Gravel Chief Kav’s actions naturally drew Lynd’s attention. Despite the noise around him, Lynd managed to catch Kav’s order to his subordinates, deducing that Wenda the White Fawn was imprisoned.
Realizing this, Lynd decided not to wait for the worship ceremony to conclude, knowing full well that such rituals often took over an hour to complete. Without hesitation, he sent a command to Glory.
In response, Glory rose from its crouching position, growled at the shaman performing the ritual, and then turned toward Lynd, lowering its head in submission. The shaman and the others watched in stunned silence.
The followers of the Old Gods were bewildered by this scene. Previously, anyone who tried to approach Glory—shamans included—was t with hostility. Yet now, the god they revered was displaying closeness to a knight from the mountains, leaving them incredulous.
“Nyria, let’s get started,” Lynd said, sensing the mont was right.
Nyria urged her horse forward a few steps, taking the lead. Her two attendants stepped to either side, addressing the Gravel Tribe. “People of the Gravel Tribe, before you stands the Lady of Tumbleton, Lady Nyria of House Footly, and the rightful owner of the land you stand upon. Where is the leader and shaman of the Gravel Tribe? Step forward and et your master.”
As the attendants made their proclamation, Lynd’s Guard fanned out at his command, drawing their shortbows and holding them at the ready. Simultaneously, Nyria’s Guard surrounded both Nyria and Lynd in a protective formation, prepared to intercept any attack.
“We of the Gravel Tribe are free people. We have no master,” shouted Kav, stepping forward with his n to face Lynd and the others. He glanced at Nyria before turning to Lynd and addressing him. “I know you, Bear Hunter Lynd. They say you’re the finest swordsman in the Seven Kingdoms.”
Lynd ignored the pleasantry and cut straight to the point. “Where is Wenda the White Fawn?”
Kav’s face twitched, hesitant to reveal the situation. But before he could speak, a man behind him shouted, “That backstabbing bitch is dead! We killed and ate her. Her at’s still in the pot. Want a taste, you mountain scum?”
Lynd, having already surmised Wenda’s fate, remained impassive, but Nyria was not as composed. During their ti together, she and Wenda had grown close, like sisters. Hearing of Wenda’s death, rage consud her. Without hesitation, she drew the massive axe from her saddle and hurled it at the man who had spoken.
The spinning axe struck its target with devastating force, cleaving the man in two from shoulder to chest. The impact sent his body flying, knocking down several others before landing.
As the axe struck, Nyria spurred her horse forward, reaching the corpse in monts. She pulled the axe free and stood ready.
The surrounding warriors, stunned by the sudden violence, reacted instinctively. Several attacked Nyria with their weapons, but she t them head-on. Swinging her enormous axe with brutal precision, she killed three warriors in quick succession. When another rushed at her, she grabbed him by the throat and snapped his neck with a single, forceful motion.
The onlookers froze. The silence that followed was absolute. Those who had raised their weapons to attack Nyria hesitated, lowering them slowly as fear rippled through the crowd.
Nyria casually tossed the corpse to the ground, then rode back to Lynd's side. In a low voice, she asked, "I seem to have acted on impulse just now. I don't think Wenda is dead, is she?"
“I don’t think so,” Lynd replied calmly. “Wenda is a big person. It would take more than ten minutes to dismber her completely, cook her, and eat her.”
Nyria wiped the blood from her face, shrugged, and said no more.
Lynd turned his gaze to Kav, whose face was livid, and said, “Gravel Tribe Chief, this is the price for saying the wrong thing. Choose your words carefully, or you’ll only find death.”
“Are you threatening , Bear Hunter?” Kav snarled, his glare fixed on Lynd. Then he turned to the Gravel Tribe and shouted, “Does the Gravel Tribe fear threats? Tell , do you fear?!”
At this point, the Gravel Tribe should have responded in unison, their morale restored after Nyria’s earlier display. But as Kav’s voice fell, Glory let out a deafening roar. The sound was so powerful that the surrounding animals fled in terror. The cries of defiance that had been forming in the Gravel Tribe’s throats were swallowed in fear, leaving the entire group silent.
The scene left Kav looking like a foolish perforr, his bravado t with nothing but stunned quiet.
“Gravel Tribe Chief, I’m not threatening you,” Lynd said coldly, driving his horse forward until he was directly in front of Kav. “I’m simply stating a fact.”
He turned his voice toward the tribe, still frozen from Glory’s roar. “My purpose in coming here with Lady Nyria is to make the entire Gravel Tribe a subject of Tumbleton.”
“We don’t need a master! We’re doing just fine!” soone shouted defiantly from the crowd.
Lynd’s expression remained calm and cold. “I don’t care if you think you don’t need a master or if you believe you’re doing fine. I’m telling you what’s going to happen. You have one chance—just one. If you give it up, the next ti we co, all we’ll bring is death.”
Kav, regaining so of his composure, shouted back, “Our tribe has a thousand warriors! We could kill you here and now!”
“Yes! We have a thousand warriors, and we’re not afraid of you mountain people!” another voice added, and the tribe’s montum began to return.
“One thousand warriors?” Lynd sneered. He dismounted, stepping forward until he stood face-to-face with Kav. “I will stand here alone. Your Gravel Tribe can send all one thousand warriors to fight . If you kill in this duel, Lady Nyria, will recognize this land as yours, and you’ll never be driven out. But if I kill all one thousand of your warriors in the duel, then…” He paused, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd. “It seems you won’t have any other options anyway. So what do you say? Will you wager your fate on this duel? You have every advantage, don’t you? Why are you afraid?”
