"May the Main God protect us! Captain Zuwaro, are you certain you want to go to the Mountain Tribe in the north and meet that old grandmother of whatever tribe?..."
"Of course! The Main God bears witness! Shijian, we dealt with those two hunters, invited them to dinner, gave them gifts... Wasn't it all so we could meet their leader and Priest, learn the details of this region, and look for the possibility of an alliance with the local tribes while we were at it?"
"That is true! But Captain... these hunters say their sleds can't seat too many people, that they can only take four or five... That is clearly an excuse! The risk in this... Main God! These tribes across the sea give me an extremely dangerous feeling. Their eyes are indifferent, not simple and warm at all, as if they're different from the Rubber People tribes on the west coast and in the far north!..."
"No matter! The Main God protects me! To spread the Main God's glory, for His Majesty's Divine Revelation, what if I take on a little risk! Didn't they also leave behind someone to win our trust, mm, a good-looking important woman?... Shijian, after I leave, detain that hostage and patiently wait for me to return! If, by some chance, I don't come back... then take it as me being dead, lead the entire advance Exploration Team, and prepare to fight to the death for the Main God!..."
"Mm, I understand! Captain... May the Main God protect you!..."
"Haaha! The Main God will surely protect me!..."
Snowflakes rustled down, falling upon the pure white Earth Mother, dyeing the green of grass and trees and the gray-brown of the earth all white together. And amid the drifting wind and snow, two groups of warriors