Moonlit vow

11.Production of dried fish

Leiand, for once, had stayed in the cave instead of heading out to hunt. He sat cross-legged by the fire, sharpening his blade. Occasionally, he glanced at Iris, who was busy with her tasks.

After organizing the herbs, Iris suddenly turned around with a gentle smile. “Leiand, come with me to the deeper parts of the forest today to gather some herbs. There’s not much left nearby, and I heard there might be rarer plants deeper in.”

In truth, Iris secretly wanted to see if she could find any new edible crops—eating roasted meat every day had become overly greasy and monotonous.

Leiand put down his knife, raising an eyebrow. “That area isn’t exactly safe, but with me around, it should be fine.”

Iris smiled and nodded. “With you here, I feel at ease.”

After breakfast, the two set out, walking one behind the other into the depths of the forest. Sunlight filtered through layers of overlapping leaves, casting scattered patches of light and shadow on the ground. Iris carefully observed the surrounding plants, occasionally stopping to collect some rare herbs, while Leiand remained alert to their surroundings, ensuring no danger approached.

After walking for some time, Iris suddenly stopped. She faintly heard the sound of water and excitedly looked ahead. “Listen! There’s water nearby!”

Leiand listened closely for a moment and nodded. “It’s not far. Let’s check it out.”

Following the sound of water, they pushed through some bushes, and the view before them opened up. A clear, shallow river stretched out, its water flowing gently and sparkling under the sunlight.

“It’s beautiful…” Iris exclaimed, crouching down to test the water temperature with her hand. The cool sensation made her smile involuntarily. As she leaned closer to the river, she noticed fish swimming energetically in the clear water. They looked plump and delicious. Unable to resist, she rolled up her pants, stepped carefully into the river, and tried to catch the fish with her hands. However, no matter how hard she tried, the slippery fish easily evaded her grasp, leaving her frustrated.

Just as she stood helplessly in the river, a familiar voice called out behind her. “Need some help?”

Turning around, Iris saw Leiand. His tall figure stood out in the sunlight, and she nodded with a laugh. “These fish are too slippery—I can’t catch them at all.”

Leiand raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curling his lips. “Let me try!” As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a white wolf, his snowy fur shimmering in the sunlight. With a quick swipe of his sharp claws at the water’s surface, several plump fish were tossed onto the riverbank in an instant.

Iris watched in amazement, her mouth agape. “You’re incredible!”

Seeing her clap excitedly, Leiand said nothing but leapt back into the water. Splashes rose as his agile form darted through the river, and with each swipe of his claws, more fish flew onto the shore.

“Oh my gosh! You’re truly a master hunter!” Iris exclaimed, covering her mouth in astonishment as the pile of fish on the riverbank grew larger. She couldn’t help but laugh.

Returning to his human form, Leiand shook the water droplets from his hair and raised an eyebrow at Iris. “Well, are you satisfied?”

They excitedly called for the tribespeople to help carry the fish back to the settlement.

That evening, the cave was filled with the aroma of cooking. Iris sat by the fire, patiently stewing a pot of fish soup while several golden, crispy roasted fish cooked on a rack nearby. Leiand sat beside her, his eyes filled with anticipation as he inhaled the delicious scent in the air.

“Try this,” Iris said, handing him a bowl of the freshly stewed fish soup with a proud smile. “This is today’s achievement.”

Leiand carefully took a sip, his eyes lighting up instantly. “This is amazing! How did you make it?”

Iris grinned. “I used some flavorful herbs to enhance the taste and mask the fishiness. Of course, it’s delicious!”

Looking at the remaining pile of fish in the corner, Leiand frowned slightly. “These fish are great, but they’ll spoil quickly if left like this. What a waste.”

Iris listened quietly and then looked at him with a confident smile. “Don’t worry—I know how to preserve them.”

Leiand raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Preserve them? Fish spoil so easily. How could that work?”

With a playful glint in her eye, Iris explained cheerfully, “Where I come from, we have a method called ‘air-drying.’ You gut the fish, salt them, and hang them up to dry. This way, they’ll last a long time, even through winter.”

Leiand seemed intrigued, murmuring, “Air-drying… sounds interesting.”

Iris nodded earnestly. “I’ll show you tomorrow. Dried fish not only keeps for a long time but also retains its flavor. When hunting is scarce in the winter, we’ll still have something to eat and won’t go hungry.”

