Some minor scouting parties are sent to head eastwards along the coast, to map it out.
The scouting party travels by canoe for 8 days along the coast and arrives at a river delta. They have enough supplies to make it 6 days over land, and can continue to eat fish from the waters, but only for so long without being malnourished and only if they can get to land safely to cook it. They also find bivalves and crabs near to the shore.
The river ahead is not small by any measure.
The hunting paths are carved out successfully, however 2 men die to bear attacks and 1 is injured critically in one such attack. 1 man dies to wolf attacks, but the party he was in remarked he had been antagonizing them. Several hunters report plentiful deer and foxes. Ten fox furs are gifted specifically to the Halut-dan.
The territories are marked in due time. The shamans warn the men of the camp they must not cross into the swamp at the fork.
(Will update map later.)
A man enters. It's your new defense advisor. He bows at your feet and reports earnestly to you. "We have 24 horses ready for battle, Great Khan."
Shef, in his travels eastward, finds the old, familiar marking on a tree trunk, indicating his people, at least at some point, had been nearby.
BOOM— thump thump thump, Clack Boom, Clack Boom—BOOM— Clack clack clack—The sounding of drums proceeds and a small choir of women begin singing over the drums,
"Mother spring, sweet dewdrops falleth, gate of plenty may we enter. Wind and rain, soft, strong Sky gifteth, may we eat this year our fill.The festivities sound dull from the inside of the tent. A servant man, helps Tiwak te-Koh to his feat, the ancient shaman's legs quivering as he finds the strength to stand.
"Tell me, is everything ready?"
"Yes, holy one," the servant answers, handing him his staff and leading him by the hand to the door, letting him go gently as the Yaksha shifts his weight back onto his staff.
Pushing his way through the flaps of the tent, the shaman receives cheers from the crowd as he exita in full ceremonial garb—a great many furs draped in layers over his light frame. The song picks up in volume as the latest verse ends. The drummers pick up the pace, leading into a new rhythm. The men, baritones and bases, sing a melody. "May the spirits, ancient voices, guide the spirit of this man. May our kinsman and our land dearest, be blessed in the new year forevermore."
The drums crescendo and speed up yet again, few drummers dropping out on every other beat, and then more until the next group drops to half of that, the drummers slowly dropping to a pace a quarter that of what they started with at the height of the crescendo. This rhythm goes on as several children are sent out in front of the rest of the crowd.
The Yaksha appears barely able to stand.
Dhokem looks over his shoulder to see Tiyala speaking right into his ear. He is at first startled, but quickly relaxes, speaking back in a hushed tone, "I tried to give them what you said, and they agreed that this ceremony would be the last he would oversee."
The children begin singing a melody to the slow-beating drums, starting with an introduction and chorus sung all together.
"
This one? You know that he very well could—"
"
Husshh—" Tiyala responds, "I know. Let's hope it won't come to that."
The children each take turns singing solo I'm between collectively-sung chori.