Chapter 13: Ashes of Negotiation

The morning brought an uneasy stillness to the village. The air was heavy, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and smoke from the dying embers of last night’s fires. Villagers moved quietly through the clearing, their expressions shadowed with worry. Even the children, who often found ways to laugh and play despite the hardships, seemed subdued.

Atsushi stood at the edge of the central fire pit, his gaze fixed on the jagged horizon where the forest met the sky. His thoughts churned like the dark clouds rolling in above. The sabotage at the dam had been a success in slowing the other tribe’s efforts, but it was a temporary victory. The reprisal would come. It was only a matter of time.

“Are you just going to stand there all day?” Ana’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. She approached, her bow slung over her shoulder and a faint smirk on her lips, though her tone was sharper than usual.

“I’m thinking,” Atsushi replied, his tone dry. “Not all of us can make plans on instinct.”

Ana raised an eyebrow. “And what brilliant plan have you come up with?”

Atsushi sighed. “Right now? Stay alive.”

“Not bad,” Ana said, her smirk fading. “But staying alive gets harder when the enemy is breathing down your neck.”

She gestured toward the elder’s hut, where a small group of villagers had gathered. “The scouts saw movement near the river this morning. They’re getting closer. The elder’s calling a meeting.”

Inside the elder’s hut, the atmosphere was tense. The air smelled of burning herbs, the smoke curling upward in lazy spirals. The elder sat cross-legged at the center, his staff resting beside him. Around him were the village’s strongest voices—hunters, scouts, and a few of the older villagers who carried the weight of years of wisdom.

Ana and Atsushi took their places near the back. The elder raised a hand, and the murmurs of conversation ceased.

“We are at a crossroads,” the elder began, his voice steady despite the tension that hung heavy in the room. “The other tribe has made their intentions clear. The sabotage at the dam has delayed them, but it will not stop them. We must decide how to respond.”

One of the hunters, a wiry man named Daichi, spoke up. “We should strike first. Meet them on the river and show them we’re not afraid.”

“And risk losing more than we already have?” Kiyomi, the herbalist, countered. “A fight will cost lives, no matter the outcome. We can’t afford that.”

“We can’t afford to sit idle either,” Daichi shot back. “If we wait, they’ll take the river and starve us out.”

“What if we talk to them?” Atsushi’s voice cut through the growing argument. All eyes turned to him, and he felt the weight of their gazes. “If their goal is the river, maybe we can find another solution.”

“Talk to them?” Daichi’s voice was laced with disbelief. “You think they’ll just back down because we ask nicely?”

Atsushi met his gaze. “I’m saying we don’t know what they want. If we can find out, maybe there’s a way to avoid a fight altogether.”

The room fell into a tense silence. Finally, the elder spoke. “Atsushi may be right. We know little of their intentions beyond what they’ve shown us. An attempt at diplomacy may buy us the time we need.”

“Or it’ll get us killed,” Daichi muttered.

“It’s a risk we must take,” the elder said firmly. He turned to Ana. “You’ll lead the negotiation. Take Atsushi with you.”

Ana blinked, her expression darkening. “Me? Why?”

“Because they respect strength,” the elder said simply. “And you are our strongest.”

Ana hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But if this goes wrong, don’t blame me.”

The journey to the river was quiet, the tension between Ana and Atsushi palpable. She moved ahead with her usual confidence, her footsteps barely audible against the soft forest floor. Atsushi followed, his mind racing with possibilities and contingencies.

“You really think this will work?” Ana asked without turning around.

“I don’t know,” Atsushi admitted. “But I’d rather try and fail than not try at all.”

Ana glanced over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’m not dragging you back to the village.”

“I’ll do my best,” Atsushi said dryly.

They reached the riverbank just as the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows across the water. The other tribe was there, their figures silhouetted against the fading light. A group of them stood near the partially dismantled dam, their painted faces turned toward the newcomers.

Ana stepped forward, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her knife. “We’re here to talk,” she called out, her voice strong and steady.

One of the figures stepped forward, a tall man with broad shoulders and a face painted in intricate patterns of black and red. He carried a spear, though it was held loosely at his side.

“Talk?” he repeated, his tone skeptical. “What do you have to say?”

“We want to know why you’re building the dam,” Atsushi said, stepping up beside Ana. “What do you want from us?”

The man studied them for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “The river is ours,” he said finally. “Your village takes from it without offering anything in return. That is why we build.”

“We take only what we need to survive,” Ana countered. “Just like you.”

“And yet you have more than we do,” the man said, his voice growing colder. “While our people struggle, yours thrive. The forest has given you much, but it has left us with little.”

Atsushi felt a knot form in his stomach. The conflict wasn’t just about the river—it was about survival, about the delicate balance that defined life in the wilderness.

“Then let’s find a way to share it,” he said. “There’s enough for both of us if we work together.”

The man laughed, though there was no humor in it. “And what would you offer us in return? Your words? Your pity?”

“No,” Atsushi said firmly. “Something real. Medicine, tools, knowledge. Whatever we can spare.”

The man’s expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he considered the offer. For a moment, the tension in the air seemed to ease.

But then another voice rang out—a younger man from the other tribe, his tone sharp and accusing. “They’re stalling. They want us to lower our guard.”

The leader of the other tribe hesitated, the doubt clear on his face. Ana stepped closer, her voice cutting through the noise.

“If we wanted to fight, we wouldn’t have come to talk,” she said. “But if you think we’re weak, you’re welcome to test that.”

The younger man glared at her, his hand moving to his weapon. But the leader raised a hand, stopping him.

“Enough,” he said. He turned back to Ana and Atsushi, his expression hardening. “We will consider your offer. But if we see no action soon, the river will be ours. Do not test our patience.”

The walk back to the village was heavy with unspoken tension. Ana’s strides were quick and purposeful, her face set in a grim mask. Atsushi struggled to keep up, his thoughts swirling.

“That could’ve gone worse,” he said finally.

Ana stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “It could’ve gone a lot worse,” she said sharply. “And next time, it probably will. Don’t expect them to play nice.”

“I’m not,” Atsushi said. “But at least now we have a chance to avoid a fight.”

Ana didn’t respond immediately. She studied him for a moment, her expression softening slightly. “You’re lucky I don’t hate optimists,” she muttered before continuing down the path.

Atsushi smiled faintly, the tension in his chest easing just a little. The negotiation had been a gamble, but it was one worth taking. And though the path ahead was far from clear, for the first time in days, it felt like they weren’t entirely out of options.