A Sabertooth was generally smaller than a crimson bear, so the Chieftess always kept that one with her wherever she went as she wears it across her shoulders like a second skin.
In the past, the Chieftess would always share the crimson bear pelt with Gwen while the previous Rick would curl himself alone in the corner of the cave with the Sabertooth pelt given to him during cold nights.
So it wasn't like the Chieftess was ever cruel enough to let her children freeze through the night.
She cared deeply for both of them, despite neither being hers by blood.
And so, silence settled comfortably over the cave as Gwen and Rick shared the warm pelt together, while the fire crackled steadily between them and the stone walls.
Since the conversation about the pelt had made them both feel at ease, Gwen didn't feel like steering away from this moment just yet.
In truth, she was simply enjoying the feeling of having something to talk about with Rick.
It felt nice to have someone to sit or sleep beside in the quiet of the cave, and she didn't want it to end anytime soon.
"I can't wait to have a pelt like this one day." She said softly as her amber eyes drifted over to meet Rick's blue ones.
"Why?" Rick asked as he stared back at her.
"Because it would make the adults and elders respect me even more. Not many elves in the Wood Clan have achieved what mother has, so I really want to do the same someday."
"You're not scared about how big the beast would be?"
"Nope. I'm actually pretty strong, you know?" Gwen pulled her arm up and flexed it with a grin, as though she had bulging muscles hidden under her smooth skin.
Rick saw this and smiled before asking. "How strong are you?"
Gwen giggled and replied with a playful look. "You'll see. Maybe one day, but for now, it's a secret."
"No fair." Rick rolled his eyes but kept his smile, and that small reaction alone made Gwen's smile stretch even wider.
"Don't worry, little brother. One day when I kill my first crimson bear, I'll share the pelt with you just like we're doing now."
Rick nodded and smiled. "I would like that too."
"Really? You wouldn't mind sharing it with me?" Gwen asked again, and Rick could see a faint hint of pink creeping onto his sister's cheeks.
"We're family, aren't we? So yes. I'd be happy to share anything with you."
Hearing this, Gwen felt the pink on her cheeks deepen into a bright red before she could do anything about it.
She could see that Rick had no idea what he had just said, but since she knew exactly what it meant, she couldn't help but feel completely flustered right now.
Because normally, in the tribe, sharing a pelt the way they were doing carried a meaning that went beyond simply staying warm together.
Of course, it was perfectly common for family members to huddle together under a pelt when the cold came, especially if the family was lucky enough to own one.
But if a male and female who were not related by blood did this, it meant something entirely different.
It meant they were life partners.
So hearing Rick agree so openly and so casually to something that held that kind of meaning, without even realising it, made something flutter deep inside Gwen's stomach in a way she had never quite felt before.
A silly smile had taken over her face completely now, and Rick couldn't help but smile back at her in return, not entirely sure why she was smiling so hard but finding it a little contagious regardless.
He was quietly admiring how pretty she looked with that expression on her face when a new prompt suddenly appeared before him.
[Congratulations, Gwen's affection level is now Level 0 (50%).]
Rick smiled to himself at how easily he had been making his adopted sister smile and feel happy since arriving here, and a warm feeling settled in his chest as he noticed the new string of words appearing on the screen right after.
[Would you like to view Gwen's profile?]
'Oh wow.' Rick was genuinely taken aback by this.
He hadn't expected to be able to view her profile at all, and he was just about to agree to it when he noticed Gwen's smile had quietly faded into a frown.
She was staring off at nothing in particular, and Rick could tell something had been sitting on her mind for a while now.
And so, he asked. "What's wrong?"
Gwen looked back at him and took a small breath before speaking. "I've been wondering for a while now, but I think the reason why you went to the woods this morning wasn't only because you were hungry."
"I think it was because you wanted the elders and adults to stop looking down on you. And I think it was because you wanted to show them how ready you are to become a hunter."
"...." Rick remained silent as he listened to what Gwen was saying.
"To be a hunter here, you need to undergo a menhir awakening before you're allowed to take part in the rite of adulthood, but....." Gwen paused mid sentence.
"But what?" Rick asked.
"But during your menhir awakening last year, nothing happened."
"What do you mean nothing happened?"
"That's exactly what I meant. Nothing happened during your awakening."
"So you're saying I wasn't allowed to take part in the rite of adulthood?" Rick asked.
"Yes. And this is why I think you went to the woods on your own this morning, to prove to everyone that you could hunt by yourself." Gwen explained.
She assumed part of the reason might have been hunger, but she also believed the previous Rick had gone into the woods to prove the elders wrong about him being useless to the tribe.
Though in the quieter part of her mind, Gwen also wondered if the previous Rick had walked into those woods with a different intention entirely.
Because if he failed his awakening a second time, the Chieftess might not be able to keep him in the tribe anymore.
And perhaps, knowing that, the previous Rick had simply walked into the forest hoping to meet a beast that would end things quickly and quietly for him.