The days were passing by, identical and unsurprising. The children woke up early to accompany their néach. The group thus formed spent most of the day searching for animal tracks. If they were fresh, the adults would go ahead and try to trap the game.
Each outing was led by different hunters. Sometimes there were only two of them, other times a large number of them would leave together. Each person's techniques complemented each other and gave the children an overview of how to proceed to successfully catch game.
Araïg, Furig and Vorn, Taghna's keepers, preferred to disperse to increase their chances of finding a trail, while Coséanta and Buráras, the keepers of Caïséan's culéan, stayed one behind the other and traced at wind speed. Each method was viable, and adults, depending on their personal preference and how they shared their knowledge, explained in more and more detail the advantages and disadvantages of their techniques.
Despite their mastery, failure was part of their daily lives. The inhabitants of Séaroën didn't want to waste time and energy if their efforts did not feed the village and they preferred to focus on larger prey.
The children, who were always on the sidelines, felt that they were not making any progress. They were moody. Learning was difficult and the vague words of the néach didn't improve the results. No matter how much they turned the sentences in their heads, such as "be fast but don't rush" or "don't use your eyes to observe", the animals' tracks remained furtive.
Taghna was especially impatient to discover new clues, but since her success on the first day, she had not been able to repeat her feat. She thought to herself with bitterness that Slavan and Asgeül had been right, that she had only been lucky.
Faced with the passivity of the majority of hunters in their teaching, the little girl could not help but wonder if they were deliberately not helping them. This technique, however, wasn't meaningless. This forced the children to cooperate and draw on their own resources.
Taghna and Færn spent a lot of time together. Their relationship had improved significantly, to the detriment of their link with their classmates. The mutual trust they felt for each other was growing so much that Færn was able to anticipate his friend's moods and often managed to calm her down. When this wasn't possible, such as when everyone listened to Asgeül with their mouths wide open, the two children moved away from the group and took care of their own activities.
Taghna shared the slightest of her doubts and observations with the little boy. One thing she noticed about adults was their particular approach. Their steps were so silent that she couldn't know in which direction they were going if she closed her eyes. For a long time, she had detailed their movements and realized that they were gently extending the sole of their foot, while all the children were putting the heel down first. This gave her enough time to spend with Færn to adopt this approach. He encouraged her in his own way, with an open and enthusiastic attitude.
The training with the spear was not neglected either. After controlling the throw on the stationary baskets from a safe distance, the children started throwing them into the air. For a while, this occupied the apprentice hunters.
Taghna had long been able to anticipate the trajectory of such a target, so much so that she was now able to kill flying insects. The large beetles were heavy and easy to reach. So she turned to the birds that were flying under the canopy. She concentrated, followed the animal with her eyes carefully and skillfully unleashed her spear. Every time she thought she would succeed in impaling them, the birds would change races at the last minute.
Even if she failed numerous times, she took great pleasure in perfecting her gesture, perceiving and anticipating the movement of the living beings around her. She would go so far as to dissect each error so that she would never repeat it more than once or twice in a row. However, the birds remained unreachable. Meanwhile, Færn, who was much less skilled than she was, stayed with the rest of the group to train at his own pace.
One evening, Taghna arrived by the fire after a long cold and windy day. A sad atmosphere reigned around the fire which spat thick smoke because of the humidity of the wood that filled it. Taghna was returning from one of her long training sessions and hadn't eaten anything all day. On the way back, she had taken the opportunity to pick as much edible food as possible and returned with her arms full of bulbs and young leaves.
She saw that the children were discouraged and without energy. They had downcast eyes and their behaviour was deeply weary. She went to add her food in the pot of boiling water, stirred the liquid and noticed how clear it was. She took a bowl, poured herself a portion and sat down next to her classmates. Most of them watched with dismay at their food, in which a few twigs floated.
Taghna felt that it was time to find some comforting words. She wanted to encourage them, to tell them that the next day would be easier, that they would all go and collect food together. But the more she thought about it, the less she found the right words.