The tribe fell silent once again. Even the loudest voices from monts before were now hushed.
Chief Kav stared at Lynd, his mind racing.
He knew exactly who Lynd was and had heard of his legendary feats. Lynd had nearly accomplished the impossible—killing a hundred skilled warriors in a group combat during the Tournant of Champions. These were not ordinary n but experienced fighters, and Kav had no illusions about the outco of a duel with Lynd. Even if the Gravel Tribe’s thousand warriors fought him, Kav doubted it would be enough to stop him.
As the surrounding area fell silent, the old shaman, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly spoke. “What are the benefits of becoming a citizen of Tumbleton?”
“Granny Wizz, you’re crazy! How dare you…” Kav snapped, glaring at the shaman.
But before he could finish, the old shaman interrupted him calmly. “Can you escape the fangs of the Shadow of Death?”
Kav froze, his words caught in his throat. Fear flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Glory, standing not far away. He wanted to retort that he could, but deep down, he knew the truth. If that monstrous beast wanted to kill him, no cave, no number of protectors could save him. He had seen it before—the leader of a family had tried to hide and still t a swift, brutal end.
The old shaman turned to address the crowd. “What about you? Can you escape the reaping of the Shadow of Death?”
A heavy silence fell over the gathering. The earlier displays of Glory’s power had left them deeply shaken, their fear and awe so overwhelming that resistance felt futile.
Turning back to Kav, the old shaman continued, “In that case, what are you still clinging to? Do you truly want the tribe to beco nothing but a pile of bones before you’re willing to relinquish your power?”
Kav’s expression shifted as the shaman’s words struck a chord. He turned to her and asked, almost hesitantly, “Did you see sothing?”
The old shaman did not respond directly, instead fixing her gaze on Lynd and Glory, who had returned to Lynd’s side.
At that mont, Wenda the White Fawn erged from the crowd, unhard and carrying herself with an air of authority. Despite her earlier capture, it was clear she still commanded a certain respect within the Gravel Tribe, as no one dared lay a hand on her.
“My Lady, Ser Lynd, I have caused you worry,” Wenda said, bowing to Lady Nyria and Ser Lynd.
Lynd, already aware of her situation, simply nodded in acknowledgnt.
“It’s good that you’re safe,” Nyria said with a smile, though the blood staining her figure gave her a nacing appearance.
Wenda then turned to Kav. “This is not the place for such discussions. Let’s move to the Hall of Stones. Gather the leaders of all the houses in the tribe. This isn’t a decision you can make alone, Kav.”
Kav opened his mouth to argue but hesitated, unable to find the words. Instead, he glared at Wenda before storming off toward the tribe.
The old shaman said nothing further about the matter of citizenship. She bowed respectfully to Lynd and Nyria, then approached Glory, bowing deeply before the creature as if it were truly divine. Without another word, she turned and led the others back into the tribe.
So mbers of the tribe ca out to clean up the bodies of those whom Nyria had dealt with earlier. As they worked, they occasionally glanced at Nyria, but their gazes were not filled with hatred. Instead, they were marked with awe.
Though the impact of Glory overshadowed everything, Nyria’s display of strength was undeniable. In front of everyone, she had dispatched four or five tribal warriors with just a few decisive moves. Such power was sothing these people had never witnessed before. Among the tribe mbers who revered strength, so even began to feel a sense of respect toward Nyria, and a few subconsciously thought that serving soone as formidable as her might not be unacceptable.
Wenda the White Fawn, sensing that the worst was over, let out a small sigh of relief. She turned to Lynd and remarked, “I never thought you, my lord, would subdue the Gravel Tribe in such a forceful and direct manner.”
“This is a wildling tribe,” Lynd replied bluntly.
Wenda caught the undertone in his words and shot him a pointed look before addressing Nyria. “Lord Nyria, please wait outside for now. Ser Lynd and I will go in—”
Nyria cut her off sharply, her tone firm. “No, I must go in. They are becoming subjects of my Tumbleton, and I must be personally involved in this matter.”
Lynd said nothing, silently agreeing with Nyria’s decision. He doubted there would be any real danger within the tribe, and even if there were, Nyria’s earlier performance had shown she was more than capable of defending herself. If a fight broke out, Lynd felt no need to worry about her and was content to let her have her way.
Before entering, Lynd instructed the Guard’s Unit to remain outside the tribe but cautioned them not to let their guard down. Though he believed the subjugation of the Gravel Tribe was nearly complete, he knew nothing was certain until the very end.
Nyria initially opposed having her guard follow her into the tribe, but after both Lynd and Wenda advised her against taking unnecessary risks, she relented. Once the decision was made, the group entered the Gravel Tribe, with Glory walking alongside them.
On their way to the council hall, the ordinary mbers of the tribe looked at them—though their eyes were fixed more on Glory than the humans. Many dropped to their knees and bowed to the creature as it passed, and no one around them seed to think this behavior was strange.
“For the first ti, I feel my prestige is actually inferior to that of a beast,” Nyria said with a wry laugh, observing the reactions of the tribe.
“Glory is no ordinary beast,” Lynd replied with a faint smile, reaching out to pet Glory’s head. The mont his hand touched the creature, gasps echoed from those nearby. Their expressions were a mix of awe, confusion, and sothing else indescribable.
For a brief mont, Lynd thought his gesture might have been a foolish one.
Fortunately, the walk was short. After crossing a few steps, they arrived at a stone house built into a protruding rock, with the natural rock forming its roof.
Inside, over ten people were already seated. However, as the group entered, their attention did not fall on the newcors but on Glory, as if the true initiator of the tribal eting had been the beast itself.
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