The men.
No matter how strong or dangerous they looked, her tribe's men slept for 16 to 20 hours a day. They only woke up to eat… maybe hunt a little… then went right back to sleep. That left everything else—the real work—to the women.
They had to feed the cubs, defend the territory, fight off cheetah or tiger tribes that wanted to take their land. Even if the men hunted, it was never enough. The women had to fight. They had to protect. Always ready.
But the real issue wasn't just the danger. It was the salt.
Their tribe used to have a salt spring, years ago. But it dried up. And now? That spring barely gives enough salt to fill one hand. And without salt… health started to crumble.
The old witch doctor had warned them: "Your people are sick because their bodies are starving for salt." But what could they do?
The children got the little salt they had. The adults drank blood to make up for it—but it wasn't enough. It was never enough.
And Abaya?
