While Visha and her group were discovering the joys of being warm, the people in the other cave were still trying to make things work.
Bram and his group went out hunting and brought back a number of prey. Grik, claiming to be a priest, wanted a share. Bram, not wanting to offend the priest, pointed out that they had several pieces of meat in the cave.
Grik decided it wasn't enough. He wanted more meat. However, he wasn't so stupid as to force them to give it. Instead, he said he would help them smoke the meat, to keep it longer, in exchange for some meat.
Seeing the exchange proceed so easily, Grik began to have fantasies.
He thought about what would happen when he went to the bear tribe. With the few things Visha had taught them, he would be adored for some time to come. He still remembered her mentioning that salt could be added. But because they didn't have any, she could only smoke it as is.
He knew the root crops she showed them, and mushrooms that everyone thought were poisonous could actually be eaten. He had seen her prepare them.
The greed in his heart grew when he thought about all the things Visha had shared unknowingly. He thought he could take this information with him, making himself higher than the bear tribe priest, taking over if he wanted.
In his mind, this information was worth a lot.
It is a pity he doesn't know that the information small tribes and large tribes are privy to is very different. Large tribes try to keep their secrets within the tribe as much as possible. Even something as simple as a food preparation method can bring in a lot of fur, hides, and females.
Especially since the tribes are not close to each other. If a new female comes in and stays with her partner, she doesn't have a way to let her old tribe know. And if she were to give them the information, it would mean either being cast out or facing death.
Grik is from a small tribe and doesn't understand many things. He was cast out for trying to harm the tribe leader's daughter. The woman was his property according to their boar tribe, so she had to go with him.
While Grik was having fantasies of grandeur and Bram was getting annoyed, Visha was trying to figure out how to give the ever-embers to her group.
"Why is it so complicated? I'll go give it to everyone. I promise they won't ask." Xeno said, patted his chest with complete confidence.
"Visha, I've noticed your understanding of priests seems limited. Does your tribe not have a priest?" Uri, the ever observant, asked Visha.
Visha wasn't sure how to explain her world to them. The reality they live in is completely different from her own. She sometimes has a hard time with the difference.
"The place I live..." she searched for the right words. "It's different. It is completely different from here. I want to explain it, but...I don't even know how to explain it myself."
"And you want to go back?" Uri couldn't stop himself from asking. Even if the answer hurt him, he wanted to know.
"If one day I choose to go back, I will make sure to bring you with me." She smiled, knowing she meant it. If she found a way back, she would take them.
She would make sure no one found out about them. It was her own selfish wish. That if she were to leave, she would take them with her. She could find them fake IDs and let them live with her.
The only problem she could foresee, besides the government, is them wanting to shift sometimes. But there are tons of primitive jungles. They can visit one now and again.
She brought her thoughts back to the present.
"That place is complicated. If I'm going to be honest, there aren't any beast men there. Maybe as a myth or bedtime story. But there aren't any living, breathing people who can shift like you."
The shock in their eyes spoke for itself.
A place with no beast men? They couldn't imagine such a place. Neither of the men knew what to ask.
"There are no shifters, there are no such things as priests, well, like the priests in this world. We don't stay in caves unless we go camping and are willing to try something like that. But that's for fun. Just...it's different. Don't ask anything. I'll tell you about it a little at a time."
She knew they must have questions. But just as they knew nothing about her world. She was in the same position. She has only known the little they teach her and whatever the system hasn't denied her access to.
There were a lot of things she didn't have access to, and she was unsure what she needed to do.
"Since you won't say anything now, we won't ask." Uri said, placing his hand on Xeno's shoulder.
Visha could see Xeno had a lot he wanted to say. His mouth kept opening and closing. He scrunched up his face. But in the end, he decided not to say anything.
He only asked one thing: "Did you have a partner in your tribe?"
Both men tense, waiting for the answer. Visha didn't notice the tension and answered straightforwardly.
"I didn't. Wasn't really interested in anyone at the time."
"Good!" Xeno laughed, scooping her up in his arms. The three people shared a hug.
"Alright, time to get back to business," he said, looking at Visha. "You don't have to worry so much. Priests have powers that many people can't understand. Even if you have these, it's unlikely people would think it is strange."
"It's because you don't understand our way that you are so afraid. To everyone, you are a priestess. Nothing you do would seem out of the ordinary."
He tried to use his tone to reassure her. It worked. She smiled, letting out a breath.
"Fine. Have Xeno give them to everyone and tell them to keep them close."
Receiving the ever-embers, everyone was grateful.
Visha finally let go of the last bit of breath she was holding on to.
That night, because everyone was warm and full, certain cave activities reached a fever pitch.
And this time, the trio chose to indulge in their own way.