9 comments/ 23025 views/ 46 favorites World of Ranicke 01 By: maxd01 Welcome to my second story on literotica.com. This is going to be an unedited story since I can post the chapters faster than with an editor. I don't mind having an editor and actually appreciate the work she has been doing but I would like to kick out a chapter or two every couple of weeks. My World of the Silver Moon is edited which has led to slow posts. I don't mind what so ever but I would like to have a story that I can post in my time and when I want. Having said all that any sexual relations are 18+ and though there are kids in the story there will not be any underage relationships that include sex. If you have a problem with kids in my stories then go find something else to read. I don't need any comments that go 'ick, you have kids getting nude to bathe' or anything like that since it is simply a normal part of the tribe or clan since the bathing area is communal. If you have a problem deal with it. Chapter 1 Jim was sitting outside the building he had been assigned to take a look at and infiltrate if possible. He was sitting in a parking garage across the alley from the building and he had a small micro camera focused on the exit as well as a number of RF receivers as well. All of the RF receivers were totally passive and had built so they couldn't transit wirelessly in any way. There was only one connection that could transmit and that was a mini-satellite uplink on the other side of the parking garage. It was connected via a fiber line, it was connected to the camera and receivers, that he had draped earlier across some pipes and structural beams. It was only temporary and would be in use for this evening. If he didn't come back from the infiltration they would melt down in two hours no matter what happened. He watched the last known shift leave the building though he was sure there were still people inside. He should be able to avoid them since it would be a night staff and they had noticed that from about midnight to 4am it was quiet at the door. That was the best time for him to slide in and find out what was going on. There was a good chance that he might not make it all the way but as long as he could get as much information out he could deal with that. If he did kick off he wouldn't be very happy obviously but that again was life. Once he was fairly sure that nobody else was going to be coming in and out he left his post after making sure that all the connections were good. He was in urban camo and had a heavy harness of equipment that he might need. Before he crossed the alley he sent a signal to the remote camera to lock it up so it wouldn't show anything on a sensor. It would pick up his signal and send it to the uplink which was almost impossible to intercept or pick up. He pulled out another device and pointed it at the camera over the door and after getting a green light he pressed a button. The camera froze for a moment giving him time to get across. If you asked him how the various devices worked he couldn't tell you since he was just an operator but the darn things worked as advertized. Jim slipped across the alley and under the camera. Once across and under the camera's view he reactivated it. Whoever set the damn thing up hadn't done a very good job of it though that could me a smoke screen for a second hidden camera. It was a chance he had to take. Once he was at the door he slid a device into the locking mechanism and pressed a button. Moments later the light turned to green and he pulled the door open just enough for him to slide in. Once inside he pulled out the suppressed pistol he had with him and slowly made his way down the hallway and carefully checked the rooms as he passed. They weren't what he was looking for since he was looking for some sort of control room. He was hoping to find anything dealing with the source of the new drug on the street. It was highly addictive and on some people had adverse reactions that usually ended up with them in a psych ward. It was worse than any other drug seen before. The chemical analysis of it was inconclusive since it didn't come up in any chemical database known. There were a few odd combinations that they had never seen before and shouldn't exist in that combination. That had raised more than a few eyebrows and some fairly high sources wanted to know how it had been created. That was how he had been tasked with finding what he could and with the team he worked for had identified this location as one of the prime locations. If it wasn't then he would leave without leaving any indication he was there. One nice thing was he worked with a very tech savy group and one particular man was sheer genius when it came to beating security systems. If he had gone hacker he would have been a millionaire in just a few years. As it was he was well off but he tried to do it honestly. Well sort of honestly since he wasn't above using insider trading to gain a bit of money now and then. Damn it he was wool gathering slightly. He pulled out a small device that he had been given and when he glanced down the hall he noticed a camera and pointed it at it when it was aimed away from him and pressed a button. What the hell it did he didn't really care but he had been shown that it would momentarily interrupt the movements. When the camera stopped he hurried down the hall and paused under it and aimed at the next camera. By doing this he quickly located a room that looked important. Actually he should have said quickly all things considered though it did take a good 45 minutes or so. When he did finally find the room he had to pause inside the door and looked around in almost shock. It was a tech wonderland. There were monitors everywhere, computers, racks of servers, and things he didn't recognize. That wasn't saying much since he wasn't a tech weenie but still he had been around. He beeped, for lack of better of a better name, the cameras and moved into the room. He looked around and eventually found what looked like a central workstation and stuck a dongle into it and wondered how long it would take to upload any and all information that was on it. As he was waiting for the bloody thing to do its job he walked around the room and captured images of all the workstations and everything else in the room. The most interesting was a sort of silver gilded cage in a corner and he made sure to take pictures of it to send to the team. As he was standing next to it he was more than startled when the door opened and several men charged in. Jim lunged at a work station and was not pleased when he almost was hit by some automatic fire. He did have a pistol with a silencer for quite work and he had his MP5SD just in case. He didn't think twice before whipping it out and firing off several rounds as he found a better place to hide behind. Rounds were coming in and he was definitely not sure of making it out of there. There were too many and they had more combined firepower than he did. That didn't matter since he had to try and keep them occupied till the team was able to get as much information possible. He returned fire and did his best not to actually kill anyone. That wasn't part of the plan though anytime you used any sort of weapon it could happen. While he was returning fire a sort of whine was starting to impact on him and when he glanced in the direction the gilded cage started glowing. That was not something he had expected but turned back and continued firing at them. When he ran out of ammo in the first clip he popped it out and flipped it around and inserted the second and racked the slid. They returned fire at him and he flinched as a round hit him in the side. It was a grazing blow but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He grunted and returned fire as best possible. The sound kept increasing in pitch and if it didn't quite he was sure he would vibrate to death. A light behind him caught his attention and the silver cage was glowing a very bright white and the sound it was emitting had settled down to a steady whine. It still made his teeth ache but not as bad. Before he could do anything someone stepped out and he didn't think and fired at him several times and dashed for it. It was an instinctive reaction and as he hit the light he felt several round hit him as he hit the light and passed out... ~~~ The moment he staggered across the light he collapsed against a tree and almost screamed in agony as the wounds hit the bark. "Oh damn it to hell getting shot sucks." He opened his eyes and looked around and almost had to freeze since he definitely wasn't in any sort of building since the trees were huge and he could feel the humidity and heat. Instantly he started sweating. He looked down and saw blood flowing and he knew he had to do something or he would be dead shortly. He passed out from the shock for a few moments. When Jim woke up it he had no idea how much later and it wasn't a good awakening. When he finally awoke he knew he wasn't to long for the world since he had been hit two more times. There was one that appeared to have hit his ribs and another in his shoulder. Jim almost screamed in agony as he barely managed to sit up and look at where he was. When he did look he had to be in either heaven or hell since he appeared to be in some massive jungle of some sort. Since his right arm wasn't working he struggled to pull out some coagulating powder out of one pouch and dumped some on his shoulder wound and his side wound. Once that was done he lay there gasping for breath and wished he had some water on him since he was now desperately thirsty. He could feel the sting of the powder but the blood flow did start to slow down. For a moment he blacked out till something woke him and when she walked into the clearing he almost freaked out. ~~~ As the Squorrel was out gathering food for the clan she heard what sounded like a thunder clap and she dropped down and looked at the gray sky. There wasn't any sort of indicator of storms which was right since the monsoons were several weeks away. She glanced at the cloud cover and it was its usual whiteish gray and obscured the sky. Rarely did they ever see the stars and she didn't think twice about it being something related to that. She hurried in the direction of the noise since it was close by and she was curious by nature and by what species she was. Squorrel's were for the most part pacifists yet demanded learning and knowing things. In this case her desire to learn more had led her to what looked like a damaged human since he was bleeding and badly. He was dressed oddly in some sort of clothing that covered him from toes to neck and had some sort of harness that held weird smelling objects not to mention the item he had tried to lift before he passed out. She could only guess that it was some sort of weapon but it didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. Before she approached him she turned and called out in her native language. *Damaged human, need stretcher and dressings. Tell the White Lady he is going to need healing.* She moved forward when he didn't move again and looked down at him. They were only a few minutes from the clan and where they were at the moment. Looking down at him she drew on what little knowledge she had and tore her shirt off and stuffed it in the wounds as best possible and then tied them down with what rope and string she had. Since she had been looking for fruits and veggies she had a net bag that worked well for this problem. Moments later several of the clan showed up and they glanced at him and had to blink since he was so strange looking. "Hurry up and get him to the clan and we might be able to help him." The bleeding had slowed down since she had done a temporary dressing but if they didn't hurry he wouldn't make it. ~~~ She was tall but definitely not human since she had sort of cute round ears, a light brown fur coating that changed colors as it moved down her body and over her shoulder he could see a rather fluffy tail. Her cloths were almost antique looking since she was wearing some sort of a loose bodice and some loose pantaloons that were tied down to some soft gray boots of what looked like natural leather, maybe swede. He tried to lift his MP5SD but he simply didn't have the energy and the blackness enveloped him again as she moved towards him. What was going to happen and what the hell happened was going to be really strange. Before Jim passed out he had to wonder what he had been given to have this hallucination. ~~~ Several of the clan ran when she called for them and had to pause for a moment when they looked at him. His clothing was a mixture of black and gray and he had odd looking pouches and things drapped around him. They had never seen anything like him before. She snapped at them and they jumped and hurried over and carefully moved him to a stretcher. They picked it up and carefully moved him to one of the sick tents though they did hurry as much as they could without jostling him. Once in the tent the White lady, as she was known, frowned and looked at the Squorrel. "You are going to need to help me get him undressed so I can treat him." She was trying to figure out how the belt worked as she went to strip him. Lianne, the White Lady, looked down at the human and had to frown. She had never seen anything like what he was wearing before not to mention the funny looking equipment he had on. Lianne sniffed at the gear and wrinkled her nose at the oily metallic tang that was coming from the thing by his side. She was a Kitsune but vastly different than all the others. She was a solid white color that seemed to almost glow in the sunlight. Added to that she was shorter than normal as well but she had a skill that nobody else had. She could use her spirit to heal injuries and diseases. Sorrel looked at her and nodded. "Yes White Lady. I will help to the best of my abilities." They ended up using a knife to cut the harness off till Sorrel discovered that by pressing something on the belt released it. Everything they took off ended up in a corner of the tent. She also discovered the zipper and how it moved and they quickly had him stripped down to just his skin. He is not doing well the White Lady said and held a hand over one of his wounds and frowned since there was some sort of metal in there. It wasn't something she had come across before unless it was at the end of an arrow. She was forced to use her razor sharp nails to cut his tissue open a bit more to pull the pieces out. She tossed them aside as she laid her hands over the wounds and a silver light started to glow. The glow sort of flowed over the wounds and though she wasn't going to be able to heal him in one go she would be able to do enough to keep him from dying. As she was healing him she started when she realized he wasn't a human such as she knew and didn't feel like he was from anywhere nearby. "Sorrel you are going to be responsible for him and take care of him. He is different and will need some help." Sorrel blinked and slightly bowed down. "Yes White Lady, I will take care of him and make sure he heals well and when you return he will be ready to talk to you." To be given an order like that was very rare but when given you obeyed her. ~~~ At some point Jim woke and was doing okay till he tried to move and almost screamed. The agony from his right side was almost ungodly. Instead of a scream he had to settle for a groan since he didn't have the energy for anything else. That and he had a very full bladder and needed to take care of that. When Sorrel walked in again he tensed and then groaned again. "Oh god, what did they shoot me with. Halucinating sexy furry women is not something I have ever done before." Granted he had been on some good drugs but never had anything like this. Not only that he was laying on his back in some sort of colorful tent and he could tell he was in some sort of cot though it was pretty comfortable. Sorrel lowered her ears when he said that and moved over. "You aren't hallucinating anything human. I am not sure where you are from but I am a Squorrel and you were helped by a Kitsune, an Inu, and a feline." She settled down on a chair next to him. "I have some food for you and the White Lady is going to be in shortly to change your dressing and check your wounds." Jim looked at her and sort of blinked. "Fine, whatever and I still want to know what good drugs I am on." It wasn't making sense and the races she mentioned didn't make a great deal of sense to him. "I really need to use the bathroom. If I don't there is going to be a mess." God he turned about as red as possible when he said that since he really didn't want to pee himself. She nodded and stood up and poked her head out. "I need some help please." Several males came in and Jim could only goggle. One had what sort of looked like maybe fox ears and several tails and another was sort of human looking though sort of an exotic face. They carefully picked him up and moved him to a chair and that was when Jim realized he was nude. As they moved him he clenched his jaw and struggled to keep breathing. The pain was almost indescribable. "Can I get something for the pain if possible?" It might have embarrassed him but the need to take care of business was more important and he took care of both needs. When they picked him up and cleaned him then he turned as red as possible. "Oh gods, this is so wrong." He wanted to bury his head in his hands but didn't have either the energy or ability. If it hadn't been for the pain he probably would have tried to push them away as they were cleaning him. Instead he had to settle for trying to breathe again. "Relax human, you are badly injured and need some help." One of the males told him and once they finished they tucked him back into the bed that Sorrel had changed the sheets in. Once they were done they made sure everything had been done though one stayed behind to help feed him. He lifted him up and wrapped an arm around him so he was somewhat upright. Sorrel settled down next to him and lifted a plate with mostly fruit and veggies though there was some cooked meat. She carefully fed him and when he tried to use his left arm she gently pushed it down. "Let us help you so you can recover as soon as possible." She held another piece of fruit to his lips after saying that. He wanted to object but simply didn't have the energy. Leaning back against the guy felt sort of wrong since it wasn't something he had ever done. Having her feed him was also sort of wrong since again it wasn't something he had ever had to do before either. The food was good though he would have preferred more meet. As she fed him she also gave him some sort of juice that slaked his thirst. Eventually he was done and turned his head away. "I am full and am tired." She took the bit of leftover food and as the male carefully lowered him down Sorrel put the food away. The small cooler in the hospital tend was driven by some of the power stones the clan used. She settled down in a chair next to him as he slept. It wasn't too long before the White Lady came in. Lianne, the White Lady, walked in and settled down on the other side of him. She looked at Sorrel and started removing the dressings. His wounds looked several days old and she held her hands over them and started healing again. A white sort of mist flowed down from her hands and sort of settled on the wounds. The third wound that was only a crease was only going to heal at the normal rate. One thing he was going to find was that as he was more awake he was going to be eating a great deal of food to deal with how much of his energy was going to healing. All she was doing was encouraging the healing and his body to return to what was his normal state. Yes he was going to have scars but when he finally healed it was going to be faded and not quite so obvious. World of Ranicke 01 ~~~ Over the next few days he tended to wake and eat and sleep. He was helped to a chair as much as possible to take care of business and he hated having to be helped for that. Eventually he was well enough to take care of his needs sort of. The dressings kept getting less and less but eventually the White Lady quit coming and he looked at Sorrel and asked. "Where is the White Lady and when can I get out of here and start taking care of myself?" Sorrel looked at him and smiled. "She has moved on since she is a roving healer and has some special powers. She travels between the clans and acts as a healer and a diplomat." She held the tray to him as he ate the food. "She said that today you can remove the dressings and take a bath as long as it isn't too long." She had what was needed for him. "Where is here?" He had been awake enough to see Sorrel, the White Lady, and several other species. What he wanted to know was where he was. The information he had gotten wasn't a huge deal since it had all been uploaded but the fact that he appeared to be in a different world was more important. She gave him an odd look. "Um, you are on Ranicke and it has been a week or so since you were injured." She carefully helped him up and wrinkled her nose. He had been bathed several times but it wasn't the same as getting into the hot springs to get clean. "I am going to get a carrier to take you over to the bathing area and help get you clean." He slowly moved up so he was sitting upright and then looked at her. "Excuse me? What world?" He shook his head. "Never mind since it doesn't really matter." His brain contemplated exploding but simply wasn't in the mood for it. "Clean is good and I think I can take care of it." He didn't realize they used communal bathing areas. Not knowing how far the bathing area was he didn't complain about a wheel chair. Well he assumed a wheel chair. "Where am I going to be staying?" She had talked to the White Lady and had been told that he could bathe today as long as he didn't stay to long in either the cool pool or the hot pool. "Um you will be staying with me for the time being. I found you and have been taking care of you as you know." She helped him out of the bed and into some loose cloths. When she helped him up and into some cloths he blushed deeply since she was a good looking woman even she wasn't totally human. She was just a bit shorter than he was and was slender. She had just the right amount of breast and hips for him though the fur looked sort of odd. Her clothing wasn't tight but when she turned just the right way he could see sort of how she looked. "Um, you don't need to let me force you out of where you live. I can use a small tent and cot." She looked more than shocked when he said that. "I don't think so. The White Lady told me to take care of you and that means you are going to be in my tent. I have plenty of room in my bed for you and it will ensure that I can keep an eye on you."' Jim blushed even more when she said that and hoped that she wore something to bed. Normally he went to be nude but this was going to be different. As she called for help several people came in and helped him into a sort of chair and they picked it up. He wanted to scream since it felt like he was being paraded in front of others but most of the people didn't bother looking. When he settled back in the chair his wounds did complain but nowhere nearly as bad as they had been. He still drew in a deep breath at the surge of pain. Sorrel followed the males and once they were at the bathing area she helped him out and into the bathing area. As they were heading in the direction of the bathing area she could hear his breathing and when she looked could see his teeth clenched as he struggled not to make any noise. They didn't have any sort of nudity taboo's and she started helping him out of his clothing till he resisted. "What is the problem Jim? Don't you want a bath?" He blushed again. "Um, we normally bathe alone and..." God this was going to be bad. 'Um, we don't normally shower with people we.... Um, aren't intimate with." On god he was going to die when he said that. He looked down at the water of a pool and wanted to go drown himself when he said that. Sorrel had to blink and snickered. "Oh man you come from a strange place. There is nothing wrong with bathing with the other gender since our baths are communal." She turned him to look at her. "Do you think I am going to do something like take advantage of you?" That was too funny though she had to admit he was a good looking human. Jim looked at her and groaned. "No I am not worried about you taking advantage of me but just not something I am used to." He glanced down at the ground when he said it though he followed her into the bathing area. When she turned and pulled the shirt off and started removing the dressings he tensed up as there was still some pain. "Man I can't wait till this is healed and how the hell have I healed so well?" Sorrel almost pouted when he told her he wasn't worried about her taking advantage of him. "I think I just got insulted." Her tail gave an annoyed twitch when she said that and he smiled slightly. "The White Lady healed you and you will be pretty much healed in a week at most." Sorrel picked up two buckets of bath items and walked over to the water and stripped down before looking over her shoulder. "Give me a moment to get your dressings off and she said for them to air dry from now on." He could barely take his eyes from her as she stripped down. She might be furred but she had one hell of a body and the tail simply added to it. "No lady you weren't insulted but this is so not what I am used to." He moved over to the pool and tensed up as she turned to him and showed pretty much her entire body and started taking the dressings off. It was hard but he had to look down and the scars on his chest were horrible. "Oh god." He started to stumble. She turned and wrapped an arm around him and another came over and grasped him as well. "Shhh Jim, take a slow deep breath and we will get you in the cool water and get you cleaned off." Sorrel turned to him and pulled him to her. "I know they look horrible but you are alive and will do fine." She held him as he shuddered. Jim ignored the man who held him and almost clung onto her and shook. Looking at the scars he should be dead not to mention that few if any really looked human and almost all had fur of some sort. He leaned into her and held her for several minutes. "Where the fuck am I? What world is this and how did I get here." It was muffled since his head was buried in her neck. Sorrel thought about it and stroked his back though she was careful to avoid his wounds. "I am sorry but you are not in your world and we don't know how and or why." One hand was stroking his back and the other was curled around his head. "Let's get you clean and get the blood and sweat off you and then to my tent where you can eat and then get some sleep." She comforted him as best possible as she stood there trying to calm him down. With her help and the male whose name he didn't have he slowly moved into the water and sighed in contentment. "Oh man that feels good. Nice and cool I would ask to stay here but have a feeling I would get yelled at." He ducked down and got his hair and back wet and stood. When she moved behind him and pulled his hair into a mass and started working on it. All he could do was lean back and groan slightly as she worked on his hair. "Good god that feels good lady and don't stop." It had been sometime since he had his hair washed like this. She laughed and after making sure it was good and clean she urged him in front of her. "Now for a good back scrub." She took one of the buckets and worked some soap into a brush and the started working on his shoulders and back and he groaned again. There were a few spots that were sensitive and she was careful with them but by the time she was done he felt like he was almost boneless. "Oh man that was good and I need to return the favor." Jim settled on the edge of the pool since he wasn't supposed to get most of him wet and pulled her close. "Never washed someone like you but I figure your hair is like mine and when it comes to your back a good scrubbing is all that is needed right?" His right arm wasn't working very well but his left was and he figured that would do. She almost leaned against him. "That is not needed Jim since I am more than capable of washing myself." Sorrel raised her head as he started working on her. It did feel good and she had to wonder how it would feel having him working on her back. Jim grinned. "Turnabout is fair play milady and if you did my hair and back then I should do the same." He grinned at her as he worked on her hair and then worked some soap into the brush and worked on the fur on her back. "Never worked on someone who had fur so I am sort of winging it." He was working in circles as he was talking to her. "I hope this works for ma'am." She leaned forward as he started working on her back and grinned. "Oh my that feels good and don't stop and you are doing a good job." Once he was done she took the brush and grinned at him. "I figure you will want to do the rest of your body before we rinse off and soak right?" Sorrel stretched and couldn't help but notice his gaze at her breasts. He jerked his eyes away from her breasts and was blushing. "Sorry, like I said we normally only bathe with someone we are intimate with and you are a good looking lady." He clapped his hand over his mouth and blushed even more. "Didn't mean to say that." He forced out. Her breasts were furred as well but the areola and nipples weren't. She had light brown areola's and tidy nipples and for a very brief moment he wondered what she would be like in bed. Sorrel couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at him. "Well at least you are noticing I am a girl." She dipped down to rinse the soap off and turned slightly to give him some privacy to finish cleaning up. Sorrel did have to admit that he was good looking for a human and wondered what he was like in bed. She didn't do it deliberately but took a bit more time to get clean than normal. Jim slid down in to the pool and grabbed the brush and ran it across the soft soap and started working on the rest of his body. It took a bit of time since he had to be careful with the right side of his chest and arm. Eventually he was done and he ducked down and rinsed off. One thing he had noticed was both an inlet and outlet and along the outlet was a great deal of plant life and assumed they helped clean the water. "I feel much better now." She looked over her shoulder at him. Her tail was in her arms as she was working on getting it clean as well. "I am glad to hear that. Lets soak a bit in the hot water and then we can get something to eat and then you can relax and sleep if needed." She had been told he would be sleeping and eating a great deal. He stood and stretched as best possible. "Sounds like a deal. Food is good and I have a feeling I am going to fall asleep sooner than later." Jim carefully climbed out of the pool as she did and followed her to a different pool. When he dipped a toe in he found it was really warm and almost groaned. This was the first time he had been even semi-cool since he arrived and getting in a pool of hot water was almost too much. She settled in and looked up at him. "Something wrong Jim? The water not the right temp?" She knew so very little about him yet was in charge of making sure he healed that it bothered her. "Please come in, the water is nice." Sorrel looked at the others in the pool and they nodded. There were two kitsunes and a neko and inu. Jim slowly settled down so his legs and waist were in the water. "It is just the water in the other pool was so cool and I have been sweating my butt off since I came here." He had to admit the water felt good but he would have preferred to sit in the other pool. "Where I am from is cooler and less humid than here." That comment actually made all of them blink. Other than Sorrel and the White Lady nobody knew much about the strange human other than that he had been dressed funny and had strange metal items. "But this is what it is like most of the time." One of the Kitsune females had to say. Jim glanced at her and damn it he blushed again. She was taller than Sorrel and had larger breasts that were barely covered by the water. "Um, I am not from around here. I don't know how I got here and no idea how to get back to my home. Everything is strange and all I have ever dealt with were humans." Seeing mostly furred animals walking around was weird. That and there were so many different types. There were more blinks when he said that since human's were a minority and had been for as long as they had been on the world. "Where are you from then?" One of the males asked as he leaned back and wrapped an arm around the female Kitsune. Jim's face became tense and he looked down. "Not from here and if you don't mind I don't want to talk about it." His voice was low and tense when he said that. It wasn't that he had all that many people he cared for in the world he came from but he was away from everything he knew. Sorrel stood up and walked across the pool to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Relax Jim and when we can talk to the elders we will see what can be done." She glanced at the others and shook her head and they moved away and gave them some room as she comforted him. She tucked his head into her neck and simply held him. He tensed and then leaned into her for a few minutes. "I think I would like to go and lay down if you don't mind." Jim moved away from her and stood up and walked over to a bench that had some towels on it and started drying off. She stood up and walked over and grabbed a towel as well and started drying her fur off. "There are clean clothes there and your old clothes will be cleaned and delivered to my tent." Sorrel pulled on a loincloth and then some lose pants and a breast band and shirt. "Relax and we will get you to my tent and some food." Jim toweled off and looked down at the cloths. "I really wish you had real undies since a loincloth is just so weird." He quickly pulled it on and then the shirt and pants. He almost felt like a pirate in the loose pants and shirt. The pants were a dark brown and the shirt was an off white. "Can we please move elsewhere?" He was starting to feel seriously lost and wasn't really sure what to feel at the moment. Sorrel resisted the urge to help him get dressed but once he was done she wrapped an arm around him and walked with him out of the bathing area. "It is a bit to my tent so if you don't mind I will call for another chair." She didn't let him even comment before calling out for the chair and several people showed up moments later. He flushed. "I could have walked." Jim muttered though he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have made it even if her tent was close. He had to try and show some strength. When the chair arrived he sighed and groaned. "God I feel like crap for having to be carried around." Sorrel leaned over and lightly rubbed her face against his. "There isn't anything wrong about being hurt Jim." She helped him into the chair and walked next to him as he rode in the chair. When they approached her tent it was rather colorful though it did blend in well with the forest. When she leaned over and rubbed his face he couldn't help but lean into it. "Your fur is so soft Sorrel." He told her and rubbed back since it seemed the thing to do. When they reached her tent he was rather impressed with the colors and how it blended in. Being rather careful he stepped out of the chair thing and moved in and found a chair to collapse on. He leaned his head back. "I don't want to sound bad but some food would be nice please." She helped him out of the chair and waved the others away. "Thank you for your time." Sorrel turned and helped him into the tent and let him collapse in a chair. The wood was light weight yet very strong and was the basis of most of their furniture. "Food will be here shortly." She settled in a chair next to him and reached over and stroked his face and hair. When she leaned over and stroked his hair he started blushing again. "You are going to kill me with my blushing." He leaned back and started to relax till someone cleared their throat and walked into the tent. "I have some food for you ma'am." She glanced at the human as she moved in and placed a tray on a small table. "Enjoy both of you." She curtsied and left the tent. Jim jerked awake when the female had walked in and was feeling not all there. He had started to drift off as Sorrel was comforting him. He sort of looked at her and nodded. "Thanks." He carefully stood up and walked over to the table and looked at the food. Some of it was salad but there was some meat. "The meat is for you Jim and I mostly eat veggies." She slid one large plate over to him and took the other and started nibbling on it. There were bits of meat but not much. "I hope you enjoy it." He took the plate and using something that sort of looked like a fork he started eating with his left hand. It wasn't neat and tidy since he was so hungry. "Sorry, starving." He poured some sort of toping over the veggies and meat and scarfed them down. By the time he was done he was about to pass out from being full and the speed healing. "Need to lay down please." When he went to stand he stumbled and was only caught by her. She jumped up and caught him. "Come and lay down." She helped him over to the bed and pulled his clothes off before tucking him in. Once he was in she stripped down to her loin cloth and crawled in with him and wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled him. Even before she crawled in he was passed out and started snoring. Jim woke a while later and was more than comfortable. Yes he was hot but there was a warm bundle in his arms and as he pulled her closer he wrapped his arm around her tighter. It took a bit of time to realize he was feeling fur and not skin and as he did he was lightly stroking her belly and was enjoying the feel. Suddenly he realized what he was feeling and froze. Sorrel sort of wiggled when he pulled her close and started stroking her fur. If she had been a neko she would have been purring for all she was worth. He was strong for a human and she could feel his slight arousal pressed against her bottom and wanted more. There was something that was drawing her to him. "Don't stop Jim that feels really good. If you want I will break out my brush and let you groom me." He froze since his hand was close to her pelvic bone and that was not something he was ready for. "Um, sorry not used to being in bed with someone else though if you want me to brush your back I can do that." Jim yawned and rolled away from her and sat up. "Where is the bathroom? I need to take care of business." Since he wasn't looking at her he didn't notice she was barely dressed. He should have noticed but still wasn't all there. She sat up and stretched. "I have a feeling that might not be right for you now." She stood up and pulled a shirt out and pulled it on. It hung down to her mid thighs and when she turned around it was sort of obvious she wasn't in any sort of bra or breast band. "I will show you and it isn't too far." Her father was the chief and they were close but not to close. "After that we can get you more food." Jim was sure she was correct. It was wrong but he was mostly definitely drawn to her and wanted to, well, bang the crap out of her. He wasn't celibate in any way and even if she was furred he was feeling drawn to her. "Thank goodness or I might be in trouble." He stood and pulled on the pants and shirt he had been wearing and ignored the fact that she was only half dressed by his standard. World of Ranicke 01 She led him out of her tent and over to the toilet stalls since she needed them as well and pointed him towards one as she took another and pulled the light screen over the opening. It was only a few minutes later when she was done and came out to find him there. "Thanks, that feels much better. Not into being helped to the bathroom." Damn it he blushed again and almost growled at her. "So can we get more food? I am not sure why I am so bloody hungry but I am." He could eat a damn horse if they would let him and knew what a horse was. Sorrel laughed. "I am sure and it is about dinner time so we can go and get something to eat. We tend to eat communally." She led them to an open area and lifted her nose and inhaled. "They did a good job this evening." There were all kinds of veggies, meat, drinks and such. "I am sure you will find what you want to eat and yes there is meat." Jim grinned at her and then looked at her. "Shouldn't you get more cloths on? We are going to be in public." The shirt was white and showed her body quite well though he was trying to ignore it. "Meat good, fire good, women good..." He pretended to be a caveman and grinned at her. "Something from my world and just humor. I do like veggies and fruits as well as meats." She didn't say anything more till they reached the food and let him go and grabbed a wooden tray and started piling food on it. "Most humans like these items." She started pointing out some of the meat, veggies, and fruit. There was some bread as well that was sliced in thick slices. Jim piled some food on the plate as she suggested some and was surprised when she added more. "You need the food and protein to finish healing." She gave him and odd look. "I am dressed or does it bother you?" She turned and looked at him and stretched and it framed her body quite well. Her tail was slightly holding the back of the shirt up and the tail of the loincloth was hanging down. All of her shirts were split in the back to account for her tail. "You are so silly Jim and make me want to giggle." Sorrel reached over and grabbed one of his arms and pulled him over to her and walked with him and finally settled down on some cushions. He didn't know it but it was in front of her father's caravan. She told him and after grabbing a drink or two led her over to where her father was and settled down. "Good evening Chief and I am sure as you know this is Jim. He is doing better and will be staying in my tent for the next week or so." She lightly bumped Jim. "The White Lady told me to take care of him." Jim rolled his eyes at her. "You are doing that just to try and kill me by blushing aren't you?" He eyeballed her just for good measure. "I suppose I will admit that you have a sexy tail and I wouldn't mind brushing it." When she grabbed his arm he felt one breast press against him and he blushed again. When he teased her back about her tail she actually looked down at the ground and lowered her ears in her version of a blush. "I wouldn't mind if you brushed my tail later Jim." Her voice almost sounded young which she hadn't as of yet. She looked at him and the down again. "Thank you for the compliment." Her tail twitched and lightly brushed against him. He realized that she was reacting to his compliment and curled an arm around her. "I mean it, you have a lovely tail and I would have washed it earlier but didn't know if that would be right." He gave her another hug and smiled. "Only truth lady, only truth. I suppose it is odd since I don't really know a nice tail from a not so nice but I do like yours." The darn thing was as tall as her head and had a little curl much like a real squirrel. Moran smiled at the two. "Good evening Yim." He mangled the name but it was close enough. "It is good to see out of bed now." He nodded at him as he took a plate from what looked like an inu. "Thank you Boli for bringing me something to eat." He looked back at Jim and smiled. "So where are you from and what do you do?" They had little information on him. He gave him a bow since he was a chief of the people he was with. "Thank you and it is nice to be out. The bath was really nice for the most part." He glanced at Sorrel. "Someone was trying to kill me with my blushes though." He had to tease her a bit. "I am from Seattle Washington and I..." What the hell was he supposed to say. "I was trained as a historian and have been trained as a soldier." Moran smiled at him. "I assume that you are not from a culture like ours." He glanced at his daughter and she lowered her ears and twitched her tail. "I have a reason to believe that it is just her personality. If you want I can have her spanked." He winked at the male. Jim twitched slightly and then nodded. "I guess you could say that. I have never heard of this place and..." He sighed. "I know a good deal about my world and we don't have any people like you there. We have myths and such but it is all human's." He looked down at his plate and took one or two pieces of food and nibbled on the food. When Moran suggested having her spanked he almost choked. "Not needed sir. Just getting used to how you do things." Sorrel grumbled. "I am too old to be spanked old man." She leaned against Jim slightly. "How was I to know that they don't bathe with the opposite gender?" Sorrel frowned at her father. "I gave him a good scrub down since he can't really use his right arm very well. I wasn't trying to make him blush and there were others in there as well. He could have been blushing because of them as well." Moran shook his head. "Well Jim I hope you recover well and once recovered I will introduce you to some of our elders. If you are an educator and studier of people then you will have a job you can move into." He flicked an ear at a fly that was buzzing around it. "Learned people are valued in our clan. How you became a warrior as well is beyond me since both require intensive training." Jim looked down at his plate and took a sip of his drink. "I don't know. I do sort of want to go home but not knowing how I arrived here I don't know if that can happen." His voice was low and when Sorrel leaned against him he leaned back and one hand curled around her and stroked her arm. God she had such soft fur. "It just sort of happened since I wasn't able to get into anything based on my degree. I joined my country's military and they trained me." Sorrel closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hand on her arm and his stroking. "Gently Jim, if we can get you back we will. The elders might know of what happened and how to get you back." She did not want him to leave but she could understand wanting to get back to your family. Moran sighed. "For now why don't you and Sorrel focus on eating and relaxing and we can talk more." He tossed down a bit of food and took a drink as well. "Well we can talk more about all this later. Just relax and I will see what I can find about what might have happened." He picked his tray up and with a nod left the front of the tent and walked down to his caravan and settled on the stairs and continued eating. Jim looked down at the tray of wood that had the food on it and sort of pushed it around. "I want to go home damn it. All you have been really good to me and helped me though you didn't need to and that means a great deal." He had to close his eyes and finally pushed the tray away. "I am going inside and lay down." He stood and moved to her tent and into it. Getting his shirt off was a struggle but thankfully it was loose and he was able to with a minimum of pain. Sorrel sighed when he moved away and quietly walked inside. She waved over some kids. "Take the trays back please." She gathered the drinks up and walked inside. He had already stripped down to the loincloth and was lying on his side in her bed. She moved over and quickly stripped down and curled up against his back. "If you need to cry Jim please do. I am here for you." He tensed up and then relaxed and wrapped an arm around hers. "It is just so strange here. I don't have much family back where ever I came from." Damn it he could feel her breasts pressing against his back as she was holding him tightly. "I don't know what to do." Right about then he realized he hadn't seen any of his gear. "Um, where is my stuff?" She relaxed when he wrapped his arm around hers. "I have noticed and I will do my best to avoid too many strange things." When he mentioned not having much family she hugged him harder. "That is sad. I have my father, mother, and several younger siblings and we always get together several times a year. I might be an adult now but I love my little brother and sisters." When he asked about his stuff she laughed. "Look over there silly." She pointed at a corner. Jim sort of laughed. "Well coming to bed almost nude is not one of the things I am used to. I can feel your fur against my back." He was not going to mention her breasts and damn it he wanted to feel them and suck on them a bit. "It is good to have family. I would like to meet them one of these days." When she mentioned his stuff he glanced and then relaxed. He really didn't want anyone hurt by touching his stuff. Since he didn't want anyone to get hurt he carefully sat up after moving one of her arms. "I need to check it for a moment." He carefully moved over and lifted the MP5SD with his left arm and removed the clip and racked the slide to ensure that there weren't any rounds loaded. The loose round he stuck back in the clip and tucked the clip into a pocket for it. He repeated it for the pistol as well before setting everything back down. "Good, now nobody will get hurt." He muttered. The last thing he wanted was to have a child shot by accident. He crawled back in bed only this time he was facing her. When she rubbed her cheek against his again he had a feeling it was simply a natural type of greeting. He draped his right arm over her side and lightly stroked her back as he lay there looking at her. When he had muttered about nobody getting hurt she twitched an ear and tilted her head. "What do you mean by that Jim? Why would they be hurt?" They didn't have any sort of projectile weapon so had no clue as to what the two weapons were. He kept stroking her back as he contemplated how to answer. "They are weapons from my world and since I haven't seen anything like them in your world I have a feeling you don't have anything like them. I made them safe so if someone does pick them up by accident they won't get hurt." He rubbed his cheek against hers this time. "Now to a much nicer subject..." Sorrel couldn't help but smile. "So are you saying you find me interesting?" She rubbed her cheek against his cheek. "If so I feel special and wouldn't say no if you were up to a bit of fun." She stroked his chest and belly. "I know that I am drawn to you and wouldn't mind a bit of fun Jim. You are a very good looking human." Oh god, she was going to kill him. He was blushing more than he could admit. "Um, you are a good looking woman but you are different enough I don't really know what to say." Damn it he was getting a serious erection. When she nuzzled his cheek he leaned into it and sighed. "Damn it I don't know what to do right now. We don't have any sort of protection and I wouldn't want you to be pregnant with my child assuming we are compatible that way." She snuggled closer to him. "Thank you for that and we are compatible when it comes to sex." She slid one hand down and could feel his erection. "I think someone is definitely interested in something and I won't say no." She nuzzled him again. "Say yes or no and we are compatible even though I have fur and you don't. I would love to have my tail stroked and for you to have a bit of bed play with me. I promise I will be gentle." When he mentioned her becoming pregnant she licked his neck. "Not in heat so it won't happen but thank you for thinking about it." Jim rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling. "But does that mean it is right? I might be in your bed but that doesn't mean it is right for us." When she found his erection he closed his eyes and groaned. "So I find you very attractive but again is that right? I don't even know your family and you don't know mine." He ran his hand down her back and rested on the base of her tail and smiled. "I will admit you have a sexy tail and I have been admiring it." When she licked his neck he tilted it and then sighed. "That feels good and good to know." Man he was getting close to taking her to bed, well sleeping with her. Sorrel loosened her grip on him and let him roll over. "That is something that we would have to decide. There is nothing wrong with bed play with friends and since I have reached my majority there have been a few lovers." She smiled at his reaction to her hand on his erection though she did move it. "Right is what we decided Jim and you have met some of my family and I will show you the rest later. I can't meet yours but I am sure they are nice people." When he ran his hand down her back to the base of her tail she sort of wiggled and gave a sort of growl. "Do that again and you might not have a choice." She rolled over on him and pressed her lips to his though she was careful with his side. He was about to say something when she sort of growled at him and rolled him over and kissed him. "Um, what did I do?" His hands were now on her waist and as hard as he tried not to his hands were working through the fur and stroking her sides. Jim leaned into the kiss and lightly licked her lips. The feel of her fur against his skin was both exotic and very sensual. "You are a lovely lady and I will admit I would love to take you to bed but one thing I really don't want is anyone thinking I took advantage." Damn it he was getting even harder. She gave him a burning kiss. "The base of the tail is very sensitive to touch and we are usually very careful when it comes to it. It is a darn good way to either find yourself in bed or decked depending on how someone feels about the other." When he licked her lips she opened her mouth a bit and slid her tongue into his and started exploring. She had never been with a human but rather liked how he felt under her hands. Sorrel could also feel his erection as it pressed against her groin and belly and really wanted to know what he was like as a lover. "All sex is consensual and nobody will think that. If they did it would be me taking advantage of you." Jim blushed when she mentioned the sensitivity of the base of the tail. "Um, good thing I didn't wash that far down earlier." When she slid her tongue into his mouth it was longer than a human's and was sort of rough. For a moment he wondered what it would feel like getting a hummer from her. "So are you taking advantage of a sick lame and lazy human?" His hands were stroking up her sides and slid around the curve of her breasts. "I think I will say yes and make love to you." Sorrel couldn't help but smile as his hands started caressing her breast even if it was only the sides. "I never even considered you didn't know." They kissed for a while longer before she replied. "Of course I am, I am sure I can run faster than you can." When he said that he was going to take a tumble with her she smiled and sat up. "Oh goody I could use a bit of fun." She stretched so he had the best view of her body. Jim didn't even think twice before sliding his hands up her abdomen to her breasts and they were just the right size for him. They filled his hands without being oversized. As he was starting to play he could see her nipples were starting to crinkle since there wasn't any fur over them. "Oh my, I see something I like." He sat up and ran his tongue around one of her nipples and then blew on it and grinned when it crinkled even more. Her hands were pressed to his chest and it was obvious she was enjoying the attention. She arched her back and moaned slightly as he started playing with her breasts. For whatever reason many of the males around didn't do that much so she definitely wasn't used to it. As he lightly sucked on it she could feel herself getting wetter and a sort of low burning fire growing low in her belly. "Oh lord, don't stop Jim. That feels so good." He grinned at her reaction to his playing. "Just try to make me stop." He leaned forward and actually sat up so she was straddling his lap. One arm wrapped around her and was stroking her back and was slowly getting closer to her tail while he leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. He nibbled on her ear and though the fur was a bit odd he wasn't having a problem with it. She was apparently liking it since she was making what he assumed were pleased noises and was stroking his back as well. He sucked and nibbled his way to her other breast and sucked the nipple in and nibbled and sucked on it. Lady he was starting to make her want to just find his unit and take him. It had been some time since she had been this bothered and as he slowly stroked more and more towards the base of her tail it was driving her nuts. "You are so going to get it for cheating that way." She grumbled at him. As he was sucking on her nipple and playing with her lower back she was starting to rock her hips against his unit. She could tell that she was getting very wet and knew that this was going to be some of the best she had for a while. Jim simply nipped one nipple before tumbling her over so he was over her. "So you are liking this huh? Just wait you silly Squorrel." He had learned the name of her race and used it. He leaned forward and started working on her breast again while one hand slid down her side and the outside of her leg. He stopped when he reached her knee and started stroking up her inner thigh and lightly stroked the crease of her leg. Sorrel chittered at him for calling her silly till he rolled her over and started playing even more. His hands were gentle on her fur and for the moment she was tied up with what he was doing with her breasts. When his hand slid up her leg and stroked her groin she arched her back and reached up and wrapped her fingers in his hair. "Lady do something or I am going to die before I cum." Her voice was sort of chitterling from her animal side. He grinned at her and moved so he was laying next to her and drew her into another kiss. His hand slowly felt between her legs and was learning what she was like down there. He could have looked and would probably end up down there shortly but he wanted to explore. She was furred but he could feel inner lips that were skin and she was definitely moist since he could feel that on her fur. As he was exploring he found her button and she almost screamed as she came. Her entire body clenched when he hit it and it made him feel good. She could only tense up when he was exploring her inner self and between her desire, what he had been doing and his hitting her clit she blew a nut. Her entire body tensed and she chittered at the top her voice. "Oh lady that was good. Don't stop and do whatever you want." As he slid a finger inside she tensed up again. "It is odd being on my back while you play though." Jim did his best to ensure that she had as good a orgasm as possible. When she chittered he almost froze but assumed it was normal. The only problem was god only knew who people heard her. He slid a finger inside just to see what it was like and she clenched down on him and as he stroked her nub she screamed and came again. He could feel how wet she was and shifted and slid down her body. "Now for the fun part." He lowered his head and licked her inner lips and grinned. "Damn you taste good." Sorrel was in pure pleasure at the moment. He was driving her higher and higher as he kept playing with her. When he slid his fingers inside her and then flicked her nub she flipped and as hard as she tried to keep her voice down it didn't happen. Her entire body was a mass of tensed muscles and all she could do was to focus on what he was doing. When he went down on her she grabbed his hair again and as her muscles tensed she didn't know what to do, pull him away to give some breathing room or pull him closer. In the end she blew another nut and pushed him away. She rolled over on her hands and knees and presented her bottom to him. World of Ranicke 01 Well he seemed to be doing something right based on her reactions. His tongue explored as much of her as he could till she pushed him away. For a moment he was almost offended till he realized that she was asking for something else. "As you wish milady." He shifted and after placing his hands on her hips positioned himself at her opening and gently pushed in. He took it easy since he really wasn't sure how similar she was inside to a human. Her tail was curled against her back and when he entered her she gave a low groan and he felt so good. He was pretty much the size of most of the males but it had been a while and she felt tight. "Oh Lady, don't stop." As he started stroking she slowly started moving her hips in time with him and as they started to learn the pace of the other. As he was starting to pound away she only got wetter and wetter. Jim waited for a bit and then started to pull out till just the tip was in and then pushed forward again. She definitely seemed to be enjoying it as he was starting to slowly stroke in and out. He could feel her starting to tense up and get slightly tighter though she was also getting wetter so it wasn't a problem. When she orgasmed he was right after her and he felt his nuts tighten up and then he came. It was a wonderful orgasm and it seemed to last forever before he was done and leaned over and rolled her over on her side and drapped an arm around her. "Oh god, I think I will need to find my nuts tomorrow. I think I blew them out." She felt him cum and Lady it felt like he was taking forever and had to wonder how long it had been for him. When he collapsed on his side she wrapped an arm around his and hugged it close. "I will help you look as well. Lady that was totally awesome. You might find other ladies offering you some attention." She winked at him over her shoulder. "Then again I might chain you to my bed as well. Tell everyone you are too sick to leave." She started snickering. He started laughing till she commented on others looking for him as a lover. That got an instant blush from him and he buried his head in her back. "No kissing and telling woman." It had been damn good but when she teased him about chaining him to the bed he snorted though his face was still in her back. "I have a feeling they heard you across the whole camp. I don't think they will believe you." Just because he slid a hand up and cupped a breast. "Might make you scream again." Sorrel twitched her ears in embarrassment when he teased her back. "Oh Lady you are going to get it." She almost squirmed when he stroked her breast and moved his hand away. "That alone is likely to get you some interest now let's go to sleep." She rolled over gave him a kiss and quickly fell asleep. Jim snickered at her reaction and rested his hand on her abdomen as he held her close and his fingers were slowly stroking the fur. She was quickly asleep but it took him a bit longer. He had definitely enjoyed this evening but also somewhat disturbed. Was this bestiality? Yes she was intelligent and humanoid but was also furred and had a nice bushy tail and cute little round ears. Suddenly he realized he was stroking the fur on her stomach and enjoying it. "Good god Jim, you have got it bad. Your fur is totally exotic and you are totally sexy." He decided to shelve the discussion for another day and fell asleep himself. ~~~ The next morning Jim awoke feeling nice and warm and it took a few moments to realize that he now had a furry blanket curled around him. The next thing he noticed was that he was rather hot and sweaty and needed the bathroom. "Um, Sorrel I really need to use the privacy tents." He stroked her back and got a sort of grumble. When she didn't wake he settled for a good smack on the bottom. "Woman move or I am going to make a mess in here and I don't think you want that." She woke up slowly till he whacked her on the bottom and stiffened. Sorrel growled at him but she needed to use it as well. "A bath sounds good as well. Last night was quite active wouldn't you say?" She rolled on her back and stretched. Since she didn't have any cloths on it was a rather impressive view for him. Jim couldn't resist running his hand up her side and stroking the side of her breast. "Yes last night was a lovely night and yes I think a bath would be in order after the privacy tents." He rolled out of the bed and pulled on some of the loose pants and grabbed the bucket with the cleaning items he had been given. He was feeling a damn sight better now than he had been when he had arrived. His right arm was still aching but not as bad as the day before. She stood and pulled on a long loose shirt and grabbed her bucket as well and the two of them headed towards the privacy tents and took care of business. Once they were done they headed towards the baths and both of them were getting greetings called to them. She was used to it since her father was the chief of the clan but she had to wonder what he was thinking about it. Sorrel did notice a few contemplative looks from a few females and figured that was due to last night. She hadn't been quiet in any way and figured it would get around. Normally when someone was that loud it indicated that they had a very pleasant evening. He wasn't really sure why all those people were calling greetings to the two of them but he went with it. Jim sort of guessed it was due to how he had arrived and the state he was in. Beyond that he wasn't sure and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. When they walked into the public baths he now knew what to do. He stripped down and tossed his cloths in a hamper and grabbed the bucket and started towards the cool pool and froze when any number of both males and females turned and gave him appraising looks. "Um what is going on Sorrel?" Sorrel snickered. "They are wondering exactly what you did to make me chitter at the top of my lungs last night. It isn't any secret that you were in my tent last night and obviously there was some sex going on and presumably you were involved." She stripped down as well and tossed her cloths towards the hampers as well and walked down in the water. Sorrel was sure Jim could see her nipples harden as the water reacted to her body. Jim blushed slightly and sighed. "You are entirely to open about that stuff in this world. Then again I guess in tents it is sort of hard to keep things quiet." He flashed his eyes towards her. "Especially when you are a screamer..." He stepped in as well and noticed her reaction to the cool water and smirked. "Maybe later baby. I can always make you scream..." That was a very quiet murmur in her ear. Jim moved away and started working on getting clean. He had always preferred a shower in the evening in humid climates but here he preferred twice a day to stay as scent free as possible. She lowered her ears in her version of a blush. Just for good measure she whacked at him as he was getting in though making sure it wouldn't hurt him if she did contact him. "Oh you. You are horrible." Sorrel settled in the water and shivered slightly before starting to work some shampoo into her hair. "So what do you want to do today?" She asked him. He sighed. "I really don't know. Maybe wander around and see what all there is and maybe find something I can do for the time being." He really hated feeling like a welfare refuge by having everything given to him. Once he was clean he moved over to the other spring and settled down to soak for a few moments. He didn't want to stay in too long and would hit the cold pool before actually drying off. It did feel good to be clean and relatively scent free in the morning. Now if they had arm pit stick it would be better. Sorrel settled down next to him and leaned back in the water and sighed. "This always feels so good." When he responded to her question she turned and gave him and odd look. "You know you don't have to worry about it for a week or two. You were badly injured and though you are almost well it will take time for you to fully recover. Relax and just learn." Jim sighed. "Do you have any idea how hard that is for me to do? I am an active person and like doing things. It is hard to sit still even when wounded." It wasn't much later before he stood and walked over to the cool pool and stepped in and rinsed off. Once he was cooled down somewhat he stepped out and walked to the toweling off area. Sorrel walked out of the water and walked over to him and shook her head. "Don't know how you can do that. You can say your place it cooler than here but still." She shuddered at him and he grinned. That got an eye roll from her and she grabbed one of the towels and started drying off as she took a few glances at him. His wounds were healing well and didn't need any dressings anymore but they still obviously pained him as he was moving slowly. He grabbed a towel and started working on toweling off. Jim's right arm was still weak though usable but he had to be slow using it or it would start to ache. Eventually he was toweled off but by then his shoulder was aching. "Sorrel can you help me get a shirt on?" He had pulled on what they called underwear and pants but he couldn't get the shirt on and it really distressed him. He had barely managed to get his boots on. Sorrel moved over to him. "Not a problem." She carefully helped him into a shirt and tucked it in for him. "I know that your shoulder aches but you should be better in a day or two." When he turned to her with a distressed expression she took his face in her hands. "James it takes time. I know that it distresses you but please give it a few days." Sorrel gave him a light kiss. "You will better very soon." Jim let her help him and when took his face in her hands he closed his eyes and leaned into the. She was the single thing he could hold onto at the moment in this crazy world. "I know but it is hard. This is such a strange place and I am having a bit of a problem getting used to it." When she gave him a light kiss he leaned into it but not too much. "God I hope so Sorrel. I really hope so." ~~~ Eventually they finished the bath and headed to get something to eat. Breakfast had been a bit odd since so few of the foods available were anything that looked even vaguely recognizable. Jim had to sort of go with what Sorrel suggested and what others ate. They settled down in a area that seemed to be for eating and he carefully sniffed each small piece or bite of food he had taken and most of it was okay though a few were either really good and he made a point of memorizing the name. The ones that were nasty he also made a note of those as well. Once breakfast was over they took their dishes over to the cleaning area. After they dropped them off Jim looked around. "Would it be okay if you showed me around? I will be okay for a while but will probably need to go and lay down in a couple of hours." Sorrel smiled. "We can do that and I have the next few days off to take care of you and show you around. So what did you do where you came from?" She asked as she took one of his arms and started away from eating area. Her father wanted to know more details than Jim had mentioned the other night so he had a better idea of what or who he was. Jim sighed. "I went to college to get a degree in history and sociology. What that means is that I learned about some of the history of my planet and the makeup of the people that I learned about. What made them tick, what sort of religions they had, and why they ended up the way they were." He had been paying attention to what had been said as best possible while he was somewhat coherent. "I was trained to protect as well. I wasn't able to get a job in my preferred environment and ended up in the military." He didn't expand on that. She looked very impressed at first. "So you were a knowledge seeker right? You wanted to learn about people and their lives. That is so wonderful." When he told her that he hadn't been able to use that she quieted down a bit. "Being a warrior isn't a bad thing. It protects the clan but a knowledge worker is very important as well." Sorrel looked up at him though he wasn't much taller than she was. Right about then they were passing a group of what looked like youngsters listening to several older kids playing instruments of some sort and he stopped. He had been listening to what she had to say but he really loved music as well and had studied string instruments along the lines of guitars. The sound was rather different. One looked like it had five strings and another four. All were being strummed and not plucked but he couldn't resist listening. The music wasn't what he was used to but it wasn't bad and he could understand what was being sung for the most part. Looking at the group it appeared to be made up of three older boys and he guessed they were somewhere about 15 or so if they were humans. Of the older boys there was a Kitsune, an Inu, and maybe a neko. Of the younger group they all looked to be somewhere between 5 and 8 years old and was a mixture of races as well with two inu boys who looked like brothers. "Sorrel if you have something you need to do I can stay here and listen and maybe talk to the kids. I love learning new music. It was sort of a hobby of mine I picked up when I was a teen." She glanced at him and had to grin since one of his feet was tapping to the beat of the music and he looked really interested. "Are you sure? Do you think you can get back to the tent without a problem?" Sorrel did have things to do but didn't want him to feel he was being abandoned by her. One of the things she really needed to do was to get back to gathering some fruits and nuts for the meals. She normally spent part of the morning doing that before her other jobs. He grinned at her and stepped forward. "Excuse me boys but I couldn't help but overhearing you having a bit of fun with music. Would it be a problem if I settled down and listened? It is really different than I am used to and would love to learn what you are playing and singing." He gave Sorrel a sly glance. "Well that and when I get tired if someone could show me to Sorrel's tent so I can relax I would appreciate it." His right arm was in a sling since letting it hang would make his shoulder ache after a while. All the boys turned and looked at him and then her and quickly stood up. One of the older boys glanced at Sorrel again and couldn't help but lower his ears in slight embarrassement. "Um, if you wish to listen to some average playing that would be fine and we can make sure you get back to her tent without a problem sir." His tails were flicking back and fourth as he spoke. "See Sorrel I will be fine now go and take care of what you need to do. I am sure they will keep me entertained for a while." Jim carefully settled down and looked at the other boys as well. "Call me Jim and not sir please. When people do that I keep looking over my shoulder for my father since I can't be that old yet." Once seated he adjusted the sling to a more comfortable position and waited for the boys to sit down. One of the younger boys looked at him and the sling. "Are you the human that was brought in injured the other day?" It was sort of a silly question since they didn't have all that many humans in the clan but it sort of broke the ice. "Yup. That was me. I was badly injured and thanks to Sorrel and the White Lady they saved me." One hand lightly rubbed his shoulder as he was thinking about what had happened to him that day. He didn't really remember the following three or four days before he woke up and was able to take a bath. Everything was sort of a blur. "If you don't mind I would prefer not to talk about it. Not happy memories for me." He gave them a wan smile when he said that. One of the older boys nodded. "Not a problem Yim and where were we? Oh, now pick up your instruments and try this fingering." He started strumming a simple cord and the little boys started trying to copy him. As they were trying the other two were moving amongst them and adjusting their fingers as best possible so they were getting something that sounded vaguely similar to the older boy's notes. "Yim would you like to join? I can get you an adult sized Gitturn if you like." Jim wasn't really sure what a giterrn was other than some sort of stringed instrument. "Um, never played one before but I am willing to be shown how if you wouldn't mind." To be honest half the reason he had stopped was to give Sorrel time to take care of what she might need. He felt bad monopolizing her time just because someone had told her to take care of him. As of now he was capable of taking care of most of his needs and didn't need her hovering over his shoulder. The boy hopped up and hurried away but was back just a few minutes later with one and handed it to him. "This was my father's but please feel free to use it." He settled back down and started leading the youngsters through some more basic cords. As he was doing that Jim looked more than startled when the young man informed him it had been his fathers and was very pleased that he would let him use it. "Thank you and I appreciate your willingness to let me use it." As he was talking he was looking at it and frowned slightly since it was definitely not something he had ever used before. There were a total of ten strings, 5 doubled up and he had never used anything like it before and it was going to be interesting to get used to. The young man noticed the frown and lowered his ears. "Isn't it okay? It is a good instrument and the sound is wonderful." Jim looked up at him and smiled. "It is fine and has some lovely craftsmanship. It is just I have never played anything with only five strings, doubled or not. The instruments I played had either six or twelve strings and will have to get used to the different scale." He was working on some chording and lightly strumming it to get a feel for it. That got him stared at since all the instruments they knew of either had four or five strings. Nothing they played had six or twelve strings. The Gitturn had ten strings technically though they were played as pairs and not individually. "Wow, that is weird. Where do you come from again?" One of the boys asked and then lowered his ears. "Sorry, you said not to ask." Jim hadn't really said not to ask where he was from but figured that was included in not asking what had happened. "I am from very far away from here. This entire place is very strange to me and I am trying to learn as much as I can as soon as possible." All of them looked at him with startled looks and one of the small inu boys scooted over and leaned against him and hugged his arm. "We will help you learn if you want. We's good with learn'in." He was missing a tooth and had a bit of a lisp. "My name is Ignos and my brother is Balos." They sort of looked like doberman's. Jim looked down at him and gave him a slight smile. "Thank you little one and do you practice here every day? If so I might make it a habit to come by and relax and learn as much as I can." He couldn't resist reaching over and scratching the pup's ears and had to smile when the boy lowered his eyes a bit and got a happy expression on his face. Just for good measure he reached over and tickled his brothers ears as well before sitting back up. "Well I am here to learn to start teaching O mighty instructor." He listened to them for most of the morning and did his best to learn some of the new chording on the Gitturn before his shoulder started aching and he was getting tired. "Sorry but I need to get something to eat and lay down for a while. My shoulder is starting to ache. Can someone show me to Sorrel's tent please?" Jim carefully stood up and handed the instrument to the boy who had loaned it to him. "Thank you and I enjoyed this morning." The two little inu boys hopped up and each grabbed a hand. "We's can show you to the food tables and then to her tent if you want." Their tails were wagging and their sort of floppy ears were all the way forward when one said that. World of Ranicke 01 "Okay you two though I have a feeling that you really want to get to the tables and some food." It was close to noon as best he could tell and grinned when they gave him a sort of toothy grin. "That is what I thought. Lead on you two." He followed them to the food tables and grinned as they grabbed some small plates and grabbed what they liked. Keeping in mind what Sorrel had said about his needing lots of protein he made sure he had plenty of meat as well as fruits and veggies before they led him to her tent. After carefully sitting down he started eating and was for the most part enjoying the food. Some of it was sort of odd but mostly edible. The fruits and veggies were pretty good though he did find one fruit that almost made him gag. "Ugh, not getting that again." He moved it off to one side and frowned when the two boys snickered at him. "Next time maybe tell me or I might have to growl at you." Both boys snickered at him when he grumbled at them. They thought it was pretty funny that he almost choked on the fruit. Only a few liked it even though it was full of good for you things. They kept eating and about the time they were done a woman walked up and frowned at them. "So here you are you stinkers. You should have come back to the tent and let me know." She could have been their mother from looking at her. She had a similar coloration and ears as the boys but something told him she wasn't their mother. She was dressed in clothing similar to everyone else only in her case it was dark browns and tan's that blended with her coloring quite well. She had short fur on her face and the parts he could see of her. "Sorry ma'am but I asked them were the food was and where Sorrel's tent was. I was getting tired and they showed me." His arm was back in the sling as best possible though he was using it to eat with. He looked at her and she wasn't to bad looking though she had some canine features in her face including a short muzzle and the black fur on most of her face though there were tan highlights down the front of her neck and on her arms. She nodded to him but frowned at the pups. "They know better and they know they need to check in with me through the day. I would hate to tell their mother than I didn't know where they were." She glowered at them and they lowered their ears to show they were sorry. "So you are the new human huh? Welcome to the tribe. If you would like feel free to come over to my tent and enjoy a meal. I tend to do some of the cooking myself since I tend to keep an eye on a number of pups of all ages." She smiled at him and then looked at the two boys. "Come on you two. Your mother is looking for you since you have a few chores to do at home." Jim nodded at her. "I am the new human and thank you for the offer. I might take you up on that in a few days when I am feeling better." After they left he placed his plate on the small table and stripped down to the loin cloth and rolled into the bed and shortly was asleep. How long he slept he wasn't sure but when he woke he found Sorrel sitting at the table and it looked like she was cleaning some nuts out. World of Ranicke 02 Welcome to my second story on literotica.com. This is going to be an unedited story since I can post the chapters faster than with an editor. I don't mind having an editor and actually appreciate the work she has been doing but I would like to kick out a chapter or two every couple of weeks. My World of the Silver Moon is edited which has led to slow posts. I don't mind what so ever but I would like to have a story that I can post in my time and when I want. Having said all that any sexual relations are 18+ and though there are kids in the story there will not be any underage relationships that include sex. If you have a problem with kids in my stories then go find something else to read. I don't need any comments that go 'ick, you have kids getting nude to bathe' or anything like that since it is simply a normal part of the tribe or clan since the bathing area is communal. If you have a problem deal with it. I have to say that I am sorry for the really slow second chapter. I have had a few family issues come up as well as some personal medical issues. I really did intend to have this chapter out several weeks ago. One thing I ran into was this chapter sort of felt like it went in fit and starts. I do hope you enjoy this chapter. For those who are reading my other story I got my next chapter back from the editor and am reviewing it. As usual I want any and all feed back as long as it is constructive. It can be positive or negative and I will accept it. Now if it is just 'you suck' I will ignore it. Enjoy. Chapter 2 The last few days had been much the same for him as he finished healing. In the morning he would take a bath with Sorrel and then settle down with the boys who were learning music. Once that was done he would get something to eat and then as best possible he was working with some of the warriors to regain some of his strength. That was interesting since they were trained in such a different manner than he had been. To them their job was to protect the clan and that was how they were trained. His training had been to kill and then not worry about them coming back. He was doing his best to try and learn their style and not teach them his. One thing he sort of felt bad about was how much he was enjoying sleeping next to Sorrel and yes that included making love to her. Each morning when they got up they strolled to the bathing area and took a good bath. "So how long are you going to be in this location? I can tell that you are nomadic and will probably be moving soon." That idea scared him since he only had this place as where he came through but would have to go with since he knew he couldn't survive on his own here. Sorrel relaxed back in the water and leaned her head back against the side and was obviously enjoying the warm water. "Um, maybe in two or three weeks. We will move before the rainy season hits and go to higher grounds. The rainy season tends to last for about three months." She looked at him and gave him a gentle look. "I know what you are thinking but we are nomadic but will do what we can to get you back to your world." She moved closer to him and curled an arm around him. "We will do what we can Jim. Give us a chance. Right now you are healing and we are giving you time to heal." He sighed and leaned into her hug. "It does scare me that I can't get home but to be honest I am enjoying here as well." Jim lightly rubbed his shoulder that was aching as they were talking. "Your world is so different than mine and I have been enjoying working with your warriors as well as learning music from the kids." There were several of the tribe there and they had to smile. "We have heard of you sitting with some of the little ones and learning how to play the Gitturn with them. Any one that helps with the littles gets respect." The male moved over and settled next to them. "We have been watching you and see how you treat the kids as well as how you are in the warrior circle. You are a good human and it is showing. You are a good addition to the tribe." Jim lowered his head and had to consider what the man was saying. It was rather nice but also in a way painful since the man didn't have any real clue as to what he had done back in his world. "Thank you Thomas. You have no idea how much that means to me. The kids are great and I am enjoying getting back into shape. My shoulder still aches a great deal but the exercise it is helping." Sorrel leaned against him and sighed. "You are going to be fine Jim and most have noticed how you are spending time trying to do things for the tribe. You are earning credit for what you are doing." She gave him a light kiss. "You might start finding little gifts of thanks outside my tent for keeping the kids busy." She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled at the other male. "Thank you for what you said to Jim Thomas. He needed to hear it since he has been fretting over doing something to earn his keep." Jim curled around her and tried not to cry since what was being said almost hit him close to his heart. He didn't have a great deal of family and having Thomas tell him that they appreciated what he had been doing. One thing he had been doing was to teach the kids some of the music he had grown up with. It wasn't hard rock or anything like that and was towards folk since that was much along the lines of what they played. "Thanks Thomas that means more than I can express." Eventually they got out of the hot spring and he quickly dressed and once she was done getting dried off and dressed headed towards breakfast. He was silent as they walked and ended up with a simple 'thank you' at the food table since he was still trying to come to terms with what both she and Thomas had to say. When they arrived at her tent he settled in a chair and slowly ate it. "Sorry but I need to think right now Sorrel." She gave him a light hug before she settled down and started eating. "Relax Jim and you will be fine." Sorrel started nibbling on some veggies as she watched him eat his food. She was sort of worried about how he was reacting to the total change of worlds. Yes there had been a few nightmares he had that she had held him through and wished there was something she could do for him. "You are such a good man Jim. You will be a blessing to the tribe if you can't go back." No she didn't expect him to stay in her tent long term but she really did like what she was coming to care for him. Jim lowered his head slightly. "Maybe not as good as you think but that is my past. I don't want to talk about it." He poked a fork into a piece of meat and sighed. "I don't know if I want to go back or not. Your world is so much nicer than mine." He kept his head down and kept working on the food. "We will see about what I might be able to do for the tribe." One thing that he was proud of was that being with the kids allowed her to take care of what she needed to do during the day. She leaned across the table and stroked his cheek. "One of these days we will talk but I do understand James." Sorrel turned back to her breakfast and kept munching on the food. "Jim you are you doing more than you can imagine. Some of your songs have started making the rounds." She sort of dimpled at him. "One or two of the song smiths are feeling sort of cranky and really do want to talk to you about them." He snorted as he leaned into her hand. "God that is so silly that a simple thing as teaching a few songs is adding to the tribe." He closed his eyes and pressed his hand against hers and sighed. "Your society is so different than mine and it is taking me time to really understand how you do things." No he didn't love her but did feel attraction to her and had to admit that their bed play was more than a bit fun. She was a good looking woman and talking to her was enjoyable. "Well time to go and spend the morning with the littles and keep teaching them." She laughed at him and gave him a kiss. "You will learn and you are doing good things for the tribe. Let's go and find the kids and give you your morning session of music." Sorrel was finished with her food and noticed he was as well. Once he finished they gathered up their plates and took them to where the dishes were done before she dropped him off. "Go have fun Jim and I will see you later." He returned the kiss and tried to imagine how he was doing good things for the tribe but didn't bother asking her since he was sure he wouldn't understand. "Yes ma'am and thank you." He gave her a hug before heading off towards where they kids would be. He had been there enough that he knew where they would be. "I will see you this evening." Sorrel would be busy for most of the day doing her own thing searching for food and whatever else she did. Eventually he made it to the group of kids that were learning how to play the instruments. Over the last few days he had noticed that the group had started getting larger. "Morning all and I think I have figured out your chords and have a song for you." He gathered up the Gitturn that he had been using and lightly strummed it. "This is called Sweet Child of Mine by a group known as Guns and Roses." Over the last few days he had learned the chords and he started strumming the cords and softly started to sing. By the time he was done he opened his eyes. "That is a song from my world that I greatly cherish. The tune is not something you are familiar with." He kept strumming the Gitturn and looked down at it. "Here is another song for you." He started the lyrics for Carry on my Wayward son by Kansas. The two inu kids moved over and leaned against him as he was singing. "Those are wonderful songs Jim. They loved what he was showing them as he learned how they sang and played. "You have such lovely songs and stories that you tell." Both looked at each other and sort of nodded since they knew what they were going to do that evening. They knew that he wasn't in an exclusive relationship with Sorrel and they wanted to introduce him to one of the ladies that took care of them. Jim gave both boys a hug and then went back to what they had been teaching him. "I am glad you enjoyed them and have been enjoying what all of you have been teaching me." Eventually they finished the lessons and he headed to lunch before heading to his training with the warriors. "Afternoon and how are you doing?" He asked them and started stretching before they started working out. His shoulder was still aching somewhat and they knew that but didn't give him much slack as they were training. "Try not to abuse me to much today please. Sorrel was complaining last night that I had too many bruises." He grinned at them when he said that. Several of the warriors snickered. "'Are we cutting into your nooky at night? We have heard her chittering since you moved into her tent." Sex was sort of an open topic since the tents didn't conceal much. Jim almost choked and then snickered. "I will plead a fifth and not give any details. She is a lovely lady and I have to admit that we have been having a bit of fun." They were snickering at his comment and he settled for a grin. "Not saying anything else." By the end of the day he was feeling both used and in better shape than when he had been hurt. "Talk to you later boyo's and I have been enjoying the exercise." Jim headed back to the tent and was somewhat startled when he found the two boys at the entrance to her tent. "What are you to doing here?" He asked them. Right about then Sorrel walked up and grinned at them. "Let me guess you two are going to invite Jim over this evening." She knelt down and gave both of the boys a good hug. "Well you are going to get a tickling tomorrow." Jim looked at her and had to blink. "Um, why would they want to invite me over for dinner? It is communal and all that good stuff." When Sorrel gave him an amused look he was more than a bit confused. He didn't realize that it was an invitation for maybe a bit more than just food. Sorrel snickered at him. "It is an invitation to share some time with her." She gave him a kiss and stroked the ears on the boy. "Go and take him to her tent and then relax. If you want come and I will share a meal with you." She knew that they would go to their parents since she knew the Inu that was in charge of some of the children. The two boys pulled at his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Come, Nasha is waiting and we are going to introduce you." They knew she wasn't really waiting but it might get Jim moving faster than he was. They knew he was from a different world but to them it didn't really compute. "Nana is waiting and we are hungry as well." One of the boys said. Damn it he was starting to blush again with what Sorrel said and the boys as well. "I suppose but only for dinner." He let them pull him up and he looked at Sorrel and sort of shrugged at her. "Well let's go and keep you from being too hungry." When Sorrel snickered he glowered at her but followed the boys out of the tent. When they reached the tent of Nasha he glanced around and it wasn't quite as nice as Sorrels but was still in good shape. "Nana we brought Jim over since he has been so good to us." Both boys gave her a good hug and then scampered away from the tent to go and be with their parents. He glanced at her and blushed again. "Not really sure why they drug me over here but apparently they decided you needed to have dinner with me." He settled down in a chair and smiled at her. "I have been learning music with them in the morning." She snickered. "I know and they have been telling me about it. I babysit them during the day as well as other littles." Nasha settled in a chair as well and smiled when someone brought food to them. "I heard you had a companion for the evening and figured you might like to have food brought to you." It was another female though she was a neko. "I hope you have a good evening." She slightly bowed at the two of them and left the tent. Jim blushed again and sighed. The idea he was a companion was almost absurd but he wasn't going to say anything about it at the moment. Once he sat down he gave the woman a good look and she sort of looked like a Doberman to him. She had dark hair and ears. Her face was a sort of tan and traced down to her neck and chest. He wasn't really sure why many of the species had fur but she had short thick fur sort of like Sorrel. "Man I feel like I am being passed around." Nasha lauhed lightly at his comment. "You really aren't Yim. I am not really sure why the boys drug you to my tent but I don't mind having some company." She took the plates from the woman and set them on the table. "You can stay long enough for dinner right?" She moved over to the table and waved at the table. "Come eat Yim the food is good." He moved over to the small table and settled down. "Thank god my shoulder isn't bothering much anymore." The food looked good and he was more than content to sit and eat with her. "So you are sort of a nanny I take it? Baby sit the children I guess?" She nodded. "That is what I do as well as a wet nurse. Not all mothers can spend the time to take care of their pups. I do that for them for a good portion of the day." She looked at her plate of food and smiled. "Oh yay, lots of meat. Not sure how some of the others can do veggies but I can do some but give me some lightly roasted meat any day of the week." She nibbled a good piece of the food and grinned when he snickered. "Give me a good slice of meat as well. Yes I do veggies as well but right now I need lots of protein to help me finish healing." When she mentioned being a wet nurse he tilted his head and nodded. "Not something my world has much of anymore." Beyond that he didn't really think about it since it just wasn't in his world view. "Go day care. I won't keep you up very late so you can get plenty of sleep." "So do you have any children of your own?" He asked since he really didn't have any idea of when or how they got pregnant. Yes he had talked to Sorrel about it but that was with her race but not the others. Jim did want some kids but his life didn't really do much for that. Well that and he didn't have any girl friends so that didn't help either. She shook her head. "Nope, haven't found anyone that I want as a mate as of yet. I did have one pup but that was many years ago. He is with a different tribe and has a mate of his own." Nasha leaned against him and sighed. "He is a lovely young man though he would object to the term." That was said with a slight giggle. "It was a one off sort of relationship but since I have been a wet nurse and have enjoyed helping to raise the pups and kits I have." Jim smiled as she leaned against him and stroked her ears as he listened to what she was saying. "I am glad for you. Never had a child of my own. Never had the time to have one." She was warm and again he was enjoying the fur on her. In a way it sort of bothered him that he was being drawn to the women with fur. It wasn't something he had ever considered before. "Being a babysitter is a good job and means a great deal. They help raise the next generation." He forked a bit of good food off his plate and offered it to her. She couldn't help but lower her ears when he offered her a bit off of his plate and took it and ate it. "Thanks Yim, that was really good." It appeared to be the butt end of a rump roast. She leaned against him and sighed. "Thank you for that bit. It was really good." She returned the favor and offered him something from her plate. "Food play is part of foreplay you know. I don't know if you know that but it is part of being an inu." Jim looked more than startled when she said that. "Um, no I didn't know that but I am glad you enjoyed that bit. It looked really good and figured you would enjoy it." Damn it he was blushing again. "I am not an inu and have only been here for a few weeks. I am still learning my way around this place." He looked down at the table. "I am not from here if you haven't heard. Something in my world placed me here and I am slowly coming to accept it." She nodded at his comments. "I didn't know but thank you for telling me." Nasha curled her arms around him and simply held him. "Well I am going to help you as best possible. Let me help you as much as Sorrel is." She moved the plate next to his and kept close contact with him as they ate. He couldn't help but lean against her when she moved over and wrapped an arm around him. "I will try but it is hard. I like to be active and that is why I am working with the boys in the morning and the warriors in the afternoon." Jim sort of pushed the food around before eating it. "I am enjoying the food and environment we are in. Well other that the heat and humidity that is." Eventually they were done with the meal and they settled at the opening of the tent and watched the sun go down. "Do you want to spend the night here Yim? Not talking anything sexual but comfort." She kept her arms around him and leaned against his body as they watched the fires burn out. Jim sighed as he leaned against her. "I have to admit that it feels sort of odd knowing that normally I sleep in Sorrel's bed. There isn't anything between us other than a bit of fun." He moved with her to the door of the tent and settled down and watched the fires burn down. "Thank you for even having me over." He leaned against her and closed his eyes and relaxed. "You much as her are a good looking woman. I feel sort of odd saying that since I am a human and came from a human world." She smiled at him and relaxed against him much as he was her. "Till mated bed swapping is fairly normal once you reach your majority. Since most of us only go into heat twice a year we just don't need to worry about pregnancy and if someone knows they have a disease they go to the healers. They also ensure anyone they have been with goes as well." Nasha smiled at him and nuzzled his neck. "Well I would blame it on two little stinkers but I have been enjoying getting to know you." World of Ranicke 02 When he mentioned his finding it odd being attracted to some of the women she lightly laughed. "It sounds so odd there only being humans and nobody else, or no other species." She kissed his neck again kept speaking. "Actually many of the humans stay to their own kind and rarely breed with any other species. That is even when they are members of a tribe." She shrugged as if most humans were weird and who could understand them. Jim simply laughed at her when shrugged. "I don't know if anything will happen this evening but I wouldn't mind crawling in with you and getting some cuddling in." He had never been with a woman who was nursing a baby and the idea sounded a bit odd. It was rather nice getting comfort from many of the clan members, or the ones that did know. He hadn't told very many though based on his odd clothing it was sort of obvious he wasn't from anywhere near there. She grinned. "So is that what you call it? It is early let's go dance." At one of the fires that was being kept going some musicians were starting up along with a couple of singers. As he tried to protest she kept pulling at his hands. "I know you don't know the dances but I have seen you in the training circle and you can learn easy enough." He finally laughed and stood up at her insistence. "I suppose but if I manage to step on both your feet at one time you only have yourself to blame." Dancing was not something he had done a great deal of since the few girls he had been with long term hadn't really gone for it. Nasha laughed. "Well in that case I might foist you off on someone else for the first dance or two." Her short tail was wagging in amusement when she said that. She didn't though and pulled him into the crowd and started showing him an easy dance that others were doing. Jim frowned at her and growled just for good measure. "Just for that I am going to do something to you. Not sure what but something." When she pulled him into the crowd he almost panicked since most of the males were taller than he was and many of the females were about his height and he wasn't short. Slowly he started having fun. Before he knew it he had been passed off to another lady, maybe a neko though as dark as it was he was only guessing. They must have danced for a good hour before he discovered himself in Sorrel's arms and she was grinning. "Well if I had known..." She started laughing and gave him a peck before finally handing him off to Nasha again. "Hope you have a good evening. I know I am." She was dancing now with a Squorrel male and they were looking interested in each other. He shook his head and then sort of angled to the edge of the crowd. "My feet hurt and I am thirsty for something sweet yet tart." Moments later they were at a table of beverages and someone handed him a glass that he tossed down and then felt his eyes cross. "Oh man, I think one of those is going to be good enough for me." It definitely had the bite of alcohol in it and something strong as well. Eventually they made it to her tent since they took their time walking there. One thing he made sure not to do was to avoid looking up. Usually there was some sort of cloud cover but he had made that mistake one evening. Seeing two moon's, one small and one larger as well as totally different stars had badly shaken him. During the day he could sort of pretend that things were somewhat normal but night was totally different. It gave him time to think about things and how he was never going to see his world again. That night he had a bad nightmare and it took Sorrel a good fifteen minutes to calm him down. He hated feeling so weak but everything was so different. The clothes, not used for work were in colors that he had never imagined before. They lived in lovely tents that had specially designed furniture that could break down into small pieces and be neatly stacked together and fancy carpets on the floor to keep dirt down. Yes they worked hard during the day gathering food, making goods that were needed, and things like that. Most evenings they would lean back and break out instruments and have small on the spot parties. It was just so different from anything he had grown up with or experienced. They did have night patrols but it was to keep animals away and not to watch against enemy troops. That was the hardest part for him to get used to. Virtually everyone carried a knife but it was a tool and not a weapon. That idea was so foreign to him that sometimes all he could do was stare as the warriors went past making their rounds and wonder what it would be like to only have to worry about wild animals. She had noticed that he was being very quiet as they walked back and for most of the way leaned against his arm but finally spoke. "What are you thinking about Yim?" She still wasn't getting his name quite right. "Since we left the dance you have been very quiet and smell almost sad and lost. Is there anything I can do to help?" Nasha reached up and stroked one cheek for a moment and though he probably couldn't see it a gentle smile. Jim twitched and sighed. "Culture shock mostly. Your tribe is so different than anything where I come from. There are a few cultures that live this sort of free life yours does but many of them aren't nomadic." He moved his arm to around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Now that I am mostly well I think it is finally hitting me that I might not be able to go home. Tomorrow I have a meeting with some of the elders and knowledge keepers but am not going to get my hopes up. Sorrel says not to give up hope but sometimes it just eats at me if I do." They were finally at her tent and he stretched and staggered a bit. "Good god what the hell was in that drink?" He must be more tired than he thought. Jim grinned slightly as she opened a small window on one of the lights they used. It was some sort of stone that gave off a soft glow when you used small ones. It was just enough to see by to get undressed and into bed. "Those things would be a cool party trick at my house." He stripped and slid into one side of the bed after making sure he knew where the privacy tents were. She snickered at him. "Someone was playing a trick on you with that glass. It also has a plant extract that makes the alcohol feel stronger. It means you are starting to be accepted as someone who can be teased." Nasha stripped down as well but left her breast bands on before climbing in and closing the door on the light. She snuggled close to him. "Just sleep tonight Yim. Maybe another evening we can have a bit of fun but I think right now you just need some comfort. Good night." He had rolled on his side and watched her get undressed and an odd expression crossed his face. From the looks of it she actually had four breasts and not two. Jim also had to take a few moments to figure out why Sorrel went to bed nude and Nasha didn't. Suddenly it dawned on him and he got a sort of 'O' expression and then felt really stupid. Nasha lauhed quietly at him. "I am not into waking up with wet sheets." She hadn't caught the confusion with the number of breasts and curled up with her arms around him. "Talk to you in the morning." She nuzzled his neck and seemed to drop off pretty quickly. Jim just had to lay there and sort of mentally shake his head for a moment. "God this world is going to push me over the edge. There are probably people with hug-me-coats helping me into one as I lay here." It was said in sort of a mocking way but he ended up stroking the fur on her back and side for a few minutes before finally falling asleep. ~~~ The next morning he was sort of rudely awakened when a woman cleared her throat at the tent flap. "Nasha could you watch Emily for me for..." She blinked and then lowered her ears in a blush when Jim sat up and yawned. "Oh I am sorry I didn't realize you had company." Jim yawned again and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I was just getting ready to go to the privacy tents and grab a bath." He stood up and then blushed since he wasn't wearing anything and grabbed some shorts and pulled them on quickly. Since it looked like Nasha was still trying to wake up he couldn't help but walk over to the lady. She looked like a kitsune and her baby was maybe 6 months old. "How cute. Can I hold her for a moment while Nasha finishes waking up?" The lady couldn't help but watch Jim get dressed though since she had a mate it was just interest. As he approached she gave him a good look over and realized he was the human that had been saved by the White Lady. She figured if both Sorrel and Nasha felt comfortable around him then he must be okay. "If you want but just make sure to keep the cloth around her bottom or you get the mess." He laughed at her when she said that and moved over and with her help took the baby from her and pulled her close to his chest and had to smile. "I remember my nephew at this age and he was so cute. Never did diapers though." Once he had her in one arm he lightly stroked her ears and had to smile. "Someday maybe I might have a child." Nasha was sitting up. "Bring her here silly since she is starting to wake up and she is going to be hungry." She had removed a breast band and took the baby from him and held her up to one breast. "Can you ask Danita to swing past? I need to grab a bath as well and breakfast but then I can watch her for the rest of the morning." Jim had never seen a baby nursing before and was fascinated by it. The little girl was totally focused on what she was doing and he had to smile. As her mother left the tent to look for the other woman Jim settled down on the bed and ran his finger along the baby's cheek. He had to smile and the tiny grumble he got from her and her ears lowering back in complaint. "Okay stinker I will let you feed in peace." He was really smiling. "I am going to go and get my bucket for a bath." Nasha had to grin at his reaction. "Never seen a baby feed before? How odd." If you looked around you would see a number of women nursing their babies during the day. It was such a normal part of her world that it was something she would never have thought about. "I will see you when you get back." He had to shake his head. "No, we had what we called baby formula that could be picked up at stores and was a powder. You mixed it with water in a bottle that had a fake nipple on it and fed them