Chapter 028: Into the Swamp (Middle)

The Tree Tribe, with Big Tree leading, hurried eastward through the dark forest. They traveled light, carrying only the essentials, and without a fire to avoid revealing their position to the pursuing enemies. Despite Big Tree's uncertainty about the status and whereabouts of Luo Chong, they had no choice but to move quickly to escape the imminent danger.

As they made their way, the remnants of their lifelong home, the treehouses, had been set aflame by the Elder of the Tree Tribe in a last-ditch effort to delay the enemies. This left the tribe with 30 members, many of whom were children.

Carrying wooden barrels and rabbits, the adults led the children through the forest. Tired and scared, they nibbled on dried meat and drank a strange salty tree sap when thirsty. They rested in tree canopies when exhaustion overcame them. Their journey was marked by despair and urgency as they trudged on.

Big Tree's hope of finding Luo Chong was slim. However, signs along their path—freshly cut branches strategically placed pointing eastward—gave them a thread of hope. These signs, originally intended by Luo Chong as markers for his own return journey, now inadvertently guided the Tree Tribe towards potential safety.

These signs were indeed Luo Chong's doing, though they were meant to ensure he could find his way back. Big Tree interpreted these markers as signs that Luo Chong had passed this way, which lifted the tribe's spirits and hastened their pace.

Traveling faster and more directly than Luo Chong had, the Tree Tribe made it to the edge of the Black Forest in a day and a half. As they emerged at dusk, the sky turned a fiery red, dazzling the children who had never seen the world outside the dense canopy of the forest. The adults, too, were awed by their first glimpse of the open sky.

Reaching the forest's edge brought new challenges. Luo Chong's trail ended there, leaving Big Tree at a loss for where to go next. They found fresh signs of Luo Chong's presence—a campsite by a stream with remnants of a fire and distinct boot prints in the mud which confirmed Luo Chong's recent presence.

Deciding to camp there for the night, Big Tree hoped Luo Chong might pass that way again on his return. As they settled down, thoughts of the pursuing enemies lingered, but the immediate need to rest and regroup took precedence.

Meanwhile, Luo Chong ventured deeper into the swamp in his makeshift kayak, navigating through dense vegetation and murky waters. His mission was clear—to locate and harvest the wild rice that he had glimpsed in the goose's stomach, a potential key to elevating his tribe's food sources from mere hunting to sustainable agriculture.

Paddling through the swamp, Luo Chong faced the dual challenge of finding the rice amid countless similar plants and avoiding the lurking dangers beneath the water's surface. Each stroke of his paddle disturbed schools of fish and stirred up the mud, disrupting the deceptive calm of the swamp.

His search was meticulous and slow. He knew that distinguishing the wild rice from other plants would be difficult without the telltale signs of cultivation he was familiar with. The wildness of the swamp made each discovery a task of patience and precision.

Just as frustration began to set in, Luo Chong's careful search yielded success—a cluster of wild rice standing distinctively among the reeds, its grains ripe for harvesting. Filled with a mix of triumph and relief, Luo Chong approached his goal.

But just as he was about to collect the rice, a series of shouts startled him. Turning around, he saw several primitive men floating on logs, signaling and shouting frantically. Their appearance was unexpected and alarming, posing a new set of challenges and questions for Luo Chong. What did these strangers want, and how would their presence affect his mission in the swamp?