It was past midday by the time we reached the village by the river. I'd asked Dev what it was called, but when he told me "Mountain Tribe" with a confused look about him, I didn't push it. Perhaps the Mountain Tribe saw all its villages as one despite the distance between one another and saw no need for name giving. Maybe Xera would know...

We kept pace with the trotting Mudbrays, Yanmega resting himself atop my head as we passed between the mud huts. The villagers stared at us curiously. Or rather, they stared at me and Xera. But mostly me.

The huts closest to the river were still pretty far from the water, and it seemed to be bathing time. I averted my gaze from the river. Obviously I bathed separate from Luna and Xera on our travels, but somehow, despite having been among two different tribes, I was only now witnessing this, which I had already assumed might be a cultural thing. Still though, it really was embarrassing.

Xera was smirking as we walked closer to the river, Dewpider clutched in her arms. "You and your shyness to tribal customs, Outsider."

I coughed. "And how would you like it if I stumbled across you bathing?"

"I'd kill you, obviously."

"There's no justice on this island," I breathed silently and Yanmega seemed to vibrate his wings above me in agreement. At least I had the bug on my side. 

We waited patiently with Dev close by the river, far enough away where it was easier to not look at everyone bathing. Instead, I took the time to examine the grassy plains. I would see the occasional Starly here and there, and I had even spotted the tail of a Shinx sticking out from the tall grass not too far away. Along the river's edge a troop of Woopers marched on by while a team of Duckletts swam close by. Then there were Pokemon I likely couldn't see hiding in the tall grass. On the way here to the village I had seen the odd Paras and even stepped on a Dwebble. Even if I had been looking where I'd been putting my feet, the rock was shaped differently than the ones documented in the Unova Colony, so I honestly wouldn't have guessed that's what the rock really was upon first glance.

Finally Dev stood, waving his hand towards a group of men emerging from the river. Thankfully they came over wearing leather skirts. All four of them were bald save for the youngest, who must have been younger than me by at least a couple of years. His hair was stringy and even though freshly washed, still looked unkempt. 

Dev broke into rapid fire speech, speaking the language of the island. Even having tried taking lessons from a patient Luna and an easily frustrated Xera, picking up the language was not easy. Thus I understood nothing of what was said. Luckily I already knew the plan. Dev was only able to take us this far and from here on out we would need a guide who knew downriver well enough to get us to Lake Harmony safely. So unless Dev was just chatting up old friends, I assumed they would be our guides."

Finally Dev turned to Xera and I with a toothy grin. "They will take you. Down and up."

"Thank you very much for agreeing to do this," I said in gratitude.

The three bald guys just stared at me while the stringy haired kid just nodded. "No thanks necessary. We need to go gather the honey down at Harmony Lake. Do not mind these shmucks," he said, jabbing a finger at the three guys. "They do not speak outsider."

"Uh..." I blinked. His accent was very strong and just barely understandable, but it was proper English. "You can speak..."

"Yeah?" the kid raised an eyebrow. "I can speak."

"N-no, I mean," I stammered with Xera snickering behind me. "You just speak English so well. You're so young."

"Language isn't a hard thing to learn," he said, shrugging. "Now follow me. We want to get going soon. I want to make good progress during the evening."

"Are we not going to sail through the night?" I asked as we began following him and his brothers up the river, past everyone bathing. 

He shook his head. "We will, but we must sail carefully and slowly." He glanced back at us. "My name is Mee."

"Me?" I asked, confused. 

"Mee," he said, making the "e" sound longer this time. "The language of your people uses my name to refer to oneself personally. Very confusing I imagine."

"A little," I admitted. "Still getting used to everything here... You don't mind that I'm an outsider?"

Mee smiled. "No. Most of our tribe does not. You will find the Jungle Tribe holds most of the prejudice."

Xera snorted beside me.

I chuckled. "I've noticed."

"Here we are," Mee announced, stopping in front of a large, open hut. Inside were several canoe-shaped boats, carved from the trunks of trees. They were stacked atop one another or otherwise leaning against each other. Each one could probably carry several people and one or two medium sized Pokemon at once. Various tools littered the dusty ground inside the hut and a couple of men were in the far back, carving out the inside of a new boat.

"Do you always need to make more boats?" I asked curiously.

"Oh yes," Mee said as his three older brothers began hauling one of the boats off a pile. "The river monsters will destroy a couple each season, so we need to be prepared."

"River monsters?" I blanched.

"Nothing Grovyle and I can't handle," Xera said confidently, and the Grass type crossed his arms, looking arrogant. 

Mee shrugged at her. "If you say so. The river monsters should not be very active, but we should be careful."

"Uh, yeah..." I said, still feeling uneasy. What the Mountain Tribe's Spirit Guide had told me before we left the plateau still rang in my ears. Fear the water.