that way." For a brief moment that sounded really odd to him. With a peck he left the tent and headed to Sorrel's tent and when he walked in he grinned since she was still asleep and there was obviously a body next to her. "Gee should I be insulted?" He murmured before grabbing his bucket and sneaking back out. By the time he got back to Nasha's tent he was still grinning and got an odd look from Nasha. "It seems that Sorrel was lonely last night..." After thinking about it he was a bit bothered but having seen all the bed swapping he wasn't offended. Nasha laughed as she grabbed her things as well. "Shall we? I want a bath and food." She wrapped an arm around his and started towards the springs. "So are you bothered by it?" She asked him as they were walking along. He shrugged. "Sort of but that is because that is how my culture would feel. Your culture is different and I am trying hard to see it from your culture's point of view." Jim quickly stripped and slid into the cold water and waited for her to get in as well before starting. Eventually they were done getting clean when an alarm went up. Everyone in the bathing area froze for a moment as a horn blew out a series of tones. He turned to Nasha and if he could have seen her skin she would have paled. "What is going on?" He asked her as he started to tense up in reaction to the others. She gasped. "A child is lost and appears to have gone into the forest. They are calling all warriors and hunters for search parties." Before she could say anything else Jim jerked his cloths on and left the springs at a full sprint. He came screaming into the tent and caught both the male and Sorrel starting to get out of bed as the alert finally penetrated. "Morning." He absently said as he went to the corner that had his equipment in it. Since he had started recovering he repaired the sections where they had started cutting the vest and slings off. Jim jerked it on and zipped up before reloading his pistol and MP5SD. He knew where the warriors would be meeting and he left the tent at a good clip though not enough to kill himself. When he ran up the senior warrior there gave him a skeptical look. He wasn't carrying anything that looked like a weapon and frowned. "Are you sure you are up to this? If you really think so go over to that wagon and get a weapon. You will need more than a little knife." Jim almost said something but chose not to since his weapons wouldn't make any sense to them. They simply didn't have the knowledge base to comprehend his weapons. As directed he walked over to the cart and dug through the weapons and couldn't help but smile slightly. There were a variety of swords, bows, and better yet axes. Those he dug through and pulled out a very nice double bit axe and grinned. It had a good heft and a back sling. He pulled the axe out of the sheath and was rather startled since it was or appeared to be made of wood. It had a good heft and after checking one or two other weapons they all seemed to be made of some sort of wood as well. With that he slung it over his shoulder and made sure it didn't interfere with his other weapons. Once he was ready he headed back over and the weapons master sighed and pointed him at a team that he had been training with. He headed over and nodded. "Greetings. Can you tell me the age and species of the missing child?" The senior warrior greeted him. "We have one more to arrive before I brief everyone. Check to make sure you have all of the equipment you need while we wait." The warriors started doing that through they were giving Jim an odd look because of his gear. Jim simply smiled at them and ran his fingers over the various pouches and quietly muttered as he identified them. "First aid, pistol clips, rifle clips, flash grenades..." Right as he finished his checks the last warrior came running up and stopped with the rest of the group. "Okay warriors we have a 7 year old kitsune girl who was last seen with a small group that was being watched by several mothers. They were near the edge of the forest learning about some of the plants. Next thing they knew was she was missing." He looked around the group and all of them were looking grim at that information. "We are leaving now and we are going to be searching the Nalos section of the forest. As other teams form up they will be assigned different sections. Jim stay in the center please." Jim nodded and as they started moving out he pulled up his MP5SD and called on all his training to remain as quiet as the others. He scanned the forest as best possible but this was the first time he had been more than a few feet inside the jungle since he was hurt. To be honest it sort of bothered him since everything was economy sized. The trees were massive, the plants were massive, hell even most of the people were on the economy side. He actually felt rather short most of the time any more. The leader was staying close and was passing commands via hand signals. He had been learning them and they were for the most part close enough to what he had known that it wasn't hard to pick up. The team itself was made up 8 warriors and though they were trained in much the same thing some had inclinations for special aspects. Right now the trackers were up front and starting to look for any traces of the little girl. There were several behind as rear guards. Even though the forest nearby was relatively cleared of the dangerous animals there was always a chance to run into one. They had been gone a good half hour before one of the trackers held a hand up and indicated them to stop. He waved the other over and they took a few moments and nodded. One turned around and waved the leader over. They pointed at something that Jim couldn't see and pointed in a direction off to one side. After a few more hand signals the leader nodded and waved them on. Jim had to assume they had picked up the tracks of the girl and he really hoped that they would find her soon. The last thing he wanted to do was to have to help take a small body back to her parents. Now they were moving somewhat faster as they trackers had her trail. They were still being careful looking for dangers but moving much faster than before. It wasn't too much longer before they started hearing noises and frankly they were terrifying to Jim since one was a little high pitched voice screaming for help. There was another much deeper almost grunting growl that almost covered it up. He mentally cursed since it sounded like it was a very large animal that was trying to get to the girl. As they moved forward his fingers ran across his supplies again and hoped he wouldn't have to use the grenade he had. A flash bang was one thing but the other? If he did he would hold it between him and the monster. The leader slowed down a bit and indicated for everyone to be as silent as possible. He managed not to glance at Jim when he indicated that. So far he had been doing pretty good for a novice and was pleased with how well he was handling himself though he would have preferred to leave him behind. When they reached the clearing the trackers again indicated for everyone to stop and waved the leader over. He moved forward and stiffened. He started handing out commands and indicated that Jim and one of the others needed to go to the far end of the clearing and Jim had to sigh. He looked at Thomas and waved him on and followed him till they reached the end of a small clearing and when he peaked around a large tree he was horrified. Somehow the little girl had gotten into a tree and a massive bear was clawing at the trunk trying to get to her. As he was looking at the bear something seemed to be wrong with it. Granted he wasn't all that familiar with bears but it looked rather emaciated and one of the paws looked damaged or warped. From where the leader was a whistle rang out and Jim glanced at Thomas. Thomas leaned over and very quietly whispered into his ear. "He is calling for assistance and for all archers to start shooting at the bear. If we can distract him we can get the girl and then we don't have to worry about endangering her." Jim contemplated that and very carefully whispered back. "I have something like a bow. It is probably going to get its attention. You might want to move aside in case." He moved around the tree and lifted the submachine gun and clicked the safety off. As he was starting to aim he noticed several arrows coming out of the forest and hit the bear. It didn't look like they were doing much damage and he hoped his weapon would do more. Jim fired off small bursts and was aiming at the upper back of the animal. He was hoping to distract it as much as anything. Once away from the girl he had more options including the grenade if needed. Though the weapon was suppressed it made a definite sound that had never been heard before on this world. He kept firing but at first the bear didn't seem to notice the impacts till one set of bullets seemed to hit something that got a roar. The bear dropped down to its feet and turned and roared at him. Right about then his submachine gun jammed and he cursed. Since the pistol was also a 9mm he figured it wouldn't do much more than the other weapon had. For some reason the rounds just didn't seem to penetrate very far. Blood could be seen but it wasn't flowing or spurting which he would have expected. As he had been firing at the bear the archers were still firing and the bear looked almost like a pin cushion. It was starting to slow down but Jim was sure that it had more than enough energy left to tear him to pieces before it was killed. Since he didn't have time to clear the weapon he dropped it on the sling and whipped the axe out of the sheath and jumped behind a tree. Thomas was behind the next tree over and was giving Jim an odd look but had his sword out. World of Ranicke 02 When he glanced around the tree he noticed the bear was starting to slow down and looking over its shoulder since one of the warriors was getting the girl. It was starting to turn back around as its meal was being taken away. It gave out a massive roar as well as it was turning. Jim didn't think when he lunged out and using the axe took a swipe at the bear. He had learned how to use an axe as a weapon years ago and he rather liked it. The swing was a slice since he wasn't sure just how tough the skin was and the last thing he wanted was to get it stuck. He had to take another swing to get the bears attention and he focused on the damaged front paw which definitely got the bear's attention. Thomas jumped out as well. At this point being silent was a moot point. "Jim are you frigging nuts? Taking on a bear?" He was using his sword much as Jim was the axe. His slashes were almost flickering and only going so deep for the same reason. Now the bear was starting to bleed even more. "God only knows Thomas. Probably hit my head when I came to your world." He flicked another slice at the bear and since the axe had double bits as soon as it flicked past he returned the opposite direction and slashed across the bears face. The bear bellowed and stood up to try and swing at the little things that were making him hurt. The rest of the warriors were gathered around but not too close to keep from interfering with the two who were doing the fighting. Jim saw his chance and dashed under the bear's paw but misjudged and felt the claws flash across his back and he had to resist screaming. He was already moving so even with his back screaming in pain he finished the swing. He was on the side of the bear and with all his might swung the axe at the junction between head and shoulder and felt it hit with a heavy thud that made his hands sting. His hit was solid and partially severed the spine and the bear went down. As it went down so did Jim. The pain was indescribable and he ended up on his hands and knees before collapsing on his stomach. "Oh fucking hell this hurts. Damn it." He tried to take slow shallow breaths which did help but frankly it was all he could do not to scream. The leader came over and knelt down where Jim could see him. "Damn fool idiot. We would have taken the bear down eventually. You didn't need to take him on by yourself." He carefully moved the shreds of the shirt and vest to the side and winced. "Well we are going to need to get a litter and carry you back to the clearing." He rested his hand on his shoulder for a moment. "The little girl is safe though." Thomas knelt down as well and shook his head. "You are nuts man. Remind me to never irritate you." He was smiling when he said it. Several other warriors were working on dragging the bear away from Jim. They would check it and if the damaged leg was the only problem then it would end up in the larder. ~~~ Eventually they made it back to the camp and Sorrel came over and groaned. "Damn it Jim can't you stay in one piece for more than a few days?" She sounded worried and concerned about him. Sorrel followed them to the medical tent and settled off to one side and waited for the healers to take a look. One tsked at him. "Young man if I see you in here again for anything other than training injuries I am going to make you heal without any pain herbs." As she was talking she was starting to spread an ointment that would numb the wounds before bothering to clean them. While she was doing her thing another healer came up with a cup and a straw. "Son drink this and it will make you drowsy while we work on you." Jim remembered the stuff and even though the ointment was starting to work he really didn't want to be awake while they were doing whatever they were going to need to do. He took the straw and greedily sucked it down. Once he did he turned his head and looked at Sorrel and discovered that Nasha was there as well. He held his hand out and both took it. "The girl is safe right?" He vaguely remembered the warrior leader saying something but he had been dealing with the initial pain and adrenaline from the fight. Sorrel twitched her ears and chattered at him. "Yes she is fine. As soon as you drew the bear away one of the others grabbed her and ran back to the camp." She gave his hand a squeeze. "You silly stupid brave man. I can't believe you took a bear on with just an axe." Her fur around her eyes were damp and her voice was a bit wavery. Nasha wrapped an arm around Sorrel and gave his hand a squeeze. "By now your actions are probably spread through half the camp. If you think having Sorrel and I sharing you when you recover..." Just for good measure she winked at him. She snickered as he groaned but by now his eyes were starting to slide shut and moments later he was asleep. The old woman started working on him as well as another healer and they chased the two women out of the tent since they needed the room. Much of his back needed sutures and it took them a goodly amount of time to get the skin approximated. Once done they slathered on more of the numb weed and called in several males and the ladies. "He can go to your tent or your father's. He can move as long as he is very slow with movements. Anything more than to a privacy chair needs to be restricted for at least three days. Most movements are going to need the use of his back muscles and any stress on the sutures may cause them to be ripped out." She waved at the males who picked the stretcher up and carried him out and to Sorrel's tent. Once there they very carefully picked him up and tucked him into bed. As of now he was nude again since one of the wounds went below the waist line. "We are going to have shifts outside so if you need any help just poke your head out." One of the males told the ladies and then left the tent. By now Jim was definitely snoring and both women settled down in chairs in the tent and both looked tired and stressed. Nasha finally spoke. "I have to wonder if he is like this all the time. If so it would give me a major headache." As they were talking a couple of the older kids came over with some drinks and it was obvious they wanted to see Jim and how he was doing. "Thank you but please tell the others that he is doing okay but he needs to rest." They nodded at her and glanced towards the bed and you could hear them inhale. The sheet was only to his waist and the dressings could be seen. They listened to Nasha. One looked at her. "Tell him that we will be waiting for him to come back and start teaching again." As they walked out they were whispering to each other. They decided that unless the ladies chased them away they were going to come and play some music quietly. Sorrel sighed. "From what I can tell he is sort of that way. From the moment he left the healers tent he was agitating to do something to cover what we were doing for him." She gave Nasha a warm smile. "Seeing him with the kids was really cool. I think he feels it is one way he can pay back what we have done for him. Working with the warriors is also a way." She shook her head and took a sip of the juice and sighed. Since the search for the little girl was right about breakfast time it was mid afternoon. Since Jim had been injured she wasn't expected to do any chores. Frankly she would prefer to be doing her jobs and not have Jim being hurt. "Well crap. He is going to be hating life for a few days. That is especially true with using the chair again." Nasha finished her drink. "I need to get but if you want relief just send a cub over and get me and I can give you a break." As she was leaving she noticed several of the cubs sitting down near the tent and they started playing quietly so as not to wake him. She gave them a warm smile as she headed back to her tent. ~~~ Eventually Jim woke up and he tensed slightly but the pain wasn't too bad and he had to sigh in relief. His brain was sort of fuzzy and he assumed that was from the drink. As he lay there he took stock of his surroundings and his body. From the smell and what he could see he was back in Sorrel's tent. He was on his stomach and groaned since he could tell he was nude again. "Damn it can't I get wounded where I can at least wear my shorts?" That got Sorrel's attention and she walked over and gently settled on the edge of the bed. "Maybe you need to quit getting hurt silly human." She stroked his hair for a moment. "Do you need the chair? It will be a bit more time before it is time for any pain meds but your back shouldn't be hurting to badly." Sorrel leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "You have five claw marks across your back that have been sutured. The healer said you don't get to move much for three days to let the basic healing get started." Jim groaned again. "I really hate the chair. I really do. Fuck why did I do this?" He leaned into the stroking and pressed his face against her leg. "I am glad the little girl is safe though. Makes it all worth it to me and that is one of the reasons I joined the military. To help and protect." His bladder did start letting him know that he needed the chair. "Um, if you can call for help I would appreciate it." Once that was taken care of he asked to be sat in a regular chair though he didn't lean back. Sorrel handed him a towel to drape across his lap as he sat there. "Thanks again Sorrel I appreciate the help." He could hear the music from outside and had to smile. "Let me guess the kids I have been playing with right?" She nodded and called out. "If you want to come in for a few moments Jim is awake and you can talk to him till his food arrives." When the kids came in Sorrel smiled at them since they had been sort of rotating through the kids he had been teaching and learning from. The kits slowly came into the tent and they were carrying their instruments as they were walking in. Jim smiled at them and when the two little inu pups leaned against his legs he stroked their ears and handed out pets to the other kids as well. "Thank you for playing outside. It means a great deal to me." He talked with them for a few moments till someone carried a plate of food in. "You heard her. I need the food and then to go back to bed. My back is starting to ache for some reason." That got a giggle from one of the girls that had started learning as well. "You are a silly person Jim. Of course it is going to hurt when you fought a bear hand to hand." There were all kinds of stories going around on what had happened when they saved the girl. All they knew was that Jim had killed the bear and some were saying it was with his bare hands and others an axe and even another with some weapon that couldn't be described. Jim snorted and then tensed. "Don't make me laugh Danita. Even I am not silly enough to go hand to hand with a bear. I ended up using an axe and had the rest of the warriors helping as well. I just helped distract the bear while they saved the little girl. They need to get some attention as well." Hell no did he want all the attention on himself. He had helped as part of a team. "Now why don't you go and find them and get them some drinks and food if they would like." He chased them out and tuned and fell on the food. Once he was done eating she helped him back to the chair and then tucked him into bed. "Unless I shouldn't could I get another one of those drinks? I know that I am going to have trouble sleeping on my stomach since I really hate that. That and I don't think I can sleep otherwise." Whatever they had gooped the wounds with worked pretty well but just shifting an arm ached and moving his head was even worse. She nodded. "They gave me some of the sleeping draught for you for now and when I change your dressings tomorrow. This one is stronger than the one earlier and should keep you through the night." Sorrel mixed it up and using another straw helped him suck it down. "There you go. Nasha is going to be here shortly to watch you so I can get something to eat and take a break." Right about then Nasha walked in and gave Sorrel a smile. "I think Yim just wanted some babysitting. He could have just asked and I would have been happy to." She was snickering when she said that. "See you later Sorrel and if needed you can use my tent if your father is occupied in his." Jim tried not to laugh and ended up with a groan. "Damn it woman don't make me laugh it hurts." After a number of slow deep breaths he could feel the laugher fading and the drink starting to kick in. "Thanks both of you." As he was slowly drifting off Nasha stripped down and crawled in next to him and gave him a peck and rested her arm across his hips away from his wounds. She got comfortable next to him. "I need a nap as well if you don't mind." The kids tended to run her ragged and the afternoon she normally had babies and toddlers in her tent so when they went down for a nap she did as well. Since Danita was watching them while the two of them kept an eye on Yim she was going to get a nap if at all possible. The next morning Jim woke up and buried his head in the pillow and groaned since the numbing ointment had faded and his wounds were screaming bloody murder. It felt like every muscle in his body was connected to his back. At some point Sorrel and Nasha had swapped places and when Jim moved she noticed and rolled over and called for help. He had slept through the night and was going to need the chair. Eventually that was done and he was back in bed. "I need to change your dressings and it is going to be painful but once the ointment gets to work you will feel better." That was an agonizing 45 minutes for both of them. She felt really bad for the pain that she was causing him. Jim ended up biting the pillow as she was working. It was horribly painful and as she was taking the dressings off but as soon as she started putting the ointment on he felt much better. As his body relaxed he sighed in relief. "That is some good stuff and thank god it works long term." They had a sort of pill as well that he would start taking later as well. "Now food please." The next few days were frankly miserable for Jim. He had to pretty much stay on his stomach unless sitting in a chair. In a chair he had to sit up straight or turn a chair backwards and lean forwards. As usual the worst part was not being able to get a real bath. The sponge baths just didn't cut it even if it kept the stink of sweat down. Finally the third day rolled around and he was taken to the healers tent to have his wounds checked out. The old lady who had treated him originally had him sit up as she removed the dressings. "You heal well for a human young man." She gently touched the various wounds even though he sort of winced and grunted a few times as she was working on him. "Okay Jim for now it is similar to when you were hurt the last time. Short baths, avoid soaking the wounds longer than needed. Short walks and come back in several days for a follow up. You don't need any dressings unless the wounds seep. If they do come back and see me." Jim grinned when she said he could have a bath. "For telling me I can have a real bath I could kiss you. I feel so sticky and stinky that I don't care how long or short the bath is." With the help of Nasha he pulled one of the loose shirts on and left it hanging out of the pants. Even the pants were tied on lower than normal to keep from impacting on the one wound that was low on one cheek. She gave him a look and grinned. "Well Nasha you can bring him past my tent this evening..." She started laughing as Jim turned beet red. She finally patted his leg. "Just teasing you young man. My mate might frown on me for bringing a young buck home." Jim ended up coughing as he tried to clear his throat and respond. When she informed him that she had been teasing him he turned even redder. "Just for that I might just have to come over to your tent." He teased back. "Just for a meal though. I don't date mated women." Just for good measure he lightly grasped one hand and lifted it to his lips and gave it a light kiss. "There is your kiss fair lady. Nothing for your mate to get offended with." Nasha managed not to die laughing at either of their comments and Yim's actions. "I think you spiked his water with something. I think I need to drag you to the baths and wash your brains out." She helped him off the exam table and nodded at the healer. "Thanks for the help." After leaving the medical trailer they hit the bathing springs and he felt so much better. Since he couldn't soak for very long once he was clean he gave Nasha a kiss before going to find the kids and see if he could handle a bit of music. When he had realized that they were spending time quietly playing outside Sorrel's tent he had been very touched and wanted to get back to teaching them. It helped him relax and deal with his issues with being stuck in this world. He did find them and spent the rest of the day relaxing as they played various songs. By the time he was done playing with them his back was starting to ache again. "I wanted to say thank you for the time you spent playing the music while I was stuck in bed." He gave all of them a good hug. He couldn't help but feel a sort of warm fuzzy since the small group he had started playing with had grown and had both boys and girls now. There had been five or six in the beginning but by now there were on average twelve to fifteen each day. ~~~ By the time he made it back that evening he was tired and his back was aching moderately badly. When he limped into Sorrel's tent he turned one of the chairs around so he would be leaning against the back and collapsed. "God if I do anything that stupid again just shoot me. It will be less painful." That was a generic grumble. He stripped his shirt off since it was pressing against his wounds. A few minutes later Sorrel walked in and handed him a glass of juice. "You look beat Jim. We are going to be eating with my father this evening if you are up to it." She leaned over and gave him a peck on his cheek and stroked his hair for a moment. "He needs to talk to you. You have been here long enough now that one of the elders and a song master really want to talk to you." She knew they had been wanting to for a while but Moran had been keeping them at bay while Jim started getting used to the tribe. Jim groaned. "Great. Just what I want to do while I am recovering." He knew it was going to happen and needed to be done but he was so not in the mood. Hopefully it would be tomorrow when he wasn't so tired and in pain. "Considering his tent is only one or two down I think I can handle it." Jim stretched carefully. "Why don't we go over now and then if you don't mind gooping my back down I would greatly appreciate it." She grinned at his reaction to meeting with the elder and guild master. "Poor baby, if it helps the warrior master has already talked to the chief and is very pleased with your abilities and would like you to start working as a guard when you are feeling better." It would help him integrate more into the tribe. To be honest she wasn't sure if they would be able to find a way back to his world. "Well that is one positive thing though I have to admit I really hate night watch. It always screws with my sleep." He grinned at her and stood up. He wasn't going to bother with a shirt since till the goop soaked in the shirt would just stick to it. "Shall we go? I am starting to get hungry." The food was very good if a bit strange and the spices were different as well but he had been starting to learn what he liked and what he didn't. "So why go to the chief's tent? He wanted to talk to me about the meetings?" Sorrel nodded. "Oh, starting at bed time you will be taking pills for the pain as needed and not the numb weed lotion. It works slower but lasts longer and won't make your shirt stick to you." As he stretched she had to appreciate the muscles he had. Many of the males tended to be sort of bulky but Jim was built but not massively. He was more slender than many of the others yet had very nice definition. Just to tease him she swished her way over and ran a finger down his arm. "So very sexy. Hurry up and heal silly man." World of Ranicke 02 Jim blushed deeply when she called him sexy and ran a finger down his arm. "Down woman, injured man here and I can't lay there and take it." He had to admit that he rather missed the activity since between her and Nasha he hadn't been celibate in any way. Currently he was almost doing one night at Sorrel's tent and the next and Nasha's. He had a few other offers but right now having two women he was sleeping with was enough. Adding more would just start becoming confusing. He walked out of the tent with her and had an arm around her shoulders. As they were walking he got a few looks since normally they all wore shirts but after a glance at his back most understood. More than a few looked rather startled with the extent of the wounds and the fact that he was moving around even if slowly. The claw marks ran from his right shoulder down to his left hip. They were healing well but were still red and very obvious from even a fair distance away. By now everyone had heard of what Jim had done for the girl when it came to saving her. It wasn't unusual for a warrior to place themselves in danger but to take on a bear almost single handedly and walk away? That was almost unheard of. Once at her father's tent he did much the same with the chair and leaned forward and closed his eyes as Sorrel moved behind him to apply the ointment. He hissed slightly as she worked it into the wounds. It was getting better and he wasn't sure what all herbs they were using but he was healing faster than normal but nothing like when the White Lady had healed him. Since his eyes were closed as she worked on him he didn't notice a female Kitsune with a little girl approach the tent. "Would it be possible for us to talk to warrior Jim?" She was standing about ten feet away from the front of the tent and she was looking at the man in the chair with the Squorrel doing something to his back. Her eyes flickered between the two and Chief Moran when she asked. The little girl was simply clinging to her mother's leg as she was looking at the chief. What Lorna could see of the male was fairly impressive. She had seen humans before but Jim had something about him that the others didn't have. Jim lifted his head and tensed a bit since it pulled on the muscles of his back somewhat. He took in the woman as well as the girl and recognized her from the tree she had been stuck in. Pain was showing around his eyes but Sorrel was almost done with the ointment. He wasn't really sure what they wanted but he was feeling well enough to talk to her. Before he could say anything Moran spoke. "That would be totally up to Jim and how he is feeling Lorna." He glanced over at Jim and Sorrel and gave him a small smile. "If you are feeling up to it Jim feel free or you can talk to them tomorrow if that would work better for you." Jim carefully sat up now that Sorrel was done and looked at the woman. "I don't mind talking to you but not really sure what you want from me." He had simply done what anyone would have done, or in his opinion anyone with any sort of moral or ethical values would do. As he was talking Sorrel handed him another cup of juice which he sipped on. As much as he tended to sweat he drank a great deal of fluids and from the looks of it more than most of the others. Lorna gave him a bow and then looked at him. "I would like to thank you for helping to save my daughter from the bear. I have talked to some of the other warriors who were with you and they have told stories of your bravery." She drew in a shaky breath. "That you were wounded in doing so greatly upsets me and I am sorry for that. We have something we want to give you in thanks." She nudged her daughter. "This is Tonya." The little girl moved forward and gave him a shy smile and he could see a tooth missing. She was carrying a very fine wooden box that was a bit over six inches long and maybe two inches wide. "I is sorry you were hurt mister Jim." Her ears flicked back and her tail was tucked close to her bottom and legs. "Please accept this in thanks for saving me along with the others." She handed him the box and stood there waiting for him to open it. Jim carefully moved so he was sitting somewhat normally on the chair. He carefully leaned forward and stroked the little girls ears. "You really didn't need to but thank you. I was just doing what I was trained for sweetie." She looked up at him as he was talking. "Just do me one favor and never go into the forest again till you are old enough and are told you can. If you do that I will be happy." When she offered the box to him he took it from her. The box was elegant in it's simplicity and the only real decoration on it was an engraving on the top of some figure he didn't recognize. When he opened it he sucked in a breath since there was a lovely silver bracelet. It looked reasonably heavy and on the side that would go on the back of his wrist was a flat piece that was heavily etched with a stylized Kitsune that looked like he was hunting something. "This is lovely but I didn't do anything to deserve something like this." His other hand reached over and stroked the bracelet and his fingers were shaking just a tiny bit. Moran came over and looked at it and smiled. "Take it Jim. I know you don't understand our culture very well but what you did really is something of great value. This is a comesurate gift for what you did." He recognized the workmanship and knew the jeweler that had created the piece and that it had belonged to either Lorna's father or grandfather. "I understand your viewpoint but you are not in your world but ours. This is our way of showing appreciation for your having done something of great value." He took the bracelet out and quickly affixed it to Jim's wrist. It was a bit lose but otherwise fit well. Lorna looked at him and knelt down next to her daughter. "Please warrior Jim take it with my gratitude. You saved my little girl and risked your life in doing so." She reached over and lightly touched his arm as she was speaking. "I have lost one kit already and to have lost a second would have been devastating." Her ears were lowered and her eyes were wide with emotions as she asked. "I would also like to invite you over for a meal when you are healed. Just a meal to thank you as well." Jim's fingers stroked the bracelet and could tell that it was old from the patina as well as hints of it being worn from wearing. Between Moran and Loran not to mention the eyes that the little girl was giving him he caved in. "I feel bad taking something of such value from you but since you feel so strongly I will accept and thank you very much." It hit him again that this was such a different world and did things differently. If he had been in his world he couldn't have accepted something like this but in this world it was expected. As he was stroking and looking at the bracelet Lorna slid behind him and glanced at his back and a shape inhale could be heard. "Oh god that wound is horrible." She almost asked him how he was even moving this soon but decided not to. He was going to have a horrible set of scars from the claws and she felt really bad for his getting hurt and for a moment the bracelet almost didn't seem like enough. She had heard about the wound but the reality was worse than she had expected. Moran came over and wrapped an arm around her. "Thank you for coming past but he needs to eat and relax so he can keep healing. Please feel free to come past in a few days and join us for a meal." He reached down and tickled the girl's ears as well just for good measure and escorted them out of the tent before returning. Jim had his head in his arms and Moran could tell he was trying to deal with the culture shock. "Relax Jim, you are doing fine. I know this has been a huge shock for you but you are doing better than I had expected." Jim heaved a sort of wavery sigh. "This is just so strange to me. Every time I think I am starting to get a feel for your culture something happens that tosses me for a loop." God his emotions were a muddle of conflicting feelings and they were starting to give him headaches. "If you don't mind Chief I am going to simply relax till the food is delivered. I need a few minutes to add what I just learned to my growing knowledge of your culture." World of Ranicke 03 I am going to add this since I had some congenital idiot in my other story take nudity of anyone under 18 the wrong way. In the case of that story it is a lycan story and for the most part they stripped before changing and that included the children. I liken it to nudist going on vacation to a nudist beach where it means nothing other than you aren't wearing anything. In this case though I haven't mentioned it at some point it might come up when it comes to bathing and especially since Nasha takes care of children of ages up to about 5. I don't know how many of you have children but I have three and till they were about 5 and we were sure they could bath completely we bathed them. With Nasha it would be the same. The adults normally bath earlier than the children since they have things to do. Now if someone is a parent they might bring them to the bath before dropping them off. If so then there is going to be some sort of nudity. When there is nudity of anyone under 18 it is simply going to be something along the lines of 'his mother stripped her son down and stepped into the water to get him clean'. I am sorry if this offends you since any and all sexual relationships are going to be the equivalent of 18+. The reason I say that is they live longer than human's and so their age of maturity is older than it would be for us. So having said that I hope that you keep enjoying the story that I am writing. Oh, the more feedback the better. I want to know what you like, dislike, verbal sparring that you find amusing and things like that. It helps me improve my story. Any suggestions you feel like making would be appreciated as well. I might not use them but would appreciate them. Chapt 3 After Loma had left Jim was quiet for most of the evening as he mulled over what had happened. Finally Moran leaned over and touched his arm. "Jim tell me about your world and why you resisted taking the gift please." His hand was gentle on Jim's arm and it was obvious that he was curious but didn't demand an answer. Jim kept his eyes on his plate. For a few minutes he was silent and then started speaking. "I was a member of our military for many years. We were paid a certain amount each month based on our rank." He frowned. "Think of it as when Sorrel goes and collects herbs, fruit, or veggies and she sort of gets paid by getting food and clothing." He was scooting his food around. "When we did something like saving Tonya it was just part of our job. We were not expected or allowed to accept gifts." He sort of shrugged when he said that. His world was so different from there's. Moran managed to keep his face neutral as Jim spoke since that sounded so strange. To do something like what he had done yet not be allowed to accept something in thanks sounded so strange. The idea of pay, whatever that was, also sounded very odd. What was pay? He wanted to ask but didn't want to take a chance of upsetting him even more. "Well here since we are on a barter economy little gifts for things done are normal." He smiled at him. "I think the only reason you haven't gotten any is because the parents aren't sure how to handle you. You are so different in the way act that you confuse them." Sorrel had to grin slightly. "Tomorrow you will probably have a few small thank you gifts at the tent and you had better accept them or I will make you sleep by yourself for a week or two." She was grinning when she said that but didn't get the result she expected. "Good, I won't have to share the covers..." He smirked at her and then yawned. "Let me finish my food and then I want to head towards bed." Jim looked at Moran. "I think I will feel up to handling one of the elders or songsmiths in the morning. Beyond that I just don't know." He didn't realize it but his accelerated healing was being caused by what the White Lady did. Jim had still been healing but it had vastly slowed down. Moran nodded. "I will set you up with one of the songsmiths since they tend to be a bit more mellow." He would have to vet some of the elders to ensure that who talked to Jim was moderately civil since he was still injured. He also had a feeling that Jim would not take being interrogated very well. Especially if it was an aggressive interrogation. He was having enough problems coming to terms with their culture. "Go to bed Jim. I will ensure that you aren't woken to early." Jim nodded at him and carefully stood up and walked out of the tent and over to Sorrel's. She remained behind and he figured she would probably go dancing since he was doing well enough alone. Sorrel needed to have some fun as well for all the baby sitting she had been doing of him. Jim stripped down and lay down on the bed and pulled the cover up to cover his bottom since it still hurt to have anything on his wounds. ~~~ The next morning Sorrel woke him up. "Time to get up silly. Seems you have some admirers." When she had opened the flap to her tent she had found a small pile of wrapped gifts with glyphs as close to his name as possible. Some of the spelling was totally funny. "You need to open them and at least look at them. Once you do take the wrappers and I will show you where to hang them." He tuned and glowered at her and then sighed. "I really don't have a choice about this do I? It does bother me but unless I can find a way back I need to get used to your culture." He carefully rolled over till he was sitting up and carefully pulled on the loose pants he was using and moved over to the table. On it were what looked like a dozen different packages with tags on them. "Why is the writing different?" Jim figured they were thanks. Sorrel laughed. "Let's just say your name has been spelled in different ways." She snickered when she said that. "We will have to standardize your name." She lightly leaned against him. "Breakfast will be here shortly so you need to open them." Jim sighed and picked up a small package and rolled it open and his hand shook. It looked like some of the teeth from the bear. In the center of the necklace was what looked like a carved piece of amber that was carved with a bear's head. That he set off to one side. Sorrel gave him a light hug. "That is from the warrior chief. Since you killed the bear he is now your guardian spirit and to wear the necklace is to protect you." She lightly touched the carving. "There is a ceremony where you will be granted the bear as your guardian. Till then don't wear it." She pulled out a decent sized box and opened it and laid the necklace in it. "You will probably get more trinkets and jewelry." He opened several more and she was right. There were some homemade necklaces and a few bracelets that got put in the box. One he put on the other wrist since he recognized some work from one of the boys he had been teaching. Eventually he reached the last package and opened it and there was a case inside. When he opened it he found the Gitturn he had been using. He looked up at Sorrel in shock. In his world it would be a very fine specimen. She smiled at him but right as she was going to say anything there was a knock on the post by the door. "Good morning Sorrel and Jim. I am master songsmith Eldon and I am here to talk with Jim if he is feeling up to it." Eldon was an older elf and traces of white could be seen streaking his hair. Jim sat up as much as possible. "Good morning sir. If you can wait I need to eat before I take my meds. Once I have done that one pit stop I will be ready to speak with you." He was still holding the Gitturn and rather possessively. Sorrel stood. "I will talk to you later Jim. I have some work that needs doing. If you need anything go to Nasha or the healers tent." She gave him a light kiss before nodding at the songsmith. She had her own gift she wanted to make for him. As she was leaving the food arrived and she glanced at Eldon and the man shook his head. Jim tucked into the food and part way through tossed down the pills he had been told to take at each meal. "Thank you for allowing me to eat or my back would have been really hurting." He finally finished the food and looked at him. "I am not sure what you want me to do but do you want me to start with the Gitturn?" Eldon shook his head. "No son, I have listened to you as you have been learning how to play and you have been doing very well." He settled back in the chair. "To make you a Journeyman songsmith you need to learn to play two stringed instruments and one wind instrument. I would have to request that you learn our songs as well. Since you have been working with the children you would have to learn more of the teaching songs." He twitched his ears. "If you don't mind my asking how did you come to be a songsmith as well as a warrior?" Jim sighed slightly. "I have a feeling I am going to be telling the story a number of times." He gave the man a wry grin. "I started learning what we called a guitar back when I was twelve or so. It gives me some way to express myself. When I turned 18 I went to college for sociology and cultural studies as well." He took a drink of the juice. "I miss coffee darn it. After college there wasn't any jobs for me so I joined my country's military for 8 years before I got out. After that I went to work for one of the special departments of my government. Through all this I kept playing the guitar." Much of what Jim said didn't make sense to Eldon but he didn't bother asking for more explanations since what mattered was how long he had been playing. "Why don't you put your instrument away and follow me to the music tent." Eldon stood and waited for Jim to do that and waved him to walk next to him. "So how many of your songs that you have sung have you written?" Jim tensed up since that was a question he didn't want to talk about the one song he had written. "All the songs I have sung have been written by others. As long as we give credit for who created it we can sing them. Some are old enough that the rights have expired." His voice was tense though he tried not to show that he didn't want to talk about it. Eldon looked at him and pushed. "Jim we all have written songs that mean a great deal to us. Those are the ones that are the most important since they express our emotions the most." He looked in the distance. "Mine was about when my mate passed on. It was sad yet we believe in reincarnation so there was hope as well. It took me a long time before I would play it for anyone. When I did it helped a great deal." Right about then they reached the tent and walked in which distracted him from his thoughts. There were all manner of instruments. They ranged from simple harps to floor harps. Mandolins, odd looking woodwind instruments and a few brass instruments. One instrument that caught his attention was what looked very close to a guitar and actually had 6 strings. He went over and looked at it and ran his fingers just over the strings. "How beautiful. This is a masterful instrument." Eldon smiled since it was his journeyman's instrument and he enjoyed playing it. "Please take it down and try it. If you need to change the pitch please do." He waited for him to do something and was pleased when he took it down and stroked it for a few moments. Since he was used to using a pick he pulled one he had created out and lightly plucked each string. The pitch was different from what he was used to. After looking at Eldon he adjusted the pitch to as close as possible and settled down in a chair and started in on a song. Why he played Arlington by Trace Adkins he wasn't sure but it was possibly talking about Saul earlier that morning. "That song was about men who died protecting our way of life." His voice was definitely sad and filled with emotions. Eldon had settled down in a chair and listened to the song and some he understood and it made him sad knowing that good men had to lay down their lives. They had to lay them down to protect the elders, women, and children. "Is that the song you wrote?" "No it isn't." He was lightly stroking the strings and tried to decide what to do. At the door he could sense people and that was making resist the urge. It was so very private and personal. One person he could share it with maybe but more than that? He simply couldn't. Jim finally looked up with a deep sadness in his eyes. Eldon could see that he wouldn't play it at the moment. He turned and waved the others away from the door and with a nod they did. "They won't listen without your permission. Please may I hear it?" Composing was one of the things that separated a bard from a songsmith. Jim looked down and started playing. As he was playing he sang his heart out since he hadn't played the song in a good fifteen years. By the time he was done there were tears on the instrument. "I wrote it for my little sister when she passed on after a battle with a disease we couldn't cure." Eldon leaned over and gave his shoulder a good squeeze. "That was a very moving song son. If you can write that you can write anything you want. The one other thing you would need to do to make journeyman would be to learn a woodwind and teaching songs. Are you sure you want to be a warrior?" He looked at Eldon and sighed. "One of the reasons I became a soldier was to be able to protect people the way I couldn't protect my little sister. I love playing music but it will always be a way of relaxing from my main job." He smiled sadly at the man. "I would be willing to spend part of my morning learning a woodwind and teaching songs. I have really enjoyed working with the children." Eldon looked at him and nodded. "I can respect that and have to say that I am impressed that you are both almost a songsmith and a very strong warrior. The fact that you had some education as well is impressive." He stood. "Wait here Jim." He walked to the back of the tent and came back with a case. He tucked the instrument into it. "Take this to practice with." Jim watched the man head towards the back and realized the tent was connected to one of the caravans. When Eldon came back out with a case and placed the instrument in it Jim was shocked. "I can't take this. It belongs to someone who is a professional and not someone like me." His acoustic guitar was good quality and he almost hated to admit it but had spent a bit over 2,000.00 on an electric guitar. Eldon laughed. "Jim this was my journeyman instrument. One of these days you will have to learn to build own depending what you decide to do. I would be honored for you to use it. That and to be honest I would love to learn your pitch's and your songs." He gave him a sidelong look. "If it works out maybe you can be a part time apprentice of mine." He grimaced slightly. "I suppose trainee would be a better term since we would be learning from each other." Jim was stroking the case and the fine leather and hoped that he could be worthy of it. "I don't know how long I will be here Sir. I am from a different world and don't know if I can get back but would be more than pleased to teach you what I can." He was starting to feel tired and sore. "Go back to the tent son and relax. After you eat come by tomorrow and we can start learning each other's style." He made sure that Jim took the case and handed him a bracelet. "That will let them know that you are working with me." Jim looked at it and fixed it around his wrist and reached over and gave him a good hand shake. "Thank you sir." He gathered up the case and slowly walked out of the tent and paused for a moment to get his bearings. Once he figured out where he was he headed he started towards her tent. At the moment he wasn't sure what to think. He had the necklace that he was going to be ceremoniously given, the bracelet from someone and the one from Eldon. God only knew what else he was going to be given. As he was walking he thought about this morning and there had been some lovely material, another necklace though not the same, and a few other items. Most of them had been some sort of jewelry though most of it was simple. He figured he could alternate what he was wearing just to show everyone that the gifts meant something to him. When he came around the corner to Sorrel's tent he was more than surprised when he found some old man there. He sort of guessed he might be an Inu but was old enough it was hard to tell. To be honest Jim wasn't in the mood at the moment. "Well finally you showed up." The man looked rather dyspeptic and had a rather sour expression. "Next time try not to keep an elder waiting for you. I have other things that require my attention other than waiting for a mere human." The man was sitting at Sorrel's table drinking something not that Jim gave a damn. He took a moment to gather his emotions before speaking. "I apologize for the delay but I was with Master Songsmith Eldon and just finished with him. If you would like I can have some food brought for both of us since I need to eat to take my meds." Jim's expression was neutral but his eyes were hard and definitely looking angry at the tone the other was taking. "You can wait for your meds since I have waited so long to talk with you about your story." His tone of voice indicated that he didn't really believe what he had been told about Jim's background. At the moment he was starting to push all of Jim's buttons. Maybe if he hadn't been in pain and needed his meds he might have reacted differently but he was tired, hungry and needed his meds. His expression changed and his face hardened. "I do not appreciate the tone of voice you are taking with me. I was with Master Eldon and maybe if you had taken the time to check you would have known that." That was a snarl and he was leaning forward as he was speaking. The man started to speak but Jim didn't let him. "Second I know for a fact that Sorrel is not here and is out doing her job. Just who the hell gave you the right to walk into her tent sit down in her furniture without her permission?" The angrier he was getting he could feel his back getting tenser and it was only making the pain even worse. He had to take a moment to catch his breath which was a bad idea. Nigeal took the pause as a chance to speak. "How dare you speak to me that way? Just because you have some minor injury and are whining about it does not give you the right to speak to me that way human." That was way to much. Jim didn't even think twice before lunging at the man and jerked him across the table. "Minor injuries? Fucking minor injuries? I am going to give you the same minor injuries I have and see just how much you whine about it." His knife came out though he had no plans on actually doing that. Instead he slammed it into the table. "If I ever see you again I will slice you open like the bear did me." He was starting to heave the man out of the tent when Moran appeared. "Jim stop now. Let him go and I will deal with it." Jim dropped him and staggered and tried not to scream. His back was so tense the pain was indescribable. He turned and grabbed the back of a chair and the muscles in his arms were as tense as possible. "I need help Moran. My back is so tense I can't move." He was still wearing the sort of hospital gown and some of the wounds were visible as well as the fact that his muscles were very tense. Moran turned to the elder and did something that was almost never seen and slugged him. "I will see you in my tent in an hour. Be there or I will send warriors for you now get out." His voice was laden with anger. "Warriors get in here and help Jim. Thomas get the healer and then find my daughter as well as Nasha." The men stared at him for a moment and then Thomas ran as if his life depended on it. There had been several outside listening but hadn't wanted to get involved since it was Jim's fight. "What do you need Jim?" They didn't want to do anything till he told them what he needed. When they glanced at Moran they winced since they hadn't seen him that angry for a very long time. World of Ranicke 03 "I can't move right now. My back is so tense that any movement makes me see flash's of light. Just carefully pick me up and lay me on my bed after taking the gown off. Lower my pants since I am sure the healer will want to look at all of it." His arms were starting to shake and he wasn't sure how much longer he was able to stand. The four men moved over and Solon looked at him. "This is going to hurt. Do you need something to bite?" When he nodded the male took a piece of leather and allowed him to bite on. They carefully picked up Jim and carried him to the bed and settled him down. They didn't bother with the covers and had to wince at the muffled screams from him. Once he could talk again he started muttering. "I am not going to kill the bastard, I am not going to kill the bastard, I am not going to kill the bastard." Jim was trying to relax and calm down but he was so worked up he simply couldn't. The warriors all turned a bit pale though they also looked very satisfied. All knew the elder and all despised him. This story was going to get passed around to all the warriors. When the healer walked in she almost snarled but didn't. He didn't need her to be worked up as she worked on him. "Young man I heard what happened and it should have waited. Eldon is one thing but Solon was the wrong person to talk to you. They should still have waited." Her hands gently touched his back and winced. "You are so tense I am surprised you aren't screaming." One of the warriors leaned over. "He was screaming around the leather we gave him when we moved him. Please help him ma'am." He was one of the warriors that was on the team Jim had been training with. Originally he hadn't had a high opinion of the human but he slowly gained his respect as they trained. "Go outside youngling and he will be okay." She set her bag on the table. "I am going to use a needle treatment to help relax your muscles. That and I am going to give you a drink to make you drowsy. It is different from what you are used to." As she was starting to pull out her items Nasha came in and looked horrified since she could smell the pain he was in. "Oh Jim what happened." She settled on the far side and wasn't sure what to do. He solved that by grabbing her hand. "Just hold on please." He pressed her hand against his cheek and tears were leaking out as hard as he tried not to. "God damn it this hurts." It was one of the first times he had really admitted to pain. Yes he had groaned before and clenched his teeth but this was the first time he was almost breaking down in front of them. "Son drink this please and take slow deep breaths and it will help." One of her helpers gave him something to drink and he sucked it down as fast as possible. "I am going to be using some techniques to help relax your muscles which should help the pain. It is going to take a bit of time but you will feel better soon." The drink she had given him was going to relax the muscles and also put him to sleep. It took a bit of time for him to start relaxing and finally fell asleep. Once he was she pulled the needles out and carefully inserted the in the meridian points in his back, hips, and shoulders. There was a few in his hands as well. Right about then Sorrel came in as well as Nora. Both women waited for the healer to finish what she was doing. "Go ahead and sit down but don't jostle him. He is going to be asleep for a while and the treatment needs time to work as well. I will be back in a few." In the chief's tent she heard Moran speaking in a low but angry voice. She was going to have her say as well. The elder was standing in front of Moran and was looking totally unconcerned. From his ears she could tell that he wasn't quite as unconcerned as he was acting. "And what gives you the right to give me orders? I am an elder." His voice was dripping vitrol. Moran advanced towards him and held up his heavy silver and gold necklace. "Do you recognize this? Do you? What does it signify?" His voice was hard and cold. Solon tried not to show anything. "Yah, it means you are chief of the rest of the clan. It does not give you power over me Moran. I am an elder and that is all there is to it." His voice was bored. Moran almost slugged him again. "What it does give me is the right to pass judgment when you have broken tribal law. You entered a tent without permission, you threatened an injured clan member, you denied him his food and medicine. I know this because I heard the entire conversation." "Well you should have also heard him threaten me with bodily injury." It was sort of pathetic but he was going to stand up for himself. "After you called his wounds minor and pathetic." He was getting ready to say anything else the healer moved forward. "Minor my ass you pompous ass. You want to know just how minor his wounds are?" She couldn't heal the way the White Lady could but she could show the pain. Before Moran could stop her she rested her hand on his shoulder and showed him just how much agony Jim was in at the moment. "Minor my fucking ass. If you come near him again you will regret it." That was a snarl. "Oh, and you can recover by yourself." She stalked out of the tent and back over to Sorrel's tent. When she impressed the pain on him he collapsed in agony and screamed. It was all he could do to even vaguely move. Moran had never seen that power before but each healer had their own powers and to be honest he felt the bastard deserved it but he was going to need to talk to her. Moran was more than startled but he didn't let it stop him. "You are to report to the women's tent to learn your manners again. You will be there till such time as they approve your actions." His voice was hard. "You are no longer an elder till such time as you prove yourself worthy." He called out the tent. "Warriors take him to the women's tent and make sure they are to know he is not to receive any treatment and I expect weekly reports." The warriors picked him up and weren't all that gentle with him. Unlike Jim he screamed and squealed as they drug him off for his punishment. As they were dragging him off a number of the tribe watched and outright laughed at his punishment since they had heard much of what had been going on. "Oh shut up. If Jim can take it and he is a human you should be able to." One said. ~~~ Jim finally woke up and for a moment tensed up and then realized that it wasn't hurting nearly as bad as it had been. "God that hurt." He squeezed their hands and looked sort of startled to see Nora in there as well. "You didn't need to stay here. I was well taken care of by the healers." The old lady sighed. "Well if nothing else you keep me busy young man. You are going to need to stay in bed tonight till you are totally relaxed." She ran her fingers down his back and sighed. "Your back was so tense I am surprised you didn't pull a suture out." She stroked his head. "Not sure why but you almost make me think of one of my son's. You had better not hesitate to call if you need me." She handed Sorrel some more meds. "He needs to sleep alone tonight." He was taking slow deep breath and focused on relaxing. While he was doing that Moran came in and settled down next to him. "I am so sorry Jim. If I had known who they were going to send I would have stopped it. He really isn't the right time to deal with you." Since he knew his back hurt so much he rested his hand on his forearm. "He has been dealt with though there might be some complaints about your offering to show him what your wounds felt like." There was a bit of amusement in his voice. "Chief I am sorry for that but he had denied me my meds and food and the angrier I got the more my back hurt." He glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. "I will take whatever punishment is required. I apologize for my threat and nothing can account for it." He has his honor and he was going to respect it come hell or high water. Moran nodded. "If it comes to that then I will give you what you deserve. It will be after you are healed. Now I am going to let you eat and take your meds before my daughter brains me." He squeezed his arm. "Getting better soon son. The warrior master wants to talk to you." Moran left the tent. ~~~ The next morning he was feeling somewhat better but ended up getting help to the bathing area. "At least I can soak for a bit." It had been long enough since he had been injured that he could soak for a few. One thing he noticed was that the warriors that had helped him stayed close and waited for Sorrel to get him undressed. They helped him into the water and Jim sighed. "I think I can get in myself guys." He grumped at them though it meant a great deal to him that they were helping him. Thomas laughed. "If you fell or tripped Sorrel would get us back and that is a horrible ideal." Once Jim was in the water they stripped down and slid in as well and started getting clean. "Man I wish I had someone cute like Sorrel helping me get clean." Thomas commented. Hanzel laughed. "Maybe if you weren't such a schmuck you might find a cute young thing to wash your back." He was laughing at Jim as he turned bright red. "Oh go to heck you two. When I am better I am going to kick your butts." Jim laughed slightly. "You are just jealous pansies." He leaned forward as Sorrel carefully washed his back. A few moments later Nasha climbed in and started on the chest. "Oh my, I feel so special now." He got dirty looks from the two warriors. Nora came in and frowned. "Well shoot I was hoping to help as well. Maybe tomorrow." She stripped down and settled down to start cleaning. Thomas glowered at him. "Jim I hate you right now. Kick my butt my ass. I am going to kick yours." After a moment he looked at the ladies. "Just what did you do to get three lovely ladies paying attention to you?" He smiled at Nora. "Well Nora I can see but Sorrel and Nasha? I want to know your secret." All laughed but Jim finally slid out of the water and carefully stretched. "When I find out I will let you know... then again maybe not." He was helped out by the ladies and settled for soaking his legs in the hot water. His back just wasn't ready for it. "Well I need to get something to eat and then find Master Eldon." That got a reaction and he looked startled. "He wants to learn music from my world." One of the warriors reached over and looked at the bracelet. "This says differently. You are his apprentice. I will need to let the warrior master know." To lose him would be a horrible loss. Jim gently pulled his arm back. "In a way I am yes but he is only going to have me for part of the day. Then I am going to work with the children and once I am healed I am going to start back with my training in the afternoon." He was not going to change what was his pattern. Thomas looked at him. "But nobody has more than one job or skill." Jim had proven his skills. "Thomas I have been doing both teaching the children in the mornings and after lunch working with the warriors. Now if they want to add another job I might scream." He reached over and grabbed Thomas's arm. "Please don't worry. I enjoy the work I have been doing." He sighed. "I almost don't want to go home. I have several lovely ladies that care for me. I have some good friends who like to give me bruises. I am useful by teaching some of the children some of the music I know and I am learning how to protect the tribe." Thomas gave him a warriors shake and Dan walked over to the towels and carefully toweled off before getting dressed. "Later guys. I have to get something to eat and take my meds." He walked away standing as tall as he could and since the ladies were still bathing he got some food and settled at a table and started eating. As he was he felt a bit odd greeting strangers as they walked past. Once he was done he tossed back his meds and then headed to the tent and grabbed both cases and headed to the music tent. When he walked in there was a different person in there. "Have a seat and get warmed up and Eldon will be here shortly." His voice was brusk but not harsh. It was more that he was interrupted as he was teaching several students. Jim nodded. "Yes sir." He settled across the tent from where they children were. He pulled the gitturn out and carefully made sure it was in tune before setting it aside and pulled the other instrument out. He considered it and then tuned it to his pitch and set it back in the case. Once done he pulled the Gitturn out and took his time and worked his way through all the chords he knew. Once he was done he waited for the students to finish and leave before warming up with the other instrument. The other male frowned at him. "Your instrument is out of tune. You need to adjust it." Right about then Eldon walked in. "Morning Journeyman. He is actually teaching me how they play where they come from and I am going to teach him." He smiled at him. "Thank you for watching over my apprentice." He had another case similar to the one for the six string. "I have another of the same style of instrument and I am going to show you how to tune it to our pitch. That way you don't have to keep changing and before you worry about it this is just a generic instrument." He set the case down. "Are you going to be okay to play after yesterday?" He had heard about disagreement with the elder and was worried about him. Jim's face hardened. "If something like that slowed me down I wouldn't be worth my salt." He looked away for a moment. "I might not be able to do too much though." That admission hurt. "Relax Jim what you can do is fine. I talked to the healer and as long as you don't push yourself you will be fine. Now let's tune the student corwith and then I will show you the basic chords." He showed Jim the pitch for the strings and then started with the simple chords. "This is actually one of the harder instruments to learn." Jim looked at him and tried to figure out if he was joking and not but couldn't really tell. "Um, okay, not sure what to say. I found the twelve string pretty hard to get used to." Just because he could he knocked out a riff similar to the one from Back to the Future. When he looked up Eldon was giving him an odd look. "Not sure what that was but interesting. Not quite what I was looking for and a twelve string? Any reason you do things by sixes?" They tended to do it by fives since they have five fingers. The six string instrument was an experiment and he had learned it for his masters level. This human played it as if he had been born with it in his hand. Jim sort of shrugged. "I couldn't really tell you but not all our instruments have six strings. Some have four strings, lap harps can have a varying number and same for the floor harp." As he was talking his fingers were lightly fingering the strings in the various chords. "So how do you want to do this sir? I teach you and you teach me?" He really had no idea how their relationship was supposed to be. Eldon considered it and then nodded. "I think what we will do is teach each other every other day. On the days we aren't learning I am going to teach you one of the wind instruments. That is the only thing that you really need to earn your journeyman status. After that it is simply a case of learning the various teaching songs." He flashed him a grin. "Well and how to read our musical notation." Jim made a face at that and then grinned. "That always was my weakness. I learn by listening easier than reading sheet music." More crap to learn. "So what wind instrument do you want me to learn or do you want me to see which feels best?" "Why don't you take a look through the instruments and try fingering them and see which feels right in your hands. That is usually a good way of telling if the instrument will work for you." He settled down in a chair and was quietly strumming his instrument as Jim walked around the tent. It sounded like a sort of odd way to find an instrument but shrugged slightly and looked at the various instruments. Very few were made of metal and those were off to one side. He stroked some of them and frowned. Others just didn't interest him what so ever and he walked past. For some reason he picked up a flute looking instrument and it fit his fingers very well. Without thinking he lifted it to his lips and lightly blew into it and had to smile. It had a deeper tone than he had expected. "Well I think you have found one that will work for you. Before you start learning it I am going to start teaching you our notations." He pulled out some scrolls and waved Jim over. Since Jim was teaching the kids he didn't spend the entire morning teaching him. "Okay, that is a good start and here is a starter book. As you feel fit at night start working your way through it." As Jim left the tent he felt like he was loaded down. He had the two Luterns, the flute thing, and the student's manual for learning the notes and pitchs. When he finally arrived where the kids normally met and sighed. There were even more kids and he wasn't sure just how many more he could handle. "Okay kids I am going to have to put my foot down. There are almost many for me to really teach." Someone had brought a stool for him to sit on and they were staring at all the things he was carrying. One of the older boys gasped and reached over and lightly grasped his hand and stared at the bracelet. "Master Eldon took you on as his apprentice? Oh wow." The boy showed him his bracelet. "I am Journeyman Lonon's apprentice." Jim shook his head at the boys reaction. "He seemed to indicate that he was taking me on so I can teach him things from my world as well as things from your world." He sighed. "I don't have my Gitturn so it is going to be somewhat different." He grinned when he pulled it out and they all oogled it. "This is tuned to my world and here is a song for you." He couldn't resist playing Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry. The kids started clapping when he was done and he noticed a few frowns from the adults since it was such a different style even though there was nothing offensive in it. He winked at them and proceeded into Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. As he was singing it he met the eyes of the adults and had to smile since he enjoyed the song so much. Eventually he was done. "That is one of my favorite songs and on a bad day can make me feel better. I hope all of you enjoyed it." Once he was finished the adults started moving on and he turned back to the children. "Feric would you mind teaching me one of the training songs you were teaching them? I need to learn them as well." The boy lowered his ears at being asked by Jim to teach him something. He was Eldon's apprentice a warrior, and heaven only knew what else as he aged and learned about the clan. "Yes sir I would be honored to teach you. This is about edible fruits." Many of the kids were younger. He started playing and as he did Jim mentally ran through the fingering. Eventually he made it back to the tent and for the moment set the instruments on the bed and the manual on the table. Since Sorrel wasn't there he headed for the communal eating area and got in line for food. Even there he was getting some looks from both the men and women. From the men there was a bit of jealousy and with the women it was interest. Once he had his plate and cup he settled down and in Spanish muttered 'just shoot me now'. Thomas settled down across from him and gave him an odd look. "What did you just say?" It wasn't a language he recognized what so ever. Jim simply grumbled. "Just feeling like I am being stared at and it is driving me nuts." He stabbed a thing like a meatball and munched on it. "All I did was what anyone worth their metal would do what I did. I don't feel that I deserve all the attention I am getting." He impaled another meatball and ate it. "Hell I was made a songsmith trainee or apprentice part time. What is next? I am not sure how much more I can take." He didn't want to whine but all he did was his job. World of Ranicke 03 Thomas gave him a sympathetic look. "Maybe where you came from you didn't do anything special but here you did. We would have stood back and used arrows till it was weak enough to use a spear. Not many people would attack a bear by themselves." When Jim mentioned Master Eldon Thomas took his wrist and his eyes widened. "Try apprentice period. Not part time but full time. I understand you have other requirements but he has accepted you as his trainee." He thumped his head on the table. "God, what next? So what does that necklace with the bear teeth and amber mean?" He felt like he was being stretched to far at the moment. Thomas grinned. "It has several meanings. First the bear is going to be your totem spirit." He pulled his out and showed it to him. "Mine is a badgor. To get your totem spirit normally you have to go into the forest and hunt the animal by yourself. Even though we were there you fought the bear and were both wounded and killed it." "It also means that you are a warrior and have earned your place in the clan as a warrior to protect the tribe." He finally released Jim's hand. "It is actually very rare for someone to have more than one specialty unless they are related such as say a warrior and hunter. They are similar enough that one can be both. To be a warrior and a songsmith is very rare." Thomas winked at him. "You might want to get a sign that says you are taken." Jim growled at him for the teasing and threatened him with his fork thing. "I might be a friend short if you keep teasing me." He started snickering. "Well if they try to give me anything else I am going to be so thin you can see through me." He had to shake his head. "All I was trying to do with the children was relax and enjoy some time with them. There wasn't anything else. Now when I started working out with you that was being serious." They talked a while longer before they finished eating. Thomas walked with him to Sorrel's tent and glanced inside and whistled at the stack of instruments. "Jim you realize he is trying to make you a Journeyman don't you?" Jim rolled his eyes. "Yes I know that as well as I am going to teach him some of what I know from my world." He settled down in a chair. "Come on in and have a seat. Sorrel has given me permission to invite some people into her tent." Thomas couldn't help but grin at him. "So do I get to listen to something? The kids have, Master Eldon has but do I?" He was teasing but was surprised when Jim stood up. He grabbed the instrument that had been Master Eldon's and opened the case and checked the tuning. "This is a very private song and this one I wrote." His face showed some grief as he spoke. He kept it as quiet as possible so that it wasn't heard much outside the tent. This time he didn't cry but he was close. "My little sister died when she was 15 to a disease that couldn't be cured. I wrote that for her." He stroked the instrument. "You are the second person to have heard it." Thomas was shocked when Jim told him that he was only the second. From next door he could hear faint crying and assumed that it was Sorrel but chose not to say anything. "Thank you Jim, that means a great deal to me that you would play it for me." Jim put the instrument away after detuning it and tucked it in a corner. "If you don't mind Thomas I need to rest." He walked over to the bed and lay down on it and buried his face in the pillow. ~~~ The following two or so weeks went past pretty quickly since most of the day Jim spent working with the instruments. The healer wasn't letting him exercise yet, or not heavy exercises though the sutures were out. He was working with what would be classified as a physical therapist who was helping stretch the scars and muscles out. To say he was hating it was an understatement. At one point he growled at the man. "I hate you with a passion." It got a laugh back and a 'then I am doing my job correctly.'" Towards the end of the two weeks Sorrel pulled him off to the side and was looking very serious. "Jim we are going to be getting ready to leave in the next few days. We are to meet the Panther tribe in a week for one of our annual ceremonies. There are five ceremonies a year to celebrate the change of seasons. Each is with a different tribe. Once we have the ceremony we will move to high ground since the rainy season is going to start soon." She was really concerned about his reaction. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head in his neck. "I knew it was coming Sorrel. I have talked to the elders and they haven't heard of anything like this. They did say that they would talk to the other elders. Master Eldon said he would also talk to the other master songsmiths for the songs only shared between masters." Jim stroked her back. "Thank you for coming and talking to me about this. I just need to find room for all the stuff that Master Eldon has piled on me." He smiled at her. She snorted. "Most can go back to the caravan they use though keep the flute and your personal instrument as well as the manual. You won't really have time to do much else while we are traveling." It was going to be a big shock for him as they travel. They had paths they used but they changed at time and they had to scout for the caravans. "You need to get checked out to see what you can do before we leave and we will start packing in two days." Jim rolled his eyes. "At least not in mud this time hopefully. Slogging through mud really sucks." At least he had finally acquired enough clothing for a week or more depending on the weather. One thing he was going to need to get was a rain jacket. "So where do I get a rain coat, cover, whatever you want to call it?" She grinned. "I actually have one for you and have for a while. Oh while I am thinking about it the caravan's get shared and especially in the rainy season. Certain ones are designed for carrying tents and furniture. Others are designed for cooking. Most are designed for people and most are shared by families. We will be with father though I rather expect you will also spend time with Nasha and Nora." He was pretty much over getting red when she teased him. "Depends on just how crowded they are. I might end up sleeping under one of the caravans." Jim was definitely teasing her when he said that. "Considering I have lived in barracks with 70 or 80 other soldiers I am not too worried. It will be different with females and children but I think I can handle it." He hoped he could or he might sleep on top of one the damn things. Sorrel simply grinned. "You might want to get in all the nookie you want in the next day or two since once crammed in..." She bumped him and laughed. "Let's get you checked out and then go from there. I know you and you won't stand still." She hooked her arm through his and tugged him along towards the medical tent. "Hey I am here to get Jim checked out so he doesn't drive me nuts." Jim grumbled at her. "I wouldn't drive you nuts since you already are like most sqorrels." He moved to the side so she couldn't poke him or pinch him. The old lady laughed at the two of them. "Come young man and have a seat." She watched him hop up on the table and grinned. "Well you are moving much better now take your shirt off." Once he did she ran her fingers across his back and poked and prodded the scars. As he tensed she nodded. "Okay, the therapy is helping but you still have some work to do. The scars are healing very well but you need to work on your flexibility." He tried to move as normal as possible but it was obvious that he was still having some issues. As she was poking and prodding he tried not to react too much but his back was still sensitive. "Fine, I keep going to that evil man. What can I do to help get ready? I have been working hard with Master Eldon but I am starting to go nuts because I can't exercise." He looked disgruntled when he said that. "Even if it is light things like fold tents and such I need something to do." She nodded. "Keep it light and I am going to talk to your three ladies on what you can or can't do. I am not going to have you undo what I have done for you. That and you had better be ready for your warrior ceremony or I am going to do something evil to you." She knew that Jim knew about it but not when it was going to be. In this case it was going to be special since it was going to be in front of two tribes. That was very rare but he deserved it. Jim rolled his eyes at her and sighed. "And nobody will talk to me about it other than it will happen. Sheesh, you would think it is a secret or something." He hopped off the table. "Thank you for giving me permission to actually do something." He gave her a hug and left the caravan with Sorrel. "If I ever see that place again it will be too soon." ~~~ Jim ended up helping with the light work starting with Sorrel's tent since he had no idea how to take the silly thing down. Once he had an idea of how to break everything down he helped her secure it to the back of her father's caravan. Once that was done he headed over to Nasha's and gave her as good a hand as possible. In her case her items were neatly tucked in a caravan that was used for a number of families. Each tent and set of furniture was neatly separated so everyone knew who's belonged to whom. When he went over to Nora's hers was already mostly down but he helped her finish and pack it away. To be honest after helping with the three tents his back was aching but in a good way. It felt good with use and not aching with overuse or being used before it was time. By the end of the day the camp was pretty much packed up and they were using some precooked food. The next morning they would be on the move. That would be interesting since the children and infirm were going to be riding in the caravans. Jim had been asked if he wouldn't mind spending a bit of time in various caravan's playing some music to occupy the people in the caravans. When he was asked he frowned at Sorrel. "If this is to get me to keep from walking all day I am going to be really annoyed." He had a feeling the walk would be relatively mild and wouldn't really push him all that much. Sorrel shook her head. "Not so Jim. It is to keep the kids occupied so they don't go nuts. There are others such as Nasha who are going to be doing much the same only to play with them." That was a small fib since they wanted to make sure that he was capable of keeping up with the caravans. They moved faster than they looked. As she was taking to him she was thinking about the caravans and they were made of the same light yet strong wood everything else was. The axels had heavy duty shock absorbers and independent suspension so as they went over tree roots it would only impact on that wheel normally. They were powered by special stones that were similar to the ones used for the lights but far more powerful. They were controlled by specially trained handlers. The most important part was that they were relatively quiet which made hunting easier. At times they would have to use preserved meat and other preserved items. They had dehydrated onions, garlic, a number of herbs and other items. They had the local equivalent of chickens so they had fresh eggs for breakfast and making bread and other items like that. Jim was actually very impressed with how prepared they were. It made sense but it still impressed him. Finally the day to leave came and he rolled out of the sleeping bag he was sharing with Sorrel and carefully stretched. When he was able to stretch and his back didn't hurt much he was quite pleased. The other thing that pleased him was the axe he had used was laying next to the bag and on the leather sheath was engraved the corrected glyph that Sorrel had taken care of. "Oh man, this is so special. I can't believe they gave me this to me." There were a few small gems surrounding his name. With a casual ease he slung the blade over his back and settled for just carrying his pistol as well. His submachine gun was accessible but he didn't see any reason to carry it. Nasha had walked up and laugh. "As if anyone would use the weapon you used to gain your totem animal." She had two babies with her and handed one to Jim. Someone is stinky and needs changing." She started nursing the other. Jim pretended to be offended by the hint he change a diaper. "Excuse me but I am a warrior and have more important jobs to do." Both women laughed at him and he grabbed the bag and flipped out a blanket and quickly changed the little boy. Thomas walked up and grinned. "I see that you are braver than most. I have seen strong warriors run from diaper duty. Maybe I should have a new bracelet made for you..." When Nasha tried handing the other baby to Thomas he backed away. "Sorry, single and not brave enough." Jim laughed at him. "Maybe I should get a 'not brave enough to do diaper duty' made for you." He took the little girl and quickly changed her and handed her to Sorrel. "Time to get to work I think." Jim grabbed his instrument and with a wave headed off. As they were walking around it was obvious that they were well organized and kids and the elderly were climbing into the caravans. Males and females were both were standing next to caravans that he assumed had their families. "We are going to patrol the boarder for a while before you start doing your singing thing. At that point we will go from caravan to caravan and spend at most an hour in each till your fingers are tired." He didn't mind since it was easy work since all warriors were paired up and Thomas was given instructions on keeping an eye on Jim to make sure he didn't overwork himself. ~~~ By the end of the day Jim had a new appreciation for the tribe and it's organization. One thing he discovered was that attached to the caravans were tent pieces that were quickly folded out. Sleeping bags were put out and he had to smile since at the Chief's tent it was only his family and they had room. One thing Jim did was make sure that all stones under the bag were removed. "I am not going to have a rock under my ass for all night." That got him laughed at by the Chief and his family though they were doing much the same thing. As things were getting set up the team Jim was assigned to dig latrines. "Great I go from diaper duty to latrine duty. I think I am going to complain to someone." That got a laugh from most of the guys. Noreal really laughed since he had children. "That's what you get for seeing one of the babysitters so quite your whining and get to work." That got more laughs. Jim waved his shovel at him. "I might dig this extra deep and they will never find the body... Oh wait, I would probably end up doing diaper duty for your mate. Never mind." He started digging again. By the time they were done most of the work setting up had been done and the smell of cooking wafted by. "Oh man that smells good. Talk to you later and I will try and wake for our patrol Thomas. Not used to getting up at night anymore." ~~~ Jim could tell that he was definitely not in the shape he had been in before the fight with the bear. The worst part was he could tell that Thomas as well as the ladies was keeping an eye on him. That frustrated him as well as made him feel sort of good. They cared enough to make sure he wasn't overworking himself. He found that they were giving him more stops in the caravans to play. He didn't only play but told some stories of his world as well. By now it was understood that he was from a different world and they wanted to know about it. At night by the time it was time to roll into bed as soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep. He did make a habit of alternating sleeping with the three ladies he had been spending time with. How he had ended up spending nights with Nora he wasn't sure but he had a feeling that one of the other two had slipped him a micky. By the end of the meal she had offered him he was starting to get tired and ended up asleep in her bed. Now each night he spent a different night with each lady and in a way it still sort of bothered him. He had been paying very close attention to what was going on and unless they were a promised couple or actually mated there was a great deal of bed swapping. That had been proven the day he had helped find Tonya and Sorrel was sharing a bed with a different man. That had taken a bit of time to accept but finally decided it was their culture and he wasn't going to make a big deal about it. The trip took about five days and when they finally arrived the other tribe had obviously arrived earlier that day and was mostly setup. One thing he definitely noticed was a dividing line made of rocks that ran part way from one side of the clearing to the other. In the middle was a very large section that had stones surrounding it. Instead of a solid line of rocks there were spaces between them and a large pile of wood was in the middle. While Jim was helping to setup the camp Thomas gave him a quick overview of how it worked. "Everything on the other side of the stone line is their territory. The large circle is neutral territory. If you cross the line you will be challenged and if you lose then the tribe will owe them something of value. If you win then the opposite." They were doing latrines again as they were talking. "Now during the ceremony and dancing the entire center space is open but don't go beyond that." Jim listened to what he was saying and nodded. "Makes sense and would keep fights down. Now as far as weapons what about them? Wear a knife or what?" That was the important question for him. He really didn't like the idea of walking around weaponless. Thomas nodded since that was a very good question. "If you have earned the right to carry one you can but it is considered a challenge except during the actual ceremonies and dances. At any time you can carry a knife since they are considered a tool as much as anything." He stood up for a moment. "Till you are given your Axe you can't wear it. Any other weapons you have earned you can. Tonight you will be presented as a warrior and given your weapon. For you it will be expected for you to wear it at all times." He grinned at him as well. "It is going to be expected that you 'accidently' cross the line occasionally to show your skills. We will talk more about that later." He turned and started digging again as did Jim. By the time they were done the camp was mostly setup and he walked over to Sorrel's tent and in. "I really hope they have bathing pools since I need a bath badly." He stretched and grinned. "You might be letting everyone known that you have company this evening." She laughed before pulling a wrapped package out and handed it to him. "I hope you like it Jim." She lowered her ears and tilted her head in embarrassment when she handed it over. "The shirt is made of the material you had been given before we left." He settled down and dusted his hands off and carefully opened the package and found a lovely outfit. The shirt was fancy and had some embroidery around the cuff's and collar. It was a dark green and incredibly soft. There was also a pair of pants as well. They were similar to cut as the normal pants. They were a lighter green and had embroidery down the sides that matched the shirt. The two other items were soft leather boots and a leather belt and holster that matched his as much as possible. "Oh my god these are wonderful." He turned and gave her a good hug. "Nasha and Nora helped as well so don't forget to thank them as well." She was really pleased that they went over quite well. "We actually use showers here where there is good drainage. Most of the other places have the hot springs for bathing." She gathered up some clothing as he gathered up his new clothing and followed her over to the showers. World of Ranicke 03 It was an odd looking configuration since it was built into a caravan that had a pipe going into it from a spring of some sort. He followed her example and set the clean clothing on a shelf and stripped down. It had been so long since he had a shower that it felt really good. "I miss a good shower. Baths are nice but growing up I took showers to get clean." She gave him an odd look but only shrugged. Sorrel was getting used to different ways he did things so she didn't comment. They didn't take too long since there were others that wanted to take a shower as well. Once toweled off Jim dressed in the clothing and felt they looked really good on him. "I need a hair cut darn it." Considering most of the males had long hair he looked rather odd. The boots fit quite well and so did the belt and holster. He changed the weapon over as well as several clips and knife. "I feel really silly but figure I should wear at the very least my knife and pistol." As they finished getting clean the other two ladies and Thomas joined them and Thomas looked impressed. Once you have your symbol embrodierdered on the shirt you are going to be totally in demand." He gave him a sly look. "The other tribe is going to really be hunting you down and since they are mostly felines they love the hunt." The three ladies all growled at that idea since they had no urge to share with another tribe. Theirs was okay but another? Not happening while they were around. Jim was rather startled by their possessive growl and actually looked a bit shocked by it. "Um, I will keep that in mind ladies." Thomas started laughing. "Oh my, a three way mating. You are going to be kept busy Jim." Twitting him was one of his favorite past times. World of Ranicke 04 One thing Jim was glad about was that the showers were somewhat isolated. They had shielding on three sides and he made sure that his back was obstructed by the girls or by the shower stalls. It wasn't that he wasn't proud of the scars, to be honest he was and wasn't. He was proud that he was able to save her since that was what he signed on for. He wasn't because he had shown his killer inside. Once he was done getting clean he toweled off and took his time pulling the clothing on. In this case he looked at the ladies and then at Thomas. "Ladies I think in this case I need Thomas's help. It just feels right." He gave all three a hug and kiss but turned away. Jim pulled on the pants and shirt and was getting ready to tuck the shirt in as he normally did. Thomas stopped him. "Loosely James, loosely. You are going to be showing the tribes how you deserved the bear totem. Go ahead and put on your knife and other weapon since you have earned them." Thomas made sure that his soft boots were on snuggly and the pants were neatly tucked in. Jim left the pants slightly loose but made sure the holster and knife were secured. He allowed Thomas to affix the apprentice band on and the silver bracelet but nothing else. Jim had been alternating the various bracelets so that everyone knew that he appreciated them. Tonight though was for one purpose and one only. One thing he had discovered was that the bracelets were a main way of saying thanks for things. If he had used all the ones he had gathered his right arm would be covered from wrist to elbow. He had also discovered that you would, or could choose one or two a day and all were happy. As they had been marching along he had been forced to pick up a branch and using his knife had pealed the bark off and use it to walk with. He hadn't expected the move to be quite as active as it had been and between carrying the axe and Corwith was more than he had expected and the staff helped a great deal. Both Thomas and the ladies had noticed and brought it up and he found that he had been given more caravan riding than scouting. It bothered him but he did understand though by the last day he was doing much better. As he had been telling stories he had been working on carving Celtic knots on the staff once he had skinned it. To be honest he should use a kiln dried piece of wood but this would do for the time being till I might be able to get one. Very few people appeared to have them on this world unless they were the older generation. He wasn't sure if they realized they could be a weapon as well. He sort of hoped not since it would give him an edge. "Now what Thomas? What comes next?" They had talked some about the ceremony but it was rather generic and Jim had a feeling that was deliberate on Moran's decision. Now that he was dressed he found that he was missing the axe that would be given to him as well as the necklace during the ceremony. Thomas smiled at him. "You will be introduced to both clans. You will get to listen to the story of how you battled the bear and then be given the necklace and axe." His expression took on a darker expression. "You might receive a challenge from the other tribe to prove you are worth it. If so I would strongly recommend you pick an axe. Not the one you are to be given but a different one." Jim gave him a grim smile. "I have a weapon I can and will use that will shock most people. I will not go down swinging what so ever. If they take me down it is going to be in a messy fight." He had been taught to kill and though he wouldn't he would use every skill he had to deal with the challenge. "So if there is a challenge how does it work?" Thomas grimaced slightly. "Well technically you are still injured so you could put it off till you are healed but that would look bad. Now if you were on a stretcher or was sworn to by a healer than you couldn't find that would be one thing but..." He sighed. "Right now it would look bad. If you are challenged you have the choice of weapons which is why I was suggesting the axe. I know you are good with it." Jim considered and then grinned. "I think I will surprise them all and even you. No I am not going to shoot him or toss my knife at him but still if I am challenged he is going to be feeling really stupid." There was an evil grin on his face when he said that. "Oh is there a challenge circle or something?" Thomas nodded. "Normally there would be one somewhere but here not really as such. It would normally take place on one side or the other of the circle. Normally if you are challenged you would choose your side since it would give you an emotional advantage." About then the horns started blowing and Thomas urged him in the direction of the center of the right. "Are you sure you want the staff?" As far as he knew he was simply using it to help with walking. When Jim gave him an evil look he started worrying. Jim was up to something and that worried him. As Jim headed towards the low podium he did limp since the wound on his left cheek did still hurt but the staff helped. As he and Thomas walked towards the podium the tribe separated for the two of them. Jim felt rather odd hearing the whispering as the two of them walked past. He knew in a way this was his day since he was being honored but it felt just so odd. As they were walking he decided to treat it like he was getting an award while in the military. "Yes I do want the staff. It still hurts a bit to walk and this way I can walk without a limp." The one wound that went below his waist had gone into the muscle and had internal sutures as well. They had healed but he had a feeling he was going to have slight limp for the rest of his life. It wouldn't keep him from being a warrior but would take time to completely heal. As he approached the circle he noticed a low platform and Thomas quietly urged him up on it and then stepped behind him off to one side. There was a small table that had the necklace and axe on it. Thomas took his position next to the table and waited for the fun and games to start. The new chief of the Puma Tribe was a bit of a hot head and he was expecting a challenge and especially since Jim was a human. Chief Moran waited for Jim to approach and he stopped somewhat sort of him and gave him a respectful bow. "As requested I present myself to the Chief of the Soran tribe." Jim stood tall though he was very slightly leaning against the staff. Moran gave him a smile. "Welcome Jim. Welcome to the ceremony where you will be awarded your totem necklace and your weapon." As he was talking he waved towards the table with the items he was talking about. The puma chief looked at the human and almost sneered at him. "Making a human a warrior and on top of that giving him a totem for a bear? What kind of crap is this?" Jim raised an eyebrow and looked at Moran and got a nod from him. "I accept your challenge. It will be on your side of the neutral circle and you can use the weapon of your choice." He took his belt off and handed it to Thomas since he didn't want to do something stupid like shoot the idiot. The puma chief smirked when Jim took the belt off and simply stood there with a staff of wood and nothing else other than some bracelet he was wearing. It looked like an apprentice bracelet which only made him sneer even more. By giving him his side of the circle he was giving him the emotional advantage. It never occurred to him that Jim was using it to his advantage. Jim stripped his shirt off sine he didn't want it damaged since it had been given to him by Sorrel. His tribe cheered since they could see the scars from the bear. The other scars shown in the firelight and covered most of his chest and got a gasp from the other tribe. He moved to the other side of the circle and stood there with the staff in front of him. "Well? Bring it on Chief. I am getting hungry and would like to get this over." The chief leapt forward and snapped his sword out and swung at the insulting human. He was completely expecting to take him down first blow. Granted he would be pulling it to keep from really hurting him but he still expected to take him down quickly. Jim didn't think twice before snapping the staff up and slapped the sword away and casually nailed him in the ribs. It wasn't hard but it was enough to let him know he cared. Jim moved back and simply waited for the Chief to react. The Chief couldn't believe that he had not only blocked but hit him as well. For half a moment he froze and then swung again. He was still trying not to hurt him to much but now he was going to get his ass thrashed. He took a different swing and was shocked when it was blocked again and he was nailed in the thigh. The fight was not pretty for the Chief since Jim took his time to chase the chief around the circle. By the time Jim was done he nailed his forehead with the staff and knocked him out. By now everyone had seen the scars on his back and the fight with the chief. Jim used the staff to limp back to the platform and waved Thomas away when he came to help. "I will do this by myself." That was a very quiet murmur. He had several minor lacerations and the old healer growled. "Damn it not again. You are going to need some sutures." As she moved towards him he shook his head. "Later. Just dress them and I will have you deal with them later." That took several minutes before his wounds were dressed and then he pulled his shirt back on and added the belt. He turned to the chief and stood proud. As far as the other chief he pretty much ignored him. "Was the challenge acceptable Chief Moran?" "It was and time for you to be given your totem." He turned to Thomas and took the necklace from him and held it for a moment. "Warrior Jim earned this, the sign of his totem, by helping to save one of the children of the tribe. Yes there were other warriors there but Jim took the bear on virtually single handed and even after receiving critical wounds proceeded to kill the bear to protect Tonya." He draped the necklace around his neck. "As is normal when one earns his totem one is given the weapon they used. Normally it is a special weapon designed for the attempt." With a slight grin he had Thomas hand him the axe. "This is an average axe, used for cutting down trees, lopping branches off, and other similar work. In a way this represents Jim. He simply wants to be an average tribe member." Moran smiled at Jim and then the tribe. "He even felt accepting simple gifts wasn't something he could do because he felt he was simply doing his job." He hefted the axe. "I guess you could say in a way this represents Jim perfectly, good solid tool that does its job and doesn't expect anything else." He held his hand out and Thomas handed him a finely tooled sheath. "Jim feels he is a simple man and on the outside he is. On the inside he is a special man. He is the apprentice to Master Songsmith Eldon. He has been spending mornings with Master Eldon and the children teaching and learning. In the afternoons he has been working on being a warrior." He stroked the leather of the sheath. "I had the sheath tooled to show just how special he is." It was lovely work. He sheathed the axe and handed it over to Jim. When Jim took the axe and sheath his hands were shaking slightly and he had to lower his head. He stroked the leather and gave a shuddering breath. "God this is beautiful. I would say I don't deserve it but I have a feeling the warrior master would proceed to kick my butt around the training circle." He gave everyone a wan smile and got a laugh. Master Eldon came up with his Corwith and handed it to him. "I think this would be a good time to play something that means something to you." He leaned forward, "not 'that' song but one that speaks of how you feel." Oh man that was asking for a lot. Right now he was still pissed by the challenge and the song that came to mind was on the insulting side. "This is a song called 'as good as I once was' by an artist named Toby Keith." He launched into it with a wide grin and a definite insulting tone with some parts. They didn't know that in the end he got beat up. Once done he handed he instrument back and grinned. "I am getting a bit older and long in the tooth but it is nice to know that I can keep up with the youngsters." Just for good measure he slapped Thomas on the shoulder before turning to the chief. Moran gave him a look that promised he would get him back. He knew that the song was aimed at the other Chief. "Well let the festivities begin and let us give thanks for having a new warrior." He urged Jim forward towards the three women. They moved forwards and gathered him up and directed him to the main table and settled around him. "Wonder if he would be up for a good evening." Sorrel asked the other two and laughed when he turned red. "Well the healer did clear him for some activities..." Nasha glanced at Nora and ignored Jim as he tried not to choke on that. If they kept this up he was going to end up doing something the damn bear hadn't and die. "I might just find a place to hide tonight where you can't find me..." He started laughing as he took a sip of something similar to beer and smiled when a young lady brought him some food and was blushing the entire time. He guessed she was maybe 15 and was probably beyond honored to be serving him. The three ladies laughed and started treating him as the honored guest he was. They were taking small snippets of their food and feeding him. It felt really weird to be treated this way. "You know I can feed myself." Damn it he was blushing again and looked down at the table. "I really don't feel..." God what to say. He felt so strange for getting honored this way for doing nothing. Well nothing to him. "I feel so strange just for what I did. I know I saved a child and you won't ever make me feel differently or I will be a different person." Nora leaned forward and stroked his cheek. "We don't want you to be different but you saved my baby and you do deserve to be honored for it." She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss and wrapped her arms around him. "Jim I want you to be honored for what you did but you are right. I don't want you to change either. I want you to get the respect that you deserve." She kept a hold on him and stroked his hair and back. Nora lightly touched the necklace. "You didn't even hesitate to do what was needed and that is why you have this." His world was so different if he felt so strange for getting such respect. "If you had done this in your world what would you have gotten?" She was truly curious because his reaction was so strange. To Nora his world seemed almost incomprehensible if he wouldn't have gotten something. Jim took a bite of food from Nasha and contemplatively chewed on it. "Well it would really depend on where it happened in my world." He looked down at the surface of the table and sort of drew doodles with his fingers. For some reason it helped him think. "If I had still been in the military I would probably have given me some sort of medal." He took another bite from one of the ladies and smiled at the burst of spice. "You had better start eating as well or you might starve." Jim took a sip. If I was a civilian I would get some sort of plaque and a small ceremony." He took another sip. "If I had been working where I was when I had been there would have been a note in my personnel jacket and nothing else." It wasn't something he had ever really thought about before. All three women looked rather shocked though they didn't realize what he meant by medal's or awards. It never occurred to him that though they were talking the same language it might as well be different. The words meant different things to each and they simply didn't know the right questions to ask or answer. The three women simply looked at him and shook their heads. It seemed so strange that they decided they were going to spoil him rotten tonight. As they were sitting there Tonya came up and wiggled her way into his lap and he gave her a good hug. Just to make things even he sliced off a small bite of what appeared to be a tenderloin and fed the little girl. As she was munching on it he gave her a hug and looked at his mother. "I am glad I did what I did." Jim rested his head on the little girl's and had a mixed look on his face. His eyes were closed and he thought about his nephew and wished he had a child or two as well. Damn it recently it seemed all he had been wanting to cry or crying. He knew that part of it was such a change of world. They did things so differently, the totem thing, being awarded for who he was. He stroked her ears and gave them a sad smile. Before he could actually start crying someone cleared their throat and Jim's instantly cleared his face. He handed Tonya to one of the women and stood up and turned. When he did he found the Puma Chief standing there. "Good evening Chief how may I help you?" The Puma chief took a bracelet off and carefully tied it around his wrist. "For a human you fight very well and this is in respect for what you managed to do." He gave him a wintery smile. "Next time please avoid the rather insulting song." With a nod he turned and walked away from the table and Jim stood there for a moment before he sat down. "God now what?" He lightly banged his head against the table. Moran walked past and patted him on the shoulder. "I figured you might need to go to the women's tent to learn our ways as well." Jim was looking at the table when Moran said that and banged his head even more. Moran walked away laughing his tail off. He had a tribe member on each arm, one from each tribe. It was obvious that he was finding great amusement at Jim's reaction. All three ladies were snickering as well though Tonya was confused. "Well it might be a good learning experience for him." Sorrel added. Just for good measure she gave him a knowing look. Nasha and Nora snickered as well. "Might give him an urge to have a few babies as well. Wonder who would get him to get them pregnant first." Nasha looked at him out of the corner of her eye and had to grin when he settled for just leaving his head on the table. "I hate all of you and I might take Moran to the training circle." He knew that Moran had been teasing him and so had been the ladies and he sighed. "I think I am going to become a hermit in some comfortable cave." Now he was teasing them since he figured they deserved it as well. Nora looked horrified at that idea. "Good god no fun? That sounds utteraby horrible. We need to tie him to a bed to keep him from doing that." Tonya was munching on her small plate of food and Nasha was helping her. Jim sat up and smirked at her. "You deserved that." He leaned over and stroked Tonya's ears and smiled when she mock growled at him and he had to laugh. "Okay, I won't get between you and your food." She gave him a toothy smile before she eventually finished eating. It wasn't much longer before she started yawning and he smiled at her. Jim gathered her close and held her. "For her alone all this was worth it." He closed his eyes and relaxed his head on hers and a few tears leaked out. "I don't give a crap about the rest of it but this, she is totally worth it." Damn it he wasn't planning on crying but holding the little girl was just too much. "I would have done it for anyone, any child that needed help." Sorrel shared looks with the other two and moved over and wrapped an arm around him and Tonya on the other. Both pulled him close and simply held him. Now this was something more along lines of what they had expected from him. Several of the warriors that had worked with him took position around the table to make sure that they had room. All of them had learned to respect Jim's abilities and how he had sort of been a rather retiring person. They had been keeping an eye on him and when he started crying with Tonya in his lap they knew that was the response they had expected. The ceremony meant less to him than saving the little girl. The last thing he needed was people hassling him. World of Ranicke 04 He finally wiped his eyes and handed Tonya to her mother and gave her a good hug. He also gave Sorrel and Nasha a hug. "Now I think it is time for a bit more food and then maybe some dancing and celebrating." When Thomas came over and offered him a drink he gave him a very suspicious look. Thomas laughed at him. "I am not that stupid. If I did that you would end up with a funny looking fur rug in your tent whenever you get one." He settled down and lightly stroked Tonya's ears. "You are a damn good person and I am so proud for knowing you." He reached over and strapped on a bracelet as well. "From the team. Simple yet wonderful. Mind you we are going to keep kicking your butt in the training circle." The puma chief came back over since he had been watching Jim as he dealt with the little girl. He settled down as well. "Mind you I am going to drag your butt to the training circle. It has been a long time since I have had my tail handed to me like that." He took a sip of the drink he had. "I did hear people talking about the song and was slightly offended." Piquel couldn't help but grin. Jim blushed. "Sorry, had a bad day and feel so..." He sort of waved his hand around and Thomas had to grin. "He felt it silly that he was getting so much attention since he just did what he was supposed to." Thomas pushed the cup a bit closer. "Drink and relax Jim, just juice with a tiny bit of alcohol in it. Just enough to help you relax and accept that you did something special." Suddenly Master Eldon was there with Jim's instrument. "Maybe something better this time? Not quite so insulting?" His tone was not pleased though he did find it an amusing song. Jim lightly strummed the instrument. "I am sure you have lost warriors before and this is a song about a warrior that was lost and honored. You won't understand some of it since it is from my world but I think you will get the important parts." He looked down at the instrument. "Our world has a different tuning than yours." Jim started singing 'I drive your truck' by Lee Bryce. Once he was done he looked up at him. "It is a song about a man who lost his brother." Piquel could feel the emotions and knew people that had lost brothers, sisters, and yes children to the forest. He lowered his head and took a few moments to recover his emotions since he lost his brother as well. "Jim that was wonderful and with your Masters permission I would love to have you play a few songs for both tribes." He reached over and stroked the bracelet Eldon had given him. "Especially mine. I am sure you have heard him sing but we haven't." Eldon looked at him and smiled. "Well tomorrow is the moon ceremony which is a major dance." He glanced at the three women. "Might not be a good idea for you to have some women trying to hit on him." Nora hissed and Nasha growled. Sorrel simply flicked her tail along his back. Piquel couldn't help but grin as he looked at the three women. "I have a feeling that wouldn't be a good idea myself." It was obvious that the three of them doted on him. He looked at Eldon and grinned. "So what are you doing with a good apprentice like him? He is a damn good singer even if the songs are sort of odd." There was a great respect. Eldon smiled. "As he mentioned he is from another world and is teaching me his style of music while I teach him mine." He glanced at Jim as he was back nibbling on the food they were giving him. "I would say he is a journeyman but has to learn a woodwind." There was definite affection when he looked at the human. The three had moved down the table and were talking quietly as the others were eating. Tonya was laid down on a comforter and snoring quietly. Jim looked at all three of them. "I know that I have only been here for a bit over a month or maybe a bit more but I do care for all of you." He had to stretch to reach all three and kissed and hugged them. "I am not really sure how I managed to come to care for all three of you but I do." Eventually they were done eating and he looked at the others. "Well I have a feeling that we are going to be doing some dancing and if someone else asks me to dance then you are going to allow it." He gave each of them a look. "I won't accept any answers right now." He blushed. "Well not any offers. I have more than enough right now." He looked down at Tonya. "What about her." Nora smiled. "I have someone arranged to watch her in case she wakes up." When Jim picked her up and pulled her close Nora smiled. "You seem to really care for her." She reached over and stroked her ears. Jim looked at her and then in the distance. "In a way she makes me think of my nephew who I might never see again." He pulled her closer and tucked her head in his neck. "I can accept probably not making it back but I am going to miss that little boy." He closed his eyes again and simply held her for a moment as the music started getting louder. Piquel looked at the two of them and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes though it didn't really show in his body. "He really is from a different land isn't he?" He would be dancing with his mate later and eventually she would go and feed their child. He ignored the music and though he was looking at the chief and songsmith he was keeping an eye out on the male. When a female approached he slightly shook his head. *Leave him be for tonight. Serve him if needed but nothing else.