Chapter 105: A Gift Carved from the Heart
After a grueling two-hour sprint, the system’s craftsmanship ability finally ticked down to zero and turned off.
Nuan had managed to rough out the exact shape she wanted, but working at such a frantic, Mach-5 pace left her wrists, palms, and fingers throbbing with a burning ache.
Even without the system’s ability, she refused to stop. For the next two hours, she sat by the fire pit, painstakingly polishing every curve of the wooden art piece using a rough strip of dried boar leather.
Finally, after more than four hours of intense, muscle-cramping effort, evening began to creep over, and she was done.
Just in time, too—the hunting troop trotted back into the clearing, triumphantly dragging three fat deer for the night’s meal.
The commotion woke the camp. Koda and the younger pups groaned, scratching their furry bellies as they reluctantly scrambled out of their cozy pile.
Tucked beneath them, Amara and Zuri slowly blinked open their heavy eyes.
Once the pups cleared out of the way, the two colossal sisters rolled onto their knees and, with a huge amount of synchronized grunting and effort, hoisted themselves back up onto all four pillars like legs.
Reaching their trunks toward the sky, they let out a loud, earth-shaking wake-up stretch. "PRRRRRAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
Nuan stood right in front of them, a proud smirk on her face and her hands tucked secretively behind her back.
Selka hopped down from the high den rock and walked over, coming to stand right by her side.
Behind them, Kael stood like a silent, towering bodyguard, his golden eyes locked onto the piece of art Nuan was keeping hidden from the giants.
"Well, it’s almost time for you two to head back out," Nuan said, her voice carrying a warm, theatrical weight as she looked up at the titans. "So, before you leave, I have one tiny, not-so-fancy, but completely heartfelt gift for you!"
With a flourish, she brought her hands forward.
Resting in her palms was a beautifully carved wooden sculpture.
It depicted two magnificent elephants standing side-by-side. Perched proudly on the back of one elephant was a beastwoman with perfectly detailed wolf ears and a sweeping tail.
And right there in the middle, standing securely between the two colossal land giants, was a tiny, furless woman with no beast features at all.
Amara and Zuri froze, their large amber eyes locking onto the intricate wooden sculpture.
"Is that... us?" Amara rumbled, her voice dropping into a rare, hushed tone.
Nuan nodded vigorously, proudly puffing out her chest. "It sure is!"
"Sister, it’s actually us! And look—it’s Selka sitting right on my back!!!" Zuri cheered happily, her trunk wiggling with excitement. "And look, the Witch is standing right between us!"
Amara nodded slowly, carefully reaching out the sensitive tip of her trunk to gently trace the contours of the carved wood. "It is a profound honor to receive something made with your own hands, Witch Aestra."
Selka looked down at the carving, a soft emotion flickering in her silver eyes as she patted Nuan’s shoulder. "You even carved me into this... Furless, this is your token of appreciation to them. You really didn’t need to include—"
"No way, Miss Selka!" Nuan interrupted firmly, looking up at her. "You are the literal chain that connected all of us together! It’s because of your love and bravery that we all meet like this!"
Amara lowered her big head in heavy agreement. "Yes, Selka. We are deeply glad you gathered the courage to cross into the plains for help. Because of you, we got to meet the Witch in our lifetime. There is nothing more we could ever ask for."
Selka’s lips parted into a quiet, deeply touched smile. "I am also glad that I took that risk... and gathered the courage."
"Oh, and before you ask how you’re supposed to carry this thing all the way back across the borders—wait a second," Nuan said.
She quickly grabbed a few large, sturdy leaves she had harvested earlier, weaving them together with thick, fibrous vines to create a large, durable pouch. "Head down, please!" she instructed.
Zuri obligingly folded her front legs, leaning her head close to the dirt.
Nuan looked over at Selka, who gave a quick nod and nimbly scrambled up onto Zuri’s neck. Nuan tossed the long vine straps up to Selka, who caught them expertly and tied them into a perfect, unyielding knot.
When Zuri stood back up, the large leaf-pocket hung securely around her neck like a big, organic locket. "Put it right inside," Nuan smiled.
Zuri carefully picked up the sculpture with her trunk and tucked it safely into the pouch.
"This way, it’ll be super easy for you to carry without dropping it!" Nuan said, dusting off her hands. "I just hope the vines stay strong throughout your long journey."
"Of course they will. I will be extra careful with it on the way," Zuri promised, her eyes shining.
"Hehe! Then if I ever end up traveling to the open plains in the future, I better see you guys preserving it somewhere safe!" Nuan teased.
"Anytime, Witch," Amara rumbled with certainty. "Whenever you step foot onto the plains, our clan will catch your scent instantly!"
"Hehe," Nuan giggled, stepping forward and extending her right hand, closing her fingers into a tight fist.
Amara stared at the tiny fist, completely baffled.
"Oh, you gently bump it with your trunk, like this," Nuan explained, demonstrating by tapping her own knuckles with her left hand.
Amara watched closely, then carefully curled the very tip of her trunk into a solid knot, gently bringing it forward to tap against Nuan’s knuckles. "Like... this?"
Nuan grinned, bumping her trunk right back. "Yes! Exactly like that! Just like buddies!"
Nuan then offered her fist to Zuri, who happily swung her trunk forward, giving Nuan a highly enthusiastic, high-pressure fist bump.
"Buddies!!!" Zuri cheered, her ears flapping. "But... what does that word mean?"
"Oh, it just means friends," Nuan smiled warmly.
"Friends... with the Witch," Zuri and Amara murmured in unison, their heads lifting high with a pride their clan would remember for generations.