The chieftain was dead. Nickel had been an aged woman and so it was inferred that she had succumbed to natural causes. Now, the difficult task of appointing a successor lay ahead. Any member of the village counsel was eligible-that meant father was up for the position. But the citizens themselves did not vote. The decision was made by a committee consisting of the second-oldest of every family, in our case, mother.

But I had not even had time to find out more about the candidates-before the week was out, much to my surprise, father had been elected. He quickly took advantage of his position, ordering the construction of barriers around the village to prevent any Groundlings from entering. This was done much to the approval of the other families.

With father being left burdened with so many responsibilities as the new chieftain, I was left in sole charge of hunting and stocking up for the winter. But now that the days were shortening and the flora was becoming thinner, fresh meat was hard to come by. However, on one lucky day, I was fortunate enough to take down a stag and a Groundling on the same hunt-one I caught while riding through the woods, the other I caught while taking the stag home.

As chieftain, father was responsible for the disposal of Groundlings and so I took the body to his headquarters. Though he was busily scribbling away on a sheet, father received me happily when I presented the body to him.
“I’m not sure what to present you with, my son, seeing as how you are direct family” father said upon inspection of the body.
“You needn't present me with anything, father” I replied.

“Well, in that case, I’ll have it taken back” he said, knocking on a door on the far side of the study. A young man around my age answered.

“Yes, Chieftain?” he asked.
“Take the body back” father requested.
“Yes, sir” the boy replied as he took the dead Groundling behind the door.

After he had gone, I turned to father and asked, “Sir, what exactly do you do with the bodies? I’ve just always wondered.”

Father smiled awkwardly and, walking up to me, whispered in my ear. “You know that meat we give out as a reward for capturing a Groundling?”

“Yes” I replied in a chilled voice.
“Come now, Feldspar, you have a good imagination” father finished.

I was a bit taken aback by this. “You-mean-we-eat-them?” I said slowly

“Well, what else are we going to do with them? Besides, it’s a good way to exude our superiority and make an example for the other Groundlings. especially during this time of year, game meat is getting scarcer and not everybody is the skilled hunter you are ” father explained but I still was not content.

I gulped. “So, you mean that plate of meat we ate three days ago wasn't stag or bear, it was-” I began.

Father nodded. “You learn something new every day, don’t you, Feldspar?” he said. I turned and slowly began to walk away. I certainly was not fond of the Groundlings but this new revelation was a bit too shocking-at least for my taste.