* He was chief and he could touch others with his spirit thought it could be hard. Moran nodded. "He is and he has been doing a damn good job of trying to fit in." He picked up a veggie. "If I thought he was going to stay here he would make a wonderful mate for my girl and eventually a damn good chief. He always looks at both sides of things." He did notice the look on Piquel's look. "No poaching." He sighed. "If you really pushed him he would kill you. His world is different from ours and I have heard from the warrior master that Jim even scares him." He didn't want to admit it but he had to. "What he did to you today was virtually nothing." Moran looked at him. "When was the last time you saw a warrior best a bear even with help?" Piquel looked at him and gave him a measuring look. To be honest even his warriors worked as groups to take on a bear and never one at a time. The other comment by the chief almost set him off but he actually sat down, so to speak, and considered each and every blow. As Jim had been delivering it he had been almost silently been muttering what would happen if he did this move or that move. Looking back that was almost scary. "That must be a pretty horrible place he came from then." He picked up a strip of spiced meat and nibbled on it as he contemplated what such a place was like. Being brutally honest Jim had made him look like a new warrior when he fought him. What was most humiliating was that he used a stick of wood while Piquel had been using a sword. Yes Jim had been injured but he could tell it was so he could land a blow that was worse than what he received. He finally shook his head. "I wouldn't want to go to that world." Moran kept eating as the other chief was thinking. "I don't think you are looking at it quite the same way Jim does. He was trained to kill to protect even if that sounds contradictory. When he took the bear on Thomas said he could tell that he really didn't want to kill it but it had to be done so he did. He considered both sides of the issue and then made the hard choice." Moran looked over at the four of them. "Look at him. Does he look like he is going to stand up and go on a rampage?" Jim had Tonya on his lap and he was holding her close to his chest as she was sleeping and she was just big enough he could rest his chin on the top of her head. His expression was gentle and even a bit pensive but as he talked he would smile and even reach over and tweak an ear of one of the ladies. One of the younger kids came over with a tray of drinks and gave them to the four and gave Jim a hug around one arm before quickly leaving. Piquel looked over and the entire scene was almost unreal. The human he had faced had been cold and hard. He had been almost expressionless as they fought and his eyes were hard as stone. This Jim was holding a child and his entire body language was gentle and caring. When the boy had brought some drinks over and gave him a hug he had been startled as well. "He does seem different doesn't he?" Moran nodded. "Back at our other site once he was healed enough from his first wounds he found some of the older boys playing teaching songs for the younger ones. He sat down without even thinking about it and started learning how to play one of our instruments from a boy who is about 15 and I know Jim is at least twice his age. How the turns in his world compare to ours I have no clue but can you see an adult allowing a child to teach him in public?" He took a sip of his drink and waved one of the ladies over to refill it. "Not only that but you heard him playing and he is damn good. Eldon isn't joking about making him a journeyman songsmith as soon as possible." The food was really good this evening and he nibbled on one of his favorite fruits. "When he was recovering from the bear the children sat in watches playing songs for him and to help not just him but the ladies as well as needed." When the lady came over she lightly flicked her tail along Moran's back and he had to grin. "I think we have discussed this enough to give you something to think about. I have some other things on my mind." He stood up and wrapped an arm around the woman and with a wave wandered towards Jim. "No fights ladies over who gets him tonight. You had better take them dancing Jim or you might wake up painted blue or something." After a light slap on the shoulder Moran headed towards the fires and started dancing himself. Moments later Piquel's mate came over carrying his son which he took from her and held him close. He stroked his ears as he stared at Jim and the women with him. His mate followed his eyes and leaned against him and simply held him. He would get in these moods when he was trying to think something over and she had seen the match. She had also seen him having what appeared to be a very intense conversation with Chief Moran and figured he was thinking about this evening. "You know what is rather hard to say and very odd? That man scares me." He looked down at his sleeping son. "I should say that human scares me and that really bothers me to say." Piquel leaned into her warmth and relaxed. "Look at him now and how he was during the fight. I simply can't see the same person. I honestly think he would do what he did for anyone that he felt needed his protection." He had to shake his head when he said that. "I think I am going to go put the little one away and then drag you to the dance circle and then make love to you." He grinned at her. Saria listened to her current mate and she had to admit hearing him say that was more than startling since he did not hold humans in high reguard. To have him say that one scared him was totally shocking. "They do paint a nice picture don't they? If you didn't know any better you would think that was his child the way he was holding her." She carefully locked the scene in her minds eye and then smiled. "I would say that sounds like a lovely idea and I will make sure to have one of the wet nurses feed him." She made a face since in the morning her breasts would be sort and aching but worth it. He stood up and led her over to the four. "Warrior Jim I would like to introduce you to my mate and son. We are going dancing shortly and hope to see you out there." Piquel gave the ladies a grin when he said that. "No trying to steal my mate though or else." Jim looked up and couldn't help but smile at the sight of the chief holding a baby. He handed Tonya over to her mother since it was time to have her tucked in. "May I please?" He held his arms out and took the small kitten in his arms and made sure he had his head well supported and the cloth on his bottom didn't come off. "Oh he is a cutie but I expect when he starts crawling he is going to be into everything." Now this was what he was learning to live for and it showed. "I bet he is going to drive you to distraction but in a few years when he is older you are going to look back and grin at some of his antics if he is anything like my nephew." He stroked his cheek till the kitten turned and bit him and he jerked his finger back. "Hey, no biting." That got a laugh from his mother. "He is ready to be nursed and how do you think I feel getting chewed on six or so times a day." There was no sympathy in her voice as she spoke. When Jim gave him back he sucked on his finger. "Okay, how the hell does a bite to the finger hurt worse than a bruise from training?" Piquel snorted for a moment. "I am not going to touch that since I have a feeling you gave me a really nice bruise over one rib." He grinned and wrapped an arm around his mate and led her off. "Thank god I am male..." Nora bopped him when he said that and he laughed. When he checked his finger he was still bleeding a bit. "Why do I have a feeling the old healer would laugh her ass off right now?" Nora had just come back from the temporary children's tent and looked confused till Sorrel explained what happened. "Poor Jim, wounded in a training accident with a baby. I am sure she would have all kinds of sympathy for you." She tugged him up and waited for him to finish his drink before leading him to the dancing area. "You two can go fine some random males to dance with since I claim him for the next two dances." She wasn't aggressive but she did pull him close to her and gave him a long slow kiss. Several times another female or two tried to cut in and Nora politely but pointedly told her to leave them be. Now when one of the males asked to cut in and it wasn't for Nora Jim was sort of floored. He didn't give a damn about your preference in bed partners but had never been hit on by a male before. "Um, thanks but I have three ladies that are going to draw straws later to see who gets me for the evening." The male laughed. "If you aren't interested just say no Yim. I will pass it around since I know of two other males who would like to have a dance or two with you." He flashed him a look out of the corner of his eye. "Vertical as well as horizontal dancing." Jim turned so red it wasn't funny and he hid his face for a moment. When he looked back up he grinned. "Thanks for the offer but I only lust after women so if you could pass that around I would appreciate it." He got a good slap on the back before the male vanished and he had to shake his head. He should have expected it but there simply had been so much to learn in what seemed like such a short amount of time. Nora watched the entire thing and started laughing. "Actually we drew twigs to see who got to you first..." The insinuation that all three were planning on having fun was obvious. His expression at that was almost a riot as well. For half a moment she thought he might try running. "And no trying to hide. Thomas said he would be more than happy to keep watch outside the tent and I am sure he would be more than happy to chase you down." He started laughing and gave her a good kiss. "Yes ma'am, no hiding and no running." Jim slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her and continued dancing with her. "I think I am going to make you scream my name..." He murmured in her ear and then nibbled on it and felt her react. "I am glad my ears aren't this sensitive..." It was obvious that they were currently interested in each other. Eventually he swapped her for Nasha and he danced with her for a while and then Sorrel and he ended back with Nora and ended up walking away towards Sorrel's tent. It had been decided for the evening her tent was going to be the 'hook up' tent for the evening. To say that by the time the morning rolled around Jim was beat. One thing Jim had managed to remember was to ask Thomas to sort of reserve a training spot for him the next day. ~~~ The next morning after crawling out of bed and really waking up he stretched and slightly winced since his right shoulder still ached some. He had heard someone say that the White Lady was there and he was going to have her check his shoulder for healing. After eating and catching a quick bath he pulled on his normal cloths and his pistol belt. After a bit of consideration he ended up using his basic sheath for the axe and not the finely tooled one. That was going to be for festivals and ceremony's and not daily use. The last thing he grabbed was the staff and he smiled. This was going to be fun though in a way he didn't want to do it. The last thing Jim wanted was a massive numbers of challenges and he figured if he did some training by himself it would reduce them. That was why he had asked Thomas to sort of reserve a location near where everyone could see him. Since Nasha had been the third lady he had been with he rolled over and gave her a kiss. "You know I still find it strange that you are nursing. It does make it interesting when we make love." She laughed at him. "Well I haven't seen you complain when you play with my breasts..." The first time he had been very reticent when it came to that since she was a wet nurse but since then things had changed. Jim blushed but started laughing. "Well it was the first time I was with a woman who was lactating you know. It was definitely different and thank goodness you had nursed beforehand. Getting a squirt of milk in the eye was somewhat startling." He started really snickering. "You seemed to have a great deal of fun though. I seem to remember you howling out your enjoyment." She laughed as he gave her a kiss and a good hug. "True but nothing more than you made Sorrel or Nora scream in their own ways. I think you just like to keep people awake at night." She smiled as he laughed and left the tent. The four of them all went their own ways to do their normal daily routine. As Jim was walking towards the training section he was greeted by a number of people and he returned the greetings. It was to be expected thanks to the ceremony last night. He didn't mind to much but he was still trying to down play his part and direct attention to the others on the team. By the time he finally found the training section Thomas was glad to see him. "Oh thank god, I was about ready to pass out from exhaustion. This is all yours though why you want this one I am not sure." Thomas took one of his water bottles and sucked down most of the water. "So what are you planning or do I want to know?" Jim laughed. "I am going to try and cut down on possible challenges. I really don't feel like spending the next few days fighting off young bucks trying to make a name." It had happened before and he wasn't in the mood for it. "If you want to stay and watch the fun go for it." He walked into the area that had been blocked off and while holding the staff stood still for a moment with his eyes closed. Suddenly he moved with the staff and when he did it actually looked like he was fighting people. The staff acted like it impacted on someone and Jim was doing his thing. As the staff was whipping around it seemed to shudder as it was hit by things as well as impacting on someone he appeared to be fighting. It was all imaginary but appeared to be real. At one point the staff appeared to be knocked from his hands and ended up in one corner of the ring. Moments after he 'lost the staff' he snapped out his axe and started working with that. As he was using it his face was hard and many of the moves were as if he was using the handle as a weapon as much as the bits. His body showed that he knew what he was doing though towards the end he dropped his right arm and tucked it in his belt as if it had been hurt. World of Ranicke 04 The fact was as he was doing his thing something had impacted on his arm and suddenly it was hard to move it. He had tried one move that required both arms and his right didn't move correctly at all. He growled but kept going and used it as a method to make it look like he had been injured. The axe was soon lost and his knife came out. He kept going as if he was fighting someone though his arm was really starting to hurt. It was all he could do not to cry as his arm was flaring up in pain. It felt like the one time he had soratica in one leg. Moments later the knife was 'knocked' out of his hand and he was now working hand to hand. His expression was still hard as he was working and finally ended up on the ground looking like he had been taken out. By then he had in theory taken out a number of enemy. "Oh fucking hell I need to talk to the White Lady. Something is wrong with my arm." Thomas helped him up and watched as Jim gathered up his weapons and tucked his hand back in his belt. "Damn it this hurts. Not sure why but..." He winced as he slung the axe into it's sheath and secured it with his left hand. As he was gathering his weapons he noticed a number watching him and ne nodded and then stalked away. Once they reached the healers tent he was quickly shown in and Lia checked. "Ah, something is pressing on the nerve." She looked around Manlaso can you take care of this and I will heal it after you are done." She had some sort of pen and marked what needed to come out. The old lady snickered. "Most definitely a dinner with me and you and your ladies are going to owe me." She gave him something to relax with and someone was playing some soft music in the back ground to help everyone relax. "Fine we will be over there tonight just to keep you happy." He grinned at her and took her hand and gave it another kiss. She laughed and after giving him the meds ran a nail down his shoulder and removed one of the last remaining pieces of schrapnel in his arm. Once she was done she called Lia over. "All yours milady. Just keep an eye on him since he is a lady's man." Lia laughed and did a quick healing on him. "You will be fine in the morning. No extreme exercising for him." She smirked at him and he turned damn near red. "Oh god shoot me now please? This culture is going to kill me." Jim whined just for good measure and got laughed at. "Fine, we will be there at dinner time. If nothing else it might keep your mate from doing me in." The old lady laughed as she went off to treat someone else for a minor injury. Jim grumbled but his arm did feel much better. Both the ceremony and the following day or two had been most interesting since he had been invited by several ladies and even a male or two to spend time with them. For the most part the males were just to talk thank god. The women were harder since they were almost hunting him down and it was hard to keep them at arms length and when the tribe decided it was time to keep going he was so glad it wasn't funny. He did have his shoulder looked at by the White lady and found a piece of shrapnel had been pressing on a nerve but that had been dealt with. The actual removal had been with the old lady but the healing had been by Lia thank goodness and he could use his arm as good as new again. One thing that did surprise him was that for the first day and a half they would be moving alongside the puma clan since they had similar locations for the rainy season. Actually there was a number of clans that used area's close since they were the high spots. He was walking with Thomas slowly heading towards the next caravan to sing and occupy the kids when it all happened. For some reason the fates of this world seemed to have it out for him and he was going to have to find them and have a talk with them soon. Thank god they had been passing the chief's wagon when the attack happened. Jim was looking out on the puma side when what seemed like a huge number of rather raggedy ass bandits came boiling out of the forest on that side. "Toss me my rifle damn it." He screamed and Sorrel didn't think before she tossed it at him. "Attack, puma side, twenty plus minimum." He screamed and again reacted without thinking. There was a female and he could see the sling they tended to use for small children on her and his face and eyes hardened. He was already carrying his axe, knife, and pistol but better to have more than needed. As soon as he had the rifle he jumped forward and one boot caught a spoke of a wheel and he used it to catapult up to the roof of the caravan and jumped across to the next and moved forward to a good firing spot. By now whoever it was had already reached the most important caravan and h simply flipped off the safety and started dropping the bandits with three round bursts and the occasional single shots. Since he didn't have his vest and more Ammo he ran out rather quickly and there were still more than plenty. The female seemed to be down and bleeding and he didn't really think before he rolled off to top of the other caravan and landed on the ground and came up over her body. Jim didn't know if she was dead or not, or even the child but the axe came out and he snapped it around and took out one bandit. Moments later a second was taken out and he ran into someone who was as good as he was and by the time he dispatched him his right arm was injured again. Thank god by now there were more than enough Puma warriors to start chasing the others away. Even a number of Moran's tribe were there. Jim had blood all over him but most of it was not his. "Fucking cowards. Come back and fight me you fuckers." He was screaming imprecations in different languagues. One finally turned around and flipped a knife at him. Jim reacted by reaching over and pulling out his pistol and with a head shot took him out. "Owe god damn it not again." The knife was embedded in his right shoulder and it was agony. Leaving the knife alone he checked the female and she was dead. The baby boy wasn't and was just bloody though he didn't know that at the time. He scooped him up and carried him to the healer's tent. "Take care of him please. Make sure he lives." One of the attendandants grabbed the boy as Jim went down again. Lia frowned at Jim and rolled her eyes. "God not again damn it. I don't have the time for this." She picked him up and placed him on a bed as others started coming in and realized it was more than a training accident. "Okay we are going to need..." She started tossing out orders as she moved amongst the injured. When both chief's showed up and looked at Jim and then her she got the idea. "He is going to be okay though hating life again." She frowned at him. "Tell him to stop this crap or I am going to heal him whilwake." Moran stood tall. "White Lady he kept the caravan from being badly damaged by bandits. This was not his fault." She didn't even pause as she started working on him. "Well that was one thing I was planning on talking to you about on the trip. Just found out about them before we left." His right arm was well and truly fucked up. "Zonaia I am going to need your skills as a surgeon. One of his tendons is almost completely severed and unless sutured before I heal it he will never be able to use that arm again correctly." She turned to another warrior that had been wounded and started working on him. The attendants were sorting the injured warriors by levels of how injured they were and if she needed to work on them. By the time they were done with the sorting and doing what they could Lia was collapsed in the corner and was about as white as could be. They had lost three warriors while trying to work on them and that wasn't including several that had died in the attack. By the time the attack had been beaten off they had lost a total of 8 warriors total. Three from Moran's tribe and five from the Puma. They had counted a total of twelve strange kills that they attributed to Jim and as he was trying to defend the woman and child another five. The total kills of the ire attack from the bandits side looked to be somewhere near twenty five taken out. Sorrel, Nora, and Nasha had dropped everything to help as best they could. Nasha took care of all the children totally free of charge unlike normal. This was a major tribal issue and she was going to do what was needed to help the tribe. When she had been handed a small puma baby she didn't even think twice before taking him and start nursing. "Yim is a very brave warrior. He tried to protect this little one and his mother." One of the Puma clan females told them. She had one arm in a sling since she had been in the wrong spot and whatever Jim had been doing on top of the caravan saved her. "Keep a very close watch on this little man. He is very special." With that she turned and limped away. Nasha and several others simply stared at the other woman when she told them to keep a very close watch on him. "Most definitely. We will be keeping watch on all of them since it is our job." She managed not to sound offended when she said that though she did grab a sling and once done tucked the baby in it. Sorrel and Nora were helping take care of the injured as they were treated. That was mostly finding bedding in nearby in caravan's so the healers didn't have to try and hunt for the injured. They were making lists of who was where as well. It took several hours and the caravan's had been forced to stop and they did the equivalent of circling the wagons. Between the two tribes there were several thousand people and that was a large number of caravans. Once everyone was treated and a spot found for them food was being prepared and Jim was back in Sorrel's partial tent asleep from the drugs he had been given. The entire group of kids he had been teaching were gathered and surrounding the bed. All of them looked horrified at the wound since it wasn't bound at the moment. It ran down the side of his arm from just below his shoulder to his elbow. It was in a sling though and he was looking very pale. As they were sitting there both chiefs walked up and looked at him. The children all stood and looked at the two of them. They were upset enough that they weren't even playing music. The youngest ran over to Moran and wrapped her arm around his leg and started crying. Moran picked her up and held her. "He is going to be okay little one. Lia specifically told me that he will be fine when he recovers." He petted her a bit more and put her down. "I need you children to give us some space. We need to talk to the ladies." That gave them something to worry about as well and they all left with their tails dragging. One of the boys settled down a moderate distance away and stared at the cot that Jim was in. They would be watching him and his ladies just in case any of them needed anything. Jim had sort of adopted them when he started singing and they were paying him back by keeping an eye on him. All three ladies turned and looked at the two and turned pale as well. At the moment Nora was holding the baby and Tonya was curled up in Sorrel's lap looking really scared since she had been in the chief's caravan when everything went down. Both men sat down and looked very stressed and tired. The puma chief heaved a sigh and looked over at the child. "We have a problem ladies. By Jim's actions he has become the guardian of that little boy. The woman who died was his mother and only family. He lost his others to a fever that went through." He exchanged looks with Moran. "This is a problem because we have never had a situation where someone from another tribe has been in this situation. The guardian would be expected to raise the boy in the traditions of the Puma clan." Moran took over speaking. "Normally, or with our tribe the guardian would be released to the other tribe for the duration of the guardianship but we can't do that with Jim. He is in a unique situation being from another world not to mention the apprentice of our senior songsmith. We are trying to find a way for him to go back to his world as well." He looked over at the man. "Well that and try to keep Jim from doing himself in." He had to roll his eyes. "Since neither Chief Moran nor Master Eldon, nor Master Warrior Jaksos will free him from his responsibilies and apprentiships then the child must go with him." He looked off to one side and waved a woman over. "Since he cannot be freed of his responsibilities I have requested that Sheeha travel with and as he grows she will help teach him what warrior Jim can't." Moran couldn't help but smile slightly as the woman came forward since she was a fine specimen of the Puma tribe. He could feel all the women sort of mentally growling at Piquel and the woman. "This has been agreed on by the elders and masters of both clans. She is going to be in the women's tent at night unless other arrangements are made." He twitched his tail as he was speaking. Sorrel, being considered the elder of the others sighed. "No need for that father she can stay with me for time being. I am going to need the help with Jim as injured as he is. Have her bring her things here and she can sleep here." She stood up and walked over to the woman and gave a good look. "We can talk about her responsibilities later." Sorrel looked directly at the woman. "I am Sorrel, the Inu is Nasha and the kitsune is Nora. The little girl is Tonya. Go and get your things and bring them here." She turned back to the chief's and Piquel spoke. "As his guardian you will have temporary ownership of his mothers property. You will maintain and improve it as needed as he grows. When he reaches his majority the property will be ceded to him and what you have managed to acquire will be yours to do with as you wish." He was talking to Jim though he was unconscious but he knew the ladies would hear him. "It is being brought over as we speak." It wasn't much since a great deal of the property had been bartered away to support her as the woman had been pregnant. There was a small tent and a bit of furniture but not much else. It only took a couple of males to carry the items over and neatly stacked them against the chief's caravan. It wasn't much longer before the young woman was back with her items and knelt down near Sorrel. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here. Anything you need lady please just ask and I will do what I can." She had just reached her majority and knew that Sorrel was Moran's daughter. The other two ladies she didn't know but assumed they were higher in rank than she was. Sorrel looked at Chief Piquel and then the young woman. "I will ensure to take good care of your tribes woman. She is under our protection and I will ensure that she sends you updates as best possible." She reached over and lightly stroked her ears. "We will ensure that the baby is well taken care of as well. Nasha is one of the clan nanny's so he will be well taken care of." As she was talking Nasha had started feeding the baby. Chief Piquel nodded at her. "I will be back tomorrow to check on everyone since it looks like we are going to be here for a few days while the worst injured begin healing." They were going to see if they could track down the bandits as well. Between the hunters and warriors they had enough to find them and possibly even take them out. If nothing else they were going to pass out the information to the other tribes they came across and eventually they would have enough power to take out the bandits. They nodded as the chiefs left and Sorrel settled back in the chair she had been in. "Have a seat Sheena, no need to kneel down here." She looked at the other women. "Just understand that we are currently Jim's companions and to the best of my knowledge he isn't looking for any other companions. As far as what you will be doing is something for discussion tomorrow." She turned to Jim as he moaned a bit. "Why don't you go with Nora and get some food for everyone." Sorrel glanced around and grinned. "Better yet take some of the kids with since they are going to want to be close as well." She moved over to Jim and stroked his hair. "What are we going to do with you silly man?" She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Damn it Jim I don't know if I can handle this." The way he seemed to attract trouble like it was going out of style. Jim lifted his left hand and cupped the back of her head and moved her lips down to his and gave her a tired kiss. "Love me maybe?" To be honest he was almost stoned out of his mind as he was talking. "I care about all of you. That is why I do the things I do. I have to protect you and everyone you care for." Nasha came over and he kissed her as well and looked at the baby in her arms and simply blinked. "Um, I need the damn chair again. Damn it I am sick of this crap. I might just become a songsmith. Probably less hard on me." Several of the kids slowly came over and settled down. "But you can't warrior Jim. You saved so many. You can't quit." That was the young man who had originally started to teach him. "Why do you think so many of the cubs want to spend time with you?" He settled down towards the end of the cot and leaned against his leg. "We will help take care of you for all the care you have taken care of us." Several others came over and settled down as well. Nasha settled the baby down on some blankets and walked over to the cot. "Yim I don't know if you knew this but some of the children you have been watching in the morning are orphans. You are giving them both attention and a role model. Don't change who you are." She gave him a kiss before calling for help for him. Now that he hadn't known at all and actually penetrated his drug blurred mind. As of yet he still didn't know about the child he sort of inherited since he had been out of it while that talk was happening. "Let me sit up for a moment." Two of the warriors helped him to a regular chair. "All of you kids come here." He patted one leg with his left hand since his right was strapped to his chest. The children slowly came over and he smiled at them as they sat down. "That was something I hadn't known and wish I had. I have really appreciated how all of you have been helping me and my ladies. For those of you that don't have parents I know I am not but please come to me if you need anything. For those of you who have parents or families come to me as well if they aren't available." He handed out a few random hugs before he started to fade again. "Ish stink nee down." Thomas started laughing at him though he didn't help since he had been injured as well. "I almost should ask you to sing right now. That would be quite amusing." Several warriors helped Jim back to the cot where he quickly passed out again. All the kids gathered around the cot as best possible and one boy picked up his flute and started playing a soft song. Several of the kids started some quiet singing as well. Almost before the ladies noticed most of the children had laid down and fallen asleep. When the ones with parents showed up Sorrel gave them a smile. "They can stay if you don't mind. We already fed them as well." Somehow the smallest child had snuck up on his legs and was curled up and quietly snoring with her thumb in her mouth. She was still trying to deal with some of what he had said to the kids. Right now her mind was sort of not all there and having the kids around helped distract her. One or two of the parents did take their children with since they were the youngest but most couldn't help but look at the pile with a smile. After today they needed anything to smile at. Losing a warrior to the forest or even a fever was one thing but to have one actually killed by another person was horrible. It happened but was so rare that amongst the tribes it could be counted on two hands. This attack alone was shocking in just how many had been killed on both sides. World of Ranicke 04 ~~~ Whatever Jim had been using scared a number of people but he had saved so many. The fact that he had been responsible for the deaths of so many had many torn as well. One of the warriors who had been there for the fight had described his actions and expression and it was like something from a nightmare. It had been a Puma warrior who had never seen him training before and it was somewhat exaggerated but reasonably accurate. Eventually the story made it back to Chief Piquel and he looked somewhat concerned. He had watched Jim train that one day and had a pretty good idea of what he could do. During the training Jim had his eyes closed as if he was contemplating each and every move. To be honest it had really looked like he had been fighting actual people and he could see the blows had been to disable and kill. Piquel had understood the point Jim had been trying to make but with the attack it was going to give him a reputation he didn't need. Piquel had asked Jim to spar with him and with the sticks and Jim had explained they technically were considered a defensive weapon used by someone called a monk. Yes they could be used to kill but mostly to disable and get away from the attacker. That had been wildly eye opening though not as eye opening as when they had spared with a training sword and axe. Jim didn't just use the blade but the entire weapon. The bits, the handle, and as odd as it sounded his body as well. The man was a natural born killer as far as he could tell. It was tempered by a sort of odd humility that very few warriors had. It was a sort of 'I am just doing my job' sort of action and reaction by him. Piquel had a feeling that was the one thing that kept him from being a true killer. Someone who ended up on the blood warrior trail. When the woman fell he very well could have left her and the child where they were at and gone after the bandits but instead he stood over them and protected them with everything he had. That was where the story had really started. Yes he had been watched while sparing and the one or two fights he had been in but they were very controlled. In defending the woman and baby he had pulled out all the stops and anything that came near had been killed and he hadn't spared any thing in doing so. He had used the bits, the handle, his knife, feet, everything and it had shown on the bodies. When the warriors had taken the bodies of the bandits out to rot they had been forced to carry limbs, intestines, and other body parts into the forest to be left for the animals to consume. He finally stood and looked at his mate. "I need to talk to Moran. I don't know when I will be back." Piquel leaned over and nuzzled her and touched his son's cheek. "I know I don't say it enough but I love both of you." He could have lost both of them since they had been in one of the caravan's that was going to be attacked. Piquel wasn't sure how he was going to pay Jim back for what he had done not to mention Moran. He finally found him at his caravan and by his expression Moran gave him a nod. "Piquel and I need to talk. Leave and I will call if I need you." He told everyone that was nearby. "Bring us drinks and some thing to nibble on and then leave." His voice was hard. The fight had been yesterday and this evening was the funeral pyres for the fallen. Everyone who could be there was going to be and all were going to be honored together. When he spoke the area around them cleared out almost immediately. "I was expecting you to show eventually. Do me a favor and simply state your concerns. I don't have the energy for any long discussions." Moran was more than concerned about Jim and what was going to happen with him. He had been very badly injured and all the women, well not including the Puma woman were practically in tears and if something did happen to him Sorrel would be horribly hurt not to mention the others. How it would impact on the children he wasn't sure but it was going to be hard on them as well. Piquel nodded and settled down in a chair and yawned. "Sorry, trouble sleeping last night." He stretched and yawned again. "Moran I simply concerned about Jim. Well him and how he is going to be as both a guardian and role model. You know I spared with him and was very impressed if not scared. He has training that I have never seen and the same for my warrior master." He gave him a sly look. "I have heard a few things from your warriors as well and though they respect him there is a bit of fear as well. Jim..." He paused as someone came up with the snacks and drinks. "...is a very impressive man and oddly humble as well. I am having trouble myself trying to reconcile who and what he is." He took a drink of juice. "He is a killer and I do mean that. You might not realize that as much as I do since sqorrels are mostly pacificst." He snickered. "I did hear about one taking a punch at an elder recently..." He sobered after that light poke at Moran. "We do have the fighter urge so I know what I am talking about. When my warriors actually start talking about how Jim acted and how many he took down there might be a problem. That and how the child is staying with your clan." He was glad the drink was an energy drink. Piquel held up a hand. "I am not questioning your judgment on Jim or anything like that. I am simply voicing some concerns." He sat up and leaned forward. "I don't have any concerns if for no other reason I saw him with the children at the ceremony and how he was treating them. Tonya is a perfect example. The night he was given his totem I could see him crying as he held her as she slept. I know he will take very good care of the baby. I am just expressing my concern to you." Sorrel walked in and over to the chief. "I know what Jim is and yes he was crying." She settled down next to her father. "Not only that but he offered to be the father of the orphans he has been teaching. He might be a killer but he is also a loving wonderful man." She reached across the table and grasped his hands. "He told me and the other ladies that he loved us and had to protect us. That is who Jim is." She wasn't sure if he remembered what he had said the day before. "He loves us and said so." She smiled at her father. "I admit I love him as well." She smiled. "So do the others. He doesn't know as of yet about the boy but when he does he will take very good care of him." She turned to her father. "I love him dad and want him in my life. He love and cares for all of us. World of Ranicke 05 I am going to add this since I had some congenital idiot in my other story take nudity of anyone under 18 the wrong way. In the case of that story it is a lycan story and for the most part they stripped before changing and that included the children. I liken it to nudist going on vacation to a nudist beach where it means nothing other than you aren't wearing anything. In this case though I haven't mentioned it at some point it might come up when it comes to bathing and especially since Nasha takes care of children of ages up to about 5. I don't know how many of you have children but I have three and till they were about 5 and we were sure they could bath completely we bathed them. With Nasha it would be the same. The adults normally bath earlier than the children since they have things to do. Now if someone is a parent they might bring them to the bath before dropping them off. If so then there is going to be some sort of nudity. When there is nudity of anyone under 18 it is simply going to be something along the lines of 'his mother stripped her son down and stepped into the water to get him clean'. I am sorry if this offends you since any and all sexual relationships are going to be the equivalent of 18+. The reason I say that is they live longer than human's and so their age of maturity is older than it would be for us. So having said that I hope that you keep enjoying the story that I am writing. Oh, the more feedback the better. I want to know what you like, dislike, verbal sparring that you find amusing and things like that. It helps me improve my story. Any suggestions you feel like making would be appreciated as well. I might not use them but would appreciate them. Chapter 5 Jim woke up the next morning and almost snarled. "Oh fucking hell this hurts." His right arm was strapped to his chest and both the sword wound and the knife wound hurt. "Why the fuck does this keep happening to me?" During the night he had been forced to use the stool again but refused going back to bed. He had settled down next to Sorrel and when he woke up he found someone he wasn't sure of curled up to his back. Whoever it was curled up close to him and he had to smile since he knew it was Nasha. "Okay what the hell did I do? Three women in my life that I care for?" Nasha sat up and called out. "We need some help. Jim needs the chair." She yawned. "Morning love and hope you feel better soon." One hand stroked his side as she stood up since the baby was starting to cry. "Gotta nurse someone other than my lover." She had to tease him a bit. He growled as several males came in to help him. "I so not going to comment. Well not how sexy you are." He didn't really consider the baby since Nasha did wet nurse. As the males helped him to the chair he was glad for the curtains but knew that everyone could hear him taking care of his business. Once done he slowly walked to the small table and had to smile when one of the kit, pups, and or whatever they called them hurried over. "Hey Mitzy what's going on." When she gave him a hug and ran to get him some food he was rather startled. "Um what is going on?" He asked and Nora snorted. "Jim last night you told them that they could come to you as their father if needed." She came over and hugged him. "You said it didn't matter if they actually had parents or not. You told them that you were here for them." As she was talking Tonya woke up and came over and crawled into his lap. "Wove you Jimmy." She snuggled with him for a moment. "Not papa but important." She leaned against him though she was careful with his arm. "Be careful please Uncle Jimmy." Tonya kept the snuggling with him going. He returned the hug and snuggles and waved at a few of the others. "Can't use my arm but I can still hug." Jim pulled one close and hugged him. "Thank you Saulo." He gave out several other hugs of the children's he had been working with. "God all of you are killing me." Saulo hugged him back and when he moved away Soni ran over and crawled into his lap. "Jimmy pwese be okay." She was the little girl who had fallen asleep on his legs. Tonya helped her onto her lap since she was sitting on his. It was sort of amusing seeing a little girl holding a smaller girl while sitting on his lap. Even though it hurt he pulled her against his chest and ignored the pain from his arm. "Sweety I do what is needed to protected such as you." He closed his eyes and rested one hand on the table and felt the axe. When he opened his eyes he found one of the pups had put it on the table. "I will use this to fall trees, lop off tree limbs, and protect all of you as much as I can." Oh damn it to hell he wanted to cry again. Thank god he was saved by someone bring some food in and distracted him. "Oh good, food. Would you like some little one?" He took a bit of eggs and had to smile since it had cheese and some sort of bacon bits. "Want some little one." He held a small fork full to her. She took the food and started chewing. "Don't forget your own food Yimmy." Nasha leaned over and gave him a kiss before moving over to pick up the boy. They really needed to talk to Yim about the boy. She settled down and started nursing him. She couldn't help but smile down at the tiny boy. "His name is Alon just so you know." Jim looked at her and nodded though he wasn't really sure why she was telling him that. "Cute kid. I will take a look later." He leaned into the food and was wolfing it down as well as feeding the little girl. "Damn it I keep remembering the first time this happened and damn it I am hungry." The little girl stroked his cheek. "Feel better Jiffy." She smiled at Tonya and kept snuggling with him. "Love Jiffy." She was one of the orphans. Oh damn it he was going to start crying again if this didn't stop. "Love all of you and thank you." He handed her another bite of food and finished his. As he was talking to the children he heard Sorrel leave and walk over to her father and noticed the puma chief was sitting with Moran. Since they had been on the move at most there had been a sort of temp camp or tents. Mostly it had been a tent covering and maybe some furniture. Jim stood up and realized that he was starting to feel pain from his arm. "Oh frigging hell. Hate getting hurt. Go back to your families for those that have them. For those that don't go and get what you might have and bring them here. I am here for you and claim you as mine if you wish and allowed." All the kids came over and he gave them a hug and then stood up. "I have some things to do and will talk to all of you later." He had finished with the food and slung the axe. "I need to go and talk to the chiefs." He handed out a few hugs before moving away from the small tent he had been in. "Nasha and Nora if you will please come with me?" He gave both a hug before leaving the tent. When he walked into the chief's tent he found both there as well as Sorrel. "Chief Moran I need to talk to you. I wish to join the tribe." He turned and knelt before Sorrel. "I don't know this world's method of asking court but can I pay court to you as well as Nasha and Nora." He rested his head in her lap and relaxed as much as possible. "I know I am simply a human and from another world but I have come to love all of you." He closed his eyes and simply relaxed. "How I met and came to care for three beautiful and lovely women I am not sure but I have. I won't even mention that all are non-human, well to me..." Jim rested his head in her lap as he said that. "I love all three of you and really want to stay here." Sorrel was more than shocked yet she still wrapped her arms around his head and looked at the chiefs and especially her father. "I love him to poppe will you please..." She couldn't finish. The other two ladies came over and settled down next to them. "We feel this way as well sir and wish to stay with him and Sorrel. We will need a larger tent or a caravan but we love him as well." Nasha had settled down next to him and wrapped an arm around him. "I know it is not normal but I love him as well. I don't want him to leave." She pulled her short tail close to her bottom and tried not to cry. "He is such a wonderful male." Nora wrapped an arm around him as well. "He saved my baby and I care a great deal for him as well." She wrapped one or her tails around his leg and leaned against him. "Please allow him to become a tribe member so we can mate with him. I miss having a mate and Jimmy would both be a good mate and father for Tonya." Both chiefs looked at each other and sort of blinked since this was so out of the blue and not really expected. Moran looked at his girl and smiled. "You know the rules and get to explain them to him." He couldn't help but smile though. "James I give you my permission to court my daughter but you will have to talk to Nora's parents but since Nasha is from a different tribe as chief I give you permission as well to court her till we meet her tribe." Piquel stood up and walked over to Jim and rested a hand on his good shoulder. "You were asleep yesterday when I came over and talked to your ladies and chief. You saved the baby but not his mother and he is an orphan. By my tribe rules that makes you his guardian. I have talked to your chief as I said and your ladies." He waved the other woman in. "She is going to help you raise him and teach him about being a Puma tribe member." Sheeha came over and knelt down next to him as her chief was talking. Jim sat up and looked at Piquel and then the woman and dropped his head back to Sorrel's lap. "Oh hell, what next?" At the rate things were going he was going to end up as a chief or something. He had to snicker when Sorrel started laughing. "Hey no laughing at me or I am going to go and find that cave." The chiefs and other girl had a sort of blank look as the others snickered. Sorrel very lightly bopped him and chattered at him. "Not going to happen. I like how you brush my tail... Well and other things besides you did tell the kids you were sort of loco parentis for them." That reminded him and he stood up and gave Piquel a firm look. "He is mine and I will take care of him. I accept responsibility for taking care of your tribe member Sheeha as well.." He reached over and stroked her ears as he was looking at the male. "Sir I will consider him my son and take care of him as such. I am coming to love this world and some of the people in it. I don't want to go home." He frowned. "I do and don't. This world has its dangers and I accept that but I am tired of..." Jim looked away. "I am tired of my former job and what it entailed. I want to protect the women and children I have come to love." Sheeha leaned against his leg as he stroked her ears. "I want to be a member of Chief Moran's tribe and become both a warrior and songsmith. I have never cared for anyone like this before and..." He swallowed. "I love all three women and the kids and they are giving me a new life." Piquel looked at him and the women gathered around him and then back at him. "If you take care of him as you did when you protected him I will be satisfied." He smiled at Sheeha as she was leaning against his leg as Jim was stroking her ears. "If you take as good care of her as Alon I have no concerns and you are more than welcome to come and visit my tribe anytime." He glanced at Moran and smiled. "I would welcome you into my tribe as well but would hate to have to argue with him. I heard he decked an elder and..." Moran glared at him and then grinned. "Jim you are going to be a welcome addition to the clan even if we have to deal with the Puma clan even more..." He leaned over to Sorrel and gave her a hug. "I think you would be a good mate to my little girl. Mind you there is going to be a ceremony for accepting you. No insulting songs though." Jim snickered. "Sorry about that my future chief. I was just having a bad day and my butt hurt." He glanced at Piquel and grinned at him. "Might do a song for Piquel that isn't insulting and written for just him." He kept his head up and kept smiling. "I do want to accept a few more children though. They aren't mine but have no parents and that really bothers me. I know I can't raise each and everyone but I want to be a sort of loco parentis for them." The little girl from earlier came running over. "I love them as well and will do my best to teach them to be both tribe members but to be themselves." He scooped her up with his left arm. "Chief I will think of them as my children." Piquel walked over and stroked the kits ears and smiled. "Are you sure I can't steal him from you?" He glanced at Moran and snickered. "Never mind I would probably not be a chief in a year or so and would hate that." Moran snickered and then became serious. "James I am going to create a position for you in the clan. Be it songsmith, warrior or something else I will. I can tell how much you have come to care for not only my baby girl but for the tribe. Not only that but you went out of your way to protect a different tribe as well when needed." He moved forward and gave him a light hug. "I am going to be more than pleased to accept you in the tribe. When I do you are going to be known as Jim strong arm." Piquel nodded at him. "In my tribe you are going to be known as James the protector. You didn't have to do what you did but you did and it is going to be remembered that a member of your tribe protected our tribe." He turned to Moran. "I hope you accept him while we are recovering so we can be there." With a slight bow to everyone he walked out of the tent and wished he had someone like Jim in his tribe. Jim looked shocked and sat down in a chair near Sorrel. "I would prefer to be know just as Jim sir." He curled slightly around the girl. "I just want to be a tribes member and just another person damn it." Oh damn it he was starting to tense up again. "Sir please just bring me in as Jim. I don't want to be thought of as a killer. I am tired of being a killer." His eyes met Piquel's and could see that he understood. "I want to be a protector and someone who has some lovely women in my life." He had to take a slow deep breath as he worked to control his emotions. The two chiefs traded looks. "In that case you are going to be James the protector in both clans then." Moran walked over to him and stroked his hair and then the little ones. "Jim you are not a killer." He sighed. "You have been trained in killing but that is any warrior's job. It doesn't matter if it is an animal or the very rare bandits that we might encounter." "I have seen how you have treated both the ladies in your life as well as the children. You are not a killer but a protector." He had to smile when Jim looked up at him. "I am going to schedule the ceremony for two days from now and let it be known that you are courting and off limits. Go and recover from your injuries and let your ladies and the children take care of you. Piquel and I have a few things to discuss and for the moment keep an eye on the orphan's. That the elders will have to discuss as well." Jim stood up and carefully bowed to the two and with his ladies as well as the Puma member he carefully walked out of the tent. He no longer wanted to go back since he had found this place to be so much better. Once in the other tent he carefully settled down and tried to find a good position that didn't hurt. "Damn it but I am so sick of getting hurt. I need my pain meds." Nasha walked over and stood behind him and pulled him back against her and felt him relax. "Yimmy you are such a pain in our tails." She stroked his hair. "If you keep doing this we are going to tie you down and keep you in the tent." She had finally talked to one of the healers and found out how bad the wound was. The sword wound had been down the outside of his arm but the dagger had damaged a tendon. It was going to take a fair amount of time for him to heal even with Lia's work. Jim leaned back against her chest and smiled. "I sort of vaguely remember telling Sorrel to just love me yesterday." He leaned against her warmth and kept smiling. "Same thing to you and Nora. Just love me and I am going to try to behave." She had more chest than Sorrel due to the nursing and in general and it felt good to have the cushion. "I hope what I did say earlier didn't upset any of you." Now he was startled when Nora settled down and rested her head in his lap. "Jim I have known that you were trained to kill since you saved my little one." She nuzzled his legs for a moment. "Taking down a bear, even a damaged one, mostly by your self is one hell of an accomplishment. That isn't even mentioning what you did so save little Alon. You have probably killed more people in one day than most warriors would in their lives." She lightly nipped his leg. "That isn't the person who you are and we know it. We hate that you do stupid things like jumping over someone but you saved a child again and god knows how many others." Sorrel simply smiled at him and told some of the children to leave and get some food. "We will consider it though we still might tie you to the bed. Will be so much easier to keep track of you." She leaned over and gave him a kiss before settling down in a chair. Scattered around was a number of small packs of clothing and bedding. "Now you need a larger tent. When the rainy season starts..." Jim started laughing when she said that and then groaned. "Owe damn it, don't make me laugh. I will just send the bills to both chiefs besides we have both Nasha's and Nora's tents as well. Might have to move one tent away from the others for the liasions..." One of the kids slid a plate of food in front of him with a smile. "Here you go pappa Jimmy." Another came with a cup as well and said almost the same thing. They ladies were grinning since they could tell he was considering bonking his head on the table again. "That should work Jim. You also have a small tent that came with Alon that you could use as your personal tent." She settled down across from him. I suppose we could use the other three tents for other purposes. Older kits can be used to help watch younger, the babies can stay in Nasha's when she isn't with you since she is a wet nurse." She was thinking as she was talking. "We can have one adult or near adult in each tent that Jim and whichever lady he is with in." He sighed as he took his meds and started eating. Suddenly his life became horribly complex and he was starting to feel lost again. Jim noticed at least seven or eight piles of stuff neatly stacked next to the caravan Sorrel's tent was connected two, or the roof of it. "Okay so just to make sure I understand before the good stuff kicks in I am guardian to a Puma cub, have a very young Puma woman who is going to help me teach him, three ladies at least that I am sharing tents with. I seemed to have asked to become a tribe member, pay court to three lovely woman and a sort of loco parent for a number orphan's. Have I missed anything?" Sorrel rubbed her chin. "Yes, you are going to sort of gain a whole lot of property if we mate, might be a future chief, I do have younger sibling. You are an apprentice songsmith, a warrior, might even be accepted into the Puma clan as well." She winked at Nasha. "Oh, and you have a pile and a half of gifts for what you did from a number of admirers." ~~~ The end. To be continued eventually. Please feel to send me all kinds of hate male... (evil grin) World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 01 I am going to add this since I had some congenital idiot in my other story take nudity of anyone under 18 the wrong way. In the case of that story it is a lycan story and for the most part they stripped before changing and that included the children. I liken it to nudist going on vacation to a nudist beach where it means nothing other than you aren't wearing anything. In this case though I haven't mentioned it at some point it might come up when it comes to bathing and especially since Nasha takes care of children of ages up to about 5. I don't know how many of you have children but I have three and till they were about 5 and we were sure they could bath completely we bathed them. With Nasha it would be the same. The adults normally bath earlier than the children since they have things to do. Now if someone is a parent they might bring them to the bath before dropping them off. If so then there is going to be some sort of nudity. When there is nudity of anyone under 18 it is simply going to be something along the lines of 'his mother stripped her son down and stepped into the water to get him clean'. I am sorry if this offends you since any and all sexual relationships are going to be the equivalent of 18+. The reason I say that is they live longer than human's and so their age of maturity is older than it would be for us. So having said that I hope that you keep enjoying the story that I am writing. Oh, the more feedback the better. I want to know what you like, dislike, verbal sparring that you find amusing and things like that. It helps me improve my story. Any suggestions you feel like making would be appreciated as well. I might not use them but would appreciate them. I am going to be scattering flashbacks through some of the chapters. Much of this chapter is flashbacks covering his entry into the tribe and a bit of history for those who might not have read the first story. One other thing I am going to say is that there is some reality in this. If you are nursing you lactate and making love can cause it to sort of over flow. Also if you just had a child you won't be up for anything really active for a while for most women. If that bothers you skip this chapter. Chapter 1 Jim was sitting in a chair staring moodily out the front of the tent. The rain was coming down like nobody's business and that was really annoying. As humid as it was he wasn't about to break out any of his instruments and try to tune them to play any songs. He could always keep transcribing songs from his world but that just didn't catch his fancy at the moment. Sorrel was doing a bit of sewing and the other three their own things as well. Nasha was still babysitting and acting as a wet nurse, Nora he had discovered was a wood carver and was quietly whistling as she worked. She was working on a matched set of mating mugs for a new couple who had commissioned them. The younger kids were starting to wake from their naps and the older any chores that needed doing. Jim's thoughts wandered back to their arrival at the monsoon location and that had been a royal bitch. The rains had started early this year and it had taken two miserable days of cleaning out the old trenches that directed the rain away. They had some new clans members as well and had to create a few new ones. Trying to dig the latrines had been an act in futility since for every shovel of mud cleaned out of the stone lined holes it seemed like two more poured in. This was the only location where they had actual rock lined holes or it would never have worked. On top of that though his arm had healed it wasn't and never would be 100% and days like this made it ache enough to make him grouchy. He took another sip of the juice and rubbed his shoulder and sighed. There were some things he could do but not while he was grumpy. They were barely even mounting patrols since any animal stupid enough to go out in this rain would probably drown. As he was thinking Alon had woken and stumbled over and crawled in his lap. "Afternoon poppe." The baby was no longer a baby and was almost six years old. He looked out over the rain and finally asked a question that had been bothering him. "Poppe can I ask you a question?" For some reason he had grown up a very proper young man and tended to speak that way. Jim gathered the boy close and smiled. "Well you can ask but till I know the question I am not sure I will be able to answer. Some answers will have to wait till you are older." Alon was a quiet boy and didn't say a great deal but paid a great deal of attention to what was going on. When he did ask a question it was sure to be a good one. "Well Poppe why am I the only Puma here? Well other than Auntie Sheeha. I know you have adopted a number of the orphans or at least have them come to you when they have questions or someone to talk to. You and Mamma Sorrel have Morgan, Mamma Nasha has Eelios and Keirie but what about me?" Jim contemplated the question and decided some of the story would be good for the boy to here. He had sort of been waiting for this day for some time. "Before I tell you some of the story let's get everyone else who might want to listen around." He raised his voice slightly. "If anyone wants to hear a story they had better hurry to the potty and back." The littles knew that if they didn't take their rain capes and tracked mud and water all over they would get yelled at. Well the mud was a bit harder but since they were furred for the most part they would drip water and that annoyed Nasha a great deal. That got a rush and he had to smile as the older kids helped the younger into the rain cloaks and hurried out. Jim had long since given up on all the various terms used to name the different races children. They were simply his kids and that was all there was to it. As he was waiting for them to come back he was stroking Alon's ears and hair and humming quite contentedly. Since he had been allowed into the tribe his life had settled down and he had very few complaints. Those first few hectic months had settled down and now he was simply a warrior and journeyman songsmith. Eldon occasionally tried to urge him to become a master songsmith but Jim would simply smile at him and ask him what else did he need. He had his family, well very large family, several ladies that loved him, children he had never really expected to have, and was content. He knew that Moran was training him as a potential chief but Moran also had several other children and they were all receiving the same training. Nobody had been named as his heir that they knew of and as far as the Squorrel's that didn't matter since they were sure he would pick the best. Jim did worry since he wasn't sure he was the right one for the job. There were some nights that he still woke with nightmares of his former life and knew that some of the tribe wondered as well. As he was waiting his mind wandered back to after he had asked to become a tribe member. The morning following his request to join the tribe Chief Moran had called him to his caravan. "Jim before we can bring you in as a tribe's member it is a requirement that you appear in front of the elders and masters. This is going to happen this afternoon and be prepared for many questions and far more detailed expectation of information than when you last talked to an elder." Moran had two chairs, one was his 'chief's' chair where he dealt with tribe issues and he was using that one at the moment. Jim gave him a level look and nodded. "I expected as much Chief and will answer to the best of my abilities. Some things they ask about either might not have an answer or one that will simply make no sense in your culture." Others he simply wouldn't answer since he had signed confidentiality statements. "I know we have talked in general about where I came from but our world views are so totally different that a concept that makes sense to you won't to me. As an example the incident with the bracelet." Moran couldn't help but smile slightly. "What is world view? To me it would be looking out at the world and viewing it." He was both being serious and making a slight joke. Jim couldn't help but smile back a bit. "As per my world the world view is how a person views life. In my world view we very rarely ever share a bath or shower unless we are being intimate with another person. In your world view you strip, hop in, and start getting clean. This is what I mean by some concepts simply won't translate." Thank god that one elder had never been returned to elder status or it could have gotten ugly in there. Moran leaned back in his chair and contemplated the man in front of him. "I think I see what you mean. A word might mean one thing to me and another to you and without the correct worldview how to ask the right question simply isn't there. Maybe I should say isn't there unless you spend a fair amount of time discussing it and even then it might never really be understood." That made very good sense and he had seen it before. Different tribes did use some words describe different things. "Come over immediately after lunch and expect to be here most of the afternoon and probably till dinner time." He bowed slightly. "Yes Chief I will be here immediately after lunch and ensure the ladies know I won't be available." Since it appeared the interview was over he left the chiefs pavilion. He spent the morning working on the manual that Eldon had given him to try and learn the musical notations this world used. Eventually lunch rolled around and after he had eaten he could see a number of the elders and masters start gathering he stood and contemplated his axe and decided he didn't need it for this. He did make sure the apprentice bracelet and totem necklace was showing as he walked over. Jim was brought out of his thoughts as Alon tapped his nose. "No taking nappy now. We all here." He had seen the distant look in Jim's eyes and had to tease him a bit. All the younger kits were gathered around when Alon got his poppe's attention. Jim started laughing. "Nothing like that silly. Just thinking back to everything that happened." He kicked his feet up on a small stool he had made for just that purpose and shifted a bit till he was comfortable. "Well this all happened when you just a wee baby, maybe 4 or 5 months old." "We had just come from the rain ceremony with the Puma tribe and were heading towards the rainy season grounds we use to wait out all the rain." Jim had to pause and chuckle. "The amount of rain here shocked me but anyways on the way there we were attacked by bandits." His eyes were becoming distant again as he was remembering. "Your mother was carrying you from one caravan to another and was caught in the wrong spot. I tried to save her but wasn't able to. When I rolled her over to check I found you. After the battle Piquel checked and you didn't have any family and because I had saved you I became your guardian." Jim took a sip of the juice and was a bit startled when he found a plate of what he called nibbles and picked one up and took a bite. Once he gathered his thoughts again he started speaking again. "I didn't find out till the next day after I had awoken from the sleep meds they had given me." He felt Alon's hand lightly stroke his right arm. "Is that where you got this poppe?" They had all seen the scar that ran down the outside of his arm and the one in his shoulder and had wondered. Poppe Jim didn't really talk about some things much and this was the most he had ever really said. "Yes son that is where I received these two wounds, well and a few minor ones." Since his right arm was curled around Alon he reached down and stroked the ears of an elf child they were watching during the day. She didn't have parents but did have grandparents and a lovely voice. "I went over to Moran's tent to ask to be granted entry into the clan and to pay court to Sorrel as well as Mama Nasha and Mama Nora." He had to snort slightly since that had caused quite a ruckus through the camp when it had been announced. "That was when I discovered I was to be your guardian. There were a few minor problems such as my not being at the very least a Puma tribe's member and a human to boot." He laughed when he said that. "That was when I was informed I had another addition to the household that was growing of Sheeha to teach you what it means to be a Puma tribe's man." He was grinning since the three ladies had been less than thrilled to have the addition of an attractive young feline to the household. "When Piquel told me I was your guardian till you are of age I told him I would raise you as my son and would ensure that both you and Sheeha were well taken care of." He lifted his left hand and lightly tickled the boy and got a giggle from him and had to smile. "I also asked permission to adopt or at least act as loco parentis for the orphans I had been learning music with. With some that might have been a mistake." He waved a fist at one boy and got an unrepentant grin back. "Poppe Jim I am just keeping you on your toes and nothing else. You know you are getting up there in years and need to keep active." It was one of the older boys he had started learning with and could get in trouble standing still. He had lived through this but sitting here holding one or two of the little ones kept him from being given extra work. He shook his fist at him again before continuing. "In any case that is how you came to be my son. Once you are of age you will have the choice of staying here or going back to the Puma tribe. No matter what choice you or any of the others make I will always love and care for you." He hugged the little boy and gave him a peck before urging him off his lap. He gave the others hugs as well if they wanted one. Just about then Moran called over from his tent. "Jim you got a few minutes? I have a few things for you to take care of." Jim rolled his eyes and called back at him. "Only because we have a covered walkway between the tents. If we didn't we would be hollering back and forth." Out of habit he grabbed his axe and rain cover and walked over to Moran's caravan. Jim had to laugh a bit since he had one of the oddest caravan's in the tribe. Since his family was so large it had been modified so that the tent actually wrapped around three of the four sides and had several separate sections. Most tents attached to caravans were single sided or maybe had two, one on either side of the caravan if the family owned one. "If you tried that I would have to order you to get your lazy ass over here without a rain cloak." He was grinning when he said it and stood and greeted his son. The two of them got along pretty well even though they looked at the world very differently. Squorrels tended to be pacifists and known to be very wise. Jim was a warrior through and through. They had more than a few disagreements over the years on the best way to protect the tribe as part of Jim's training. Moran preferred the diplomatic way and though Jim agreed there was use for that he also believed in a show of power. "Right and then you would have Sorrel to deal with for my tracking mud and water into the tent so I could get dry and clean cloths." He was grinning when he said it. "So what can I do for you Chief?" Since Moran had mentioned chores he treated him as the Chief. If he had simply wanted to talk then it would be Moran. "I hate to ask this of you but we are getting some flooding around some of the new tent locations and they need to be reinforced. Get a working party together and help the poor buggers who are getting soaked. Once you get that fixed check out some dry carpets, bedding and whatever else they might need from general stores till their things are dry." It was going to be a miserable job but it was all in the training and he had sent his other children for similar muddy and dirty jobs as well. Jim grimaced. "Well at least it isn't anything to do with the latrines this time. Where is the problem?" Once he was told he headed back over to his tent. Most of the tents were connected by a covered path so you could move between them without getting to wet or muddy. In many cases it was with family groups and not the entire tribe since that wouldn't be practical at all. "Sorrel I am going to go and help fix a drainage issue and I am not sure when I will be home." He looked at the boy he had been sort of teasing earlier. "Get two shovels and follow me." He whipped the rain cloak around his body and sighed. The boy almost started to argue but looking at the expression on Jim's face decided not to. Once he grabbed the shovels he grabbed his cloak as well and followed. Jim walked to the single males caravan's and walked in. "We have a flooding issue with some of the new spots. I need ten men to come with. You can volunteer and get a bit of extra hot water at the showers or I can call names and you get the usual amount." Carrot and stick worked well. Thomas was there though he had finally gotten around to courting a lady and sighed. "Why do I get the feeling my name would be first so I will unwillingly hop to it and come with." He called out a couple other names. "First drink is on me." Several others came with him and eventually there were ten men standing in front. "Thomas take four and get shovels while I take the rest and see what we are looking at. If I don't need all of you I will send you back but you will still get the extra hot water." They had willingly gotten up and come over. Well maybe not willingly but they had without his having to call names. One thing they had learned about Jim over the last few years was that he was firm and even handed. If you screwed up you were dealt with and if you did a good job it was noted. They slogged through the rain though this location looked far more permanent than others since rocks had been used to build up the ditches that water flowed through, some paths between groups of caravans, and coverings for the hot springs. Eventually they made it to the problem area and they could see how bad it was. Some of it was the lay of the land but some was simply the ditches hadn't been dug deep enough or reinforced enough since they hadn't had time before the rains hit this season. "Oh hell this is going to be a really messy job." One man commented as he surveyed the problem. The tribe members who owned the tents were trying to take care of it but there weren't very many since they were a new family and really needed the help. Since he was one of the sort of architects Jezule looked at Jim and got a nod. "Okay men what we need to do is..." It took them several hours to get the problem solved much to the great appreciation of the family and even more time to get some dry bedding and rugs for them till theirs dried. In the next few days all the men that helped would get some trinket of appreciation and one thing Jim had noticed was many were the bracelets and especially from new or poor families. "Okay guys hit the showers if you want or the hot springs if you feel like running around in the rain. Thanks for the help and talk to you later." One thing Jim had decided was in the rainy season he didn't bother with the boots and pants and went with shorts and a sort of flip flop since anything you did outside the tent or off the paths you got mud up to your knees and it was easier to rinse off in a bucket he kept outside than have to change your pants several times a day. He headed to the showers simply because he was a bit on the cool side and wanted to warm up. By the time he got there he found there was already a line up. Jim waved one male down when he offered to let him go ahead of him. "We all worked hard getting that mess cleaned up as best possible today. I will wait just like everyone else though there had better be some hot water left or else..." He grinned and got a few laughs. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 01 To be honest everyone was beat and it was late and everyone was hungry as well. Eventually he did get in a shower and relaxed in the hot water though he didn't take too long and after getting dressed again slowly walked to his tent and after making sure his feet were clean enough walked in. Sheeha came over with a cup of something warm and a large plate of food. "Here you go Jim and relax. Most of the kits are in bed and taken care of." She had long since decided that in addition to teaching Alon she was going to simply serve Jim as best possible. When her heat had come the first time she had quietly talked to Sorrel about it and quietly requested that Jim take care of it though she didn't want any cubs from it. It was simply the drive to mate and nothing else. He was nice enough and good looking but she wanted a Puma mate and not a human or other species. Jim groaned slightly as he settled down and rubbed his shoulder. "Thank you Sheeha. This is just what I need." He checked the temp of the drink which was sort of like a tea and slurped about half of it down before falling on the food with vigor. "Thanks for helping with the kids and everything today. That was a horrible mess and man I feel sorry for that poor couple. If the rains hadn't started early this season they would have been ready for it." She had to shake her head. "They definitely did come early and dragging things through the mud was a horrible pain in the butt." The power stones had been used to dry out the areas the tents were going to be placed but the last day of travel had been horrible. "It was nice to see the tribe though before the storms hit." She noticed him rubbing his shoulder in started giving his shoulders a good massage which usually helped. "Nasha has her bed all ready for you and the pups are asleep already." "Thank god. I am not sure I could deal with much else this evening." Right about then Farion, the young man he had drug with, came in tail dragging. "Go and get him some food and something warm as well please. I am sure he is going to sleep like a rock." Farion simply yawned at Jim and gave Sheeha a shy smile. She was a good looking woman but he was too young to do much other than crush on her. "If you don't mind I would really appreciate it." He collapsed in a chair and groaned. "Do I really want to grow up? That was really hard work." Farion knew he would get something from it which would make it worth it but he was still beat. "Lady, even my tail is tired." Eventually they were done eating and Farion tucked himself into his bed and was snoring even before his head hit the bed. That was part of the reason Jim had taken him out was to ensure he slept the night through. Jim walked into the small tent that belonged to Alon and leaned over and gave both of his children with her a peck before sitting on the edge of the bed and stretching. He wasn't really sore from the work but his right shoulder was bothering him some and Nasha figured as much. She settled down behind him and started massaging his shoulders and upper back which usually helped. "Man you are tense this evening. Must have been a long day for you." She knew that trying to fix drainage ditches in the rainy season could be really difficult and it was late in the evening. As she worked on him he tried not to groan but she could feel the tension and used a bit of warming oil to loosen up the muscles as she worked. "Needed to be done and not really that long though it was a struggle we did get something temporary done till tomorrow when we will finish it. Hopefully next rainy season will give us time to firm up the foundations of the ditches so we don't have to worry about them washing away." Now that was one thing he hadn't had to worry about though they did have to expand the extent of the ditches around their caravan. "I remember both helping to build this caravan and expanding the territory around it so we would stay mostly dry. What feels weird is if I did end up going back to my world for some reason I would end up freezing my butt off instead of sweating it off." As she was working on him he tried not to tense up and or groan but it felt so good. All three of his ladies were very good with their hands when it came to working the knots out of his right shoulder. The only drawback was it tended to put him to sleep and if one or the other wanted a bit of fun it wouldn't be till he woke up later. As late as it was he knew he was going to sleep the night through. She finished working on him and wiped the traces of oil off. "Lay down and go to sleep Yim and I will take care of the babies if they wake." She had delivered their children about two months ago. "Come lay down and curl up next to me and let's sleep." She urged him down and curled up next to him and pulled the light cover over him and snuggled close to him. "Good night love." He had to smile as she urged him down. "Good night my love as well." He curled an arm around her and worked his fingers into the fur on her back and sighed. "How did I manage to get three such lovely women in my life?" Jim yawned. "Not to mention some totally wonderful if sometimes aggravating children? I am so blessed by all of you." That was a mumble as he fell asleep next to her warmth. ~~~ As he was falling asleep the memories of his interview with the masters and elders invaded. They were neither good nor bad but sort of a mix of both. Alon's questions from earlier had sort of stirred them up and he was sort of reliving them. One of his greatest fears, other than being pulled back to his world had been being denied acceptance to the tribe. He showed up at the tent as requested and watched as the various masters involved and several elders showed up and walked into the caravan. Chief Moran greeted each as they arrived and waved them into the caravan. Moments later several tribes' women carried several trays of drinks and snacks into the caravan and then silently left. Once everyone was inside he waved Jim in and followed. Jim had been in here before but today it was vastly different. The bed and other items had been folded up against the wall and all there was on the floor was some chairs and a table with the food. He had to smile slightly since he was going to be standing. He had a feeling that was going to be the case till Thomas came in with a chair for him. "Sit James. We know you have been badly injured and you don't need the added stress." That was one of the elders and actually startled him. "Chief Moran has passed your request on to us and we have contemplated it and have some questions for you. It might take some time so relax." Jim bowed slightly at the elder since he couldn't do much more than that at the moment. "Thank you elder." He carefully sat down and adjusted his right arm a bit in the sling and then nodded at Moran. "I am ready to answer any questions you have. As I told Chief Moran some answers I might not be able to make since they wouldn't make sense to you since I am from a different world." Moran nodded to the warrior master to start the questioning and he did speak. "James what all training do you have in protecting the tribe." All knew what he had done but didn't really know what he had been trained as. "Master once I finished my education I ended up in the military of my country." He looked at the others. "It is sort of like being a warrior of your tribe only on a larger scale." Jim turned back to the warrior master. "I was trained in how to survive off the land, organize people to resist oppressive leaders, how to kill, and that it was better to have a dead warrior than one that might come after me. I have been trained to be a killer." That got a gasp from several till Moran waved a hand at them. "What do you mean by killer James?" The warrior master asked. "To protect innocents as best possible. If I kill the people who are causing problems the innocents can hopefully go back to their lives and continue their lives. That is why I fought the bear and even the bandits that attacked. It protected the innocents of the tribes. Chief Piquel called me James the Protector and that is how I see myself. I am to protect those that can't protect themselves." The warrior master nodded and then looked at Master Eldon. "I am satisfied with his answer now it is for you to ask questions." The warrior master really wanted to keep Jim in the tribe since he had a great deal to teach them. Eldon smiled. "So Jim what do you want out of being in the tribe?" That wasn't a question anyone had really expected and most obviously James. He looked more than a bit startled. "What do I want?" He sighed and placed one hand on the table and contemplated it. "I want to just be a tribe member. I don't want to be James the bear slayer, Jim strong arm, or anything else. I want to be a warrior, court the ladies in my life, and just another member of the tribe. I have asked Chief Moran if I can pay court to his daughter as well as Nasha and Nora. I know this is sort of odd but I love all three. I have also asked to be able to act as loco parentis for the orphans that I have been playing music with." He finally looked up at Eldon. "I am tired of being James the killer and simply want to be Jim the tribe member. I want to be someone who will help the tribe by singing, playing various instruments, and loving the ladies in my life." One of the elders looked at him. "So what education have you had? I have talked to Moran and it sounds like you have had some additional education. What was it and how might it help the tribe?" Jim looked at him as he was lightly rubbing his shoulder. "I was educated in cultures and sociology." He took a drink of some sweet water. "What that means is that I was trained to look at a culture and try to figure out how the culture came about and how the social structure was created. I couldn't find a job related to that and joined the military." He grinned slightly at Moran. "For example in your tribe nudity in the bathing area is normal and not even blinked at even if you have a little with you. In my world, well my country we normally usually showered alone unless we are with one we are intimate with. Another example is the bed swapping that is very common in your culture since most of the females only come into heat twice a year. In my world our females are fertile year around so bed hopping isn't nearly as common." The other elder wasn't quite as pleasant though after hearing about how Jim had treated a former elder he wasn't nearly as unpleasant. "So why do you want to join the tribe?" He wanted a good solid answer before he gave his opinion. James looked at him and sat as straight as he could. "Elder I want to join the tribe for the reasons I have mentioned. I want to pay court to Chief Moran's daughter as well as Nasha and Nora. I love them deeply though how that happened I am not sure. I want to protect the tribe to the best of my abilities and possibly teach some of what I know to the other warriors so they can protect the tribe as best possible. I am guardian for Alon and have petitioned to become at least loco parentis for the orphans I have been teaching and learning from." "I am tired of who I was and want to be someone new. Call me Jim the protector, Jim whatever, or even just Jim. I want a new life where I can settle down, love the ladies in my life and maybe have a few children of my own. That is what I want." His face showed how he felt about what he was saying. "This tribe will be the saving of me. You might think I have saved some kits and pups but to be honest Sorrel and the other ladies have been the saving of me." The questioning went on for several more hours before Jim was asked to leave as the deliberated on if they wanted him in the tribe. As he was walking out Piquel walked up and with a nod walked into the caravan. Jim walked over to the tent and settled down on the bed and sort of curled up and hoped he would be allowed to join. ~~~ The next morning he woke and grumbled since it was still raining and they needed to finish the repairs to the trenches they had worked on the night before. "Oh man, just shoot me now. I really don't have any urge to do this in the rain." As it was he rolled out of bed after giving her a good kiss and pulled on his clothing. "I will hit the tents for food and something warm to drink and will see you later." Nasha had rolled on her back and he kissed her and then lightly licked her nose since that a sort of inu kiss. "One of my loves and one of my lives." "And my love and my life as well. Take care Yim and I will take care of our pups." She licked his nose as well and watched him get dressed before heading to the pups tent. It was for the older pups that looked to Yim. He was almost too good for them. He slung the axe and nudged the boy. "Time to get up so we can finish the trenching. See you at the food tent and make sure you eat a goodly amount since I am sure the chief will have more for us to do." The boy grumbled but managed to get up and stretched. "God yesterday was a mess and we have more of it?" Man his back hurt from the work they had been doing. "I will have one of the mammas massage your back later. If you had mentioned it I would have had one of them take care of you last night." The boy lowered his ears in embarrassment when Jim said that. All four of the women were good looking and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He was close enough to his majority that he was really starting to notice girls. Jim took a moment to give the boy a quick massage of his shoulders and upper back though he wasn't anywhere as good as the ladies. "That should do till you loosen up a bit and we will make sure you get a good massage later." He lightly nudged the young man. "Should I have Sheeha do it for you?" The young man was just shy of his majority and Jim wasn't stupid enough to think he hadn't noticed her. Farioun blushed slightly. "If you wish poppe Jim. It would feel good whoever massages my back." He stretched again and it did feel better. He grabbed his rain cape and followed Jim to the food tents. One nice thing about coming with Jim was they tended to get a bit more food and he took advantage of it and chowed down. Over the last few years he had grown several inches and was actually taller than Jim though not as muscled. He had a sort of scrawny look as his body tried to catch up with the growth spurt. Jim had to grin at the boy as he was eating. Watching him eat was almost daunting since there was a sort of determination that he didn't apply to much else other than his music. He was an apprentice to one of the other song smiths and was doing very well. He would probably make it from apprentice to junior journey man when he hit his majority. "At least try to chew the food before you swallow Farion. I would hate to have you choke to death one of these days. Farion grumbled at him and kept eating. Eventually they were done and he followed Jim as they gathered up the crew from the day before and went back to the tents that needed the work. "Morning and hope you slept somewhat dryly." He greeted the young couple with a grin. The woman smiled. "Thanks for all the help and I have some hot tea for everyone as well." Her mate was outside and was working on the trench around the tent. Inside was relatively dry which he was glad for since they had worked their asses off. "It was nice not to wake up to a damp rug or wondering of your cloths were going to be dry." Jim grinned and accepted the tea and slurped it down since it was cool enough. "I still miss coffee darn it though you have no idea what it is." He would almost kill for a cup of it. It could be instant coffee and he would knife someone for it. "Well men let's get to work and the sooner we get to work the sooner we can either find out what else there is or go and get dry and warm." He headed out and was followed by the men. "Okay, half of you go and find rocks we can use. The other half we are going to finish the trenching." It took a good four hours for them to finish the trenching and then lining with the small rocks that had been brought in. Once done he dismissed them. "Same as yesterday though you might want to wait for this evening to shower." They all had some more of the tea and were given the bracelets that seemed to be the way of saying thanks. Jim's was nicer but not so much that it called attention to him. As of now he had a few dozen of the silly things. The males thanked her for them and the warm tea and left to do other things. Jim headed back towards the tent and stopped at Moran's tent. "Afternoon Moran. Got the trenching done and they were dry last night. Any other lovely jobs you have for me?" He settled in a chair and smiled when one of Moran's other kids brought him something warm to drink. "I think I am slowly getting used to your definition of warm and cold. If I ended up back in my world and snow I would freeze my man bits off." Moran shook his head. "The idea of solid water still bothers me except on the top of the mountains." He took a sip and smiled at his son when he brought the pot over. "Actually right now there isn't a great deal to do. You took care of the ditch and my other children have taken care of the other issues." He sipped on the tea and leaned back a bit. "I have to say that I am glad we accepted you Jim. You have been very good for the tribe and even better for your ladies and the children." Moran smiled at him. "I have to admit that I didn't expect to be a grandfather at my age but the child you had with Sorrel is just darling. Nasha's pups are lovely as well and I consider them my grand kids as well." He was staring out at the encampment and the rain. "I have been around for more years than you can imagine and still hate the rain." He frowned and muttered a bit. "I know you have been here for several years but I am very glad that you requested to join the tribe and the tribe has greatly been inspired by you." Jim snorted. "Considering that your oldest girl is over 80 turns you should be a grandfather by now." He contemplated the comment and what the White Lady had told him. He was going to live longer, much longer than he normally would. Something like 400 turns if he didn't die from general stupidity. "I love all my kids even if they aren't mine. Your accepting me in the tribe has given me a new life and more than I ever expected. Thanks for allowing me to both court and mate with your little girl." His memories flashed back again. For some reason this rainy season was really making him think back to the week or so after he had asked to join the tribe. Moran had come over that evening and settled down in one of the chairs they had and sighed. "Well Jim you are going to be accepted into both tribes. We are going to have a ceremony in two days to accept you. Tonight we are going to honor the warriors that fell defending the tribes. We would like you to start the fires that will free their spirits so they can be reborn in the future." Jim looked at him and started slightly. "Why me? I just did what was needed. It didn't matter if it was a Puma tribe member or one of ours I would have done the same." God he hated this, coming to this world it seemed that all he had been doing was either killing or healing and he hated it. He wanted a different life and possibly joining the tribe and mating with Sorrel and the others was giving him that chance. "I would be honored to start the fires Chief. I hate the idea that warriors died but that is life." He took a sip of his drink and smiled when Tonya crawled onto his lap and snuggled close. "I want to thank you and whoever for being willing to accept me into the tribe. I am growing to love this life and what I have been doing." He stroked Tonya's ears and hair as he was talking. "Thank you for giving me a chance to be someone different." He smiled as the little girl relaxed and enjoyed the petting. