Rakan looked at the meat and then his mouth spread wider as he gave out a hearty laugh.
Um, doesn't seem like he's suspicious.
"Why not? It's been a while since I shared meat with my daughter." He said as he took it from me. "Was it back when you were still a little cub? You wouldn't leave my side at all."
Enough chitchat and eat the meat already.
But his expression suddenly grew sullen. He looked melancholic as he said,
"Maybe that's why you took on a lot from me. You were so attached to me that you began doing everything I did. And I guess, that's how you turned out like this." He said and my eyebrows knitted together.
"How did I turn out?"
"Strong, independent," he mentioned, and then lowered his head. "Wild. Those were my strongest traits, and they have all been passed down to you. I'm sorry, my dear daughter. I've caused you to suffer, haven't I?"
I went silent. He was suddenly making this a father-daughter moment.
"I didn't want you to end up like that so I began forcing the female values on you, so you'd stop acting like a male. I was worried you would not find a spouse if you kept at it and my worries came to reality."
Gosh, my eyes were suddenly feeling teary.
Was there sand in this cave?
"Let's just forget about it," I said. "I don't like anyone in the tribe anyway, so maybe I'll find some other beast to take as a spouse."
"Ah, you're right." He said and tore through the meat with his teeth.
I watched him with my jaw dropped.
The way he ate the meat... It was no different from an animal tearing through flesh.
Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick.
I did not even think about it and my body moved on its own before, but... Was that the same way I used to eat meat?
"Here you go, daughter. It's delicious." He said, handing the rest to me and I looked at the meat that suddenly looked like a bloody mess.
Yeah, the outside was dry and smelled like smoke, burnt meat, but the insides weren't cooked at all.
Who was the one who did such an 'amazing' job?
I was sure I was suddenly going to lose my appetite, but for some reason, I looked at that soggy meat and how the insides dropped like a stretched towel, the smell of dried blood hit my nose, and I... Gulped.
Was this my animal instinct kicking in?
For a minute there, I was sure this was disgusting but now... I want to dig my teeth into it and swallow it whole.
At times like this, I realize I have indeed become a beast.
I took the meat and slowly, I pulled it to my mouth until I tasted it.
My face immediately lost its color.
As desirable as it felt just now, after tackling the meat itself, I came back to my senses.
It was so raw with no flavor at all.
No matter how much my beast instinct takes control, I don't think I can ever enjoy meat with no taste after I've lived while eating all sorts of assorted delicacies.
"Yuck," I placed it down first and asked. "Don't we have any salt?"
Rakan looked at me like he had no idea what I was saying.
"What's that?"
Damn the Stone Age.
They don't even know what salt is. How do they live without taking in salt?
I wouldn't be surprised if most of the tribes folk suffer from seizures and constant headaches. But maybe they don't, since they're beastmen who've lived this way all their lives.
But I can't.
At least, the meat should be seasoned.
"Do you have some fruit, father?" I asked.
Until I find a way to get salt, I can't eat another meat, ever.
My father paused for a moment, looking at me surprised.
"You don't have any?" I asked, my voice soft and gentle like I was going to cry if he didn't.
"No, I do, but...you hate fruits, Arinya." He suddenly said.
I blinked, "I do?"
"Yes, there are some wild fruits out in the wild. I pick them for your mother but you don't seem to like them at all."
Maybe that's why I'm ugly. Fruits are essential for the skin, you know.
"Don't worry about it, Father. I'll eat it. Just give me."
It was either that or nothing.
He walked deeper into his cave and then came back with three round red fruits.
Are those... Pomegranate?
No, they aren't. But they definitely look like pomegranates. If they have seeds inside, then I'll conclude they're another type of pomegranate in this world.
"Thank you, Father," I said as I stretched my hand to accept it.
They were so big that both my hands couldn't cover even one.
I should probably wash this but one look around and I can tell they don't have a place they store water.
I'll just eat it like that.
As I dug my teeth into the fruit, it was sweet and savory and yes, it tasted like pomegranate but didn't have seeds.
You don't know what to expect in a world like this.
"How is it?" My father asked and I nodded.
"It takes sweet, Father," I said. "I like it."
This should fill my belly for now. Until I find some salt water, I'll be living off these fruits.
I can even try to boil the meat with the fruit water. I think that will do fine as seasoning if I don't find salt water on time.
I should ask my father first,
"Father, is there any place that has water that we can't drink?"
Since he doesn't know what salt is, he probably won't understand if I say salty water.
"What do you mean?"
"Like, you know. A water source that we can't drink. We can't drink it cause it tastes weird. Or maybe a place where water dried up, leaving nothing but rocks. It might've been a huge lake but then it dried up during winter or famine. Is there any place like that?"
If I can't find an ocean, then I should at least find rock salt in places where they were dried up.
"Hm, I'm not sure." He said. "You go out more frequently than anyone else, to be honest, so if there was such a place, I'm sure you would've noticed it first." He said and I darted my eyes away.
Well, nothing comes up in my memories so...
"Why? Is it important?"
I hastily nodded.
"Then I will ask the elders. And if they don't know, maybe our visitors will know something about it."
"Visitors?"
"Yes, you might've heard that the Crysthorn tribe will pay us a visit. They will be coming today."
Yeah, I heard. When I was eavesdropping on your conversation that excluded me.
I nodded my head.
"Then, please ask them for me. It's very important, Father. And you'll thank me later if I do find what I'm looking for."
My father looked at me, unable to understand what it was that I was looking for.
He'll only know when he tastes it.
The thing that will change our lives completely.
It could save us completely from the coming winter.