Just as she was about to start talking, Asgeül spoke:
- Tomorrow, we should share the tasks. After the hunt, me and Caïséan will go get some insects while you train with the spear. Færn and Stær, you will light the fire and start preparing the food. The next day, we'll change roles, so we can focus on one thing at a time, like our néach do.
Taghna felt a stone fall in her stomach. She was quick to look at her brataïr but Asgeül didn't seem to have noticed her. Around her, whispers of approval rose from the circle. The children, covered with large furs, agreed with a sharp nod. In their eyes, a glimmer of hope had come back on. They were reassured that someone would take charge.
Taghna had to admit that Asgeül's reaction had been perfect. Her plan had been accepted and she had not thought of it. This time, she could not deny the fact that her rival had played better than her. She noticed that Færn, always attentive, was watching her. She couldn't decipher his eyes.
Before going to bed, she asked Færn:
- Do you think Asgeül is better than me?
- Um... No, not at all, he says.
- Færn... If I ask you that, it's not to hear lies. I want to know what you think.
The little boy was reluctant to express his opinion clearly. He knew that Taghna felt isolated and he didn't want to accentuate this separation. He finally said:
- No, really, I don't think Asgeül is any better than you. But I think everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and I have the impression that Asgeül is more comfortable guiding the group. At least for some things.
Taghna thought for a moment and ended up saying:
- Yes, I think you're right.
He smiled at her and she thanked him for his honesty. After Rissar's story, Taghna thought long and hard about the meal scene and Færn's words. She felt isolated from the others who slept soundly, united as they were on their common journey.
The next day, while they were looking for signs of a boar passing by, Asgeül began again proposing the way forward. Taghna was stung by it. The previous day's event was still fresh in her mind. She had managed to admit the superiority of her brataïr when it came to social interactions, but she considered herself better for the activities that revolved around hunting. She made an effort not to say anything and decided not to think about it too much.
This episode started a change of perspective in the children. They no longer saw hunting as a time when they absolutely had to reproduce the behaviour of their néach. It was impossible to do that because they were always far behind.
From then on, each activity, supervised or not, was an opportunity to organize themselves together. Often, they went as far as forgetting the presence of adults, which they were reminded of in the form of a peremptory "Silence!".
They were learning to find their way through the vastness of the forest as they traveled through different places. They were able to walk further and further and each excursion took them to a different part of their territory. Taghna was excellent when it came to finding their way back and she put all her energy into spotting clues left by the most clumsy animals.
Not everything was smooth and without problems, however. Several times, while the children were looking for a trail among the vegetation that was taking on more and more beautiful green hues, Asgeül had openly contested Taghna's judgment. Fortunately, she had been right every time, and Taghna could not help but gloat as she watched the jealousy of her brataïr.
These successive victories gave Taghna the confidence she needed to assert herself in the eyes of her classmates. They began to seek her advice on a regular basis. Seeing her status within the group more secure, Taghna was able to share her thoughts with a milder feeling of aggression and her relationship with Asgeül improved.
One day, when Vorn and Drahul, the two hunters who were in charge of teaching, had pushed their exploration particularly far to the east, the two adults stopped abruptly. With their muscles tenses, they were scanning the space in front of them.
The children, perceiving the tension of their néach, immediately stopped talking. Taghna watched Vorn and Drahul carefully. They took quick and short breaths interspersed with a deeper breathing. Their eyes were directed not far away, towards the ground. White bark chips streaked with black streaks littered the ground now almost entirely devoid of snow.
Taghna didn't know which tree it was coming from, but Stær would have had no trouble identifying it. Without a doubt, it was a brich that grew much further northeast. This species did not exist so close to Séaroën. None of the children understood how pieces of brich could have ended up in their forest, but the concern was palpable.
Instinctively, the children huddled together. A light and high-pitched voice, which Taghna did not recognize, rose in silence. The adults were still not moving, and the voice was heard again. The next moment, five women appeared from behind trunks and bushes. Taghna, who had checked the place a moment earlier, made a little scream of fear that died in her throat.
