The sun was high in the sky as the elderly men and young Orcs prepared feed for the birds. It was almost time to feed them, and everyone was busy making sure everything was ready. Emily's mate, Gronk, wandered over to the group, pretending to offer his help.
"Let me help you with that," Gronk said, smiling at one of the elderly men. "I'm happy to lend a hand."
The elderly man, grateful for the extra pair of hands, handed Gronk a basket of seeds to sort through. Gronk worked quietly, his hands moving quickly as he pretended to sort the seeds. Meanwhile, he secretly added the unripe and dried poison berries to the basket, mixing them in with the other seeds.
No one noticed anything out of the ordinary, and soon the feed was prepared. The seeds, including the poisonous berries, were pounded and crushed, mixing their contents together. The feed was then scooped into buckets and carried to the bird house.
As the feed was being taken away, Gronk couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He knew that Emily would be pleased, and that Ava's bird-rearing plan would soon be in trouble. He watched as the feed was poured into the bird enclosures, and the birds began to eat eagerly.
Gronk knew that it wouldn't be long before the effects of the poison became apparent. He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He had done his part to help Emily's plan, and now all he had to do was wait and see the results.
Ava and her mates were lounging on the porch, enjoying the warm morning sun after a hearty breakfast. The air was filled with the sweet songs of birds, and the atmosphere was peaceful.
Suddenly, one of Oma's mates rushed towards them, his face filled with distress. "Ava, it's the birds," he exclaimed. "They're all dead!"
Ava's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly stood up, followed by her mates. "What happened?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I don't know," Oma's mate replied. "But you need to come and see."
Ava and her mates rushed to the bird enclosure, where they found the entire tribe gathered. Some people were lamenting the loss, talking about the waste of resources and effort. Others were whispering among themselves, their faces filled with fear.
"It was the curse of the Beast God," one of the elderly women whispered. "We were not supposed to cage the birds. We should have let them roam free."
Many of the tribe members nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with worry. Ava's heart sank as she looked at the bird enclosure. All the birds were lying lifeless on the ground, their beautiful feathers ruffled and dirty.
Ava's mates gathered around her, their faces somber. George put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We'll figure out what happened," he said softly. "We'll make sure to take care of the tribe's concerns."
But Ava's mind was racing. She knew how much effort and resources had gone into the bird-rearing project. She couldn't understand what could have caused such a disaster. And the whispers about the curse of the Beast God were unsettling. She knew she had to find out what really happened, and fast, to calm the tribe's fears and doubts.
The Shaman and the Tribe Leader stepped forward, their faces calm and authoritative. "People of the tribe, let us not jump to conclusions," the Shaman said, his voice soothing. "We do not know what caused the death of the birds. Let us investigate and find out the truth."
The Tribe Leader nodded in agreement. "We will work with Ava and her mates to determine the cause of death. We will not let fear guide us."
The tribe members slowly began to quite down, though many still looked worried and fearful. Ava and her mates joined the Shaman and the Tribe Leader near the bird enclosure.
"Let's take a closer look," the Shaman said, his eyes scanning the area. "Perhaps we can find some clues."
Ava nodded, her eyes scanning the enclosure. "I don't see any signs of struggle or injury," she said. "It's as if they just fell asleep and didn't wake up."
George knelt down beside one of the dead birds, examining it closely. "I think I see something," he said, his voice low. "There's something unusual in the feed. It smells a bit familiar."
The Shaman's eyes narrowed. "Let's take a closer look at the feed. Perhaps we can determine what caused the birds' death."
Soon a commotion was heard outside and Ava with the others went out to see what was going on
Gronk stood on a rock, his voice booming across the gathered tribe members. "We have been cursed by the Beast God!" he shouted. "The death of the birds is just the beginning. Who knows if our cubs will be next if we don't find a way to appease the Beast God soon?"
The tribe members began to murmur among themselves, their faces filled with fear and worry. Some of them turned to Ava, their eyes accusing.
"Ava, you've been working with the birds," one of the tribe members said. "Maybe you've incurred the wrath of the Beast God."
The Shaman stepped forward, his eyes calm and wise. "People of the tribe, let us not jump to conclusions. Ava is a member of our tribe, and we should not accuse her without evidence."
Ava stood tall, her voice clear. "I understand your concerns, and I share your desire to understand what has happened. I propose that I investigate this matter further, and if it is found that I have indeed angered the Beast God, I will leave the tribe and ask the Beast God to punish me alone."
The tribe members looked at each other with uncertainty, and some of them nodded in agreement. The Shaman smiled, his eyes approving. "Ava's proposal is fair. Let us give her the opportunity to investigate and find out the truth."
Gronk scowled, his face dark with anger. But the tribe murmurs began to fade but did not cease entirely, their voices murmuring among themselves. Ava watched them go, her heart heavy with the weight of their suspicions.
Ava and her mates began questioning the workers who had been taking care of the birds. "Did you notice anything strange around the bird enclosure?" Ava asked.
The workers shook their heads. "No, everything seemed normal," one of them replied.
Ava nodded, her eyes thoughtful. She had observed the birds' carcasses closely and had seen signs of poisoning, including convulsions, labored breathing, and discoloration of the beak and legs.
"I think we should inspect the feed," Ava said to her mates. "Maybe we can find out what caused the poisoning."
They went to the storage area where the feed was kept, and Ava began to inspect it closely. Kael, meanwhile, noticed something dried and almost buried on the floor. He pointed it out to Ava and the Shaman.
"Look at this," Kael said. "It looks like a dried berry. And it's similar to the poisonous berry that can be deadly if ingested."
Ava's eyes narrowed. "Why would someone put that in the feed?"
The Shaman's face was grim. "We need to investigate further."
They decided to call in the tribe's dog-like Beast Man, who had the best sense of smell in the tribe. His name was Ragnar, and he was tasked with sniffing out the feed for any traces of the poisonous berry.
Ragnar transformed into beast form, carefully sniffed and examined the feed, his ears perked up in concentration. After a few moments, he let out a loud bark and pawed at the feed.
"What's wrong, Ragnar?" Ava asked.
The Shaman nodded. "He's found something. Let's take a closer look."
As they examined the feed more closely, they found evidence of the unripe poisonous berry mixed in with the feed.
The question on everyone's mind was: "Who did such an atrocious thing?"
Ava's eyes scanned the surrounding area, her mind racing with possibilities. the tribe would demand justice for the death of the birds, and she was determined to find out who was responsible.
As Ava's mind raced with possibilities, she knew the person who did this must be someone against the bird-rearing project, someone who wanted to tarnish her name. And immediately, the scene of Gronk inciting the Beastmen flashed before her eyes and this Gronk, was none other than the mate of the very person who has been and will probably always be against her "Emily"
A connection began to form in Ava's mind. Could it be that Emily and Gronk were behind the sabotage? The timing seemed suspicious, and Ava's instincts told her that they might be involved.
Ava's eyes locked onto Kael's, and she could see the same thought process unfolding in his mind. The Shaman, sensing the tension, looked at them questioningly.
"What is it?" he asked.
Ava hesitated for a moment before speaking her mind. "I think I might know who could be behind this," she said, her voice low. "Gronk, Emily's mate, has been vocal about his disapproval of the project. And Emily... she's been trying to undermine me from the start."
The Shaman's expression turned grave. "We need to investigate further. If Emily and Gronk are involved, we'll need solid evidence to prove it as we cannot act based on suspicion alone."
Ava nodded, determination burning within her. She was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. The question was, how far would she have to go to uncover the truth?