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 01 "Jim you are more than just a tribe member. You have proven that. For tonight you deserve to light the fires since you saved so many." He reached over and lightly grasped his good shoulder. "You are a good man and a good warrior. A warrior needs light the fire and the warrior master asked for you directly." Moran sat up and looked at Jim. "You are a good person and that is why I accepted your request for courting my girl." He stood and walked back to his caravan. Before Moran left Jim looked at him. "I want the rest of the team I am on to help with lighting the fires." They had lost one of the team and he felt that was only right. "I wasn't the only one that fought the bandits. The others helped as well." His expression was very serious when he said that. Moran looked at him and then nodded. "It will be done. I will see you this evening and use the good sheath and your best cloths." He flipped his tail and left the tent. Jim smiled at Moran. "You are just complaining since it makes you feel old." Sorrel brought their child to him and handed her to him and grinned. Jim smiled. "You should hand her to the old man since he is likely to keel over sooner than later." He took the girl and settled her on Tonya's lap and held her. "Thank goodness dinner should be soon. I am starving." Moran chittered at him and Jim had to grin since some of the chittering was rude. "I have many years' left silly human and plan on watching all my grand kids grow up." He swished his tail as Sorrel came over and gave him a good hug. "Poppe you will be here to educate them as well." ~~~ The other ladies came out and settled down and started eating as well and the talk was in general about the rain and how heavy the rainy season was this year. It was heavy which indicated good harvests but was a pain while it was there. Jim contemplated the food and finally remembered the subject of the boys back. "Farion was in some pain from this morning and last night. Sheeha if you don't mind taking a look and giving him a good massage I would appreciate it. She grinned and nodded. "Can do and not a problem. He is sort of a cute kit and is aging well." She had noticed him and was feloind in kind. Yes he was a bit n the young side but as long as she was here she wouldn't mind having a lover of some sort. Jim was nice but not her sort. He gave her good attention when she was in heat and she appreciated that but wanted a bit more during the rest of the year. Jim rolled his eyes but didn't say anything about her comment. There were strong rules about sex and the age of consent so he didn't worry about it. I think I am going to do some transcribing for Eldon for some of the few songs I have left." Over the years he had transcribed a great deal of the music he had memorized and even written some of his own. As of yet he still hadn't shared his original songs. He did need to and he had finally decided it was time for it. ~~~ The next morning he woke up next to Sorrel and he couldn't resist stroking her fur. Even now he loved the feel of her fur against him and even when her tail twitched against him. They had one child and with Nasha they had two more. The next on the list was for Nora and her heat was coming up soon. He wanted a child with her as well but hoped it would be a year or two down the road. "Morning love. I slept well and thanks many times for accepting me." The courting took several months though technically they should have been celibate during the time. That hadn't happened with any of them. "Jim if you keep that up I am going to have to ravish you. You know I love having my fur stroked." She rolled over and looked at him. "I am so glad that I was the one that found you. You have given me things that I would have expected. Love, a child, pups and kits that look to you and many other things." Sorrel stroked his head and leaned against him. "My lovely human. How I do love you." She settled down at the table and started eating. "Tonight we are supposed to have a small ceremony to hopefully stop the rain and I am going to sing. I think you will enjoy the song." The ladies smiled since he had sang so many songs over the years and didn't really think about it. "I hope you enjoy it." For most of the day Moran found things for him to do though at one point he was at the tent and listened to the grunt and groaning as the boy was being worked on. He poked his head in and grinned. "Try to imagine something relaxing and it will help." Getting a good massage from Sheeha would hopefully sort of mute the desire for her. He didn't want the boy hurt when she went back to the Puma clan. As there wasn't much to do at the moment though he would probably start hunting soon since the tribe needed fresh meat he simply relaxed. The memories kept coming back. There was just something about this place. Jim had relaxed during the day and snoozed off and on as the women sort of worked on the tent to organize them. The white lady came by and did some more healing thought he was asleep at the time. When he did finally wake up it was starting to get dark and his good clothes were on the small table as well as his weapons and axe. "Come Jim it is time to send the warriors to their future to recreate who they were and to see who they are going to be." She was dressed in a soft cotton outfit that showed her off to her best. "Yes my love and I will do my best." With her help and a few of the other ladies he dressed and looked as best possible. He had the gun belt on as well as his knife and axe when they walked out. He had known several of the males who had died protecting the tribes and it was so very hard to see them wrapped up on the tiers for the fires. "Damn it why does it seem that I keep losing those that I am growing to care for?" He murmured. The three ladies kept close tabs on him and since Sorrel was going to be the senior female she was with him. "That is part of life Jim. Some you lose and others you don't." Thomas moved up next to him as well. "It would have been worse if you hadn't returned the attack. Think of the boy Jim. Who would he have to look up to? You are a gentle warrior and that is was Alon needs." Thomas hugged him. "To be honest it is what I needed as well. Someone who can kill but hates it. I needed that as well and you are going to be a good addition to the tribe." Jim returned the hug as best possible. "All I want is to be just a member of the tribe. Fine the kids might need someone to look up to but the example I want to set is simply someone doing their best for the clan." He was standing to one side as elders and masters of both tribes came up to the pyres that were there. Eldon came over and handed him his Corwin and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Jim I know you have expanded on the song you sang for me. I think tonight would be a good time to introduce it to the tribes." He felt that even though it was a sad song there was a strong sense of hope in it. Jim had been adjusting it over the time he had been with the tribe. He nodded at him. "I think it is time for that. I need to get it out once and for all. It will help me a great deal with some old wounds that need to be exposed and healed." He tucked the instrument under his rain cloak to keep it dry. The two chiefs as well as some of the elders and masters came forward as dark was falling. Moran stepped forward. "We lost warriors yesterday, both of our tribes and we are going to send our warriors to the skies till it is time for their rebirth. They all died trying to protect both tribes." He looked at Piquel. Chief Piquel stepped forward. "Both tribes lost valued members and it was a horrible day for both of us. Tonight is a night to both mourn and to honor the sacrifice our warriors made, both the living and dead. I have requested that Jim the Protector sing one song for us before we light the pyres that will send the spirits of those we lost to the skies." He glanced over at Jim. "It is a sad song he wrote many years ago but I know that he has changed it over the last few weeks. Master Eldon has asked him to sing it for us. Once that is done we will start the fires that will cleanse the spirits till it is time for them to come back. Jim stepped forward and looked down at the Corwith. "I lost a sister of mine due to a disease that couldn't be cured. I have been working on it since Master Eldon asked me to play it for him. It is sad yet also contains hope that I will see her again in the future." He was thankfully under a tent. "The tune is going to be from my world so it won't sound quite like what you have heard before." Jim closed his eyes and started singing and it was definitely a sad song starting out but as he reached the end it become more hopeful. In the end he knew he would see his sister again at some point or another. Once he was done he was crying again. "I miss my sissy but know I will see her again. The same goes for the men and women that are on the pyres. We will see them again." His ladies gathered around him and held him. Sorrel distracted him from his thoughts when she came in and smiled at him. "You don't look quite all there Jim." She had their child in her arms and settled down in his lap. "You going to be ready for the small ceremony this evening? Nothing major, just something to maybe slow the rain down." He looked at her and smiled and hugged the two of them. "Alon asked me a question earlier and it has been bringing back memories of when I asked to join the tribe. Not good or bad but sort of a cleansing sort of set of memories." He was stroking the hair of their child and smiled. "My life is complete. I have children, have some adoptees, and several ladies I love more than I can describe." He leaned over and kissed Sorrel and stroked their baby's ears. "I am so glad your father allowed me to court you. Best day of my life even if I couldn't move my arm." He grinned at her when she said it and smiled. She grumbled a bit. "Yah but I only get you every third night... Well unless Sheeha is in heat..." Now that had been a long discussion and decided that the best way to deal with it was in house, or in tent, so to speak. There was affection but it was of the friends type but when one of them went into heat it was a different situation. It precluded all else and Jim took care of it though he preferred not to. The small ceremony went off well and Jim had been with the other journeymen as they hoped to sort of mellow out the rain that they were having. Even though they were on high ground anything could happen and they didn't want that. He did dance with his ladies but it wasn't much later when he headed towards the tents. Tonight was his time to spend with Nasha and in a way he still found that odd. She did have their pups but she was still a wet nurse and the fact that she was lactating did still bother him a bit. It just wasn't something he had encountered before though she seemed to like the attention he gave her. "Are you ready for a bit of fun and excitement milady mate? I now that I could us a bit of fun and excitement.." He drew her in for a kiss and then lightly licked the end of her muzzle. He had gotten used to the fact that all three had a short muzzle instead of the nose/mouth that human's had. They still kissed but it was slightly different. His arms slid around her and pulled her close as he gave her another kiss and relaxed. "My lovely Nasha. How I love all of you. I do hate only sleeping next to each of you every three days but it is worth it." Thank god their heat's had sort of organized themselves so that Sorrel was first, Nora second, and Nasha third. Unfortunately they were one after the other and by the end of the three weeks he was usually beat and glad they didn't want sex for a while. Sheeha was on a totally different rotation, so to speak, and was several weeks after the others which gave him a break. If she had come after Nasha he would probably be dead by now. Nasha couldn't help but smile. "Most definitely milord. I always look forward to sharing a bed with you even if we don't do anything." Tonight she did want to have a bit of fun. "Let me go and feed your hungry little beasties and then we can crawl in together and enjoy a bit of fun." She un-tucked his shirt and ran her hands up his back just for good measure since she was most definitely interested in a bit of bed play. Their two children were only a few months old and she hadn't been up to any bed play till a week or two ago and wanted some fun. Jim smiled at her. "Go take care of them and I will let Sorrel know that we are going to be occupied for a while and to keep an eye on the kids. They had actually divided the tents into several different sections and one was what had started as the small tent that had come with Alon but had grown as Jim earn credit for what he did. Alon might not be massively wealthy when he hit his majority but Jim was doing his best to ensure that he would have a good solid start. One tent was mostly designed for the children under the age of 7 or so and had one of the older kids in there in case they needed anything. The second tent was for the older children and their needs. It was divided into a boys section and girls section since when they moved there they stayed till they hit their majority. The third tent was for his ladies and him. He didn't always sleep in the 'hook up' tent since he liked sleeping next to all of them. There was a large low bed that was big enough for the four of them to curl up together. It also had an adult theme to it and the youngsters only came in when invited since it was there for the others to get away and just relax. He stopped and talked to Sorrel for a moment and then walked to the little's tent and settled down as Nasha nursed one of the twins. He carefully picked up the other and held the little girl and stroked her ears to keep her calm. For some odd reason they took after their mother for the most part. The one difference was they both had these lovely blue eyes which they got from their father. "So lovely both of them. We did good work with them." He lifted her to his face and lightly rubbed his cheek against hers and smiled at Nasha. "They take after their mother and are lovely babies." She leaned over and nuzzled his neck. "I can see bits of their father in them as well such as their eyes." Nasha was so pleased to have some pups with him and knew that Nora was considering having one her next heat as well though she wasn't sure Jim knew that. "Love you Yimmy." Eventually they swapped babies and he made a face. "Thanks kiddo, had to wait for me to hold you before you decided you needed changing." That got a quiet laugh from Nasha as he settled down and changed the boy and tossed the diaper in the laundry hamper and was glad that he didn't have to worry about cleaning them. The junior females in the tribe had the joy of that. Eventually he took their little girl from her and changed her and tucked them both back into the same small bed. Twins tended to sleep together till they were older. "Sleep well you two." Jim stood up and held a hand out to Nasha and pulled her up into his arms and they slowly walked over to the small tent. "Just making sure you feel up to this. I know last time you were a bit tender." The last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable while they made love. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him. "As long as we are slow and careful it should be fine. I am healed as per the healers and it will just take a bit of time for me to totally recover." She nuzzled him and lightly licked his nose. "Remember I have had a child before though it was a while ago. As you also know I like it slow and comfortable. There are times for fast and furious but not tonight. I want you to take your time, explore my body, stroke my tail and have fun." He smiled at her and worked his hands into the fur on her neck and pulled her towards him and gave her a slow kiss and then lightly licked her nose. "Slow it is lady. I will make sure you are totally ready for me before I do anything." Once they were in the tent he slowly worked her shirt off though he left the breast bands on for the moment. Once off he started stroking her fur in the way he knew she loved it and continued kissing her. She grumbled at him. "You had better start losing your cloths as well or else..." She worked his shirt off and ran her hands up his back. She did have slightly rougher fingers than a human due to what she was but knew Jim loved the feel of her hands stroking his back. "I do want to say thank you for giving me two such lovely pups." It was an inu reaction but her tongue came out and she lightly licked one ear and the side of his neck and smiled when he twitched. "Gah, I am so not used to that even now. It feels weird to have my ears licked at times." As he was talking he slowly worked her pants and underwear off as she was working on his. His hands rested on her bottom and pulled her close. "I would say anytime but three children are plenty not mentioning the orphans." Nope he definitely didn't know that Nora intended to get pregnant on her next cycle. For Nasha it wouldn't be till the pups were close to one turn old but Nora her heat would be coming up in just a few months. Nasha laughed at him when he twitched. "One of these days you will be used to it." She could feel his erection pressing against her and was glad. She still had some extra weight due to the pups and was feeling a bit overweight and not very attractive. Having him attracted to her helped a great deal. As he was lightly massaging her bottom her short tail was wagging back and forth in excitement. She was enjoying the feel of him against her. He lowered her onto the bed and started letting his hands roam as he kept up the kissing. Some parts of her fur was longer than others and another thing he had discovered early on was not only did she have four breasts but her groin was somewhat different than the others. It had taken a bit of time to find the best way for them to make love but eventually they had and both had greatly enjoyed it. Much like the other two she loved having the base of her tail stroked but that was a shortcut to either getting slugged or dragged to bed and the crap banged out of you. He didn't want that so he stayed away for the moment and simply settled for some serious kissing and stroking of her body. He finally undid one of the breast bands and started gently working the sides of her breasts though since she had just nursed they shouldn't be too sensitive. Nasha sighed in contentment. "For some reason feeling you work your fingers down to my skin always feels so good and if I was tense I would beg you for a good back massage." Jim had definitely learned what she liked and how to stroke her body both sensually and sexually. Even when they had started making love even though he had been hesitant because she was a wet nurse he had been very gentle and took his time. Once he had gotten used to the differences it had been very good. The biggest difference was he didn't have a knot like male inu's did but that didn't bother her. Jim smiled as he worked his finger through her fur and kept stroking her back and sides. As he did that he shifted his focus from her mouth to her lips and nibbled on them before finding an ear and nibbled on it before lightly licking it. That also felt weird but she loved it and he took his time nibbling and licking it before starting down her neck. As he was nibbling and licking he could feel her starting to respond and had to smile. "Should I do the other ear or would that be too much?" He teased her. He did take a moment to rest his nose at her neck and inhaled her scent. Yes it had dog overtones but there were others as well. No his nose wasn't nearly as sensitive as many of the other species but he could tell her scent from his other lovers. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 01 She was definitely starting to get interested and like most inu's she like using her tongue. It was just sort of the way they were. "I am going to get your ears again and then maybe nibble and bite a bit as well." Nasha shifted a bit and lightly bit his neck though she didn't leave any marks before slowly and lightly licking up his neck to his ear and returned the favor. He started giggling and snickering. "Gah that tickles you evil woman." She kept him pinned down as she licked his ear so in revenge he started stroking her breast and found the nipple and lightly stroked and tweeked it. That got a reaction as she moaned before returning to working on nipping his ear and neck. "Don't stop Yim, that feels so good. Mind you I love nursing the children but having you playing with my breasts is wonderful." She had to arch her back as he played with them and groaned when he took one in his mouth and started both nibbling and sucking on it. The feeling was totally different from when she nursed and it sent shivers down her spine. She knew that some milk was being expressed but since she had nursed not much. Much of it was how he used his tongue on her nipples and nibbled both on them and the skin around the nipple. He had to smile. "I know you know but the first time or two I was really hesitant to touch them. Something from my culture I guess." He rolled her over and knelt over her and worked his way down to her belly button and sucked on it a bit as well which usually got a squeal from her and she lightly bonked him on the head. "Darn it you silly human stop that you know that is ticklish." Good god her center was starting to get heated and she knew that shortly he would be working his way lower. One thing he had discovered was that similar to female dogs from his world her opening was shaped differently and sort of had only external lips. It had taken a bit of her suggestions before he found all of her sensitive points. Once he did he had gotten good at hitting them. As he was lightly nibbling her navel one hand was sliding up her inner leg and stroked where the leg met the hip and then back down. He could tell she was enjoying the attention he was giving her. He moved back up and started to work on her other breast while his hand was doing it's work. Slowly he moved closer to her opening and finally ran his fingers around the outside. It always made him sort of think of a leaf since at the back it was flush with her taint. Towards the front it started flowering out and ended up with a tip that was away from her body. Unlike a human female it was just the external lips since all else was internal. As the sides progressed towards the front they started to fill out till they stood out from her body and ended in a sort of tip giving it the leaf shape. Her button, so to speak, was internal and it had taken him a bit of time to get used to that. As his fingers lightly brushed her lip he could feel her getting wet but it wasn't quite ready for him so he moved his hands and started stroking her again. This time he did let his hands stroke her smaller breasts and kept kissing her. Nasha had to smile. "You are such a wonderful lover Yim. How I love the feel of your hands on my body and how you have learned what feels good to me. She was arching her back though normally when they actually got to the good part it was doggy style. The other positions were good but that was her prefer style. It was mostly because he managed to hit all her sensitive spots and bring her to a howling orgasm. One of his hand slid down her fur to her groin and slid around the outside of her lips and she was now wet enough and he slipped one inside and found the small nub that was essentially the same as a clit for a human and started massaging it. His lips were sealed around one of her nipples and it only took a few moments before she came. When she did he could feel her muscles contracting and carefully he slid his finger in further to check. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. Nasha slightly adjusted her hips and groaned. "Keep going Yim but be gentle and..." She groaned as he worked her to another orgasm. Her hips were lightly moving forward and backwards as his fingers gently slid inside further making sure she was well lubricated. One finger found her G-spot and another was still playing with her button and she tensed as she came again. "Yim this is almost too much. If you want into me do it now." He slid his fingers out and gently rolled her over and found the right position and very gently pushed inside and made sure she was comfortable. As he did her tail was off to one side and with one hand on her hip the other was stroking the base of her tail. "Tell me if this is too much." He leaned forward and bit her neck as he slowly started stroking in and out. When he bit her neck she almost orgasmed again but managed not to and allowed him to position himself correctly and slowly pushed in. Yes it was still sensitive after delivering but lady how she wanted this. "Please Yim don't stop but be slow and careful. As he was slowly working in and out he kept his bite on her neck and it really didn't take long for her to cum again. Jim followed her shortly thereafter and though he tried very hard not to his last thrust was all the way in and he held her hips and just allowed his body to take over. Once he was done he lowered them on one side and held her till he finally slid out. "God you are good my love. I know we just had some kids but I almost can't wait for a few years to have some more." The both fell asleep curled up as they were. The next morning Jim rolled over and yawned and stretched. "Morning love. That was a very enjoyable last night. I have missed being with you." Before he climbed out of bed he gave her a good kiss and pulled on some clean cloths and made sure any mess from coming in from the rain was cleaned up. As he was doing that Nasha had rolled out moments later as well and simply pulled a robe on since she needed to nurse the babies. As they strolled to the main tents he noticed that it wasn't raining at the moment though the clouds were pregnant with rain so he didn't get his hopes up. Hopefully it would hold off long enough to get in some hunting and cleaning. If it gave them time to beat some of the mud and stuff off the carpets it would be nice. Knowing the kids they would be considering what sort of havoc they could cause outside and would end up all muddy. Having them help with the cleaning would be good. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 02 Thanks to all that have been waiting patiently for the second chapter of book 2. Again due to personal and health issues I had really brain locked half way through the chapter. While I was working on the third story I posted I realized what I wanted to do and not trying to give anything away. There is going to be some bouncing between the dimensions. Having said that as Dr. Who put it Time is a sort of timmy wimmy wibbly wobbly thing. That explains the random differences in time as they go to and fro between universes. Again this is strictly edited by me but after working with several editors I have gotten better, in my opinion, with using less of the he/his she/her tems and actually using more detailed descriptions. Instead of the 'they looked at the stone and wondered' I would use 'They looked at the power stone and wondered at the glow'. Having said that if you do find typo's or sentences/paragraphs that don't make sense to you please leave a comment. Mentioning comments I really do want comments from all my readers so I know what you think about the story. It will help me fine tune it to the readers while keeping the characters true to themselves. As mentioned both in the story and in the preface in Ranicke the age of majority is 80 turns or so since they live much longer lives than we do. If I mention any sexual relationships they will all be the equivalent of 18+ in our fine reality. Read and enjoy. ***** That evening the rain had started again but they had gotten quite a bit done. The rugs had been beat mostly clean of dried on mud. Some hunting had been done and they had fresh meat which was nice. Many of the other chores that needed to be done when it wasn't raining had been done as well. Jim was more than pleased with how their tent looked. The kids had done a damn fine job and he was going to treat them to some more of the story he had started the night before. "Okay everyone gather around and I will tell you more of what happened when I joined the tribe." He was smiling as one of the other kids crawled in his lap for a cuddle. One thing Jim had discovered was that they aged differently than humans from his world. The first few years they aged as did normal humans. Once they hit about 7 or 8 years old the aging process slowed down drastically. The boy who had been helping him clean the trenches for example might look just shy of 18 but was actually closer to 80 turns old. Most of the species on this planet were capable of growing to anywhere from 500 turns old to several thousand. As an example Moran might only look maybe in his 30's but was over 500 turns old. The largest reason the tribes hadn't over run the world was because they lost so many members to illness and animal attacks. That and they tended to go years between pregnancies. Jim had finally met Nasha's son and the man, though they considered him young, was over 150 turns old. To be honest it made Jim feel like a wee babe considering he had just turned 37 if he had been back home. The little elf girl settled on his lap and Ignos and Balos were leaning against his legs and playing really quietly as they practiced some of the chords from earlier. It was quiet enough that the others could easily hear Jim over the quiet notes. "Oh goodness where to start. Well after I talked to Moran about becoming Sorrel, Nasha, and Nora's mate we had the ceremony for the fallen warriors and tribe's members. It was a very hard evening to deal with. I knew one of the warriors who had fallen and sort of several of the others." Jim's voice was rough as he was talking and he really hoped the children understood what he was trying to say. "Knowing that I will see them again one of these days does help and knowing that I will see my Sissy again helps as well." He went on to describe the services though several had seen them and others. "I hate losing people I care for or belong to the tribe." The little girl wrapped her arms around him and gave him a good hug and peck on the cheek. "We all hate losing people poppe Jim." She tucked her head in his chest and simply held onto him. He held her and continued. It was coming back as memories again. As he was telling them he was remembering it. It was two nights later after the funeral pyres when Jim was indoctrinated into the clans. In this case it was a case of his being brought into one tribe and being made a tribe friend of the other from what he had been told. In this case he had been told to have his weapons as well as the ladies with him. It was a case of his not just requesting entrance into the tribe but to ask for the three ladies hands in mating. Well at the moment courting and he was going to have to face Nora's family when he asked to court her. That was going to be interesting since he was asking to court three ladies and join the tribe. In this case he was being helped get ready by the ladies and not Thomas. Since the elders had accepted him as a new tribe member the tribe emblem had been stitched onto his shirt. There was also a symbol for the bear and also a symbol he didn't recognize. All three women helped get him dressed in the dress clothing that Sorrel had started. There was the darker green shirt and the lighter green pants along with the soft boots. He used the belt and sheath he had been given by them. Jim made sure the sheath he had been given with the axe was on as well. "Oh damn it to hell, I am not going to cry again. I have done enough." Between the cloths, being approved to court three ladies and the kids in his life he was so happy. Any tears would be of happiness and nothing else. He still had the staff and needed it since his butt still hurt. He finally stood tall and walked out of the tent with the others. "I will not cry and nobody is going to make me." That was a very quiet murmer. Again he was lead to the small platform and this time he walked up with it with the ladies around him and as odd as it sounded Alon in his arm. "Again I seem to be called to the scene of the crime." Jim smiled at him and was lightly smacked by Sorrel. "I mean I am requested to appear before you Chief Moran." Moran turned and looked at Piquel. "Can we send him back? His humor is horrible and I am not sure I want him infecting the tribes." He had known Jim for a bit over a month and knew or had discovered his sense of humor as to be horrible at times. Usually it was when he was stressed. Piquel grinned at Moran. "Well if you don't want him..." That got him quietly growled at him by several people and he had to grin. "I would have to say that after the last few days we could use the humor so won't complain too much." Chief Moran moved forward and carefully turned Jim around to face the combine tribes. "Jim the Protector has asked to join the tribe. He has been interviewed by the elders and the masters that deal with him. All have approved of his joining the tribe." He looked around and smiled. "Now Chief Piquel has something to say as well." Piquel smiled. "Well I would offer to steal Jim from this tribe but have a feeling his potential mates as well as Jim might frown at me. I have talked to my elders and pride members and we have decided to request Jim to join as a friend of the pride." He pulled out a jeweled necklace that had a puma carving on it. "This shows that you are sort of a member of the tribe and have the right to raise Alon and take care of Sheeha till he has reached his Majority." The necklace was snug against Jim's neck when he placed it on him. Moran smiled and pulled out a necklace as well. "This shows that you are a member of the tribe and are a full member." The necklace was similar to the first but longer and snugged up against the totem necklace. It had Jim's symbol as well as several small symbols that represented the members of the tribe. "Welcome Jim the protector. Also Jim the tribe member." Even though Jim had promised not to cry a few tears flowed out. "Thank both of you. This means more to me than you can imagine." He lowered his head before turning to the combined tribes. He stood tall though he leaned slightly against the staff. "Thank you for accepting me as a tribe's member or a friend of the tribe." He looked around and had to smile since towards the front was the kids he had been watching over and several of the warriors he had been working with. "I want to take this time to address the tribes and make something clear." He turned to the three ladies and knelt down. "I don't know what your rituals are but I plan on courting Sorrel, Nasha, and Nora. I am no longer available and will not accept any offers till this is dealt with. Will you please allow me to pay court to the three of you?" His emotions were showing in his eyes when he asked. All three moved forward and Sorrel took his hand and then pulled the other two over and added their hands to hers. "James Matheson we do accept and as the elder of the three we would be more than pleased to allow you to pay court to us." She looked at the others and smiled when she pulled out another chain. By now he had some serious bling going but she fastened it around his neck. It had carvings of all three women on it. "Till such time as we might choose otherwise we accept." Jim was pulled out of the story when the grandparents of the girl showed up. "Good evening Jim, time for her to come home." She gave him a good hug and then frowned. "Not telling more stories before I am back tomorrow." He had to laugh and stroked her ears for a moment and then handed her over. "Alon asked me how I became his poppe and I have been telling them how it came about." He leaned down and scratched the boys ears. "Time for you two to go back to your parents or I am going to get yelled at." Both grinned at him and scooted out of the tent. "Kids." He muttered and got a laugh. The two left with the little girl. "Okay for the rest of you go and get cleaned up for dinner. I am going to grab a shower and will be back shortly." Jim stood and walked to the adults' tent and gathered some clean clothing and wrapped it in a bag to keep them dry and walked out. For half a moment he contemplated the hot springs but decided not to and settled for a shower before getting dressed. Once he was clean he pulled the water cloak around him and walked back to the tent. There was warm food and some tea waiting for him. "Oh goody. Thanks for whoever did this for me." As he settled down Sheeha came over and gave him a good hug. "You deserve it and you are welcome. Now you had better relax and eat it or else." She grinned at him as she walked out after lightly stroking his shoulders. "Please don't tell me it is time for your heat? I am not sure I can deal with it right now. To damn tired for that." He leaned back and rested his head against her and she grinned. "Not for a week or maybe two. I am sure I will clear it with the ladies and your chief so I have plenty of time with you." Jim had to groan. "Three ladies are hard enough but four? Good thing I get a few weeks between all your heats or I would be dead by now." Sheeha snickered and leaned over and nipped ear. "But you do enjoy it right? At least I have never heard a complaint from you." Jim damn near died on the spot. "Sheeha that is not what I need right now. Please not right now." He was so tired and simply needed to relax. She grinned. "Yes Yimmy. I will be good for a few more days..." For some reason her heat tended to come with the rainy season. She leaned against him and sighed. "I do like you Yimmy but I want a Puma warrior." He looked back at her and stroked her cheek. "I know that and know that we are friends but will miss you when you do eventually go back to your tribe. It isn't just the sex but for all you do around here. Thank you Sheeha." He finally leaned forward and started eating the food he had been brought as well as sucked down the warm drink. She couldn't help but smile since she was going to miss all of them when she did go back. At first she hadn't been very pleased when she had been picked to help raise Alon but Sorrel had made her part of the family. Eventually the others had as well and she had come to care for most all of them. Yes when she was in heat Jim was a very attentive lover and did his best to make sure she was satisfied and did a good job of it. One thing she knew was that with the puma tribe the women tended to have very small breasts compared to other species. That didn't seem to bother Jim that much and she was glad for it. To be sort of honest she almost wished she did have a child with him though she would always be a puma member. "Eat Yimmy and I will give you a good massage if you need when you are done. Nora is waiting for you when you are done." Jim couldn't help but smile at her. "When Alon reaches his majority I am going to miss both of you. I am sure you will be going back to the Puma tribe and Alon as well." He took a drink of the warm tea and sighed. He was going to miss her and his adoptive son a great deal but what father wouldn't miss his son. Eventually he went and curled up with Nora and though they didn't have any nooky he had grown very used to having someone in his bed and yes he could tell the difference since they smell different. Sorrel smelled sort of nutty since that was one of her favorite foods, Nasha definitely smell of dog, and Nora smelled of feline. Yes technically she was a fox but there was just something feline about her. "Good night love and hope you sleep well." He had gotten used to none of the women sleeping in cloths except for Nasha since she was a wet nurse. As he was sleeping he sort of dreamed that someone was calling his name and not the way they way they pronounced it in this world. It was almost as if they were trying to get his attention. When he finally awoke he was feeling more than a bit irritated and grumpy. It hadn't been a good sleep and even with Nora curled up next to him it hadn't been a good night. ~~ After dressing and taking care of his needs his needs he settled at the table and smiled when Alon crawled into his lap. "Morning Poppe." He seemed to really want contact with him. "Bad dreams last night." He was sort of shivering. "Sorry son it happens but I am here for you." Jim curled an arm around him and hugged him close. "Love my son as well as all the others." He was sort of startled when his axe was next to him and Sorrel hugged him. "You are going to need this and I didn't have good dreams either." As they were talking Jim stiffened since he felt an energy he hadn't felt for a long time and Sorrel responded. "Everyone back now." Sorrel hurried over to him and at that point it was too late. A power swirled around then and suddenly they vanished. ~~~ Back at the encampment the other two women and the children that were up were shocked and horrified when the three seemed to waver and then vanished into thin air. The chair Jim had been sitting in looked scorched and pieces were missing. Where Jim's axe had been looked scorched as well. The two women screamed once they gathered their wits and both Moran and several warriors came running. "What is wrong?" He could smell the scorching sent from the chair and table and looked around. He didn't see Jim, Sorrel, or Alon anywhere. At the very least he would have expected Jim and Sorrel to be there to figure out why the women and kids were screaming or crying. "Where is Jim and Sorrel?" Nasha had to take a slow deep breath and then several more before she could speak. "They just vanished into thin air along with Alon. He was sitting there with Alon in his lap and Sorrel talking and then there was a surge of something before they sort of wavered. They became thin and you could see through them and then they vanished." Moran gave the chairs a hard look. "Everyone go to my caravan and tent for the time being." He looked at one of the warriors. "Get the Shaman and the Mystic over here pronto and take a chair for the Mystic to speed things up. If he complains tell him it is an order from the chief." He was more than surprised when the warriors were back with both sooner than expected. "Sir they were already on their way here." Thomas said. The warrior who had been given the orders had told someone to get him and get to Jim's tent. He had encountered them part way to the tent and came with. "What happened?" Thomas hadn't gotten much information since the warrior who had found him didn't know much. Moran looked at him and his face was hard. "I don't know but I was informed that Sorrel, Jim, and Alon vanished after a surge of power. The chair and table are scorched and have pieces missing." There was a most definite growl to his voice as he was talking. Normally he was a pacifist but this was his daughter and her mate they were talking about. "I want to know what happened and how we can get them back gentlemen. Do what you need and then come find me. If you need any support or anything contact me immediately. Thomas you stay here to assist in any way you can." Thomas stood tall and bowed slightly to the chief. "I will remain here and take care of their needs for as long as needed." They were his friends as well and he was greatly upset finding out what happened. He turned to the shaman and mystic. "Sirs I am at your service and don't hesitate to ask for anything you need." As he was talking to them Moran stalked off to his tent to comfort the ladies and find out any additional information he could. ~~~ When the power subsided he was in what looked much like the lab he had been in only more advanced. An alarm went off and the man behind one of the desks looked rather startled. He started to stand up but Jim reacted without thinking and slugged him hard enough to knock him out. "Down behind that desk." He shoved the two and growled as he could hear people approaching. He managed to step behind the door they came through and was able to surprise them. It was not a nice fight since he was using his axe. The last man coming in the door flew across the hall stunned for a few moments and Jim was able to get a lucky blow on the back of his head but the other two turned and thank god they were too close to use their rifles. After that it was a free for all that ended up with the room half destroyed. Jim had been bloodied since both were very good but the worst wound was when he badly sliced one man when he had pointed a pistol at Sorrel. It was over quickly and as far as he could tell nobody had been killed. Only one man had been badly injured and that was when he had been forced to slam the bit of one side into his arm. He had been about to shoot Sorrel and he had reacted with his previous training. "Sorry dude but don't ever threaten my mate again." He told him as he tied a tourniquet around his arm. Right after that he slugged him and knocked him out. "We have to leave the building and get away from here. More will be here soon." One thing he did notice after the fight was that he had been shot again. "Oh bloody fucking hell I hate getting shot. It always fucking hurts." At least it was a grazing blow and nothing bad. Even if he still had his vest there was a reasonable chance of his getting shot there since the armor didn't cover everything. Since he had the pouch he tended to carry things in he quickly stripped some items from the guards and grabbed one of the guns and gave it an odd look. It looked like one of the experimental models from the Army. "Follow me." He ordered and glanced up and down the hallways and as he spotted camera's he shot them out to keep anyone from seeing Sorrel or Alon. That was the last thing they needed. Eventually they made it out of the building and everything looked odd. The vehicles were not models he recognized. He looked around the parking area and finally located an old truck that he hoped didn't have a tracking device. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 02 "Give me a minute" and he checked and was startled when the door opened. He flipped over and was under the dash for a moment before the truck started. "Okay, get in, Alon in the center. He showed them how to buckle up though they really didn't have the time. "Oh, welcome to my world." Both flinched when the engine started up and Jim had to grin since he missed the rumble of a v-8. The other two were wrinkling their noses as the scent and to be honest he did as well. He had forgotten just how stinking the world could be. "Give it time and hold on since we are going to be going horribly fast. Jim backed out of the spot and got a running start at the gate and took it out and set off an alarm but at this point he didn't care. It took him a few minutes to locate where they were and he had to smile. The further they got from town the better the chances were that they wouldn't be picked up. "Sorry for that both of you but we are going to a friend's place and I think you will like it." It was late night when they had arrived even though it had been early morning when they had been taken. Once he got away from the building he slowed down and was obeying the speed limits. Jim checked all the gauges and nodded thank god there appeared to be enough gas for them to make it where he was heading. "I know this is totally different from what you want but I have a general idea of what is going on." He smiled when Alon leaned against him. "Take a nap and I will wake you up when we get there." The drive took several hours of which Sorrel and Alon did nap but not very well. The vehicle they were in sounded weird and smelled bad as well as moving speeds they have never seen. Eventually he turned off on a side road and headed up some mountains and it was starting to get cold even for him and he started the AC going. Eventually it started getting warm in there and god it felt good. Jim had to wonder what season it was since it was cold to him. Being that it was night made it harder and even then when the sun came up even that wouldn't mean it was a cold season. Several hours later they actually arrived at Pam's house and he pulled up behind the house so the truck was under the trees. He grabbed his things and knocked on the back door. He was more than shocked when Pam answered it with a pump action shotgun. "Pam it is me, Jim." He told her and her eyes widened and she started to faint. He dropped the rifle on the sling he was holding and jumped forward to catch her. The shotgun clattered on the floor. "Oh hell what the fuck is going on?" "Come in you two." He picked up Pam and carried her to the living room and settled her down. He lightly patted her cheeks. "Hey Pammie wake up. It is Jim." For some reason he didn't even think of the odd clothing not to mention jewelry, axe, and knife. He almost looked tribal. Eventually she started to awake and started at him. "Is that really you Jim?" She reached up and stroked his face. "It has been ten years and you were declared dead five years ago. What happened?" Tears started and she wrapped her arms around him. "I have so missed you Jim. What happened and where have you been?" She tried to take in his current outfit but it was hard. "Long story Pam but I was taken into a different world where I have been for five years. This is my mate Sorrel and my adoptive son Alon." He showed them to her and her eyes widened. Before he could do anything else he heard a vehicle pull up. "Okay who is this? You need to answer this person and get rid of them." He picked up the gun and stood off to one side as Pam opened the door. "Bear? Oh it is good to see you Bear and how are you Cindy?" She gave both a good hug and leaned against Bear for a moment. "Thank you for all your support. Please come in and I have an old friend visiting." She knew that Bear was good friends with Jim. Bear turned his head and nodded at him. "Not needed Jim, I know there was something or someone here that I needed to look at and from the blood... I think you need sutures." The blood was flowing slowly down his side. He had taken the rain cloak off to hide the blood on it. "I guess you could say that. Got shot again which rather sucks." Thank goodness this wasn't his good clothing. "Pam can you turn the heat up since I am sure Sorrel and Alon are freezing. Get them blankets as well for them. We come from a much warmer clime than you do." Both were starting to really shiver and Pam jumped to it and tucked them in next to each other. Bear gave him a good look and shook his head. "Goodness a bear totem though I don't recognize the others." He shook his head. "Take your shirt off so I can fix you." He really hadn't any idea of what Jim had gone through over the years. Jim sighed. "Just be warned you are likely to be shocked what you see." He pulled the shirt off and the new scars were visible. There was the one in his shoulder, down his right arm, and the five on his back. Everyone who hadn't seen them gasped. "I have been gone five years at this point. I have acquired a number of scars over the years." Well over the first few months he had been there. Bear shook his head. "Well we have some new meds that will help you a great deal." He didn't bother numbing up the injury before what looked like a toomy syringe in his side and injected something. "This is a nano healer and will help you a great deal. Now I am going suture them up and you will be fine in a few days." Jim managed not to groan when he injected the goop and then it started feeling cool and the pain was lessened. Bear actually stapled the wounds since it was quicker and wouldn't really make that much of a difference. "So where did you get the scars from Jim?" He was asking when another vehicle pulled up and Jim took his weapon over to the door and out of sight. When Pam opened the door it was Nang and Dan who walked in. Dan looked over at him. "Lower the weapon Jim. We are here to help." Jim was actually shocked at how old Dan looked. When he had been working for him he was 50'ish and now looked well over 60'ish. His hair and beard was almost white though he was still in good shape. "I really have been gone for ten years haven't I?" Dan and Nang walked in and both looked at him and shook their heads. "Good god Jim you don't look over maybe 28 or so." Nang came over and gave him a good hug. "So what does the serious bling stand for?" Jim blushed. "Well the one with the teeth is my totem which is a bear. The second necklace is the ladies I have mated with. The third is from the Puma tribe as a pride friend. The fourth is as a potential clan leader. The fifth indicates I am a warrior of the tribe. I have three lovely women I love, several cubs that are ours and a number of adoptees." Dan snorted at him. "Three women?" He was asking when he walked into the living room and froze since Alon was standing in front of Sorrel with a knife in his hand. It was being held properly as well. "Relax son I am not a threat." Dan held his hands out from his body. "Not a threat." Jim sighed. "Relax Alon these are friends of mine and are good people." He walked over and stroked his ears and then curled an arm around Sorrel. "This is my senior mate Sorrel and my adopted son Alon. No they aren't human but that is the world I was sent to." He waved at the chairs. "Please have a seat and I will give you a brief overview of what all I have been through." Pam sighed. "I am going to need to do something for breakfast since it is about time for it. Anything I should stay away from Jim?" God only knew what they ate. She figured the boy did meat and fruits and such but that didn't really say much. "Um for Sorrel a large bowl of fruits and nuts if you have them. Light on the veggies for Alon and lightly fried meat for him. Nothing to spicy till they get used to our food. They do milk and juice but it is from a different animal so when breakfast is ready we can give them samples and see what they want. No soda's or anything like that." This was not something he had ever considered having to worry about. Pam nodded and walked into the kitchen and started some breakfast. Bear finally spoke. "Okay Jim tell us what happened and don't bother with that top secret crap. At this point that is sort of moot. How did you end up with a bear as your totem as well? They are very strong animals." Dan remained silent for the moment. Jim sat down and picked Alon up and settled him down on his lap. Jim scratched at scratched his chin as he was thinking. "Don't know how I ended up there, I was infiltrating a high energy research location and after a fight there was a flash of light and next thing I knew I was in a totally different world." He contemplated how to describe it. "Think of everything being redwood sized including the animals." He went on to explain that he had been badly hurt by the time he arrived and Sorrel had saved him. "Some I am going to gloss over simply because the story is too long and complex to really try and tell in one sitting." He glanced around. "That and I get the feeling that we shouldn't stay here to long since all of you are known friends and you will be the first ones checked." Dan had to agree with that and they were going to need to get them out of this place soon. At the very latest early the next morning. "I agree but we should be good for the evening at least since you don't have any sort of tracking device and I assume whatever vehicle you took either didn't have one or you disabled it right?" Jim nodded. "It is parked in back and is an old truck, maybe late 90's. Considering that was apparently almost 30 years ago calling it old was right but it sounded so wrong to me." God ten years gone by? He was really having problems wrapping his brain around that. As Pam headed towards the kitchen Sorrel stood up and urged following her in. "Do you mind if I help? I should be able to identify if anything that might not work well for us." She smiled and twitched her tail slightly. "Jim hasn't really had much problem with our food other than some is just very odd to him." Pam smiled. "Sure I don't mind though not knowing what sort of cooking you do why don't you have a seat and I will explain what I am doing. I am going to make what we call omelets. For Dan and one or two others I am going to make them spicy and for the rest of us far milder." As she was talking she was pulling items out of the cupboards and freezer and started working. As they were chatting in the kitchen the men were getting more information from Jim on what had happened and what it was like in his world. Jim did his best to hit the high points of his stay for the first few months and how he had come to become a tribe member. "...And that is how I ended up with three mates and some adoptive kids as well as this lovely young man." He ruffled Alon's hair and got hissed at. "Poppe Jim don't mess my hair up." He ran his claws through it to tidy it up a bit though he did lean back against Jim and stared at the humans surrounding him. The small woman didn't bother him as much but the first man that arrived was very tall even if he was really old and the second man just sort of oozed danger. On top of that they were dressed really oddly in relatively tight pants and strange looking shirts with words on them. He really wanted to know what Led Zeppelin tour 1974 meant. When the boy hissed at Jim Dan couldn't help but grin. "I don't blame you for muttering at him. I don't like my hair messed up as well." He smiled at Nang. "Well depending on who is messing with it." He gave her a kiss and smiled back at the young man and then Jim. "That was a fascinating story and I would love to talk to you more about it." Dan believed him if for no other reason than the boy was most definitely alien to this world. As they kept talking Sorrel was in the kitchen with Pam and was carefully sniffing the various spices and meats. She might not eat much meat but she knew what good meat smelled like and this smelled healthy. The spices were definitely different but she only sat one off to the side. "Not sure about this one. What fruits and veggies do you have?" Pam nodded and put the spice away in the back of the spice shelf so she wouldn't accidently use it. "Here you go." She pulled out a bag of prepared salad and a number of fruits. "I don't have any nuts but if you are here for very long I can make a run to town for food for you." After she put the items on a different counter she turned to Sorrel. "I really don't want to sound bad but may I touch? Your fur looks so soft." Sorrel couldn't help but grin at her. "I would have to say that Jim likes stroking it." She glanced in the direction of Jim and snickered. "He likes stroking enough that we have a kit together." Sorrel moved closer to her and leaned over so Pam didn't have to stretch. Sorrel was only a few inches taller but it seemed the right thing to do. Pam actually blushed at Sorrel's comments but the comment about them having a kit startled her. She reached up and stroked her ears and had to smile. "Oh my they are soft and you have a child with him? That almost sounds unbelievable. You look so different." She glanced at her body. "Well with the fur and the muzzle and tail." Once she was done petting she turned back to the food. Sorrel shrugged. "We are compatible that way and he has two pups with an Inu named Nasha." She was checking the veggies and fruits that Pam had pulled out and almost took a bite of the Apple since it smelled sweet. "Oh my this smells and tastes really good." For a moment she looked rather sad. I miss our little girl and am scared that we won't be able to back or back soon." Pam immediately turned and gave Sorrel a hug and squeeze. "If anyone can get you back it will be Dan and the people they work for. Trust in them sweetie as much as I can tell you trust in Jim." She stroked her hair for a few moments before turning back to the stove and started getting the omeletts started. The meat would go in shortly. Once she had it to the flavor she liked she called Sorrel over. "There is meat, or will be meat but do you think this will be okay for the boy?" They kept working on dinner as the males were talking. Since the living room was directly across from the kitchen both could hear what was being said. Pam gave Sorrel a good look and then grinned. "It must be the tail that draws him to you." She gave her a good wink when she said that. Sorrel snickered at her comment. "Well the only time he complains normally is when he is helping me to brush out the winter coat. Well what we would call a winter coat. Our world is much warmer than yours from what Yimmy says." She winked back at Pam. "He has never complained about my fur either so I guess you could say it is the tail that draws him." Pam started to reply when Jim called out. "Sorrel no giving away secrets about what goes on in the adults tent... Or the love shack for that matter." He gave the men a grin while Alon made a face. All three men started laughing as they were listening to the women and Jim's rejoinder. Dan looked at Sorrel. "I have to admit she has a nice tail Jim." He knew that Nang would get even with him for that comment and she did. She elbowed him in the side and frowned at him. "Just for that you get the couch for the next couple of nights and after that you will have to apply to sleep in the bed." Dan cringed at that since Nang looked very serious. "You might even have to do your own cooking. The girls and I will enjoy my cooking while you are burning the water." Dan was actually a pretty good cook but she had to add that on just for good measure. Dan looked horrified with both threats. "You have the nicest tail of any woman I have met so please don't leave me on the couch." He gave her a winsome look and even went so far as to try puppy dog eyes on her. Pam started snickering. "You go girl. Make him toe the line and dance to your drum." Sorrel was looking confused since no human had tails. "When men say a woman has a nice or fine tail it is a polite way of saying she has a nice bottom." "So that is what Jim meant all the times he complimented my tail huh? He might end up on the couch as well or when we get back in the kids tent." She was really snickering when she said that. Pam was snickering as well. "But it is such a nice tail, or I should say both of them..." Jim called back at the two women. "They have made me sleep in the kids tents a time or two. I was never really sure what the infraction was since they tended to glower at me and point." He shrugged in a way that sort of indicated who really understood women. "So how are your kids, or maybe I should say teens since they were six and four when I vanished." Till breakfast was done the men chatted and were catching up on things. Jim was still having a hard time wrapping his head around how long he had been gone. That and at one point he had used the bathroom and was rather startled to find that he did look much younger than he used to. They did have mirrors but they were rare and very expensive. Eventually the ladies called out that the food was ready. The men stood and Jim settled Alon on his hip before walking to the table. He settled the boy in one chair and settled down next to him and Sorrel settled down on the other side of Alon. "The food smells really good and thank you Pam." As he was talking he sliced off a small piece of the omelet and slid it onto a plate for Alon along with a few slices of bacon as well. Sorrel let him taste the apple juice and Jim the milk and he went for the apple juice. Pam had already gotten a pillow for Alon to sit on so his chin wasn't almost resting on the table. "I hope you like it Alon. The yellow stuff is eggs and there is some diced up meat inside yours as well as a few veggies. If it doesn't taste right I will make something else for you." Alon wasn't really sure what Jim's relationship with Pam was so he wasn't really sure how to thank her but he made a guess. "Thank you Auntie Pam but I am sure this will be good." He carefully sniffed the food and then took a bite of the bacon and got a startled look on his face. Before anyone could say anything he quickly chomped it down with his feline teeth. "That was really good Auntie Pam. Thank you." He tried the eggs and they tasted odd but he was hungry and he ate that and quickly cleaned his plate. "Poppe Jim can I have some more please?" His small tail was twitching in contentment since the food was mostly good. The one problem was that he was now getting sleepy since he had been up so long and the ride in that strange caravan hadn't been very restful. By the time he was done eating he was starting to slump in his chair and was trying not to yawn very much. Jim picked him up and settled him in his lap since he was pretty much done eating. The boy was quickly asleep and snoring quietly. "Poor kid having to deal with my old world. My new world is dangerous but they don't have to worry about drunk drivers, killers, and all the strange technology. I have to admit it took me a while to get used to not having the internet or able to call someone across the country. I had to get used to snail mail." Sorrel was starting to yawn as well not to mention Jim was pretty tired as well. "Pam if you don't mind we are going to use the downstairs bedroom. The bed is large enough for all of us and I want Alon to know we are there." There was a bathroom as well which included a tub and a shower. Pam stood and waited for the two adults to stand and she led them to the room and waved them in. "If you need anything I am sure that I can help you." As she was talking Sorrel started stripping down and Pam couldn't help but eyeball her body. "I think I can see some other reasons Jim likes you." She snickered and then left the room closing the door behind her. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 02 Jim didn't even really think about it since he had gotten used to them sleeping nude. It was just the way they were. "Just going to mention that the casual nudity of the tribe is going to be an issue. We, well them now, will have issues if you walk around nude. I am used to it now but they have very little idea of what our tribe is like and the customs of the tribe." He laid the boy down after Sorrel pulled the covers back. Jim grabbed another blanket since even he was chilled and it really wasn't that cold. After Sorrel crawled in he flipped the blanket over them and then crawled in on the other side of Alon. With the two of them between them Alon would sense them and should sleep better. If he awoke during the night he could cuddle up with one of them or if he needed the bathroom Jim could show him how to use the toilet. He fell asleep shortly after crawling into bed. Though he was tired he started hearing voiced calling his name and again feeling like they were trying to find him. He forced the voices away and curled closer to the other two. By the time they awoke it was evening and he could smell Pam's chili cooking and his stomach rumbled. Before anything else he used the bathroom and then woke the other two. "Hey kiddo time to wake up and I will show you how to use the bathroom since it is vastly different than you are used to." Alon woke and rolled over on his stomach and stretched much like a cat would and Jim leaned over and tickled his ribs which got him hissed at. Jim simply chuckled. "I am going to take a shower. There is only room for two people so once you finish stretching come in and I will help you get clean." He grabbed his cloths and walked into the bathroom and started the water and once it was warm enough he stepped into the tub and let the water flow down his head and back and took a minute or two to enjoy what the thought of a real shower. A few moments later Alon climbed in and gave the tub and shower an odd look but the water was really warm and he was feeling cold. When Jim picked up the shampoo and started working it into his hair Alon started purring. Jim knew just how to work it in and he loved having his hair washed by Poppe Jim or one of the Mama's. It was part of his feline makeup. He didn't know or realize how much Jim had changed before he was old enough to really remember things Jim did. By then Jim had gotten used to helping bathe any of the littles that they either watched or had adopted. As he was working on Alon's hair and back the little boy was working the shampoo into his fur on his chest and groin. He was old enough that he really could bath himself but again the feline aspect showed in the cuddling and sneaking into their bed or some of the others and going to sleep. Once Alon was clean Jim helped him out of the tub and handed him a towel. "Get dried off and get dressed. I know they are cloths from yesterday but till we can get some additional cloths we have to live with it." Jim started scrubbing his hair down with the shampoo and almost had to shake his head. His hair had thickened up some and was down below his shoulder blades. It had been strongly suggested he needed to let his hair grow out since some of the little thank you gifts were for the hair as well as the bracelets and necklaces. While he was doing that Sorrel climbed in and started working on his back. "This is a strange shower but I sort of like it though I think I will always prefer the hot springs for bathing and relaxing." Everything was so strange in his world. She was having some trouble reconciling what he had told her of this place and what she had seen. Some of it hadn't matched up or wasn't what she had imagined what it would be like. "Do you think we will make it back?" That was one thing that terrified her and it helped her understand how Jim must have felt. He turned and pulled her close. "Yes love I am sure we will get back one way or another. Hellhounds take care of each other and I am sure Mick is working on this right now." He lightly rubbed her nose with his and then urged her to turn around. He started working shampoo into her fur and gave her a light massage as well. Eventually they were done and Jim helped her get as dry as possible before drying himself. Once they were dressed he noticed that Alon wasn't in the room and he frowned slightly. He opened the door and heard voices coming from the kitchen and walked down and almost started laughing. Dan had brought his family over and Bear was there as well. Dan's girls were playing with Alon and making all the oo's and ah's that went with it. Jim snickered. "Don't spoil him to much girls and it is good to see you two even if it has been ten years." They looked up and didn't recognize him since they had been so young. "I knew you two when Allie was about six and Ana you were about four. If Alon didn't say anything he is my adopted son and I am his guardian." Alon gave him a mock hiss before leaning back into the tickling and petting. "I like them. Can they come back with us?" He didn't really quite understand what he was saying. Dan and Nang choked and then snickered. "Sorry son but they need to stay here and their only purpose in life isn't just to cuddle and pet." He had to shake his head. "When he walked in they both stared at him and then squealed and picked him up and started cuddling him." Allie giggled. "He is so cute and his fur is really soft. Maybe we can keep him?" She was teasing both her father and the strange man. "I am sure he would love going for walks in the forest around our house and all that." Alon started to look worried. "Don't wanna leave Poppe Yim. Cuddling nice but have to stay with Poppe Yim." He started to tense up as well. Ana leaned over and lightly scratched his chin. "Relax Alon Allie is just being silly and teasing Daddy and your Poppe." When she reassured him he settled down some. Sorrel walked in a moment later and their eyes got even bigger. "Oh wow! You really are from a different world aren't you?" When Sorrel swished her tail and lightly thumped Jim with it Ana could only stare. Pam had to grin at the reactions from the girls. "I would love to let this conversation continue but breakfast is ready." She had gone for French toast except for Alon who she had fried a number of sausages and some eggs as well. "Come sit down and have some coffee and let's eat." "Those are lovely words Pam and if I didn't already have three mates I would offer to marry you for the coffee alone." He helped Sorrel get her tail through the back of the chair before sitting down. He took a slow deep breath and smiled at the smell of everything. "Thank you Pam." Since they were probably going to leave shortly he had brought his axe, satchel, and new rifle with him. He didn't want to have to use them but it was a case of better safe than sorry. He glanced around and noticed Dan had a rifle as well and smiled slightly. He might be old but Jim would wager on him every time. "Alon make sure you eat till full and let the girls eat as well. No stealing any of their food other than a nibble to see what it is like." Alon nodded but didn't speak since he had part of a sausage patty in his mouth and seemed to be enjoying it. Everyone started eating and quietly talking as they were eating. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable meal or it was till he felt the tingling building again. "Oh fuck, everyone grab hands." He would have tried to get Alon but he doubted there would be enough time. ~~~ The mystic and shaman had studied the area the three vanished and started working. The shaman broke out a pipe and packed some special herbs in it. The herbs would relax him and allow his spirit to hopefully enter the spirit world to see what he could find. As he was slowly puffing on the pipe he was beating out a rhythm on a small set of drums. The mystic was working it from a different angle. He could still sense a swirl of power and he focused on that. On the table he drew an image using some special powders and colored sand. To most the symbols wouldn't mean anything since they were simply his way of focusing his talent. He settled down in the chair and started chanting quietly. Between the two of them the drumming, and quiet changing from the shaman, and the chanting of the mystic all blended in to a mutually supportive cadence. To them time didn't matter once they had started though they would be drained and very hungry when they were done. Back at Moran's caravan all the children and Nasha and Nora were huddled together and were trying to comfort the crying children. Several of Moran's older children came and worked on comforting them as well. His eyes were still hard and his face was very angry looking. If you looked hard enough you could see distress in the set of his ears. By now most of the tribe had heard what happened and many of them were sort of gathered around. They would come in and give a few words of comfort or simply a hug and then move on and eventually someone else would approach. Several of the elders as well as the master warrior and Eldon were there as well. They were deep in discussion about what had happened though it didn't really mean much. Till the shaman and mystic were done all they could do was speculate. Eventually one of the healers came over with some drinks and handed them out. They had some sleeping herbs in the warm drinks and shortly thereafter all of them fell asleep. "They will sleep for a while and I have more if needed. Right now they are distraught and need the sleep. The Master healer will be over later to check on them and help them." She bowed to Moran and left. ~~~ It was a good seven or eight hours later when the shaman and mystic aroused from their trances and both traded looks. The shaman sighed. "They are no longer in this world or I would be able to sense their spirits." He looked tired and worn. The mystic nodded agreement. "I believe they are back in Jim's world but I have the signature of the power that pulled them to his world. If we work together and maybe the maker of the power stones we might be able to get them back but it is going to take some time." He was looking even more tired than the shaman. Several warriors came over with the carry chairs and helped them into it and using the covered paths took them to the chiefs tent. About the time they arrived two large plates of food arrived as well as some warm drinks. The Master Healer was there and she came over and checked on them. "Do you need anything for pain or to sleep?" They talked for a few minutes before she pulled a few things out and added them to their drink too steep for a few as well as some tablets to take later. Moran immediately came over to the table and sat down. "Please eat before you tell me what you might have found that will explain what happened. I want my daughter and her family back as soon as possible if it is possible." He sipped on a drink and then frowned at the healer. "I don't want to go to sleep now so don't spike my tea again unless I ask for assistance." His voice was a sort of growl. She shook her head. "It is just to help you relax. I can sense your tension and this will help you relax a bit. When you do go to bed it will help but right now it is just to help with the tension from what happened." She gave him a hug and walked back over to Jim's family and checked on them. Eventually the two finished eating and the Shaman spoke first. "First off their spirits are no longer in this world. They are not dead but gone. I did managed to speak with Jim's totem animal and he informed me that what happened was caused from somewhere else. He mentioned it might be the fates or gods and goddesses using them for a purpose we don't understand." Once he finished saying that he looked at the mystic. The mystic settled back in the chair and tried to get comfortable before speaking. "I have the signature of the power used. I believe the three of them were pulled back to Jim's world. With the power signature I should be able to locate them and at least talk to them or send a sort of message." He took another sip of the drink because after sitting still so long his bones were aching. "I need to rest for a while and then the shaman and I will need to talk to the Master Stone Maker. It might be possible to pull them back over here but right now I don't know of any way to keep this from happening." Moran nodded and then looked at the warriors. "Take them to their caravans and make sure they have everything they need to be comfortable." He turned back to them. "Sleep as long as you need but as soon as you are awake I want you working on this. I want them back come hell or high water." When he stood and walked over to the pile of bodies he settled down and curled up next to some of the youngest and was quickly asleep. ~~~ The next morning the shaman, the mystic and the master stone maker settled down in the Mystic's tent since he was feeling to achy to get out of bed and do more than use the pot in his small caravan and settle at the table to eat. "Morning and I hope you aren't as tired and sore as I am." He told the shaman. He got a sort of grunt back. "I am not all that much younger than you are and it was a slow walk over here." He smiled when the food arrived and dove into it. "That was harder than anything I have done in ages. Thank goodness my apprentice is about to make journeyman and he can take over a number of duties." The mystic sighed. "I am still waiting for the fates to bring an apprentice to me. I have been looking for years in this tribe and all the others I come across but nobody quite fits my needs." He started eating as well and for a few there was silence as all three ate their food. The Master stone worker finally leaned back and looked at the two. "So what is it you want of me? Tell me what you need and I will see if I can create it." He had heard about the vanishing and the other two doing their thing for most of the day. He figured that they were looking for a special power stone to see about getting the three missing back. They talked for several hours before the Stone Master finally stood up. "Let's go to my caravan and you can look at the stones I currently have available. Based on what you are telling me if we can find a stone with the right signature you might be able to get them back right?" He looked at the two and the nodded. The Mystic spoke since he was going to be the one to pick the stones. "Or as close as possible and if you can adjust it to something closer I think we might have a chance to at least communicate with them." He stood up and helped the Shaman stand as well. Thankfully there were two carry chairs outside waiting for them. When they walked out the Shaman gave the warriors a smile. "I am sorry if we made you wait for so long but it was a very important discussion." He carefully climbed into one as the Mystic was helped into the other. Thomas was standing there and he gave the Shaman and Mystic a tight smile. "Just get my warrior brother and his family back. I will wait for the end of time if needed to get them back." Thomas was almost part of the family now and he was desperately worried about the three of them though it didn't show much except in the set of his ears. The Shaman reached over and patted his arm. "We are doing everything we can and you won't have to worry about waiting for the gathering before you see them again." He leaned back in the chair and soon they were heading towards the stone masters caravan. It took a bit longer since the warriors tried to avoid the rain as much as possible even though the chairs had a rain hood. The last dash was across the muddy ground to the caravan and for that they put the hoods up. Once there the three males moved into the caravan. "This is where I keep the normal stones. The ones that drive the caravans, can be used as a heat source, and other utilitarian needs." The next room was where he kept the special stones and he had a feeling he was going to need them instead of these. The Mystic wandered through this section and passed his hand over the insulating wrappers used to keep the powers of the stones from impacting on other stones. Eventually he pretty much gave up. "None of these will work. Even they are close to the signature we are going to need more power." He did pick one up. "This should work to try and communicate with them but it will be burnt out when we are done." The Stone Master nodded and took the stone from him. "Let me close the outside door and then I will show you to my inner sanctum where the good stones are." He hated having to use them since they were very expensive and in most cases were bartered for from other tribes. There were certain small tribes or clans who actively searched for the stones as well but they were still hard to come by. Once he had closed the door he walked to the inner door. "Hurry through please. Even with the heavy insulation I have seen weaker stones explode if left to long in the presence of a stronger stone." He grimaced since that was how the previous Stone Master had been lost. The two other males walked to the door and as soon as he opened it they hurried through followed by the Stone Master. As soon as they were inside he shut the door and all three could feel stronger traces of power flowing around him. The Mystic smiled since he rather enjoyed the ebb and flow of the power in this room. Slowly he became attuned to the various power signatures and started slowly walking along the small rows of stones. Each stone was much more heavily insulated in a silk like material since each one was far more powerful than any of the stones in the outer room. He stopped for a moment and dropped a bead in front of one before moving on to the next stone. By the time he was done there were three stones with beads in front of them. "I need to feel the stone directly to pick the best of the three I selected." The Stone Master mentally signed since they were the rarest and most expensive. He had been hanging onto these for many years for a special purpose. Right now was one of those special purposes he decided and pulled the first out. He set it on his table and flipped a heavy silk blanket over it and loosened the wrappings before stepping aside. The Mystic slipped his hand inside the blanket and touched the stone and worked his way through the pathways in the stone. He finally nodded and stepped back. "The second please." He repeated this with all the stones and finally selected the closest to the power signature. "I need to sit down outside for a while and recover. Then we will come back to this stone and I will mark out what I need done to it to correct the signature and focus it." All three trooped out of the caravan and the two older males collapsed in some chairs. "Warrior Thomas please have someone get some warm drinks and food please." He was feeling the strain as well and heavily settled down heavily in a chair. Thomas called out some orders and two warriors left to get what was requested. "It will be here in a few moments sir." He stayed close in case they needed anything. When the warriors came back he was somewhat surprised to see some of Jim's kids helping and had to smile. The little elf girl climbed into the Mystics lap and cuddled close. "Pwese bring Poppe Yimmy back." The Mystic was sort of startled when she crawled on his lap and then smiled down at the little girl and gave her a gentle hug. "We are doing our best though it might take a bit of time. We are working with the Stone Master to get just the right stones we need. It had been a very long time since he had held a child and he settled down with his arms around her and before he realized it drifted off to sleep. Thomas could only smile when both of them fell asleep. "Okay, the rest of you head back to the Chief's tent and see what chores need doing. We will be over there later and I will tell you what I can." A couple of the children looked sort of rebellious but they all left except the little girl who was sleeping on the Mystic's lap. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 02 Eventually he woke up and sighed. He really was getting to old for this and knew that he didn't have much time left on this earthly plane. When it was going to be his time he didn't know but it wasn't too far down the road and that bothered him. Yes there were a few people in the clan that sort of worked as his assistants but none of them were actual Mystics as he was. They went back into the caravan and the Mystic had the Stone master remove the insulation and he quickly mentally felt the stone. He had already prepared a sort of felt tip reed with ink and with his eyes closed he started marking the stone. He divided it into six segments and on three of them he drew some symbols along with specifics on how they were to be carved into the stone. He finally finished and drew the blanket across the stone and collapsed in the chair. "Your turn Shaman." Thomas looked at the Mystic and walked over and picked him up. "Please excuse the indignity but you need to eat and get some sleep." He carried the male out and tucked him into his chair and passed out some orders and the Warriors lifted the chair and took him back to his caravan and tucked him into bed and then helped to feed him. He was looking so old and frail and they were very concerned about him. It would be reported to both the healers and Chief. ~~~ Over the next week the three Masters worked hard to get the stones ready for use. The first stone didn't need much work since they were just going to try communicating but the second stone had to be tuned for the best effect and that took time. Eventually they finished with the stones and started working on how best to use it. There were going to be elements of both the Shaman's powers and the Mystic's powers were needed to do the final tuning on the stone to call them back. It had taken two long weeks for them to get the stone carved and the spells, for lack of a better word, designed. They were finally ready for the first test with the communication stone. It was placed on the table on top of a velum that had a number of drawings and sketches on it. The Shaman and Mystic told everyone to get well away just in case something went wrong. Both held their hands towards the stone and started murmuring quietly. They were in that position for a while before the stone started glowing and with a puff of smoke broke into a number of pieces and turned a dull gray as the power in it died. Both males collapsed and were quickly seen to and tucked into warm beds and given some thick broth and some warm restorative drinks. The chief told them to rest for a couple of days and when the healer said it was okay for them to take the next step then they could. He wanted them back but he wasn't going to kill someone in the process and both the males were old enough that very few knew their ages or even what their names were. They simply went by Shaman and Mystic and that had been pretty much since before Moran had been born. Both were at least a thousand turns old or older. ~~~ It was several days later when the second attempt was made. They had felt Jim's mind but something was keeping them from actually connecting to his mind and at least passing a message through to him. This time since they were using a much more powerful stone they were not going to be next to it just in case. The velum would have a trigger sequence and a sort of time delay so they could get away and everyone would be kept well away from the caravan just in case the stone did explode. The power contained in the stone was sufficient to destroy everything in the near vicinity. It would be hard on the tent and caravan but they had traces of the signature as well and they didn't want to chance changing something due to that. They chose to start early morning since they didn't know how long it might take or how big of a power flare there might be. It was also because most people wouldn't be up as of yet. The morning arrived and the two carefully laid the velum on the table and positioned the stone. The Stone Master triggered the stone and quickly left. The Mystic and Shaman did their bit and were picked up and hurried down to the Chief's tent to wait till something happened. The stone started gently glowing and pulsing till it settled down to a solid glow and people moved even further from the caravan. They could feel the power flowing out from it and some of them could feel the stone sort of testing them for brief moments. Once the stone had the signature of the tribe it started following the faint signature it detected to the missing tribes member. Little did anyone know, even the Shaman, the totem spirits were gathering around the stone and staring at the stone. Suddenly there was a flash of light and once it faded there was a group of people standing there. Three of them were extremely happy and the six were more than shocked. Both Dan and Jim had their rifles up and Bear had a large knife in one hand. The others were gathered around Sorrel and Alon and the humans all looked utterly shocked. Jim took a quick look around and smiled. He reached over to Dan and gently pushed the barrel down as he lowered his rifle. "Peace Dan this is my tribe and we need to get to the Chiefs caravan. For a brief moment there was a final pulse from the stone before it settled down to a faint glow and Jim glanced down and laughed. "Pick your sword up Dan and your tomahawk Bear. The rest of the stuff can go into that caravan behind you. It is mine and they won't be bothered." As he was speaking Dan with an ease of years of use picked the sword up and slung it and made sure it didn't obstruct the rifle. "Let's go and let them know that whatever they did sort of over did it. You will be welcome in my caravan till they can undo some of what they did." Outside the walkways the rain was coming down reasonably hard and they could easily see the flow of water in the ditches that lined the pathways and around the various caravans. As soon as they approached the Chief's caravan Jim called out. "Moran we are back with a few extra's." He approached the entrance and Nasha was there first and hurried down one or two steps and launched herself at him. When she hit he had to oofh and went down under her weight. Nasha had heard him and was shocked when she had seen him and without think launched herself at him. It was sort of like a dog greeting her master who had been gone for so long. She really hadn't meant to take him out but she was more than pleased to see him and the first thing she did was give his face a good tongue bath. As she was doing that others were coming out and looking at the other group in shock. Nasha was crying and laughing as she was licking one ear clean. Jim was wiggling and making funny ears. "Gah, not my ears you silly woman.." When she lightly nipped the ear she was working on Jim quite wiggling since he knew he would get another nip if he did. Since he was facing the group he grinned. "This is my second mate Nasha who I had twins with just recently." He worked his fingers into her fur at the back of her neck and finally lightly grabbed her scruff. "I love and missed you as well lady but I need to get up and do some introductions." She finally let him up and he held an arm out to Nora and she hurried over. Jim gave her a good kiss and hug before wrapping an arm around the two of them. He noticed the kids and gave them a warm smile. "Let me make some introductions and then I will come and give you all a good hug and kiss." Jim looked at Moran who was holding his daughter and Alon was in Sheeha's arms and holding on for all he was worth. "Moran I would like to introduce you to some strays, I mean friends that whatever wonder you managed brought with." He looked down at his ladies. "Go stand with Moran and Nasha if your tail goes any fast you might loose it." He grinned at her and licked her short muzzle as she growled at him before the two women walked over to chief Moran. Jim walked over to the humans standing there. "First off this gentleman is Danilo Legarith and he goes by Dan. He is a warrior much as I was when I arrived. The beautiful lady next to him is his mate Nang and ruler of all things home related." He smiled at her and she grinned back. "Darn straight and I make Dan toe the line when he is at home." That got a laugh from a number of ladies in the crowd and a few groans from the males. "The two lovely children behind them are their children Allie and Ana. Allie would be approximately 65 turns old and Ana about 45 turns old though it is hard to match up due to the way our children develop here compared to back at my home planet." He waved Pam and Bear up to the front. "The older gentleman is Bobby Allen Walking Bear and goes by Bear. He is a Shaman of his people as well as a healer. I have no idea what his totem animal is and it is none of my business. This pretty lady is Pam and is a very good friend of mine. Her mate died a number of years ago when he fell and hit a rock the wrong way." Jim gave her a good hug. He turned to Dan and the others and introduced the major players from the tribe. As he expected Master Jaksos, the warrior leader, stepped forward and gave Dan a good look. "What is your spirit animal and how did you earn it." Jim turned to Dan and smiled. "This is normal of anyone claiming to be a warrior. Hand me the rifle and your sword and take your shirt off and show them the tattoo." The scars alone would show that he had been in any number of fights. Dan gave him a look since Jim knew he disliked taking his shirt off in public but complied. "Don't drop her." He told Jim as he pulled the massive sword off his back and handed it to Jim who hung it from a shoulder. Dan then handed him the rifle and shrugged out of the lose shirt and turned so his shoulder could be seen. A murmur came from the tribe since Dan was still very well muscled though not quite as much as when he was younger. Nang turned and frowned at the crowd and with a clear carrying sound spoke. "He is mine. Feel free to look but if anyone tries to hit on him I will rip your tail off." Her voice was firm and even but it was obvious that she was serious. Jim had to shake his head slightly. "Master Jaksos Dan was a member of our military called the 917th Pheonix force and the team he worked with was called the Hell Hounds. Their symbol is what you see on his shoulder." The warrior master walked forward and carefully looked at it and glanced at the tattoo and shuddered a bit. "That is one mean looking spirit animal." He looked down at Dan since he was taller by a fair amount. "May I see your weapon?" Dan contemplated him and then nodded. Jim smiled as he held the sheath to him. "I will warn you that it is damn heavy Jaksos so be careful when you draw it." As the Master pulled the blade out and gasped since the blade was obviously made from metal and in their world it was a precious resource. Once the entire blade was free he had to swear since he almost dropped the tip due to the weight. His eyes were round as he lifted it point upwards. "Lady above this is the sword of a Masters Master." They didn't have a concept of a leader above the tribal or clan level. He carefully slide the blade home. "I accept you as a warrior and would enjoy sparing with you one of these days though not with this monster. I don't have any urge to go home with bits and pieces sliced off." He gave Dan a slight smile. Dan pulled his shirt on and then casually slung the sword as he gave a slight smile back. "That would be in really bad taste if I did. I would hate to irritate the healers or your Chief by doing that." Both men shared a smile and then the Warrior moved back. Jim was starting to feel really hungry and his stomach grumbled. "Moran if it wouldn't be a problem could we get some food even if it is only sandwiches. We just ate but moving from my world to this drained our energy." He waved his friends forward as he was talking and settled down in front of the children. Moran smiled at him. "Absolutely." He started to look up when Thomas sighed. "I know, before you bother I will go and take care of it." He heaved another sigh as if he was being put upon. "All I do is slave away and never get any sort of recognition. Such is the life of a lowly warrior such as myself." There was a twinkle in his eyes though as he turned away. Jim was laughing. "Just remember you are the leader of the latrine detail so you have some rank." That got a fist waved at him before the kids took him down and he started laughing. "I have missed all of you as well and try not to kill your Poppe in your excitement of seeing me. I would hate to have my ancesteral stick saying something like 'loved to death by his kids while greeting him back to the tribe'." He looked over his shoulders at the girls and they were almost frozen in place. "If you would like to come over and say hello that would be fine though... Ouch!! You little devil watch those claws." That was to Balos and he had to tickle the boy in revenge. As he was playing Nasha came out with their twins and Sorrel with their daughter. He carefully removed the kids in his lap and stood up and walked over to the two ladies. The first child was his and Sorrel's and he held her close and lightly nuzzled her which she returned. Morgan looked to be maybe three years old. "Poppe I's missed you." Her little arms were wrapped around his neck and she was crying. Nang and Pam came over and looked at her. "What a lovely child. Yours Jim? Nang reached out and lightly stroked her hair and Morgan gave her a shy look. "You have such cute little ears." Nang stroked them and Pam joined in though she leaned lightly against Sorrel. "She is our child and her name is Morgan and is about three years old." Sorrel gave her a light tickle and the little girl giggled back and squealed. "Mamma that tickles." When Sorrel stopped she was still giggling a bit though she didn't say anything. Jim lightly ruffled her ears before turning to Nasha and took one of the pups and held Keirie close to his cheek and stroked her tiny ears. Her hand wrapped around his thumb and held on. By this time Dan and Bear were standing there. "This is my daughter Keirie and that is my son Eilios." Bear moved over to Nasha and the baby she was holding and Dan was next to Jim. It was odd that the different species could interbreed but he didn't comment on that. Dan leaned over slightly and stroked her cheek and she turned her head towards the touch and bit him. Dan jerked his finger back and frowned as he was sucking on it. "I am sorry kiddo but I am not edible and you would find me tough and chewy." Both Jim and Nasha started snickering. "Sorry Dan It didn't occur to me that you didn't know that touching their cheek like that sort of triggers the urge to nurse." He was grinning as Dan growled slightly at him. Nasha leaned against Jim. "Remember your first training accident with a baby?" She was thinking back at the time Piquel showed him his son. "Yes I do and I also remember the healer laughing her tail off as she bandaged my finger. To make it even worse was Thomas leaving me the 'beat by a baby in training' bracelet." He glowered for a moment and grinned at Dan. "I got bit by a puma cub who was about the same age." Jim spotted the healer and waved her over. "We have another training accident with a baby. Can you take care of him." She snickered and then looked at Dan. "To bad we are both taken or I would invite you over for a meal." Manlaso took a look at the finger and with a teasing tsk she put a small bandage on it. "Silly males getting bit by babies." She patted Dan on the shoulder and with a grin walked over to Sorrel and greeted her and the little girl. Dan made a fist at him and shook it. "I will get you back for that Jim. You are an evil human and I should kick your butt around a training circle." It was obvious he was trying not to laugh Nang came over and gave him a peck. She didn't say anything but tickled the pups ears. "You have some really cute children Jim." She looked at Nasha and smiled. "May I hold him please?" When Nasha handed him over Nang carefully took him and held him close and continued stroking his ears and hair. The boy opened his eyes and she raised an eyebrow. "He has lovely eyes and I assume he got them from Jim?" Nasha nodded and then took the boy back. "You arrived right as I was getting ready to nurse them so if you will excuse me." She started to turn away when the Mystic walked up. "Your caravan is safe to live in again. It and the area surrounding it had nothing to do with this." He coughed slightly. "I will talk to you tomorrow since I am tired and going to bed." He slowly climbed into the caravan and had a small smile since he had found his replacement. Moran had over heard the Mystic's comment and smiled. "Well the food is coming here so why don't you eat here and I will have Thomas and some of the warriors take all the bedding and things back to your caravan." Thomas sighed. "I am a warrior darn it. I am not designed for manual labor. I think I am going to complain to someone." He pretended to smack his head. "But who would I complain to? That is the Chief giving orders oh well. At least I can spend the evening with my lady." He was grinning and Moran shook his fist at him for good measure. "Go relax and treat your friends to a good meal and I will take care of this for you." He turned away and called for several warriors to help. "Kids pack your things up and we will take it back to your caravan." Jim smiled and leaned over to Nasha. "He is so getting a 'not good enough for manual labor' bracelet or necklace. She wrinkled her nose at him and took Keirie from him. "Back eventually Mr. 'not brave enough for diaper duty'." He rolled his eyes. "I do change diapers darn it. Now why don't we sit down since the food smells like it is on it's way here." A number of tables were being brought over and chairs placed around them. "Sit where you want though Dan and Nang if you would sit with my mates and I will discuss sleeping arrangements with you." They led them to the largest table. He had to smile when several of the children urged Pam and Bear to some of the tables they were using. The elf girl crawled up in his lap and wrapped her arms around him and curled up and quickly fell asleep. Dan looked at her and smiled. "Another child of yours?" He had noticed the pointed ears and pixie like face and knew she wasn't human or totally human. Nasha shook her head. "No, she lost her parents a while back and when Yim adopted a number of the orphans he also told the children he was helping teach if their parents weren't around to find him. He told them that he would help them as much as possible. Since Yim is a Journeyman Songsmith and she is being trained to use her voice she sort of became one of our children." Her voice was quiet as Jim stroked the little girls hair. Dan nodded at Nasha and then gave Jim a very warm smile. "I was horrified when you were listed as missing but I am glad you were drawn to this world. It seems to have given you a new lease on life and you seem far more content than you did back in ours." He looked around and other than sighing at the rain he was feeling very relaxed as well. "I almost wish we could stay but we have the girls to think about as well. I would love to be able to leave my past behind as well." Nang curled a hand around one of his arms and leaned against him. "Almost makes me think of my village in Mayalasia. I could see living here and I think the girls would do fine. Yes they would have to learn new things but do you really want them growing up in our world?" Jim had to smile. "I will warn you it is one hell of an adjustment the first few weeks. One thing that shocked and horrified me was the communal bathing. The first bath I had there was a very healthy Kitsune female, Thomas, and one or two others in the hot spring and everyone was nude. Also since I have so many kids we have one tent for the littles which is pretty much anyone under the equivalent of 13 or so. Once they hit about that age they move to the big kids tent where it is separated into the female and male sections by a tent divider. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 02 "There is the adults tent where my ladies and I sleep when we aren't having a bit of fun. For that there is the love shack which is actually part of the property that came with Alon when I became his guardian. I figure you two can sleep in there and yes I am sure it has clean sheets..." Sorrel tried to stifle a snicker and Dan shook his fist at him again. "The girls for the moment if you don't mind can sleep in the older girls section. We have room for them there. Pam and Bear can use the caravan and there are two large fold down beds they can use." He looked at Sorrel to see if he had missed anything and she shook her head. "Men! They are always forgetting the important things. You will get some cloths that are as close to your size as possible as well as bathing buckets with a cleaning brush and a hair or fur brush I should say as well as soft soap. We do have extra bedrolls for when accidents happen that the girls can use. The love shack, as Yimmy puts it, has everything you need to sleep. The same applies to the caravan." Right about then the food arrived and everyone settled down and started eating. At the moment Nasha was on one side since she had finished nursing and Nora was on the other side. As they were eating he was slicing off the best bits of meat and sharing them with the two women. Both were lightly leaning against him and looking much happier than they had when he and the rest had arrived. "Yimmy you are too good for me. That was a lovely bite." She licked his neck and gave him a bite. Nora was doing much the same with him. At the moment Jim was feeling very content with the world and it was obvious. "We are so glad you are back Yimmy." Nasha lowered her head and sniffed a few times before starting to eat some more. Dan and Nang traded looks and had to smile. "As Dan said you look so much more content than you did when you worked for him and the government. I can tell that you love the ladies and children in your life. I am so pleased for you Jim and for your family." She leaned over and gave Nora a hug. "All of you have been very good for him and keep taking care of him please." Eventually dinner was over and Jim felt about to drop. "Nasha if you and Nora can take care of getting my friends what they need the three of us need sleep, excuse me two of us since Alon is snoring in Sheeha's lap." He stood up. "I will see you tomorrow though I am not sure what time. If we aren't awake the kids will take care of you and make sure you have what you need." He yawned with Sorrel and slowly stood up. "Good night and feel free to come back whenever you wish. It isn't that late though it might look it with the rain. If you want to wander a bit the ladies or some of the kids will show you around. Tomorrow I will give you the full tour and you can even experience your first communal bath." Dan blew him a raspberry and Nang snorted at him. Pam and Bear laughed. Eventually the three of them made it to their caravan and tents. "I am going to keep him with me if you don't mind Yimmy." Sheeha said. Jim turned to her and pulled her into a good hug. "Thank you Sheeha and I am sorry we had you so worried. I know the last thing you would have wanted to do was to report to Piquel that Alon vanished while under your care." He stroked her ears and she gave him a light growl. "Just warning you that you have been gone long enough that my heat is starting." Jim tensed a bit. "How long were we gone?" When she told him he looked shocked. It had been around two weeks for the tribe but a bit over a day for them. He was rather shocked. "Um, well, hell not sure what to say about that. As far as the heat talk to Sorrel in the morning and we will see what we can come up with." He turned and pulled Sorrel into the adult's tent and after stripping down crawled in and curled around her and passed out. ***** As a reminder please leave a comment for me or if you wish to write something longer or more detailed send me a feedback form via my author's page. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 03 Hello all and welcome to my third chapter of book 2 of Ranicke. I have been thinking about creating a e-mail list for people that would like to have updates on when I am going to be posting chapters and possibly even new stories. If you are interested in this please send me a feedback form with what series you would like to be kept abreast of and include whatever e-mail addy you want to use. I have mentioned this but I am doing an in-house treatment for a drinking problem I have. It is giving me time to really work on some of my stories but my schedule of classes and appointments are going to change on a daily basis. I can't give you any sort of estimate on the average time between chapters though I am going to try to do one or two a week as best possible. As always please give me any and all constructive feedback. It could be anything from 'you need to get an editor' to 'love it but what about...'