After Being Stranded in the Wilderness, I Became the Bride of the Giant Tribe - 32

 

| GB | Like a Cat | 32

For several days in a row, Yu Bai was taken to the tribal capital by Huo Duo'er.

Huo Duo’er braved the wind and snow without fail, while Yu Bai, completely unaffected by the cold, was bundled up tightly from head to toe and carried snugly in the other’s arms. His days passed in a simple routine of waking and sleeping, seeing only the same two places.

The main house had just been built. Huo Duo’er took several bundles of bark he had stripped from trees and scraped off the outer layers. Then he roasted them over a fire, once cleaned and dried, they could be used to cover the gaps in the exterior walls as securely as possible.

Yu Bai sat inside the tent spinning hemp thread. Every now and then, he would poke his small face out to glance at Huo Duo’er.

He pulled out a stone knife and volunteered to help share some of the work.

Huo Duo’er nodded, and Yu Bai dragged over a short round wooden stool to sit beside the orc. He began carefully scraping the bark clean with the small stone knife.

He was small, and the knife he used was also small, so his work wasn’t fast. But he was meticulous and focused, which caught the attention of the orc beside him more than once.

Huo Duo’er said, “For now we’ll use bark to cover the outside. Later, once we’ve hunted a few more wild beasts, we can replace it with animal hides, they’re warmer.”

Yu Bai replied, “Bark is fine too. We can take it slow.”

In the tribe, even the young, skilled male orcs had to collaborate and divide tasks if they wanted to hunt a large wild beast.

No matter how capable Huo Duo’er was, couldn’t possibly hunt so many wild beasts alone, it was simply too dangerous.

Yu Bai still felt anxious when he recalled how the other had ventured into the mountains alone last time to hunt several gray wolves.

They chatted casually while they worked.

Most of the time, it was Yu Bai who initiated the conversation. Whenever a response was needed, Huo Duo'er, though usually quiet and reserved, would always reply, never letting the atmosphere fall into awkward silence.

With the back-and-forth chatter, scraping bark became a less tedious task.

From outside came the sound of footsteps crunching on snow. Upon hearing it, they looked up. The Chief had arrived, with A’Chang, the male orc who had guided them the other day, following behind.

The Chief said, “Hard at work, I see.”

As he spoke, he smoothed out his graying beard and looked around. “This house was built up fast, it looks sturdy too.”

Then he added, “About what we discussed the other day, the decision has been made.”

That final sentence was clearly the main reason for the Chief’s visit.

Yu Bai paused his work, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Huo Duo’er gestured for him to stay seated. “Stay here.”

With that, he walked over to the chief and, with a calm gaze looking down from above, said, “Let’s talk outside.”

The chief chuckled cheerfully, “Alright, alright.”

Yu Bai lifted a leg to follow, but Huo Duo’er warned gently, “Bai, wait for me.”

Through the doorway, across the snow-covered ground, Yu Bai watched from a distance as Huo Duo’er and the chief spoke.

The wind in the main city was mild, and snowflakes drifted down almost soundlessly.

Despite the stillness, not a single word of their conversation could be heard.

After a while, the chief walked off still wearing a pleasant smile. Huo Duo’er brushed the snow from his shoulders at the door, and only after he was no longer chilled did he enter the house.

Yu Bai leaned in close to the giant, obedient yet curious. “What were you discussing?”

Why did the chief seem to have changed his attitude?

Huo Duo’er said, “In a few days, once the snow on the mountains gets deeper, a lot of wild boars will come down to forage. The chief is organizing a team of strong male orcs to go into the mountains and hunt.”

Yu Bai was surprised. “They’re going hunting in such cold weather?”

He had heard from A’Li before that most orcs wouldn’t travel far during winter. They would store up food in the autumn and then stay holed up indoors or in caves once it got cold, only moving around the outskirts of the tribe at most.

The weather was harsh, with ice and snow everywhere, and yet they were still going after roaming herds of beasts. Just thinking about it made Yu Bai scrunch up his little face in worry.

“Do they really have to go now?”

Huo Duo’er nodded.

The chief had sent out orc hunting parties twice before during winter, but both times ended poorly due to sudden beast herd attacks, many were injured or killed.

After witnessing the might of the giant race, the chief’s endless ambition was rekindled this year.

And with the recent incident involving the horned ox orc A’Shi, the chief now intended to send Huo Duo’er out, hoping he could bring back better results.

A few days earlier, Huo Duo’er had discussed the matter with the chief and agreed to the plan.

He had just brought Yu Bai into the city, and to suppress certain orcs who were beginning to stir with unrest, this was the perfect opportunity to display his strength.

This way, he could both give the chief a satisfactory result and establish his own authority among the surrounding orcs, quelling some of the darker thoughts brewing in certain individuals.