"Hey, um, Mee?" I asked, kneeling next to him as Xera followed the brothers as they dragged a boat each towards the river, carving three lines in the mud.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Um..." I hesitated, unsure if I should even mention it, but decided it was probably safest to. "Your Spirit Guide, and Healer, gave me a warning before we left for here. He said, "fear the water". Do you think he means the river monsters?"

Mee considered this for a second. "Yes, it might. We go still. The honey must be collected for the coming cold season."

I nodded, before registering what he said. Cold season. Has it really been that long since I've been here? No, it hasn't. We were at sea for what, nearly two months before Ryan and I were shipwrecked here? We'd left right before summer, so I guess the it must be at the tail end of summer by now...

My thoughts were interrupted as Dev, followed by both Mudbrays carrying the supplies given to us by the Ahoirr and Ruvain. He patted their rumps and they trotted towards the boats, which the brothers had now gotten to the edge of the water.

Dev patted my shoulder. "You be well, Liam. Be safe."

I smiled and felt warm inside. "Thank you, Dev. For everything. You stay safe as well while we're gone."

He grinned. "Yes."

"Come on," Mee said, picking up a sack leaning against one wall of the hut and starting down the slight slope towards the river.

Waving goodbye to Dev once more, I followed. I helped Xera and the brothers untie the supplies from the Mudbrays and load them onto the three boats. They trotted back to Dev as Mee climbed in the lead boat and whistled three times in rapid succession. He waited at the bow for a couple seconds before bubbles began forming in the river. Three blue round heads emerged first before sinking below again. Then they rose fully from the water. Three Quagsires. 

"All aboard," Mee instructed us and I hurried into his boat, climbing my way in. Yanmega settled himself behind me as Leavanny sat to my side. Two of the brothers took the back boat while Xera and the third brother took the middle boat. Dewpider stayed clutched in Xera's arms while Grovyle sat in the back. Each Quagsire took up positions behind the boats and pushed them into the water, guiding the currents to turns the boats to face downstream.

Two of the Quagsires plopped themselves in the last boat while the second took up residence next to Grovyle, who seemed to find the Water/Ground type's presence insulting. A tiny plop sound came from the river next to me and I looked to see a Wooper standing on the edge of the boat, staring at me with its head tilted to one side. 

I smiled, remembering my brother's Wooper. It had been a fun Pokemon to be with. I could only hope it somehow had survived the storm...

By now the villagers had finished bathing and were all heading back to the huts, so we had a clear shot down the river. We were at a narrow stretch, with thick reeds on both sides, but further down it widened up to the point where we could have each boat side-by-side.

"So outsider," Mee began, turning to face me as he sat down. "What is your name?"

"Liam," I answered. 

Mee smiled. "Liam. I like that. It is very... foreign, I think is the word. Not many tribesfolk have such foreign names. Or the color of your hair."

I patted my blonde covered head. "Yeah. Hey, I wanted to ask. When is this cold season going to arrive?"

"Not for another full moon and half moon," Mee said.

"How cold does it get," I leaned forward. "Like, does it snow at all?"

He shook his head. "No, it is very rare. Except for the Northern Tribe. Their land is cold during all four seasons."

"Another island?" My eyes widened.

"Small island," Mee explained. "Much smaller, but big enough for their tribe. Dangerous too. Fearsome. Never seen them, but I have heard stories."

"I'd love to hear more," I said eagerly, adjusting my position as the boat rocked.

Mee crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and leaned back slightly. After a minute, he reopened them and nodded. "This story should be good. There had been bad hunting during a very cold season of cold. Many were growing weak and many had died. Then one person made a decision..."

...

"I will go."

Gasps did not greet these words, merely stares of silence. The elder, clad in the skin of a Beartic, turned his gaze upon the young hunter. "You are young. That makes you foolish." Beside him, his Darmanitan huffed in agreement.

"I can do it," the man argued, slamming a fist down on the ice slab the group was seated around. He wore only simple furs skinned from a Mamoswine, not yet having earned his mark so that he could wear the skin of a defeated foe. "Our people need more food. What have we to lose!?"

"Kaerin," a woman, Liurthal, wearing the skin of a Walrein spoke this time to his left. Her dark hair poked out from the head she wore as a hood, the tusks going down her entire head. For one not much older than himself, she was quite fearsome for a Spirit Guide. "We need all the capable hunters we can spare to hunt for food. We cannot risk anyone on a risky and foolhardy mission."

"It isn't foolhardy," Kaerin gritted his teeth. Why couldn't they just understand!? "The Zoroark are efficient at hunting through all seasons. They are intelligent and our feud with them need not go on if we can benefit from one another!"

"Kaerin!" Liurthal stood very suddenly, her voice raised. "That is enough! The Elder has spoken. Leave us. The meeting has ended."

