The Chieftess came down the mountain with her entire tribe, their massive forms descending the rocky passes in a procession that made the earth tremble with each synchronized step.
The sun hung low in the sky, this was no longer a camp, but a settlement that sprawled with purpose and structure. The mountain winds carried the scent of pine and stone dust as they walked, their leather armor creaking softly, weapons clinking with a rhythm that sounded almost ceremonial.
She was no longer going to live in the mountain stronghold, for she had secured it through ancient rites and blood oaths, placing wards carved into the rock faces and claiming it as sovereign territory that none would dare challenge.
The caves and peaks were hers by right of conquest and tradition, but more importantly, she wanted to watch Byung from a close distance, to observe this anomaly who had defied every expectation and rewritten the rules she thought immutable.
