Standing there looking at the people who decided to follow her, Visha decided she would not put the responsibility solely on her shoulders. If she were the one to always come up with ideas, then it made no sense.
She still wanted to go home, but as long as she stayed, this place would be considered her home. She wants a family. She isn't looking for people who will be a liability. What she needs are assets.
So this time, she gave them the chance to prove themselves.
Come up with something that can help them shake off the spy or walk around hoping not to die this winter. Anyway, she won't die. She has ever-embers to keep herself warm. As long as she wraps up, besides the constant snowing, she should be able to move on her own.
So here she was, waiting for their response, while giving a reassuring nod to Xeno and Uri.
"Confront him," Cato voiced. "Ask him why he wants to follow us. If that doesn't work, beat him and leave."
"What if beating him causes the rest to come after us?" Visha questioned.
Cato backed down, unsure of what to say.
She could see he was discouraged, so she said, "I'm not saying you are wrong. I'm asking what we would do in that situation."
"A distraction might be better. Find a way to trip him up. We need to make him believe we are going one way but actually going to another. By the time he realises, it won't make a difference." Uri was the one who made the suggestion.
Nodding, Visha agreed, "The problem with that is there isn't much cover. Besides the mountains in the distance and the forest on the other side, there isn't much cover. We are already walking away from the forest, and the mountains are too far."
"Why don't we do both?" Willa asked.
Everyone's eyes turned to look at her. She continued, "While some people confront him, we have the others leave." Looking confidently at Visha, her voice lowered as if afraid someone would hear, "You already have a place for us to live, don't you?"
Their heads snapped to Visha. Waiting for her answer. She only smiled and nodded.
"You and Xeno know where it is." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. "Let Xeno distract him, while the rest of us go with you. Krag should be able to help."
Her intelligent eyes twinkled as she looked at Krag. "Let him go with Xeno. This way, we have Cato, who can fight to help, since everyone else is weak now."
Visha nodded, her gaze appreciative as she looked at Willa, really looked at her. This woman doesn't say much, but it is clear she sees a lot. Especially when she looked at Krag. Apparently, Willa saw something in Krag that she hadn't seen.
"Sounds like a plan," Visha grinned.
Taking out some more Glimmer-Moss, she gave some to everyone, telling them to eat it. The moss wasn't poisonous. It reduced the chance of getting the Blight. And if you had it, it would help with lethargy.
Of course, there was a better way to make it. She would do it when they settled down.
Xeno and Krag left the group. They didn't need to be stealthy; they needed to confront. Walking directly to the place the person was hiding, in some half-dried reeds, they called out.
Meanwhile, Visha and her group waited. Cato and Uri were their eyes and ears. They listened for the signal before making any moves.
It was more than ten minutes later that they heard it. Immediately, the group packed up and went directly to the marsh. They weren't sure if it was only one person who Visha had to walk around in circles for a bit. Long enough to confuse.
Finally making it to the cave, Visha breathed a sigh of relief.
The others were not so relieved. What they saw was an open cave. Not as secure as the place they had left. However, Visha didn't give them a chance to complain, well, Heta specifically, who seemed ready to blow.
Instead, she walked to the back of the cave, where Xeno said there was another entrance underground cave. She had not seen it herself, but she followed her own instincts and chose to trust him.
She walked to the back of the cave. There she saw an opening that led down into what seemed to be a grotto. A pool of water in the centre was illuminated by the light that streamed in from various points.
There were herbs she hadn't seen before and compartments that could serve as separate caves for all the people living here. This place was large enough to accommodate more than 100 people.
Yet, had remained undiscovered for so long.
The giant millipede may have contributed to this. Now, with it dead, it was only a matter of time before someone knew about it. However, for now, it would be their little nook.
She could give ever-embers to everyone, and it would keep the caves warm. Like a separate environment from the rest of the cave, she knew it would get colder with each passing day. They could cover their entrance with a large rock, same as they did before. However, everyone would have privacy.
She grinned as she realised she would finally have some privacy. But blushed when she realised she would be living with Uri and Xeno. There was no way they would let her stay by herself.
Then she thought of what happened at the top of the cave, just the previous night, and her skin turned crimson.
Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she turned to look at the others.
They were looking around at the place in marvel.
"Well, everyone gets to pick their own living space. Unless you all want to stay together? Don't worry about a fire or food for now. We should try making some cave doors first."
Uri walked up to her. She saw his pale face. Her smile faltered. She knocked her palm against her forehead. Before anyone could move, she shouted, "Wait! Make a fire first. I need to treat the people with Blight."
The quizzical look on their faces made her realize she hadn't explained anything to them yet.
She was so caught up in what happened earlier, she forgot to mention that the moss works better in a soup.
They left the giant stone boulder, but people still had their individual bowls. She could make small portions in the bowls to feed everyone.
While they were making soup, two people were fighting.
Not a serious fight. It was a challenge. In the beast world, males are able to challenge other males to see who is stronger.
So, their way of distraction was, of course, a fight.
What made this one interesting is that Krag never once shifted. He fought the huge bear shifter in his human form.
Xeno watched, stunned, as the man grappled with the bear and appeared to be winning. He couldn't help releasing a roar. His blood boiled as he watched the fight. He even had the urge to fight Krag himself.
The moves Krag displayed were unlike anything he had seen before. The way he moved with precision is not something beast men are used to seeing. They fight with their instincts.
But looking at Krag, Xeno saw something different. His eyes sparkled, wanting to learn everything.
By the time the fight was over, Visha and the others had been gone for a while. The bear tribe man had been defeated, and Xeno felt as though he had found a long-lost brother.
Slinging his arm around Krag, who tensed slightly before relaxing, he excitedly talked, "Teach me. Teach me how to fight in human form. I want to learn."
A childlike excitement radiated off Xeno.
Krag didn't answer, simply stating, "Let's go."
Xeno didn't remove his hand, trying to get him to say yes.
The poor bear beast man forgot about his spy duties and stood there amazed before running back to the cave to report to Bram.