[center][h1][b][u]The Ubbo Tribe[/u][/b][/h1][/center]

[hr]

"You know..." Hoshu ventured. "What happened the other day reminds me of that story I heard. About those Grottu and the 'K'nights.' What a name."

They stood on the beach, near the recently constructed shrine of Ashalla - the rock Arryn had perched on during the meeting, which was now piled with sea shells and colourful stones. Pallamino blew a few practice notes into his conch. He turned to Hoshu and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Hoshu began twirling his whiskers with a finger. "They say a Selka just like you was lounging by the beach, when a god appeared from the water to grant him gifts."

Pallamino frowned. "That's not too different from what happened to Anhaf. Only he wasn't by the beach. What's your point?"

Hoshu shrugged. "There is no point. Just something I noticed. You know me: I'm an old Selka who likes stories, nothing more."

A voice cut in behind them, causing the two Selka to freeze. "Does this mean he's going to bash my head in with that shell?" The two of them turned around to see Milos. "We'll have a hard time waging war with sticks and shells, you know. But the bows Arryn gave us? Those would have been useful. Even better than those strange spears we've heard stories about." The Chieftan looked down at his own bow. "But that's not our way."

Hoshu nodded. "It isn't. I was just-"

"The Grottu are scum, Hoshu." Milos interjected. "How many Selka did they slaughter? Why? For what? Do not compare one of us to them, even as a joke."

Hoshu furrowed his brow. "They did right in the end, didn't they?"

"How many tribes were wiped out? How many ran to the Ubbo for safety?" asked Milos, his voice unusually heated. "You know that better than I. We took in as many as we could and directed the rest to neighboring tribes. My own mother came here because she was driven out by one of their attacks, and her father was cut down ensuring [i]she[/i] had time to escape." He shook his head. "The Hyummin forgave the Grottu in the end, but did they have the right to do so? They weren't the ones who lost [i]everything[/i]."

Hoshu's frown deepened. "The Grottu today are not the Grottu of so long ago."

Milos shook his head. "I don't believe it. Their ancestors showed their nature, and it was those same ancestors who raised them. Do you think such creatures have atoned? Or are they just waiting until a voice from the sea gives them their next chance to strike?"

At that, Hoshu could only shrug. "I don't know. I've never met them."

"Panganeem and the Hyummin were fools to trust them. Now, the Grottu are part of the Hyummin, and the Hyummin have left themselves open to betrayal."

"Listen," Pallamino interjected, his voice unusually serious. "My grandfather was murdered by one of the Soul Stealers. My father, a child at the time, watched it. He swore vengeance. He became a hunter, one of the best. Almost as good as you. He could have fed so many."

Milos nodded. "I remember."

"But he didn't care about feeding anyone," Pallamino went on, even as his eyes began to glisten. "He brought back enough to pull his weight, true, but all he cared about was hunting the Alma. His arrows could never strike them, so he had to find other ways to kill them. He searched for and tested new methods. It was all he cared about. And then... you were the one who found him, remember?"

Milos nodded. "In the woods not too far from the village, a black hole in his chest."

Pallamino nodded back. He wiped a tear from his cheek. "Only an Alma could have done that. He dedicated his life to vengeance. It blinded him, consumed him, it killed him. Who gained from that? Nobody. If you pursue vengeance against the Grottu, you will meet that fate."

The Chieftan raised his eyebrows. "What? No! I don't intend to attack the Grottu, if that's what you're thinking," Milos insisted. "I became Chieftan to protect the lives of our people; I'm not going to throw them away. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't forget what the Grottu have done, and we should not sit idly by when they - or even some other tribe - might attack again."

"What do you intend to do, then?" Pallamino asked.

Milos stroked his chin. "When Anhaf first heard of the Grottu's aggression, he reached out to the nearby tribes. They made a pact - to defend each other should the Grottu come this way. More tribes appeared - some fled to escape the Grottu, while others were formed by the survivors of the Grottu's attacks. They joined as well. But when the Grottu were defeated, most seemed to forget the pact. But I will restore it, and use it to bring us and our neighbors closer together."

There was a silence. Hoshu and Pallamino exchanged a glance. "It's not at a bad idea," Hoshu said at last. "The Hyummin banded together, and they've done well, but if you're unwilling to join them, then I guess the next best thing is to start an alliance of your own."

Milos nodded. "It is good that we agree. I will announce my decision to the tribe tomorrow, and send word to our neighbors. Will you deliver one of these messages?"

Hoshu nodded back. "I will. Hopefully I won't bore anyone to sleep this time."

"Good." Milos turned to Pallamino. "We don't always agree, and we haven't always gotten along, but I know you care about this tribe. And you have a way with words. Would you-"

Pallamino shook his head. "No. I'd prefer to stay out of this. Actually... I think I might leave."

Milos blinked. "What?"

Pallamino turned the conch over in his hand. "I was given a gift. Something that I am not only good at, but enjoy as well. I think I should share that gift, and I've always wanted to travel. I will visit Selka all across the land, I will play my music, and that is how I will be remembered."

"When are you leaving?" Hoshu asked.

Pallamino shrugged. "Right away seems as good a time as any. I don't want to go through a week of tears and goodbyes."

Milos sighed. "If you want to leave, that is your right. You were given a divine purpose, after all." He extended a hand. "I wish you luck, Pallamino."

Pallamino took the hand, and shook. "You as well, Chieftan."

[hr]

[hider=Post Summary]
The post begins with Hoshu talking to Pallamino while he practices his conch shell. Hoshu points out that Palllamino's encounter with Ashalla in some way parallels the stories of Hoshaf's encounter with the 'bloodkin.' Milos overhears this and finds it offensive.

It is then revealed that long ago, after the Grottu's conquests, a number of survivors and refugees found their way east. Anhaf created a loose defensive pact against the Grottu, but in the end nothing actually came of it because the Grottu never attacked them. Nonetheless, bad blood with the Grottu Tribe still persists, and many are wary that they might rise again. 

It is Pallamino of all people who cautions Milos against pursuing vengeance, only for Milos to clarify that vengeance isn't his priority. Milos then makes the decision to renew the pact, with Hoshu agreeing to act as a messenger.

Pallamino then reveals his intention to leave the tribe and becoming a traveling musician.
[/hider]