With a huff, Kaerin turned and marched out of the cave. Sandslash, who had been waiting just outside, hurried to follow. Kaerin cast one last glance back at the Gathering Cave before snorting and hiking down the trail towards the village.

...

"Kaerin, don't go," Amele whispered, tugging at his sleeve. "Come back to bed."

"I cannot, my dear," Kaerin said softly, pulling her fingers off. He cupped her hand, crouching down. "Something must be done or everyone will starve. I do this not just for their sakes, but for yours as well. I cannot bear to see you suffering any longer."

"And I do not wish to see you killed," she said, voice shaky.

"It'll be alright," he said. He was glad his face was cast in shadow. He did not want her to see his expression. "Trust me." He stood, letting her hand slip away as he walked softly towards the entrance of their ice hut. He crawled out and stood outside in the cold, night air. The moon was hidden by shadows. Good. It would be easier to remain hidden. Sandslash strode up and Kaerin glanced down at her. Nodding to her, they both took off. Kaerin kept himself crouched as they skirted the edge of the village, heading back up the trail towards the Gathering Cave. 

Once they had climbed the trail past the cave, a stretch of bare and coniferous trees laden with snow lay before them. Taking a chilly breath, he and Sandslash slid down the slope towards the forest. Once they came to a stop, Kaerin stood still for a moment to get the feel of the area. The tribe never went past the Gathering Cave to hunt in this forest. It was much too dangerous. The pack of Zoroark that lived out here were ferocious and intelligent enough to easily turn the tables on the hunters. They were the tribe's deadliest predator.

Reaching towards his back, Kaerin grabbed his spear and kept it gripped in his right hand. He had a bow as well, but he didn't fancy himself much of a good shot compared to his skills with the spear. 

"Come on," he told Sandslash and together they entered the forest. It was eerily calm, not even a breeze broke the unnerving silence. The branches did not sway as the world seemed to have frozen along with everything else. The only sounds made were their footfalls in the snow and their short, quiet breaths.

Something flew overhead, a shadow in the darkness. Kaerin aimed his spear up and Sandlash's claws glowed icy white. Staying stock still for a couple minutes to ensure whatever Pokemon had flown by would not return, he relaxed slightly. 

Further in they strode. By now they must be halfway between the village and the northern coast. He hoped they would not have to go that far. The tribe never did find where the Zoroarks made their dens, their illusions served to protect its location.

His thoughts went back to the meeting he had requested. Liurthal, he knew, had lost the one she had expected to marry to a Zoroark during a hunt gone wrong. It's what set her on the path to become a Spirit Guide in the first place. She hated them deeply for it. It was clouding her judgement of what needed to be done. So she opposed his plan.

A soft wind blew in from behind, making him shiver. He was glad his dark hair was long enough to cover the sides of his head. Then he stopped, his sixth sense warning him of something. He spun around, holding his spear out in front of him with both hands. Sandslash spread her claws as they began to glow again. A low growl came from in front of them, then to his right. Soon growls could be heard from all around as dozens of pairs of yellow eyes appeared in the darkness between the trees.

Kaerin planted his feet firmly, taking in a slow, deep breath. Releasing his grip on the spear, he let it drop in the snow. He crouched down, putting a hand on Sandslash's back. She gave him a look, then reluctantly let the glow die from her claws.

The growls stopped and silence fell over them once more as the eyes disappeared. But they weren't gone. Kaerin could feel their presence. A figure appeared in the darkness in front of him, approaching him and Sandslash. They grew clearer with each step and when Kaerin could finally make them out, he gasped. Long, dark hair flowed around her as she shivered, holding her skin covered arms to her chest.

Kaerin couldn't believe his eyes. He opened his mouth and croaked, "Amele?"

...

"That's it?" I asked once Mee stopped as he glanced skywards.

"No," Mee said. "The moon is rising. My attention must be on the water. You should sleep. The journey will take another full days travel."

I nodded, turning to lean against the side of the boat, only to have Leavanny grab my shoulders. 

"What is it?" I asked as she guided me to lay down against the bottom of the boat. There my head fell upon something soft. I turned to see a small pillow woven from the reeds and grass from along the sides of the river, held together by Leavanny's strings.

I smiled at her, rubbing her head. "Thank you, Leavanny." 

She gave a soft cry, returning the favor by rubbing my head with her sickle. Yanmega buzzed somewhere behind his head, settling down against him. I smiled, grateful for their compassion. After adjusting the sword at my waist so I could lay more comfortably, I closed my eyes, letting myself be soothed by the calming sounds of the river lapping at the boats. It was peaceful. I found myself drifting off, not even once thinking of Eric or the river monsters. That, as it turned out, was a mistake.

Had to write something else instead of RoC to get those creative juices flowing again. Not that many are reading this series, but hey, if at least one person enjoys it, my work is complete lol. Plus, I still have a love for this series, so there's that. Until next time. Toodles