Chapter 130 - What Makes A King A King
Chapter 130 – What Makes A King A King
I panted for air because I rarely yelled. Actually, I couldn't remember yelling this loud in my entire life. My face colored in red as I also felt a bit embarrassed at what I said, but that wasn't important. What was important was that I finally caught the bears' attention.
Toby warned me about meeting the bears. He said although bears weren't as brutal and vicious as werewolves, they could fight just as fiercely to protect their family.
"Hugo, the alpha of the mad wolf pack, who oversees the land of Belcoot, personally came in here, unarmed, to put an end to this after hearing the history of Tarsa Tribe and Belcoot." I calmed down, using this opportunity to relay the message to them. "Please listen to us. We don't mean harm. There's no point in sacrificing more lives if we can compromise."
'Can she really hear us?'
'Of course, idiot. How else can she know we're calling that ugly an ugly if not for that?!'
'Stop with the ugly talk. She knew about the forgotten Tarsa Tribe.'
'We can't trust her, even though she's not a wolf. She can be working with those animals who stole our land and forced us to part with our tribesmen.'
'If we're not careful, they can ambush us and kill us all in one swoop.'
The bears talked among themselves while I kept my mouth shut. Of course, they wouldn't immediately believe me. I expected this much.
"Rinrin?" I looked up at Hugo while he looked at me with questioning eyes. "What are they saying?"
"They don't believe me."
"Of course. We expect this much." Hugo nodded, taking everything calmly before he raised his head. Hugo carefully took off his cloak, revealing the thin linen clothes he wore underneath.
"I can strip here to show you I am unarmed. Although I can shift to my wolf form and slaughter you all single-handedly, there's no need to shed more blood and lose more of our people. I heard that the Tarsa Tribe used to live in Belcoot before it was named Belcoot. I am deeply disheartened by what had happened in the past.
However, Belcoot is now the wolves' home as well. What happened in the past was not my fault, neither it was the people's fault who are now inhabiting this land. I cannot change what is already written in history, but you and I can change the future.
Not only for us, who are fighting for our people but for the sake of those people we protect. For the next generation who will inherit this land. We can give our offspring the chance to live freely in a land we both call our homes.
Please, hear our sincere howls."
I looked at Hugo in awe, clutching my hand close to my chest. Hugo was surely reliable in these types of things. No wonder he was an alpha; not just by strength, his personality and beliefs were akin to a wise ruler.
The bears sized Hugo in silence. Unlike earlier, they weren't gloating, and it seemed they took Hugo's words seriously.
"Call the chief and tell them the wolf raised a white flag." My eyes brightened up when I heard a solemn voice. "Also, tell him he brought a human who can hear our voice."
I looked up at Hugo with a relieved smile. He had this puzzlement plastered on his face, but he subtly smiled when he saw my reaction.
"They said they will call their chief," I summarized what the bears were saying with a relieved smile. "Hugh…"
I reached for Hugo's hand and squeezed it lightly. I hoped everything would go well from this point onwards. Hugo nodded slightly before casting everyone a look.
"The chief bear will come in here in a while. Although we don't mean harm, don't let your guard down."
"Yes, Alpha Hugo."
******
Shortly after, several more bears came into sight. To my disbelief, the bears that came were scarred. Some even had areas where there was no fur, leaving their scars and skin out in the open. There were bears who didn't have an eye or had this strange gait to show they were permanently damaged.
'These bears were veteran warriors,' I whispered internally, keeping my heart in check as it ached for them. My eyes fell on the colossal bear in the middle. This one also just had one eye, littered with scars, across from his gigantic body.
Even from this distance, I felt intimidated. But Hugo was unfazed even though the members of the pack stood from the distance. Only the two of us came face to face with the bears, standing several meters away from the bear, they called chief.
'This boy is an alpha?' a deep voice of a man rang in my head followed by another one saying, 'yes.'
The chief's eyes fell on me. 'You can hear us?'
"Yes." I nodded, breathing out faintly. "I can hear and understand you. I will be relaying your arguments, conditions, and be someone as your voice to him."
'Be our voice, huh? Never mind being our voice. How did you come to know about the Tarsa Tribe?' His voice was imposing, fitting for a bear that ruled the bears.
"I met one from the tribe yesterday and told me about the history of the brave warriors of Tarsa Tribe." I looked at him with eyes full of resolve. "I'm sorry for what happened."
"You only apologize if you have done something wrong, little girl. Our Tarsa Tribe had faced a series of misfortune during and after the great holy war." He let out a low snarl, his eyes making all the hair behind my neck raise. "Little girl, can you see the scars on us? These were the results of fighting for our rights and reclaiming what is initially ours. Our kins that are trapped beyond that wall had suffered. How can we trust these wolves who are one of the people who caused us great suffering until now?"
I pressed my lips, raising my eyes at Hugo, who was standing beside me. He was keeping his silence, staring at the bears before us. My lips parted, about to relay the argument of the Chief, but stopped when Hugo spoke.
"That is the entire point in here," he said in a quiet voice but was heard loud and clear. "You had suffered until now. I am giving you an option of whether to continue your sufferings or end it with you, so your offspring doesn't have to share the same fate as you."
My eyes dilated in shock — even the bears were equally startled as me. How did Hugo understand them? Can he hear them all along? Noticing the shock in our eyes, Hugo was kind to enlighten us after a moment.
"I don't need to hear your voice to know what you are thinking. I am someone who was responsible for my people's lives and putting myself into your shoes makes me understand you even more," he explained in the same tone. "This negotiation may make you feel those who sacrificed their lives would be in vain, but will you let your pride get the better of you? I do not mind continuing what is already started, but I also do not mind compromising to correct the mistake of my ancestors."
"I may not return this land entirely, but give me a chance." This time, Hugo tilted his head down to humble himself. "The wolves had done you wrong. I apologize on behalf of all the werewolves who caused you great suffering."
'Hugh…' my eyes softened as a subtle smile dominated my face. I looked at the chief and the bears, and I could tell their surprise at Hugo's action. Sometimes, an apology wasn't enough. But… there were times that a simple apology was enough.. And I appreciated Hugo took a step forward and reached out, acknowledging the mistakes he didn't even do.