"That's dangerous," Veer warned. "Gathering intelligence on major tribes means getting close to them, risking exposure."
"I know." Kaya met his gaze. "But it's necessary. We can't build anything lasting if we don't understand the landscape we're operating in."
She turned back to her map. "Here's what I'm thinking: we establish this cave as our base. We spend the next few weeks, maybe months, just surviving—hunting, gathering, making this place actually livable. At the same time, we start making careful contact with potential allies. Outcasts first, because they're the lowest risk."
"And the intelligence gathering?" Veer asked.
"That comes later, once we have more people, more resources. But we start planning for it now." Kaya looked at both of them. "This is going to take time. Possibly years. Building something real, something that can actually challenge the established powers—that's not a quick process."
"Years," Cutie repeated, sounding daunted.