A look of admiration flickered in Leiand’s eyes as he gazed at her with a softened expression. “It seems you’re not only a healer but also someone who brings new ideas to the tribe.”

Iris teased with a laugh, “Of course! I’m a very capable partner.”

Leiand nodded thoughtfully. “This river is worth making good use of. Tomorrow, we’ll have the tribe catch more fish to dry and store. Then we won’t have to worry about food this winter.”

Watching his resolute expression, Iris couldn’t help but think that Leiand would make an excellent leader. The firelight reflected their smiles as they sat together, using their wisdom to gradually enrich life in this distant, primitive world.

Early the next morning, Leiand gathered a few tribe members who weren’t out hunting and led them to the river. In their wolf forms, the werewolves leapt into the water with agile movements, using their sharp claws to catch fish swiftly. Before long, the riverbank was piled with fish of all sizes. Standing on the shore, Iris watched their skilled actions and couldn’t help but marvel, “What an incredible hunting ability! This efficiency is far beyond what humans can achieve.”

After catching most of the fish, many in the river fled, startled. The werewolves loaded the captured fish into large baskets and worked together to carry them back to the tribe. News spread quickly, and the women of the tribe, intrigued by Iris’s claim of a magical method to preserve food, gathered at the cave to watch and learn.

“Can it really keep fish from spoiling for months?” an elderly werewolf woman asked, her face filled with surprise.

Iris smiled gently and patiently replied, “Of course. As long as you follow my method—clean the fish, salt it, and let it air-dry—it can last a long time. Even in winter, it’ll still be edible.”

She then demonstrated the process. Iris cleaned the fish one by one, removing the innards and scales, and propped them up on prepared branches. She evenly rubbed salt over the fish and hung them in a well-ventilated area. The watching women were captivated, amazed by the simplicity and ingenuity of the method.

One woman curiously asked, “Iris, how did you come up with the idea of using salt to preserve food? We’ve never tried it before.”

The question came from Yuli, Ewan’s younger sister. Iris noticed how much healthier Yuli looked—the rashes on her face had completely disappeared, and her complexion now glowed with a healthy pink. It seemed that the siblings had been thriving recently.

Yuli’s question reminded Iris of something important, and she asked with curiosity, “Do you have a lot of salt?”

The elderly woman nodded and explained, “There’s a kind of salty rock near the forest. Tribe members often collect it, so we’ve never lacked salt.”

Hearing this, Iris felt a surge of excitement. Salt! In her original world, it was a vital resource. Here, in the werewolf tribe, it was readily available. If salt could be utilized on a larger scale, it wouldn’t just preserve fish—other hunted animals could also be cured and stored.

That evening, Iris sat by the fire, gazing at the rows of fish drying outside the cave. Her mind was already spinning with plans. She turned to Leiand and asked eagerly, “How do you find those salty rocks in the forest? Can you take me to see them?”

Leiand looked at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “You’re interested in those rocks?”

Iris nodded earnestly. “Salt is too important. With it, not just fish but any leftover game can be preserved. The entire tribe could make it through winter without starving.”

Leiand thought for a moment before agreeing. “Alright, I’ll take you in a few days. But it might take us an entire day to get there.”

Iris beamed, her voice light with excitement. “That’s fine! As long as we can find more salt, it’ll all be worth it.”

Thinking back to Yuli, Iris shared the events of the day with Leiand. He thought of Ewan, who had made significant progress recently. Leiand had even recruited Ewan into the tribe’s hunting team. He knew it was all thanks to Iris—she had crafted the bow and patiently taught Ewan how to use it, transforming the once frail young man.

“Iris has truly done something great,” Leiand said quietly, his gaze unconsciously falling on her drowsy figure by the fire. Standing up, he gently carried her to the stone bed, ensuring she could sleep peacefully.

The women of the tribe were industrious. As Iris’s method of air-drying fish spread, every cave in the tribe soon had neatly arranged rows of fish hanging outside. In the cold air, the fish slowly dried, their meat firming up and giving off a unique salty aroma. Yet, no one in the tribe minded. Their faces were filled with joy, their hearts brimming with gratitude.

The tribe knew that food became even more precious during the cold season. Every dried fish meant one more guarantee of warmth and sustenance. The elders, who used to worry about food shortages, could now sleep soundly. The children, too young to hunt, played happily in the tribe, eagerly anticipating the delicious fish they’d have in winter.