The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe Chapter 19: And they saw me as a threat

Let’s think. How was Arinya’s relationship with Kaelor? I don’t expect it to be good but...

"Arinya, where are you going?" He asked, not with a hard or harsh tone but sothing mild and in-between.

This didn’t seem like a forced interrogation, but a genuine question.

"Well, I..."

I can’t think of anything and his expression doesn’t tell much either.

"I forgot sothing outside. I’ll be back soon." I said, sohow shrugging out of his hold and fleeing from the village.

For soone as strong as Kaelor, it would’ve been impossible for to slip out of his hold, so I guess he let go intentionally.

Why? I still wonder.

Arinya’s mory isn’t flashing or telling about him, so I can only help but wonder: What happened between those two?

I searched through Arinya’s mory as I instinctively followed the path that ca to .

I could feel I was getting closer.

The bushes, the trees, the kind of umbrella leaves that were sticking out of plants... I could feel it.

The lake was sowhere around here. I just need to push a little further.

But I got hungry again.

I ate at Taruna’s place too. I only ate fruits because nothing was appetizing about at that was completely raw inside and still dripping with blood.

But the fruits hardly fill up. Should I catch a fish later? Fish is one thing I’m sure of that I can eat without any seasoning. I just need fire, but I don’t know how to set a fire either.

Ugh. I feel so useless, even with my 21st-century knowledge. I should ask my father how to set a fire later.

I saw a tree. It wasn’t that pogranate tree but the fruits looked edible. Yellow round fruits. Don’t tell it was a round-shaped banana.

Well, I decided to climb.

Though I’ve never climbed a tree before, I’d say I did fairly well with rock climbing. Only... I ended up falling to my death while climbing a cliff and ended up here.

I swallowed hard.

Let’s look at it on the bright side and use Arinya’s muscle mory to climb.

I thought it would be just like going one step at a ti but to my surprise, my body leaped up and I ended up at the top before I even realized it.

Stunned, I looked down. Did I just... Jump up like a monkey?

And what was with this super-light body?

I didn’t realize but but Arinya’s body is so flexible and mobile. It would’ve been such a waste of her talent if she she stayed ho and beco a soft princess.

Well, this works fine.

I began to eat the fruit and thankfully, it wasn’t a round banana. Though, it did taste a little sour.

It was great. I ate a few more until I began to hear a few violent birds chirping at . They were the size of an eagle, I tell you. But they had long beaks, like those of a vulture. It was a species I had never heard of before.

But nothing’s in the norm when you’re in a beast world.

I looked at them, wondering who was picking their feathers when I saw that atop this very tree, not where the fruits grew but the very top, was a bird nest I had failed to take note of.

And they saw as a threat.

"Oops. I’ll get out of your hair now." I said and hopped down, landing with no issue. I was as light as a feather.

Gosh, I could get used to this. But not now.

Let’s find that lake first. I’m starting to feel uncomfortable in my own body and a lot of the fruit water had spilled all over my hands.

I began searching again.

I pushed the leaves in front of , my bare feet stepping on sticks and making crunching sounds as I walked without care for what would happen if I stepped on a thorny branch.

Sohow, I had forgotten that this was the wild and that there were wild animals lurking everywhere.

It wouldn’t be strange if I were suddenly attacked, but let’s hope for the best.

And then, as I finally pushed past the curtain of thick leaves, I ca across an open space where a beautiful blue lake rested.

Ah, that blue looked like a shard that had fallen straight from the sky.

There was a cliff with growing weeds beside it, and water was slowly streaming down. If the flow were slightly stronger, it would’ve passed as a proper waterfall.

But anyway, the lake was as beautiful as it was in Arinya’s mory so I was positive this was the one.

"Gosh, I can finally take a bath," I grumbled and then looked around first to make sure no one was here.

Since I didn’t see or notice anyone, I decided to enjoy the lake.

It was in such a hidden location that others probably didn’t know about. The tribe got water from a different lake source, so I could take a bath without worrying that soone would suddenly co and find .

I took off my bra top, my skirt, and slowly dipped my leg into the water.

"Cold," I whispered but it wasn’t unpleasant.

How was it that beastn didn’t take baths?

I an, yes, they were a breed of cats, but how could they hate bathing so much? Taruna even called it unnecessary, like it was a nuisance.

It was a miracle that they didn’t stink even after all the things they do, especially the males. They go out hunting and co back with a dirty body, and all they do is lick their skin to get any dirt off or wipe a bit with soaked leather.

How unhygienic.

From today on, I will make sure to bathe at least once a day.

I walked in deeper until my body was subrged by the water, up to my chest and then I let out a satisfied sigh.

"Haaa,"

This is what I’m talking about.