tribe's hope and trust hanging precariously in the balance. She had already given them hope and couldn't afford to let them down nor did have the guts to tell them that she lied or she was joking, she had only one choice now and that is to cure meat through trial and error.
Ava's restless energy propelled her out of bed, that evening. She knew she had to try and cure the meat George had brought back home. She decided to attempt dry curing, and George and Kael were more than happy to lend a hand. They cut the meat into manageable sizes, removing excess fat and applying a generous amount of salt to draw out moisture.
"Let's help, just tell us what to do," Kael said, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Ava smiled, explaining the process as they worked. "We need to make sure the meat is coated evenly with salt. This will help preserve it and prevent going bad"
As they worked, Ava's anxiety grew. What if she was doing this wrong? What if the meat spoiled? But with Kael and George's help, she felt a bit more confident. After applying the salt, they let the meat sit for a while before piercing it with a sharp stick and hanging it in a cool, dry place with good airflow inside the kitchen.
The next morning, Ava's first thought was the salted meat. She quickly got out of bed, careful not to disturb Kael and George, and made her way to the kitchen. Her anxiety grew with each step, but as she opened the door and stepped inside, she was relieved to find no foul smell in the air. She moved closer to the meat, sniffing it cautiously, and her anxiety turned to joy. It seemed her method had worked.
Ava couldn't wait to share the results with the shaman and the tribe leader. Later that afternoon, she and her mates made their way to the shaman's home, carrying a sample of the dried and smoked meat. The shaman, tribe leader, and Amon were already there, waiting for them.
"Ah, Ava, I see you've managed to cure the meat," the shaman said, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Let's take a look."
Ava handed them each a piece of the dried meat, and they took a bite, nodding in approval.
"This is delicious," the tribe leader said. "How did you do it?"
Ava explained the process of curing meat, telling them about the importance of salt and how smoking introduces heat, which also helps to dry the meat and eliminate any impurities that might cause spoilage.
"We'll need to teach more tribe members how to salt-cure meat and fish to prepare for winter and reduce food waste," she said. "I propose we introduce it as a Meat Salting Ceremony for unity and tradition—blessing the winter meat stores, and praying to the Beast God for long preservation of the meats."
The tribe leader's eyes lit up. "That's a wonderful idea, Ava. And how did you come up with this idea?"
Ava hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I had a vision from the Beast God in a dream. He told me to let the tribe's people perform the Meat Salting Ceremony."
Kael and George exchanged a surprised glance, but they hid their surprise well. The shaman nodded, his face serious.
"That's wonderful, Ava. We'll make sure to perform the ceremony and teach the tribe members how to salt-cure meat and fish."
As they left the shaman's home, Kael and George turned to Ava with curious expressions.
"Did the Beast God really speak to you?" Kael asked.
Ava smiled, trying to look confident. "I dreamed of the Meat Salting Ceremony, and I believe the Beast God is telling me to let the tribe's people perform it."
George nodded, seeming to accept Ava's explanation. "You're a true blessing to our tribe, Ava."
Ava smiled, feeling a pang of guilt for lying to her mates. But what else could she say? That this was knowledge from her old world? No, she couldn't reveal that. For now, she was content to let them believe she had received a vision from the Beast God.
As Ava and her mates continued on their way, they suddenly ran into Lily and Oma, who were walking towards the river. "Hey, Ava! What are you guys up to?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"We were just heading back to our homes," Ava replied, smiling. "But what about you two? Where are you headed?"
"We're going to the river to take a bath," Oma said, her hair tied up in a ponytail. "Want to join us?"
Ava's eyes lit up. "That sounds like fun. I'd love to join you."
Lily grabbed Ava's hand, and they all followed their mates to the river. As they arrived, Ava and her friends quickly stripped down to their bare essentials, laughing and chatting as they played in the water.
Meanwhile, their mates patrolled the riverbank, trying their best not to peek at the three naked females. Ava, being the knowledgeable one, started giving them tips on how to smell nice. She plucked a type of pink flower that grew by the riverside and held it up.
"Do you know that if you swish this flower's petals and rub it all over your neck and body, you'll smell nice all day long?" Ava asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lily and Oma looked at each other hesitantly, then back at Ava. "Are you sure it's safe?" Lily asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
In the beast world, it was indeed very easy for a female to die, especially if they dared to eat or use unknown plants. Ava, sensing their reluctance, chuckled. "I've been using it for a while, so I can vouch that it's safe."
Reassured, Lily and Oma started to pluck the flowers, and Ava showed them how to apply the petals to their skin. As they did, they were enveloped in a faint flower fragrance.
"Ah, this is lovely," Oma said, smiling. "So this was your secret to smelling nice, Ava?"
Ava grinned, feeling happy to share her knowledge with her friends. "Yeah, I discovered it a while ago. I'm glad you guys like it."
As they finished dressing up in their animal skin hides, Oma and Lily couldn't stop raving about the nice-smelling flowers. "Are there any more flowers with different scents?" Oma asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Ava smiled, and they all began to peruse the bushes in search of more nice-smelling flowers. Kael, George, and the others joined in, but with the condition that they would be the ones to test the flowers first for a few days.
As they continued their stroll, Ava and her friends came across a cluster of vibrant flowers. "Oh, look! These ones smell amazing!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Ava smiled, "Yes, these are lovely. We can use them to make our homes smell nice too." She plucked a few flowers and held them up to her nose, inhaling deeply.
"Hey, I have an idea," Ava said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You know what's great for making your home smell nice and clean? These bumpy Citrus fruits! I used to scrub the floors of my home with lemon juice to get rid of any bad smells."
Her friends looked at her in surprise. "Really? That's genius!" Oma exclaimed.
Ava nodded. "And it's not just for cleaning. You can also use lemon juice to stop bleeding and disinfect small cuts. Just squeeze some directly onto the cut."
Lily's eyes widened. "That's so amazing! I had no idea."
"Yeah but it would hurt alot though" Ava added
The girls were all happy, laughing and chatting away as they picked and smelled flowers. Ava wandered a bit further, her eyes scanning the bushes for any interesting flowers. Suddenly, she saw a beautiful flower and pulled it, but before she could even take a sniff, a tiny wild snake lunged out from behind the flower to bite her.
Ava startled, screamed, and instinctively jumped backwards in an attempt to dodge, but her foot landed on a piece of rock, and she fell. Time seemed to slow down as she felt herself losing balance.
But before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her, hugging her tightly and her arms wrapped around her. Ava felt herself being spun away from the danger, her heart still racing from the sudden fright.
A few yards away, Keal, George, and the rest of the group heard Ava's screams, their ears perked up in alarm. The other males immediately surrounded the females, their eyes scanning the surroundings with increased alertness. Kael and George, however, didn't hesitate - they were already sprinting towards Ava, their long strides eating up the distance. Their faces were set with concern, their hearts racing with worry for Ava's safety.