Tatamuer Tribe.
The layouts of Ten Crows tribes were mostly alike.
The only differences were their size and location.
The first time the salt merchant came to Ten Crows to trade, he was still a young man. He'd paid a hefty sum to take on a "master," and his very first deal had been with the Tatamuer Tribe. As a tribe bordering Yonggu Pass, Tatamuer was above average in both size and strength.
Its proximity meant it received news quickly, and spring hunts were convenient.
They often got the first bite of the "fat meat."
Caravans from within the pass also liked coming here.
Quite a few young Ten Crows men without fixed assets would come seeking refuge for these advantages, and over time, the tribe grew stronger.
But—
After the Battle of Yonggu Pass, life became difficult for all of Ten Crows, including the Tatamuer Tribe. The route through Yonggu Pass had been the easiest and most accessible smuggling route, but now the pass was sealed, and ninety percent of the goods from within the pass couldn't get through.
The remaining ten percent?
Those were brought in by smugglers using other remote and dangerous routes to skirt Yonggu Pass. The wool was still taken from the sheep's back: labor costs soared, and the price of goods rose accordingly. Even if a tribe of their size wanted to buy them, they couldn't outcompete the larger tribes.
The tribe leader was beside himself with worry.
He'd even sent young men to search near the border for unwatched sections of the wall, to see if they could dig a hole and sneak through.
But—
Before they could get close, the garrison at Yonggu Pass spotted them.
They dropped two corpses of Unlucky Ghosts and fled back in a sorry state.
That day,