She had not perceived the presence of foreigners at all. Their hair was short and their faces as white as snow with dark spots. This made it difficult to know exactly where their eyes were. From their hands hung long leather straps. Their attitude did not seem hostile and their movements remained calm and composed. Vorn and Drahul were nevertheless ready to jump.
Taghna was confused but she knew one thing: the five women had entered their domain. She was in front of a real archféar. Vorn took a step towards them. She planted her spear in the ground and presented them with her two open palms. She said a few words to the intruders that Taghna didn't understand. Behind her, Drahul had not given up on his solid posture. He looked like a predator ready to strike his prey. Taghna could not help noticing that his body remained relaxed, while his face was frozen in an indecipherable mask.
The verbal exchange between Vorn and the women was done in jerks, slowly. The members of the two villages were measuring each other. After a moment that seemed endless, the archféar withdrew, disappearing as they had come, without being able to tell if they had flown away or sunk underground. Vorn took her spear in hand and went to sweep the brich bark. Her sharp kicks sent them flying in the wind. She turned around and said to Drahul in a calm voice:
- The Brichnern have had more children. Their territory is constantly growing. This time, they want more than they deserve.
- How do we know what they need?
- With the Grathar in the north, we'll soon have no more places to hunt!
- Maybe...
The two adults remembered that their offspring were prostrate behind them. Vorn simply told them:
- Children, go back to the village.
The group hesitated for a moment, as if struck by the turn of events, then finally walked towards Séaroën. The children moved in an oppressive silence that Déan eventually broke:
- But why didn't they get attacked? They were on our territory after all!
- You're stupid, said Ranie. There were five of them, only two of us. It's a good thing they didn't do anything, you mean.
- It doesn't tell us why they didn't attack, added Déan.
- Maybe they just wanted to see our reaction, Slavan proposed. Anyway, we have to tell the wise men.
- We should get back as soon as possible, Asgeül concluded.
So they started running, happy to be able to release their tension in physical activity. Taghna didn't know what to think about what had happened. She was particularly impressed by the calm of her guards. They had not had the slightest hesitation. The two adults had acted as if they were one, with Vorn leading the negotiations and Drahul taking care of her back.
Taghna had been too panicked to think about anything. She had stopped without even realizing it. Now that she was thinking about it, she thought it would have been better if she had stayed aware of what was around her, either to look for possible Brichnern who had remained hidden or at least to check that everyone in her group was present.
She then remembered the relaxed attitude of her néach. They had remained in their position but had not tried to attack, probably because they were aware of their disadvantage. Taghna realized the importance of never giving in to panic, promising herself to keep this thought in mind.
Once they arrived in the village, the children rushed to the entrance of the mataïg to call the séalyar. Rissar rushed out and was assaulted with shouts and explanations that burst forth in all directions. The dean finally silenced them and asked Stær what had happened. The little girl gave her a summary that everyone agreed on.
To Taghna's great surprise, no concern appeared on the old woman's face. This allowed the group to calm down immediately.
- Thank you, Stær. I'll talk to Dannaï and Séabanh about it. Don't worry, your néach have solved the problem. Come on, do what you have to do, she said with her usual little smile.
The agitation was therefore dissipated and the children returned to their daily tasks. That evening, as they fell asleep, coiled in the furs which they increasingly opened or removed during the day, Taghna let herself be rocked by the voices of the adults. Very quickly, her mind reached the depths of the earth, warm and welcoming. Only Séacas's rasping voice pulled her away once or twice from her sleep, allowing her to listen to what he was saying.
The adults commented on the progress of their culéan by whispering. Their voices, so distant and cold during the day, were charged with heat in the evening and modulated different emotions. Taghna was surprised to hear them talk about children so precisely. Nothing escaped them. The néach compared their ways of doing things, appreciated everyone's progress. They even discussed what they should do to show them the right way.
Taghna understood that she and her classmates were therefore constantly observed and, far from being ignored, the opposite was in fact the case: all the adults' efforts were focused on their development.