The Other Side

A truce is signed

While shooting some arrows at a dummy made out of hay, Shan shan couldn't stop thinking about the girl and Wolf Tribe.

“She was not dangerous as I expected. Though she was cold, she was helpful anyway.”

“So how did it go?” Said a familiar voice. It startled her and she accidentally fired her arrow past the dummy. Luckily, no one was in the way. She turned around, annoyed. “Don't do that! I've could hurt some poor fellow.” She scolded him.

“Sorry,” Gao Cheng chuckled. “But tell me, did anything unfortunate happened to you? ”

“No. But I did met a girl who I think belongs to Wolf Tribe. But you know what? She wasn't dangerous as I expected.”

“She didn't harm you? ”

Shan shan shook her head. “The priest was wrong.”

“But if you go there again, I'm afraid...”

“Gao Cheng, I've seen it all. They are just liked us, except that they can see in the dark.”

But he didn't seem interested in Shan shan's discovery instead, he felt he should tell their father about her recent solo adventure. However, doing this meant betraying Shan shan's trust and Gao Cheng couldn't bring himself to do that.

“I should go.” Gao Cheng turned away and left.

“Okay, bye.” she wondered why Gao Cheng didn't seem curious or interested in her discovery.

When night came and the sky was covered with a blanket of starry, little stars, Shan shan decided to go to the southern forests again. The white stallion galloped through the dark forest and slowed down when it reached the river. After they had reached the other side, Shan shan spent a great amount of time touring the village.

The village was next to a market place and there were some people buying goods. Shan shan spotted Hong Lu among a small crowd gathered at a small stall.

She got off her horse and went over to Hong Lu.

Hong Lu turned around, a rattan basket held in her left hand.  “Shan shan, what are you doing here?”

“I came to say 'Thank you'.”

“For what?”

“For lending me your stallion.”

Heyns walked away from the crowd and to her house.

“Have you ever wondered what's on the other side?” Shan shan wanted to know if Hong Lu had done the same as Vreni.

“The other side? I plan to go there one day.”  For a moment, Hong Lu had that dreamy look in her eyes but only for a short while.

Shan shan felt like she should tell Hong Lu the truth about her origin because she didn't want to build their friendship based on a lie.

They entered the wooden house. Heyns put the rattan basket on the table.

“Hong Lu,” Shan shan began slowly.

“Yes?”

“I've something to tell you: I'm not a traveler.”

She placed a hand on her rapier, getting ready to draw it out. Just in case Hong Lu attacked her.

“You're not?” But Hong Lu didn't look surprised.

“You...know? But how?”

“When I approached you that day outside the forests, I spotted a necklace around your neck with a leaf featured on its medallion. That necklace is only worn by those who are successors to the chief of Elm Tribe, ” Hong Lu explained.

“Then why did you help me?”

“Because I have no grudges with you.” She took off her cloak and threw it to the bed before laying her sword on the table.

“But my father me that Wolf Tribe was dangerous,” Said Shan shan. 

“That's what my father also said. But before he died, he told me he was tired of hating everyone, so he told me that when I take over his place, I and everyone in our tribe should put down our grudges and hatred.”

Hong Lu continued, “Hatred is like a disease which will eventually consume your mind and soul. That's what my father said before he left this world.”

A few drops of tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I sorry to hear that.” Shan shan decided it was best to leave Hong Lu alone and she knew that she had to go back to her tribe. So, she rode her horse and headed for the river.

As the white stallion had successfully reached the other side, Shan shan could see figures on horses not far from her. She pointed the torch at them and gasped with her mouth and eyes opened wide.

Seated on the horses was her father, the priest who wore the necklace for her, Gao Cheng and some other men.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a horse trotting through the river. She looked over her shoulders and saw Hong Lu.

“Hong Lu, what are you doing here?” She asked.

“I....I though you left.” Apparently, Heyns was trying to do a little solo adventure on her own.

“Who are these people? Your friends?” Heyns stared at them with a cold look (she didn't had a torch with her).

Vreni wanted to lie but before she could say or think of anything, her father said, “Vreni, what's the meaning of this? Crossing the f*******n ground, sneaking off in the middle of the night!? And that girl, who is she? A new friend you made?”

Fredik had a disgruntled look.

“I'm Heyns, leader of Wolf Tribe. And who may you be? ”

As soon as Fredik's men heard that Heyns was the leader of the Wolf Tribe, there were whispers and murmurs among them.

“You? A leader of Wolf Tribe? ” Fredik laughed.

Heyns felt insulted. Vreni felt angry by her father's behaviour.

“So you made friends with the enemy? But why do this? Don't you know that you have brought shame to the entire tribe?"

"No, I don't think I have,” Verni said in a rebellious tone of voice.

Fredik felt a surge of anger in him.

“You're a very rebellious child. Men, attacked Heyns! ”

The men were about to pull their horses' reins when Vreni shouted 'Stop!'.