. Constructive criticisms do not upset me since I know that you are trying to help me improve my stories. Now if you are simply going to tear the story apart simply because it annoys you I will ignore what you have to say since it doesn't really help me improve the story. As always any sexual relationships will be 18+. There are going to be some relationships below 18 or the equivalent but there won't be any sort of sexual interaction. Towards the end of the story Jim is going to be talking to the girls and explain this in detail so don't freak or panic if the girls or any other underage relationships start. Oh, one last thing I want to mention is that this chapter is simply showing a slice of the daily life in the tribe. I haven't really hit that other than on how it impacted on Jim. I wanted to add some additional details on things from how they dress, relationships, and even what color might have a special meaning. I hope that you find my descriptions of some use in fleshing out the place Jim now lives in. The next morning Jim rolled out of bed and stretched. "Man it feels good to be home again. It also feels good being back with my mates and all of our children." After listening to a few cracks and pops after he stretched he groaned. "The hot springs are going to be nice this morning as well. I am going to the privacy tents and will be back to see if everyone wants a bath. Some of them are going to be horrified by the idea of communal baths like I was and others won't care." Nasha laughed at him and sat up and stretched as well. "I will go with you and then feed the babies." She would probably take the young kids to get clean later. The older kids knew how to bathe and knew Jim's firm insistence they bathe daily. She linked her arm with his and they went and took care of business and were back fairly quick. Jim walked to the caravan and after knocking called out so they could hear him. "Pam, Bear, I am going to head to the bathing area in a few minutes. I can show you where it is. All you need is one of the buckets that have been placed in the caravan." Once that was done he repeated the process with Dan and Nang and their girls. It took a few minutes but everyone was eventually up. "Just reminding you the baths are communal. This is normal and for the most part anyone there will ignore you. Well you might get a casual glance and then they will go back to either getting clean or soaking in the hot springs." He had to grin at the ones who had looked uncomfortable with that idea. "Believe me it took some time before I was comfortable with it." Several of the older kids joined them and Jim lead the group to the bathing area and walked in. This one was primarily used by the younger crowd and he hoped that would help. He put his bucket down and stripped before walking into the cool pool. He pretty much ignored the girls since they didn't need the attention. He dunked his head under water and got his back and hair wet. Before he could start working on his hair he felt a different set of hands and had to smile. "Sheeha that feels good." She smiled and purred lightly as she worked the shampoo in. As she was working on him the others slowly entered the pool. Sheeha looked over her shoulder and smiled at everyone. "Good morning, I am Sheeha and I didn't get much of an introduction yesterday. I am Alon's assigned tutor for the Puma tribe training he needs." The two girls were the last in and they were blushing madly since they were not used to this sort of bathing. Yes at school they showered with girls after Gym class but never with boys around. Once they entered they turned their backs towards the other pool and started getting clean. Nang and Pam didn't look to uncomfortable and Dan and Bear hadn't even hesitated before stripping and getting in. Dan groaned slightly. "Oh man this pool feels good since it is nice and cool." Once Nang climbed in Dan started washing her hair and back. About then Nasha and Nora showed up and stripped and climbed in. "Allie would you like your back cleaned?" Asked Nora and Nasha asked Ana the same thing as well. About that time Jim almost screamed. "Damn it Sheeha no tickling or else." He had jumped away from her and glowered. Everyone in the pool turned and looked at the two of them. "Have you talked with Sorrel?" If she was getting playful like this she had probably started her heat. Pam snickered at him and his reaction. "Tickle him some more Sheeha. His reaction was great." She out right laughed when Jim shook a fist at her. "Don't encourage her Pam. She gets playful at this time of the year and she has been known to pounce on me and randomly give me a face bath." He hoped the adults got the hint. Jim turned around and growled. "No more tickling me you darn oversized cat." Right as he started to turn around he heard a squeal and the little elf girl jumped in the water and soaked him again. He scooped her up and frowned at her. "You know better than that young lady. You might slip and hurt yourself or someone else." She wasn't deterred and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a good hug. "I missed you Uncle Jimmy. Don't ever leave again like that or else." She leaned back and gave him a damp kiss on the cheek and hugged him again. "Okay stinker I get the point and let's get you cleaned up." Jim started working the soap into her hair and grinned. "Maybe I should have Sheeha clean your ears for you." That got a giggle from Mitzy and he had to smile. A few minutes later she was clean and he dunked her under the water to get all the soap off and placed her on the ground outside the cold pool. Eventually they all made it into the hot springs and settled down for a quick soak. Sheeha curled up next to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I will try and resist tackling you this year but no promises." Jim wrapped his arms around her and heaved a sigh. "I think I would prefer the pouncing. The last time you tried to be good I ended up with you grooming my hair as well and I looked absolutely silly when you were done." The adults were looking at them but didn't say anything. One of the young males was sitting sort of close to the girls and was trying to get them to talk. "Do either of you sing or play an instrument? After breakfast Poppe Yimmy teaches some of the kids the learning songs and even occasionally plays a song from your world." He got almost dreamy eyes. "He is slowly teaching me how to play the Corwith and some of the tunes from his world." Ana blushed slightly. "I sing a little bit but nothing really special." Her voice was quiet and shy when she replied. Even though he was furred he was definitely male and she wasn't comfortable even though he wasn't sitting all that close. Allie snorted at her. "Sing a little bit? I don't think so since I catch you singing all the time and you have a lovely voice. I got Poppe Dan's singing voice and I have seen strong men shake at fear at the thought of his singing." She snuck a look at Dan when she said the 'Poppe Dan' and he was frowning at her. Eventually they climbed out of the hot springs and Jim toweled off and got dressed and then noticed the females were looking at the silver and gold chain and strip of cloth that was with their cloths. He grinned. "I suppose I should have mentioned they wear loin cloths here. I managed to convince them to make me something that looks like real undies but none of the lady's were interested in any for them." He called the little girl over. "She knows how to do this but I am going to show you." He picked up the silver chain. "See the hook on one side? You sling the chain around your waist and using the hook connect it to the other chain. When you hook it you want enough slack to put the cloth through. Usually about a fingers worth depending on what is comfortable for you." He slung it around her and showed them. "Okay sweetie show them how to put the loin cloth on. The little girl showed them and then got dressed. Jim was grinning and Nang's and Pam's expression as they were trying to get the material positioned in a comfortable position. "It took me a while to get used to it myself. Oh they gave all of the females a pair of the pants and a semi short skirt since they didn't know what you might like. The pants go to about mid calf around here to reduce getting mud on the pants and the skirts are normally a bit shorter, just below the knees for the same reason." "Once you put the skirt or pants on you will notice a small hole on the side and you pull the chains out. Right now you have generic symbols on the ends. Assuming we can't get you home anytime soon you will end up with a symbol on one end that will identify what tribe or sub clan you belong to. In the case of Dan once he has shown the Master Warrior that he deserves to be classified as a warrior the Hellhound symbol will be placed on one end. The other end indicates if you are underage, available, or mated. He contemplated what he was saying for a moment. "Also the color of the chain is important. Anyone with a silver chin has not reached their majority yet. The gold indicates that they have and are available for an intimate relationship, finding a mate, and having children." He frowned for a moment and then nodded to himself. "As far as colors when you are working females have various shades of green and males shades of brown. Once you are off work you can change to whatever clothing you want. The colors are mostly to indicate who is working and who isn't." Now that they were dressed he led them back to the tent and found that there was a stack of gifts and breakfast. "Have a seat and eat. We normally eat here since there are so many kids hanging around." He grinned at Josilin. She looked about ten and human. Josilin grinned at him. "It is for the music and food being delivered to the tents." She had dark brown hair that was divided and braided so one hung over each shoulder. She had bright blue eyes but a slightly darker skin than would be expected from someone with blue eyes. As she was talking she settled down with the others and filled a plate with food. Jim noticed that Ana and Allie looked pleased that there was a human there even if she looked younger than they did. "After we eat I will take a look at the gifts and hand them out to whomever they belong to." There were several scrolls as well and he was rather curious as to what they had to say and who they were for. Ana was giving a piece of meat on the end of the fork an unsure look. Jim grinned slightly. "Ana it is safe to eat and tasty. The philosophy I took when I first arrived was just eat and try not to wonder what something is and where it came from." He found a bit that he knew Sheeha liked and after getting it on his fork he held it out to her. She purred slightly in enjoyment as she ate it. What Jim hadn't said was that it was actually snail. The snails as with most other things were oversized and about the size of a fist when they were collected. Ana finally ate it and had a pleased expression. Sheeha wrapped her tail around his leg. "For that I will have to consider not pouncing on you today. No guarantees that I will succeed but I will try." When Jim sighed she snickered and just for good measure leaned over and licked the ear closet to him. Everyone was looking at the two of them and had curiosity written on their faces and he sighed. "The non-human females go into heat twice a year. In Sheeha's case she gets frisky and tends to show it by pouncing on me." He looked at her and frowned. "No pouncing at the table woman and you know that. I can see in your eyes that hint of mischief you get." The adults had to blink and then Dan started laughing at Jim. "This is going to be an interesting week isn't it. Well for me since I am mated and not pouncing material." He gave Bear a sly glance. "Now Bear is single..." Bear growled at Dan. "Might have to add to my scalp collection white boy." He was playing with his knife when he said it. Nang snickered at the conversation. "I guess you might end up with a reverse Mohawk if you keep annoying Bear." She gave Dan a peck. "Is the grouchy old man being picked on? Poor old man and I will comfort you later and feed you gruel." By now they were pretty much done and some of the kids collected the dishes and left with them. Jim pulled the stack of gifts over and the first thing he did was to pull out the scrolls. "I will have to read them to you but here is one for Bear, one for Nang, and the last for Dan." Pam hadn't indicated what sort of job she did when they were introduced. "I will show you to the artists tent later Pam. If you peak into the caravan you will see a lovely painting that Saria did for us. She is the mate of the Puma Chief. They don't have paints as you know them. It is sort of like a really thick ink." He pulled out a paper wrapped gift and opened it. Jim smiled as he looked at what it was and there were bracelets for the ones that were drawn back by the Mystic and Shaman. "These are a welcome gift for you. You will get a number of these if we can't get you back home. What I do is on my left wrist are the important gifts. I have the silver bracelet Nora gave me for saving Tonya, my journeyman song smith bracelet, and a mating gift from Moran when I formally mated with Sorrel." That bracelet was both silver and gold and had etchings of the four of them. For the little thank you bracelets I wear some of them on my right wrist. I have enough that I pick and choose five a day." There were a few gifts for Jim as well and he was pleased when he found one from Thomas and the team they worked with. That went on as well as some of the others. "Ah, how nice, these wooden boxes are for storing the jewelry you earn or are given. He handed them out and each had a carving that indicated who the box was for. The boxes were made of a dark wood that had a very fine grain to it and was easy to carve but very resistant to moisture. Inside they were felt lined with a lovely lilac material for the ladies and a deep blue for the men. "Once we are done I will show you how to hang them on the front of the tent. It indicates thanks for the gift." Jim held his hand out to Bear for the scroll he had and opened it. He took a few moments to read it and smiled. "You are invited over to the Shaman's area after you are done eating." He called for Feric. "Take Bear to the shaman's tent and then come back for the training." Feric looked at Bear. "If you will follow me sir I will show you how to get there. Here is a rain cape since we will have to go out into the rain." He handed a larger one to Bear and made sure he had it on correctly before they left. Jim then read Dan's and grinned. "The Master Warrior is inviting you to join the training this afternoon. I will take you there when I..." He didn't get to finish the sentence because Sheeha pounced on him out of the blue. She pinned him down and proceeded to give his face a good bath as she was purring. Her tail was tracing up and down his leg which tended to drive Jim nuts. Once she was done Sheeha stood up and wandered away and was whistling in contentment. Her tail was curled in amusement as Jim lay there wiping his face off. Those who were there were snickering big time at him. Allie just couldn't resist. "Are you sure she doesn't see you as a mouse to play with?" Ana muffled a laugh and Nang and Dan had an amused look on their faces at both the pounce and Allie's comment. "Look at it this way, at least she didn't clean your ears out." Suddenly Allie squealed when Sheeha attacked her though she didn't knock her out of the chair and gave one ear a good licking. "That was just because and Yim makes a very nice mousy to chase and tease." She grinned and walked away as Allie was using her sleeve to dry her ear off. Jim finally stood up and sat down again. "I should be safe for a while now. As I was saying when I go to training I will take you with." He figured Dan would enjoy it. He finally took Nang's scroll and was a bit startled since it was from the Mystic. "Interesting, the Mystic has invited you to his caravan this morning and is also asking Dan to come with." He called for Saulo. "Show them to the Mystic's tent and caravan please. He has invited them over." Saulo nodded. "If you will follow me I will show you." He also pulled on a rain cape and handed a smaller one to Nang and a much larger one to Dan. "There is only a short walk in the rain but as you can see", he waved his hand towards the door, "even a short walk can soak you." He led them off. ~~~ Nang Nang stared at the scroll after Jim had read it and had to wonder why she was invited to the Mystic's caravan. She traded looks with Dan and he had to shrug. When Saulo came out after Jim called him they took the capes they were handed. After putting them on they followed him out of the tent. The walk was a bit of a ways and as Nang looked around she was honestly surprised at the number of people in the tribe. When she thought of a tribe she tended to think of at most a hundred people but looking around she guessed there was maybe a thousand people. The fact that most of them weren't human was so odd. There were at least five different races or types that she could see at the moment. Eventually they reached the Mystic's tent and Saulo lightly knocked on the opening to the caravan. "Sir I have brought Nang and Dan as requested." He waited for a reply since he didn't know if the man was sleeping or not. There was a heavy cough from inside before the Mystic spoke. "Thank you Saulo and you can leave now. Nang and Dan if you would come in please?" The caravan wasn't all that large and neither was the tent. Nang walked in first and then Dan followed. The man was lying in bed and was looking pale and tired. He coughed again and then smiled at her. "Thank you for coming young lady. Come sit on the edge of the bed." He patted the edge. "I felt something in you when you came to Moran's tent. I needed to make sure of what I felt so if you don't mind I need to touch your forehead for a moment." He reached up and pressed a finger between her eyes on her forehead. He concentrated what powers he had left and then lowered his hand. "Nang you have the makings of a Mystic. I can feel it in your spirit and your aura. Would you be willing to become a mystic?" If she accepted he was going to give her his memories of what he had learned over the years. Nang felt something when he touched her forehead and a slight warmth flowed through her. "I don't quite understand sir. I am from a different world so how can I have what you are looking for in a mystic?" She was definitely confused by what she had felt and what he was saying. He gave her a warm smile. "It is part of who you are and not where you are from. I am sure over the years you have noticed that you sometimes just know thing. An example is when your lovely girls were younger you knew when they were doing something that would get them in trouble. That was the part of you that would make a good mystic." He turned and coughed into a cloth for a moment. "Will you accept becoming a mystic? It is vital that you say yes or no and mean it." World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 03 Nang traded looks with Dan and all he could do was shrug. "If you feel what he is saying is true and it is calling you then accept." For the moment he was positive that they weren't going back any time soon and they might as well find a spot in the tribe to fill. She nibbled on a knuckle and closed her eyes and thought for several minutes and Dan was right. She was feeling a pull towards the old man. It was hard to describe but it almost felt like her spirit wanted to accept the offer. There was silence in the room for about twenty minutes before she opened her eyes and looked at the old man. "Yes I accept this offer of yours. What do I need to do?" The Mystic looked at her and smiled again. "First there is a document on my desk. When I am done take it to Moran." He coughed again and could feel his spirit longing to be released. "I am going to transfer my knowledge to you. This is how the Mystic trains apprentices. As you practice and learn slowly more knowledge will come to you." Before she could respond he took her hand and let his spirit take over. Nang froze in place. When she came back to herself she didn't have any idea how long she had been gone. Dan was sitting in a chair looking slightly concerned and then pleased when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. The Mystic started coughing again. "Lady would you mind holding me? I am not long for this world and the comfort of warm arms holding me as my spirit gets ready for its next journey would be nice." He was even paler and looked incredibly fragile. Nang sat down and wrapped her arms around him and rested his head on her chest. For some reason she started singing Lullaby for a Stormy Night to him. When Dan settled on the other side of the bed he rested a hand on the man's shoulder and gave him a light squeeze. "Rest sir knowing that we will take care of the clan for you." It was only a few minutes later when the last breath rattled in his throat and he passed away. Nang had tears on her cheeks as she finished the song and kept holding him. She didn't know him but her spirit seemed to feel like she had known him all her life. Dan quietly stood up and walked out of the tent and looked around. He finally noticed a warrior walking past. "Go and get Chief Moran and it is urgent that he come here now." Dan's voice was gruff and thick with emotion. The warrior looked at the caravan and recognized it and then ran into the rain at top speed. Dan didn't have to wait very long before Moran and several others hurried up. "What is wrong Dan?" He had a very good idea of why Dan urgently called for him. "The Mystic passed away about ten minutes ago. He gave Nang his knowledge and told her that she was his apprentice. There is also a document on the desk he told me to give to you." Dan moved aside so the Chief could go in but he held his hand out to the others. "Please wait out here. There isn't enough room in there for everyone." Dan turned and climbed in but stayed at the door to ensure that nobody else tried to get in. His face was almost emotionless though his eyes showed some sadness. It wasn't necessarily from the old man dying but for the sadness Nang was feeling. As he was standing in the door Moran went over to the body and checked and sighed. "Nang we will need to talk in a day or two about what happened. Right now we need to have the body prepared for his funeral pyre." He moved over to the door and called out some orders which scattered the people Dan was blocking. "They are going to let the appropriate people know to collect the body and prepare the fire." Now Moran walked over to the desk and picked up the document and sighed. It was pretty much what he expected since it was the old man's last will and testament. "Nang he is giving you all his possessions except for the gift jewelry and his Mystic bracelet. For the rest it is up to you to sort out and decide what to keep and what to dispose of." Moran looked around. "If you wish I can have someone come in and remove things like his clothing and get clean sheets for you. If you want to wait a few days to move in that is fine as well and everyone will understand." Nang looked around the caravan and considered it. She closed her eyes and a bit of knowledge came to her. Since she didn't know the right words in his language or what language he used she quietly murmured in her native language. As she was murmuring certain things seemed to glow and she could feel them connect to her as she accepted her new role. She finally opened her eyes. "Have someone clean it please. What I want to keep they won't be able to touch or move. Have them collect everything else, organize it and leave it outside in the tent. I will make the final decision on everything else later." Moran nodded to her requests. "It will be taken care of Mystic. Why don't you and Dan go back to Jim's tent and relax and maybe catch a nap if you need one." He gave her a good hug and petted her hair for a few moments. "He will be greatly missed but I have a feeling you will do well and fill his shoes when the time is right. Tomorrow I will show you to where the two junior mystics sleep and work." He stepped back and urged her into Dan's arms. With a slight nod Dan wrapped an arm around her. "I will let Jim know as well when we get back." With a slight nod he turned and led Nang away from the caravan. He wasn't very comfortable with the whole 'mystic' thing since he lived in the real world. Maybe it was his time in the military and other jobs he had done that had forced him into facing the world the way he did. Eventually they made it back to the caravan and Bear was there along with Jim and some of the kids. "Jim the Mystic passed on not long ago. He made Nang his apprentice and transferred his knowledge to her. He also gave us his caravan and tent as well as everything else in there. "We will be moving in probably tomorrow." Jim was already looking slightly strained since Bear had informed him just a few minutes ago. "I heard and now that you are here I am going to the Chiefs tent and wait for him to return. As an apprentice chief he will have things I need to do. When the ladies get back send them over." He stood up and slung his axe and headed over. ~~~ Jim Once he was at the chief's tent he found Sorrel's siblings there as well and all were looking as strained as he felt. "I called for some warm drinks in one of the pots so there will be plenty to go around." He settled down in a chair and leaned his head back and tried to relax. Jim had no idea how long it would take for Moran to return and start giving orders. The pyre was usually the night of the person's death so his spirit wasn't stuck in the body for longer than needed. There were exceptions to this such as when the caravan's had been attacked and they had to take care of the injured. They also had to set up a temporary camp which had delayed the pyres. Here was different since it was a fixed camp site and other than the rain they didn't have much to worry about. As he was trying to relax he felt someone lightly touch his hair and then curl her arms around him. He knew it was Sheeha. For the moment her arms were gentle and a quiet purr was coming from her. "Relax Yimmy and let me comfort you." She moved forward till his head was resting against her chest and she lightly stroked his shoulders. He did let her comfort him and sighed as he enjoyed the close contact. "Thank you Sheeha, I really appreciate it." The stroking and warmth was helping Jim relax. He felt someone put a warm cup in his hand and without bothering to open his eyes he took a sip and found that it was one of the energy drinks. He slowly drank it down and had just finished it as Moran walked in. Jim sat up in the chair but let Sheeha lightly massage his shoulders. With the Chief was several elders, one of the two junior mystics and the senior shaman followed him in. Jim considered standing but he was feeling entirely too tired. Moran settled in his chair and everyone could see just how stressed he was. "The shamans have the body and are preparing it. Eldon is going to talk to the various songsmiths and musicians and select the appropriate music. The pyre is going to be when the sun goes down as is normal so the spirit can follow the sun to its next life." He rubbed his face but still looked exhausted. Jim looked up at Sheeha. "Get the Chief a large cup of the drink please." She nodded and silently moved to the tray and filled a large mug. She carried it over to him. "Here Chief Moran this will hopefully help sir." She handed it to him and he smiled at her. He stroked her ears for a moment. "Thank you Sheeha and you can go back to Yimmy." He took a sip and enjoyed the warmth of the cup in his hands as well as the boost of energy since he needed it. "Before he passed away he asked Nang, Dan's mate, to be his apprentice and she accepted. He also bequeathed her his tent and caravan. I am going to assume this means that they will be here for a while though I hate to say it. I know they probably want to go back but we don't have any way to do it currently." That got the various people murmuring and Jim simply leaned back and enjoyed her warm. She was different from the others since she had been trained as a warrior and exercised a great deal. He could feel her muscular arms gently draped around his neck and her hands resting on his chest. Moran gave the people a bit of time to discuss what he had just informed them about and shook his head. "If the Mystic took her as his apprentice then he sensed something in her that he hadn't found in anyone else. Nang is a wonderful person and so is her mate. It might take some time but she will take over as lead Mystic. There isn't much else to say about it." That got silence and then more murmuring and he sighed. Jim looked at Moran and caught him with a slight smile on his face and nodded to Jim to continue. He sat up again and looked at everyone there. "That is enough. The Mystic has spoken and there is no questioning his word on this subject. She will take over and there is nothing you can do about it." His voice was firm as he spoke. Someone growled and then spoke. "What gives you the right to order us around? You are just an upstart youngling human." There were one or two other murmurs of agreement with what had been said. Jim's face hardened as he stood. "Do any of you recognize this necklace?" It was the necklace that marked him as a Chief in training. "This as well as Chief Moran's nod to me says I have the right to deal with this part of it. I did not ask any of you a question I made a statement and it will be obeyed. You will give Nang and her mate the respect they are owed." His hard eyes moved through the crowd. "If any of you feel differently then I will meet you in the challenge circle with the weapon of your choice." His axe came out and hit the table with a thunk. He was going to owe Moran a new table but at the moment he didn't care. "If there are no further questions we have a funeral pyre to prepare. You know your jobs in relation to this so instead of talking go and prepare to send the Mystic off with the respect he deserves." They scattered after he essentially ordered them away from the tent. Jim had to take some slow deep breaths. "Sorry if I was rather abrupt but with the loss of the Mystic everything seems a bit off." Sheeha came up behind him again. She had felt him starting to reach for the axe and moved back. Sheeha wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his. She started purring again though this time there were hints of desire. For some reason when Jim pulled this attitude out it really struck her and made her excited. Moran smiled slightly. "I know what you mean son. It was a bit abrupt but sometimes as a Chief you have to be to keep things under control. Mind you I will want the table fixed in the next week or two." He gave Jim a sad grin. "Sometimes I wish you had a different weapon of choice. I am tired of having to get my tables fixed." Jim blushed slightly. "I know Chief and it will be taken care of. I need to go and find Eldon and see what is going to be on the list of songs. If you will excuse me." He pulled the axe out and re-sheathed it and started out of the tent. Sheeha went with and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He returned the favor and they slowly walked to the songsmith tent. While enroute his mates found him. Nasha and Nora hurried over to him and wrapped their arms around him. Since his arms were full Sheeha went over to Sorrel and wrapped her arms around her. Jim held the two ladies for several minutes as they sobbed into his shoulders. It was very obvious that they had heard the news of the Mystic's death and he did his best to comfort them. "Hey, it is going to be okay. I know it is scary and concerning to lose the Mystic. Everything is going to be okay. He appointed an apprentice to take his place." He comforted them for a bit longer. "I need to get to the songsmiths caravan to find out what music we are going to be playing. Go back to the tent and try and relax okay?" He kissed both of them and after one more hug he let them go and moved over to where Sorrel was. "I will take over Sheeha and thank you for your help." Jim curled his arms around Sorrel and stroked her ears gently. "It is going to be okay love. Let Sheeha take you back to the tents and once I am done with the songsmiths I will be back." ~~~ It was about two hours later when he finally made it back to his caravan and flopped down in a chair and sighed. With all the fun and excitement of the last day or two Jim was feeling beat and his back was tense as well. He started kneading his shoulders to try and relieve some of the tension. Sheeha heard him come in and walked up to him. "Your ladies are lying down and trying to rest." Her hands settled on his shoulders and urged him to lean forward. "Relax Yimmy and I will give you a brief massage. Tonight I will give you a much better massage." She leaned forward and lightly nipped an ear. "No falling asleep though or I will pounce on you." Her hands were gentle on his shoulders as she worked on his tense muscles. Jim managed not to sigh. "I won't since I am not sure what part of me you might pounce on and give a tongue bath." She laughed and Dan and Nang walked in. "Jim Nang and I are going to move into the caravan left to her. The Chief is going to make sure that it is cleaned out of all his personal items and cleaned before the pyres." Jim kept his head on his crossed arms that were resting on the table. Dan smirked. "From what a little kitty told me you sort of need the love shack for the next week or so." Nang lightly punched Dan and snorted. "Be nice Dan or you will be sleeping outside for the week." She traded amused looks with Sheeha when she said that. "Dan don't encourage her. She is already sneaky enough during..." He tensed up and tried not to laugh and wiggle since she started tickling his ribs. "Darn cat I am going to get you for that. Jim whipped around and managed to catch her and pulled her into his lap. His fingers found her ticklish spots and with an evil laugh he started tickling. "Now who's wiggling and squirming?" He stopped tickling her and as she was catching her breath his arms wrapped around her head and trapped one ear near his mouth. In revenge he started licking and nibbling on it and she started wiggling again. "Ack, Yimmy it is my job to attack you not you me you darn human." Even as she was growling at him she started to relax and snuggled close. She really wanted to drag him to the tent but that would have to wait. "If you will let me go I will go and get some lunch for you." Sheeha needed time away to cool down or she wasn't going to be able to hold back. Jim laughed at the expression on Dan and Nang's face. He was grinning as he let Sheeha up and just for good measure gave her tail a light tug. "Thank you for the massage and for offering to get us some food." She hissed at him when he tugged her tail just for good measure. Once she had left he did sigh. "Thank god they only come into heat twice a year or I would probably be dead by now." Nang shook her head and had an amused expression on her face. "Are you trying to say having all the fun you want is not what you want? What a strange idea coming from a male." She had a brief talk with Sorrel but it was just long enough to give her a general overview. Jim snorted. "Not when they are in heat. It is more a case of managing to hide from them to get a few minutes to recover." There was a jug of juice on the table and he poured a cup and took a drink. "Oh, I wanted to let you know your girls can stay here for as long as needed. I know the caravan and it isn't designed for more than one or two people. Eventually you can expand the tent to give them some room of their own. Till then they can stay here and since there are children of all ages they should remain occupied and start making friends." Nang nodded. "That was pretty much what I figured and was going to talk to you later. I think it will be good for them since it will help them become integrated." As she was speaking Sheeha came back with some food. "Smells interesting and thank you Sheeha. Maybe later you can show me a bit more around the tribe before the ceremony this evening." Sheeha gave her a shy smile. Even before this morning Nang had a sort of presence around her. "I would be pleased to Mystic. We can go and take a look at some additional clothing that fits you and your lovely children better." Besides since Nang was now the Mystic, even if in training, she would automatically be given better quality clothing and so would her family. Nang rolled her eyes. "Please call me Nang Sheeha. It is the nick name I was given when I was little and am used to it." She sighed when Sheeha looked shocked. "Please use my name. It will help me settle in and become more comfortable here." Sheeha lowered her ears in embarrassment but nodded. "Yes Mystic Nang. I will do so at your request." No way in hell was she going to call her just Nang. At the moment she looked the age she was. Nang sighed. "Good enough Sheeha and thank you." She looked at Jim and grinned slightly. "So Jim just how old is she?" He coughed both because of the question and because he had been drinking. Once he cleared his throat he looked at Nang and smiled. "Well Mystic she is about 90 turns old and is robbing the cradle since I am barely 42." Sheeha bopped him on the head and he grinned before turning to the food and started eating. He could feel the glowers from the women but kept eating. Sheeha left in a bit of a huff since he was teasing her. He knew that even though she was technically older than he was due to the way they aged but had teased her before like that. Dan just shook his head and started eating. It was right as they were finishing that Ana walked into the tent and had to pause. Her mother was still frowning at Jim and her father was looking amused. Off to one side and behind a curtain she could see Sheeha holding the curtain slightly open and was looking at Jim. She rolled her eyes and wondered if Sheeha was always this playful. "Afternoon mama, poppe Dan, and uncle Jim. A couple of the older kids showed me around and we stopped by the food tent." She blushed slightly. "Now that was odd since it felt like everyone was staring at me." Partially she was trying to distract Jim to see what was going to happen. Jim snorted. "Probably because of the color of your skin, eyes, and hair. Most of the people around here tend toward the Nordic or European look. I would have to guess no one has ever seen an Asian before." Right about then Sheeha dashed out to pounce on him and Jim ducked. Sheeha sailed over him with a yowl and landed with a slight thud on the floor and growled at him. As she was growling at him he sat back up and took a sip of his drink. Ana walked in and was giggling at both Jim's actions as well as Sheeha's. Sheeha's eyes narrowed and once Ana was further inside the tent she stood and then pounced on her though she was careful. Ana squealed and then started giggling as Sheeha started bathing her face. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 03 "Gah, help!" She squealed and was trying to protect her face from Sheeha. Allie walked out and started at what was going on and looked really confused. "Allie help rescue me from an over enthusiastic cat." She was giggling as the whiskers tickled her face. Allie simply stood there trying really hard not to laugh at her sister's plight. Both their parents were laughing at everything that had happened. "Sorry sis she has claws and I don't have any urge to get pounced on by an over active feline." She turned to Jim and smirked. "Jim you need to do something to calm her down since I really don't want to be pounced on." She went down a moment later as Sheeha pounced on her and it was now her turn to try and keep the tongue away from her face. "Uncle Jimmy help. I don't want to be licked to death." About this time the other ladies walked in and stood there for a moment. "Yimmy did you avoid a pounce again? It was wrong of you to do that and let the girls get the brunt of the pouncing." Nora was trying to sound serious and annoyed with him but the way her tails were flicking in amusement showed otherwise. As she was talking Sheeha stood up and stretched. Nora shook her head at her. "Sheeha sometimes you are a pain in the tails." "I feel better now. I will get Yimmy later. I figured Ana had somehow let him know I was waiting so she deserved it." As she was talking she was carefully examining her claws and smirking. That lasted till Ana snuck up behind her and tickled as she had seen Jimmy do earlier. Sheeha yowled again and jumped away and glared at her. Ana dodged behind her father and peeked over his shoulder and was grinning. "Turnabout is fair play." Eventually they finished the meal and Sorrel came forward. "I know these won't fit quite correctly but you need some nicer cloths for the ceremony tonight. I know it might seem a bit silly since everyone is going to be wearing a rain cape but it still shows respect. Nang, Allie, and Ana if you would come with us so we can check the fit so I can get something larger or smaller as needed." The woman and girls were tiny compared to most of the rest of the tribe and as hard as she tried to find adult clothing she hadn't been able to. All the females left and Jim stood up and slung his axe over his rain cape. "Go get your sword Dan and once we are done with the Master warrior I will talk to some of the warriors and find something for you." Moments later Dan was back with his sword and followed Jim's lead with the rain cape. "I am not sure what exactly he will have you do today. It might simply be the case of his talking to you and actually test you tomorrow." Jim had to sigh and some of the tension he was feeling showed. Dan rested a hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezed. "I understand and it is never easy to lose someone either close to you or important to a tribe or clan." They walked in companionable silence to the Masters tent and caravan. Dan had to admit that after giving the caravan's a good looking over he was impressed at how well they were constructed. "Come in and have a seat. Thomas is getting another jug of something warm and stimulating." There were several chairs around the table under the tent. "Welcome Dan and today I just want to talk and get to know you. I do understand that you are from the same world as Warrior Yim. I have talked to him enough to know that your warriors are trained with a totally different philosophy. I have accepted this and though I might, or probably will, be shocked I will understand." He gave Jim a wry grin. "Till I got to know your friend to be honest he scared the crap out of me." Jim flushed and looked away for a moment. "I didn't really think when I told them your philosophy on fighting." If he had been one of the furred tribe members his ears would have been back and down. "To be honest that is one reason I decided fairly quickly I wanted to stay. I don't have to live that way anymore. The majority of what we have to worry about is a wild animal getting into the camp. Once in a very rare blue moon we might encounter bandits or brigands. Those I don't hesitate about though." Dan smiled at Thomas when he came back with a large pot and several more cups. Once he had a cup in hand he nodded at him. "Thank you Thomas and I hope we can become friends like you and Jim." He didn't bother saying anything about not doing the sir or ma'am thing since Nang was going to be the new Mystic. "I understand Jim and to be honest I wanted to retire well before I did." He looked out over the bustle of the tribe and smiled. "In a way it sort of makes me think of the village Nang grew up in. It is refreshing and soothing at the same time." Dan turned back to the Master Warrior. "So ask and I will answer as best possible. Even though I am in a different world there are some things I have been sworn to secrecy over." ~~~ When Sorrel asked them to follow her they were shown to the adults tent. "Please come in but just so you know normally this tent is off limits to anyone who has not reached their majority. If there is an emergency of course call out and then enter. This is where we adults come to relax and also sleep at night." This section of the tent had much nicer carpeting. Hanging over the head of the bed was a wonderful painting, or what looked like a painting, on an either silk or other fine material. It was a picture of the four adults sitting at a table and Uncle Jimmy was resting his head on the little kitsune girl's head. "Oh my that is a lovely painting. You need to show it to Pam Auntie Sorrel." The others were looking at it as well and it was a very lovely picture. "Saria, Chief Piquel's mate did it for us. That was the night that Jim was given his totem necklace and axe. She did such a wonderful job on it." She smiled and then turned to the three. "Go ahead and strip down to the breast band and loin cloth so you can try on what I brought back." Ana sighed and blushed a bit. "This is so going to take time to get used to. It might be silly but taking a shower with the other girls in gym class is one thing. Randomly taking cloths off for communal bathing or trying on cloths just feels weird." She was slowly taking her clothes off as she was talking. Sorrel came over and gave her a good hug. "I know that this is strange to you and Yimmy went through many of the same things you are. It took him a good two or more weeks before he was close to comfortable with the communal bathing. Also since it is warm at night the females tend to wear just a loin cloth. If they need a privacy tent they toss on a shirt, use them and then take the shirt off before crawling in." She stroked Ana's hair as she was talking. "In a way it was as hard for me to understand the world he was coming from since it is so wildly different. One of the hardest things for me was to reconcile the Jim I had saved and started to get to know before meeting his other side. It did scare me seeing the killer in him but I have since come to see that it really isn't a killer. It is an almost total determination to protect what he considers innocents and ensure that the others won't come back." Sorrel gave her one more good hug and let her finish stripping down. Since she was talking to Ana the others were helping Nang and Allie into the dress clothing. Sorrel had been forced to guess what would look good on them and for the most part it did look good on them. "The dress clothing is similar to regular clothing but are a looser cut and nicer material." She wrinkled her nose at her. "That and lots more colors to play with." Ana was stroking the material. "It is really soft and though it doesn't look it almost feels slightly furry." The colors Sorrel had picked for her were a bright yellow skirt with an off white blouse that went nicely together. "I like the colors. Light and bright colors always make me feel happier." She was getting ready to put the skirt on when Sorrel stopped her. "Put the blouse on first since it will be easier to pull the skirt over the tails of the blouse." Once Ana had pulled it on Sorrel carefully snugged up the tie string around her neck and wrists. She frowned slightly since it was a bit loose but anything smaller would look like a child's dress cloths. Ana was just starting to show her curves and they wouldn't be appropriate for a girl of her turns. "It is a bit loose and will need to be tailored but will work for this evening. Now the skirt and just like the other skirt make sure the silver chins are showing." She helped her into the skirt and smiled since she looked really good in the outfit. Around the sleeves and the bottom of the skirt was some embroidery that was appropriate for someone of her age. "You are a lovely young lady Ana and those look very good on you." The last thing she did was to strap a belt around her waist with a small knife on it. "Virtually everyone carries a knife for doing chores and such." When she turned to the others she gave them a good look and smiled. "All of you look very good though you are going to need to have the clothing tailored as well." Considering Sorrel, Nasha, and Nora were almost Jim's height the other three were tiny. "I know you are an adult Nang but honestly I almost can't believe it since you are so petite." She had to give her a wry grin. "Most tribes members your size are still short of their majority by a fair amount." Nang snorted. "I am used to it. Barely coming to Dan's shoulder has long since gotten me used to feeling short." Allie and Nang also had a belt on with a knife attached. Off the other side of Nang's belt was a beaded ornament as well that showed she was a mystic. "Well not much is going to happen till time for the pyre and then we will eat afterwards. We might as well stay dressed." As she was talking the three of them were stripping down and pulled out their fine clothing so they could get dressed. Nang couldn't help but smile slightly. "Sorrel would you mind if I touched your tail? I have been wanting to since we arrived." She felt silly about it but wanted to. Sorrel laughed and flicked her tail over to Nang and just for good measure flipped the end of her tail gently across her face. "Sure but just letting all of you know if you help bathe a non-human the base of our tail is really sensitive. The best policy is to not get within about five inches of the base just to be sure." Sheeha snickered at Sorrel but didn't really say anything since she knew Sorrel was editing what was being said since the girls were there. "Most of us like to have our tails brushed while we relax as well. Having our back fur brushed as well is very enjoyable since it is a pain in the tail to do ourselves." She lightly flicked the end of her tail across Allies nose and was pleased with the giggle. "I get the hint and one of these days I will consider it." Allie had to rub her nose to keep a sneeze away since it had tickled. When Sheeha started to wave her tail at her again Allie lightly grasped the end. "No more tickling my nose or I am going to sneeze big time. She did stroke the bit of tail she was holding. "All of you are so soft, or your fur is." By the time Jim, Thomas, and Dan made it back the females were back out in the living area relaxing and Sorrel was trying to explain some of the more common customs of the clan. Dan stopped and smiled. "You look lovely Nang." He moved over and cupped the back of her head and kissed her. "My love and my life. I am so glad I met you and you were willing to take a chance on a grumpy old man." Dan turned and looked at their girls. "The two of you look really nice as well. Thank you Sorrel for taking care of that for us." Jim smiled and settled down at the table and then glanced around since he didn't see Sheeha. "Which tent did she go into? I don't feel like being pounced on right now." That got a snicker and Thomas moved back a bit. Jim glowered at him. "Traitor to all males out there and to think I call you friend." Thomas snickered at him. "I just don't want to be in the way when she does..." Sheeha nailed him in the chest and wrapped her arms and legs around him and ran her tongue around one ear. "You were saying there Thomas? I think I am having more fun pouncing this heat than for a while." She winked at the adults. "There are all kinds of new people to pounce on and get to know." She turned back to Thomas and started working on the other ear. He was growling slightly. "I place the blame for this directly on you Yim. You brought them back and gave her more little mousy's for her to hunt down and pounce on." The actual licking didn't bother him but he was sort of courting a lady and he really didn't need the scent of a feline in season on him. Jim grinned at him. "As you wish and now it is time to get dressed. Sundown is getting close. Shall we retire to my tent and change?" The three of them walked out after Sheeha finally let go of Thomas. "Thank you for loaning Dan some clothing. You are taller but he is a bit wider and with it getting dark it won't really be noticed." The three of them walked into the tent and about fifteen minutes later they walked out and Dan was looking sort of grumpy. "So why do I have to wear chains in my hair? I feel utterly silly right now." As he was talking he noticed that Nang and the girls had much the same in their hair as did the other females. Sheeha was dressed very differently in what looked like a some sort of tabard that hung down to mid thigh and had strips of cloth in different colors sewn onto the base material. Her hair was braided in a number of thin braids with small silver and gold beads scattered through her hair. On her was a rather scary looking knife that was settled low on one hip. She had a baldric with a short sword in a sheath on the other hip. In a way she almost looked barbaric. "That looks really good on you Sheeha." Dan said and grinned slightly. "Remember no pouncing on me since I am mated and I am far meaner than Jim is." Sheeha tilted her head and smiled. "I would never pounce on an old and experienced warrior like you. You deserve more respect than that." They could feel the sincerity in her voice as she spoke. Jim kept a straight face as did his ladies. "I am going to go and get my corwith and check the tuning." He climbed into the caravan and pulled it out. He had been wanting to show his guests the instrument as well as let them listen to his playing. That hadn't happened today but hopefully he could the next day. ~~~ After he had grabbed both Corwith's he handed the second one to Sorrel to carry for him and she slung it much as he had. Jim made a quick check to make sure everyone looked good and then pulled on his rain cape and then slung his axe. "Dan till told otherwise you can carry your sword as well as the knife." Dan slung it and made sure it was in the correct position out of habit. Right about then Bear showed up and Dan had to smile. "Looking good Bear but you are going to have to get some buckskins and some buffalo briefs." Bear grinned at him and looked at the material. It was a soft brown and somehow it looked like suede. He had a beaded belt with his ceremonial knife on it and his tomahawk tucked into the belt. His long hair was braided back and had, much like the others, trinkets in it. It was getting dark enough that it was hard to tell what the dangles really looked like. "I have a feeling the loin cloth is more comfortable. Leather tends to chaff down there." He became serious. "I was informed that Nang and I are going to go first followed by you and James. After that will be the four women and then the young children followed by your daughters and then Thomas." He looked around and everyone nodded at him. Jim had his quarter staff with him and it was properly made with iron wood ends for endurance and kiln dried wood. He still tended to limp a bit and especially when he was stressed. It would be handed to one of his ladies when he started playing. "Well let's form up. Bear I did tell the girls that they could go with some of the kids that are going to be playing or singing tonight." When Bear nodded he looked at them. The other older kids know when to be back. They will also show you how to act and some of the dances if you want." He gave the boys a brief look and the three nodded. The older kids that were singing split off as they were heading for the main funeral pyre but the rest fell in as would be expected. Bear led them to the chief's tent and there were a large number of people there. Each of his children, their mates if they had one, kids, and various elders and master were there. They walked to the tent covering the pyre and formed up on two sides and the rest of the tribe were on the other two. Master Eldon stepped forward. "I have requested that Jim sing his sister's song since it has sort of become desired at funeral pyres. Mitzy is going to be singing with him and they will be accompanied by other musicians." He moved off to one side and the Stone Master did something and a soft blue glow came from the stone. "Jim and Mitzy if you would please?" The two of them stepped forward though she was looking shy. Jim lightly stroked her hair. "You will do fine honey." He strummed a chord and started singing and the Mitzy joined in after the first verse. Jim was amazed at her voice every time she sang. It was obviously the voice of a young girl but it flowed around his voice as he sang. The sound was almost pure innocents and to him there were faint traces of the tinkling of silver bells in it. Once the two of them had finished the song they bowed to the crowd. The backup songsmiths who had been accompanying them also came forward and bowed to the crowd. After the bow they started on the other two songs which were finished with a flourish and they stepped out of the tent. Now it was time for the pyre. When Nang stepped forward at the head of the pyre Jim was rather startled. Dan was next to her and on one side of the pyre were Bear and the senior Shaman. Moran and a person he recognized but didn't know were on the third side. Nang lifted a hand and murmured something and there was a flare of power moments before she and Dan stuck their torches in the wood. The other four followed suit and the fire rose quickly and burned hotter than normal. She started murmuring again and something was starting to glow in the fire and most had to cover their eyes. When the glow went away and everyone looked they had to gasp, or the closest who could see her gasped. She had a feminine version of the Mystic's necklace and bracelet around her arm and neck. Nang couldn't help but stand there with her eyes closed and she could feel the spirit leaving. It was almost straining towards its new life flying on the winds of the world. Before it vanished she could feel gentle fingers touch her face. With a final flare of the fire the spirit vanished and the pyre collapsed into itself and the flames returned to normal. When the fire finally went out the only thing left was the small tent covering where the pyre had been. Jim was more than shaken since he had never seen a pyre like that before. He also noticed that his ladies were surrounding him and Mitzy was holding onto one leg. He leaned over and picked her up and held her till her grandparents came and took her. Nang watched Moran step forward. "We have now set the spirit of the Mystic on the path to its new life. I know we are all in shock and starting to grieve for the man virtually all of us knew from when we were small. I have spent many hours arguing philosophy, law, tribal interactions, and much more. He will expect us to grieve but he would want a celebration held for him in recognition of the centuries he served the clan. Go forth and do your best to enjoy the evening." ~~~ Ana and Allie World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 03 Both girls walked with the boys and one or two other girls to other small tents that had been set up for them. When the Stone Master had activated the stones they started glowing blue and both girls looked rather startled by that. A few moments later and Jim's voice and another angelic voice came out. The singers and musicians started playing the songs. The stones were basically used to coordinate the singing at the various tents set up. This was so everyone was singing on queue and together. Ana leaned against Allie and was pleased when her sister gave her a hug. The first song was so sad in the beginning but by the time it finished there was a great deal of hope in it. She didn't really have any idea of who died even though it seemed to be connected with her mother. She cried due to the song and that her mother was rather upset. Allie wrapped her arm around Ana and cuddled her close. "It will be okay Ana and mom will explain it when she is ready. Relax and enjoy the music." There were one or two tears trickling down her face as well. Much like Ana it was the songs more than anything that was making her cry. At one point everyone could see a flare from what she assumed was the funeral pyre. It didn't last very long but everyone became silent when it faded. Through the stone they heard Moran speak and sighed. What all was going to happen they weren't sure but they were sure the boys would show them. Once the singing was over and the fire seemed to go out the boys came over and stood with them briefly. Saulo and Farion walked over to the two and each offered them an arm. "Dinner is going to be a sort of ongoing buffet affair. People can come and go as they please. It is because the entire tribe is going to be dancing. It allows them to come and get a snack or drink before going back to dancing or talking." Saulo was pleased when Allie took his offered arm. Farion was a bit more hesitant but offered Ana his arm as well and both blushed as she tucked her hand in his elbow. "We will escort you to get something to eat and then to the young adult and teens tent. There are different tents that were put up when we got here so that we could have gatherings. For some reason the adults just don't understand the fun of getting soaking wet." Ana snickered at Farion when he said that. "I have a feeling that Uncle Jimmy might object as well." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and finally had to ask. "What species are you and about how many turns old?" Farion smiled at her and her questions. "I am an inu like mama Nasha but of a different type." He had mostly white fur but with black spots scattered around. "I am just over 66 turns old. I have 14 turns till I reach my majority." He was almost painfully shy since he was in a gangly awkward stage and wanted to make a good impression on her. Ana did some quick math in her head. "Okay, your majority is eighty turns and for us that is eighteen years. Based on that it is about 4.44 turns per year so that would make me about 62 turns." She sighed slightly. "Darn it I don't feel like waiting almost twenty years before I am an adult." Farion looked very impressed with her doing that in her head. "You are a really smart girl if you can do that in your head." He meant it as a compliment and it didn't even occur to him that she might take offense. "Excuse me? Are you trying to say most girls are dumb?" She started to lean back from him till he looked shocked at her reaction. "No I wasn't trying to say that at all. You are a girl and are smart. It was a compliment and nothing else." His ears were pulled back and he looked distressed at upsetting her. Allie snorted. "Relax Ana, different culture and different meaning for the same words. We are going to encounter all kinds of misunderstandings till we get used to being here." She turned and looked at Saulo. "You have to admit that they have some very nice tails. I keep resisting the urge to ask to pet some of them." Just for good measure she gave Saulo's arm a squeeze. He dropped his ears and his tails sort of drooped a bit as she teased them. When he glanced at her he could see a slight smile and realized she was sort of teasing her. Just for good measure he lightly smacked one of her legs with his tail. "You are as bad as poppe Yimmy when he starts teasing." They finally made it to the food tent and walked in and pulled the hoods back. Ana was muttering to herself. "Remember don't ask just try the food. Once you have started getting used to it then ask." She still wanted to know what she had eaten that morning since it was really good. A bit chewing but had a really interesting flavor. Farion snickered at her. "I know what poppe Yimmy likes so I am sure I can help you pick out something you like. I will make sure not to tell you what the food comes from." He winked at her and smiled when she lightly punched him on the arm. "Now I am scared that you are going to slide something I would be horrified by on my plate." She glowered at him as he snickered at her. The other two were snickering as well till Saulo spoke. "I promise the same thing Allie. I won't mention if it is a badgor, snail, or eels." He figured he would get punched next but when Allie narrowed her eyes at him he actually started worrying. "Be good or I am going to tell Sheeha to pounce on you. I will tell her that you aren't cleaning your ears well enough." When he looked horrified at that idea she squeezed his arm. They walked into the tent and she had to sniff appreciatively. "It does smell very good." Both girls listened to what the boys were recommending and put small samples on their plates. As they were moving through the line several of the workers greeted them. They weren't really sure what to do except give some shy smiles and greetings back. The boys traded looks and there was a slightly evil glint in their eyes as they slid small pieces of the nasty fruit on the girls plates. When they reached the drink table Saulo looked at them and then the table. "The drinks are placed on mats of different colors to indicate what they are." He went on to explain that the first two colors indicated they were juice or had just a trace of alcohol in them and that was the only drinks the minors could have. He explained there was tea and water as well if they wanted. The girls swapped looks and with a grin grabbed a glass from the second mat. The boys were a bit startled and weren't sure what their parents might say. Then again they were only allowed one glass per meal and it was strictly enforced. After they had what they wanted the boys escorted the girls to a table with other teens at it. Once they were seated they introduced the other kids and started eating. Jim and the other adults were at a different table that had mostly adults or parents with little children. Tonight the third older boy and other teens were taking care of the younger children and once they were tucked in they would go dancing. The littles knew to stay in the tent unless there was an emergency so he wasn't too worried. Both he and Nasha had slings with one of the twins in it and Sorrel had their daughter with her. Nang had sort of kidnapped her and was looking happy as she fed her. Back at the other table both girls got to the fruit about the same thing and right as they swallowed the taste hit. Both gagged and glared at the two boys as they started laughing. Allie looked at Ana. "Most definitely I am going to talk to Sheeha tomorrow about Farion. You might consider mentioning Saulo to her as well." Ana was glaring at Saulo which only made him laugh harder. "Most definitely mention both to her. I want to see them pounced on and have their ears licked clean." She had her arms crossed in front of her as she glared. Saulo didn't look to worried but Farion did and his ears were lowered indicating a blush. It was almost worth it to see their reactions but Sheeha was really cute in a sort of aggressive kitty manner. "We might do the same as well." He tried smirking but it didn't work very well. Allie glared at Farion. "If you want some sympathy from us you are going to take us dancing and you are going to be gentlemen for the rest of the evening or else." He nodded and stood up and offered her his arm. She took it and poked him in the ribs before grinning. "That was horrible tasting and I might slide some of it on your plate next time." Ana rolled her eyes. "Of course you would find that funny since you have daddies warped sense of humor." She frowned at Saulo. "Do it again and I personally will have Sheeha hold you while I feed it to you." Saulo grinned and sighed. "Nope, I wouldn't do that to you twice. One time is funny but after that? Even Farion isn't that mean." He stood and offered her his arm. Once she took it they headed towards the tent where the younger generation were dancing. "We won't be dancing for too long since we need to go back to the tents and make sure the kids are being good." They started dancing and Allie had to smile and leaned against Farion lightly. So far she liked what she had seen of all the kids that belonged to Uncle Jim. She still didn't remember him very much other than small flashes of memories though. It did seem really strange for him to have three mates and actual children with them. "I like the feel of your fur since it is so soft." She giggled slightly. "Your ears and tail are killer as well." Farion dropped his ears again when she complimented him. "Thank you Allie I do my best to keep it clean and tidy but in the rainy season it can be hard." Rinsing the mud off wasn't really that bad since their fur didn't let it stick much. He still hated getting the mud on his feet. "You have really smooth skin and I have never seen skin color like you have." He wanted to say more but just couldn't bring himself to do that. Ana and Saulo weren't dancing quite as close but they appeared to be chatting quietly to each other. Both couples danced for a while before Farion got a tap on the shoulder. "Would you mind if I cut in? I would like to talk to Allie for a few minutes." Jim smiled at him and didn't seem upset. Farion nodded and with a slight bow stepped back and Jim stepped in. "Why don't you go back to the tent and I will send Allie over in a few minutes." Jim started dancing with her but headed towards the edge of the crowd and then over to some benches. "There isn't anything wrong but I did want to talk to you about underage relationships for a few minutes." Allie had been looking concerned at first and then blushed when he mentioned underage relationships. "I was just dancing Uncle Jim. His fur felt good and so I leaned against him." She was looking concerned that she had broken some rule she didn't know of. "I know Allie and you weren't doing anything wrong. Mostly I wanted to assure you that you can date or see boys or girls as your preferences may lie. I just wanted to give you the rules relating to it. First as I said dating and having a relationship is accepted as part of the normal part of growing up. You can hold hands, kiss, hug and wrap arms around each other while walking. If you want to cuddle and curl up with each other that is fine as long as you are in public view. That includes the living areas of the tents. The one very strict rule is that cloths don't come off and no touching the important bits." He gave her a light squeeze. "I will tell you that the longer you are here the more this world will impact on you. You will probably want a certain amount of intimacy but till you reach your majority any sexual desires are mostly muted. I can't really explain it other than it is something about this world and maybe the spirit of the world impacting on who we are. Look at it this way I am technically 42 years old in our world but look mid to late twenties. It happed slowly over a period of time and I hadn't noticed till I got a glance of myself in one of the few mirrors." "So basically what I am saying is you can date as your father allows and it is normal and expected. Just nothing beyond a certain amount of contact." He smiled down at her. "Farion is a good boy even if he can sometimes get in trouble standing still." He had to laugh slightly when he said that. "Now why don't you go back to the tents and relax and keep an eye on the littles." Once she had left he headed back into the crowd and eventually found Ana and had pretty much the same conversation with her as he had with Allie. One thing Jim had done was talk to Nang before explaining this to the girls. Once he was done he walked back to the tents with Ana but turned towards the love shack and found Sheeha waiting for him. He had expected her to pounce on him and she did. "You made me wait Yimmy so I am going to make you pay for that." She snuggled close to him as he was laying on the thick carpets and started playing. "I am not going to let you get much sleep tonight either." Jim gave her a snort. "When was the last time you let me have much sleep during your heat? I do believe it was never. Besides I had a good reason for not being here earlier. I had a talk with the girls about the rules about dating while they are minors." Since she was already stripped he ran his hands down her back and just shy of the base of her tail which got an excited purr. "Now since I don't want to have shredded cloths give me a moment to get undressed." That didn't happen since she was already in the process of taking them off him and he started giggling as she tickled him in the process. ~~~ Please vote and leave feedback and comments for me. I would really appreciate it since I want to know what my readers think of how my writing is doing. That isn't even mentioning that I feel my writing skills have gotten better over the last year or so. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 04 Hello all and welcome to my forth chapter of book 2 of Ranicke. I have been thinking about creating an e-mail list for people that would like to have updates on when I am going to be posting chapters and possibly even new stories. If you are interested in this please send me a feedback form with what series you would like to be kept abreast of and include whatever e-mail addy you want to use. I have mentioned this but I am doing an in-house treatment for a drinking problem I have. It is giving me time to really work on some of my stories but my schedule of classes and appointments are going to change on a daily basis. I can't give you any sort of estimate on the average time between chapters though I am going to try to do one or two a week as best possible. As always please give me any and all constructive feedback. It could be anything from 'you need to get an editor' to 'love it but what about...'. Constructive criticisms do not upset me since I know that you are trying to help me improve my stories. Now if you are simply going to tear the story apart simply because it annoys you I will ignore what you have to say since it doesn't really help me improve the story. As always any sexual relationships will be 18+. There are going to be some relationships below 18 or the equivalent but there won't be any sort of sexual interaction. ***** Since she was already stripped he ran his hands down her back and just shy of the base of her tail which got an excited purr. "Now since I don't want to have shredded cloths give me a moment to get undressed." That didn't happen since she was already in the process of taking them off him and he started giggling as she tickled him in the process. Jim wiggled and twitched as he tried to get away from her paws and the tickling. It wasn't really possible since she was both sitting on him and stripping his clothes off. Once she was done with that Sheeha gave him a moment of breathing space before attacking his face with her tongue again. "My little mousy made me wait and he is going to get it." She hadn't really used that term before but since Allie had used it she thought it was funny. She was going to use it from now own and possibly even when they were with her pride. Jim got revenge by returning the favor and started tickling the few sensitive spots on her body. "This mousy isn't going to just let the mean old kitty have her way with him." As she started to wiggle and try and get away he rolled over so he was on top and pinned her hands down next to her head. If she really wanted to she could get away from him. As odd as it might sound play time like this was also a type of foreplay for them from what he had learned. She finally got away from him and she was giggling. "Oooo... Little mousy wants to get it does he? I will get little mousy first." Sheena jumped at him and he dropped and rolled under her and came up behind. When he did that he reached over and lightly tugged her tail. "Kitty is getting slow. Maybe mousy will win in the end." To be honest the mousy bit was somewhat annoying and he was going to have to talk to Dan. It was just more ammunition in her gun so to speak. They played for a while longer and eventually they ended up in bed. Now they were touching and stroking and enjoying the sensations. "You do have a lovely body Sheeha. If I hadn't been in the process of working on getting mated to three women I would let you chase me till I caught you." Sheeha was shorter than he was but taller than any of his mates. She was slender and very fit though she had enough fat to soften the curves of the muscles. Her fur was short and pitch black from the tips of her ears to the end of her tail. She did have small breasts but they were well shaped and he enjoyed playing with them. Sheeha purred at him and settled for nipping his face and neck instead of replying. He was smiling as she was doing that since he had grown to enjoy it. As she was playing with his neck and ears his hands was stroking her hips and legs. As he was playing a memory came back from the last time they had been with the Puma pride. Thomas, Jim, and several of the Puma warriors had been talking. It ranged from the annoyances of night watch to gripes about food and women. Eventually they had gotten around to discussing things the ladies in their lives enjoyed in bed. One of the Puma tribe members was thinking about the lady he was seeing. He explained that one thing the Puma women loved was a type of submission in bed. Jim had given him and odd look before the male had explained. "When they are on their back if you gently grasp the scruff of their neck one of two things will happen. They will lift their chin and expose their neck or they will deck you." Jim snorted. "Sounds like you like living on the edge. Should I ask how many times you have been kicked out of the tent?" He knew that Sheeha had a mean punch and was a damn good fighter and he didn't have the urge to have his ass kicked by a female in heat. The warrior had laughed. "That is part of the excitement. When they submit it shows in the bed play. If you get hit then you have the fun of trying to pacify them. I don't know about you but I don't like getting kicked out of the tent. Mildly embarrassing." He was playing with his whiskers as he was talking. He couldn't help but wonder what Sheeha would do. They did have a genuine friendship and he appreciated all the help she gave them. There were very few things she wouldn't do though diaper duty was most definitely not for her. As he was stroking her hair with his other hand he slipped it under her head and to the back of her neck. When he did decide to grasp the fur and skin on the back of her neck her reaction was almost instantaneous. Her eyes opened wide, her chin lifted and her entire body froze. Jim leaned over and licked her neck lightly before biting down on it. When he did he could feel the pulse in her neck getting faster. He finally released the bite and licked where he had bit her and then gave her a kiss. Eventually they did finally go to sleep and she had been soft and almost pliable in his arms as he curled around her. When he did finally awake the next morning Jim had to wonder what exactly he had done. She had been more active than normal and there was a new scent to her as well. This morning she was sleeping soundly next to him. He glanced outside and it was still barely light so he curled up around her again and drifted off to sleep. Jim was having good dreams of chasing his kids around. It must have been an old memory since the Puma child was young, barely toddling around. When he woke next it was because someone was tapping on a post outside the tent. The post was used as a method of getting the attention of people in the tents. Jim looked up and it was much lighter now. "Wadda ya wann?" He mumbled as he rolled on his back and stretched. In doing so he woke Sheeha who stretched as well. "Morning Sheeha. Time for the tents and a bath I do think." She gave him a rowl sort of sound as she was stretching. "Do we have to get up? I want to get some more sleep." She rolled over and settled her head on his chest and started purring. Dan was laughing after hearing her comment. "Well if you want to go to the baths with us feel free and if not we will see you when you do get up. Or would you prefer to have breakfast delivered?" He was definitely teasing. "I can see if they have roasted honeyed mice for breakfast as well." Jim groaned. "Dan I hate you and am going to do something evil to you. I will have to think about it but I will find something to do to pay you back." He lightly nipped Sheeha's nose. "Come on I want a bath and food." Once she finally rolled off he settled for pulling on some pants and left the tent with her. Eventually they made it back from the baths and settled down at the table. "Pam I have to apologize for not getting you to the artist's tent yesterday. Once I am done with my teaching this morning I will take you and introduce you to them." Pam gave him a smile of understanding. "Yesterday was an upsetting day for the tribe so it isn't a problem. If you don't mind I would like to sit and watch you teach. I didn't even know you played or sang." It was an interesting side he had never shown before. Sorel snickered at her. "Feel free to watch but no trying to poach. I am not sure he would survive five women..." Jim groaned and Pam blushed and Sorrel really started snickering at them. "Human's are so funny." Jim frowned at her. "Just for that I might tell one or two of the warriors you are interested in them. Dodging them should keep you from getting in too much trouble." He wouldn't really do that but if they were going to tease him he was going to return the favor. Allie looked at Farion. "See? I am living with teens in adult bodies. Do they ever take anything seriously?" That was most definitely a whine. Farion decided the safe way was the best way. "They are just relaxing. During the rainy season since we mostly stay in the tents and caravans we do a great deal of craft work. We usually have enough supplies to carry us through the rainy season we don't have to do nearly as much hunting as normal. That gives everyone time to relax and that includes the adults." They finally finished breakfast and while the dishes were taken away Dan and Nang excused themselves as did Bear. "Jim I will be back after lunch so we can go to the Master Warrior." Dan was interested in seeing what their fighting was like but other than training he didn't have any urge to actively do warrior stuff anymore. "See all of you later and I hope you have a good day." After they had left Jim stood and went into the caravan and grabbed his two main instruments and came back out. ~~~ Bear pulled the rain cape on and made sure it was fastened before he left the tent. "I hope so and see you later Jim." He stepped out in the rain and shook his head at the downpour. He had been in heavy rain before but this was crazy. Briefly he had to wonder why everything hadn't washed away by now. This made the monsoons in SE Asia look almost like showers. Once he had his bearings he started heading towards the Shaman's tents and caravans. One thing he had already noticed was that the most senior master lived in the guilds caravan. He or she, their mate and children lived in it. All the others either lived with their families or with their mates and children. It was an interesting way of doing things and he had to wonder what else he would learn. The day before had most definitely been eye opening for him. He was used to dealing with the spirits in his world but they were far more reticent in showing themselves. From what he had felt entering the Shaman's tent yesterday morning they were very active. It might also be the simple fact that the ones from this world could feel the ones from his other world on him. Now that was a definite possibility since all that came back would have traces of the other world. In his case he would also carry the impression of the spirits of his world as well. One secret he had never told anyone was that he didn't have a totem animal. It allowed him to connect with the totem animal for the various ceremonies and healings. Yes he had been an MD but he had also grown up in the traditions of his tribe. It was an interesting mix of knowledge. Western medicine was based in the physical world. His medicine was based in the spirit world as well as the physical world. It had given him an interesting view point during school. There were a number of instructors who had felt what he had to add was useless. Eventually he reached the tent of the shaman and had to smile at the scent of burning herbs. No it wasn't sage or the herbs and plants he knew but it had a similar affect. He started to relax and settle into a contemplative mood. "Good morning Elder and thank you for inviting me back." "Elder my ass Bear. You have as much knowledge of your world as I do of mine." The old elf waved him to a chair. Unlike many of the others he enjoyed a pint or two of beer during the day. He poured a foamy mug for Bear and pushed it over. "I would say what brings you back but that is a silly question." He definitely wasn't an easy going Shaman and had a feisty in your face attitude. Bear grinned. "Yes O mighty elder. I will sit and relax and talk with you. Give my old bones time to relax and let the youngin's do the heavy work." He took the mug and took a drink from it. Warm beer was odd but in this place he understood. "So how are you doing this fine day?" He glowered at the rain when he asked that. Margolis snorted. "Your expression seems to disagree with your question. It is nice to be able to sit and relax even if I have to clean the mud off my feet and legs many times during the day." He took a long slow drink from his mug and rolled his eyes as several younger kids went screaming past. "I have a feeling someone is going to get their ears chewed off." Bear had to smile at that. "Either that or just stand them in the rain for a few and toss a bucket of soapy water at them." He shook his head. "To be young again but obviously that isn't what brings me here. I am sure you want to discuss both differences and similarities in our rituals. I can say for a fact that your spirits are far more obvious than ours." Margolis stroked is long pony tail. "Eventually we will get to that. Right now I simply want to get to know you. What makes you tick, what skills you have, what we might be able to teach you. That isn't even mentioning what you can teach us." He waved his arm towards the people moving past and spoke. "We are in a way an odd tribe. We are made up of any number of different species and other than humans are in similar numbers." Bear looked out and contemplated the people as they were walking past. He really wasn't sure what to say since this was so outside his experience. "I can't say I understand other than in general but I like what I can feel of the tribe. Yes there are spats and disagreements between the species but there is also a very down home feeling." In a way it was like America being known as the melting pot only these were different species. "I can't help but wonder how the species developed and especially since they can interbreed." The Shaman was going to be tossing out ideas like this for the next few weeks. It was his way of teaching since it required the student to actually think. "There are stories but most of them are legends and so blurred over time that what is real and isn't has blurred. Eventually I may tell you some of the stories but many of them belong only to the senior Shaman and only shared between them." Now he was trying to see if the human might be offended by not being told. Bear took a drink of the ale and shifted slightly. "We have many legends like that as well. Over time what is and what isn't gets mixed together and it is virtually impossible to separate truth from fiction." He did raise an eyebrow at the elf but didn't say anything. This wasn't all that much different than walking into a different command and figuring out where you fit. There were certain expectations but beyond that they had to test you to see if you really knew what you were talking about. They talked till food arrived and Bear was feeling fairly content. Margolis had been doing a good job of picking his mind and he had returned the favor. He might not have done as good a job as the old elf but had stood his ground. "I will talk to you later Margolis." He stood and headed back to the caravan. ~~~ When he did he found everyone except for the three who left sitting around and he blushed slightly. "I feel like I am doing an audition now." The children he was teaching were gathered around and getting ready. Jim settled down on the stool he used. "Morning children and as usual I am going to play something from my world first. Once I am done we will get into the teaching songs." He looked over his shoulder at the others. "Much of the teaching is done via music since it sticks with them longer." He turned back to the kids. "Okay so what should I play this morning?" There was a major discussion going on when he asked and after a minute or two of discussion Farion grinned at him. He pulled a riff out and then started into Johnny B Good. "That is the song we want you to play poppe Yimmy." He laughed when Farion pulled the riff out. "Fine I will play that and you can back me up." He pulled out the Corwith and after checking the tuning he started playing and all the kids joined in with the lyrics. Once he was done singing he was grinning at the clapping from behind him. He rolled his eyes but called Mitzy up since she would be singing as he played. In this case it was he would be supporting her as she sang. "Today we are going to be working on the predator teaching song. All of you will be joining at the right times and if we have enough time after class I might play another song." He started playing the song and it was somewhat dark and ominous. It wasn't too dark since it was a song that they taught to the youngsters. With the help of his older children he taught three songs about the animals and plants in the jungle. Eventually he finished with another song from his world. This time it was one of John Denver's songs since they were comforting. "Okay kids you know what you need to do. Go back to your parents, nannies, and for mine start cleaning." Jim handed Farion his instruments to put away and stretched. When he turned around he smiled at the others. "So what do you think? That is a normal morning for me." Jim glanced out the tent and sighed. "Thankfully the rainy season is starting to draw to a close. It might not look like it to you but it is and within two or so weeks we will start packing up. We will travel for about a week and a half before we meet up with Nasha's original clan. We will celebrate the fertile season before continuing on to our next camp site." Pam came over and gave him a hug. "That was lovely and very educational. I think I am going to stay in camp and let you brave warriors do the hunting." Jim returned the hug and laughed. "Nope, that is for the hunters to deal with. I teach songs, love my ladies, do occasional patrols, and get handed the messy jobs by the Chief." He had seen Moran heading their way and just had to say that. Moran simply smiled at him. "But you are so good at shoveling out the latrines and especially in the rainy season." He gathered a few hugs and settled down. "I just came over to let you know that for the next few days you are relieved of your normal duties. This is so you have time to show our guests around and do what is needed to settle them in." He turned and looked at them. "We will try and get you back to your world but as with Jim I can't guarantee it." Bear had just returned and after listening nodded. "We have discussed it Chief and we understand. It is going to take a while for us to really settle in till such time." He lightly scratched an ear. "I might not want to go back to be honest. There isn't really much left there for me." He sighed. "All my children have moved out and my mate died several years ago. I think I could settle in here till the spirits call me home." As they were talking Sheeha walked through the tent and stopped by Jim and wrapped her arms around him. She rubbed her cheek against him as well as letting out a contented purr before continuing on her way. Sorrel gave him an odd look before looking at Sheeha as she continued on with what she had been doing. "Jim what did you do last night? Normally you would have been pounced on." That was totally unlike Sheeha when she was in heat. Jim looked slightly startled as well. "Um, nothing that I can think of." His biting her neck didn't cross his mind what so ever. After a moment or two he shrugged. "It is kind of refreshing not to be pounced..." Sheeha had been waiting for that and pounced on him. Jim had to struggle not to squeal as she started tickling him. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 04 Sheeha always got some amusement value out of waiting for him to say 'pounce' before she got him. Once she had him down she gave his face a good tongue bath and kept purring. Once done she curled up on his chest and snuggled. Sheeha knew that it was going to confuse him big time but after last night he deserved it. By this time Farion was back and Allie turned and pulled him into a hug. "Oh god I am not sure I can deal with this." Her voice was a whine but it was all she could do not to die laughing. Jim's expression was priceless and she had a feeling this wasn't normal for Sheeha. Farion barely managed not to snicker. "Let's go and get something to eat and let the adults be adults." He wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the tent. Ana followed as well and once they were away all three started laughing. Back in the tent Jim looked up at Sorrel and looked really confused. "I have no idea why she is acting this way." They lay there for a few minutes before she rolled off and wandered away. He looked at her as she was leaving and she looked quite content. "Darn cat is going to drive me to drinking and she doesn't even have a hot rod Lincoln." That got a snort from Pam but left the others looking confused. Jim sat up and wiped his face off and grumbled. "Well I am hungry so why don't we go to the food tents. After that I will take you to the Artists Pam." She nodded when he spoke. "Shall we?" He stood and grabbed his rain cloak and waited for the others to grab theirs. Out of habit he slung his axe and shifted it till comfortable. He offered his arm to Nasha and Sorrel before heading out to the food tent. Eventually they finished eating and he had to smile since he was feeling content. Jim knew that the girls would be with the rest of the kids learning the daily chores. "Shall we Pam? Everyone else is busy at the moment meeting their respective peers." Nasha leaned forward and gave him a good kiss and nuzzle. "I will see you later love. It is time for the babies to be fed." She leaned against him and inhaled his scent to help relax. She was still upset about his vanishing though she was doing better. Jim wrapped his arms around her and lightly nuzzled her neck and nipped at her lips. Even though she was his second mate she was by far the most emotional. "I will see you later as well Nasha." He stroked her ears and held her tightly. "I know love, I know how worried you must have been but I am here now." He licked her muzzle and stroked her ears and hair for a while longer. "I think we will need to have a quiet meal this evening." She nodded at his suggestion. "I would like that Yimmy. I was so scared that we would never see you again." Nasha had known she would be taken care of as well as her children but he was the center of her life. Sheeha came out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around Nasha. "Come lets go and feed the babies and I will give your coat a good brushing. It will help you relax Nasha." She had long since realized that Nasha was very sensitive emotionally. She felt that was why Nasha was so good with the children. Nasha looked up at the taller woman and gave her a shy smile. "Thank you Sheeha. That sounds lovely and thank you for the offer." The two of them slowly walked away from the others. Jim rubbed his face and turned to one of the servers. "I need to talk to the manager for a few minutes please." The male nodded and hurried away. A few minutes later an older male came up. "Good afternoon Yim and how may I help you?" He had served enough special meals over the years that Jim had been with them. He had a feeling that there was another special meal in the works. "Afternoon Agnon and yes I am looking for a special meal. I would like a meal full of Nasha's favorites." He gave him a sad smile. "She is still very upset about my vanishing not that I blame her. Also please have a plate of nibbles for Sheeha and myself ready to be delivered this evening." Agnon nodded. "I will personally make sure that both are taken care of." He patted Jim on the shoulder and left the table. "Let's go Pam and introduce you." He stood up and straightened the rain cloak and axe before leading her off. "Please keep in mind all my artistic ability is totally music based and the one time I tried to draw a cat..." He sighed. "I was asked what sort of demon dog it was." She snickered at him and then laughed. "Oh man that is funny. It is okay Jimmy we all have our talents." As they were walking along he was giving her little snippets of information on the camp. She had to admit that she was more than fascinated. He obviously wasn't in a hurry and was enjoying renewing their friendship and she was enjoying catching up. Eventually they reached the artist's tent and he called out before walking in. This sort of tent or even caravan was considered public property. As long as you called out a greeting and stayed in the public areas you didn't have to be invited in. He smiled as Pam released his arm and started looking around. Hanging on the walls were samples of art with sigils of the maker as well as their rank. She had been looking at one for several minutes when one of the senior artists came out of the caravan. "Good afternoon Jim how are you doing?" She was human and didn't have a problem with his name. Jim smiled. "Afternoon Harmony and I am very pleased to be back home." He turned and shook his head. Pam was very close to one of the silk paintings and appeared to be checking out each and every stroke. "Pam would you come here please? I would like to introduce you to one of the senior artists." She twitched a bit and stood up and moved over next to him. For some reason she was pleased to see what she assumed was a human. "Good afternoon and my name is Pam. Jim offered to show me to the artist's tent since I do paintings and illustrated stories in my world." "Pam this is Harmony and Harmony this is a good friend of mine." Since she had already introduced herself he didn't bother. "She is a very good artist though she is used to working with a totally different medium than you use. I don't know how long she and the others might be here. I decided that not knowing I was going to introduce them around. While they are here it will give them something to do and share knowledge which is always good." Harmony nodded and smiled. "Well Pam why don't we go and have a discussion on what you use to paint with. Jim has other things he probably needs to take care of. I would hate to keep such a busy man from his work. Besides he would probably go nuts listening to us discussing pigments and surfaces to paint on." He rolled his eyes at her. "I think I am starting to feel like chopped liver again. I am an assistant chief and should be treated better." Jim stuck his nose in the air and walked out. "Just for that I am going to leave in a huff..." Jim didn't get to finish before Sheeha took him out again. As she was lying on top of him she had a smirk on his face. "Chopped liver is good so why are you complaining?" Sheeha sat up and grinned at Pam. "Nasha is taking a nap so I thought I would find Yimmy and go with him when Dan meets the warrior master." Pam was trying really hard not to laugh at Jim's expression as Sheeha tackled him but wasn't able to. She had to turn away and really tried to muffle the howls of amusement but couldn't. "Sheeha just try to return him to his mates in one piece. They might be upset if they had to wait for him to heal before they can pounce on him." Harmony was trying to keep a straight face as well and turned away. "Now let's go and have a warm cup of tea and you can tell me about what you do." Once they had walked into the caravan the sounds of laughter quieted down. ~~~ Harmony was smiling as she walked inside with Pam. "Ah youth, keeps old people like me feeling young." She settled at a table and offered Pam some tea. "Well either that or we can look at them with a hint of amusement and wonder if we were ever that silly." Pam snorted. "Knowing that the turns are different for you than us as well as the aging progress I don't know. I keep wondering if I am young or old or if I am here long enough what age my body might settle on." She still had to look at Jim and remind herself it was him. "In my world Jim would look what we would call early adult hood. Maybe 28 years old in our terms." She ran a hand through her auburn hair and sighed at the traces of white she had in it. Harmony simply shrugged. "Age is different to all of us. Some mature early and others never really grow up. Jim is sort of both. He has grown into his responsibilities as a chief in training but has maintained his playfulness." She was fixing her tea as she was talking. "So anything in particular you would like to know about his time here?" There was a hint of a smile on her face. Pam adjusted her tea to something close to her taste. Everything was just a bit off and she was going to have to relearn what was good. As she was doing that she contemplated the question and finally shook her head. "No but thank you I am sure Jim will tell us parts of his story as time passes. I think right now I at least am still in major shock at being here." She took a sip of the tea and decided it was decent. Harmony nodded. "I understand completely. I will have to say that he definitely stood the tribe on its ear in the first few months he was here." She had to shake her head when she said that. "First his showing up, then taking three mates, and some of the orphans." She was smiling when she said that. Pam snickered at her. "That describes Jim and most of the team he worked with. They always had a way of falling into a pit of muck and coming up with a cold beer." She couldn't help but smile a bit though it was a wistful smile. "I wish my husband was still alive. He would have been eating this up like it was going out of style. He was an author and wrote many stories while he was alive." It had been long enough she didn't hurt too much but still. Harmony reached over and patted her hand. "Maybe this is his way of showing you what he saw in the world. His way of taking care of you even though he has passed on." That was sort of a depressing subject and she gently turned it away. "So what sort of art do you do and can you describe the media you used? Did you grind your own pigments?" Pam appreciated the change of subject and her face seemed to light up. This was her life and joy they were going to be talking about. "I would have to say a bit of everything. I tend to look at the world and sketch an image or scene that speaks to me. I take that drawing home and depending on what I want to do I might use colored pencils, water colors, or oil based paints." As she was talking she was looking out an opening in the tent and was smiling. "Sometimes it is portraits of people though I prefer what I call slice of life portraits. Those are images where someone is caught looking out a window, children playing, and all of life's emotions. Other times I will look at a mountain that is covered with fog and do some sort of fantasy picture." As far as the question of pigments she shook her head. "We had suppliers for that sort of thing. I would pick and choose what I wanted but it was pre-made." They talked for a while longer and Pam agreed to come over the next day and start showing Harmony what she could do. In a way she was looking forward to it since she loved learning new styles. She also felt like she was going back to school and that was rather annoying. Pam understood that they were simply trying to judge where they would fit in but she was content with her position in life. She didn't need a number of people poking and prodding to see what rank she might be. ~~~ Jim glowered at Sheeha and narrowed his eyes. "We are going to have a talk later about the appropriate times to pounce on me." Just for good measure he leaned forward and licked her nose before rolling her off him. He helped her up once he was standing. It really didn't help that she was smiling at him as she snuggled close. He sighed. "You are ruining my reputation Sheeha. Having three mates was bad enough but since you started becoming more expressive it is destroying me." To be honest he really didn't mind that much and she was fun to play with but he really didn't want it to become more than friends. Jim knew that she wanted a puma warrior as a mate and was doing his best to keep everything on the friendship level. She simply leaned against him and gave him a contented purr. "Yes Yimmy we will talk about it later, probably right after I pounce on you." Sheeha didn't have any idea that Jim didn't know what he had done the night before. It was something she had never experienced before and it was really impacting on her. He had to shake his head and settled for walking quietly to the tent. Inside he found Dan and Thomas and got a grin from both. "So Dan you ready to go and spar? I figured we could spar together at first to show them our style and go from there." Thomas had to tilt his head as the two of them walked in. He could detect the change in her scent as well and had to grin. Jim had done something that had seriously excited her. Later he might ask Jim but not while Sheeha was around. "I know that I am looking forward to it. I was talking with Dan and we were discussing what he had trained you with." He stood up and waited for Dan to stand as well. The four of them headed out of the tent and finally made it to the warrior's caravan. "Master Jaksos I have Dan here." Everyone knew why he was there so Jim didn't bother mentioning it was for testing. When Jaksos came out Jim gave him a nod. "I figured unless you decide otherwise I will start sparing with Dan first. This will give you an idea of how two from my world fight." Jaksos considered the suggestion and then nodded. "Go and get two training swords and return." He settled in a finely carved chair and waved for Thomas to have a seat as well. It only took Jim and Dan a few minutes to come back out and Jaksos pointed at the training circle. It was in the rain which would make it far more interesting. The mud was slippery and footing was bad. It would really show their training. Jim rolled his eyes. "Just for that you get to explain to my mates why I am muddy and getting mud all over the place." He pulled his axe and rain cloak off since he didn't want to get them damaged. He had grabbed a shorter sword than Dan had and a long knife. The two of them walked out into the rain and after a bow of respect they went to work. "Let's start with the basics Jim and work our way up. Right now this will simply be blade work." Dan told him before they started. Jim nodded and after the bow's they went to town. It was a muddy mucky mess to work in which was obvious. They slipped and slid around as they tried to get strikes in. By the time Jaksos called the current round the two of them were covered from mud from their feet to their faces. They were also panting since it was a very difficult work out trying to keep standing in the mud. "Not bad at all though you definitely have a different style than we do. I would like to see some unarmed combat now please." Jaksos was sipping on a hot cup of tea as he was talking just to be annoying. It was a way of testing the potential new warriors though with these two it really wasn't needed. Jim gave him a bow and handed his weapons to Thomas and waved Dan to as well. They entered the ring and essentially repeated the same process. This time though when they delivered a killing blow they would state that. Jaksos finally called a halt to the sparing and nodded. "As I expected you are very good Dan and you have a goodly amount you can teach us. Unless you object I expect you here in the morning and you will start training. This will familiarize you with how we do things." He gave both of them a slightly evil grin. "You might want to get clean or your ladies might object." Jim shook his fist at him. "This is your fault and I am going to place all the blame on you." What hadn't gotten muddy or soaked in the sword fighting had been taken care of with the hand to hand. Thomas grinned at the two of them. "Since you are already wet you might as well just walk back to your tents and get some clean cloths. I will meet you at the hot springs. There is a small one that I can kick everyone out of so you can relax for a few." Both glowered at him but took the rain capes and their weapons and headed their separate ways. Once Jim reached the caravan he called out. "Could someone bring me a clean change of clothes in a bag?" Nora walked out and stared at him and then snickered. "I won't ask how many times you fell down to get that dirty." Several of the kids came out and looked as Nora was speaking and had to go back to their tent to snicker. Jim sighed. "At least they didn't laugh in my face." He grumbled as he waited for Nora to come back with cloths and a bucket. "Thanks I appreciate it." Jim yawned a bit and then gave her a warm smile. "How about a good kiss before I go?" She yipped at him in Kitsune which made him laugh. "I love you to Nora. Back eventually. Oh, I am having food delivered for a quiet meal with Nasha. If none of you mind I am going to relax with her in the adults tent." He gave her a warm smile. "Tomorrow I figure I will do the same with Sorrel and our little girl. You and Tonya will be the next night. I want some time with each of my mates." For a brief moment his fear showed in his eyes, the fear that he might not have gotten home. Her face softened and gave him a comforting croon. "That sounds lovely Yimmy and I will talk to Sorrel for you and schedule it. I was scared myself and almost cried my eyes out when you vanished and then again when you were brought back." Nora decided it was a good idea he had about the having a quiet meal with each family. "I will also schedule you for a meal with Alon and Sheeha as well. Love you Yimmy now go get clean." He gave her a warm look and blew a kiss at her. "Back soon love. I am going to soak though or Sheeha is going to have a mass of knots to work out. With my luck I would fall asleep and annoy her." That had happened once and she had been very grouchy for the next day or so. The three of them met up at the hot springs. Jim stripped down and looked at his dirty cloths. "I almost feel sorry for whoever has to clean this mess up. I might find out who it is and send them a bracelet." The three of them scrubbed down in the cool tub and made sure all the mud was off before they moved over to the hot springs. Jim lowered himself in to the warm water and sighed. "Oh man that feels good." He was facing the entrance to the bathing area. "For the moment I feel safe from the pouncing and can relax." Jim leaned his head back and rested it on the edge of the springs. Dan laughed. "You seriously have the oddest family I have ever come across. It doesn't even have anything to do with you having three mates of which none are human or the dozen or so kids. How you manage to stay sane I am not sure. I thought it was bad with two girls hitting puberty but you?" Thomas snickered at Dan's comment. "I really want to know his secret since I would love to have a couple of cuties like he has hanging off my arms." He had to needle Jim a bit even now. "Ah well I have a lovely kitsune lady I am seeing and she has some lovely tails." Jim had to smile since he knew the lady and she kept Thomas on his toes. "She is good for you though you do realize she is going to let you chase her till she catches you. I have seen it before and there is a glint in her eyes when she looks at you." He glanced at Dan as well. "You have a lovely mate as well Dan. Nang is a hell of a woman and you got lucky catching her." World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 04 That was the perfect lead in as far as Thomas was concerned. "I know you don't kiss and tell but what did you do to Sheeha? I have never seen her quite so cuddly. She is still feisty but she has almost melted into your arms several times today." Jim shrugged. "Not really sure but maybe she is just glad I am home with Alon. She was definitely horrified by our vanishing and pleased when we came back." He dunked his head under the warm water and leaned back again. "The only other thing I can think of is what that warrior was talking about that night after the ceremony." He glanced at Thomas. "You know the night I am talking about, when we were discussing the women in our lives. He mentioned the excitement of seeing if the ladies would submit when you bit their neck." Jim shrugged and leaned back and kept relaxing. Thomas got an odd look on his face which Jim didn't see since his eyes were closed. "Just to make sure you grasped her scruff and what did she do then?" Jim almost didn't answer since it was getting close to his boundary on what he talked about. After a few moments of contemplation he decided it wasn't to intimate. "She lifted her chin, her body tensed up and I bit her neck and then licked where I had bit." It didn't seem like a huge deal to him and she had definitely seemed to enjoy it. Thomas groaned when Jim said that. "Well I hope you don't mind having a child with her. Normally the only time a male will do that with a female puma is when he wants a child with her." Good god Moran and Piquel were going to drop a load if she did get pregnant. That got Jim's attention. He sat up and stared at Thomas. "Say what? What are you talking about? She has told me she wants to mate with a puma warrior and have children when she is older." Jim started to look angry since he had a feeling that Thomas was messing with him and he didn't appreciate it. Thomas immediately noticed the expression on Jim's face and tried to pacify him. "I know that Jim but what I am telling you is true. During non-heat times if a female submits it is a way of showing affection and a deep caring. During heat it usually sets things in motion for a pregnancy." Jim kept glowering at him and stood and climbed out of the pool. "I am not amused Thomas and I do not wish to talk about it any further." He stalked over to where the towels and his clean clothing were and toweled off. Once dressed he jerked on his rain cloak and left the bathing area. Before he got home he was going to have to take a few minutes and relax. Back at the hot springs Dan was giving Thomas a measuring look and decided that he was being serious. "Jim is going to be in for a huge shock isn't he? How long are puma pregnancies? Does this have any further implications between the two of them?" Yes he was being nosy but Jim was a good friend and it might also impact on Dan and the others. Thomas sighed and leaned his head back. "Most likely and they are normally six or so months. Most pregnancies range from six months to nine months depending on the species. It also depends on if the parents are from the same basic species." One hand came up and he rubbed an ear for a moment. "As far as further implications that totally depends on the two of them. Pregnancy outside of being mates isn't all that uncommon. What is important is that both people involved have agreed to it so that there are parents for the child." Dan leaned his head back as well. "Oh god this place is going to drive me nuts I think. There is going to be so many species specific information we simply don't have. I have lived in a number of cultures but they were all human." He would talk with Jim tomorrow if needed. "Well I am going to find my mate and then some food. I will talk to you later." As Dan started getting out so did Thomas and they toweled off and dressed in silence. With a nod to each other they left the bathing area in different directions. Dan headed back towards the caravan he was now sharing with Nang. As far as the girls he didn't have a problem with them spending time with Jim's kids. It would help them to learn how to interact with the different species. Jim took a circular route to get to his caravan and by the time he made it there he was far more relaxed. He still felt Thomas was having fun at his expense but before he really got angry he would talk to Sheeha. Once in the main tent he hung up the axe and cloak. Sorrel heard him come in and walked out of the adult's tent and gave him a good hug and kiss. "Relax and take your time. We talked about it and everyone likes the idea of getting private time with you and our kids. I have also scheduled a time for you to eat with the children as well." He returned the hug and kiss and relaxed with her in his arms for a few minutes. "Good idea since I don't want them feeling left out at all." He nibbled on one ear and rubbed his nose against hers. "I will talk to you