Noah thanked Jeline and made to leave but she grabbed his arm before he could step away. He tilted his head in question.

  “One more thing, Noah. Something is happening on the mountain below. Beasts are starting to flow over the border at a much quicker pace. If you’re not careful you may be overrun by a group looking to claim their own territory. Your tribe has managed to hold them off so far, but I suggest you keep it in mind.” She warned, letting his arm go. Noah nodded his acknowledgment.

  “Thank you for the advice, I will definitely make a note of that.” He said, before wishing her farewell. He hadn’t gotten all of the answers he was hoping for from Jeline, but perhaps he received something even more valuable. His suspicions had been confirmed regarding the stats and he had a way forward. She had been right to caution him against trusting others as well, something that he clearly needed to grow in. He had readily joined in with the orcs even after they took him as a slave, then he once again agreed to travel with one of the most dangerous people in the world after encountering Recter. He didn’t regret those decisions, not at all, but he could see how they could have gone very differently. He sighed. It was hard to take it all in. He had been so single-minded in his pursuit of strength that he repeatedly through himself into dire straits without a second thought. Where was his judgment? What happened to strategy and playing it smart? At one point he had known that there were more ways to approach a problem than head-on, but it was hard to believe that that had vanished because of his neglected stats.

  What’s worse is that he had surrounded himself by people making the same choices as himself. Only Un’Dal had focused on the non-physical stats and Noah had made sure he was up to his neck in busy work. That was yet another area of change that he would have to attend to. He needed people with good heads on their shoulders, who could look at problems with an informed perspective. He needed administrators and tacticians. But where could he find people like that? The answer became clear as he remembered the reason for his haste in returning. Julie. If he could convince Julie and the others to join him, that would solve his problems. They had all sorts of people in their settlement, and she had specialized in the mental stats herself. The only issue would be their Caste, something that he could only hope they had taken his advice on.

  With that thought taken care of for now, he turned his attention back to the tasks at hand. He needed to inform people of his departure and ensure they had everything they needed for his extended leave. Noah sought out Ta’Ku, finding him seated by a fire tucking into a thick stew. He smiled up at Noah and gestured for him to join. Noah complied, ladling a portion for himself. He plopped down next to Ta’Ku and took a large bite. His eyes went wide as the rich fat of the meat flooded his senses which then combined with foreign spices that just about did him in. He groaned.

  “This is good.” He mumbled through a full mouth. Ta’Ku chuckled and took another bite.

  “Way better than the gruel we’ve been eating.” He replied. “So’To was telling me that there are all sorts of herbs to be found nearby if you know where to look. Now that the rest of the warriors have passed into Copper they were able to scout more of the surrounding area.” Ta’Ku shared. Noah frowned at the unfamiliar name, but he figured it belonged to one of those who had stayed behind.

  “I have something to talk to you about, if that’s alright.” Noah said. Ta’Ku nodded.

  “I figured so. Go on.” He replied.

  “I am making a trip back down the mountain, I had another dream and I believe my friends are in danger.” Noah explained. Ta’Ku frowned.

  “I thought they didn’t want you around after what happened last time.” Ta’Ku stated.

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  “Yeah, that’s a fair point. But if my dream was accurate then I doubt they will fault me for visiting.” Noah responded.

  “When do we leave?” Ta’Ku asked, knowing full well that Noah’s mind was made up. Noah smiled at his choice of words.

  “As soon as possible, though I would like to talk about who’s staying behind. I don’t want to take everyone down the mountain with us, and someone has to be in charge.” He replied. Ta’Ku nodded thoughtfully.

  “I think Ne’Ja and Un’Dal should lead. If the two of us go, they will be needed to keep everything running smoothly.” Ta’Ku mused. That made sense to Noah, so he agreed.

  “Any thoughts on what we’ve been planning?” Noah asked.

  “The village?” Ta’Ku questioned. Noah nodded.

  “I think we should go for it, the spot we found seems perfect for farming and is far enough away from any of the borders. If we want to use the city at some point it will still be close enough for trade.” Ta’Ku shared.

  “I agree. It would be nice to have a home base again after all this time. Do you think the others will be open to starting in while we are away?” Noah asked.

  “I do. If anything it will be good for them to have something to put their minds toward. The constant push has left its mark. The back-to-back battles and the recent losses still weigh on everyone, it would be good to have a positive outlet for a change.” Ta’Ku responded.

  “Good. Then it's decided, all we have to do is let the two know and we can be on our way.” Noah said, though Ta’Ku couldn’t help but grin as he watched Noah ladle yet another serving of the rich stew into his bowl. The pair sat in companionable silence as they ate, their minds having no shortage of footage to occupy their attention with.

  After they had both eaten more than what could be called reasonable, Noah finally roused himself from his seated position. Ta’Ku followed and together they ambled through camo as they sought out their targets. To make matters easy, they found Ne’Ja and Un’Dal together chatting with some of the orcs who stayed behind. They noticed their arrival and smiled in greeting before ending their conversation.

  “Chief, what can I do for you?” Ne’Ja asked, cutting to the chase. Noah chuckled.

  “I won’t deny that that’s why I’m here. I have had another dream and I believe my presence is required down the mountain.” Noah explained.

  “Another dream? Ro’Kar did call you a sage, is it something we should be concerned about?” Un’Dal asked, breaking into the conversation.

  “I am not sure. You have no doubt seen the recent developments on the leaderboard. Balkendar is closing in on our levels, though I can’t imagine how if he remains in his location. We have long since suspected the elves are making a push for Bronze and I believe they might be getting near. As far as how that impacts us, I can’t say. Their intentions have proven less than friendly in the past though.” Noah replied. Ne’Ja and Un’Dal exchanged a look.

  “When do we leave?” She asked, a fierce look in her eyes. Noah smiled.

  “I think it may be best if only a small number of us go, we can’t give up our plans here on the off chance that there is something going on below. No, as of right now I believe that only Ta’Ku, Recter, and myself will make the journey.” He explained. Ne’Ja frowned, clearly unhappy at the news.

  “What are we supposed to do while your gone, spin our spears?” She questioned. Noah suppressed a laugh.

  “Actually, that’s the other part of why I’m here. I wanted to task you with establishing the village we have been discussing while I’m gone. Do you think you’re up for it?” He asked, looking first to Ne’Ja and then to Un’Dal.

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.” Un’Dal said, cutting off the response that Ne’Ja was formulating. “It would be a good opportunity for everyone to get reacquainted with a simpler pace of life. I think the two of us can accomplish that task quite well.” He finished. Ne’Ja glared at Un’Dal for a second before sighing.

  “Fine, I agree. We will build your kingdom while you galivant with a past flame.” Ne’Ja said with a teasing grin. Noah coughed but refused to acknowledge her words.

  “Great, then we leave at first light.”