“ Stop! All of you! Including you, Father! Why pick on an innocent and harmless person when it was you who thought me never to attack the weak.

Yet, here you are and your men, breaking those words you taught me.” Vreni felt like she wanted to cry.

“But Heyns is leader of the Wolf Tribe. The Wolf Tribe are a....”

“Father, when I was lost without a proper shelter and hungry and injured, Heyns helped me. If she is everything you described Wolf Tribe people as, then you're wrong. Very wrong!"

Fredik felt angrier.

“Move aside, Vreni, or I won't show you any mercy.”

“I won't.” Vreni draw her rapier.

“Why can't you put down your hatred? The people of Wolf Tribe already put theirs down.”

“Why are you standing up for them? Have you been brainwashed or possessed?” One of the men asked fiercely.

“No,” Vreni replied firmly. “I'm standing up for them because I've seen how much hatred can do to people, to the tribe and to ourselves.”

“Well, you asked for it then.” Just as Fredik was to give out his hand signal to the men, Vreni shouted 'Stop!' again.

“Father, if Mother was here, what do you think she would do?”

Vreni knew that her father missed their mother a lot and he would never disobeyed her commands nor questioned her actions.

“Surely she wouldn't want to see both tribes fight but rather, she would want them to forgive and forget,” added Vreni.

Fredik was speechless. “But Skogum is not here,” he managed to say.

“Then ask Skakh to summon mother's spirit down to earth!” Cried Vreni.

Fredik didn't know what to say. As much as he loved Skogum, he didn't want her to interfere with certain matters of the tribes.

“Do it now!” Demanded Vreni. 

Fredik looked at the priest standing behind his horse and said, “Skakh, do as what she says.”

The priest quickly stepped forward.

Then he raised both hands up to the dark sky before bringing the to his chest and letting both palms meet each other all while uttering a string of foreign phrases Vreni couldn't understand.

Soon, a strong wind blew across the forest floor and swirled around the priest's body.

Vreni saw his eyes lit up in orange.

Heyns was surprised to see such magic but to the people of Elm Tribe, seeing such magic is common as only priests possessed them.

“Skakh, ask what would mother do if she was here?” Vreni had to talk loud because the wind howling and swirling sounded noisy.

A few seconds later, the wind stopped howling and swirling around the priest's body. It blew across the forest floor, sweeping the dried leaves off and vanished in to the deep darkness of the forest.

The priest's eyes changed back to brown. “Skogum said that both tribes should make peace with each other. The old leaders had a fallout with each other, hence causing both tribes to divide. But now that they are gone, hatred and grudges should be put away and harmony and peace should be embraced.”

Vreni looked at her father. “We should have both tribes signed a truce.” Fredik felt defeated.

He had always hated Wolf Tribe although there weren't any grudges between him and the current leader. His hatred was partly because of what his ancestors told him when he was a boy and partly because of his low sense of judgement and narrow mindedness.

“Nikolas,” he said, “Bring an ink and paper here.”

“Yes, father.” Nikolas rode his horse away.

Vreni felt proud because she had managed to bring the two tribes together.

“Thanks for standing up for me,” Heyns said in a low voice.

“Don't mention it. After all, I owe you a favour.”  Vreni glanced over her shoulders.

Nikolas returned with a paper and a bottle of ink. He passed the to his father who then asked Skakh to put some words on the paper as the paper was actually blank.

The priest said some foreign phrases and soon, words appeared written on the paper.

The words read: I, Chief Fredik, hereby declare that from today onwards, Elm Tribe and Wolf Tribe will no longer go to war with each other.

Instead, both tribes shall be united again.

At the bottom of the letter which read: Signed.....,

Fredik inserted his thumb into the bottle of deep, dark ink and then slowly placed his thumbprint next to the word: Signed.

“Nikolas!” He called, “Give this paper to Vreni.”

Saying that, Fredik left the forest, angry and disappointed. The other men also quietly followed after Fredik.

“You've done it,” Nikolas said proudly.

“So what happens now?” Heyns asked worriedly. “Will Fredik let you go easily after this? ” 

“Don't worry about me. I don't think father would do anything to me because he made an oath before my mother's deathbed.”

“An oath?”

“Yes. He sworn that he would ensure no one else would harm me and that I'll always be in good hands.”

“I see.” Heyns nodded her head.

After the truce was signed, both tribes did trading and lived in harmony with each other. Fredik learned to accept changes and he soon passed the position of Chief to Vreni who then ruled Elm Tribe along with the assistance of Nikolas fairly.

Heyns and Vreni would occasionally meet up in the west forest and go hunting for wild rabbits along with Nikolas.

“To reunite both tribes and heal past wounds is one of the greatest achievement l've ever accomplished.” Vreni thought as she released the arrow from her grip and it flew straight into the hay dummy's chest.

  The End.