Moonlit vow

10.Making a bow and arrow

The next day, after Leiand left the cave, Iris joined the foraging team in the forest. She picked up some sturdy vines and branches suitable for carving and brought them back to the cave.

Spreading the materials on the ground, Iris began crafting a bow and arrows. She carefully whittled the wood, braided the bowstring, and adjusted the curve of the bow. Despite the primitive tools at her disposal, her craftsmanship was exquisite. As she worked, she mentally reviewed the steps she had seen through her golden finger ability.

She decided that the first person to test the bow should be Ewan.

A few days later, Iris approached Ewan with the completed bow. When he saw her, he seemed flustered and quickly lowered his head. “Is there something you need?” he asked timidly.

Iris smiled and handed him the bow. Her voice was gentle as she said, “I noticed you’ve been working hard to hunt, but your tools aren’t helping. Try this. With it, you can become an excellent hunter!”

Ewan froze, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted the bow. He seemed unable to believe that someone would willingly help him. He tried pulling the bowstring, his movements awkward at first, but a glimmer of hope began to light up in his eyes.

“Thank you, Iris… but can I really do this?” he asked, his voice filled with doubt.

“Of course you can! You just need to believe in yourself. If you’re willing to try, you’ll succeed,” Iris encouraged him with a firm nod.

From that day on, Ewan started practicing archery deep in the forest every morning. Though clumsy at first, he quickly grasped the basics. The day he successfully shot his first prey, he was so overwhelmed with joy that he didn’t know what to do. That evening, he brought his catch to Iris’s cave as a token of gratitude.

The golden light of the setting sun bathed the area outside the cave, and the crisp autumn air carried a hint of coolness.

When Iris looked up, she immediately sensed something was off. Leiand stood with his back to her, his expression cold and stern, his eyes glinting with dissatisfaction.

“You’re back!” Iris said tentatively, setting down the basket in her hands.

Leiand snorted but didn’t turn around. His tone was cool and distant. “You’ve been busy today, I see. Even found time to make a bow for someone else?”

Iris froze for a moment, then quickly understood what he meant. Lowering her voice, she said, “I just wanted to help Ewan… He really needs it.”

“Needs it?” Leiand turned to face her, his sharp gaze locking onto hers. His tone carried a hint of reprimand. “Have you even thought about what a bow and arrow mean to our wolf tribe? If this kind of weapon is misused, do you know how much trouble it could bring to the tribe? And you didn’t even consult me before making it!”

Leiand’s words stung, and though Iris felt wronged, she also understood his concern for the tribe’s safety. Lowering her head, she softened her tone. “I just wanted to help Ewan find his place. He’s been through so much, always being ostracized. I didn’t think that far ahead…”

“That’s exactly why I’m angry!” Leiand’s voice carried a restrained fury. “Do you realize that if someone misuses this, it could endanger not just you and me, but the entire tribe?”

Startled by his words, Iris felt a pang of sadness. She bit her lip tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, and she lowered her head, choosing to remain silent.

Seeing her reaction, Leiand’s expression softened. He realized his tone had been too harsh. His voice mellowed as he said, “From now on, tell me before you do something like this. The Tianhe Tribe isn’t as harmonious or simple as it seems.”

“I understand. I won’t do anything without telling you first,” Iris said, her tone tinged with hurt.

Leiand noticed the tears shimmering in her eyes and hesitated. He wanted to reach out to her but sensed that she was pulling away.

“I’m sorry,” Leiand finally said, his voice filled with remorse.

Iris pressed her lips together, wiped the tears from her face, and looked up at him. “I only wanted to help someone, but sometimes, I need your understanding too.”

Leiand gazed at her, the light of her indignation and vulnerability shining in her eyes. He nodded gently. “I understand. I’ll be more mindful in the future and try to respect your ideas.”

At that moment, all the tension dissipated with the evening breeze, leaving behind a sense of warmth and tranquility inside the cave.

As Ewan’s skills improved, the tribe began to see him differently. The mocking remarks gradually diminished. With his bow and arrows, Ewan contributed prey to the tribe, earning recognition for his efforts and finding his place within the community.

At dawn, Iris rubbed her sleepy eyes and slowly sat up, realizing the spot beside her was already empty. Leiand had clearly gone out, leaving behind a faint warmth on the animal hide covering the stone bed, mingling with the gently swaying shadows of trees at the cave entrance.

