The New War Mother

It was only then that Sejuani realized that although she said she wanted to fight her mother to the death, her starting point was never that she felt she was capable of leading the tribe forward.

More often than not, it's a dissatisfaction with the status quo, or an anxiety about being betrayed by a close friend... It's somewhat naive.

When Kuojiya suddenly died, a tremendous burden suddenly fell on her, and she felt unable to think for a moment, and even her breathing became uneven.

After a long while, Sejuani asked hesitantly.

"Helen, is it because of me...?"

"No, don't overthink it, I wouldn't do such a thing."

Harren must be insane to assassinate the Mother of the War, let alone Sejuani's own mother. It's one thing for Sejuani to go and duel, but what kind of nonsense is it for Harren to go and kill her mother?

"Don't worry, I trust you completely... Tell me what happened."

Seeing that Sejuani seemed to have finally calmed down, Heron briefly told Sejuani what had happened not long ago.

To save time, Herren didn't go into detail, but he explained everything that was necessary.

This includes the Frostguard's attempt to eliminate Sejuani, the Gorgia's refusal, the ensuing conflict, the avalanche, and the miracles of Ivania.

Although there are some doubts about the "love" that Gorgia showed when she was dying, after all, Sejuani has lived for so long and has never felt even a little bit of maternal love from Gorgia.

But she didn't have time to ask any more questions.

"If that's the case, we need to migrate..."

"Migration?"

"Yes, the Frost Priest knows where our tribe is, and Frostguard Fortress isn't too far from here... Hopefully, those beasts have all died in the avalanche, which will buy us some time."

Having said that, Sejuani, who had regained her usual decisive and efficient demeanor, then noticed that she had been holding Heron's hand tightly and quickly let go as if she had been electrocuted.

Then, without even daring to look at Herren's current expression, she walked out of the tent.

"I need to make some arrangements..."

As soon as Sejuani stepped out of the tent, she was met with a breathtaking sight.

Everyone in the tribe had gathered around. All the warriors, the old and weak, and the hearth dwellers were silent, surrounding the body of the Warmother. After Sejuani came out, they all looked at her.

Sejuani was no stranger to such scenes, but she had been one of these people before, while the one standing where she was now was Gorgia.

Only after experiencing it firsthand could Sejuani truly feel the almost suffocating pressure.

She composed herself, walked to the body of Kojiya, knelt down, closed her eyes and prayed for a moment, then carefully removed the helmet with half a bull's horn missing.

"I am Sejuani, of the icy bloodline of the Warmother Gorgia... The Frost Priestess betrayed us, killing the Warmother. I will become the new Warmother, leading you..."

Sejuani stood up and put the broken horned helmet on her head.

"If any of you feel you can take responsibility for the survival and food security of everyone, then stand up and challenge me... If not, then pledge your allegiance to me!"

Sejuani's words were powerful and resounding, and everyone looked at each other in dismay, but no one dared to whisper.

In the end, it was Ercas who led his brothers to step forward, kneeling down on one knee and pressing their hands to their chests.

"We obey your command, Sejuani of the Winter's Claw... We regard you as our new War Mother."

With someone taking the lead, Sejuani, the daughter of the Warmother and of the Iceblood lineage, was extremely appealing, and people knelt down and joined the ranks of those pledging allegiance.

Sejuani took a deep breath, her heart pounding unbelievably fast, and she involuntarily turned her head to look at Heron.

When Herren saw her looking at him, he nodded. Of course, he didn't kneel down, but he did perform a gesture of respect by touching her chest.

Sejuani immediately felt much calmer. She took one last look at her mother's body, a fleeting trace of grief passing through her eyes, which was then replaced by a resolute determination.

"Then, I issue my first order! The despicable Frost Priests ambushed the War Mother! They betrayed the covenant, and Heron killed their people in order to protect the War Mother... We will not let this go, nor will the Frost Guards. We cannot afford the sacrifices. We must migrate... leave this place."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.

The Frost Priestess was... killed?

The Frostguard's strength in the North is undeniable. Even powerful tribes like the Winterclaw and, before them, the Avarosan, are among the most powerful in Freljord, yet they all had to accept the control of Frostguard Fortress.

Let the Frost Priestess, who does not believe in God, makes no oaths, and is only loyal to Lissandra, become the shaman of the tribe.

To be an enemy of the Frost Guardians is something unimaginable for everyone.

Most importantly, migration means uncertainty about survival. Unless it is absolutely necessary, all tribes will avoid migration... Winter's Claw's current habitat, although food is scarce, at least has food. If they migrate, it is unknown when they will be able to find land where they can hunt for food again.

During this time, they may have to endure hunger and cold, seek shelter from wind and snow, and even fight bloody battles with other tribes searching for habitats...

"Ser... Mother of War, I think we don't need to do this. We have a stable food source here, but if..."

"So, what do you think? Do you want me to hand over the instigators, the brave warriors who tried to protect the War Mother, to those black-cloaked figures and let them do as they please?"

"I……"

"Stop wasting time!"

Although Sejuani was young, the imposing aura she exuded at this moment made people involuntarily compare her to the figure of Gorgia.

"I will not abandon a single member of the tribe because of danger! Nor will I forgive those in black cloaks who killed the War Mother! If anyone insists on staying... I will consider him a traitor, an enemy, and if you wish to follow me, then pack your things now! When the sun rises over Mount Ornkar, I want to see Juvask's footprints on the snowfield!"

Sejuani once again issued an order that left no room for argument. This time, regardless of whether anyone still had doubts, they finally got to work, each returning to their own tent to pack their belongings.

Perhaps some might still hope that the new warship will change its mind before dawn...

"Erkas, do me a favor... help me collect my mother's body..."

Erkas nodded, summoned a few people, and began to collect Kojiya's body.

Even if Kojiya wasn't the War Mother, a shaman would still perform a ceremony after her death, which is a typical Freljord funeral... But usually, the shamans in the tribe are Frost Priests, and there's no time to perform a ceremony now.

As Heron watched Sejuani enter the tent, he was still silently debating whether to follow her in or go back to pack his things…

However, Sejuani's voice came from inside the tent.

"Heron...come in."