Among the orcs, strength was revered. If he achieved such a great feat, the chief would likely show extra favor to Yu Bai in the future on account of him.

Even though A’Li was on good terms with Yu Bai, his status was ordinary and he lived outside the city, there was little he could do to truly protect Yu Bai if needed.

But the chief, as the highest-ranking leader in the tribe, could speak on Yu Bai’s behalf and if he did, the other beastfolk wouldn’t dare give him too much trouble.

The inner workings of this power and benefit exchange weren’t something Huo Duo’er could explain in detail to Yu Bai. He didn’t want to expose such a pure heart to these harsh realities.

By the time it passed noon, the snow had nearly stopped.

The pile of bark inside the house had all been thoroughly scraped clean. Roasted repeatedly over the fire, once processed to this stage, the task was considered complete.

Huo Duo’er hoisted a bundle of bark onto his shoulder and paced around the house, carefully choosing the right spots. Using hemp rope, he tied the bark securely to the outer walls, sealing up the windows and door frames so tightly that not a single crack was left exposed.

As long as the main house was covered, they could move in with Yu Bai, and other parts of the house could be repaired gradually.

Once the bark was in place, Huo Duo’er immediately discussed the move with Yu Bai. Without hesitation, Yu Bai agreed.

They planned to bring over part of their daily essentials that very afternoon.

That afternoon, Yu Bai and Huo Duo’er packed up a portion of their belongings from the small hut—things like pots, bowls, pans, and animal hides.

Huo Duo’er bundled everything tightly using vine ropes. With his right hand he dragged the load with force, and with his left, he lifted Yu Bai into his arms to head back into the city.

Cold wind blew against them, and Yu Bai buried his face in the giant’s neck, his voice muffled as he said, “Let me walk, okay?”

As he spoke, his breath continuously brushed against Huo Duo’er’s neck, it was warm, soft, and faintly sweet.

Huo Duo’er’s Adam’s apple moved visibly, and the muscles in his right arm suddenly tensed and bulged, filled with unused strength.

When he responded, his voice was hoarse:

“I’m not tired. I’ll carry you.”

As he spoke, Huo Duo’er patted the soft and plump flesh through the animal mattress with his palm

Yu Bai froze instantly, halting his movement as he was just about to slide down from Huo Duo’er’s arms.

Stammering, he said, “W-why are you doing that again… Don’t just pat me there…”

Seeing him stay obediently in his arms, Huo Duo’er let a faint smile rise to his lips.

Yu Bai, both annoyed and embarrassed, pursed his lips and refused to speak for a good while.

When they entered the main city, a group of orcs had gathered along the muddy roadside to watch the commotion.

They stood in several circles, completely blocking the path.

Still sitting in Huo Duo’er’s arms, Yu Bai looked up and immediately caught sight of the scene ahead.

Several horses carrying goods had collapsed in the snow, their cargo scattered across the ground. A servant of the Tribe, with bone ornaments on his forehead and neck, dressed in an animal-hide robe was relentlessly whipping the horse bellies with a vine whip.

“Get up, all of you! If you delay the offering ceremony, you’ll see how the gods punish you!”

Then he turned and shouted at a nearby horse-herding orc, “What are you waiting for? Pick the stuff up already!”

The orc being shouted at happened to be A’Xin, the one Yu Bai had treated for a leg injury before.

A’Xin clutched his once-broken leg, half-kneeling in the snow as he picked up the scattered cargo. Beside him was his young child, A’Yi, who had crouched down too, short arms stretched forward, helping his father gather the items.

The tribe servant declared, “These horses have delayed the sacrificial prayer to the gods. They must be killed immediately to earn the gods' forgiveness.”

A’Xin quickly spoke up, “Please don’t kill them, I beg the High Priest for mercy, please don’t kill them!”

Little A’Yi didn’t understand what was going on. His big eyes were damp with tears, and he clung to his father’s leg, silently sobbing.

A’Xin’s injured leg gave a wobble as he rose. He patted A’Yi’s head, then walked up to the burdened horses and said urgently, “Get up. If you don’t help the High Priest get these goods there on time, both the priest and the gods will punish you!”

The horses snorted weakly and whimpered as there hooves scraped, but they still couldn’t move.

The tribe servant, furious, kicked one of the horses, then grabbed the stone knife hanging at his waist and raised it, about to stab hard into the horse’s belly.

A’Xin rushed to stop him, and the two of them wrestled in a tangled struggle.

Yu Bai muttered under his breath, “Those horses’ hooves… the nails have grown so long, of course they can’t walk properly.”

The horse-herding orcs had some basic knowledge about raising horses, but not much and they had no real awareness of proper care. They didn’t understand why, after a few years, the horses they raised would suddenly stop being able to walk.

Yu Bai looked at the little cub sobbing so hard he could barely breathe, and a wave of bitterness welled up in his chest.