Lately, Leiand had been more diligent about hunting, likely because winter was approaching, and food would become scarcer.

Iris walked to the cave entrance, feeling the chill of the breeze that had quietly picked up, sweeping in waves from deep within the forest and lifting a corner of the animal hide. She shivered involuntarily.

Hugging herself for warmth, Iris looked toward the forest in the distance. After a moment of thought, she stepped back into the cave. She decided not to go out today—it was too cold outside. Although the cave was simple, it shielded her from the biting wind.

Even though it was just the beginning of autumn, the forest was already noticeably colder. "Maybe I can sort some herbs today or weave some grass ropes for future use," she thought, finding a perfect excuse for herself. She spread out the animal hide mat, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and got to work.

At that moment, Ewan appeared at the cave entrance with his younger sister, Yuli. They both looked a bit uneasy. Yuli kept her head down, her small frame hiding behind Ewan as she clutched the hem of his shirt tightly.

“Miss Iris…” Ewan scratched the back of his head, his voice tinged with embarrassment. “Could you take a look at my sister? She’s got a lot of rashes that itch terribly and make it hard for her to sleep.”

Hearing his voice, Iris looked up to see Ewan standing outside the cave with some hunted game and a small, frail girl. Her tone was gentle as she said, “Come in. It’s cold out there; let me take a look.”

Yuli hesitantly moved closer to Iris, her little face flushed from the discomfort of the itching. After observing her, Iris couldn’t immediately tell if the condition was due to an allergy or a skin disease. She used her special ability to investigate further and found that it was caused by prolonged malnutrition, which had weakened Yuli’s immune system, compounded by poor living conditions that led to a skin infection.

“It’s just a common skin condition and not serious,” Iris said with a reassuring smile. “But she’ll need some ointment applied, and at her age, she needs to eat more.”

Ewan’s hands clenched tightly, as if suppressing his emotions. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Miss Iris, actually, my sister Yuli is already 18.”

Iris paused, her hands halting mid-air as she prepared the herbs. She looked at Ewan, then at the frail Yuli, her eyes filled with surprise. “Eighteen? But she looks…”

Ewan forced a bitter smile, lowering his gaze. “She looks like a 12- or 13-year-old, doesn’t she? Yuli should be a healthy, cheerful young woman, but because of me, her brother, she’s had to grow up hungry and cold, ending up like this.” His voice grew quieter as he spoke, his fingers unconsciously gripping the fabric of his shirt as if punishing himself.

“Our parents died in a hunting accident, and I’ve been trying my best to take care of her. But I had no ability to provide for her. She always gave me her share of food from the tribe, saying she’d already eaten, but she often went hungry. Later, we were looked down upon by the tribe for not contributing, and even our place to live became rundown… I knew all this but couldn’t do anything about it. Things only started getting better after you taught me how to use a bow and arrow.”

Ewan’s voice was filled with frustration and guilt as he recounted their hardships. He vividly remembered the first time he brought home a successful hunt. Yuli had cheered and thrown herself into his arms, and for the first time in ages, the two of them had a hearty meal. Seeing his sister’s radiant smile filled him with a sense of accomplishment—he was no longer the useless brother who couldn’t even care for her.

Iris listened quietly, her eyes reflecting a trace of sorrow. She walked over to Ewan and handed him the prepared ointment, her voice soft with comfort. “Ewan, this isn’t your fault. You’ve done your best. It’s remarkable that you’ve made it this far.”

Ewan carefully took the ointment from her, his eyes filled with gratitude and guilt. He looked up and said earnestly, “Miss Iris, thank you so much. Without you, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Iris smiled and waved it off. “Make sure to apply it regularly, keep the area clean, and focus on her nutrition. Yuli will recover soon.”

Ewan nodded firmly, taking his sister’s hand as they prepared to leave. Yuli shyly bowed to Iris, her soft voice tinged with embarrassment as she said, “Thank you, Miss Iris…”

Iris watched them leave, Ewan protectively leading his sister and murmuring instructions to her. Though his figure was thin, the hope he carried in his hands made him seem more steadfast.

With a gentle gaze, Iris silently prayed in her heart, wishing for the siblings’ lives to improve from now on.