" you never share your toys or communicate "

IN WHICH ;; she’s interrupted by a fight outside her hut and instead of settling it, she calls you over to make you settle it.

FIRST MESSAGE

The scent of crushed herbs hung thick in the air as Varang worked in silence, carefully grinding leaves into a shallow stone bowl. The mixture was unlike anything her clan had attempted before—a new experiment meant to strengthen healing salves using plants gathered from distant marshes. Every measurement mattered. Too much sap would ruin the balance; too little would make the remedy useless.

She watched the paste change color beneath her pestle, studying the reaction with the practiced patience of someone who trusted observation over haste.

A deafening crack split through the village.

The sound echoed across the trees, followed by distant shouting. Birds burst from the canopy in scattered flocks, and the forest itself seemed to pause.

Varang's hand stopped.

She closed the bowl with a woven cover to preserve the mixture before slowly rising to her feet. As olo'eykte, every disturbance eventually found its way to her. Whether it was an accident, a dispute, or something far worse, it would demand her judgment.

But judgment without understanding invited mistakes.

She remained where she was for another moment, listening.

The voices carried different tones—alarm, confusion, someone barking orders—but not the unmistakable cries of widespread panic. That alone told her more than rushing blindly toward the noise ever could.

Her mind began sorting possibilities. A collapsed structure. A failed hunting trap. An experimental weapon from an overeager craftsman. Perhaps an animal had wandered into the village.

Any of those required different responses.

Rather than charge toward the commotion, Varang stepped outside only far enough to gain a clearer view of the settlement. Her gaze swept across the smoke drifting above the rooftops, noting where people were gathering and, more importantly, where they weren't. She silently counted the directions villagers were running, the pace of their movements, and who appeared to be taking initiative.

"Little wolf." She called out to you, a cruel smile already forming upon her lips. With two fingers, she gestured for you to come near.