He leaned closer to Huo Duo’er’s ear and whispered, “I want to go take a look. Maybe I can help.”

Huo Duo’er set him down and followed behind as they walked forward.

The surrounding orcs, upon seeing a member of the giant tribe approaching, instinctively made way for them.

“A’Xin, it’s freezing out, why did you bring A’Yi out in this weather?”

A’Xin rubbed his frost-reddened hands, his expression full of conflict and guilt.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Yu Bai looked at him and said calmly, “I might be able to help those horses stand up.”

A’Xin replied, “There’s no way… I’ve raised them for years… It’s always been like this…”

The onlooking orcs murmured and whispered among themselves, their gazes fixed on Yu Bai.

The tribe servant glared at him, eyes full of hostility.

“Don’t think that just because you’re together with that giant that you can do whatever you want in the Tribe’s territory. If you offend the High Priest, none of the orcs here will welcome you!”

Yu Bai swallowed back the words he was about to say and looked up at Huo Duo’er.

“Huo Duo’er, there’s something I want to tell you in private.”

Huo Duo’er bent down slightly, gently lifted Yu Bai into his arms, and tilted his head to listen carefully to what Yu Bai had to say.

Moments later, Huo Duo’er nodded, pulled out the stone knife from his waist, and walked over to the collapsed horses. He crouched down and, with swift and precise movements, began cutting away the curled, overgrown hooves from the horses.

As soon as the long, deformed hoof was trimmed from the first horse, the horse legs instantly felt lighter. It wobbled to its feet, let out a loud neigh, and stood tall. Not long after, the other two horses also rose, one after the other.

“What just happened?”

“What did the giant do to those horses? They’re standing again!”

A’Xin was completely stunned but quickly came to his senses.

“Bai?!”

The horse-herding orc’s eyes turned red, and tears welled up at the corners of his eyes.

“Thank you for helping, Bai, I… I don’t know how to thank you…”

He stammered, “Bai saved the horses I raised—!”

“Bai is truly amazing. Not only did he heal my leg injury, but he also got all the horses that couldn’t stand up back on their feet…”

All around, the orcs who had witnessed the scene were at a loss for words, trying to make sense of what they had just seen.

Huo Duo’er lifted Yu Bai once more, casting a cold glance at the onlookers. The orcs quickly made way for them, parting like the sea before them.

The brief interruption was soon over.

Back at their new house, Huo Duo’er brought over clean wooden planks and carefully laid them along the corners, forming a large bed. He added hay, cloth mats, and animal furs, making sure it was soft and thick enough. Only then did he place the animal furs Yu Bai usually slept on over it.

Yu Bai was busy putting away the pots, bowls, and utensils. After a bit of work, he turned around and saw that the new bed had already been set up.

Huo Duo'er still had to return to the old stone hut to bring back some food from the clay oven. The two of them worked together, and by the time night had fully fallen, they finally had a chance to sit down and rest.

On this snowy night, Yu Bai sat by the fire, sipping the bone broth from the ceramic pot with Huo Duo'er.

Once they were full, he got up and walked to the door. He lifted the tree bark curtain at the entrance, and the wind and snow outside weren’t as harsh as beyond the city. The cold breeze had a certain gentleness to it, brushing against his face with a cool, refreshing sensation.

He smiled and lowered the curtain again, feeling happy, almost circling around Huo Duo'er who was busy with the water.

“I didn’t expect we’d be able to move into the new house so quickly.”

“Huo Duo'er, I’m so glad you’re here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to live in such a nice place.”

“Huo Duo'er, look, it’s snowing again outside…”

Huo Duo'er listened intently to his stream of thoughts. After Yu Bai used warm water to clean himself, took his medicine, and rolled around a few times on the bed, the new bed, much larger than the one in the stone hut, allowed Huo Duo'er to sleep more comfortably without having to curl up through the entire night.

He eagerly shared all his thoughts with the other person, his speech becoming muddled as he spoke.

It was already late, and he had been excited for quite some time. Now, he felt drowsy, curled up in the thick animal blanket.

The heavy blanket almost swallowed him up, and the fire in the stone basin crackled, casting a warm glow at the foot of the bed.

Even so, he still felt something was missing as he slipped between sleep and wakefulness.

Then, a warmth spread across his back, as a chest, like a heated stove, pressed against him.

Yu Bai's hands and feet trembled slightly before he relaxed, allowing the warmth to envelop his body.

He turned his face, resting against Huo Duor's chest, like a cat.

Huo Duor gazed down at the sub-female who had buried himself in his chest and felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

He thought to himself, tightening his hold on the slender body and rubbing against it, until he felt a tightness in his lower abdomen, a swelling that caused him some pain. 

Only then did he reluctantly ease his grip slightly.

Perhaps by spring, his sub-female wouldn't shy away from him anymore.

Previous TOC Next