The Master of Uradan

After Rohan had accepted the proposition of the Clan chief named Darias, and as the night was starting to fall, the Blackwolf Clan had decided to set the camp where they were.

At that moment, all Rohan could do was to watch all these people, almost five hundred from what he could judge, as they got active and moved all around. He was stupefied by this show.

Everyone, from children to old hags, helped to set the camp. They moved with expertise and speed that could only be qualified to be incredible.

They took out all the materials that they needed from the carts that were pulled by the kargas. Then, small groups divided themselves to put on a small fence around an area that would be the limitation of the camp.

The fence was composed of many short barricades made of tow stakes, and the nomads easily installed them: one of them was maintaining a part while another simply hit the stakes with a large hammer to sink it inside the soil.

With more than a hundred of these barricades forming this simple fence, the whole structure was finished. As he looked at the installation of that fence, Rohan couldn't help but ask himself the important question he was thinking of.

Why are they even bothering themselves with their fence? Was there a need to lose time to put that ridiculous thing all around? He only needed to advance through it, and step over it without putting in any effort. What was even the point?

But his bemused face only further sank when he saw what these mad lads were doing. Before installing the tents, some of the clan members, almost half of them all, formed a line from the edge of the camps. Then, with a stick in their hands, they advanced toward the other edge, taking all the place they could.

While they were walking, they hit the floor with the wood they wielded, at every step they were taking. 'Where in the fucking world did I land?'

But as Rohan was questioning their sanity and if he should leave this place without looking back, a yell came from one of these floor hitters.

"I got one here!" After this simple shout, another nomad arrived with a strange-looking hook and a bag, and under the stupefied look of the young warrior watching all this, a small but intense fight took place.

That was after the nomad with the hook arrived at the place where the other one had shouted that Rohan could see something exiting the soil, hissing at these humans who dared to wake him up.

Living a small hole behind him, a short snake left the soil, probably deranged by the vibration made by the wooden sticks.

It was only as long as an arm, and also as thick. Under the sunlight from the sun disappearing, the scales of the snake were of a bright light red. Its triangular head hovered for a bit, seemingly dazed by what had woken him up. As it turned its head around, it saw the enemies.

It hissed at the one who was the nearest, but before it could do anything, a fast blow coming from his right hit it in the face.

It shook its small head before looking with a dangerous glint in the eyes at the one who had attacked him, but this one, with another fast gesture, pocked the snake with his long hooked stick. He continued to pock and thrust his weapon at the snake which tried to dodge.

Irritated by the continuous attacks, the snake let go of its anger and threw itself like an arrow, and bolted toward the neck of the man playing with him. But it was what the nomad was waiting for.

With a single step on the side, and a large movement while turning on his hip, he caught the snake inside the bag he had in his hand from the beginning. The movement was made with such expertise that even Rohan, a rank 5 Beginner Warrior, was surprised by it.

This man was, without doubt, accustomed to such an act. He then closed the bag and stood back as the line of nomads continued to tap the ground with their sticks, seemingly at the research of these animals.

Once all the camp was searched through, and five of these snakes had been found, the tents were installed in a circle at a lighting speed. Each family was putting up one of these tents, large enough to be a small house, and in only a few minutes, a hundred of them surrounded the wooden pile.

What Rohan found a little strange was the position of the kargas, as these were freely let in between the tents and the fence all around them. Wasn't they afraid that the beast would flee at some point?

Once all of that was done, he saw a couple of men with shovels on their shoulders heading toward an area inside the encampment, surrounded by other barricades, forming a square.

Then, after they entered through a wooden door they had put in between two fences, these men began to dig down. They dug and dug again, while the other nomads were finishing all the installations they needed for the night.

The large pile of wood in the center was transformed into a dazzling fire, and as the sun was descending to rest, Darias, the Chief Clan, appeared near Rohan.

"What do you think of this show Warrior Rohan? In the Barren Lands, all clans took pride in their abilities to set up a camp the fastest possible. Once in a while, there is also some competition about that, hahaha!"

"That is indeed impressive. Why are these men digging a hole, chief clan?" He couldn't help but ask this question. Was there searching for something? Maybe another beast was lurking in there, or maybe they had buried something there some time ago, or maybe…

"Eh? Oh! They are just digging a latrine for the night!'' This sentence cut through all expectations Rohan had in a second.

"Well, you should come in my tent for the night, warrior. Although my son and my daughter would take a bit of place, I believe there would be enough for you too, hahaha! I believe that you have many questions too, you could ask away."

"Aren't you afraid to let an unknown warrior sleep in your tent, chief clan?" Honestly, such hospitality was strange to Rohan and seemed even fishy.

"Hahaha, I believe you wouldn't do such a thing! And I am also a rank 3 Beginner Warrior, I can still defend myself!"

Darias pat his hand on Rohan's shoulder and moved towards one of the many tents. There weren't any differences with the other ones, even though he was the leader.

"And here in these harsh lands, humility and hospitality are the motto of the Blackwolf Clan, warrior Rohan. So make yourself home! especially since you will have to follow us for quite a time."

Quite a time? Rohan, following the leader with his horse at his side, pondered on what he had said. Wouldn't the whole thing take only three months before he reached the mountain?