later." With one last kiss he walked into the adult's tent and found the other three ladies in there. Sheeha was cuddling one of Nasha's babies and was playing keep the whiskers away from the baby. Nora was sitting with Tonya and Nasha was feeding their other baby. He leaned against a pole and enjoyed the site of the women relaxing. "And this is why I became a member of the tribe. It wasn't for any reason other than to love the women in my life. Have some kids and raise them to be good tribe members." The three looked up at him and smiled. Jim walked over and gave Nora a good hug and kiss. After a quick tickle for Tonya and a hug he gave Sheeha a hug and peck as well. Then he settled down next to Nasha and lightly stroked Keirie's cheek. "Such lovely babies we made." He looked up at Nora and raised an eyebrow. She simply smiled at him and continued cuddling with Tonya. "Well it is time for us to eat and enjoy your meal. Do you want us to take the babies while you eat?" Nora was debating on if she wanted to get pregnant on her next heat or not. It was something she would need to discuss with Jim later. Jim shook his head. "No thank you. The meals that I talked about are for family time. I want to spend time with my mates and our children. I also want to spend an evening or two with my other children as well." As Sheeha handed him Eelios he gave her a light kiss. "Be in eventually." When Jim wrapped an arm around Nasha she leaned into it and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel and scent of him. With Keirie at her breast and Eelios in Jim's arms she felt far more relaxed. "This feels so good Yimmy. I wanted you back so much and back in our arms." She rubbed her head against his shoulder. He tucked her head into his shoulder and sighed in contentment. "It feels so good to be back in your arms and our babies with us. I realized just how much all of you mean to me when I got pulled back to my world." He tensed up as he was talking and had to force himself to relax. "I loved all of you since before we actually mated. I have never stopped loving you but facing that I might never see any of you again..." Jim turned his head so his face was in her hair and he took several deep breaths to calm down. "I think the babies are asleep and fed and not stinky. Let's tuck them in and relax over dinner." He was almost tempted to take her to bed as well but that would have to wait. They carried the babies over to the crib and tucked them in and he had to smile. "Love you two little beasties." They settled down for the meal and it was a quiet affair. There was some cuddling and trading bits of food as well as talking. Both made sure that it was just general subjects and not anything important. Dinner was finally over and he was laying there with Nasha curled up next to him. "That was very enjoyable and I think I am going to see about ensuring we do it again, maybe once a month or so. We need time as mates and families as well as all of us together." She had one arm wrapped around his chest and was listening to what he was saying as well as his heartbeat. "I like that idea as well and I am sure the ladies will as well." She licked his neck and ear that was closest to her. When he leaned into it she had to smile and just for good measure gave him a low rrrr. "Just so you know what is waiting once Sheeha is done with her heat. I might just wear you out more than she will." Jim almost popped a woody when she did that and he growled back. "Be good woman or I will let Sheeha deal with you." He did lean into the licking and after a bit more cuddling he spoke. "Well I should be going I guess. I don't have the urge to have a grumpy cat after me." He gave her a good kiss and rubbed noses with her before standing and leaving the tent. Jim paused for a moment outside the tent Sheeha was in and was still rather annoyed with Thomas for the teasing. He wasn't finding it funny what so ever and was miffed that Thomas would even joke about something like that. The most frustrating part was Jim couldn't see any reason why Thomas would tease him that way. Usually there was a reason and he would figure it out eventually. This time it just didn't make any sense. He only stopped for a moment or two or Sheeha would come and look for him. Instead of that he walked in and had to smile since she was curled up on some pillows on the floor. All she had on was her loincloth so he stripped down to his underwear and settled down next to her. "Evening Sheeha and thank you for giving me time with Nasha. I enjoyed the quiet evening with her and our pups." Jim wrapped an arm around her and looked at the plate of nibbles. Sheeha gave him a gentle smile. "She needed it badly. That was a very good idea you came up with and I am looking forward to a dinner with you and Alon." She lightly rubbed her head against his chest before taking a nibble from the plate and popped it into her mouth. It wasn't a large plate since both would have eaten earlier. The food was just something to play with as they cuddled and snuggled. Jim picked up a piece and held it out to her and smiled when she took it. She was still feeling more... He hated to say pliable but that was the term that really came to mind with him. As they were trading nibbles she was purring contentedly and he really debated on coming out and asking or trying to be subtle about it. He finally leaned over and nibbled on her ear. "So someone had a great deal of fun last night huh?" Just for good measure he licked part of her ear. "Do I want to know what I did that might have excited the cute little kitty?" There was some amusement in his voice when he said that. He really hoped that he was coming across the way he wanted. Sheeha leaned into his ministrations to her ear and closed her eyes and the purring got even louder. "I did and thank you Jim. I didn't really plan on possibly having a child this soon but your asking really pleased me." One hand started stroking his thigh as she was talking and she was enjoying the contact. She knew he didn't love her anything like he did his mates but she also knew that he was genuinely affectionate of her. Jim almost freaked when she replied and he was beginning to think Thomas might not have been lying or teasing him. Now was the really important question, did he want to admit that he didn't realize he was asking her or not. Jim urged her over so she was straddling his lap. Once she was he started to gently stroke her fur on her sides and back. "I am pleased for you Sheeha." He snorted a bit. "I have a feeling Piquel is going to have a fit though." Sheeha was feeling very relaxed and when he urged her on his lap she settled down where he wanted. Her eyes were closes and she had a very contented look on her face and was enjoying the gentleness. Normally she would have pounced on him but after last night the cat in her was very content. When he mentioned Piquel she had to snicker as well. "He might wonder if you are trying to expand on your harem." At the moment all she was feeling was pure bliss from the attention Jimmy was giving her. She leaned forward and pressed her body against his. "Don't stop that feels so good." He had definitely learned what Sheeha liked when it came to having her fur stroked. Between then she could feel his erection and she was definitely ready for him. As he was stroking his fingers slowly worked their way down her back. Since she was in heat the area around the base of her tail was extremely sensitive. The closer he got the more excited she was getting. It was finally too much and she slipped up a bit and once the position was right she slid down onto his erection and arched her back and moaned. "Please bite my neck again Yimmy." That had been almost explosive last night when he had. Jim could tell that she was definitely enjoying the contact. When she slid home on him she arched her back and he had to smile. In this position both breasts were at the right level and he sucked a nipple in and started playing with it. Now that he had somewhat started to come to terms with what she had told him he complied. Well maybe not coming to terms but shock had sort of numbed everything so he went with it. However unintentionally he had started this and he was going to finish it. "As you wish my lovely cat." Jim's hand slid up her neck and grasped her scruff and tilted her head back. Sheeha's entire body tensed up and he took a few minutes to lick her neck and nibble before biting down. Since he really didn't know how much pressure to use he gently increased it till her body melted again. Once he hit that point he licked her neck again and released her scruff though he did keep his hand there. Sheeha simply didn't know what to do with all the sensations flooding her body. Normally she was a rather feisty lover and did a great deal of teasing in a sort of rough and tumble way. Right now all she wanted to do was to please him and make him happy. When he bit her throat her entire body clenched including her core. Eventually they finished making love and were settled in bed with him curled around her. "Mmm that was enjoyable, as good or better than last night." She was doing a great deal of thinking as well. She knew that Jim wasn't from this world and still occasionally ran into things that just didn't add up for him. It was the little species specific things like biting a female's neck or even the way something was said. Sheeha had to wonder if he had known what he was really doing last night. If she hadn't been in heat it simply would have been fun and one hell of a ride. During heat it was a totally different situation. Actually she had been sort of shocked when her body had reacted the way it had. "Yimmy might I ask a question?" When she said that he sighed since he had a feeling he knew what she was going to ask. For a moment he almost blurted out that he hadn't known but didn't. "Well you can ask but not sure about the answer." His hand was resting on her lower abdomen and had to wonder if she was pregnant now. Just thinking about it was enough to start making him erect again. She could feel his body reacting slightly and just to be a bit of a stinker she wiggled her bottom. She was rather hesitant when she asked. "I... Um,... Oh heck, did you know what you were doing last night?" She ducked her head slightly and turned it into the pillow in embarrassment. Yup that was the question he was afraid of her asking. The last thing Jim wanted was to insult her by saying no but on the flip side of the coin he wasn't going to lie. "That is a yes and no answer. From what I understood yes I had a general understanding that when done correctly the Puma women loved it. No I didn't realize that I was asking you to carry my child till earlier when Thomas mentioned something about it." God he wanted to perish on the spot but he wasn't going to. Before she could say anything he licked her ear and spoke again. "I am not saying I won't take responsibility and I do apologize for the misunderstanding." He nibbled an ear for a moment as well. "I have to admit having a little Puma cub does sound interesting. I guess this means you will get to introduce me to your family again?" She listened to him and for a moment wanted to lash out at him. He should have asked before he had done anything. Sheeha almost felt like she was being betrayed by him and that he was just using her. She could have always gone to someone else to satisfy her needs during her heat but keeping it in house was what Sheeha preferred. Sorrel and the others indicated much the same as well. Though she did stiffen up she resisted the urge to claw him till he finished speaking. Jim was the head of the family and she was the youngest adult there. That alone almost forced her to remain still and listen though she hated hearing what he was saying. When Jim started to nibble on her ear she did hiss at him though she also leaned into it. He did know what she liked and it showed. "Do you really mean that Yim or are you just saying it? Tell me the truth." The hurt did show in her voice and she didn't bother trying to hide it. Hearing him say that he would take responsibility did help but at the moment her emotions were all over the place. Jim pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. "I do mean that Sheeha. I never brought it up because of your stated interests and goals. All I was trying to do was to ensure you had an enjoyable heat." He could feel the tenseness in her body and the hurt in her voice. "You are a part of this family Sheeha and we all love and care for you a great deal." One of his hands was still lightly pressed against her lower abdomen and was gently stroking the area. "Before I ever came here I had pretty much settled for not having a mate or children. I did want a relationship and children but in my line of work it really wasn't a good idea." He nuzzled the back of her neck and licked an ear again. "Since I have come over here I have found people I can love and take care of, more children than I ever considered." There was amusement in his voice. "Good thing they aren't all mine by blood or you women would have worn me out." "What I am trying to say is that if you are pregnant I am going to be here by your side the entire time. I will stand next to you when we introduce the cub to your Chief and your family." As he was talking he could feel her starting to relax some. "You are part of my family and I always take care of family." Even though she was upset with him the little things he was doing such as the nuzzling and nips were having their effect on her. As Jim was speaking she listened and sniffed and couldn't hear or scent any lies from him. How this was going to change things she wasn't sure and though she was feeling better she was still feeling slightly annoyed with him. "You get to tell Sorrel and your Chief." He winced when she said that. "Don't remind me about that. I have a feeling that is going to be a horribly awkward discussion and I also have to apologize to Thomas. He tried to warn me about what happened last night and I thought he was joking." He pressed his head against the back of hers and groaned. "You will be there though right? When I tell my mates you might be pregnant." God that was going to be horrible and he could already sense all the teasing he was going to be getting. She snickered at him and his reaction. "I don't know. I am still sort of upset with you. You are going to have to make this up to me somehow. I will let you figure out how." His stroking her abdomen was most definitely starting to relax her and she could feel his erection pressing against her. "I might make you wait for a bit of fun as well and settle for lots of pouncing before I can't pounce anymore." Jim snorted at her. "Sheeha I do care for you and will do what is needed to ensure our cub will be raised correctly and that you are taken care of. Do you know when you might know if you are pregnant?" Just for good measure he slid his hand up and started playing with one breast. "I have a feeling I could out wait the kitty and you can't pounce if you can't find me." World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 04 She growled at him and pushed his hand away from her breast. "Chances are good I am by now. To be positive it will take a few weeks before I will know." Sheeha did move Jim's hand down to her belly again and closed her eyes. "I am going to sleep." It was going to take a bit of time before she did go to sleep though. Jim managed not to sigh at her comment. He didn't blame her for being upset with him and he rather wished he had asked more questions that night. "Good night Sheeha. I hope you sleep well." He pulled her a bit closer to him and rested his head against the back of hers and nuzzled a bit before closing his eyes. It also took him a while to fall asleep but eventually he did. ~~~ The next morning when he awoke he was on his stomach and Sheeha was curled up with her head and one arm across his back. He had to smile since she was snoring quietly. Jim knew if he moved she would wake and probably do something to get even with him. With his luck she would give his entire head a tongue bath and he hated walking out with his hair all mussed up. Instead he simply closed his eyes and relaxed for the moment. When she finally woke up he would move. She had felt him wake up and debated on what to do. She wasn't as upset now as she had been last night but Sheeha wasn't going to let him know that. It would serve him right to suffer a bit. Maybe not too much but some. Sheeha relaxed for a while before sliding on top of his back and started nuzzling his neck. When he moved his hair out of the way she wrinkled her nose and bit him. It wasn't hard or drew blood but it was a bite. Jim twitched when she did that and growled at her. "Darn it that hurt Sheeha." He rolled over so he was facing her and that was exactly what she had wanted. She leaned forward and nipped his nose as her hand slide down the back of his neck and firmly grasped. When she did her nails came out just enough to prick the skin. When Jim's body tensed up she smirked at him. Sheeha knew that some days he felt she was a bit on the wild side and could be a bit rough in her play with him. She didn't try to convince him otherwise at the moment. "This is what you get for getting me pregnant and not realizing it." She leaned forward and started licking his throat. Even before she had done that he knew that something was up. There was always a slight glint in her eyes as well as a position her ears would be in. When she grasped his neck he did freeze since he could feel the claws touching his skin. Right now he was actually a bit worried about what she might do to him. As she was licking his neck he could feel his pulse speeding up and then she bit down. When she did he knew he was going to have a bruise or two. The worst part was his body was reacting to what she was doing and if he had his say about it they weren't going to be leaving the tent for a while. He was definitely starting to get a woody and could feel it pressed against her firm abdomen. His eyes were closed and he could feel his pulse against her teeth and it was both terrifying and arousing. Sheeha started purring. "Good mousy, knows when not to move or the kitty might get him." She slowly released the hold on his neck and started licking it and then locked her arms around his head and gave him a really good face bath. Once she was done she rolled off him and pulled a shirt on. "I am going to the tents and then for a bath." As she swished her way out she knew that he was very aroused and knew she still had it. Jim growled at her for leaving him that way since even in the loose pants his erection would show. "Damn female. Now I am going to have to stay here for a few till this starts to go away." Eventually he felt ready to leave the tent and headed out. Moments later he was hating her again since Sorrel approached him and gave him a measuring look. "So Sheeha says you have some news for us?" She had a feeling she knew what it was and was annoyed he hadn't bothered asking them. Jim groaned. "I am going to go shoot myself I think. Yes I need to talk to the three of you but later when the kids aren't around. I will explain and it was a total misunderstanding on my part." He really didn't need this right now. Once her heat was over he had a feeling he was going to be spending a week or two in the little's tent and dealing with diapers and taking them to the tents in the middle of the night. She nodded at him. "Before our meal this evening and it had better be a good explanation." She turned and with an upset twitch of her tail stalked off elsewhere. He sighed and started towards the tents and then the bath. It was going to be a long day for him and he knew it. Right now he really hoped that he wouldn't see Sheeha for a couple of hours or he might growl at her. That was most definitely not something he wanted to do in public. In the tent it wasn't quite as bad since there was in theory an expectation of privacy but if they got loud it would get around. ***** Please vote and leave feedback and comments for me. I would really appreciate it since I want to know what my readers think of how my writing is doing. That isn't even mentioning that I feel my writing skills have gotten better over the last year or so. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 05 Welcome to the last chapter in this installment of the World of Ranicke. I know that I mostly focused on just Jim and his family but as I mentioned previously I wanted to show more in the life of the tribe. I am almost done with the next chapter of Silver Moon and will submit it this weekend. I am also in the process of working on Dog got your tongue bk 2 and the next Sholan Alliance chapter. Please check my bio for some additional information. Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading. As mentioned in all my submissions all intimate relationships are the equivalent of 18+. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Chapter 5 After Sorrel left Jim almost snarled in irritation, he did understand Sheeha's irritation with him but what she did was wrong. Jim was going to need to talk to her about it. Thankfully from the looks of it the kids were either awake and at the bathes or still sleeping. With a sigh he collected some clean cloths and headed for the showers. He definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone today. Jim was grumpy enough that he was tempted to cancel classes for the day since he had been taken off the duty roster. As tempting as it was he wasn't going to since it would just give him more time to contemplate what was going to happen. He really wasn't worried about any of his ladies leaving him but it would cause strain and stress. None of them needed that right now. With a grunt he left the tent and headed towards the showers and started on his morning routine. For the morning he was going to eat at the food tents for the same reason. He really didn't want to be grumpy with the kids or his mates. As he was eating Sheeha came over and settled down next to him. She could tell he was upset and she felt bad but she was still upset with him as well. That wasn't saying she didn't want the cub but Sheeha wished that Jim had asked more questions. Her tail was lowered as were her ears and her body showed her feelings. "Sorry Yim I shouldn't have done that. Do as you wish and if you feel a punishment is in order I will accept it." Jim continued eating as he contemplated what to do. He wasn't going to punish her since he could understand her anger at him. On the flip side he had to make sure that she understood that how she had handled it was wrong. "You are going to be there tonight when I talk to my mates." He glanced at her and managed not to smirk. "As far as punishment I think a few years of diapers will work." She nodded at his command and lowered her ears a bit more. Well they were lowered till he mentioned her punishment and her ears popped straight up and her tail shot out. "What? That is..." Her brain finally clicked and she facepalmed. "Right if I am pregnant I get to do his or her diapers. I understand." Good god diaper duty was going to suck. She loved the kids but certain aspects she just didn't like and that included the stinkies. Jim settled for a smirk and kept eating without saying anything else. Before he left he would talk to Agnon again and ordered a good meal for the five of them. It was sort of an apology as much as anything. Good food would always help calm things down. He was going to need to talk to the kids as well so they knew that they were having an adult conversation. "I will talk to you later. I have a class to teach." He picked up his plate and left. He did talk to Agnon first though. When he arrived back at the tent he mentally had to sigh since all three ladies were sitting there. They weren't glowering and weren't obviously staring or glowering at him. Sorrel was cleaning some nuts, Nora was working on some generic utensils for the kitchen and Nasha was feeding one of the babies she took care of. If you looked at the scene from the outside it would look fairly normal but he knew better. "Saulo please get my Corwith." Jim asked as he sat down and looked out over the children, young and old, gathered in his tent. "Today I am just going to be playing some songs from my world. The chief told me I am off duty for a few days and I am going to milk it for all I am worth." He flashed a smile at them and then frowned. "That doesn't mean you get to slack though since when I start teaching again I am going to test you." The kids had started to clap and then paused for a moment before clapping again. Once in a blue moon Jim would get this way and they really liked hearing lots of songs from his world. One group had even listened very carefully to some of his songs and started something called a rock band. That still confused them since to them rocks were just that rocks not music. Jim sort of diddled with the Corwith as he tried to decide what to play. Yes he was grumpy and he could think of a number of songs that would show that but was that what he really wanted? Music could impact on your moods and if he went through the day being grumpy and expecting the worse then it would happen. He made a decision and started strumming. "This is How Sweet it is to be Loved by you. Since my ladies are here I dedicate it to them." He started singing and the kids started clapping to the beat. That set the mood for Jim and he kept pulling out various love songs and singing them. At some point Sheeha tentatively came into the tent and after standing there for several minutes Sorrel looked at her and pointed to the ground next to her. Sheeha curled her tail around one leg and slowly walked over and settled down on the carpet next to the seat Sorrel was in. Sorrel wasn't really angry with her though she was upset since she knew what Jim needed to talk about. As she was listening she started stroking the young Puma's hair and ears. Sheeha tensed when Sorrel touched her head and then slowly relaxed into the petting. Eventually she leaned against her legs and rested her head against her side and was purring. She knew that both she and Jim were going to get grilled that evening and she wasn't looking forwards to it. At the moment she was still trying to figure out how she was feeling about it. From her bodies reaction having a cub with Jim wasn't a problem. What was a problem was that he had most likely gotten her pregnant without realizing it. Now that upset her and was going to take some time to deal with. All of his assurances last night didn't help a great deal. Sheeha knew the baby would be cared for and loved but for him to do that and not asking more questions really upset her. He should have known better than to not ask questions about what might get her pregnant. She knew he had talked to his other ladies about it but why hadn't he talked to her. As she was thinking Sheeha didn't really realize that she was trying to place all the blame on Jim. She was young enough that it hadn't occurred to her till now that he didn't know and couldn't. She should have mentioned it or asked Sorrel to talk to him about it but she had made the mistake of many younglings. She made an assumption and didn't question it. Eventually Jim finished and with a sigh he handed the Corwith to Saulo to put away. "Okay kids that is all for today. You know what you need to do so scatter and I will see you tomorrow." As they were scattering he turned to the ladies. "I have some things to take care of but will be back later this afternoon." He slung his axe after pulling on his cape and walked out of the tent into the rain. ~~~ That morning Ana rolled over and yawned as she stretched before realizing she had a companion curled up next to her. That almost freaked her out till she realized it was one of the little kids. When she looked she found Tonya had at some point crawled in next to her and was curled up in a little ball with a hand holding her tail and a finger in her mouth. She had to smile even though it was strange to wake up with a kid next to you. "Hey silly what are you doing sneaking into my bed." Her fingers tickled the girl's ears as she spoke. Tonya yawned and blinked sleepy eyes at her before giggling. "My ears no tickling." Her small hands playfully batted at Ana's hands before stretching herself. "Not sneaking, walked in and curled up." She wrinkled her nose at Ana as she was talking. Ana rolled her eyes at the little girl. "I think I might tickle someone just because." She noticed Allie sit up and smiled at her and Tonya. "I don't know about you but I need the tents, a bath, and food. I am pretty sure I heard a little tummy rumble a moment ago." Tonya hopped out of bed and scurried a few feet away. "Can't tickle if not there." Her little tail was twitching in amusement. "Get up, bath and food." She needed the tents as well and would go to them with the girls. Ana rolled her eyes and started to get out of bed and had to smile as one of the other girls groaned. "It's raining; do I have to get up?" That got a laugh from some of the others. Josilin started laughing at her. "It is always raining at this time of year so that excuse doesn't hold water. If you want I can go and get a bucket for you." That got a pillow tossed at her as the other girl sat up and stretched. "Some food and a bath does sound good. Maybe we can chase the boys away by talking girl stuff." She grinned at Allie when she said that. They were close in age. Allie snickered. "I sort of like that idea. I am still most definitely not comfortable with bathing while males are around." She made a face. "I know that it is normal for you and you are used to it but before now about the only time we bathed as a group was in school after gym class and that was all females." That got blank looks from the others since what she had said made no sense. They knew what school was but gym class? What was that? "Well for the duration you are stuck with us so there." She giggled and stood up and grabbed her bucket. "Let's go." Ana and Allie stood up and grabbed some buckets as well. By the time they walked out several of the boys were there as well with their buckets and both Allie and Ana traded looks but didn't say anything. Both had to admit the various males had been fairly nice about not staring at them. Usually it was a glance to see who it might be before they turned back to whatever conversation was going on. Saulo smiled at Ana and held an arm out to her. "May I offer you a helping arm ma'am?" He was usually pretty shy but Ana was such a nice person that he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable with her. At the moment he was in a sort of gangly stage as he grew and he felt like all elbows and knees and hated it. Ana blushed and then rolled her eyes. "I am not a ma'am and you know my name silly. Mom might be a ma'am and maybe Jim's ladies but me? I don't think so." As she was talking she was pulling on the rain cape and was glad it covered her. Walking around in the loincloth and long shirt was really weird. Once she had it on she hooked her arm around Saulo's and they left the tent. Allie didn't even bother waiting for Farion to offer before she took his arm. "Good morning and what a lovely wet day it is. Someone was trying to use the rain as an excuse to sleep in longer." The girls were giggling when she said that. As she was talking Tonya grabbed her hand and walked with them. Eventually they finished using the tents and bathing before heading to the food tents. "I am starving for some reason." Saulo grumbled. He was growing again and it was showing in how much he was eating. One of the serving ladies grinned at him. "If you keep growing son you won't be able to fit in the tent." She did add more food to his plate much to his gratitude. Allie was feeling more than a bit pensive at the moment since things were really starting to sink in. From what she had learned Uncle Jim had been here five years before being somehow pulled back. It would be fun to be there for a short time, sort of like going back to Nang's village, but she had a life back home. She had friends who were going to be really worried about her and since they would never find out what happened they would assume she had died somehow and the same with the rest of her family. On top of that this was so different. It wasn't just that most of the people were furred and not human but everything. They lived in tents and caravans, had communal baths, communal eating, and just everything. She didn't have any sort of frame of reference on which to base how to react. The clothing she could deal with though the loin cloth was odd but the rest of it was close enough to back home. The food she could deal with as long as she resisted asking what it came from. The rest of it though was almost too much. Farion could feel and smell her being upset and he moved a bit closer and wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick hug before letting go. "Do you want to talk about it Allie? I can't begin to imagine what it might be like for you. I know it was hard for Poppe Yim but he was much older than you." His voice was quiet but Ana could hear him and she looked down at her plate. Allie leaned into the hug even though Farion wasn't human. Both he and Saulo had been very attentive toward her and her sister. She was sure some of that was simply because they looked totally different than any other females. All of the humans she had seen tended towards the pale Nordic type. There were some with darker skin but nobody had their skin tone or coloring not to mention they were all taller as well. She shook her head. "Not right now but maybe later." If she started talking now she would probably cry and she couldn't do that. Saulo didn't hug Ana but he did move a bit closer to her hoping that would help comfort her. He simply kept eating as the others were talking. By the time he was done he noticed Ana had an amused look on her face and he gave her a blank look. "What? Do I have something on my fur?" Ana started giggling. "No but I will make sure not to come between you and food when you are hungry." He had eaten with such a focus it was almost scary. "For a moment I thought you were going to eat the tray when you picked it up." Allie had to smile a bit which Ana had been aiming for as well. Farion frowned at her and then looked at the tray as if contemplating eating it. "Nah, I hate picking splinters out of my teeth." He gave her a toothy grin which made her giggle even more. Allie had to. "My what big teeth you have grandma..." Ana lost it though she tried to cover it up and Allie snickered. When both boys looked totally confused she grinned. "It is from a story where we come from called Little Red Riding Hood. I will tell you it later Mr. Wolf but no eating anyone." Both boys were still very confused as they carried the trays to the cleaning buckets and headed back. "So are you going to pick an instrument to learn to play or are you going to have Poppe Yim pick one for you?" All kids learn at least one instrument even if they weren't good at it. That got them involved in a conversation on differences in education. Once they were back at the tents all four of them paused since they could feel a tension inside. They didn't have any idea what it might be from but it was fairly obvious though the adults seemed to be trying to hide it. All of them settled down and listened to Jim. What he was singing added to the feeling of something going on since a number of the songs were directed at the three women. Even Sheeha wasn't acting normal. When they were chased out of the tent all of them shared a look before going to start the chores waiting for them. All of them wondered what was going on but none of them broached the subject. ~~~ The rest of the day went both to quick and dragged past. As time for dinner approached he became tenser and he was glad that Sheeha hadn't bothered him. In a way he missed the pouncing but at the moment it just wasn't right. He finally walked into the tent shortly before the meal was to be delivered. He used his parental rights as he very rarely did. "Kids I need some parent time with the ladies. I need you to take the kids to the food tents for a while. Come back in about an hour or a bit more." They looked at him and blinked for a moment before trading looks. "Yes Poppe Yim. I will make sure all the kids are fed and taken care of." Farion stood up and started gathering them up and gave out directions to get their rain coats. The kids under the age of three or four stayed since it was easier for their parents to take care of them. In this case that was just Sorrel and Jim's little girl and the twins. Allie stood up as well as did Ana and they all started getting ready and left the tent. Sheeha slowly walked in and stood to the side and behind Jim. She was looking very subservient at the moment. Her tail was lowered, her ears were down some, and she was looking down towards the floor. Her entire body expressed knowledge that she was the most junior adult in the tent. Jim moved over to the table and settled down at the head of it and waved the others to sit down. "Please sit down Sheeha and relax." He gave her a smile and waved his other ladies to sit down as well. "Food should be here in a moment and we will eat and then have our discussion." As each female came over to the table he gave each a kiss and hug. When Morgan came over he picked her up and settled her on his lap and gave her a peck and good hug. "Hey sweetie how was your day?" Once dinner was over she would be heading towards bed and she had already been taken to the privacy tents and would use a diaper overnight just in case. She chattered about her day as best possible and he played with her ears as she did. Eelios and Keirie were in their basket next to the table and were sleeping soundly. Jim would have liked to pick one up but chances were that would wake them up. The table was quiet while they waited for the food to arrive and thankfully that didn't take very long. "Thank you Agnon. We will have the dishes brought back tonight or first thing in the morning." Agnon smiled at him. "Not a problem Sub-Chief. We have plenty in the pantry." The servers put the plates out and made sure that everything was perfect before they left. Agnon had a feeling that this was one of 'those' discussions that families occasionally had. He had made sure to bring some good wine as well and poured some for each adult before bowing slightly and leaving. Jim sighed once Agnon left and looked down at the plate. "It does look and smell good doesn't it?" He started eating and made sure that he fed Morgan as well. Normally she would have the equivalent of a child seat but for tonight he wanted the contact. Even during the meal the talk was quiet and nobody really said anything of any real importance. Eventually they had finished eating and Jim carried Morgan to the little's tent and tucked her into her bed. He sang a quiet song to her even though she was asleep and then went back out. Sheeha had cleared the table of everything except for the cups for the wine. He settled back down and noticed that Sheeha was sitting on the floor next to Sorrel much like when she had originally been introduced. She also did that during some of the serious family discussions and especially when they dealt with her. Sorrel was stroking her ears as she usually did as well. The three ladies were all looking serious as well. Jim finally spoke. "I am not going to beat around the bush and get straight to the point. Sheeha might be pregnant with our child." He looked down at her and sighed. "I suppose I should say probably is and I will not make any excuses. I will say that I was trying to make sure she had a good heat and bit her neck. I knew that it was something Puma women enjoyed but not the implications when they were in heat." "I have told her that I take full responsibility for this even though it wasn't intended. I will inform the Chief when her pregnancy is confirmed." Jim looked down at Sheeha and stroked her ears as well. "She is part of the family and though not intended I am going to take care of her and our child." He looked at Sorrel to see if she wanted to speak. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 05 Sorrel did not look very pleased with what he had said. She had listened to everything he had to say and nodded. She contemplated what she was feeling at the moment. When Sheeha had told her that Jim needed to talk to her she had a good idea since Sheeha had been acting so different since the other night. To be honest it didn't surprise her since when a female was in heat was when they were fertile. Normally there was a trigger that actually started the process but sometimes oops happened. She knew that Jim wouldn't have done this if he had known. One question she did have for him was how he had known about biting. The next question was if he had known about the biting why hadn't he known about the impact during heat. As she was contemplating what to say the silence stretched out and she finally spoke. "I have two questions for you Yim. First why did you bite her neck or how did you know about it. Next why didn't you know it might make her pregnant or if so why didn't you ask us first?" As much as she tried there was hurt in her voice. The other ladies looked very interested in his answer and he turned slightly pink. It was going to be embarrassing to tell them that he along with several others had been talking about the women in their lives. He took a sip of his wine before responding. "I knew that Puma females would react two ways to having a male bite their neck. First reaction is a sort of submission which indicates they are very interested in the male. If they aren't that interested or in the mood and you try that they tend to smack you. I thought Sheeha might enjoy it since we do share an affection for each other." He took another sip. "I did not know that when she was in heat it would cause her to get ready to get pregnant. Since the only time I am with her intimately is during her heat I simply don't have any other experience with her species during non-heat times." He was doing his best to come across as sincere and honest since he was. "I suppose I should have asked more questions but it just didn't occur to me that it might be more." Nasha tilted her head and asked. "How did you know about biting her and why didn't it occur to you that it might be the trigger?" She gave him an arch look. "I know you know about that." Nasha looked at the two pups in their basket. "Or do you not remember asking me for children?" Jim had to cough when Nasha asked about the pups. "Yes I remember that and asking you to have my children." His answer was slightly acerbic when he replied. "As far as not knowing I don't have a good answer. I learned about it while we were with the Puma tribe from one of the warriors." He didn't expand on that and hoped nobody would ask. Nora rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. She had a faintly amused expression on her face as she was looking at him. Nora knew it would make him more than a bit suspicious and un-nerved. To be honest she wasn't nearly as upset as Sorrel was but was still irritated that he hadn't considered this. "So what all did the warrior tell you and why didn't you ask more questions?" Jim sighed. "It was late and we were talking about the ladies in our lives and he casually mentioned it. I didn't ask because it was late and I wanted to get back to all of you. Also it just didn't occur to me. Again it isn't an excuse but it even now isn't just something I normally think about. Human females are fertile year around and don't require a bite or variation of that to make them ready." He was still stroking Sheeha's hair and ears. "It wasn't intended but also it isn't something I am going to fight. We all knew that the possibility was there. If I had known I would have talked to you three and then Sheeha." Jim had to smile down at her. "It wasn't intended but I am not going to complain since I am sure her child will be as cute as our other kids." Sorrel had listened to all of his answers and still had mixed feelings. He answered with minimal hesitation; his scent didn't show any deception, and the same with his body language. She nibbled on a nail before finally speaking. "We, your mates, need to talk about this since it impacts on the whole family." She looked down at Sheeha. "Do not worry about being sent away. As Yim said you are family and we won't ask Piquel for a replacement. We might need to discuss keeping it in house but for now nothing is going to change. Go to the tent and Yim will be in shortly." Sheeha leaned against Sorrel's legs and nuzzled them for a moment. "Thank you Sorrel. If you so decide that I need to go elsewhere during my heat I will accept that." She didn't want to since she did enjoy the time with Jim and liked keeping it in the family. After one last stroke of her ears by Sorrel she stood and silently left the tent. Sorrel looked at Jim. "I am not pleased since you should have considered that might be the trigger. Having said that this isn't, or wasn't your world. Even though you have been here for close to six years you still have a great deal to learn. I need to think about this and talk to your other mates. If she is pregnant I do expect you to inform the Chief as soon as we know. When we meet her tribe you will also inform Chief Piquel as well." Jim nodded at what she had to say. "I understand Sorrel and I had already planned on that. I should have considered it but be as it may I take full responsibility." He stood up and walked over to her and knelt down and rested his head in her lap. "I will accept any restrictions you feel are appropriate once her heat is over." Once he received a nod from her he stood and looked down at her and then the others. "I am sorry that I have upset you and I do love you. No I was not planning or intending this or adding to my mates." He gave them a wry smile. "Believe me three is more than enough sometimes." She whacked at him as he danced away and watched him scurry away. "Damn it sometimes he makes it hard to stay angry at him." Sorrel tossed back the last of her wine and stood. "I am going to go and collect the kids and then go and relax in one of the hot springs." That got an agreement from the other two as well. ~~~ Jim paused outside the hook up tent and smiled slightly since he was sure that Sheeha was waiting for him. She was probably going try and pounce on him out of frustration as much as anything. Normally she would pounce on him several times a day but today she had been very reticent about it. "I am coming in and no pouncing for a moment." He called out before he opened the flap and walked in. She hissed at him for taking all the fun out of the pounce she had waiting for him. Instead she glowered at him and stood there. For the moment she was still dressed which was also rather unusual but it had been a stressful day. Jim walked over to her and held his arms out. "I am sorry Sheeha. Please forgive me. I know this is going to impact on you since a child isn't a short term issue." When she slowly walked over and leaned against him he wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I do care for you my lovely Puma which is one of the reasons I wanted to ensure you had a good heat. I know that sounds sort of silly or rather does to me but that is what I wanted to do." She listened to him and finally moved over to him and curled her arms up between them and leaned against him. Sheeha honestly was scared silly at the moment. Normally she would have been with her family and older before she had even considered a cub. When his arms wrapped around her she nuzzled his chest. "I am scared Yimmy." She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. Jim nuzzled her hair and licked an ear. He could feel her trembling and it reminded him just how young she was by this worlds standards. "I am so sorry Sheeha. I really am but I told you I will be here and as you know so will the other mamma's. They aren't upset with you but me. I am technically older than you and should have known better." He lifted one hand and stroked her ears. "You know that Sorrel and the others like and care for you. Alon loves you as well and I honestly think that he feels you are his mother." He licked an ear again. "Why don't we lie down and cuddle for a while. If you would like to play a bit that is fine and we can take it slowly and let you relax. I can give you a good massage as well." Jim led her over to the bed and gently stripped her down to her loin cloth before taking his clothes off and settled on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Sheeha smiled at him as he lay there waiting for her. Now that she had told him some of her fears and they had informed the ladies she was feeling somewhat better. She didn't want to give anything away and just pounced. Yes her normally energy had been somewhat muted during the day but now that they were alone he was in trouble. "Mrroww." She started licking his face and doing a good job of it. Jim laughed when she pounced on him and leaned into the licking. "I think the kitty got me this time and I was trying to comfort the kitty." He ran his hands up her back and then back down and squeezed her bottom. She tensed a bit and he ran his hands back up. When he got to her neck he gave her an evil grin and grasped her scruff. The laugh and his reaction of leaning into it rather surprised her but went with it. His hands felt good on her fur and when he goosed her she almost squeaked. Instead she focused on one ear and was doing her best to clean it out as much as possible. His grasping her scruff was definitely not what she had expected but still tensed and reacted as she had been. Being that she was on top of him was a bit odd though. Yim have her a low chuckle. "Oh my I think the mousy caught the kitty." He kept his grip but made sure it wasn't to firm since he didn't want to hurt her. Jim was going to drive her nuts in revenge for what she had done that morning. Since he had control of her he started licking and nipping her lips. As he started working along her jaw and nibbled on her ears he could feel her reaction. It was a mixture of wanting to fight the grasp and her body wanting more. "Someone was a naughty kitty this morning and needs to be punished. I am going to be a mean mousy and tease the kitty till she can't stand anymore and then maybe satisfy her." His voice was low and throaty as he murmured that in her ear. His mouth worked his way down to her throat and licked her neck for a few and even nibbled but didn't bite down. Jim rolled her over on her back and kept a hand on her scruff. As he worked his way down her neck and shoulder. He slowly nipped and licked down the center of her chest. When he reached the bottom of her breasts he continued nipping and licking. He did not go anywhere near her nipples as he was playing. His hand that wasn't holding her scruff was lightly stroking her fur on her sides and abdomen. It did dip down close to her folds but stayed away from directly touching the heated flesh. Jim could smell her arousal and though the grasp kept her body mostly frozen she was still wiggling a bit. Small moans could be heard as well. Good god he was killing her. She had expected some sort of reaction from him but definitely not this. She almost didn't hear what he was saying as she was struggling against her body's reaction. Sheeha liked being the feisty cat who pounced and in charge of love making. To have Jim take charge like this was maddening yet had definitely impacted on her. Her nipples were definitely hard and sensitive. As he was nipping her breasts as slight touches of his cheek and breath brushing past them tiny zings could be felt. Sheeha started letting out little moans and purrs as he worked on her body and she struggled to move so that his hand would do more than stroke. By now she could feel that she wasn't just wet but starting to drip slightly. This was the hottest she had ever been as far as she could remember. "Yim..." That was a strangled sound and she finally managed to move slightly and almost got his hand where she wanted it. He chuckled slightly but gave a bit. His hand started stroking her inner thigh before slowly moving towards her mound. When he reached it his fingers lightly stroked against it and he smiled. "Oh my someone is wet." He lifted a finger to his lips and slowly licked her juices off before returning it. "I think it is time to give the kitty some satisfaction." Jim slid his fingers into her waiting lips and stroked from the back to front till he hit her nub and that was all it took. Sheeha let out a growl that most definitely carried tones of sexual satisfaction. Her entire body clenched and her eyes closed as she felt the ripples of her muscles clenching and relaxing. It started in her lower abdomen and spread from there like slow ripples across a pond when a stone was tossed in. By the time it had passed she was panting and almost collapsed on the bed. Jim figured he had teased her enough and leaned over and bit her neck. He held it as she tensed and relaxed again. Now he shifted so he was on his knees and flipped her over so she was on her stomach and her knees were under her. Jim placed his hands on either side of her hips and pushed in to her hot tunnel and she was almost too wet. If she hadn't been clenching down there wouldn't have been enough friction. As it was he was more than ready and as he pushed in and out her growls started getting louder and almost more feral. When he finally came he slammed into her and let out a loud groan and it seemed to last forever. Eventually he finished and collapsed on his side taking her down with him. He wrapped his arms around her and all he could do was lay there and pant. Eventually he was able to speak. "Um, good god that was incredible." He ran a tongue across the back of one ear and tightened his arms. She was panting as well and totally exhausted. "Mrrr... Might just have to keep you around for a while." Sheeha pulled his arms a bit tighter around her. "I think mousy won this round and kitty is utterly whipped." She yawned and quickly fell asleep and Jim was quickly asleep as well. ~~~ The next morning once they woke and walked into the main tent Jim froze and looked around. All three women were there as well as Moran and Thomas. "Um hello? I wasn't really expecting to see you this early." Moran stared at him and then started laughing. He was laughing so hard that his tail just sort of flopped and twitched. What was even worse was he was crying hard enough he couldn't speak. All he could do was wave a hand at him. Thomas was snickering as well. "Yim let's just say neither of you were quiet last night. I think they might have heard you halfway across the camp." He eyeballed Sheeha and then Jim. "I would love to know what you did but since you don't kiss and tell..." Just for good measure he winked at Sheeha. The ladies were looking somewhat non-plussed since they weren't getting any at the moment and wouldn't for a few more days. Sheeha was normally fairly vocal but last night had been crazy. Sorrel narrowed her eyes at him. "I might have a discussion with you later as the senior wife Yim." Nasha and Nora were covering their muzzles trying not to laugh at them. Sheeha twitched her tail and ears before giving them a lazy smile. "I am going to head towards the showers. Talk to you later Yim." She ran her tail up his leg as she walked out. Jim facepalmed as she walked out of the tent. "Why do I feel like I am facing a firing squad?" He looked up at the ceiling and sighed before sitting down. As he was sitting down Dan and Nang walked in. Dan had heard him and laughed as he walked in. "Maybe a laughing squad but probably not a firing squad." He looked at the ones looking at Jim and it did look like some sort of inquiry. "No, definitely facing a board of inquiry." He settled down in a chair and shook his head at Jim's expression. Thomas started grinning at his friend. "So Yim have you had a chance to reconsider what we were talking about the other day?" He was going to needle Jim for a while about his reaction to what Thomas had been trying to tell him. "Anything we need to know about?" Jim growled at Thomas and then Moran. "Try not to keel over old man. If you laugh too hard you might not survive." He really hated feeling like he was the butt of this sort of joke. "I think I will let you explain what led to this Thomas. Considering you were the one who started the conversation that night." He turned and grabbed his things and stalked out of the tent. Thomas laughed at Jim till he told him that he could tell the women about that night. He sat up and glared at Jim as he was leaving. "Hey, that was cold..." Jim was gone before he could say anything else. He grabbed his cup and turned towards the others and froze since he had three rather daunting women looking at him. "Um, what?" This was going to be messy. ~~~ As Jim was walking away from the tents he encountered the lady Thomas was courting. An evil thought crossed his mind when he saw her. "Hey Lydia how are you doing? Looking for Thomas? If so he is at my caravan." He winked at her. "He is answering some questions for the chief and might need your support." Oh man Thomas was going to kill him. Lydia smiled when she saw Jim since Thomas had mumbled something the other night. She didn't know what was going on but since Thomas was tossed up between amusement and concern she nodded. "Okay, anything I need to be concerned about Sub-Chieftain?" She wasn't comfortable using his name even if Thomas was. Jim shook his head. "Not really, just a few questions my ladies and the chief had about the last visit to with the Puma tribe." With a smile he kept going and started whistling since for some reason his mood was much better today. ~~~ This time it was Nasha who spoke as she handed Keirie over to Nora and picked up Eelios and let him latch on. "So Thomas what was this conversation you started?" She smiled down at the baby who was lustily sucking on her breast. "I must admit that I am more than curious about it and how Yim seems to think it pertains to the current issue." Her voice was level but there was a definite edge of hardness to it. Thomas lowered his ears and let his tail settle down as well. He was so going to have to come up with something to pay Jim back for this. "Um, not much really. While we were with the Puma tribe for the annual dance several of us including one or two Puma's were..." He heard Lydia walk in and decided Jim was going to die that day. He cleared his throat. "We were just sort of talking and one of the Puma warriors started talking about the lady he was seeing and mentioned it. That was about it." Sorrel narrowed her eyes. "That was about it huh? So only he talked about his lady? All the rest of you were good boys and didn't say anything?" She might be a pacifist but that didn't mean she was a wilting lily. Lydia frowned slightly. "What is this all about? What was being discussed?" Something was going on and she was going to get to the bottom of it or else. Thomas groaned. "Just ask what you want and I will tell you what I can." ~~~ The following two weeks were a mixture of good and stressful. Once Sheeha's heat was over he did end up in the kids tent as he had expected. It had only lasted a few days but was enough to convince him to be a good boy for a while. Everyone was getting entirely too much amusement out of his situation which did make him a bit on the grumpy side. Eventually it was time to start packing up and get moving. This was not going to be a good move since Allie and Ana were still having difficulties with certain aspects of tribal life. There simply wasn't anything that could be done about it and both Farion and Saulo were doing their best to keep an eye on the girls. Dan and Nang were as well and were making sure that they came to the small caravan and ate meals with them. Jim had decided that would be the best time to talk to those four. Bear and Pam were doing fairly well though Pam was missing her daughter and knew she was going to be upset. World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 05 After some contemplation he decided to invite all of them to dinner that evening to let them know. It only took a few minutes to knock out some notes and he gave them to Farion to deliver and read. The girls had started some of the regular classes but they had a long way to go before they could read anything. That and they were in his tent still and probably would be for a while. Nang would need to do some expansion of her caravan before they could move in and he had a feeling that they would remain with the rest of his kids. Once he had taken care of that he had set the other children to making sure they had everything needed. Before they left all clothing would be cleaned, carpets hung to dry as best possible and the dirt beat out of them. They were used to it but he kept a close watch on them as did his ladies. Jim also had responsibilities as a sub-chief as well which included making notes. Most of them were on the status of the actual camp so they had a good idea of what might need doing next time they were there. That was always subject to change since to best guess they were there once every year and a third earth time. That gave the animals time to root up the stones, plant life to do the same as well as random rain storms. One thing he noted was a suggestion to consider doing a rough expansion of the camp before they added any more tribe members. Eventually that evening rolled around and he had ordered food for the adults and Ana and Allie. The rest of the kids were sent to the food tent for dinner. From there they would be going to one of the dance tents till Jim called for them. When Dan and Nang walked in Jim looked up. "Good evening and if you would like there is some nice wine if you want. Dinner will be here soon as well." Nang smiled at him before going to get a couple of mugs. One she handed to Dan and the other she kept. "We already know why you invited us over and so do Pam and Bear. I can't say I am really happy but the tribe has welcomed us and made us feel welcome. I don't mind this for the most part but I am concerned about the girls." Dan nodded. "Same here. I have lived in far worse places than this and can't think of a better place to retire. I definitely don't have to worry about one of the various agencies calling me up out of the blue. If they manage to I am going to be more than surprised." Jim snorted at that. "I am not worried about them but I am concerned about the people who actually discovered this and created it. Granted they have only been able to call me back once but with the time dilation effect heaven only knows how many years they might advance compared to here." That was another reason he wanted to talk to Dan. They needed to see if there was anything they could work up to possibly resolve the issue. That and since Nang was going to be the lead mystic she might get some sort of insight. Dan sighed since he had been thinking much the same. "I have been contemplating the same as has Nang. So far we haven't gotten anywhere." He took a sip of the wine and Bear and Pam walked in. "Evening both of you, have a seat and relax. We were just discussing ideas about coming and going to our world. I know I will not go back but Dan and Nang have the girls, Pam has her daughter, and you do have grand children." Jim swirled the wine and took a sip. It was good but he kept resisting the urge to make hard liquor due to all the problems his world had. Pam bit her lip. "I will miss Trisha but other than her there simply isn't anything there for me. I haven't left the town for years and spent most of my time in my house painting." That was a sad realization but after Jeff had died she had slowly withdrawn. She felt more alive here than she had in many a year. "If I had a choice I think I would stay here with you Jim." Bear shrugged. "As the creator's wheel turns so does life. Sometimes you know what happened to a loved one and other times you don't. I have been planning on wandering for years and my kids know it. They will assume that I have gone for a long walk and if they don't hear from me will assume I have gone back to the creator." He was enjoying life here as well and it felt good to get in touch with the world again. Nang finally spoke. "I know it will be hard for the girls in the short run but in the long run I think it will be good for them. I will miss my family but I have family here as well and sometimes you have to make the decision which is best for you. In this case it is for the four of us and Dan and I have decided we are going to stay as well." The girls walked in with Jim's mates and had dinner with them. Jim raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you get turned into food delivery specialists? Now if it was Pizza I could understand but..." That got a snort and snicker from the humans and an eyeroll from Sorrel. "Be good oh worthy mate or you might end up in the kids tent again." That wasn't going to happen for a while though. It was nice to have their mate back and they had been making good use of it. Once the food was set out everyone settled down. "Smells really good and I am going to have to do something really nice for Agnon. Maybe Thomas and I can go and find a young Ringlar buck." That was a rare treat and they were hard to find unless you were very skilled. Traditionally you had to hunt it down with a spear and knife to increase the challenge and to avoid over hunting. Sheeha had to purr at that idea since the skin was prized as well. "I would like to go hunting with you unless I am pregnant." She had to make a face. "Which I have a feeling I am so if I am may I have the hide?" Jim nodded. "Depending who makes the kill yes you can have the hide. I think you deserve it though I will say maybe something nice for the others like a bracelet would be nice." When tanned the right way the skin almost looked metallic and sunlight would ripple across it. Sheeha nodded and started thinking of some of the things she could do with it. Through dinner they talked about the move and what might be needed. "I will have one or two of the kids come over and make sure you have everything. You know most of what is needed but better safe than sorry." Dan agreed and they kept eating. ~~~ It was two days later when the sun showed through the cloud cover. The rain was still coming down but nothing like it had been and within several days would be gone. Next was the fertile season though Jim tended to think of it as the steamed season since it was so humid. If it wasn't for the insects many people would have gone with just pants or a skirt. Maybe if they had an effective insecticide for the masses of insects but it simply wasn't possible. Everything had been packed up and the last few things were being put away. "Ana, Allie stay with this caravan or the one ahead or behind. It might not look like it but we tend to move at a reasonable pace. Till you are used to it don't try to keep up. Some would be good but you will be doing important work keeping the littles occupied." As he was talking he slung his axe, one of the rifles and a few clips. He wasn't worried but old habits die hard and being well armed was one that he would keep. Thomas met him and they walked over to the chief's caravan and after a few commands went back and they started moving. Thankfully Sorrel had finally decided to learn how to direct his caravan. That freed him up to patrol and take care of various issues. They would be on the trail for about two and a half to three days before they met up with Nasha's pack. He was looking forward to that since he got to show off his pups to her parents and family. There would be a small ceremony as they were introduced and named. They would get their first pack necklace as well. For infants it was a simple necklace so they couldn't choke on it. ~~~ The trip wasn't to bad once the rain stopped. It didn't take it long to turn muggy though and that made the trip rather miserable and he had been there for years. The ones that were having a problem was Bear, Pam, and the girls. They had mostly lived in the northwest and that was absolutely nothing compared to this. Thankfully they were approaching the stop and it was early afternoon and that would give them time to setup. For this the senior members of the tribe would be nearest the celebration circle. In theory it was to keep conflicts and challenges down but that didn't always hold true. With Nasha's pack there was relatively little conflict since this was the only part of their territory which met the Soran's tribal lands. He could tell the girls were pleased to stop since they were helping to set up the tents with gusto. "Let me guess you two are looking forward to a good soak right?" He was grinning as he said that. To be honest he was too. They usually made camp near water but that just wasn't the same as the bathing pools. Ana grumbled at him. "I just want to get clean. Bathing using buckets from the various streams is cooling but I just don't feel clean. I would rather a shower personally but baths are acceptable." Her shirt was soaked with sweat and she paused to suck down a fair amount of flavored water before she continued working. Jim had to laugh. "I can agree with that. I have to admit that a good cool bucket of water over my head at this time of year is very nice." He had worked in some pretty humid places but this was far worse at times. "Well it won't be much longer before we are setup and then you can go get clean and change clothes. They worked a while longer and camp was almost setup when Jim froze and looked around. The jungle had gone silent which was never a good thing. Since he was at the caravan he reached in and pulled out one of the bullet proof vests and the bag with some ammunition. The rifle was next and after making sure it was ready he gave out a piercing whistle. "Everyone into the caravan and secure the door." That definitely got a reaction as first the kids and then his ladies scrambled for the caravan. Moments later other whistles went up and it was rather like watching the rippling of a pond. The movement of women, children, and non-combatants started towards the nearest caravan. Jim slowly moved away from the caravan so he could hopefully hear what might be causing the jungle to go silent. When Thomas joined him Jim nodded and kept going. He was heading in the direction that Nasha's tribe should be coming from. It took a bit of time but he started hearing sounds from that direction. At first it was the sounds of running and then cries of pain. Moments later he started hearing rifle fire and the occasional grenade. "Fucking bastards." He was going to do his best to remove the problem once and for all. "Thomas find the tribe and gather up several more warriors and lead them to the ceremonial site. Get as many as possible in the caravans and have the warriors create a protective circle. This is a fight I need to deal with since they are from my world." Jim kept moving forward and started encountering the Inu's. As he was passing them he directed them towards the Soran's camp. The sounds of rifle fire was getting louder and he started heading in that direction. Even if he couldn't shoot anyone return fire should slow them down and possibly even draw them to him. That would improve the chances of the pack getting away and his taking out the gun men. Jim started moving to one side so he was out of the flow of the pack members and found a good spot to look around from. It was up in a tree some and after climbing up there he started scanning the forest. Noticing the person with the rifle was blind luck for him since he appeared to be in camo. The only reason he noticed was the person moved while he was looking at him. He raised the rifle and carefully sighted in and pulled the trigger. Jim still wasn't totally used to the rifle and had forgotten to change the selector to single shot. Since the rifle, according to Dan, had a very high cyclic rate the burst came out of the barrel at almost the same time. That and his rifle didn't have any sort of suppressor and had a distinctively different sound. As he watched the person went down hard with a spray of blood painting the tree behind him with red. Jim slipped down out of the tree and started towards the person. In the distance he heard a rifle that sounded like his and smiled. Dan was working now and that was going to be a shock to the others. As he was moving towards the person he had shot another popped up and Jim didn't think before shooting him. This time it appeared to be a graze but the man did go down. Jim pulled his pistol since he wanted information and not death. In the distance the sound of a grenade went off and he really hoped it was Dan firing. The pack couldn't handle to many of those before they simply scattered and that was bad. As he approached the second man he shot and had to duck as he took a pot shot at him. Jim backed off and approached from a different direction and had almost made it when the man fired. He felt that strike and a spike of pain from the impact. He grunted and fired back. The man grunted as well and dropped his pistol since it hit him in the shoulder. Jim hurried over as the man was trying to get to his pistol with the other arm. Jim reached over and grabbed the man by the vest and pistol whipped him to stun him for a moment. He had to take a moment to catch his breath since the wound in his leg was bad and was bleeding freely. Jim took a moment to tie a makeshift tourniquet around the leg and then turned back to the man. With a casual brutality Jim stripped him till he found a device dangling around his neck. It had a sizable yellow button with a gray case. It rather made him think of the dimensional buttons from Dr. Who. The man started to wake up and tried to grab the button. "What is this?" Jim growled out. The man started laughing. "It is your death warrant James." He lunged at Jim and pressed the button and the hum Jim associated with dimensional travel. The man had grasped the hand Jim had around the device and held on as hard as possible to keep him from getting away. "See you in hell James..." The world started to come apart which was somewhat different than what he had experienced before. It felt like he was being scoured by tiny burning embers as he dissolved from Ranicke. When he finally woke up he found he was in a semi-dark room and staring at a rather odd looking old man. Maybe it was because of his exposure to the dimensional travel or all the people of Ranicke but he knew he wasn't human. His gray hair almost looked like feathers, his facial features were narrow and his eyes bulged out almost to either side. "Who the fuck are you and why are you on earth?" The only reason he was standing was because his back was pressed against a familiar metal mesh. The man blinked at Jim and when he spoke he almost sounded like a bird. "Oh my, I finally get to meet you James. I would say it is a pleasure but you kept interfering with my plans to go back home." When Jim asked him his name he smirked. "I am pretty sure you won't recognize it but I am Zephra Slan Perskia of the Zetheron." Jim frowned slightly since the name did sound familiar but it was the racial name that really struck a chord. "Ah, the creator of the V'Shalla disease. Aimed at killing your enemies. I am so pleased to meet you and kill you." He started to raise his rifle as the other man started laughing. "Silly child if you kill me you will never get back to your prescious mates and babies." He gave James an evil smirk. "I will promise to leave your tribe in peace till such time as you are dead. I will even send you back to them as proof of that." Jim snorted. "Believe the traitor and kin slayer? I don't think so and if I don't make it back my family will live though they will miss me. I can live with that." As soon as he said that he fired a shot and smiled as the person's head exploded. "I gotta love this rifle." The moment he shot the man he stumbled and for a moment felt thin and almost transparent before he became solid again. "Not good." He glanced around the lab and it was old. The technology was early 2000's since the computers were massive. The cage didn't have the finished look of the others he had been in. This looked like it might be the first of them and if he destroyed them it was very possible that he would undo all of them. He staggered out of the cage and was forced to take his time to get to a central location. Every step or two it felt like reality was wavering and he would have to stop. Once he was in a spot he wanted he turned the rifle towards the cage and fired a grenade at it. Before it hit he was already randomly firing the other two grenades into the room and then everything came undone. A blast of heat hit and he felt like he was dissolving again. This time he knew there wasn't any coming back from what was happening. *I love all of you and will miss all of you. Stay strong my loves and keep going.* That was his last thought before his body dissolved into a flash of heat. The heat was sufficient to cause the ammunition and grenades in the satchel to go off. Added to the explosion was a surge of energy from the broken connection. The building went up with a massive explosion that littered the area with bricks and stone blocks for many blocks. *** Back at the camp the survivors of the attack were being treated by Lia and the rest of the medical staff. Dan was up to his elbows in blood as well since he was using his medical background to help. They were still looking for survivors of the attack. The body count wasn't going to be huge all things considered but for this world it was going to be heavy. Chances were good they would be there for a while as Nasha's pack was healing. Dan contemplated that as he turned the person he was working on over to an assistant to suture up. About then the world seemed to waver for a few moments and then settle down. Right about then Sorrel screamed 'JAMES' and collapsed. His other ladies did as well and Dan knew he was gone. What had happened he didn't know but assumed it was something to do with the portal between dimensions and all he could hope was that it was now sealed. The End ~~~ Epilogue It was close to a year since Jim had vanished. They had kept hoping that he would appear but if he did there was no telling where he might appear. As it happened Sheeha had gotten pregnant and when she delivered a little boy she named him Jim. When they met with Chief Piquel it was going to be a sad meeting since Jim wasn't able to present the child to him. When they arrived and set the camp up it was a quiet affair. This had been the place Jim had been presented his warrior necklace and fought Piquel. It was also very close to the time that the tribe had been attacked and where Jim had taken charge of Alon. As she was thinking about this Piquel approached. "Sheeha, Alon, it is good to see you. Where is Jim? I came over to say hello but nobody will say anything about it." He had a good feeling that Jim had died somehow which saddened him. Sheeha turned to him and moved over and wrapped her arms around him and started crying. "Yim is dead as far as we can tell. Nasha's pack was attacked by people from his world and in the middle of the attack they vanished. I really miss him Chief." She leaned into him for a few minutes before the baby started crying in the back sling. "I would like to present our cub Chief. This is Jim and I am going to present him tonight. As of now Alon and I wish to stay with Chief Moran's tribe. Alon has taken responsibility for Jim's family though he had some growing to do." Piquel sighed when she told him Jim was dead. "We will honor him tonight then. I am pleased to meet your cub and I accept your staying here with Alon." He squatted down in front of Alon and smiled. "I am proud of you son. Take care of them and if you need anything contact me." World of Ranicke Bk. 02 Ch. 05 Alon nodded at the Chief. "I will do my best in honor of Poppe Yim. Thank you for allowing us to remain. I would feel bad leaving my family." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the Chief and started sobbing into his shoulder. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 01 Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but it took me a while to decide how I wanted to handle the next series. I am going to be slower in producing these since there are going to be several plots going on. Having said that all relationships are 18+. ***** Dan was getting ready to shoot at one man when something happened. He would never be able to describe it afterwords other than the world shook and moved. It might have moved an inch or it might have moved miles but that was the only way he could describe it. Moments after everything shook Dan started to aim at the man when the man simply dissolved. There was no other way to describe it. The man simply melted into sparkly grains of sand that then vanished. All that was left of him was what he had been wearing. That pile actually looked like whatever had been inside had vanished and the clothing collapsed because there was nothing to support it. Dan froze and very carefully listened for a minute but couldn't detect any sounds of gun fire anywhere. He knew for a fact that there had been at least eight men firing rifles and now the jungle was completely silent. He scanned the area with his eyes before slowly moving forward to the pile of clothing. He could feel the sweat and smell the body odor but there was absolutely no traces of a body left. In the distance he did hear screams for help and cries for those lost from the pack. There were also calls from the Soran tribe as they tried to find the wounded and lost. Dan could also sense the closest warriors moving forward to try and find the enemy. He started moving as well and as he passed Inu's he would quietly point them in the direction of the camp. Most of them were looking shocked and rather out of it. He didn't blame them since this was not something they would have ever encountered. After moving forward for several minutes he found another pile of clothing but again no body. He took a chance and lifted his hand to his mouth to help project it. "All I am finding is piles of clothes. If you find a pile have someone take it to Jim's caravan." As soon as he bellowed that he moved away from the location and waited. After several more minutes he started moving forward in the direction he had last heard Jim's rifle. It took some time but he did find the spot and there were three piles of clothes. One he instantly knew was Jim's since it was native and had his various necklaces and trinkets. The other two were much the same as the others except one helmet appeared to have more electronics. Dan had to assume that this was the leader of the team they had been fighting. As he contemplated Jim's clothing the world shifted again and Dan was knocked off his feet. After that he started getting a bit woozy and had to shake his head several times before it started to recede. While he was trying to stand one of the Soran warriors found him and helped him sit up. "Are you okay Danilo? You look rather out of it." As he was talking he gave Dan a quick once over for signs of injuries but didn't find any. "Yah, just the world shaking knocked me for a loop." Now that he was sitting up he took a long drink off his canteen. The warrior was looking confused. "What do you mean the world shaking? I felt nothing of the sort." He was wondering if Danilo had been hit in the head by something. Dan grunted and looked at him. "I will talk to the Chief later. Gather up those clothes and I will get Jim's things." He carefully laid everything in the center of the shirt and rolled it up before securing it with a lace from one boot. "Do not tell anyone what we found here. I will tell the Chief first and we will handle it." Dan's voice might be calm but there was a burning rage inside at what had happened. "I understand Warrior Danilo." He had gathered up everything else that was there. Once both were done they started back towards the camp. It wasn't hard to find since all they had to do was follow the screaming and crying. The closer they got the more people they encountered. Their tribe was heading out to find the Inu's and bring them back. Others were from the Inu's pack slowly moving towards the Soran tribe. Dan looked around and snarled under his breath. "Take those back to Jim's caravan and then come back. We have to get as many of the injured as possible back to try and save." The warrior took off and Dan started calling out orders. The first thing he did was to collect several warriors from their tribe and organized them for search and rescue. "Use your noses, ears, anything to find injured that might not have anyone near them. Once you have found someone call for help and then keep moving. If you can, do some first aid for bleeding but don't stop for long. I know this sounds callus but the more we identify now the more we can save." As he was looking around he found several Inu warriors herding a large number of women and children. "You, warriors come here for a minute." He waited for them to come over. "Team up with these men and search for the lost and injured. I will take this group back since I am going to need to help with the injured and wounded. As you can collect others that can help you search for your tribe. Getting the women, children, and injured to the camp is the most important. Now go." Dan turned away and headed over to the group the Inu warriors had been escorting. When he got close he slowed down. "I am Warrior Danilo of the Soran tribe and I am here to help you. All of you who can walk head in that direction." He pointed towards the camp and since the trail was fairly obvious it shouldn't be hard. "For those who can't walk or need help stay with those that are helping you. I am heading back to our camp to help with the injured but I will also protect you." He leaned down and scooped up a boy who was maybe four years old. "I will carry you so your mother can help someone else." He could see the terror in the boy's eyes and gently stroked his ears. "Nobody else will hurt you son." Dan watched the others start moving. There were a few that had collapsed in exhaustion and he checked on them. "I will send someone to get you as soon as possible." The hike back to the camp was slow but they eventually made it. By now there was a goodly number of Inu's there but Dan had no idea just how big their tribe was. He handed the boy off to Nasha since she had a number of the other nanny's collecting and taking care of the pups. "I am going to talk to the Chief for a moment and then to the medical tent to help." Nasha took the boy from Dan and nodded. She wanted to cry badly since this was her pack but she had a job to do and she was going to do it. "Come little one and I will get you something to eat and drink. Then you can lie down and take a nap till someone comes for you." Dan hoped there was someone to collect him since from the looks of it there were a number of casualties as well as injuries. With a shake of his head he hurried over to the Chief's tent and as expected Dan found him handing out orders and assigning people to set up spare tents find room for the ones who weren't injured. Some were being tasked with searching for the caravan's they had left behind so they could be brought back. He waited till for a lull before moving forward and whispering in Moran's ear. "I need to talk to you in private for a moment. It is urgent." Moran looked at Dan and a pouch he was carrying and nodded. "I will be back in a moment." He told the others before he turned and led Dan into his caravan. "What do you need?" Dan handed him the bag. "These are Jim's belongings. I did not find him or the bodies of any of the others that were from my world. Something happened and all that remained was what they had been wearing. I do not know what this means but we need to keep this quiet for a day or two." Dan met his eyes for a brief moment. "I am going to the medical tents to do what I can to help." ~~~ By the end of the day the majority of the pack of Inu's had been found and helped to the campsite. For the moment there was no our side or your side simply people. Most of the injured had been treated and thanks to Lia as well as the other medical staff and the shamans many had survived. As he was sitting there relaxing Ana came up to him with a plate of food. Her face was tear streaked and it was obvious she was as horrified by what had happened. She set the plate down next to him and almost collapsed in his lap and started crying. She didn't say anything but it was obvious just how upset she was. Dan wrapped his arms around his little girl and simply let her cry. He had to close his eyes and rest his head against the caravan he was sitting next to. This was what he had spent most of his adult life from happening to the innocents. Now it was hitting incredibly close to home. They had been sitting there for a few minutes when Dan felt a presence and looked up at Nang. Both of them traded a look that said volumes. Allie was standing next to her mother and she looked tired and upset but not as bad as Ana. He held an arm out and she settled down next to him and pressed her face against his chest. Nang looked sad about what had happened but she had lived in several countries that had terrorists in them. She understood the horror of it and hated that their world had intruded on this one. "I am going to check on Jim's family and see if they need help." Dan nodded and then urged Ana to her feet and stood up. He helped Allie up and wrapped an arm around both of them. "Would you mind getting the food? I am not hungry at the moment but I am sure there will be someone who might be hungry." Nang picked it up and they headed towards Jim's caravan and found it was only partially set up. He knew that Nasha as well as Sorrel and Nora were busy and it was mostly the youngsters there. "Okay girls let's get this setup for them. When they finish with what they are doing they will have somewhere to collapse." He had helped Jim break it down so he had a fairly good idea of how to put it up. Since they weren't going to be going anywhere for at least a week if not longer they might as well get it set up. Allie looked at him. "I will be back in a few minutes Daddy. I am going to find some help and we can see about setting up as many as possible." She turned and walked away with her back straight and looking determined. Dan couldn't help but be proud of her at that moment. Today had been hell for everyone and even though she was feeling it she was going to forage on. "Ana can you start getting the bed rolls out? I am going to start working on the kid's tent first since that will give us more room for people." He started pulling out the supports for the tent ceiling that was attached to the caravan. He hadn't gotten too far when Allie came back with the older of Jim's adoptee's and a number of other boys and girls. She turned to them. "I know we are tired but if we can get even half a dozen caravans' setup it will just mean that many more people will have cover." She looked at the group and smiled. "Farion take several of the older kids and start with the caravan next to ours. Saulo you and the others will help get ours set up." All of them were looking shocked and scared but with Allie coming across as knowing what she was doing they responded to her confidence. Saulo came over and started helping Dan while some of the others were starting to get the other corner of the main tent elevated. The other pieces were all directly connected to this one so it had to go up first. It took some time but they did get it up. "Ana don't worry about any of the furniture; just get the rugs out and all the bed rolls including the spares. I am going to take the older boys with to help Allie and the others. I don't plan on going into the caravans just setting the tents up." He gave all the kids a quick hug before heading to the next one. It was mostly put up so he moved to the next one. There were one or two people working on it so Dan and his team pitched in. "We will give you a hand with the tent so you can get your sleeping stuff out. I don't know what is being done for the Inu's but you might end up with a few asking to sleep here." That got a nod and the man of the caravan told one of his boys to go with Dan and help. It didn't take all that long before Dan had a tidy little system working. The oldest kids would set up the tents and if any family members were at the caravan they were asked if they wanted help pulling out rugs and stuff. By the time he decided he was done it was probably close to midnight and a number of the children were asleep on their feet. "The older kids get the younger ones and come back to Jim's caravan. We can get them tucked in where they will be comfortable and their parents can find them in the morning. If you know their parents let them know where they are when you go back to your caravans." Dan picked up two young kids and considered keeling over. He definitely wasn't as young as he used to be and he was beat. When they got back to Jim's caravan there were piles of kids sleeping all over the place. Dan settled them down and flopped on the ground to catch his breath. ~~~ When Dan woke the next morning he was almost in the same spot he had collapsed at. Someone had pulled a rug over him and he was curled around Nang. He could feel the girls curled up to his back. Well one girl but he knew the other was there as well. From all around him he heard quiet snores of the children who had pretty much collapsed as well. He carefully sat up but still woke Nang and she sighed and sat up as well. Both of them looked around and found a number of Inu's curled up as well. The area under the tent was packed with bodies young and old. "I am going to see if Moran is awake and find out what needs doing. When people start waking up do what you can to help them love." He kissed Nang before slowly standing up and stretching. Dan felt his back pop and crack and groaned. All the injuries he had acquired over the years were starting to catch up with him and that really stank. He didn't bother with going to get clean cloths since it was going to be a long day. He could deal with that later. At least the showers had been set up when they arrived. He pulled on his sword, pistol belt, and grabbed a rifle. He didn't think he was going to need it but he wasn't going to take any chances. When he approached the Chief's tent Sorrel and Moran's other children were already there. Sorrel was looking very stressed but was standing tall and listening to her assignments from Moran. When Dan approached Moran waved him over so Dan moved closer. There was a large pot of something steaming and he poured a cup and sipped on it. "How can I help Chief?" Moran rubbed the fur on his face to try and keep awake. "Um, find Thomas, report to the master warrior and organize some search teams. We don't have a full count of the pack but I am sure that there are some still in the forest. Find them and all bodies possible. Organize them and send them back." He had to stop and yawn before continuing. "I am having some of the stone handlers going to the master warrior's tent as well. They will bring back any caravan's that were missed last night." Dan nodded. "Understood Chief and I will take care of it." After slugging down the last of the tea he had to shudder at the taste. From the way it hit his stomach and sent a warm tingle through his body it was some sort of stimulant. After putting the cup back he grabbed some meat rolls that were there as well and headed off to find the Master Warrior. He figured if Thomas wasn't there the male would know where to find him. ~~~ When Dan arrived at the master warrior's caravan he did find Thomas there as well as quite a few of both Soran tribe warriors and Inu warriors. Everyone looked rough and tired and he didn't blame them. Dan stepped over to Thomas and gave him a pat on one shoulder while he waited for a break in the talking. When the warrior master looked up and asked Dan what he needed he spoke. "Chief Moran asked me to come over here, talk to you and Thomas and help organize search and rescue parties. It is something I have done before but obviously not on this world. What would you like me to do?" As he was talking Bear walked up and gave him a cup of something as well. The warrior master listened and nodded. "Get with Thomas and this is senior Inu warrior Narkolan. Take a few minutes to come up with a plan on how you would like this organized and then come back." He nodded at the three and turned to the senior stone handler. Dan moved off to one side with the other two. Bear stood near them as well since he was probably going to be needed. He had a large pouch over his shoulder with a number of medical items in it. The majority were emergency first aid to stabilize any wounded they might find. "I am going with you Dan and I have a bag of supplies for you as well. Assign me to whichever team you want and I will go with them." Dan nodded at him. "Okay, first Warrior Narkolan do you know if anyone has managed to get a list of who all is here. If not is one being worked on? We need to know so we have an idea of how many are still missing." It was obvious but Dan wasn't going to apologize for it. He didn't have time to get to know him and figure out how they did and didn't operate. Narkolan nodded. "We tried to get some semblance of order yesterday with some success. As best possible we organized the family groups and requested they stay together. Much of it was on the spot organization. This morning our Alpha and his mate set the pack shamans the task of identifying who is and isn't here. They don't really expect to get that done till sometime this afternoon and evening." Dan nodded at him. "Thank you for that. How many warriors do you have available..." They discussed it for about twenty minutes before formalizing how they were going to handle it. They were going to break up into ten teams of five or so people. They were going to have both Inu's and Soran tribe members in each group. They were going to spread out on both sides of the trail and start searching. As they came across people they would have one escort them to the main trail and leave them there. The center group would be the largest and would gather larger groups and escort them back. Once they had settled on how this was going to work they went back to the warrior master. They explained what they were going to do and how they were organizing it. He listened and made a few suggestions before telling them to get to it. ~~~ It ended up being a long day and by the time Dan made it back to camp he was beat again. It was dark though there were a number of fires lit which helped. By the time he reached Jim's caravan Nang had already had hers pulled up near it and set up. When he walked into the main room of Jim's tent he had to smile since Ana was curled up in Saulo's lap and Allie in Farion's. He settled down in a chair and stretched and yawned as he looked around. He didn't see Nang but she was probably in her caravan relaxing or studying. By the time he was done with the stretch there was a plate of food and something to drink. Dan looked up at Nasha and gave her a slight smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it." He rolled his head on his neck as he sat up to eat. Allie noticed that and stood up and walked over to him. "Here daddy I can rub your neck and shoulders while you eat." As she was talking she was starting to work her fingers into his muscles. She was used to doing this for her father and he seemed to enjoy it. Before he started eating he pulled his shirt off so she had easier access. "Thank sweetie and that feels really good." He leaned forward some and closed his eyes and relaxed as she worked on his back. After a few moments he sat up some and started eating. The food was decent but at the moment he didn't care. He was starving and it was going to be eaten come heck or high water. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 01 Sorrel walked in and her tail was drooping some as she settled down in a chair. She was both tired and very worried. Her father hadn't told her yet that all they had found of Jim was his clothing and personal items. Since she didn't know that as of yet she assumed Jim had been hurt bad enough he wasn't able to make it back. That or he had been killed and they hadn't found any traces of the body. Nora followed Sorrel in as well and was looking as tired and worried. Tonya was in her arms and asleep but her tails were hanging and her ears were back against her head. She took the little girl into the kids section and tucked her in. When she came out she walked over to Nasha and gave her a good hug and petted her hair and ears. Nasha had lost one of her brothers to the attackers. Between that and being so scared about Jim she was on the ragged edge of emotions. Nasha leaned into her and rubbed her muzzle against Nora's chest and tried not to cry but couldn't stop the tears. The brother was a fair amount older than she but they had been close. Added to not knowing what happened to Jim it was just too much. Sheeha walked in with Alon on her hip and he was looking tired and upset as well. She took him to the small section she slept in and tucked him in. "I will be back in a while and curl up with you Alon. For now try and sleep okay?" She nuzzled his face and gave him a gentle swipe of her tongue before pulling a light cover over him and leaving the area. When she walked back into the central area she walked over to Nasha and Nora and gave Nora a nod. "Go eat and I will sit with Nasha and see if I can get her to eat as well." When Nora let go Sheeha wrapped her arms around the Inu and gave her a good hug. "I know Nasha, I understand your loss but we need to get you fed so you can nurse the babies." Sheeha urged her to sit down and started working on her neck and shoulders as well. "If you want you can curl up with Alon and me." Nasha rubbed her face against Sheeha's chest and sighed as she leaned into the hug. "I will try Sheeha but..." She couldn't continue since she would start crying again. "I think I would like that, thank you." She let Sheeha urge her to the table and started nibbling the food. Rather like Dan she didn't really care what it was since nothing tasted good right now. Once Sheeha had Nasha settled and at least nibbling on the food she walked around to Sorrel and rested her hands on her shoulders. She could feel the tension in Sorrel's muscles from the strain she was under. Being the most senior wife she had taken over Jim's responsibilities as well. Due to that Sheeha had been doing her best to take care of the children and tent. "Would you like me to brush your fur and tail before bed? It might help relax you some so you can sleep better. I can do that for all three of you if you want." Sorrel reached up and lightly grasped Sheeha's hand and gave it a squeeze. "If you have the energy I would appreciate it and I think all of us, you included, could stand to have a bit of pampering." She leaned back against Sheeha. "Thank you for your hard work with the kids and tent. It helps me by not having to worry about it." After one last squeeze she leaned forward and started munching on the salad she had. Dan eventually finished eating and stood. He gave Allie a good hug. "Thank you for the massage I feel better now." He glanced at Ana and she was asleep in Saulo's arms and he had to shake his head. "Take her to bed and tuck her in son. If you feel she needs it curl up with her. I trust you both to be good and I am not worried." He nodded at the boy when Saulo lowered his ears and walked out of the tent. When he walked into Nang's caravan he had to pause for a moment since she was already in bed. One of the small stones used as lights was showing though turned down. She looked tired and stressed. For a brief moment Dan felt a burning desire to find a way to go and kill the bastard who was directing all this stuff. He knew it wasn't the transfer to this world since they had been there several weeks now. She was enjoying what she was doing and he honestly was as well. With a quiet sigh he stripped his clothes off and set them in a chair before sliding into the bed. As he slid in Nang opened her eyes and smiled at him. She lifted the covers and once he was in slid closer to him and had to smile a bit more when all he felt was skin. "Are you tired? If so we can just cuddle but at the moment I feel the need to be touched and remember feeling alive." Dan gave her a quiet laugh. "I am tired so I might have to just lay here and take it..." As he was talking one hand slid down her side and rested on her bottom. He felt her lift a leg and place it over his and moved closer. Nang gave him an arch look. "If I remember the last time you pulled that on me Ana happened. Are you saying you want another child?" She was sliding her leg along his as one hand was stroking his chest. Her fingers were sensitive enough she could feel all but the faintest scars. She had always hated that but loved him for what he did. He smiled at her and his teeth gleamed in the faint light. "Well we don't really have any birth control so it might happen anyways." He lowered his lips to hers and gently brushed them with his. For good measure he lightly ran his tongue across her lips and felt them part. Nang closed her eyes as he kissed her and opened her mouth and licked his lips as well. Their tongues played with the other in an age old way. Both knew what they wanted and what they liked. She loved the taste of him and knew he liked the taste of her as well. While they were kissing she gently urged him on his back and straddled his hips. She could feel his erection getting larger and pressing against her nether regions. When she urged him on his back Dan did that and once she was on top he slid his hands along her back and enjoyed the feel of her skin. That was one thing he had always loved about her. It didn't seem to matter what she had done during the day it was always soft and warm. As she leaned forward to kiss him her long hair fell forward and framed her face. As she felt him starting to stroke her back she leaned forward to give him better access and started purring. Her lips grazed his again before she started giving light almost not there kisses to his face. She kissed his wide brow, eyelids, cheeks, and to be silly the tip of his nose. She tensed up some as his hands moved to her sides and stroked the curves of her breasts. Nang was already wet and the added stroking only made her hotter. Tonight was going to be a rather fast and furious night but she could live with that. He closed his eyes and let a smile play on his face. Nang loved doing that and it felt rather good though occasionally it drove him up the wall. By nature he was rather forward and blunt and her playing really started that side going. They both knew what she was doing and why and neither was going to complain. As she was kissing his face he kept stroking her body. His hands stroked her arms and started on the front of her neck and shoulders. Nang could feel his tension as she was kissing him and made a little rrr sound that he loved. While he was stroking her neck and chest she had to sit up to give him more room. Her nipples were definitely crinkled and sticking out. When his fingers found them he started to lightly twist and pull on them. She arched her back and let him play. Eventually he started using his lips and tongue on her breasts and at the moment she was so hot it brought her to an orgasm. Dan could feel her belly tighten as she arched her back and moved his lips to one breast. Even after having two children they were still well shaped. They weren't large but nicely filled the palms of his hands. The nipples and areola were dark brown and quite perky. When she came he cupped her bottom and squeezed and stroked them. Nang leaned forward again and gave him a firm, almost aggressive kiss. Normally she wasn't this demanding but she needed to feel his touch, feel his warmth, and get boffed senseless. The last few days had been horrible and she needed, as she had said, to feel alive and right now that meant sex. As she was thinking she was sliding her vagina against his thick penis and almost went for it. She didn't because she wanted his tongue to lath her vagina and his teeth to nibble on her nub. With that thought in mind she turned around and settled her groin over his face and wrapped her hand around his shaft. Dan smiled when she did that and had to take a moment to appreciate the view. Nang had a very tidy pussy. When she was excited her inner lips didn't pop out like some weird flower. They puffed up just enough to expose all the lovely inner bits. She also shaved which he appreciated since he hated spitting hairs out mid-sex. "Oh my I see something I like." He lifted his head and blew light puffs of air across her heated and glistening lips as she was slowly stroking his shaft. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the puffs of air and his lips barely touching hers. It wasn't going to take very long before she came again and then she was going to go for it. As he was playing she licked her lips before lightly licking the head of his penis. A dribble of precum had oozed out and she took her time licking it off. Going slow would also drive him nuts which she occasionally found amusing. After some licking and stroking she took the head in her mouth and started sucking more of his penis into her mouth. Dan tensed for a moment as she started playing and he could tell that she was deliberately teasing him. In revenge he placed his lips on hers and started to relentlessly attack all her sensitive spots. He stayed away from her nub just to return the teasing. When he was doing long strokes of his tongue he went around the nub but didn't actually lick it. He could sense her frustration by the way she was moving her hips and butt as she tried to get him to do something with it. He finally took pity on her and placed his lips around it and sucked it into his mouth, or as far as it would go. His tongue started flicking it as his teeth nibbled on it and it only took a few moments before she groaned hard with the orgasm. That was it, she couldn't take any more. She moved down his body while still facing away from him and after positioning his penis slammed down on him. Once he was fully inside she had to sit there for a moment and shudder with satisfaction. Now she started to slowly slide up and down his shaft. As she started nearing an orgasm she could tell he was as well. He had his hands on her hips and was rising up to meet her. He closed his eyes and simply went with the sensation and her rhythm. After a short time he felt the muscles of her vagina clench as she started to orgasm. He slammed all the way inside and held her on top of him as he blew a nut as well. Several surges later he collapsed on the bed and lay there panting. "Good god woman, it is a good thing I don't need those little blue pills." Once the last of the aftershocks faded she turned around so she was facing him. He was still firm and inside her which she loved. After lying down on his chest she pulled a light cover over them and placed her head on his chest. She could feel and hear his heartbeat starting to slow down as was hers. "Thank you Dan. I really needed that tonight. I love you my wonderful man." She rubbed her cheek on his sweaty chest and quickly fell asleep. Dan followed her into sleep as well. ~~~ Over the next several days' things calmed down as much as possible. The day after searching for bodies and the injured Moran called Sorrel, Nasha, Sheeha, and Nora to his tent. He was sitting under the open side and waited. This was going to be hell for Jim's mates and Sheeha. The healers had done a good job in saving as many as possible though that wasn't saying that much. The Inu pack was a fair amount smaller than his tribe and the numbers lost would be hard to deal with. They had ten confirmed killed, twenty or so with various injuries, and a dozen or so missing. What made the missing pack members so hard were a fair number were pups. They still had search parties scouring the area though by now most of them were expecting more bodies. The chances of someone that small surviving for even a day was slim. When the four showed up Moran gave all of them a good hug before showing them into his caravan. "Please have a seat." The three mated did though Sheeha stood between Nasha and Sorrel. She had one hand on Nasha's shoulder since she knew, actually all did, that Jim was dead or gone. Nasha was going to need all the support she could give her. Moran pulled a pouch out of a cupboard and turned to them. "Dan brought this to me on the first day. I chose not to show it to you at the time because Nasha's pack being helped was more important." He hated that he had to make that decision but he was the chief. As he was talking he opened the pouch and pulled out the contents. Sorrel instantly knew what it was and tears started flowing and her ears lowered. She reached over with a shaking hand and pulled the bundle to her. For a moment she simply couldn't do more than that since it would prove her worst fears. Sheeha reached over and gently stroked her ears. "Would you allow me to open it for you Sorrel? I know this is going to be a very hard thing for all of you. I would be honored if you allowed me to help you." Sorrel's hand was shaking as it hovered over the bundle and she had to really think about the offer. She finally lowered her hand to the pouch. "Thank you for the offer Sheeha but I am the senior mate and this is my job." She looked up at Sheeha and glanced at Nasha before looking back at the bundle. Sheeha gave her a slight nod and moved back over to Nasha and curled an arm around her. Her free hand was stroking her hair and ears to try and comfort her. When Nasha leaned into Sheeha she started purring at Nasha. There wasn't much to see and all of them could smell Jim's sweat on the clothes and knew they were his. Sorrel finally unfolded the shirt that was on the outside till she got to the middle. Lying inside was the bonding necklace, sub-chieftan necklace, and his warrior totem. The one thing not there was his axe and sheath. Tears started flowing from all four of them and each howled, chattered, or roared in agony. Nasha turned to Sheeha and wrapped her arms around her and really cried. She had known that Jim was dead when he didn't come back. Even though she knew that she had family support from Sorrel and Nora not to mention Sheeha she was still terrified by what his loss meant for them. Moran moved over to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her as she cried. While she was crying he was murmuring gentle words of comfort to her. It was the best he could do at the moment. What was going to be hard to deal with for the ladies was not having his body to return to the spirits. They would burn something that was symbolically Jim but it just wasn't the same. As Moran was comforting Sorrel Sheeha gently urged Nasha away and moved between her and Nora. Since the chairs were so close she could easily wrap her arms around both of them. She took several minutes to comfort them before she sighed and stood up. "Chief Moran I wish to inform you that I am with child. Yim is the father and we were going to tell you before the festival started. I have already decided that I am going to stay with the tribe along with Alon. You and the ladies are his family and he does not wish to be separated from you." The chief stood up and gave her a slight smile and nod for breaking the news now. They, Jim's family needed the good news. It would help offset the bad news of loosing Jim. "Thank you for informing me Sheeha of the Puma tribe. Do you wish to send a message to Chief Piquel?" She nodded at him. "I will take care of it." Sheeha was going to send the message to the chief but she wasn't going to say everything. The most important was to let him know that Jim was missing. She didn't want to relay the message about his death by message. It was something that had to be done in person. The two males had bonded extremely well over the five years Jim had been on this world. Due to that she needed to tell him face to face. Moran and Sheeha comforted the others for several minutes. "Come Nasha and Nora. I will groom you and give you a massage to help you relax. If you need to sleep for a while I will take care of the kids and other things." Nasha slowly stood and leaned into Sheeha's hug and let her slowly led her out of the tent. Once outside Nora was pulled into an embrace as well and Sheeha started to comfort her. As they were slowly walking to the caravan a number of people noticed the lowered ears and tails. It was already known that Jim was missing but looking at them it was even worse. Till it was made official they couldn't really do anything or show anything. Once Jim was listed as gone to the ancestors then they could give gifts and sympathy. When they walked into the tent they found several of the children there waiting. Sheeha shook her head at them before taking the two women to chairs and sitting them down. Moran showed Sorrel in right after the others and with a slight nod left. He wanted to stay but they had a great deal of work left to do. Tonight was the pyre fires for the dead. Sorrel lowered her ears even further and gave the children a tear filled look. "The Chief just informed me that Jim is no longer classified as missing. They found his cloths and jewelry but no body similar to the enemy. He is going to be listed as having gone to the ancestors." All the children looked shocked though they had, the older ones, expected this when he didn't come back. Alon had run over to Sheeha when she had come in and had clung to a leg. Once Sorrel informed them about his Poppe Jim he looked up at Sheeha before letting go. It was hard but he stood up straight and walked over to Sorrel. "Momma Sorrel I will do my best to protect all of you like Poppe Yim did." As he was talking one hand was on the knife Jim had given him on his last birthday. Sorrel watched Alon coming over to her and noticed how he acted. When he told her he was going to do his best to protect them like Jim did she almost grinned. He was being serious when he said that though and she wouldn't shame him like that. To her it showed just how much Jim had impacted on the children. Instead she knelt down and wrapped her arms around him and gave him a good hug. "Thank you Alon for the offer and it means a great deal to me. To ensure you know what you need to protect us make sure you listen to what Sheeha and the other momma's tell you." She gave him one more hug before standing up. Sheeha definitely had a proud look on her face when Alon had come over to comfort Sorrel and the other ladies. There was also a tenderness showing for the boy as well. He might not be hers but as far as she was concerned he was. "Come here Alon." She knelt down and when he did she gave him a good hug. "I am so proud of you young man and I know that Poppe Yimmy would be as well. Chief Piquel would be pleased as well and when we meet up with the pride I will take you to him. You can inform him of your decision." Alon leaned into the hug and had to sniffle for a few minutes. "I miss my Poppe Auntie Sheeha. I want him back." As he started sobbing she picked him up and held him close. She glanced around the tent and it looked like Nasha was about to fall asleep as well. She had lost a brother in the attack as well Jim. "Nasha would you mind curling up with Alon? He has been trying so hard and I am so proud of him but he is tired and could use a good hug and someone to hold him while he cries." Alon had his arms around her neck by now and his face pressed against her shoulder. He listened to Sheeha but didn't want to admit he was really sleepy. "I will curl up with Nasha and hold her while she gets a nap. That is what Poppe Yim would do." World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 01 Nasha, as sad as she was, almost had to smile at the boy since he had come up with a good reason for her to hold him. She stood up and walked over to Sheeha and took Alon from her. "Thank you for trying to comfort me Alon. I do feel the need to go and lay down for a short while." She carried him to the adult's tent and settled on the bed and curled up with him. She tucked her nose in his hair and lay there relaxing before falling asleep. Alon followed very quickly after her. ~~~ Back at Moran's caravan Nang was waiting for him to come back. When he did she stood and smiled at him. "I know you are busy Chief Moran but I need a few minutes of your time please. This should only take a few minutes." Moran paused and gave her a good look and then gave a sharp nod. He could tell she was doing the Mystic thing and not just here for a general conversation. "Not a problem Mystic. I have as much time as you need. Would you please come into my caravan?" He turned and called one of his staff over. "Get the Mystic and me something cool to drink and let it be known I am consulting with her." He helped her up the stairs into his caravan. Nang smiled at him and didn't bother asking him to use her name. It was pointless since he wouldn't and she knew that. It still felt rather silly to be called Mystic instead of her name though. "Thank you Chief and I appreciate it." She allowed him to help her up the stairs and settled in one of the chairs and waited for him to come in as well. "So how can I help you Mystic?" Moran settled down across from her and ran a hand through his hair briefly. Nang pulled a small pouch out and handed it to him. "When you burn the log for Jim ensure this is tied to it." She didn't say anymore because she was supposed to be cryptic. That and she had no clue what it was actually for. She had been told to make it and that was it. Nang had been told to take it to the senior shaman for a ritual blessing as well. Moran took the small leather pouch from her and looked at it. "Might I ask what is in it or what it is for?" He wasn't going to hold his breath waiting on an answer. She gave him a slight smile. "You may ask Chief as is your right." Nang didn't say anything else and she almost laughed when he rolled his eyes and gave her a patient sigh. Just for good measure he glowered at her. "Fine I will bite, what is in it and what is it for?" The old mystic used to do things like that as well. Moran was sure he did it occasionally just for amusement value. She kept the slight smile on her face as she replied. "As far as what is inside it there is a small power stone and some herbs. As far as what it is for I don't have the faintest idea. I was told how to make it and what to do with it. Nothing else." Moran went from a glower to a glare. "You did that just to annoy me didn't you? You could have simply told me up front but you didn't know. No you had to make a production out of it and make me work for it." Mentally he was snickering though. Nang widened her smile a slight bit. "I would never do such a thing Chief. The annoy and amusement part that is. It is the job of the Mystic to help others open their mind and use it. That is all I did." Just for good measure she winked at him. The drinks were carried in at that point. She thanked the male for the drink. "Well that was all I needed Chief. Is there anything else or might I leave you to your business?" Moran took a drink and smiled at her. "That is all I need since you are the one that came to talk to me. Now you can go back to your caravan and practice being inscrutable with your mate." She snickered at him. "I do that already. Where do you think I learned it? It keeps him guessing which keeps me in control. It is a female skill you know. Confuse the poor male and then take the reins." Once she had finished the drink she thanked him for his time and left. Moran shook his head and sat there for a few minutes before standing up and tucking the pouch into a small drawer in his desk. He would check on the status of the ritual log for Jim and ensure it was tied on before it went to the fire. As far as what it was for he didn't bother wondering since the spirits hadn't told Nang that. ~~~ That evening Dan and Nang were sitting with Jim's family. With Nang's permission he was comforting Sorrel on one of the low couches they used. Nang was sitting with Nora and as usual Sheeha was with Nasha. Dan had to wonder about their relationship since they seemed so different. In the short time he had known Nasha he had concluded she was a gentle soul and very sensitive. Sheeha was almost brash and challenging in her actions. She was a Puma and her pride in that showed. However when it came to Nasha she was very gentle and caring with her. Sorrel was definitely the senior mate and it showed. The other two looked up to her for advice when needed and to support her when needed as well. Nora was somewhat harder to define. He could tell that she cared for Jim a great deal but it was different than the other two. After contemplating it for a while he had finally decided it somehow related to Tonya. Now thinking about Tonya she was curled up in his lap snoring quietly. Allie and Ana were curled up with Saulo and Farion. They seem to be working on becoming close friends with a possibility of it developing into something more. That was something Dan had to strongly think on. Coming from where they had, for obvious reasons, sleeping with and or mating with a furry person never crossed his mind. Also when he thought furry it was literally that, they had fur and not the people in fur suits. At least he had a number of years to come to terms with the idea. Most of the little kids were in bed at the moment sleeping as best possible. The four older kids would be scattered amongst them for comfort as needed. Sheeha finally looked at Sorrel. "Nasha needs to talk to you Sorrel. It is very important to her so she chose to talk to you after the littles went to bed." As Sheeha was talking Nasha's ears lowered even more and she looked rather shy and embarrassed. She knew that Sorrel would listen and would help as much as possible but it was very hard to talk about. Sorrel contemplated the other woman and stood up before walking over to her and settling down next to her. She wrapped an arm around her and gave her a good hug. "What do you need Nasha? How can we help you?" She deliberately used the term 'we' to bring all of women in the tent together to support her. Nasha's fingers were working the material of her shirt in distress. "I... I... I know this is a bad time for all of us with the loss of our mate but I don't have a choice but to ask." Her voice was small when she talked. Before saying anything else she looked at Sheeha. Sheeha gave her a good hug and started purring even more to encourage her. "It is a hard time for all of us lovie but you need to take care of family right? That is why we are all here. It is for us to hold you and support you as well as you holding and supporting us. Believe me I am helping you as I am because it helps me keep a grip on things." For a moment the person behind her eyes was the young woman she was and not the confident active feline she normally was. Nasha looked in Sheeha's eyes and leaned in and hugged her back. She turned to Sorrel. "As you know one of my brothers was killed. He was the provider for his mate and child. Because she is from a different pack she doesn't have family as such in my pack. They will take care of her but it will end up similar to when Alon came to us. I am not asking to bring her into the family so much as to allow her to stay with us till she finds another mate or her child is old enough for her to really start working again." Sorrel listened carefully before nodding her understanding of the situation. "I will need to talk to my father about this since it will require the tribe to support her. That is a drain on resources no matter how small but I am sure that father will consider this and make the correct decision. Once he does that we will discuss this as a family on how to handle her and her son. For now it is time for all of us to go to bed." She stood and stretched before pulling Nasha up and wrapping her arms around her and heading towards the bedroom. ~~~ The funeral pyres ended up needing to be put off one more evening but it had to be done that night. As per the tribes laws the remains needed to be burned to free the spirit. The practical reason was as warm and humid as it was the bodies tended to decompose rapidly. The smell alone would necessitate the removal or burning but disease was even a more practical reason. Chief Moran had received the news that everything was ready, the pyres were built, the bodies prepared, the log for Jim carved. He sent the message that the pyres would be lit that evening. As the day progressed the mood became even more somber. All work was being done as quietly as possible and conversation was sparse. Nobody felt much like talking due to the shock and horror. It was also because the families of the killed were dealing with that not to mention what had caused it. The weapons used were so outside their knowledge and experience had made the men almost god like. He had done his best with Dan and Bear to explain that they were simply man made devices. They were neither good nor bad till actually used. The weapon was still neither good nor bad but could be used for evil. At the moment he was sitting at Jim's caravan with his granddaughter on his lap. She was curled up in a small furry ball and sleeping. Sorrel was settled next to him and he had his arm around her and she was sleeping as well. None of the women had been sleeping well and it showed. Nasha looked worse than the others since she had lost someone as well. At the moment she was curled up on a cushion with her head in Sheeha's lap. Since Nasha wasn't asleep and simply resting Moran cleared his throat. "Nasha I have contemplated your request and as long as their pack leader doesn't have a problem they can come with the tribe. The one thing I am going to stipulate is that you take responsibility for them which would be expected anyways. Talk to your fellow ladies and decide how you wish to handle this and then come to me." Nasha sat up when he called her name. At first she was concerned by what he had to say but by the time he was done she was crying again. It wasn't the howls that all of them had let out, just tears flowing down her cheeks. "Thank you Chief and I will talk to the others tomorrow about it." He gave her a nod and looked out at the sky. It was getting close to time for the pyres to be lit. "Shall we go? Nasha you will accompany me as well since one is your brother. Sorrel and Nora since Jim was their mate. You are as well but in this case the relative takes priority. Once you have taken care of lighting his fire come and join us and all of us will light Jim's pyre." She nodded and went and gathered up their pups. One she handed to Sheeha and the other she tucked into a carrier. As she was doing that the rest were getting ready as well. The children would be at the front of the tribe members there for the ceremony. Dan and Nang came over as well as their two girls. As he greeted the chief the girls went over to Farion and Saulo to help with the littles. Once everyone was ready they stepped out of the tent and at the very end was the female Inu and her son. Everyone slowly walked to the pyres and split off to their designated spots. Bear was standing with the senior Shaman as the ceremony started. They called to the spirits of the compass points, the sun and moon as well as the Bear. The Shaman for the pack did much the same for their fallen. Once all the calls to the spirits were made the two Chief's stepped forward. Both raised their arms and all noise stopped. "As our Shaman's have called on the spirits we also call on the spirits. We call on the spirit of forest and earth. They represent life and birth and we call on them to take the spirits of the fallen, comfort them till it is time for them to rejoin the circle of life." Both said that at the same time. When they lowered their hands the song smiths and singers stepped forward. They started with Jim's song before moving on to two others. Once they were done they stepped back into the shadows and the torches were lit. As the family members stepped forward and stuck the torches into selected spots the crowd started mourning the lost. Nang stood there with her eyes closed with Dan's arms around her. For the moment her grief was put away as she worked to understand what was going to happen when the fire reached the pouch. When it did she felt a surge of power and when she opened her eyes they were glowing. She didn't know that but a number of people did and could only stare. As the fire consumed Jim's log it reached the strings to the pouch and burned through them. The pouch slid off the log and directly into the inferno below. When the fire hit it there was the flare of power Nang had felt and the sparks started swirling around till it formed a glowing shape of a bear. The bear roared his anger. From the forest there were a number of return growls and roars. After glancing around the Bear's eyes settled on Moran's. "My warrior has been taken from me. Vengeance is mine." He roared again and the flames of the fire flared up. Within moments the pyre was done and the shape was gone. ~~~ She walked into the room and smiled as she glanced around. It was always subtly different each time she was here. It was a way to keep things fresh and new not to mention that he knew she liked the little things like that. To her it showed that he cared for her and their time together. No they weren't mates and had other lovers but they had always enjoyed spending time together. While she waited for him to show she walked to one window and looked out over the lush and green jungle. It was one of her favorite views in the room and the scent of life was simply luscious. After several minutes she moved to another window. This one showed a scene from a city that didn't exist anymore. Though it looked to be bustling if you looked carefully you could see that some of the people were treated with great fear. After again watching for a few minutes she moved to the third window which looked out over her world. It was night time but the lights of the city glowed and lit up the night. Looking out over her world she was saddened by the actions of some of the people. She had wrested control of the world from her father by tossing him into the darkness where he belonged. For too long he had treated the people as playthings. He greatly enjoyed watching the little beings fighting for scraps from his table though they didn't realize it. She needed to correct the balance but that was going to take time and it was going to be hard on the people when it happened. She sighed before leaning back into his arms. She had felt him come in as she was looking out the window. His arms wrapped around her and held her in a snug embrace. When he leaned forward she turned her head and collected a kiss from him. She could feel his desire and hers but that had to wait. "Before we can relax we have to decide what to do about this issue." He sighed as well before nibbling on her ear for a moment before stepping back. He captured one of her hands and led her over to a low table and helped her down on a cushion. On the table were several trays of delights that she loved. There was also a pot of coffee for her and tea for him. "How you can stand that abominable stuff I have never been able to understand." He wrinkled his muzzle at her. She laughed as she was adjusting the coffee to her taste. "That is because you have been corrupted by that watery stuff you call tea." She reached over and stroked his cheek and one ear before she looked serious. "You know why I am here. There is an unexpected temporal disturbance. I have checked my sources and even talked to The Doctor and we need to resolve this soon. If we don't it will have grave consequences for both our worlds and our peoples." He settled down next to her and fixed his tea as she was talking and nodded. For a brief moment he wondered who this doctor she had talked to was but dismissed it from his mind. "You are right I have felt the ripples from that unexpected death. It has to be righted and as you said soon. How do you propose to do this?" He had already put a few things in place and she knew he would have but it was only polite to ask. She gave him a warm look. "I have felt your touch on your world very recently and the surge of power in the void. We need to create a similar surge from my world. Once they combine the resolution will start. I don't have any idea how it will be resolved since some things are hidden to us as well." As she was sipping her coffee she was giving him a look through her eyelashes. It showed him how interested in some things she was. He smiled when she told him she had felt what he had started. "And I tried so hard to be subtle and make you work for knowing what I had done." He pretended to sigh and look sad. He had most definitely noticed the look in her eyes and damn it but he didn't feel like waiting. "So when are you going to create the surge from your world?" Then they could get down to business. She finished the cup of coffee and stood up. As she was walking towards the bed her robes started to fall off. "Come my lover and I will show you..." His eyes started glowing with his desire. When he stood and walked towards her his robes fell off as well. He gathered her lovely body into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I have a feeling I will enjoy this schooling..." ~~~ Please remember to vote and comment. It makes an author happy when people do that. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 02 A voice came from the center of the brightness, "Where am I? Who am I? What am I?" The voice was almost emotionless yet there were hints of loss and pain. The voice started asking other questions but they made no sense. All there was to see was an endless ocean of a golden light. Finally the voice spoke one last time, "Who are you? Can you tell me what and where I am?" The young boy bolted upright in his bed and was heavily sweating. His body was shivering though he was coated in sweat from that damn dream. It had started when he was just a hatchling and came and went through the years. Now that he was close to his minority it seemed to be getting stronger. The voice had never asked who he was before and that terrified him a great deal. As he stumbled out of bed and over to a side table that had a large pitcher of water and a bowl for washing in. He splashed some water on his face and the downy feathers covering his head and felt some relief. The water was cool which felt good against his sweaty skin. Once he was done with that he poured a glass of water and quickly drank it down to slake his thirst. He stopped to look in the mirror and his eyes were haunted and terrified at the same time. His father had taken him to the Augers and mystics concerning the dreams. They had all taken a look and were unable to say much more than it was real, the voice that was. Why it was talking to him he wasn't sure but there was some sort of connection between the two of them. His father hadn't been all that pleased about not getting an answer and had even gutted one Auger that had angered him. As the Auger lay dying it gave a cackling laugh. "You are cursed to see your empire fall apart evil man. All that you have wrought will be laid low before you die and all because you think you are better than the fates and gods and goddesses." He was still cackling as the breath left his broken body. His father had ordered the body be taken to the jungle and left for the predators after removing the eyes and manhood. By removing the eyes it was thought that the wronged spirit couldn't see their way back. By emasculating the corpse it was thought to render the spirit impotent and unable to cause problems from the afterlife. All the boy had gotten out of watching his father was revulsion at the act. Augers and Mystics were sacrosanct and to lay hand on one was a curse of its own. To kill one as his father had was a second and much stronger curse. He had to wonder if this was the work of the curse, bringing the bodiless voices to him. It kept asking the same thing over and over. It would change once in a while when it would speak in a different language. He assumed that it was much the same though. What was he supposed to do with it or about it? What did it mean? He knew his father was cursed since he hadn't had any children since killing the Auger. That and things just seemed to happen around him such as his heavy throne chair breaking when he sat in it for a critical ceremony to welcome the rains. Small pieces of his empire were starting to split off and as soon as he quashed one rebellion another started. This was making his father angry, angry enough to make rash decisions and declarations. His father had always been a hard man but in his own way a just man. Now he was ruthless and saw nothing but enemies trying to take him down. Now that he had calmed down some he crawled back into bed and hoped that the dream wouldn't come again. ~~~ Everyone could only stare at the smoldering remains of the funeral pyre for Jim. The others were still burning but Jim's was almost down to ashes. Several of the shamans staggered from the sudden surge of energy and then the removal of the energy. Nang shuddered slightly and was glad when Dan wrapped his arms around her and supported her. Moran looked at the senior Shaman and Nang. It was obvious both were exhausted and needed to be taken to bed. "Dan take the Mystic to her caravan and tuck her in. I will ensure some warm fortified drinks are brought." He looked over at Thomas. "Call for several carry chairs and take the shamans who collapsed to their caravans or tents. Ensure they are tucked in as well and drinks will be brought." "Yes Chief." Both said. Dan picked Nang up and turned to carry her back to the caravan. As he started walking their girls followed behind since they were concerned as well. Thomas went for help with the chairs and soon the shamans were taken away as well. He followed the senior shaman to the main caravan of his and ensured he was tucked in as well. Farion and Saulo took the littles back to the tent since it was starting to get late and they needed to go to bed. They had just reached the tent when Ana and Allie came over. "Come on girls, I will take you to the privacy tents and then we will tuck you in." Ana collected them and led them off to the tents. One thing she did like was the paths were all lighted by the power stones. Other than the fire in the kitchen they didn't have to deal with any sort of sooty or resinous odor hanging around. That and they didn't have to worry about fire nearly as much. Eventually they had all the littles tucked in and Allie and Ana were curled up amongst them. Both boys had settled down next to the girls and wrapped their arms around them for comfort. Eventually everyone was asleep. They were asleep enough that when the adults came in they didn't wake. Soon the entire camp was relatively silent as others went and fell asleep as well. The sound of crickets and other insects lulled them to sleep and everyone slept soundly for the first time since the attack. ~~~ In the adults tent the three women had settled down with something to drink. It had some alcohol in it since they all felt they needed some, well except for Sheeha. Now that she was pregnant she had mellowed a great deal. All of them were discussing the meaning of the Bear Totem appearing in Jim's funeral pyre. Sheeha was sitting behind Nasha and was giving her hair and back a good brushing as she listened. Nasha finally spoke. "Did we actually see that? I have never seen or heard of anything like that before. Do you think the Shaman or Mystic has any idea of why he showed up?" She wasn't going to get her hopes up that it might mean Jim was alive. Sorrel took a sip of her drink and as she was thinking her tail and ears twitched some. "I don't know but whatever happened took a toll on them. Even if they know they might not be able to tell us or we might have to wait till they wake up." She wanted to know what it meant as badly as the others. Nora was nibbling on one claw as she was listening. "Well he was most definitely seriously pissed off. I can't think of the last time I heard of a spirit animal appearing. It honestly has me concerned. What if it means that it still isn't over? What if whoever they are might be back?" That was her concern. Nasha shuddered at that idea. "I hope not. What they have done is bad enough. I can't even imagine what they might end up doing next time if they did." Her relative was sitting there as well though she wasn't saying anything. To be honest she was still very traumatized by what had happened. "I do want to know what happened to Yimmy though." Sheeha purred lightly while giving Nasha a good hug. "All done Nasha now for your turn." She moved over to the other Inu and gently started working on her hair and back. "I wish Yimmy was around so he could see our baby when he is born. I wish he could be there when I introduce him to the Pride and Chief Piquel." Her ears lowered as she was talking and she had to pause for a moment as she was grooming the other lady. Sorrel gave Sheeha a sad smile. "I know hun and I wish he was here as well and not just for that." As she was talking she was playing with her mating necklace. "I talked to father and we are officially in a period of mourning for the next six months. We won't, or shouldn't, have to worry about any random tribe member trying to mate with us. I appreciate that since I am not going to even consider any other male getting any of Yim's property. Mind you if he is dead and doesn't come back and you do find someone you wish to mate with nobody will have a problem with it. That we will deal with down the road." Nasha sighed. "Somehow I am not worried about that for a few years at all. I don't know if any other man can fill my heart the way Yimmy did." Keirei started fussing so Nasha picked her up and started nursing her. They continued talking about the meaning of the spirit animal showing up. They also discussed how they wanted to handle the kids and jobs now that Jim was gone. It was a long discussion and everyone was tired when they finally went to bed. ~~~ The tech was staring at the monitors in front of him and was not happy. He had been tasked with testing some blood and tissue samples and seeing if who they belonged to could be identified. The samples were from several crime scenes over the years. What was bothering him was he had one sample from 2000, another from 2014 or so and another from 2024. That didn't bother him since he had seen similar results before. What bothered him was the sample from 2024 was showing to be from a younger person than the one from 2014. The one from 2000 was from a younger person than the other two. The problem was they were out of order. There was simply no way the sample from 2000 could be from an older individual than the one from 2014 and 2024. Well unless he was a time traveler and they didn't exist. He finally correlated all the data and sent it over the encrypted network to his senior with a note explaining that he had a feeling the samples had been labeled wrong. Once he was done he shut down his workstation and ensured everything was turned off and left for the night. His job was done. As he was walking out to his vehicle the results were really bothering him. He knew that till he had some sort of answer it would be an itch in the back of his mind. The worst part was the telomeres were what was giving the approximate age of the person. Those didn't lie in any way since they shortened with each cell division. His wife was going to be seriously annoyed with his grumpy attitude but sometimes it just happened. ~~~ The tribe had ended up staying at the ceremonial location for close to two weeks while the worst of the injured either grew stronger or were released from life. Dan hadn't understood that at first till he had considered it and talked to Moran. If a tribe member was too ill it was their choice to remove the strain from the tribe or their family. They would take the long sleep and once gone treated as were all others if not more respect for their decision. There were three more pyres before the two groups separated. Dan was looking over the camp area and had to sigh. They had performed the ceremonial dance and party but it had been quiet since the attack had been so recent. Even now at two weeks the mood of both groups was quiet and reticent. He really hoped that once they moved on to the next stopping area things would improve. "Nang, Sorrel it looks like everything on the caravan's are secured. Sorrel would you mind checking Nang's caravan with me just to make sure?" Nang was also in the process of giving the caravan one last check inside to ensure everything was secured for the move. From what she had seen they didn't actually move al that fast but the terrain was still bumpy at times. Since securing things didn't take that long she didn't see any reason not to take care of it. "Looks good in here Dan, everything is secured and the clean clothes have been stowed." Dan nodded and walked over and helped her out before giving her a good hug and kiss. "Sorrel is going to take a look to ensure the tent and external items are secured. I am going to make sure the girls are ready for the move." Nang wrapped her arms around Dan's neck and returned the kiss. "I think someone just wants to go and play with the kids and avoid work." She smirked at him as she leaned against his chest. "Go have fun Dan and I will watch the caravan for us." He growled at her. "Darn woman I am trying to be serious and take care of our girls and you are making jokes. I will get even with you later or else..." He was laughing as he goosed her and jumped back before moving towards the other caravan. As he approached Pam came over to him and gave him a light hug. "We are almost done with the artist's tent and I decided to check in and see how Sorrel and company are doing. They need all the help they can get with all the kids." Dan returned the hug and gave her a quick glance and she seemed to be doing well. She was looking more energetic and content. "Well having a dozen or more kids can have a few drawbacks. I know for a fact that having two girls is hard enough at times but a dozen boys and girls? Jim must have been a masochist." Since Allie had been approaching he had made sure she heard that and her eyes narrowed and kicked his leg. "And fathers are meanies. Just for that you don't get your morning hug." She stuck her tongue at him and stomped off. Sheeha snickered at the interaction. "Warrior Dan you shouldn't tease like that. It is just mean." She was holding one of Jim's babies as she was talking. Her abdomen was still as flat as it had ever been since she wasn't going to be showing for another month or so. Dan snickered and reached over and tickled her ears. "Nah, if I didn't tease them they would give me worried looks. I did that once just to see what they would do and they finally went to Nang and asked what was wrong." He scratched his beard and gave a wry grin. "When I told Nang it was a test to see what they would do I ended up on the couch for a week. For some reason none of them found it funny." They all snickered and he continued towards Jim's caravan and pitched in with the final packing after getting a morning hug from Ana and Allie. By the time they were done the vast majority of the tribe had packed up as well. Since he and Nang had discussed it he went and searched out Nasha and her sister. This caravan was already packed to the rafters and adding two more was going to strain it. Dan finally found Nasha as she was helping Deliah pack up her things. "Morning Nasha Nang asked me to come and speak to the two of you. I am not sure what the thoughts on this are but she wanted to know if Deliah and her little boy would like to ride on our caravan, or at least Deliah since Jim's caravan is already packed." Nasha looked at him and then Deliah and shrugged. "It would be up to her but I have to admit that it would help the crowding problem. Some of the older kids are going to be helping in the other caravans as well." She made a wry face. "To be honest we almost need a trailer caravan to pack some of the stuff in or even better a second caravan." Dan snorted at her. "I had never thought of Jim as a patriarch of a family before. I have to admit he was doing a darn good job but it just doesn't seem like him." He stroked both Inu's ears in the way that he had learned was comforting for them. "I have to go but if you would like to ride with even part of the time Deliah simply go to our caravan and let Nang know." With a goodbye wave he left and headed towards the warrior's caravan to find out what he was going to be doing. ~~~ The boy had actually slept decently the last few days and was feeling more positive. Whatever the voice was it had been quiet though he knew it wouldn't remain that way. It was the curse caused by his father. Till he could figure out how to break the curse he was just going to have to live with it. With that in mind he had tossed himself into his studies. As a side benefit his father approved of it and that gave him a few more perks such as better food. He had also been spending time in the library early in the morning and late at night. He did not want his father or his main advisors finding out what he was searching for. If they did it would end badly for him since at the very least his father would have the skin and tissue whipped from his back. When he was done his bones would be all that was left to see. At worst he would be flayed alive and his skin hung from the rafters of the great hall. How he wished he had an adviser or guardian he could trust. There was no way he could trust anyone from here. It simply wasn't possible since his father and his warlocks had fingers everywhere. What he needed was someone that had no ties to this country. Someone who couldn't be corrupted or twisted by his father or his minions, someone who he could actually trust. When he walked into his room he looked at his slave. "Draw a bath for me and get my bed clothes and bed ready. I am going to sleep once I am out." That was another institution his father started that he hated. He also hated that he had to act harsh towards them when they messed up even slightly. With a sigh he settled in a chair to wait for the hot water to be drawn. When it sounded like the water was mostly drawn he stripped out of his cloths and left them in the chair for the slave. His pouch was hung on a hook next to his bed. It was keyed only to him and nobody else. When the slave came out and informed him the bath was ready he dismissed him and secured the door to his rooms before going into the bathing room. Once in the hot water he leaned back and relaxed since his muscles were aching. In addition to his normal training his father had added some personal weapons training as well. At least the master he had chosen was hard but not harsh or brutal. Some felt the best training method was teaching through pain. His master felt differently. He would use pain if he really screwed up or to make a point but only then. Eventually he climbed out and toweled off. After pulling on the night shorts he walked out to the bed and contemplated the pouch. There was one section he really wanted to read but frankly he was beat. He knew that as soon as he laid his head down he was a goner as far as sleep went. With a sigh he took a good drink of water and crawled into bed. As he had expected as soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep. Almost immediately the dream started again but it was different somehow. "Where am I? Tell me that at least. Tell me where I am so I can hopefully find my way home." The voice sounded more tired and lost and the glowing sea of light was starting to dim. "At least name me so I know who and what I am. For all I know I am simply a thought or figment of someone's imagination. With a name I can at least have something to take with me when I am gone. Give me that." The boy sighed since he really didn't know what to say or do for the voice. Should he tell the truth? Should he Name it? He simply didn't know and since he had just started researching dreams and visions. None of what he had found so far had mentioned anything about being able to interact with a vision. "Please anything, just say anything. Even if false just say something." The voice was whispering to him. The light was starting to dim even more as the voice was speaking. The boy could tell that the voice was running out of time. He had to make a decision now about if he was going to do anything or let it fade. As he was thinking an idea occurred to him, maybe this was the god's way of giving him and the people a second chance. A way to earn forgiveness if he tried hard enough to help whatever the voice was. "I don't know where you are or what this place is. I will name you though. The name I give you is Theik-Lekal which means Voice of Sorrow in my language." There was a burst of light and faintly he heard the voice. "Thank you for naming me and relieving me of this terrible longing. Thank you." The voice faded before the light burst happened again and everything faded. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 02 When the boy sat up in his bed he did it with a gasp. The sun was up and shining in the window across from his bed. His slave was pulling the curtains back and getting his clothing ready. "Good morning sir. I hope you slept well." "Reasonably well thank you." He rolled out of bed and stretched as he padded his way to the privacy room and took care of his morning business and splashed some water on his face. He didn't bother looking in the mirror since his slave would take care of making sure he looked good. With a slight shake of his body he stood tall and walked out. "Well time to get me ready for the day." It didn't take all that long for his slave to get him presentable. Once he was ready he grabbed his satchel and slung it before walking out of his rooms. His slave would take care of his rooms and have everything ready for the evening. When he was left alone in his rooms the boy ensured nothing of interest was left out. Everything was carried on him and as he made notes and updated what he had he destroyed the old notes. It was time consuming but necessary. Once he had finished eating he headed towards his tutors. The first part of his morning was always with the tutors as he learned history, laws, politics, and culture. By now he was well schooled in reading, writing, and mathematics. His favorite subjects dealt with science and alchemy. Currently he was adding reading the secured books in the library. He wanted to find out what that voice and place might be. "Good morning prince and shall we get started? Let me see your work from yesterday." The current tutor took the papers the boy handed him and did a quick look at them and nodded. "Looks good and I will give them a better review later." He was pleased that the boy had started to pay better attention to his studies. Of the son's of the leader this was by far the best and most intelligent. He rather hoped that he would survive to take the throne or the empire was probably going to fragment. Once he was done the next tutor came in and started the next set of lessons. His morning was filled with lessons till it was time for lunch. That he spent in the formal dining room with his father and brothers. The females were kept in a locked wing of the palace to ensure their purity till they were betrothed. They were used for binding ranking members of their empire as well as other empires. Since that was the way he had been raised he didn't question it. As he was sitting down he ignored the glares from his brothers since he was currently the favorite. This would change quite possibly as the others did better or worse or if he failed at some task or another. One thing they had been forced to adhere to was beyond bullying no physical attacks were allowed. He had seen a number of punishments for breaking that rule and they weren't pretty. After lunch was over then it was to the weapons trainers. They were having to modify the training since he was smaller and far more petite than his father and brothers. Rumor had it this was due to their mother not being his mother. Considering that his father was as faithful to his wife as a Luxom with its pack it was possible. Even though he didn't have the brute strength of his brothers or father but he was fast on his feet and learned very quickly. They were still trying to figure out the best weapon since a good portion of what they used were too heavy. Currently they were using a long kid's blade and a light set of armor and axe since that was one of the symbols of the empire. All of the sons were trained with the axe. Normally it was a heavy battle axe but he could barely lift the damn thing. Now wearing the silly kid's armor did annoy him but they were working on getting him some made just for him. Same went with the sword but the axe they were not sure what to do. A cut down battle axe would just look stupid. He was actually starting to enjoy the weapons work though it wasn't something he was going to really focus on. It did make him feel safer though not safe. It was never safe in this hell hole and hadn't been for some time. He sighed slightly since it had been getting progressively worse. When he was finished with the weapons training it was back to the library to do his homework. Now came the fun part, breaking into the locked cabinets and doing some more research. Eventually he finished there in the library, went to dinner, and then back to his rooms. He sent his slave out so he could do some 'studying' without interruption. He opened his satchel and pulled his items out and went back to the book he had wanted to study the night before. It was a book of prophesies from many years ago. There had been a reference to something similar to a glowing pool of light. He hadn't found anything about voices though and needed to do some additional research. ~~~ By the time they reached the next camping spot they had been moving for another two weeks. From what Dan could tell and from what he had heard about they tended to stay in one location for one to three months. It really depended on the foraging and hunting. The tribe had long since learned to replant what they used as far as root veggies, herbs, and other plant life. They had also learned to plant a number of odiferous plants around the plots they had created. This kept most of the foragers out of the plots so that when they came back there was usually lush growth. For Dan much of his day was spent training the warriors with fighting abilities as well as learning the tribe's style. He also helped train the women and children with defensive fighting in case they were caught away from the camp. It would hopefully help them survive till such time as they were found. Periodically at night he would also stand watches to keep wild animals away. All in all he was starting to enjoy the life the tribe lived. Nang was doing well also though the girls were having more of a problem. Most of that was related to the loss of the technology and their friends. At the moment Dan was standing at the entrance of their tent and looking out over the camp. They had arrived that morning and everyone was in the process of setting up. Unlike breaking down they had to do a moderate amount of work to get the camp up to par. It was things like trimming back branches, digging dirt out of post holes, and cutting back the grasses. It was obvious that they had been using this location for years and possibly decades. The majority of the caravan locations were predetermined and designed for a particular caravan. As he was looking out over the camp and watching the tribe members Nang came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She leaned against his back and sighed in contentment. He wrapped his arms around hers and gave them a good squeeze. "Hard to believe we have been over here for two months isn't it? I am rather liking it though I am missing my music." Nang snorted at him. "Poor baby, missing all the moldy old songs you listen to. I think your music tastes ossified back during the late 80's." She loved teasing him about that. Most of it was pretty decent but she much preferred music from her country. "I have to admit that it doesn't seem that long does it? The girls seem to be fitting in reasonably well. I do feel rather bad that they were torn from their old life and friends. For you and me settling down here would be a great retirement." She gave him a good squeeze before moving around in front and letting him wrap his arms around her. They were across from Jim's caravan and could see their girls helping out. "I feel odd knowing they are living over there but the caravan simply isn't large enough. Now that we will be here for a while we can see about expanding the tent." Nang nibbled on her lower lip before smiling. "We might need to consider expanding the caravan. Well I suppose building a new one that is larger. For just the two of us it works though snug. When I deliver there isn't room for the crib." She mentioned that in a very casual tone. Dan sighed. "I know but since we are helping take care of Jim's family and children I don't feel too bad. I suppose it is like having very close neighbors that might as well be family. Besides, though I will deny saying this, I think they are finding comfort from Saulo and Farion." When she mentioned delivering it was so casual he didn't catch it at first. "I have been considering getting a larger one and finding a new family that..." He twitched. "Excuse me but what did you say?" Nang snickered at him. "Well you might be an old man but certain parts are young enough... The spirits, forces, whatever you want to call them let me know I am about a month along." She was grinning big time when she mentioned that. "I do think it would be a good idea for you to start working on a new caravan don't you?" Dan muttered at her for shocking him that way. In revenge he trapped her arms and then started nibbling and kissing her neck. He was deliberately hitting her ticklish spots on her neck. "Shock me like that and you get punished. I will put you over my knee later and paddle you for good measure as well." He only did that for a few minutes. "I am pleased though the idea of taking 80 or so turns to raise a child is rather daunting. Heck dealing with them going through puberty for several years was bad enough." He turned her around and gave her a good kiss. "Love you lady and I am pleased." Nang squealed and laughed as she tried to avoid his nibbling but to be honest she was enjoying the moment of just them. "I can think of other ways to punish me Dan. We can talk about it when we go to bed." Nang let him turn her around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Love you to Dan." She gave him a good kiss before leaning against his chest. "I am too. I hope it is a boy so we can have a little Dan as well." ~~~ Bear was sitting in front of the caravan he had been provided. Since he was single it was a bachelor's caravan and had four males in it. It had four beds and drawers for their stuff as well as two small desks. He had to admit it had taken him several weeks to get used to sleeping around people again. That wasn't even mentioning that he was the only human in the caravan. That wasn't a problem other than getting used to fur everywhere and the odd scents from them. Since the caravan had been set up and they had performed the welcoming and cleansing ceremony upon arrival. Once that had been done the tribe started moving the caravan's in and setting up the camp. It had been an active day and there would be more to do in the morning. By tomorrow evening the majority of the camp would be set up and what was left was for the individuals. One of the males in the caravan came out and stretched. "I don't mind the traveling and I don't mind the staying in one place but I really hate the packing and unpacking. I really do not like having the fun of clearing the saplings and their stumps." He sniffed the air. "Stew again darn it. I know we just got here but I was really hoping for something different. You hungry Bear? I am going to have some stew and complain just for good measure." Bear snorted at him. "At least you don't have to worry about eating pemmican... Don't ask what it is since I would hate to ruin your meal." He grinned at him as he stood up and stretched. "Food does sound good even if it is stew. I just wish I had some of the spices and herbs from my world." They headed towards the food tents and met up with several more of the Shaman. One thing Bear liked was the Shaman weren't limited to males. Females could be Shamans as well since they didn't have medicine women as such. They had a separate healer group who took care of that aspect. When they were joined by several ladies one came over to Bear and settled down to walk next to him. Though she was simply trying to act friendly he was getting the 'would like a bit more' vibe from her. Not in a bad way but in an 'I am interested in you' way. He really wasn't sure what to make of it and wished Jim was still around to talk to. Granted he could go to the Chief or even Jim's ladies but they weren't from his world. Welsa smiled up at Bear and greeted him. "Ready for dinner and some relaxation afterwards? There is usually a dance after the meal. It isn't anything formal and mostly to celebrate making it to the next camp site. Would you like to go or do you plan on going?" She liked is appearance though as a human he had a very angular face. With the wrinkles and white hair there was so much character in his face. He had seen and experienced a great deal in his life and it showed. Bear cleared his throat. "I am most definitely looking forward to some food though I can't wait till we have something other than stew. It is good but after several weeks of it I could use a good steak and veggies. Some corn bread would be lovely as well but I haven't seen anything that looks or tastes like corn." When she asked about the dance he almost sighed. It had been long enough since his wife had passed on that he didn't feel guilty about a possible relationship. He simply wasn't sure what his thoughts were about getting into a relationship with a non-human. They were attractive and he could admit that but more than that? He simply wasn't sure how to feel about it. "I might. I am feeling my age though and if I do go I will probably relax to one side and let the youngsters have the fun." Other than the children the adults hadn't been there long enough for the world to affect their age and appearance. He wasn't feeling the aches as much but that was a relative term. She couldn't help but shake her head at him. "I know that we age differently but you aren't that old. I can tell you have many years ahead of you." Since Welsa could tell that he wouldn't be comfortable if she took his arm she simply walked next to him. "I do have to agree that as the night wears on the danced become more energetic. I do like to sit to the side and listen to the music as well as watch the younger generation. It reminds me of when I was younger." Bear had to snort at her. "In earth terms I am almost seventy years old and that is reasonably old. There I would have maybe ten or fifteen more years to look forward to. Here I really don't have any idea what my equivalent age would be." He contemplated asking her why she was interested in him but that was something to talk about in private. "People watching is fun I agree. Some nights Dan and I would hit a bar and simply watch and laugh at the younger people doing their thing." They continued talking as they walked into the cooking tent. ~~~ Pam was done setting up her section of the sleeping area for the Artists tent. It was sectioned off for the single artists and they had a reasonable sized bed, a small press for their clothing, and a desk for everything else they might need. Now that she had it the way she liked it Pam pulled the curtain over the opening shut. She had to admit she almost wished she had a more private area since it could get rather noisy at night. As far as sex there was very little privacy unless you lived in a caravan since everything else was cloth tents. She had slowly gotten used to the sounds at night and was able to sleep through most of them anymore. The communal baths didn't bother her much now that she had gotten used to them. It was still a bit odd but not uncomfortable or embarrassing now. Now that they were going to be in one location for a while she was going to see about getting to know a Squorrel she had her eye on. He was a nice gentleman and very intelligent as well. In some ways he made her think of Jeff her former husband. When she walked out of the tent she looked around and found he was leaning on a tent pole. Pam walked over to him and gave him a warm smile. "Are you going to dinner? I am starving and was wondering if you wanted to go with." The sun was still up though it couldn't be seen through the constant presence of the clouds. Since she had arrived there was only one evening she could remember seeing the stars. Kinnie smiled at her. "I was planning on it and was waiting for you. I have a feeling you might be interested in more than just eating and discussing art forms." He twitched his ears and tail when he said that. "If you would like we can go to the dance this evening and talk and get to know each other better. I would enjoy that." She blushed lightly and pretended to hide her face. "I feel so transparent now and I was hoping I was being subtle." Just because she put her arm around his and gave it a light squeeze. "That sounds lovely and I think I would enjoy it. I haven't danced since my husband died several years ago so you will have to show me." He let her tuck her hand around his arm and placed his other hand on it and squeezed lightly. "Not transparent Pam but Squorrels know this sort of thing. It is one of our skills if you want to call it that." When she mentioned her mate passing away he gave her hand an extra squeeze. "I am sorry you lost him. I would be more than happy to show you some of the dances. Please don't hesitate to ask me what questions you have. Very little will offend me when asked in honesty." Pam blushed slightly when he squeezed her hand. "I have to say you do have some lovely fur and it is so soft." She had to wink at him and smile slightly. "We can discuss your skills later on as well." She turned even pinker when she said that since she normally wasn't that forward. "I will and thank you. I hate to keep bothering Jim's mates since they are still in mourning." ~~~ Ana and Allie were sitting in Jim's tent and eating since the food had been brought over. They had pretty much gotten used to helping with the younger kids eat. Farion and Saulo were there as well helping. The mood in the tent was still pretty quiet and the three women were still mourning and it showed. Allie could tell that Jim had been the center of their world and especially Nasha. Sorrel was definitely the lead female and Nora seemed to be slightly more distant. It wasn't that she didn't love Jim so much as though she cared a great deal for him part of the reason she had mated with him was for Tonya. It gave the little girl a father figure to look up to and who loved her. Allie had to admit the little girl was darling even if she was mischievous. As far as the other children all of them were well behaved and polite. Farion was really nice and cute as well. She loved scratching his ears when they were relaxing and he seemed to enjoy it as well. Ana seemed to like Saulo as well though not quite in the way Allie was attracted to Farion. There were several other boys that interested her but for the moment she was content. From what she had seen once the kids hit sixty to sixty five years old they started forming relationships. They normally lasted maybe a turn or two before they moved on. They could be deep relationships but once they reached their majority they played the field. It wasn't expected for them to settle down right away and start a family since they were in training. While unplanned pregnancies did happen it wasn't the norm. If it did happen there wasn't any stigma since during heat they were very active and they didn't have birth control as she knew it. There was something that would encourage the female to get pregnant but nobody would talk about it. That rather confused her since sex was an open subject as far as she could tell. Tonight she was tired and was going to bed early. She was stronger than she had been before they had arrived but her endurance still wasn't what the other kids had. There was supposed to be a dance after dinner and chores were done but it wasn't going to happen for her. Chances were Ana wasn't going to go either. Ana was pretty much thinking the same thing about the dance. She was beat and she was going to bed shortly. As she looked around the room most of the younger kids were looking tired as well. They had arrived that morning and had spent the day working to set the tents up. Yes the jobs they were given were age appropriate but it was still tiring for them. Farion was probably going to the dance since this was stuff he was used to doing. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 02 When Sheeha came over and checked on the children she gave Ana and Allie a light hug. "I can give both of you a light massage if you would like. I am sure you are probably feeling worn and tired after all the work today." She liked the two girls even though they were fairly quiet. Both had an active sense of humor and a good outlook on life. Allie stretched and groaned. "I would absolutely not say no to that Sheeha. If I didn't get a massage this evening I would probably wake up as stiff as a board in the morning." Before Saulo could say anything she glowered at him. "Don't even off since I know you just want to get your hands on my body." Saulo looked at her and winked. "Of course I like giving you back massages. It means you have to return the favor and you have such skilled hands." He winked at her and Nasha lightly bopped him which made him grunt. "Momma Nasha I was teasing and you know it." He lowered his ears in embarrassment. Everyone laughed at that and returned to eating. ~~~ For the next week the boy didn't have any dreams and was actually sleeping very well. He was still being very careful with the reading and research he was doing. As he had been reading the old books and prophecies he had also come across several manuscripts. They were treatise on engineering, medicine, and advanced math. Those fascinated him and how he had wished he had found them sooner. Partially since they gave him a very good reason to be in the library but also because they interested him. Once he had found them he had almost torn the library apart to see what else they might have. As it ended up there wasn't a great deal more on those subjects. Most of the books were geography, history, laws, and boring fighting books. He carefully dropped a few hints on his interest with the subjects. It would have to be done over time but eventually his tutors would come to think it was their idea to include those subjects. Since he had that Saturday off he stayed up somewhat later reading another fascinating book. It was talking about something called a spirit guide or spirit helper. That was not something he had ever heard of before and contradicted the empire's official religion. It was frustrating since the book didn't define what a spirit helper was and he was almost out of books to read. Eventually he crawled into bed after ensuring the books were secured in his pouch. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep and when he did he was immediately drawn into the pool of light. This time there was a sense of identity in it. He assumed that it was related to his naming the voice. As he was contemplating the feel of the light the voice spoke again. "Thank you for naming me. It has given me identity but now I need purpose. Can you tell me what my purpose is?" The voice sounded stronger and less lost. There was still a longing as if something was still missing from the being. "Can you give me purpose?" The boy floundered at that. What sort of purpose could he give something from the beyond? Was this a spirit helper the book was talking about? If so how would it manifest? He couldn't exactly be followed around by a flame with a voice coming from it. That would get him killed as a witch in a matter of moments and the death would not be nice. "Are you a spirit helper?" When the boy asked that there was a subtle surge in the flame and he could almost see a glowing set of eyes. They were staring hard at him which terrified him. There was a vague shape but he didn't recognize it at all. All he could tell was it had a vague animal shape to it and it was a very large animal. When the voice responded there was a subtle change to it. "Yes I am." "Then your purpose is to guide me as I grow so I can save my people." There was a surge of energy and a growl from what was changing to golden red flames. "I claim you, Zephra Slan Perskia of the Zetheron, as the destroyer of my child. I geas you to obey his commands and to learn from him. Change your ways or you will perish in the most horrible way possible, your spirit will be removed from the father god's list and cast into the void to never return. As a sign of your purpose you will be marked when you wake. Search for my reborn child and protect him from all and you might survive this curse." By the time the voice was done speaking it was a definite roar. Zephra shrunk back in fear since he knew not what this being was speaking of. "Who are you and how will I know your child?" His voice was as firm as he could make it though it was weak and shaky. It wasn't everyday he was threatened like this. "I am the Bear and you will know him by the matching sign he will have. Now go and find him." The boy was flung out of the flames and when he woke up his body was twitching and aching. On his chest he felt a burning sensation. When he looked he found a black marking that had a stylized animal head in full roar. There were some other markings but he didn't know what they meant. ~~~ The man landed with a thump on his feet. The moment his feet hit the ground he squatted down and looked around. When he realized he was in a forest he relaxed since he had good cover. After looking around for several minutes he finally stood and glanced at his body. On his feet were laced on sandals, a short leather skirt secured by a wide leather belt that had a pouch on one side and a heavy dagger on the other. Over his chest he had a snug leather vest and over his shoulder was a baldric that he found contained an axe in it. Theik-Lekal adjusted the axe and checked his surroundings. He knew that he needed to find someone though he had no idea who it was. All he knew was that he was being drawn in a certain direction and he had to go that way to find whatever was drawing him. With one last look around he picked up a bag that was on the ground next to him and stepped out onto a road that was close by and started walking along it. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 03 Theik-Lekal glanced both directions on the hard dirt surface he stepped on and turned in the one that was calling him. He didn't know why he was being called in that direction but something was. Based on the sun's position it was early in the day and he had plenty of time to travel. He slung the bag of supplies, or so he assumed, over his other shoulder and made sure it was settled properly. As he was heading down the road his cool steel gray eyes was scanning the other travelers and made mental notes. For some reason he felt that something wasn't quite right but why he couldn't place it. As his eyes were scanning he noticed Squorrels, Inu's, Caldrons and even a few Zethron's. There were a number of guardsmen as well. They did catch his attention since the people were all careful to avoid them and clear their path. That spoke of not just respect but fears as well and that was not a good indicator. As he continued walking he also noticed that there were very few weapons showing as well. The vast majority were small daggers and such. Thankfully his axe was fairly obviously a regular axe and nothing else. Yes it could be used as a weapon but most would look at it as a tool. Now the heavy knife on his belt was obviously a weapon due to the size and weight. The rest of his gear didn't look strange and shouldn't stand out. Because of this, what was going to mark him as sticking out was his tendencies to act like what he was, a warrior. That was going to be hard for him if the soldiers wandering around started trying to push him around or others. He was going to have to fight against his instincts since he couldn't protect everyone. Moving along he was making good time since he was keeping to the side of the road. By the time the sun was high he was starting to get hungry but he hadn't seen any inns or stopping places. He decided he was going to move some into the jungle since he needed to look in his bag. Another reason was because he wanted to try and find anything that might tell him who he was. Yes he had a name but that was it. How he knew everything he did he wasn't sure since he didn't remember anything beyond waking up this morning. The only other thing he knew was something was pulling him to the east. What was in the east he didn't know and that concerned him. Once he was off the road and in a spot that was relatively isolated he pulled off most of his gear and settled down. After going through the pouch and the bag he found what he assumed was standard garb. Some under things, a rain cloak, a bed roll, and some rations. There was some money as well as some toiletry items. The only other thing he found was a stylized bear's head tattoo on his left chest. That struck a chord with him but he wasn't really sure why. Since he was off the road he settled down to eat. The rations weren't bad but he had vague memories of something better. He was just packing the remains of the food back in his bag he heard voices approaching. Theik slung the bag and made sure his axe and knife were clear. He didn't really expect anything but it was always better safe than sorry. Why he decided to move in the direction of the voices he wasn't sure but there was something calling him. The closer he got the clearer they were. From the sounds of it there were several individuals. Two were rough and crude while one was female and the other was possibly a child. That wasn't good and he had to wonder if they were the reason so many of the people were scared. Well either that or they were bandits which would also explain the fear in the voice. The closer he moved the more he could hear the pleading of the female and the crying of a boy. He finally found a spot to hopefully get a look at what was going on right about the time he heard cloth tearing. When he peaked out two of the guards were in the process of ripping the cloths off the female. Theik had to fight with himself and finally with a slight growl snapped his axe out as he stepped out of the jungle into the clearing. The first blow took down the warrior who had his back to Theik. It was a clean blow to the back of his neck where the armor didn't cover. Unfortunately the other had enough time to draw his battle axe and that was going to be a much larger issue. Theik's axe was designed for cutting down trees where as the warriors was designed for killing. He had armor as well to protect the vital parts. The one advantage Theik had was he was unencumbered and could move easier and faster. As the two were facing off the female was trying to crawl away towards her son. Theik started to circle away from her to distract the warrior. As they were moving both were taking probing swings at each other to gauge their skill level. One thing Theik noticed was due to the weight and design of the battle axe the other primarily focused on the blade. With Theik's axe he could use virtually any part because the axe head was much lighter it was much easier to use all parts. "Next time use a real axe human. This will be fun." The other had a deep gravely laugh. He wasn't human but he wasn't a furry, what he looked like was a humanoid boar. His hair was bristly and stiff, he had tusks showing and small eyes. His skin was tough looking as well and he was heavily muscled. Theik snorted at him. "It is a real axe fang face and good for more than just swinging at people." When the other swung at him he used the butt of the haft to redirect it. Since the bit of his axe was in the wrong spot for a follow up strike he ended up slamming the handle of his axe against the others hand. As soon as his strike hit he danced back. The strike got a snarl from the other since that had hurt and his fingers were feeling slightly numb even though the heavy gloves he was wearing. He swung back and the bare tip of the bits scraped past the others vest. "You aren't bad. What is your name so I can remember you with fondness as I stare at your skin hung in my house." Theik started laughing. "That is the most interesting way of saying you are worried about being around to look at the skin. Not that my skin will be hanging there." He swung again and the battle was rejoined. As they fought Theik had to admit that the other was pretty good but not quite as good as he was. The last move was a feigned move which drew the other out of position and Theik struck. It was a low blow but he didn't care. The blade flashed up between the others legs and slammed into his groin. The other squealed when the axe hit. Before he could do anything else Theik jerked the bit out and whirled the axe around and nailed him in the neck. By now Theik was bloody and had been wounded a number of times. The female and boy were still there which he almost wished they weren't since it was going to cause issues for both him and them. He turned and looked at her. "I'll not hurt you. If you wish to leave then go." He knelt down and started searching the bodies for anything of use. Eventually he had a pile of things he was going to take and which didn't appear to have any indicator of who they had belonged to. One thing he did find was their money purses and they looked to be reasonably paid, or they had mugged others as well. Since the two were still huddling there he separated the coins out and put most of the copper and two silver coins in one bag and tossed it to the woman. "It would be best if you left. You really don't want to be found with the bodies now do you?" The woman twitched when he tossed the pouch at her but didn't hesitate to snatch it up. From the weight alone even if it was all coppers she had more money in her hand that she had in the last year. "You are hurt, at least let me bind the wounds." Theik narrowed her eyes at her and measured her and evaluated her body language and grunted. "Fine but not at the moment since we need to move the bodies further into the forest." He handed her his bag since he was going to be dragging the bodies and they were large males. "Try and take that and you won't make it five feet." She nodded her head jerkily when he handed her the bag and made the threat. Even if he hadn't made the threat she wasn't going to try and run. He was a warrior and had shown that and there was no way she was going to be stupid enough to try and take anything from him. "Yes master we won't run from you." Her boy was huddled on the other side of her and as the large male was starting to drag the bodies away she urged her son to help her gather the things she had gathered for the market. She followed him for some time till he found a stream and dumped them into it. One he did that she noticed him walked further up stream and stripped out of most of his cloths. Once done he stepped into the water and splashed it over his body to get the blood and dirt off. "Come; let me bind your wounds." She had taken some material from the soldiers just to take care of that. Theik stepped out of the water and stripped most of it off with his hands. "Fine, bind them and then leave. I can protect myself but you can't. I don't want you getting hurt again." He settled down on a massive root and let her get to work. If he was going to be fighting like this he was going to need to invest in more dressings. The woman came over to him and carefully proceeded to clean the wounds more before working some cream into them. "This will reduce the chance of infection and help healing." She informed him before starting to dress the wounds. Once she was done she set his bag next to him and handed the last of the dressings at him. She didn't say anything else as she gathered up her things and herded her son away from the man and left. Theik pulled the other vest out and he was going to need to fix the other this evening if possible. He kept a few coins in his belt pouch and the rest buried in the bag. Once he was ready he finished dressing and took a different path to the road. Once he made it there he crouched on the edge of the forest and watched for a few. After watching for a short time he stepped out and started continuing in the direction he had been heading. The rest of the day he made good time and finally found a roadside inn and walked in. As his hard eyes traveled around the main room he noticed that most of the people had knives though a few had other weapons. He walked up to a counter and leaned against it. "Evenin' and I am lookin' for a room and some food." The person behind the counter looked somewhat like the guards though older and far more used. "Be three coppers for the meal and a drink, five coppers for a shared room and eight coppers for a single room. Drinks be one copper for ale." The man was giving him an evaluating look. "Axe needs leavin' in the room." Theik considered his options and finally pulled out a silver piece. "I would like a single room and dinner. Change for a few drinks as well." Though he didn't know how much the silver was worth he was pretty sure it was worth more than eleven coppers. When the man handed back nine coppers Theik was pleased. If that was the case he had enough coins for a good two weeks as long as he was careful. "Here's your key." He handed over a heavy iron key before calling for someone to take him to a room. "Be out of the room by mid morning at the latest. Mornin' food be served early." As he was talking a female hurried up and lightly tapped his arm for him to follow her. He did that and she showed him to a room on the second floor. "There be water to rinse off in ya's room. Supper be soon." Once he had the door open she hurried off and he was surprised she hadn't offered further services. He wouldn't have accepted such but he was still surprised by it. Once in the room he checked it out and as best Theik could tell the room was relatively secure. The sheets were clean enough and the water in the jug was fresh and clean as well. After stuffing his bag and axe under the bed he splashed some water on his face and patted his face and hands dry. For some reason there not being a mirror behind the counter the water jug was on. Theik had to shake his head to chase the thought away since it made no sense to him. Once it was gone he stepped out of the room and locked the door behind him and headed down to the tap room. As he had when he had originally walked into the building he paused and glanced around the room to sense the mood. For the most part it was relatively cheerful and wasn't too busy at the moment. With that in mind he walked over to a table that allowed him to put his back against the wall. "Can I get a tankard please?" He called out. When another woman came over he nodded at her. "I also paid for supper as well and would like to get the food." Yes he had paid for food and a drink but an extra one would be nice as well. For the moment he wanted to try and think about whom he was and why he was here. All he remembered was waking up this morning and nothing else. He knew things such as the language, a general idea of what the coins were worth, and obviously how to fight. What he didn't know was how he knew what he did. ~~~ The next morning Theik gathered his things and after eating what passed for breakfast left the inn. Before he had left he had changed his dressings and the night before he had stitched the vest back together. At some point he might need to replace it but at the moment it was still usable and from what he had seen most cloths were worn. Since the road was still going in the direction of the pull he stayed on it. Many of the people appeared to be traveling in groups and there were relatively few travelling alone like him. He had to wonder why but if the two from the day before was any sort of example that could explain it. They were obviously some sort of guards or warriors for the country he was in and that wasn't good. It indicated that the rulers of the country were either weak and ineffectual or cruel and ruled through fear. As he was moving along he kept a close eye on everyone to gauge their reactions when the warriors were nearby. He also kept a close eye on how the lower class reacted to those who were obviously better off. Everything felt slightly off and there was a slight sense of fear at all times but spiked when the warriors walked past. He had to shake his head as he kept moving and he was going to have to consider talking to some people in the evenings. Theik needed the information that they had but he had to be careful since if this was a repressive regime there would be agents everywhere. From the feel of the pull he was going to have time to get an idea of what all was going on. ~~~ Zephra was feeling twitchy and slightly off center since that dream. He had managed to keep the symbol from being seen to the best of his knowledge. If it had been discovered he had no idea how his father might react but chances were he wouldn't like it one bit. Anything that smacked of spirits or beings from the other realm was dealt with harshly. Having his son suddenly showing a strange tattoo would definitely get his father's attention. With Zephra's history of dreams his father would assume that he was being influenced by some spirit. It was true but not quite in the way his father would think. Since he had the afternoon off he had made the decision to go to the market and wander around. If his father asked he would simply tell him he was showing face. His father would buy that since even if he was getting harsher with his rule he still pretended to care. One of the ways he showed this was to have members of his family go to the market and shop. Now at night his brothers would go down and spend time in the bad section of town and a number of them had a bad reputation. Zephra had definitely grown to enjoy the tutoring sessions and was actually starting to test his tutors. That was something he didn't realize and this was being reported to his father. Not everything was being reported thankfully or he would be in serious trouble but his interest in not just laws but the sciences as well. "Good morning sir, ready to give me more headaches?" The tutor laughed. "I think you are the one giving me the headaches prince. So break out your note pad and shall we get started. From what I understand you are going to the market this afternoon. If it isn't presumptuous of me might I join you?" He really wanted some time away from the palace so he could really talk to the boy. Zephra tilted his head as he listened and was pleased though nervous. The tutor had very casually dropped the occasional comment that showed his discontent with Zephra's father. It was something that had taken him a while to figure out and had a feeling the man didn't realize it. "That would be fine though I am mostly going to wander. If you have any specific needs or stops inform the commander of my guards and he will take care of it. Now time for both of us to get a headache." He grinned when he said that. "Excellent my Prince and starting with the rule of your grandfather what was the most important rule of law he introduced..." He started with the teaching and didn't say anything else about going with. ~~~ Theik had been traveling for close to three weeks and was finally starting to get close to the pull. Over the three weeks he had been listening to the various conversations and picked up a fair amount of information. He had carefully plied one or two of the more talkative patrons with free beer to get more detailed information. All told everything he had heard indicated the direction he was heading was some serious bad juju. He had a few more days before he reached the city at which point he was going to have to figure out what was drawing him here. With a sigh he settled back in the chair he was in and sipped on the ale. At the moment he was working on possible ideas on how to integrate himself in the city and identify the source of the draw. ~~~ Elsewhere The man was standing on the bow of the ship as they approached the city he had been heading for. It had taken him a number of years to make it this far. He had been forced to follow a number of myths and stories before he had found the source. There was a small city state back on the other landmass that sailed to this landmass and back. They were very tight lipped about it and before any of them had trusted him he had to hire on as a crewmember. He had worked his way from the lowest aboard ship to second mate which had taken a good ten or so years. Once he had gotten to that point one of the captains that sailed to the other continent had finally trusted him enough. It also helped that he had no plan on returning to this place anytime soon. A dream had kept nagging him to move from one location to another and would only let him settle down for a short time. There had been a few women he had gotten close to but after having to move for so many years he had stopped having relationships. That didn't mean he didn't dally at times but nothing more than a night or two. It had just gotten too hard to keep leaving people behind. As he was holding onto one of the various ropes that held the bow spirit in place he had to contemplate the change this brought. Once he had gotten on the boat the dreams had stilled and left him in peace which was nice. He did want to know what was driving him in this direction and why. What was so important that he had to leave his former life and find this land? The voice did say and actually it didn't say anything and was more a feeling than words. Why he called it a voice he didn't know but it worked for him so he didn't bother trying to define it any further. Above in the lookout basket one of the crew called down. "Cap'n, land ho to the starboard. If we come about to a heading of north northwest we should find the city soon enough." As he was talking he was pointing in the direction he had seen the land. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 03 The captain started calling orders to furl this set of sails and loosen those and once the sails were set the way he wanted he grunted. "Come starboard ten degrees and adjust as the watch calls out adjustments. All hands report to your stations and look lively lads. Let's show those dirt grubbers how real men do it." He called out a few more orders before returning to his cabin. The man shielded his eyes from the sunlight but they were too far away for him to see the land. A deep sense of excitement was growing the closer they sailed to the land. He had to admit that wandering had always been a part of him even when he had settled down at times. Over the years as he had wandered after leaving on his quest he had worked as a guard, interpreter, escort, bouncer, carpenter as well as a black smith. There were some jobs he had refused to do since they were too low for him or wouldn't bring in the income he needed to keep traveling. When he had finally settled down in the city-state the traders worked out of he had worked in a wide variety of ship building jobs. One of the reasons he had started working in the shipyards was his urge to learn. He didn't know where that came from but many of the jobs he had taken over the years was out of interest. He would never make a boat such as he was on or craft a weapon but he knew how to make a small boat or make hinges. "Bos'n how long till we make land?" He called out as he turned and left the forecastle. "Ho Lak-Non and probably tomorrow, it will take some time to find the landmarks to see which side of the landing we are on. Even if we find it tonight we won't go in till it is light as you know." The man bellowed back. Considering he was over seven foot tall and had horns and a face only his mother might love a bellow was his natural level of speaking. "That is what I figured but had to ask. I will be below checking on my gear just to make sure I have everything. If you need me send someone down." Lak-Non headed down below and found his hammock and pulled his bag out and dumped it in it. All of his cloths were going to need a good washing once they landed. It had been a good two months or more since they had left and saltwater wasn't a good cleaning agent. He was going to need a good bath and grooming as well since his hair was rather shaggy as well as his beard. He checked everything before packing it back in the bag. Since he had checked everything before they left he wasn't all that worried but better safe than sorry. Once he had the bag re-packed and put back he pulled out his weapons and took his time to give them a good cleaning. Again he had been checking them routinely but it helped relax him. ~~~ Early the next morning he rolled out of the hammock and stretched. Breakfast was the usual hard bread and dried fish and Makox that had been mixed with a bit of water. There were some dried fruits as well to help keep the crew healthy. "God I can't wait for some real food. I swear the last time I used the break head I ripped my ass off." Several of the other crew laughed at him in both sympathy and rough amusement. Between the dehydrated food and rationed water constipation was a common problem. The fruit helped but till they had time to drink plenty of fluids and get some real food in them it was a problem. The cook growled at all of them and threatened to not feed them lunch and they could starve till they made it to shore. A number of men cheered at that which got them growled at again. Lak-Non finished eating and tossed back his water ration before heading upstairs to the main deck. When he climbed out of the hatch he sighed since it looked like it was going to storm soon. In a way it would be good since it would rinse the ship down and they could replenish some of the water. If it was too rough it could delay entrance to the city or even wreck the ship or at least damage it. "Great, just what I didn't want today." Actually when he walked out on deck he started sweating and the rain would be nice. "Crap, what is this place? A massive steam room? How the hell do they live here?" The land they came from was dryer though still as warm. Just looking at the land he could see it was made up of massive and thick trees. Lak-Non had to admit that it was a vibrant green but not something he was used to or knew much about. With a grunt he headed for the bridge and greeted the captain who was there with the navigator. "Morning Cap'n and any idea how much longer? Not trying to hassle you but it will be nice to get some dirt under my feet." The captain gave him a good laugh. "Boy you might be a skilled man and good on the water but I knew you would never be a good sailor. You like the dirt too much. Mind you ain't a dirt grubber but still a bit too much dirt between your toes to make a good sailor." He glanced at the map he had and then at the coast. "It be about three hours to port and then several more till we are moored." Lak-Non laughed with the Captain since it was very true. He did enjoy being on the ocean but not as a lifetime job. He preferred traveling the lands and meeting people. Yes he did settle down at times but even without the urge to keep moving he would have anyways. The voice simply alerted him to the time to move before he became too comfortable. "No, not a dirt grubber but I will admit I like having dirt under my toes a bit more than a sailor. I did enjoy learning the trade but the food leaves a bit to be desired." The Captain slapped his shoulder before turning away and calling out some orders. Lak-Non wandered back up to the forecastle and settled down again. He had worked as part of the crew on the way over but technically he was a paid passenger. In a way it amused him since he had paid to be brought to the new land yet he was going to get paid as a crewmember. The captain had laughed when he made the deal with Lak-Non. Once he had settled down he watched the land going by and for some reason even though it was unfamiliar it relaxed him. There was just something about the lush greenery that called to him. He sat there with a distant look in his eyes and a smile on his face. Lak-Non could smell the jungle as well which was pleasant. In the back of his mind it was nudging some memory but he just couldn't quite catch it. With a shrug he kept watching the shore line slipping past and waited impatiently for the ship to make it to port and dock. ~~~ When the ship did dock Lak-Non stretched and grabbed his bag. "Well Cap'n I want to thank you and I wish you the best on the way back. I will be at the inn you suggested for a few days as I gather some information. If'n you swing past at some point I will purchase the first beer and we can swap some more lies." He grasped the man's arm and gave it a good squeeze before trotting down the gang plank. When his feet hit the pier he almost dropped and kissed it just to tease the captain but decided not to. Looking around the people of this place were a fair amount different. A good portion of them were furred and looked like oversized animals. The country he came from there were some people like these as well but far fewer. Many of the ones in the other country had animalistic attributes but most were not furred. He had to wonder what the difference was but it was only a passing curiosity. For a brief moment he felt a stabbing pain in one temple but it was quickly gone. He hated those sudden headaches but had gotten somewhat used to them over the years since he had stepped out on the road. His former employer had a number of people examine him but they all came back with a shrug and no idea why. Every now and then after one of the flashes of pain some bit of memory would appear but they were very fragmented. He did hope they were his memories since if so it meant that he did have a past. If he could recover enough memories maybe he could find his life again. He felt hope and longing to find out if he had any family left and if so wanted to know where they were. As he walked down the pier he was getting a few looks which he assumed was because he was dressed differently than the natives of this area. He was dressed much the same way as when he had stepped out of the forest though of a much better quality. The largest difference was the fact he was carrying a battle axe as well as his old one. It had been given to him by his former employer for the years he had been with him. Lak-Non walked into the Sailor's Respite and up to the desk. This was a very different setup than was the norm back on Cerule. There the tap room was the center of the first floor but here it was off to one side. The check in desk was center and from behind smells of cooking could be caught as they waived past. "Afternoon, how much for a room, bath, and getting my clothes cleaned?" He asked the large male behind the desk. From the looks of it the male was based on some sort of wolf. The man looked at Lak-Non and gave him an evaluating look. When he spoke it wasn't the language of Cerule but he recognized it and grinned. "Ah, let me try this again, room, bath, clean my clothes, and some food." When he spoke the other twitched his ears. "That would be six copper for the room, bath and cleaning of clothes is another three, and the meal depends on what you order. If you don't mind my asking whence do you hale from? Your accent isn't from the traders land and has a familiar ring to it." He had been very startled with the ease the human had spoken the local tongue. It did have the lilt of the wanderers though what tribe or pack he couldn't tell. Lak-Non nodded at the prices and they were close enough to what the captain had said that he didn't bother haggling. The question about where he was from managed to catch him flat footed. "I am sorry but that is not knowledge I have. I woke some time ago and simply knew the language." There wasn't any reason for him to lie about it and it was the truth. "Mostly anymore I am just a wanderer and have always wanted to know what is on the other side of the furthest hill." The wolf considered that and couldn't smell any deception from the man. "Sorry to hear it and when you come down for a drink the first is on me." He turned and called over his shoulder. "Erna come and show our guest to his room and the bathing area. He wants a spot of laundry done as well." He turned back to the male and gave him a snag toothed smile. One of his canines was missing and it looked like he had been in a few fights. "I will pay for three nights in advance and after that we will see." He pulled out a silver coin and two copper and handed them over. "The bath sounds nice but I have a feeling I am going to be as wet getting out as getting in." He gave the man a wry grin since he was sweating fairly heavily at the moment. The man laughed and shook his head as he scooped up the money and tucked it into his belt. While he was doing that a female came out and Lak-Non stared for a moment before he got hit by another brief headache. The female was another type of dog and for some reason her kind was familiar to him but it didn't make sense due to the face he had never been here before. He had to rub his temple for a moment and shook his head. "Are you okay sir? You look somewhat tired and a nice bath will help you relax. Let me show you to your room and I will get your laundry before showing you to the hot springs." She came around the counter and lightly rested her paw on his arm. "This way please." Lak-Non gave her a tired smile. "That sounds like a good idea and a nap before supper might be a good idea. A nice bath sounds really nice as well. I feel like I have partially turned into a salt crystal after being at sea for so long." Just to be silly he sniffed his arm and made a face. "That and I reek as well. Salt water isn't the world's best bathing water." Both of the others laughed at his jokes and the male shook his head. "I might have to charge you more since I have a feeling my wait staff might not be safe from you." There wasn't any rancor in his voice when he said it though it wasn't an invitation either. Lak-Non returned the head shake. "Not to worry, right now I want a good bath and a bed that is a real bed that doesn't move. Beyond that I want some real food and especially some fresh fruit." He gave the man a nod and turned to follow Erma to a different floor. When she opened the door to the room she turned and handed him a key. "Thanks and let me get my laundry." He stepped in and pulled his weapons off and settled them on the bed before pulling his bag off. For a moment he stared at the bag and smiled. It definitely looked the worse for all the wear it had over the years. After unbuckling the top he settled for dumping it on the bed and grabbed all the cloth based clothing. "Here you go and sorry they smell so bad." He took a moment to organize his things and toss what he didn't need in the bag. Erma leaned against the door jam and watched him. When he handed her the clothing she glanced at the leather items. "If you want I can clean and oil the leather stuff as well. If you plan on being here long I can recommends a few places to get clothing better suited for this climate." As he was sorting through the items she watched the smooth movements and contemplated him. He had a rugged charm to him which she found rather attractive. Lak-Non paused and looked at the leather items and sighed. "Yah, they could really use it and especially a good oiling. Not sure how much good that is going to do for them but I would like to keep them if possible. As far as the clothing I will consider it and when I have a better idea of what I am going to be doing I will let you know." The rest of the leather goods were handed over to her. "Time for the bath." She grinned at him and twitched her ears. "With a bit of care I am sure I can get them in decent shape." She took the leather and turned back to the hallway. "As far as the bathing area it is communal and..." She gave him the rules of use as they walked down to the bathing area. It was behind the main inn and had a tall wall around it and open to the air. He shrugged. "At this point you could have dancing girls there and I wouldn't care. I want a bath more than almost anything." The closer to the bathing area the more his skin itched. It was as if his body knew what was coming. "If possible a mug of ale or beer would be appreciated while I soak." Since they had arrived he stripped down and tossed the clothes in a hamper without thinking about it. "Actually if you could scrape up some abandoned clothing I will pay for it." As he was stripping down he gave a polite nod to the others in the bathing area till he pulled the vest off. When he did that the tattoo showed and everyone stilled and stared at it and then him. "Um, is there a problem?" To be honest he didn't even think about the tattoo much anymore since he had it for so long. Erma blinked and lowered her ears slightly. "I do apologize Senior Warrior, we didn't know and I will inform the owner of your position." She lowered her head briefly as well though shock showed in the set of her ears and tail. That totally caught Lak-Non off guard since he had no idea what she was talking about. He floundered for a few moments before he said anything. "Um, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have had this tattoo for years. I don't even know how I came by it." He settled down in the cold water and shook his head. ~~~ Back at the Tribe The morning after they had the camp set up Dan went to talk to Moran. He was still having trouble believing he was going to be a father again. That had been not expected at all and he had a feeling Nang was still laughing at him and his reaction. How he loved her but she could be a serious stinker at times and Dan knew she was going to be teasing the heck out of him now. When Moran was finally available Dan stepped forward and gave him a nod. "Morning Chief, do you happen to have a moment? I have a question for you." Dan was trying not to be grumpy but for some reason he was feeling that way at the moment. Their daughters were likely to die laughing when they eventually found out. Mind you that would be right after they pulled the whole 'eww' routine about their parents having sex. Moran looked up at Dan and twitched an ear at him. "Have a seat Dan and relax unless this is a Chief issue." He took a sip of some juice as Dan settled down in a chair. "So how can I help you? I have a feeling this is a personal issue and not a tribal issue." Dan sat down and grabbed a cup of juice as well. He mock growled at Moran. "Just so you know I hate mock know it-all's who laugh at me even if it is with a tail twitch." He leaned back and rolled his head. "I have been informed by the Mystic that we need to start expanding the caravan sooner than later. Well actually what she said was get a bigger one to fit the crib." He had to flash a grin at Moran when he said that. Moran narrowed his eyes at him and just for good measure twitched his tail at Dan. "I am a Squorrel you know. We are know it all's Dan." When Dan mentioned needing to expand the caravan and why he couldn't help it and gave him a wide smile. "Congratulations Dan and I am pleased for you. Children are our future. You will need to talk to both the power stone smith and the master wood smith. Start with the wood smith and he will start designing a caravan matching your needs. Once he has that he will refer you to the stone smith." Dan couldn't help but return the smile though his was on the wry side. "Thanks though I am in shock about it." Mostly because he had been fixed some years ago and if that had been undone it was going to be rather interesting. He didn't even think that Nang might have cheated on him since they were both happily married and he knew her better than that. "Okay and now comes the big question, how do I pay for it? I know you don't have any sort of currency and use a barter type trading system." Moran ran a couple of fingers through his short whiskers and contemplated the question. "That is one of those horribly hard to answer questions since you didn't grow up here. Though we don't use currency as you know it we do have accounts for each adult. It is a list of what they have done for the tribe and what they have asked of the tribe. Most day to day items are handled between individuals such as a new knife, clothing, or other items like that. What the ledger of their work is used for is larger things such as what you are asking about. They normally check with the keeper of the ledger to see what they are owed. From there they make the decision on what they can afford. In the case of a caravan they tend to be a long term investment. When properly maintained they can last for a generation or even two." Dan listened to what Moran had to say and frowned slightly. That was not something he had heard before though it made a type of sense. "And I am going to make an assumption here but correct me if I am off. Unless someone has done an incredible job for the tribe there would be an ongoing payback by doing things for the tribe." He was scratching his beard as he spoke. "I am going to also assume that with a new family would stay with their family till such time as they either inherited a caravan or earned enough for a tent to live in. In our case since Nang is the Mystic she would have a fair amount of credit simply due to her position." He didn't even consider what he had done. Moran nodded at Dan. "Pretty much since building a caravan can take time and involves several of the wood smiths. The more a tribe member helps the less it will cost but they have to balance their work with time spent doing family things and the work. In the case of the four of you since you would be building a new caravan you can use the existing caravan as a down payment. Either that or keep it in the family for when your children grow up and pass it down to them." He scratched his whiskers in thought. "I will talk to the keeper of the ledger and have her get a hold of the two of you." World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 03 Dan sighed. "Great and I had just gotten most of my debts owed back home paid off. Oh well from the sounds of it I will have plenty of time to pay this off." After tossing back the last of the juice he stood up. "Thanks for the information Moran. I need to get to the warriors section for the morning training." With a wave he strolled away from the Chief's caravan. He would talk to Nang later in the day about what he had learned. ~~~ Pam woke up and rolled on her back and stretched before realizing there was a warm body next to her. When she realized that the memories of the night came back and she had to cover her face and blushed. It had been some time since she had last been in bed with someone and most definitely not a furry person. The dance had been very enjoyable and she had a great deal of fun dancing with Kinnie and that included the horizontal type of dancing as well. "Oh man, everyone is going to tease me now darn it." She wasn't normally one of the screamers or moaners but since the tent was cloth it didn't really matter. Kinnie rolled over and grinned at her and gave her cheek a peck. "Relax Pam and if they tease you it simply shows that you are starting to fit in. It shows that they are comfortable enough around you and have accepted you." He ran his hand down her side and moved a bit closer to her. "I had an enjoyable evening lovely lady. I hope you did as well." She blushed even more when he gave her the peck and then twitched when his short whiskers brushed her skin. "I know and it is much like when I was in college though normally they didn't have the fun and excitement of listening in." When he ran his hand down her side she gave him a playful shove. "Not going to happen bub, I need a bath and food before I get to work. If you are really nice I might let you wash my back." With a small laugh she rolled out of bed and pulled on the loin cloth and a long shirt before grabbing her bucket. As she deliberately swished to the door she looked over her shoulder and gave him a 'look'. "So are you coming or not?" With that she swished out of her section and almost ran down one of the other artists and turned beet red. "Excuse me, I didn't see you there." She hurried away to some soft laughter. Kinnie was laughing quietly at her as she swished out of the room and almost ran someone down. He rolled out as well and pulled on a shirt and grabbed his things before sauntering out of the room. He had to smile at several of the other artists as he left the sleep section of the tent. Since the area he lived in was on the way to the springs he wasn't going to be too far behind Pam as she headed in that direction. By the time he made it to the bathing area Pam was already there and bathing. "Well darn, I don't get to help get you clean. Oh well, I suppose I will just have to wait for another time." Just to be silly he checked his claws before casually pulling his shirt off and strolling into the water. Pam snorted at him and grumbled as well. "If you think you are going to get your paws on me again you had better hurry or I might have to ask someone else to get my back." She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at him before turning back to continue soaping down. Kinnie laughed at her as he moved forward towards her. "Oh my, this should be fun..." He was snickering as he said it and ran his claws lightly down her back just to be a stinker. ~~~ Bear walked over to the senior shaman's caravan since he needed to talk to him. He was feeling in need of a spirit walk and that would take a few days. He needed to do a meet and greet with the local spirits and totem animals. They had been patient but he could feel them starting to get antsy and that was never a good thing. "Ho, old man got a few minutes?" Bear had to smile slightly when he said that. The senior shaman came out and growled at him. "Damn children ain't got no respect for their elders. For that I should make you do the next half dozen blessings and offerings to the spirits." Just for good measure he poked Bear with his cane before grinning. "So what can I do for you this morning?" He waved Bear into the trailer. Bear grinned at the old wolf and followed him into the caravan. "Hopefully this will only take a few minutes of your time. I need to go on a spirit walk. I can feel the local spirits almost glowering at me now that we have settled down for the moment. I will need three days to prepare for it and then up to two days for the walk." The other shaman nodded at the request since he wasn't surprised. "That isn't a problem and do what you need. Come to me with requests for anything you need. Take your time since we will be here for a while." He gave Bear a nod in dismissal and contemplated the man as he left the caravan. He was a good addition to the tribe and would impart valuable knowledge. ~~~ Please vote and comment. Oh and enjoy. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 04 A/N: this chapter and others might upset some of the readers since there is going to be some sex. Remember Theik-Lekal has no memories from before he arrived. As most of you have guessed he is in a way Jim but not quite. He did die at the end of the last book and it was permanent. ***** Theik-Lekal had finally made it to the city and he had to admit it was rather impressive. He was standing off to one side on the top of a small hill looking at the city. The walls looked to be a good thirty feet tall if not more and from the looks of it a good ten feet thick. The gates were massive and heavily guarded. The city itself was huge and he had to guess contained at least one hundred thousand people if not more. After watching it for a while he finally moved back over to the road and headed towards the gates. People were moving in and out with minimal interference as far as he could tell. Most didn't have weapons though and that might be a problem for him. Since he had picked up a decent sized knife he had put the heavy dagger away though he still had the axe over his shoulders. As he moved closer to the gate the heavier the traffic. From what he could tell most of the people had trade goods of some sort and they ranged from farm produce to material. He could smell carts of spices and possibly scented woods and incense as well. Those were heavily guarded by some very mean looking caravan guards. Most of them carried a variety of weapons though few actually carried an axe of any sort. That made him wonder if it was some sort of symbol indicating an Imperial guard of some sort. It might cause him some trouble when he tried to enter the city though he hoped not. When he finally did approach the gate several hours later as he rather expected he was pulled off to one side. "Why you carry an axe? How do you deserve it and what is that small thing for?" The guard was similar to the ones he had killed the first day. Theik-Lekal met the guard's eyes and gave him an open yet slightly stupid smile. "I's be a wood cutters sur. I's here to checks on some matters for ma master sur. He's be wantin current prices froms his factors." God he hoped that they wouldn't look past the ignorant speech. The guard turned to another and discussed it for several minutes. As they were Theik was trying his best not to sweat or look nervous. What he was going for was a country hick that was slightly on the simple side. The guard turned back to him and gave him a good look. "So why be your master havin and simpleton doing his work for him?" Depending on the answer they might have a bit of fun with him. Theik scratched his sweaty and dirty hair before scratching at an armpit. "I's just be pickin up soems scrolls for hims. He's bint busy with some ting back homes. His youngin is being mated soon and he's workin on hers", he frowned slightly, "Oh, dowerys for some wood cuttin place." He gave him a simple smile. "Hes not ables to come here so's he sent me." Well crap that ruined the guards fun. "Fine, git your papers and be gone soon's as possible peon." He did give Theik a shove back into the crowd and laughed when he almost knocked some woman off her feet. Theik managed not to knock her over and gave a nod to the guard. "Has a good one sur." He turned and trudged back into the crowd and once away from the gate house stood tall again. The pull was dragging him off towards the left so he followed it. As he was walking he eventually made it to what looked like a central market. He moved off to one side and while sipping on some water from a skin he looked around the open area. It was large and seemed to be organized though some aspects bothered him. Immediately to his left was what looked like a slave area since there were a number of people chained up or in cages. That made him want to scream but instead his gray eyes traveled around the rest of the area. As he was looking his eyes were drawn to what was a procession of some lord. The man appeared to be young yet obviously carried himself with a confidence that others didn't have. He appeared to have five or maybe six guards and what might be a tutor or advisor. All the clothing and armor was in very good shape and had gold and silver emblems. Theik started following them for some reason and as he did he noticed the crowd was parting for the young man or the guards. There wasn't quite the fear he had seen before though there was some. ~~~ Zephara had finally gathered his personal guards and the tutor after lunch and headed towards the main market. Since it was a distance away the used some riding beats to get to the location. Once there they had dismounted and handed the beasts over to one of the Imperial approved stables. Once they were off the beasts they started looking through the markets. He was simply looking to see what might catch his eye while the tutor had a few specific items. "Your Highness based on your studies there are some items I would like to gather. If you wish to come with I can introduce you to some of my suppliers. Since you are looking into alchemy at the moment there are some suppliers with special chemicals we can use. Also there are two mechanical Magisters that you might want to meet as well. They are very good with gears and some of the fine machines you find interesting." Zephara nodded. "That sounds very good but I would like to take a look at some of the book sellers as well. I heard rumor about a new seller who has some old books that might be of value in my studies." The male he was talking about appeared to deal with scientific books on the surface. Much deeper he had a reputation for having books about religions and auguries. Those he wanted as well though where he was going to keep them he didn't know. It was something he might have to talk to his tutor about. "Well your Highness shall we head to the other end of the plaza where most of the book sellers are." It wasn't the best of sections but with the guards they would be safe. There were other book sellers in better sections but most of them were only there for the popular books. Granted the books the sellers he was thinking about did charge a great deal for some of their inventory. Zephara nodded at the tutor and he wished he had some time to talk to him without worrying about stray ears. "Sounds like a good idea. We have gone through most of the books in the library that deal with that type of information. I am sure my father won't mind my expanding the library somewhat." He looked at the guards. "Ensure we are not bothered. I know the section and it is not properly patrolled and I don't want any incidents." The senior guard nodded at the boy, no young man. "Most definitely your Highness. I will ensure that you aren't bothered or accosted." He had originally disliked being detailed working for the boy but he was starting to prove himself. If he kept going the Captain was going to consider doing a bit of clearing the path for him. One of the guards mentally smiled though. He had been paid a handsome fee to look the other way by one of the idiot's brothers. All he had to do was be somewhat out of place at the right time and allow some 'ruffians' to get to him. Half the money had been given to him and he had passed it on to his family. The rest would be given once it was over with. Little did he know he wasn't expected to survive long enough to receive the balance. ~~~ As they moved towards that end of the Market Theik-Lekal was casually checking out the slave cages. He had to frown since he could feel something in the back of his mind grumble at him. It was a good growl as he was walking down the cages. As he was moving around he was checking out what was being offered and frankly he wanted to kill someone. The section he was in had both young males and females. They had what he would call barely there clothing so it showed off their bodies. He knew why they would do that and it revolted him. In the back of his mind the grumble was trying to placate him and Theik guessed that this might change somewhat. When or how he didn't know but he accepted the grumble but kept wandering. When he walked past one cage he had to move back and look inside it. Inside was a young female who he guessed was around fifty five or so turns old. Though he didn't have any desire for that type of thing he was feeling drawn to her. Theik squatted down in front of the cage though not to close. "Hello youngling, my name is Theik-Lekal. What is your name and if'n you don't mind my asking how did you end up here?" She cowered back slightly when the large male returned to her and squatted down. When he spoke his gray eyes were steady and his face didn't show any of the unwanted attention. As far as he could tell other than a very brief look at her body his eyes settled on hers and stayed there. She finally moved a bit forward and looked at him. In a scared voice she answered him. "Why are you named Voice of Sorrows?" She blanches the moment she asked that. "Forgive master, I forgot myself. I came here when my family perished during a fight against the rebellion." Her voice was so quiet it was hard to hear. Theik-Lekal simply sighed. "Girl don't feel bad about what you asked. As to why I can't really tell you since I don't know. I will tell you a secret, I lost my memory not very long ago and someone gave me that name." After a glance around he reached between the bars of the cage and touched her cheek before withdrawing it. "I am sorry to hear that youngling. If you are willing I am going to purchase you. I have no ill intent towards you or sick desire for your body. Is this acceptable?" She almost flinched from his touch but it was gentle and so brief she had to wonder if she imagined it. When he asked her if she minded his purchasing her she was forced to stare at him in shock. Once she had been captured she had never expected to be asked what she might want again. To be asked was enough to almost break the shell she had tried to create around her mind. "If that is your wish master then I will say yes." He nodded and stood up before bellowing for the slave master. "Guard get the owner of this child. I wish to purchase her if the price is right." His expression was hard and uncompromising. It indicated if the guard didn't do what he ordered immediately he would regret it. The guard didn't bother answering and ran for the owner of that section of slaves. It wasn't much longer before they were back and the owner gave Theik an oily smile. "So you wish to purchase her? She is a pretty young thing and untouched by any one at this moment." He gave Theik a knowing smile. Theik leaned forward since he wasn't amused. Just for good measure his fist shot forth and grasped the male by his shirt. "Don't give me any of your shit or try to know what I am thinking you mud toad. What is the price and I want a robe for her so her skin won't burn." He shoved the man back as he released the grip. The male was about ready to call for some guards but something in the man's face indicated he would be the first to die. Instead he tried to huff. "Fine, whatever makes you sleep at night. Her asking price is twenty five gold Imperials." He tried to sound convincing but it came across to Theik differently. He knew exactly what was in his pouch but he wasn't going to come close to that price. "Get real man, other than being young and virgin she doesn't have much else going for her. She is going to have to be trained for any other use. I will give you ten gold Imperials and three silvers." He was probably going to make her feel bad but he was as insulting as possible. "Good sir, that won't even cover my costs for feeding alone much less some piece of cloth you want for her. The lowest I could go would be twenty three Imperials." Now that he had an idea of what the male might want for her he settled down for the haggling. Theik growled at him. "Bullshit, I could get several untrained servants for that price. The highest I will go is..." Eventually they settled on sixteen gold and four silvers. The guard had already gone and picked up a simple shift for the girl. Once the money was handed over the slave trader tossed the shift into the cage. "Get dressed slave and don't give your new owner any problems." Once she had dressed he fixed a leash to the collar already around her neck and handed the leash to Theik-Lekal. Theik glowered at the male till the girl was in his possession and mentally made a note to kill this dick when he had a chance. "Come child and let's get to where I am going." He didn't bother jerking the leash though he didn't take it off. Once they were away from the slave section he turned to her and squatted down. "I would like to know your name but for now it can wait if you want. As I said I'll not mistreat you in the way the little squealing mud toad indicated. I don't desire children in my bed for sexual purposes. I will treat you well, feed you, keep you clothed, and clean. What I ask of you is to come with me and do your best to believe I will take care of you." She looked at him since even squatted down they were close to eye level. She did her best to try and feel if he honestly meant what he was saying. Nothing sound off in his words or actions but that didn't really mean much. The best she could hope for was that whatever he did to her he was gentle. "My name is Z'nala and I will try my best sir. What do you want me to do? Can I carry something for you?" She would do what she could to keep from being beat or used for as long as possible. Theik snorted at her. "Z'nala call me Theik or Lekal since I am not a sir at all. I have a feeling if I asked you to carry my bag you might fall over." He gave her a sly grin when he said that. "What I want you to do is stay with me at all times till I say otherwise. I can't take care of you if you aren't near me. If for some reason I do end up in a fight find a safe nook to hid in till the fight is over." His gray eyes studied her again. "I swear on my totem animal that I will take care of you and protect you." She looked down when he told her to call him by his name. "I am a slave and I was taught not to call my master or mistress by name sir. I was told it would get me beat if I did. I really don't want to get beaten." Considering what she had been taught in the short time she had been a slave this man was odd. "Totem animal sir? What is that? I have never heard of such a thing before." He had to roll his eyes at her for a moment. "Fine call me sir for now and I don't normally beat children. I might discipline them if needed but abuse of any sort I tend to frown on." When she asked what he meant by a totem animal he had to scratch his head. "Huh, I will explain it later when we have a room somewhere. I need to purchase a few things so do what I say and I will keep you safe." He stood and turned back towards the pull. ~~~ Zephara had already visited one book seller and picked up several books which went into his or the tutor's bags. Two were on Alchemy and one on mechanical devices. All three were similar to what he already had but were by different authors. He purchased them both to see if he might learn something and to start getting his name known as looking for this sort of item. Once done there he went to the last book seller, the one known to sell the auguries and religious texts. Today he wasn't going to ask specifically for that type of book directly. He was going to ask for 'odd' books that might have some information of scientific knowledge. As they were heading in that direction the captain of his guard was not looking very happy. "Milord please keep the visit short this trip. Next time let me know if we are coming here and I will bring additional guards." To be honest he wasn't greatly worried about being attacked since they were in Imperial garb. Just to make sure he kept his eyes busy roaming around. Just for good measure he snarled at the others to keep their guard up. One man he was keeping his eye on though. He was a good warrior but something just made his teeth ache. "I hadn't realized it was quite this potentially dangerous when I discovered this seller. I am just going to do a quick review of what he has and then we can leave. If I purchase something I will make sure it is quick." He had started noticing the difference in the clothing and how the crowd carried themselves. For a brief moment he considered simply leaving and coming back later but he really wanted to check out the book seller. ~~~ As Theik was following the pull he was also noticing the differences in the crowd. This was a much rougher crowd and he could feel eyes on him and his new slave. He could feel the eyes evaluating him and deciding he wasn't worth the hassle. It was the way he carried himself as well as his weapons that were obviously well used and carried comfortably. That and his eyes seemed to promise a short yet painful death if needed. With the pull as they approached the far end of the market square he found they were getting near the Imperial party. He assume it was an Imperial part since they had lots of gold and the young male was in fine robes. Since he didn't want to get in trouble with the party he stayed somewhat away from them. As his eyes were traveling around he found a clothing stall that should have something for the girl. That she could carry. As he was heading towards there he was keeping an eye on the Imperial party just because. While he was watching the movement of one of the guards caught his attention. All he did was move towards a booth. What the booth was selling he didn't know but it opened a chink in the protection around the young man. That definitely wasn't right so he started angling slowly towards the group though he was trying to be subtle about it by looking at items in the booths. A shadow caught his attention but by the time he looked up a number of thugs had started streaming out. "Oh flipping hell, hid child and when things are cleared up find me. Remember don't go far or I can't protect you." Theik started in that direction once the fighting had been joined. ~~~ Lak-Non had settled in the cold water and after soaking for a few minutes started working the shampoo into his hair. The female had hurried out of the bathing area to talk to the master of the place he assumed. He was still feeling somewhat confused by what all of them had said about his tattoo. He had it on his chest for many years even though he didn't know what it meant. His prior employer had a similar one as well. How Zephara had gained it he had never been willing to tell him other than it had come during a dream. It was what had drawn the two of them together as well as forced them apart. It had been years since he had last seen Zephara and how he missed the young man. The Augers had told Lak-Non that he had to leave or bad would happen so with a great deal of sadness he had left. By the time he had finished getting clean and moving over to the hot spring Erma was back with some good clothing. "Sir the master would appreciate it if you would join his table this evening. Here are some clothes for you and yours are in the process of being cleaned. Please forgive any insult to your rank since we didn't know." Lak-Non gave her a polite smile, much like he had learned working for Zephara, before replying. "Thank you Erma and I appreciate it. When my clothes are done they are done and I am not too worried since I am going to need some new ones. As far as forgiveness none is needed since you have been very helpful and I will join the master of the inn. Mind you that is only if you join us as well. If you have a mate I would enjoy meeting him as well." It had been a while since he had been with a woman and it was one way to find out. She lowered her ears at his words. "I will inform the Master of the inn that you will join him. As I mentioned I can help you find more appropriate clothing in the next day or two. As far as joining you I would be more than honored and as of now I don't have any mate. If you will excuse me I will go and talk to the master and then come to your room and get you when it is time for dinner." She hurried away again. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 04 He sighed since he really wasn't sure what the whole senior warrior issue was. Yes back in Cerule he did have a title and was ranked amongst the senior warriors but here? He simply didn't understand what the tattoo might mean in relation to that. As he was trying to understand he toweled off and pulled on the clothing. He didn't even realize that pulling on the loincloth and pants was almost casual and smooth. By the time he was dressed he looked rather similar to the others and it felt comfortable. "I hope you have a good evening." He told everyone in the pools before he walked out. Something was missing but he didn't know what and didn't have any idea how to ask. When he reached his room he stretched and since it was still early he was contemplating a nap when there was a knock on the door. "Yo, enter and I am decent." He didn't want to chance someone thinking he might be nude or undressed. The door opened and a young female wolf was there. "My father asked me to come up and see if you would like a trim for your hair and tidying of your beard." She was polite but not hesitant like the other female. Lak-Non scratched his chin and then grinned. "That is a damn good idea and yes I would love to actually look like a person and not a shaggy monster." Yes he was much cleaner but he knew that he would need one or two more baths before his hair and beard were good. "Mind you I need some more cleaning before I will be happy but do your worst." He pulled his shirt off and settled down in a chair. She had to giggle. Just for good measure she grinned and gave a Rowl at him. "I will de-monster you sir and I understand. I can do a final tidy in a couple of days." She gave him a good look as he pulled his shirt off and settled down. It was obvious he had been around for a while based on the many scars he had. "I can also do a good braid on your hair when I am done. So how much do you want off the front and back?" He contemplated it and discussed it with her before he let her get started. As she was working he closed his eyes and relaxed. Faint memories of such grooming came to him and a comfortable smile crossed his face as she worked on his hair. By the time she was done he felt much tidier. "Thanks and I might just have to have you come back in a few days." He grinned at the young wolf. She grinned back at him. "Anytime Warrior and Erma will be here shortly to take you down to dinner." She packed up her scissors and combs and with a smile she left the room. Lak-Non had to roll his eyes slightly at that since he had a feeling Erma was feeling more than just interest in him. He didn't mind but he had to wonder if it dealt with the emblem on his chest. Now that his hair was neatly braided as well as his beard Lak-Non felt much better. He pulled out a small pouch from his bag and contemplated it. Inside was some serious bling from when he had served in the other country. After consideration he settled for the necklace that Zephara had designed for him. The necklace was golden and had a number of gems in the chain. The main piece was the stylized emblem both had on their chests. That was chased in smoky diamonds chased with smoked pearls and moon stones. After that was his semi-formal clothing from Zephara. It wasn't anything like he had seen here but it would work since it had a short leather skirt chased with gold. He had a fine linen shirt that was heavily embroidered. Finally was his formal vest and it was simple unlike the rest. The last bit was the belt with his heavy knife on it. Moments after he had dressed there was a knock on the door and when he opened it Erma was there. She looked at him and smiled. "You look really good Lak-Non." Just for good measure she winked at him. "Shall we go and I hope you enjoy the food and company." He couldn't help but grin at her. "You look good as well Erma and I am sure we will have a good evening." Lak-Non stepped out of his room and closed and locked the door behind. Once that was dealt with he tucked her hand into his elbow. "So tell me about yourself. I so enjoy getting to know others even if I don't stay very long. I have itchy feet and for the last few years have been wandering." She took the hint that he had no intention of staying around for all that long. "Well I grew up here as well as most of my family and..." Erma went on to describe her family and it sounded almost familiar to him. They talked for the short time it took to make it to a private dining room. Inside was the Inn Keepers family. After a few introductions Lak-Non was seated and he finally spoke. "I am guessing in your culture I would be considered a senior warrior though how my tattoo fits in I don't know. I had to leave my Lord's service due to auguries indicating I needed to. Now I am just a traveler with itchy feet. I would appreciate it if you simply called me Lak-Non." Once he was done talking he took a sip of some wine. The male wolf looked rather startled when Lak-Non indicated he didn't know what the tattoo meant. "Normally when a warrior leaves his pack to earn his warrior status he is expected to fight a predator. When successful he brings it back to the tribe. The animal he challenged and won becomes his totem animal. He is given a necklace with the teeth or claws, or both as well as an emblem of the animal. The necklace you are wearing is strange but it is showing the bear emblem as well as the tattoo is of the bear. That means at some point you challenged and won over a bear. For that to happen is very rare and to accomplish it you have to be damn good." He waved the server in with the food and it was a communal meal. His mate broke in for a moment. "I hope you enjoy the meal Wanderer Lak-Non." She wrinkled her muzzle when she said that. She didn't think the human would object to some gentle teasing. Lak-Non had to raise an eyebrow with the explanation since he didn't remember ever fighting a bear whatever that was. He had stepped out of the jungle with the tattoo on and no prior memory. He and Zephara had gone to several augers till the last one seemed to manage to irritate something. He had gone up in a whosh of flame after which both of them had decided they liked their hides uncooked. "I really don't know what to say to that. I can't explain why but all my memories before my stepping out of the forest are gone. I had the tattoo when I stepped out and I have no idea how I received it." Just to keep them from suggesting seeing an auger or whatever they had here he spoke again. "We did try to find out but after the third or fourth auger we went to we decided it was a bad idea. The last one rather went up in flames over the question." When the female wolf teased him he flashed a grin back. "I bet you keep your mate on his toes don't you?" That comment received several laughs and then they dug into the food. By the time dinner was over he was most definitely stuffed and content. "That was a very fine meal ma'am and the best meal since leaving port. For some reason there are limited numbers of things you can do with hardtack, salted mystery meat, and dried herbs and plants." He shuddered at that thought. There were several more laughs as they stood up. "Well I am sure you are looking forward to a bed that isn't swaying and swinging so have a good evening. I do appreciate your joining us for the meal. The only other thing I have to mention is in this country you will always be a senior warrior even if you simply wander around. Don't take offense when people use the term warrior till they get to know you better." With that he bid Lak-Non and Erma a good evening. Lak-Non sighed quietly as they walked out of the dining room. "I love learning about people and cultures. I have a feeling getting used to this culture is going to give me a few headaches." As he was talking he looked over at Erma. "So would you care to join me in my room? You were indicating that earlier and I have to admit you are a good looking Inu. If I read this wrong let me know please." Erma smiled back at him and leaned against him. "I can't even imagine trying to learn a new culture. When I was younger I made a trip to the pack my parents came from. Can you say major shock? I definitely prefer living in the city and don't have to worry if that noise in the night is hungry." She wrinkled her muzzle when she said that. "I did indicate that and yes I would enjoy spending a night or two with you." Just for good measure she gave him a good look and let out a pleased rrrrr sound. ~~~ It had been several days since Dan had talked to Moran and the keeper of records had gotten a hold of him. When she had added what he had done for both their tribe as well as the Inu's tribe to what Nang had he was shocked. He hadn't even considered getting paid for what he had done. They would owe on the new caravan but nothing like what he had expected. Once they had finished talking he had finally broached the subject with Nang. At the moment he was sitting on one of the low couches with Nang wrapped up in his arms. The Inu and her pup were quietly working on something to keep from disturbing them. "Nang before I talk to the wood smiths or the stone smiths if you can answer me should we keep the current caravan? How large of a new caravan should we be considering?" Dan did know that even with human's the time between pregnancies could be a number of years. Considering humans lived so much longer than they did on Earth though that could still be many children. Nang had a contented smile on her face as she was sitting in Dan's lap. She had her head resting on his shoulder and was enjoying his arms around her. "All I can really say is that yes we will probably have more children. How far apart they might be I don't know but if we keep the current caravan we can let Nala and her boy use it. Once they outgrow it or she finds a new mate then we can go from there." He nodded to himself as she was talking and rather figured that was what she was going to say. "Well at least puberty here isn't nearly as bad..." Dan had to add that since their girls were sitting there relaxing as well. Ana lightly kicked his ankle and glowered. "I resent that daddy. Allie was the one that caused all the hate and discontent." She knew that Allie would get her for that but she wasn't worried about it. It was actually nice to finally be settled down again and sit with their parents. The girls were still living with Jim's family but were spending a good amount of time at their mother's caravan as well. Allie simply snorted at Ana since she was to comfortable to bother doing anything to her. "When you design the new caravan and tents are you going to want us to move back? With us parked so near to Jim's caravan I feel like we are in a large open house. I like sleeping with the kids and helping with them." Part of it was it also kept her from having to do some of the dirty work she hated. Dan looked down at Nang and let her answer. "That is fine as long as his mates don't have a problem. I think it is good for both you and them. For you living with actual tribe members you are getting a much better sense of how the tribe works. For them you are helping take some of the load off their shoulders so they can focus on other responsibilities. I will talk to them and see how they feel." She wiggled some so she was facing the girls more. "We are proud of you for stepping in and helping them." He gave them a proud smile as well. "I agree, you were dumped into a world that was totally different from anything you had experienced before. Once here though it took you some time to get used to some aspects such as the bathing and eating snails you did well." He had to mention the snails just to tease them. For that he received a glare from both girls since when they had discovered that they had been horrified. "Now it is late and I am going to drag your mother to bed and crash. We will see you tomorrow." ~~~ Once Dan and Nang had decided on the size of the caravan they wanted both settled down with the wood smiths. They were shown a number of stock designs and after deciding on how they wanted the layout done the smiths left. They were going to have to do some detailed drawings and generate a list of what they were going to need. Once that was done then the Stone Smith would become involved. From what they had discovered it normally took up to a year to gather what was needed. Some of the parts had to be acquired from the few stationary tribes and clans. These included hardware such as the suspension, hinges, and other hardware. They had also decided on how the tents were going to be setup as well. After consideration they decided to have two sections not including the open living area. There was going to be an adult section where Nang could study and work as well. The other section would eventually be for the children they might have. Neither currently had the intentions of adopting any children though both had made it clear they could come to them as well. Once they had those plans designed as well Dan finally decided it was time to go and talk to Sorrel. Since their caravan was across the small street, for lack of better description, he simply walked across and called out. Sheeha called back for him to come in and have a seat and they would be with him momentarily. Dan did but before he had a chance to sit down Sheeha came out of the adults section. By now she was starting to show though she was still in excellent shape. He moved over and gave her a good hug. "You are looking good Sheeha. You might not agree but pregnancy agrees with you. I know that even if unintended Jim would be pleased with how you are doing." He gave her one more good hug before settling down. "Is Sorrel in or is she out and about?" Sheeha returned the hug and leaned against him for a moment and purred. It felt good to be held by a male though since he was taken it was strictly as friends. When he mentioned Jim she had to sigh though it was getting easier to think about him. "Thank you Dan for both the compliment and the hug. It felt good. Sorrel should be here in a few minutes. Till she arrives can I get you anything?" "Just some juice please and anytime any of you could use a good hug Nang won't mind. She knows that I won't stray. She is all the woman I need in my life." He had a contented smile on his face when he said that. Sheeha contemplated that idea. "I will let the other ladies know since I am sure they could use the occasional hug. Back in a few minutes." She moved off to get something for him to drink. While he was there he ended up attracting a few of the kids Nasha babysat and was playing with them when Sorrel and Sheeha came in. Both ladies had to stop and give him a slightly sad smile. "The kids miss having a father figure. Yim will always be their poppe but I am really pleased that you enjoy playing with them as well. So how can I help you?" She settled down in one of the other chairs and accepted a drink from Sheeha as well. Dan moved back to the chair after handing out one last hug for the various children. "As I am sure you know Nang and I are having a larger caravan made for us. It is going to take a year or somewhat longer. We talked to the girls the other evening and with your permission they would like to stay here. That is after the caravan is created as well." Sheeha and carefully settled down next to the chair Dan was in and leaned against his leg and started purring. She knew that the more gravid she became the more affectionate she would be. Even though he had said Nang wouldn't mind she was going to have to talk to her and explain that aspect. Sorrel nodded as he spoke. "I do know about the caravan and though I will need to talk to the other ladies it shouldn't be a problem. They have been here since you arrived and it hasn't been a problem. I will let you know in a few days." She had to smile at Sheeha as she was purring while Dan stroked her ears and hair. This was most definitely a different aspect to Sheeha than they had ever seen. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 05 Theik-Lekal could only react. When he noticed the riffraff and thugs charging out of the shadows something in him reacted and he had to head towards them. As he was moving forward all he could really hope was that the girl would do what he had told her to do. While moving forward he noticed the one guard who had drawn his attention was slowly starting to react. He instantly knew that he was a traitor to the one he had been watching. If all else failed he would deal with him and get some information from him. Zephara was still talking to the seller there was a bellow from his senior guard. He turned and the sudden silence of the area startled him for a moment before a throng of screaming men came at the small party. For a brief moment he was almost offended since they should know that attacking an Imperial party was tantamount to suicide even if they took out the target. A brief moment later he surged forward and had his battle axe in hand and listened to the commands from his senior warrior. "All back around Zephara. Protect and guard him with your lives." The bellow was loud enough to make some pause. "All who attack an Imperial party is eligible for death of the worst sort." That bellow made a few more pause but it wasn't enough by a significant amount. There were only half dozen guards to probably twenty or more attackers. Before the battle was joined a small waif darted behind Zephara and almost caused him to strike at her. When he turned to her he found a young girl of his race who was maybe ten or eleven years old. "What are you doing girl?" He asked her. She ducked down and held an arm over her head. "Please don't hit me master. My owner told me to find somewhere to hide if there was any sort of fight. I am just doing as he ordered." She was crouching down as well as she spoke. Zephara looked down at her and smiled slightly. "In that case stay down and I will do what I can." A shadow caught his attention and he whirled around and struck. The axe slashed across an attacker's chest which caused the man to scream and flinch back. When Zephara snapped the axe back around he used just enough of the bits to slice the man's neck open. There was a spurt of arterial blood as he went down. Theik had joined in the battle but was staying well away from the Imperial guards since he really didn't want to face them. Just looking at their weapons they were much heavier than his and were being used with a brutal efficiency. Since he had what most would take as a wood cutters axe he was using glancing blows. Unlike the guards he was using most of the axe as best possible. He would nail one with the bits only to snap the butt against the head or throat of another. As he was fighting he watched one guard go down but the young man, who was probably some Imperial relative, was doing damn good though he was much smaller than the others. Out of one corner of his eyes Jim noticed the one guard dash down an alleyway and he went after him. The other was moving fast but he didn't appear to notice that Theik was following him till the last moment. As he was getting ready to strike at him the warrior spun around. "Who the Segnan are you filth. I am an imperial guard and to interfere with me is to die." The guard figured that with the uniform he was wearing would keep him safe. "I am going to get help as ordered so get out of my way vermin human." Theik laughed. "Is that why you opened the way for the thugs and then ran? I didn't hear any orders called to you before you ran. Face me like a man or die like the dirt you are." His body was coiled and ready for whatever might happen. The other gave a huge swing of the battle axe he was carrying to try and take out the human in one strike. Most of his kind had a low opinion of humans and had never faced one who had the training Theik had. Theik danced back and returned the swing. Though he knew better it was a light flickering blow across one leg. "Children shouldn't play with the trained. Come little girl and show me what you aren't." That was a definite sneer when he said it. It was obvious the human had little respect for the other. The guard growled and gave another massive swing. This time he would connect and prove the human wrong. That was till he felt a sudden pain low in his chest and a surge of agony. When he looked there was a short wide blade rammed between two ribs and aimed upwards. On the tip of the blade he could feel his heart thudding against it as it shredded itself apart as it beat. A sudden belch of blood came forth as the male collapsed to his knees. The blade slipped out of his chest and he fell over. Theik had known the other would try for another massive blow and instead of responding with his axe had pulled his short blade with his left hand. As soon as the axe had gone past he had stepped forward and rammed it between the others ribs. "As I said children shouldn't play with those better trained." Once the other collapsed Theik took a moment to check the body and came away with a pouch heavy with coins. "As I thought." With that he turned back and headed back to the fray. By the time he returned to the central area the fight was mostly over. There was any number of bodies lying around of which most were the thugs. Two were of the warriors and they appeared to have died fighting. There were several gathered around the young man and an older male. Theik noticed they bristled as he started to approach and stopped. "I wish you no harm milord but you are between me and mine." The warrior captain started forward before the prince stopped him. The human in front of him was covered with blood as were the axe in one hand and the short blade in the other. "Why do you say that human?" The prince called out. He didn't really think about the young girl behind him as he spoke. Theik glanced at the warrior and then the young man. "I said I intend no harm and this is my proof." He laid the axe down as well as the short blade. He dropped the bag next to them and his pouch as well. "I only wish to thank you for protecting what is mind milord. I found Z'nala in the slave markets and was repulsed by what might be done to and with her. I purchased her to keep such from happening and simply wish to collect her." His hands were out away from his sides as he spoke. The prince realized who he was talking to and glanced over his shoulder at the girl. She gave him a slight nod. "He is my master and he purchased me. He told me I had no need to concern myself with anything..." She looked down at the ground and hunched her shoulders. "He told me that I wouldn't be used or beaten unless there was a very good reason sir." She was well spoken which was obvious. Zephara listened to her and then turned back to the male. He briefly nodded at two of his warriors. "I am sending two warriors out to check to make sure you don't have any weapons on you. Once confirmed we will talk. I do have to ask why you involved yourself in this issue?" He had seen the human attack some of the attackers. Theik gave him a nod. "Milord I have no edged weapons of any sort on me. I am warrior trained though so to say I am unarmed would be to lie. I became involved for a reason which I can only tell one who I have been tasked with helping. I can't explain more than that except I was drawn to this section of town." He paused while the guards came over and gave him a good search. One curled back the leather vest which showed the tattoo. Zephara was more than shocked since it resembled his tattoo. "Release him now that you have searched him. Bring him to me since I have a question for him. For this I demand privacy." He didn't consider the girl since at the moment she was a slave. The senior warrior frowned at Zephara. "Are you sure my prince? He has stated that he is dangerous even if not armed." Even if they had been in the middle of battle he had kept half an eye on the young man and was more than impressed with how he had handled himself. Zephara gave him a tight smile. "I am sure though I can't tell you why. I know that he won't harm me and part of that is since he was protecting a simple slave." Though he rather disliked the trade it was common but to see someone send a slave to be protected by someone his age had impressed him. "Prince I can't in good conscious leave you alone with him." He came to attention and in a low voice. "Prince you are my hope for the empire. If something happened to you... I do not want to see what would happen to your people." It was only heard by the two of them and was essentially a proclamation. Zephara gave him a good solid look. "Thank you warrior and that means a great deal to me. Stay with me though I know he is not of a problem. I cannot tell you why for the moment but I do know this in my bones." He turned and waved the human towards him. "Come human and we will talk. I expect privacy and check to make sure before I talk to him." He looked at his tutor and spoke quietly. "If you are loyal stay." When Theik approached the young man he kept his hands relaxed. "Goon nooning milord, I am called Theik-Lekal though how I came by that name I know not." He glanced at the two males before looking at the girl. "Come here child. I said I would protect you and I did." When she moved over he knelt down and gave her a quick check to ensure she wasn't hurt. "Stay behind me child." He stood back up and looked at the others. Zephara managed not to let his shock show since he was the one who had named the voice in his mind. "I have one question for you at the moment. Why did you attack when you could have left and not have been involved?" Theik gave him a level look. "Because I was called to, as I said I am not sure why but I have been. It was the same with the young lady there. I was called to save her." That and he had some plans which he wasn't going to talk about involving the slave trader. "I also attacked since I..." he glance at the other two and pulled out the pouch, "I knew you had been set up. I pulled this off one of the guards." He handed it over. The prince frowned at him and for the moment settled for taking the pouch from him and opened it. Inside was way more than any warrior could make in a year of working. That and most of it were new minted as well. He briefly showed the other two which caused the warrior to tighten his face and the older male to frown. "For now this is yours and I would have use of you if you are willing. I would like to hire you as a trainer for the moment and yes I have somewhere for you and your... Charge." Theik smiled at him slightly though he was keeping some of his thoughts to himself. There were things going on he had no idea of. "Call me a weapons tutor if you wish milord. Not to be disparaging but you are not as large as the others and I know a great deal about a variety of combats. It was something I have been trained in." How he knew that he didn't know but he did. "As far as my charge thank you though I was going to be purchasing some items for her. I'll not have a slave other in other than maybe name." The four of them slightly nodded since the rest of this needed to be discussed in private. "I accept that and I will introduce you to my father as one who helped. No mention of the one guard will be made, do you understand?" Zephara asked. Theik snorted at him. "Oh hell yah, what the others don't know keeps them on their toes. I accept and will be your willing servant. Well within limits which we will discuss later." He curled an arm around the girl and it was obvious he had claimed her. ~~~ To be honest the meeting with Zephara's father, Theik finally knew the boy's name, was frankly a pain in the ass. It was obvious the other had little use for humans and had trouble believing that Theik had really been involved. In Theik's eyes that was a good thing since the less he was though of the better he could operate in secrecy and privacy. Once the meeting was over the five of them were escorted to Zephara's suite. When they walked in Theik's gray eyes traveled around the room and settled on the slave already in there. His first reaction was to kill the man and find a new slave. He knew nothing about how Zephara had received him and if they were going to be working together he had to know. As he was thinking ideas were crossing his mind and a very faint smile traced across his features. It wasn't a nice smile but it wasn't an evil smile. Now Theik knew why he had been driven to purchase the girl. For now she was going to become Zephara's new slave and take care of most of his needs. Depending on how long he ended up being here as she grew and aged they could create the illusion of her being used for more. It wouldn't happen unless she made the choice but for now it would be useful. Zephara looked at the slave. "Go get drinks, snacks, and some decent clothing for Theik's slave. Be quick and then leave us in peace." From the tone and way he spoke he didn't care for the slave either. The dismissal was an obvious one and the slave scurried out of the room. Once gone Zephara rolled his shoulders. "Thiek we need to talk and I need to know what you can tell me about the symbol on your chest." Theik frowned slightly as he contemplated the room. "In a few moments please. Does that doorway lead to a bathroom?" When Zephara nodded Theik smiled. "Excellent, Z'nala go start a bath for yourself. Get clean and..." He dug around in the small bag of clothes they had picked up for her. "Put something decent on." When she came to get the clothing he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Don't make a mess but be noisy as you get clean." She gave him a slightly confused look and then with a nod bowed. "Yes master and thank you for allowing your slave to get clean." Z'nala headed to the bathroom and a few moments later running water could be heard. Now Theik spoke to Zephara. "How secure are your rooms? Do you know of any spy holes or listening posts? If so we need to neutralize those first." He didn't want to kill anyone since that would draw attention to them. Zephara tensed and let his eyes roam the walls. The general assumption was that he and most of the others were being spied on. "Chances are good but there are times when it is safer to talk than others. Let me think on this and we will talk later." About then the slave came back with the items requested. "Put it on the table and leave. If I have need of you I will call for you." Theik stared at the slave till he left. "He needs to be dealt with. I will take care of it. I will tell you what I have been trained in and then we will go from there." He picked up the watered down wine and sniffed it and then took a small sip. He would not put it past anyone to put some sort of poison in it. The young man noticed what he was doing and had to give him a wry grin. "It should be safe though better safe than sorry." He also took a small sip and indicated for Theik to continue. From the bathroom were the sounds of the girl getting clean and she was being noisy about it. ~~~ Lak-Non laughed. "I am not sure what I could say since I am new here. I don't know how your packs might work but after being on a ship... I don't know what could be worse than that." He had to shudder. "I will not regale you with tails of what that was like at times." It wasn't fun sometimes though he had enjoyed it. Having to drop a load at the Break Head was not his idea of fun or using salt water to get clean with. By the end of two weeks most people reeked to high heaven but shortly after that your nose became numb to it. That wasn't even mentioning the crowded living conditions, dirty clothing, and boring food. Having to eat a Rigzon each meal to keep from getting Rickets really sucked as well. About the only good thing was the rum ration at meals. That and for some reason he really did enjoy sitting at the foc'sle in the evening looking at the stars. There was a freedom as you were dancing in front of a freshening breeze and listening to the snap and pop of the sails and ropes. Once they were in the room he settled down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. "I don't know you much but I like to talk and spend a bit of time before I take someone to bed." For a moment his eyes unfocused before he continued. "It was something I learned long ago. Even if I am not going to have a long term relation I rarely have a one night stand. I want to know the people I am with Erma." She contemplated him and what he had to say and wished that she knew a male like him. She moved over to the bed and settled down next to him and leaned against him. "I have to say that I am almost jealous of who you might end up with down the road. I hope she comes to appreciate what a male you are. Many men would simply go for the easy screw and call it good." She smiled as he wrapped an arm around her. "I think that is something that drew me to you. You felt and scented as a solid male." Lak-Non wrapped an arm around her and held her close. "I am sure you will find the one for you Erma. You are an attractive female and from what little I know of you a good person. It can take some time I am sure to find the right one but better to wait than grab the first many times. As far as a mate for me? The gods only know since I have the urge to wander. Maybe one of these days I will find a female who will give me the urge to settle down." Erma rubbed her head against him and smiled. "Maybe you should mate with a Pack or Tribal member since they are always traveling. The normally have a territory that belongs to them but every few months they tend to travel to their next stop. If you decide to stay here in this area I can point you to my Pack and they will accept you till you want to move on." Her hand wrapped around his chest and slipped under his vest and stroked his skin. "I am drawn to you and would like to spend the next few nights if you do wish." Lak-Non had to frown since something about what she was saying sounded familiar. As with so many of his memories it was just beyond his grasp which was frustrating. Now joining a pack or tribe for a season or three did sound interesting since he had no urge to go back to Cerule. "I might take you up on both offers Erma but only if you actually wish to. I'll not have an unwilling woman in my bed." He was pretty sure she was interested in being in his bed so he urged her to move away for a moment. Once she was away he started pulling off all but his loincloth. When he moved away from the bed she stood and pulled her top off. "If you don't stop teasing me Lak-Non I might have to growl at you. Now get your tail in bed so I can have my way with you." The look she gave him was most definitely smoking hot. As she was talking she was continuing to undress before climbing back in bed. Lak-Non started laughing. "Yes Erma and I have a feeling if I teased you much more you might end up biting me. I have a feeling I wouldn't appreciate that at all." His eyes wandered over her body and had to appreciate it. Inu's like her were rare back in Cerule but they weren't unknown. He had bedded a number of different species over the years he had been there but this would be a first for him. Erma definitely noticed him watching her as she stripped down and flicked an ear at him. "I take it you like what you see? If so get into bed big boy and let me show you an evening you won't forget." Just to be a tease she rolled on her back and slowly stretched which showed her body off to good effect. Lak-Non winked at her. "Oh, I might just stand here for a time and enjoy watching you roll around on the bed." He grinned when she growled at him for that and he settled for a slow walk to the bed and looked down at her. "I have to admit I see someone I like." She was slender and he had to admit seeing four breasts was different but didn't bother him. He rolled onto the bed and ended up on all fours over her. "Then again it has been a while and you are lovely. Thank you for gracing my bed Erma." He leaned forward and kissed her. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 05 She growled at him and then barked before he rolled onto the bed and ended up over her. "You are a damn fine looking human as well Lak-Non." Now that he was over her she lifted her hands and ran them up his sides. His muscles and scars drew her. Across his back she could feel a number of scars but she hadn't seen them as of yet. When he kissed her muzzle she returned it and slid her tongue between his lips and lightly tasted him. Lak-Non had to close his eyes as her tongue and hands went to work. Now he could feel his arousal starting and he had a feeling it was going to be a good evening. Though his tongue wasn't anything like hers he slipped it into her mouth and allowed it to roam as much as possible. For several moments they enjoyed the differences. Why he pulled back and lightly licked her nose he wasn't sure but it felt right. "Tell me what feels good for you Erma. I have never been with someone like you before and I want both of us to have a good evening." He licked her muzzle again. She was enjoying the feel of their tongues stroking the others mouth as well as stroking the other's tongue. When he drew back and licked her muzzle she almost groaned. For all his protestations that he wasn't sure what to do to please her he was doing a good job. "For someone who says that you are hitting all the right buttons. Do the same for me as well please Lak-Non." She lifted her head as he started licking and nuzzling lower. He could feel her starting to react though he didn't want to admit he was calling on his experience with other females. "Just going with what feels right lovely lady." Now he nibbled on her lower lip before starting to apply light nips along her cheeks and jaw. Now that he was starting to get really involved with the moment he let his experience show. How old she was he didn't know but he had many years behind him though being human he knew that he probably wouldn't live as long as other races. Her hands were starting to roam along his sides even more and his back. Her claws were slightly extended and tracing patterns across his back. Yes she had been with humans before but in this case he was an unknown example. When he started to nip and lip her face and cheeks she could feel her breasts start to react. The fire was starting in her lower abdomen. It had been a while since she had felt this reaction to a male. Lak-Non felt the claws come out and as they stroked across his sides and back he felt his arousal becoming even stronger. Suddenly he found himself on his back when Erma rolled him over and she was now on top. She started nipping and licking her way down his jaw and neck. His hands slipped down her sides to her hips and his fingers were working into her fur. It was soft and well taken care of and felt so good against his body. As his hands slipped over her hips and to her bottom his fingers kept up the light kneeding. The tail was somewhat different but he could feel her reaction as he played with her bottom. She tensed when he hands slid around her hips and she had a feeling he didn't realize he had hit one of her nerves. It was one that almost instantly made her soaking wet and hotter than hell. She tensed up and couldn't control her reaction when she slid forward. When she did she felt the tip of his hard shaft slide between her legs and find her opening. With a deep growl she slowly positioned herself and the slid down his shaft. Lak-Non was more than rather shocked when she reacted with an obvious arousal. Her reaction was almost to much when he found himself inside her and she was both hot and more than wet. As she started sliding down his shaft he rose and they bottomed out together. When she sat up and started growling his hand found her upper breasts and started stroking them. When he felt her nipples starting to harden he lightly started to stroke her nipples. The growl she let out was more than arousing. Both started to move together till she finally tensed with a growl and her opening tightened around him and locked them together. If he had been a male inu they would be locked together for some time but it still felt damn good. As hard as she tried not to her head lifted and a mixture of a growl and snarl erupted from her. When she came he slammed into her and unloaded his seed into her. After several strong surges he collapsed on the bed and lay there panting as she slowly lowered herself onto his chest and shoulder. She was panting in satisfaction as well. All he could do for several moments was to lay there with his arms around her and pant. For several moments after he could feel his body reacting and occasionally surging inside her. ~~~ Over the next several days she showed him around the town and helped him with his shopping. Both had greatly enjoyed the time with each other. She occupied his bed at night though during the day she was doing her work. Lak-Non was enjoying the evenings and nights and almost wished he could stay but he knew that he was going to be drawn into traveling again. For the most part he was starting to feel far more relaxed and at home than he had ever before. Even with his former lord he had always felt like he was going to move on. It didn't matter that he had been with the young man for a number of years both knew it. Why they felt that way he didn't know but on this continent all felt right. He was going to travel on but why he didn't know and wanted to know. He wanted answers to his past, those he couldn't remember. He wanted to know why or even just how he had ended up in Cerule helping with Zephara. It wasn't something he could voice to anyone since they would probably stare at him oddly. ~~~ Sheeha had approached Nang about how she had been acting. She most definitely didn't want the Mystic to feel that she was horning in on their mating. "Mystic thank you for meeting me, I needed to talk to you about how I have been acting around your mate. I don't desire him but being what I am the more gravid I become the more I want to cuddle and feel a strong male near me. Normally it would be the father of my kit but with..." She couldn't say that with Jim was dead she was finding the nearest strong male. She was currently settled on the carpets in front of the couch Nang was on. Nag was starting to show though nothing like Sheeha. Since humans had a longer gestation than others they tended to not show as much or as soon. Her head was resting in Nang's lap and she was enjoying the stroking. Nang had rather been expecting this visit since Dan had mentioned it to her. "Relax Sheeha and I do understand. I can tell from the feel of you that you aren't trying to take my mate away. Dan knows this as well and had talked to me about it. I have told him that if you wish to cuddle with him and seek non-intimate attention with him that is fine. It isn't quite the same but where we come from gravid female felines tend to act much the same." Her hands and fingers were working on Sheeha's ears and hair as they were talking. "Thank you Mystic and thank you for allowing Dan to provide comfort to Jim's mates as well." She was most definitely purring and since she was half way through her pregnancy her hormones were really hitting. "They need the comfort as well since I know they don't want a strange male in their tents now. They will be mourning Yim for some time." Nang smiled down at the young woman. "James means a great deal to us as well and when you lose family you take care of family." Her hands and fingers were continuing with their stroking. "All I ask is that any and all comfort all of you seek from Dan is in the living areas. I know he wouldn't do anything wrong but I must say this." She leaned over as best possible over her growling stomach. "Sheeha all will be taken care of though I can't say more than that. Relax and let nature take its course. You are going to have a lovely kit and he will grow and make you proud of him." ***** A/N: Read, enjoy, vote, comment. For the naga-nazi's make a real comment as well as the nagging. I will make a horrible example of you in a story if you don't... World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 06 Theik leaned back in the chair. "I can't tell you much about me since I somehow lost my memories. The first real memory I have is from several weeks ago when I woke up next to the road I came in." That was safe enough to say since whoever might be listening wasn't going to get much from it. "I will tell you that though my memories only start a short time ago I have learned much about myself. I am skilled with the axe and have been taught how to use a knife as well as my body." He stopped to see what Zephara had to say. He slowly nodded and based on what he had experienced it sounded reasonable. "For the moment I am not going to ask much since I am sure that you would like to get a bath. From the sounds of it your slave is almost done." He sipped on the watered down wine. "I..." Zephara frowned and leaned forward. "There is a sleeping area up there which is technically for my slave. If you don't mind sleeping there for a few days I would appreciate it." His voice was very quiet when he said that. Theik gave the young man a slight nod. "I can do that and I am going to go for a stroll once she is out." He looked at the section Zephara was looking at and tossed his bag up there. Unless told otherwise his axe and heavy knife were staying with him. Since she was almost done he grabbed a couple of the items on the plate and nibbled. He really needed to talk to the boy as well as the guard captain about a few things which were bothering him. From what he had picked up while traveling here as well as in the court this was a cesspit of corruption. If not outright corruption then intrique. Theik could be horribly wrong but it was a feeling he was getting simply by how the population reacted to the guards. As he was munching on the food he turned when she came out of the bathroom and smiled. The clothing was still rather plain but she looked far more like a kid than she had before. "You look better and definitely cleaner. Come here for a moment hun." He kept his voice quiet as he was talking. She kept her eyes down as she had been trained and slowly moved over in front of him and stood there. He didn't sound angry or feel angry with her thankfully. When he touched her face and then lightly stroked the soft feathers covering her head she did twitch. She briefly looked up at him and then immediately back at the floor. "Relax Z'nala, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you weren't hurt." Theik's voice was concerned as he gave her a quick check over before he gave her a light hug. "For the moment we are going to be sleeping in here. There is a sleeping pad up there in that alcove. Go and curl up after you have something to eat and drink. I am going for a walk to stretch my legs." He found the almost feathery covering of her scalp to be fascinating. When he said he was going for a walk she started getting scared. Though she didn't really trust him a great deal he had tried to protect her and hadn't done anything to her. She looked up at Theik and the fear was obvious. "Relax hun, you will be fine. Zephara will take care of you and won't let anyone hurt you." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light hug. "Remember he protected you in the market and didn't hurt you. I trust him for reasons I don't understand but I do. Now go crawl into bed and I shouldn't be gone too long." One last hug and he turned her towards the alcove. She gave him a semi-trusting look and briefly leaned into the hug. "Yes master." She turned towards the alcove and crawled into the pallet and pulled a cover up. Z'nala tucked her back against the wall so she was facing the opening. It was going to take her a while to fall asleep. Theik sighed before he gave Zephara a slight nod. He opened the door and stepped out after looking both ways. At the moment he wasn't going to stir any waves but he wanted to know the layout of the section they were in. After he became familiar with this section he would expand his wanderings. The best part was he could be as obvious as he wanted since he was new. Even better if he worked it right he could also make a few female friends which would also give him reason to wander. ~~~ The last couple of weeks had been very interesting for Theik. He had pretty much become Zephara's shadow during the day. In the morning was the education and that was actually rather interesting. It had required his starting to learn their written language. That had ended up including Z'nala as well since Theik was damned if she was going to remain a slave girl for the rest of her life. What the boy was learning was extremely impressive and he had to wonder of Zephara's father had any idea just how intelligent he was. In the afternoon was training for both Theik as well as the young man. For this time Z'nala was acting as a slave and cleaning Zephara's rooms. If he had even considered getting her any fighting training in public both of them would have been killed immediately. He was giving her some training at night in the rooms. It was only hand to hand and knife fighting but it would, or should, keep her safe till one of them could get to her. The guard captain for the boy had been very helpful as well. Between the two of them they had come up with a very good training schedule for Zephara. It wasn't just weapons training but intrigue, plotting, dealing with spies, and anything else they could think of. This was because the longer Theik was there the more he could see the empire was starting to fall apart. The current Emperor was slowly destroying it for his pleasure. Theik felt that the boy was to be the saving grace for the kingdom as long as he was well trained. He had to be carefully trained and groomed though he couldn't explain why he felt that. ~~~ Theik glanced at the two kids and had to grin. He and Z'nala had been there for a while and she had come to accept Zephara as someone she could trust. "Zephara I am going out for a while. I am not sure how long I will be gone but I should be back by the morning." He had a few plans to set in motion not to mention a visit or two to make. Zephara had to raise an eyebrow at him. "Why do I get the feeling this is going to be something I don't want to know about?" It was much like when his former slave had vanished. One evening Theik had gone out and the next morning his slave hadn't come to wake him up. Z'nala had stepped in and started working as his slave. Theik gave him a rather malicious grin. "I am going to visit an old friend who happens to be a slave trader. I simply want to say hello and have a discussion with him about a few things." He pulled his short sword out and checked the blade and put it back in the sheath. Z'nala looked up and a number of emotions went through her expression before she settled on pleasure. "Master would you please say hello for me? I would like to thank him for bringing me to you." Her smile was on the angelic side for a moment. "Then if you would make a eunuch out of him." She kept the sweet expression though her eyes were hard. He shook his head as a grin crossed his face. "Girl I should spank you for talking that way but instead I will just have you go to bed without your snack." He picked up his axe and with another shake of his head he walked out the door. Leaving the palace grounds wasn't a problem since he had gone over a wall. Early on he had found many of the guards were open to looking the other way for a small price. They had told him of a few places where one could get in and out of the palace without being seen. This was again for a small fee. Once he hit the ground on the other side of the palace wall he flipped a light cape over his shoulder. He secured it to his opposite shoulder so it covered most of his body. The only thing really showing was his axe handle. Since it was still relatively early he took his time making it to the market he had found the girl in. Even though he chose not to eat anything he stopped at a few of the open air bars and had a beer or two. He didn't drink the entire steins of beer since he didn't want to get drunk. On top of that the drink was rather nasty. As far as he could tell they were both brewed with rancid Malok urine and poured while still green and not fully fermented. Eventually he made it to the market section and settled in a corner. A rougher crowd was out and about and the wares were far less reputable. He could hear crying, and screaming from the slave section. There appeared to be a fine trade in special 'spices'. That term made him snort since everyone knew they were selling drugs. He had passed at least a dozen fences and other things he didn't recognize. With a shake of his head he settled down to watch the fun. Theik had been there for a while when he heard some sort of ruckus which he didn't want to get involved in. Since it was approaching he moved from the spot he was in and was quickly up the wall and perched on the roof. As he was looking in the direction of the ruckus he noticed a number of torches which stuck out. The vast majority of the people at best had a tallow taper to allow just enough light by which to see the merchandise. After he looked around the roof area he was on he didn't see anyone who might question his being there. With that he started moving down the roof towards the lights. When he was close enough he realized it was an imperial party as he had suspected. He couldn't tell which imperial member it might be since there wasn't enough light. Theik noticed they were heading towards the tents he had been aiming for and sighed. This was going to ruin his fun probably. With a mental growl he lowered himself off the roof and headed over to the tent. At one point he had found a guard but he was easily dealt with since he had obviously had more than a few cups of the Malok piss. A good rap to the skull resolved that issue. Theik worked his way as close as possible and settled down to listen. Since his cloak was dark he flipped the hood over his hair to keep it and his face from being seen. Inside the tent from the sounds of it the conversation was starting to wind down. All he really heard was something about a 'special delivery' and 'several more days'. The voice of one sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. Now he had to wonder what the special delivery was and why someone had to come to the slave market for it. He had to sit there and mentally growl to himself since he really wanted to kill this bastard. Now he was going to have to wait for a few days. Once the conversation was finished he carefully moved away from the tent and headed for the nearest wall. He was going to keep an eye on the tent and see if he could see who might be involved. Frankly he didn't care what the special delivery was but if it was someone high up in the court... Depending on what it was he might be able to subvert him and use him. Once he was on the ceiling again he crouched down to watch. That didn't last long since something made him move and when he did the tink of a blade hitting stone could be heard. Theik kicked out and connected with the other person. There was a decided grunt as his heavy studded sandal hit. That gave him enough room to roll to his feet and run away from the attacker. The running wasn't so much as to get away from him as to draw him away from the market. If he did follow Theik and they ended up fighting he didn't want it to be heard. If it was that might screw up the special delivery. As he was running he could hear the almost silent padding of the other. They obviously had leather shoes or sandals since they were relatively quiet. Theik's were okay if he was moving slowly but running they made a distinctive noise. By the time he made it back to the palace it had been a long night. The attacker had followed him a fair way and they had fought several times. In the end it was blind luck that Theik hadn't been hurt worse than he had. The blind luck was as they were fighting a stone which had been badly laid shifted and the other stumbled. Theik had kicked as hard as he could and the other went down over the side and landed with a thud. Before he had come over the walls of the palace Theik had been forced to do some rough dressings on his wounds. The last thing he wanted to do was to be bleeding as he headed inside. As it was he was going to have a long day since he wasn't going to get a great deal of sleep. Add that to the wounds and he was going to be rather grumpy the next day. If anyone pissed him off heaven help them. ~~~ Lak-Non had been there for about four days and he and Erma had been enjoying their time together. While she was working he was wandering the town and carefully checking on what they wore around here. From what he could see much of the clothing was loose and light. For that he couldn't blame them since it was a fair amount warmer and more humid than in Cerule. The men tended to have low leather boots with loose pants. They were bloused around the ankles and tucked into the top of the boots. The shirts were loose as well and secured around the wrist and neck with ties. Some people had hats and others didn't. For the women the shirts were similar to the males but they tended towards loose flowing skirts and wide cloth belts. They also had soft boots on as well and most people had some sort of knife on. Since he was a warrior he did carry the short sword and axe which garnered him a few odd looks. Since he had the leather skirt and vest they knew he was a stranger and gave him a bit of space. One morning after doing some wandering he walked into the bar and had to stop. His ears were being assaulted by something that could at best be classified as music. "Good god, what the hell is that crap?" He muttered to Erma as he listened to the lyrics. For some reason they sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place them. She rolled her eyes and growled. "He is a wandering bard who occasionally stops by and plays for room and board. Normally he is decent but this time while out and about he discovered some new form of music. I have to question the music part though." Erma had to shudder before laying her ears against her head. Lak-Non stared at the male who was trying to play something and suddenly with a slight surge of pain he knew the song. When he suddenly realized it he growled. "No wonder it sounds so bad. He is using the wrong tuning. That and his instrument isn't meant to play the range needed." The item in question resembled something which was a cross between a harp and gitturn. The strings were between the necks of the harp and went from the tuning keys to a circular resonating chamber. She had to quirk an eye at him when he said that. "Do you know how to play? I would like to hear what you can do." It was something that had never crossed her mind. Lak-Non was obviously a warrior and though everyone was required to learn an instrument most didn't keep up with it. He grimaced. "I do play and am fairly decent but trying to carry an instrument across the ocean is not a good idea. I don't suppose you might have a few lying around I could take a look at." The male hit a particularly bad note and he cringed. She snorted. "You wouldn't believe some of the things people leave behind. Come with me." She lifted a section of the counter so he could come behind. "The junk room is over here." Erma waved one of the Inn-Keep's kids over to take over as she led him to a different room. "Feel free to take a look and see what might interest you." She leaned against the door jamb to see what he would do. Lak-Non shook his head at her comment. "Oh I don't know, I would probably believe more than you could imagine." He followed her into the room and had to raise an eyebrow. "I might have to talk to the owner about letting me pick through here. It might save me a bit of cash." He had plenty of coin as well as a large stash of gems which were supposed to be valued here. When he started looking he found most of them were in one section and after digging through he had to grin. "How the hell do you have a Corwith here? I have had master Songsmiths curse these things." He pulled the case out and opened it. It was obviously old and well used. The strings were going to need to be replaced soon but that wasn't a huge problem. Lak-Non flipped the shoulder strap over his shoulder and quickly had it tuned. Even though it was old it had an excellent tone to it. "I might have to see about purchasing this." His thick fingers danced across the strings and gently coaxed a mellow tune out of it. Erma couldn't help but flip her ears back in shock. That instrument had been in storage for ages. "The owner actually passed on a number of years ago. He was an old, old man and passed away in his sleep." As his fingers caressed the strings she was very impressed. "Damn, if I thought you might be willing I would seduce you into staying around here and become my mate." He was very good with his playing. Lak-Non felt another small surge of pain in one temple and had to shake his head. "Erma you are a beautiful woman and I couldn't ask for a better woman to spend my life with but I can't. The worst part is I can't tell you why since I don't know myself. I could never ask you to leave your life and travel with me since I don't know where I am going or when I might be able to stop. That isn't a life you would be comfortable with." After one last stroke of the strings he grinned. "Now for the fun part..." He walked past her, after pausing for a slow kiss, and out to the main room. Erma had to lower her ears and curled her whiskers at him. "Lak-Non when you find the woman you are searching for I think you will know. There is someone out there for you and I trust in your spirit animal that you will find her." She had to admit she was almost tempted to go with him simply because he was a wonderful man. On the flip side of the coin she had to admit that he was right that she wasn't one who really liked to travel other than to the pack and back occasionally. When he moved past her she snorted and followed. "Go get your parents hun. This is going to be interesting." She told the girl who had taken over for her. She followed Lak-Non into the main room and settled down. This was going to be rather interesting though she couldn't really say why. He approached the bard and settled down on a stool near him. "I hate to tell you this but you have seriously mangled that song old boy. The lyrics are badly translated and that instrument you are using is totally wrong for the scale needed." His fingers were lightly fingering the strings on the Corwith. The bard almost glowered at him when Lak-Non spoke and then looked at the instrument he had. "And how would you know stranger. Just from looking at you I know you are from Cerule. This is from this continent." Lak-Non stared at him for a moment before a slight smile crossed his face. "Try this on for size old boy and try to keep up." He strummed the strings and the strains for As Good as I Once Was by Toby Keith started. After the first round of music Lak-Non started singing. It was much clearer and sounded far better than with the odd looking instrument the other was playing. By the time Lak-Non was done the Bar-Keep, his mate, and a number of others were standing there listening. "That is how it should sound. Much of the problem you have is the instrument is totally wrong for this type of music. As far as the lyrics it is because whoever you got them from... Well they..." He winced at a surge of pain in his temple. "They are just wrong. I can't really tell you why but they are." The bard was staring at him with an almost slack jawed expression. "Oh god you are a master songsmith? Did you write this? Please forgive me my poor playing." Songsmiths were the song creators and bards simply learned the songs and repeated them. He could tell this human was very skilled. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 06 Lak-Non tried to shake his head but something wouldn't let him. "I am honestly not sure if I am or not. Many of my memories are lost to me. I have been singing for many years and yes I have created a number of songs. Does that make me a songsmith? I don't know since that is something which I think is from this continent." The Bar-Keep came over and had a shocked expression on his face. "You can sing as well. Oh hell I wish I had known and I would have given you room and board for a few hours of singing each evening." A number of the people were clapping in enjoyment. The bard looked at him. "I don't suppose you would be willing to teach me some of what you know? I am decent but nowhere as good as you are. I would be more than willing to do what I can to learn from you." Lak-Non rubbed his face. "I am just a warrior damn it. I like to play and sing yes but what is the big deal? There are any number of people who can." Yes he had sung for his former master and the young woman who had been his slave at one point. "Fine, till I move on I will teach you what I can. All I ask is that you try and keep as true to the songs as you can." He glowered at the Bar-Keep. "Fine I will sing and play for a few hours an evening but only if you allow me to keep this instrument. I will pay my room and board." He gave Erma a sly look. "There are other things that might keep me around for a short time." She instantly lowered her ears and then lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "You are such a brute Lak-Non. Just for that I might just start letting you sleep in a cold bed." Her tail was twitching back and forth in amusement. The Bar-Keep started laughing. "Deal Lak-Non and since I haven't been able to find anyone who knew the old man who owned that Corwith it is yours. As far as Erma I have a feeling she might bite you if you tease her much more." He shook his head and headed back to what he had been doing. The bard nodded at Lak-Non and he had a pleased look. "Thank you Master Songsmith and I am beyond honored that you would be willing to take some time to teach me." If he could do well enough he could use this to his advantage. Lak-Non sighed to himself and shook his head. "Well first off what other instruments do you know? I can't teach you very much if the instruments aren't the right ones." He had to wonder where the male had learned the song and how he knew it. That question could wait. As it ended up Lak-Non had stayed there in the town for several more months. The biggest reason was because Erma had been planning on catching a caravan to meet her Pack for a visit. From what he understood she tended to go and visit every three or so turns and it had been three turns. He had decided to go with her since he hadn't any real reason not to. He could travel with them for a while before moving onto another tribe. He had been singing at the inn and had made a nice little stash of money. It wasn't anything like what he had stashed in his pack but the longer he didn't have to break into that the better. By the time they were ready to leave he had made a number of friends he was going to miss. The bard had managed to tick him off. After working with him for a week or so it was obvious he wasn't interested in learning anything other than what might make him some money. ~~~ At the end of the week Lak-Non had washed his hands of the male and refused to talk to him. He was ticked off enough he didn't even bother taking the time to ask him where he had learned the songs. That showed just how irritated he was. To balance out his irritation with the bloody idiot was a visit by several of the Songsmiths from the town. Now that had been rather interesting since they had demanded he pass several tests. Singing for family and friends was quite normal but what he was doing was starting to become professional. When they had come in he had been sitting in a corner booth sipping on ale and sweating. He had just come in from exercising with his axe and heavy knife. Erma had a slightly amused expression on her face when she walked in and found him. There were two older males and a female following her. From the looks of it there was a Wolf, a Kitsune, and some race he wasn't familiar with. "Afternoon Lak-Non, I have some representatives from the local Songsmith's guild. They would like to have a talk with you." Lak-Non looked at her expression and then theirs and waved at the table. "Please have a seat and how can I help you? I have a feeling you wish to speak with me about my playing in the inn?" It was rather obvious to him what they wanted. There wasn't any other reason for the three to come to see him. The wolf gave him a polite nod though he had to contemplate the human in front of him. He was obviously a warrior of some sort simply based on the heavy axe sitting next to him. Something that made him frown was the lack of any sort of tribal emblems or guild symbols. "Where are you from stranger? We are here to see you about that. We would like to find out where you learned and what your ranking might be." He had already listened to him the night before. When rumors of a new singer reached the guild he had come over for a few drinks and to listen. He had been very impressed with both his singing and playing. The instrument was a very rare one and he knew where the human had gotten it. The Inn-Keep had talked to the Songsmith's guild when the owner had passed away. Lak-Non asked Erma to bring a round of drinks. "Will you also go and get the Corwith please?" He tossed back the last of his drink. When a fresh round came out he started talking. "Most recently I am from Cerule and came in on one of the trade ships. As far as how long I have been playing..." He shrugged. "It has been a good fifty or so years that I have been playing. I couldn't tell you where I learned since I lost a good deal of my memories many years ago." The Kitsune twitched her ears when he mentioned Cerule. "This is a long way from here. I do know some about that land and they do have guilds similar to ours. Is there some reason you aren't wearing any guild indications?" He was definitely an interesting individual. Lak-Non sighed since he really didn't know how to answer that very well. He settled for unlacing the neck of his shirt and pulled it to the side to show the tattoo. "From what I understand this indicates for the tribes this indicates I am a warrior and the Bear is my totem animal. Again I don't remember and I can't tell you where it came from." About then Erma came back and she had his Corwith and his small jewelry box. "I had a feeling you might need this Lak-Non." He had shown it to her one evening as he was talking about his former master. It was obvious he cared for the young man he had worked for. Lak-Non gave her a grateful smile. He took the box and settled it in front of him on the table. His fingers stroked the fine etchings for a moment before opening it. "I was a personal guard of the current ruler of the kingdom of Thelos on Cerule." As he was talking he pulled out his necklace of rank. It was heavy with gold and silver and heavily encrusted with gems of all types. It had the royal emblem stamped on it as well as Zephara's crest. The expression on all three of their faces were enough to make him start snickering before Erma lightly smacked him. Between the tattoo and the necklace they were frankly floored. What the hell was a personal guard of the Emperor of the Kingdom of Thelos doing here? She leaned forward and carefully examined the necklace without touching it. When she leaned back she gave him a hard look. "What brings you here? To go from a personal guard to wanderer? I am more than curious as to why." Lak-Non gave her a neutral expression back. "I left in good standing and have been told I will always be welcome to come back. As far as why I left that is between me and my former master." His voice was uncompromising as he spoke. He didn't have anything to prove and he wasn't a criminal. The Wolf touched the Kitsune's arm before he spoke. "That is reasonable and we won't push anymore though I will cheerfully admit I am very curious as well. Now for the important part we would like to hear you play the Corwith. Also do you play any other instruments and have you written any songs?" Lak-Non smiled as he picked up the Corwith. "I play a Gitturn as well as a flute. I do occasionally write the occasional song but for many years I didn't have much time." He looked at the Corwith and smiled again. "The tuning isn't what you might be used to but I do know the tuning you use as well." His fingers started picking out a sea ditty sung aboard the ships. Once done with that he transitioned to a love song he knew and finally to a rousing drinking song he had written. Once he was done he settled the Corwith on the table and cocked an eyebrow at them. "I don't have the other instruments but if you wish I could come past and play those for you as well." He picked up his drink and took a good swallow as he watched the three. They were having a quiet discussion for several minutes before turning back to him. "That was some excellent playing and some songs I definitely haven't heard before. I think we can easily say we can rank you based on this alone. Someone will be past with your guild bracelet in a few days. I do have one more question for you, have you ever made an instrument?" Lak-Non was actually rather startled by that question and their statement. He held his hands up and they were obviously battle roughened and scarred. "The only instrument I have made is for battle and I don't think that counts." He laughed when Erma snorted and leaned over and nipped an ear. "I have never been in the position to make one that I know of. As far as the ranking thank you and please do me a favor and don't let out who I used to be please." ~~~ With the caravan he had tried out as a guard and was quickly hired on. Between playing the Corwith and his skills neither he nor Erma were going to be paying for food or tent space. He had been very careful with just how much of his skills he had shown. Since this was literally foreign territory he was going to be playing a number of things very close to his chest. After a strong recommendation by Erma he had purchased a tent and sleeping roles. Since he was hired on as a guard he had a small slice of storage space for their gear. Erma was going to be working as a cook as well. On one wrist he had a journeyman songsmith as well as a new totem necklace. It showed that he was a senior warrior of the Bear but nothing else. Erma was standing next to him as they were getting ready to leave for her Pack. She lightly bumped him and gave him a little Rrrr... "I like the looks you are getting. From the warriors it is respect as well as interest in your weapon. From the females it is definite interest. I gots ya first though." If he spent time with someone else she wouldn't mind but having him paying attention to her was definitely enjoyable. ~~~ Allie was looking out the opening in the living area of the tent and had to wonder what the next stop was going to be like. They were going to be leaving the current location in a week or so and heading to the next. They were going to be meeting the first nomadic group they normally did after the rainy season. From what she understood it was a Kitsune clan which made her rather curious. Nora was a Kitsune and there were others in the tribe. From what Nora indicated there were a number of different types of Kitsune's and it was all based on their color of fur. From what she had said it also was based on the number of tails. That rather confused her since how the heck could you change the number of tails? She chose not to ask and simply was going to go with it. At the moment she was curled up in Farion's arms as they were relaxing. The last few weeks had been interesting watching both her mother getting rounder and Sheeha as well. Watching Sheeha wanting attention and being rather cuddly and attention needy was fascinating as well. Between Dan, Moran, and Thomas she had been starting to really demand attention. She had finally gone to her father and asked him about it. Allie hadn't been worried that he might do something stupid so much as she was worried how her mother might be feeling. When Dan had settled her and Ana down and explained to them what was going on both had stared at her before starting to giggle. Now that had been a bad idea since later Sheeha had captured Allie and proceeded to snuggle with her. Just for good measure she had proceeded to lick and sniff Allie's ears much to her annoyance. Farion was looking down at Allie as she was giggling quietly to herself. "Should I be worried about that snicker? At least it isn't one of your evil snickers you learned from your father." They had settled into a comfortable relationship. She was really pretty and he wouldn't mind spending time with her when they were old enough. Her father rather scared the crap out of him though even if Dan didn't try to. She smiled as she looked up at him. "I was just thinking of Sheeha and how she has been acting the further along she gets." She was somewhat over 3 months pregnant and it showed. Not massively since Sheeha had kept in good shape but her figure was changing. "She decided that I was a good cuddle person several days ago." She suddenly squeaked and then sighed. "That and he pregnancy hasn't slowed down her sneaking." Sheeha had heard her talking and with a smile she had snuck behind Allie and nuzzled her neck. "It was nice to cuddle with you. You are nice and clean and smell good. Besides you knew Yimmy so even if he isn't here there is some connection." Her ears lowered when she said that. Ana had been watching and came over and gave Sheeha a good hug. "Come and relax and I will cuddle with you and give you a good brushing later." She knew how much Sheeha was missing James since he was the father of her kit. She led her over to one of the low seats and curled up next to her. Sheeha returned the hug and nuzzled her hair. "Thank you Ana. I don't care what Saulo says about you you are a good girl." Saulo was sitting across from them playing some game with Mitzy and he frowned at her though he didn't say anything. Alon walked in and noticed Sheeha and Ana cuddling up and he came over and crawled into Ana's lap and wrapped his arms around her neck. "I miss Poppe Yimmy Auntie. I really do." He had been trying hard to be there for them but he was still just a little boy. Ana curled an arm around him and gave his forehead a peck. "Alon anytime you need a good hug find me. If you have a bad dream come and find me as well." She had heard him sniffling occasionally at night and was going to make a point of making sure he had someone to hug and curl up with. "I can give you a good brushing as well Alon." She tickled his ears lightly just for good measure. ~~~ Pam was at the artist's tents and relaxing in an inner space. One thing she had discovered was with the guild tents and caravan's was private relaxation places. There were the open areas but since those were open to the public most of the guild tents had private living areas. At the moment Kinnie was sitting next to her though he was working on a carving for someone. The artist's guild actually covered a wide variety of what could be considered artwork. There were the painters, carvers, jewelers, and even weavers. It really depended on what the use was. There was a weaver's guild but they made the tents and clothing. With the artists they made custom woven items such as the guild badges, small framed pieces, and even specialty clothing. With the carvers they made little carvings such as images of babies, totems, and similar items. Kinnie did a mixture of carving and sculpting. The majority of the items he worked on were smaller items for individuals. In some ways he reminded her of her former husband only with carving instead of writing. As she was sitting there next to him she had to think about how much her life had changed in the last few months. Though there were things she missed from her world she was enjoying this world. She really didn't miss the internet or TV since she hadn't done much of either. Probably the one thing she did miss was the showers and internal plumbing. It had taken some time to get used to the communal bathing and certain odors. They were actually a very clean nomadic civilization but even with the best hygiene there were certain scents you just couldn't quite get rid of. As she was sitting there her stomach suddenly lurched and she scrambled up and hurried out. Pam had barely made it to the privacy tents before she ended up losing her lunch. After vomiting several times she leaned back and groaned. She never had an upset stomach other than when she had been pregnant with her daughter. "Oh hell if I am pregnant I am going to... Actually be pleased." She had wanted another child but for some reason other than Trish she just hadn't been able to. Since she wasn't going to try and ignore the symptoms she had been feeling she walked to the medical tent. Pam had used one of the public drinking buckets to rinse her mouth out before she had made it there. When she walked in one of the healers looked up and gave her a nice smile. Pam didn't bother beating around the bush. "I think I am pregnant and wanted to know if you can tell me if I am." The healer's smile widened and stood and walked over. "We can and come over and have a seat. I am going to have to get a different healer to check on you. She has the ability to tell." She hurried out of the room and came back with a male healer. "He will take a look and let you know." The male came over and gave her a pleased smile. "Lie down and relax. I will need you to pull your shirt up but that is all." He helped her lean back and lay down on the table. He let her pull her shirt up before simply resting his hand on her abdomen. After several moments he moved them away and smiled. "I do hope this is congratulations for you since you are. I will work up a list of items you need to eat and should avoid and send it to the guild for you." Pam had leaned back on the bed and pulled her shirt up. Her stomach was still slender and she had gained some muscle living here. She had been in fairly good shape before but now she was in better. That and the world had been starting to impact on her and some of her age marks had faded as her real age started to blend in with what was normal for this world. When he pressed his hands on her stomach she could feel warmth flowing from them. When he informed her she was pregnant she wasn't really surprised. "Thank you doctor and though not expected I am pleased. Now comes the fun part... Telling the father." She sat up and after standing tucked her shirt in. "Thank you for that and if you want come past and we can discuss a small silk painting for your services." Crap, how the hell was she going to tell Kinnie that he was going to be a father? She honestly didn't know what he might say or feel. One thing Pam wasn't was a wilting lily and trying to hide things. She knew what she wanted and tended to go for it. No she wasn't an in your face type of person but she would usually get what she wanted. He grinned at her. "Sounds like a deal and I will have my mate come past and talk to you." Human's were the one species who were pretty much fertile year around. Now if they were pregnant with one of the other races they usually ended up having a child which looked like the father or mother. Pam walked out of the tent and almost ran Kinnie down. She hadn't realized he had followed her to the healers or even possibly the privacy tents. "Um, hi Kinnie..." For a moment she had lost her urge to face him with what they were seeing. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 06 Kinnie caught her and made sure she didn't stumble. "What is going on Pam?" He had noticed she was off her food recently and in the mornings it took her a bit longer to get moving. She instantly blushed but faced him. "I am pregnant and the child is yours. I haven't been with anyone other than you before I came over and after." Now came the important part, how was he going to react. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 07 Theik had made a point of going back to the market several days in a row since he wanted to know what the 'package' was. It had been indicated it would be a few days before the special delivery would arrive. He wanted to know what it was simply so he could have a hold on whoever had ordered the slave. Well he assumed it was a slave but he had to know who it was and why. That was something he had finally talked to Zephara about during training. As of now the tutor, guard captain, and Z'nala were part of Zephara's inner circle. There were one or two guards who were close but it was going to take some time for the inner most to really start trusting very many of the guards. That was specifically due to the treason of the one guard. Theik had talked to the captain and suggested they find a few new recruits and start training them. At the moment Zephara had the smallest contingent of all the royal children. As far as Theik could tell they were some of the best but that didn't help since numbers could overwhelm them. If you threw enough bodies at even the best you could take them down. As one person in had said quantity has a quality all its own. He was starting to grow attached to the young man and he didn't want anything to happen to him. Z'nala was quickly growing into someone he cared for as well. When he had originally purchased her it was almost on a whim but something about her touched a deep need of his. It wasn't sexual in any way since she was just a child. What it was that she was coming to mean he wasn't sure but he felt driven to protect her. He couldn't do that with all the slaves but he could take care of at least one of them. At night he had joined her in the small nook in the wall and she really did help him sleep better. Theik shook his head since his mind was wandering while he waited for the next visit. One thing he really did want to know was who the hell had been the person who had tried to kill him the other day. The man had been very well trained and it had showed both in their skills and their weapons. As it was he was still recovering though with some of the herbs and ointments he was doing reasonably well. At the moment he was sitting in a shadow on the roof of the building closest to the slave owner's stalls. He had kept a very close eye and made sure to arrive early each evening so he could see if anyone was checking the roofs. He had noticed some people using the roofs as pathways but most of them appeared to be simple thieves. As concealed in the shadows as he was it would take a very sharp eyed person to locate and identify him. With the soft gray cloak he was using he blended in very well with the shadows. Eventually his patience paid off and another imperial group showed up. He looked around the area and when he felt nobody was looking he slid off the roof and landed on his feet. Theik landed as carefully as possible to minimize the sound. He had considered changing his sandals but decided not to. He liked them and they were good for gripping slippery surfaces as well as a weapon. Getting kicked in a leg or stomach with spiked sandals would hurt no matter what. This night appeared to be his lucky night with the arrival of the imperial guard and who they were escorting. Since he had been spending so much time here he had grown to know where the best hiding spots were. He did have to deal with one guard but before he left he would make it look like a robbery. When he had decided on that the fact he was going to kill him didn't even make him blink. Right now everything he was doing was for that boy and Z'nala. Once the guard was knocked out he settled into the spot he had selected previously. From here he could hear the speakers clearly. Once voice was haughty and definitely carried a better than thou tone to it. "Are you sure we have privacy?" "Yes sir we do. I have guards surrounding the tent and nobody can get close." His tone was obsequies and servile. "The package has been delivered and awaiting your examination." There was a grunt from the other and Theik had to frown slightly since the voice was familiar. He couldn't place it but he did know it so that limited who it might be. Most of the people he had come in contact with were at the court which made sense. "Good since I don't need this getting out. Have the package brought to me now. I am going to be presenting it in several days." Once he had the package and was out of the market he was going to have the man killed to keep the secret. "Yes sir, just a moment please." The slave trader raised his voice slightly. "Bring the package in for inspection." It only took a few moments since it appeared the package was in a separate section of the same tent the slave trader used. Theik could hear two additional footsteps and raised an eyebrow. For some reason it had never occurred to him the package might be a person even though this was a slave trader. He had been thinking drugs and other illegal items. "Has she been trained in what needs doing?" The one voice asked. "Yes sir, she is from the Yalal clan and knows what is needed. Here is the supplies she is going to need." The trader handed the man something. From the inside Theik could hear the exchange of money and from the sounds of it a fair amount of money. He was now very, very curious as to what this female was for. His first thought was some sort of special sex slave but he wasn't going to assume that. In this court one never knew what might be happening. ~~~ Lak-Non was settling into the routine of the caravan. From what he understood the majority of his requirements were to protect from animals. Bandits weren't nearly anything like what they had been at times back in Cerule. It had been only a couple of days on the road and it felt damn good to be moving again. The urge to move wasn't nearly as bad as it had occasionally been back on the other continent. Erma seemed to be enjoying the travel as well as far as he could tell. The first night or two had been a bit of a pain in the butt since this was wildly different than what he had done before. Yes he had been in a few caravan's but mostly as a traveler and not as a guard. Yes they had known he was a warrior but that had been rather obvious by what he carried as much as anything. On top of that since he had been rated as a Senior Journeyman Songsmith he had additional respect. It felt somewhat odd to be getting respect for simply singing and playing around the fires at night. At the moment he was leaning back against a log with the Corwith in his hands and he was strumming something he had learned back where he had come from. It was mostly instrumental since he wasn't in the mood to actually sing. Since the evening meal was over with Erma was relaxing next to him listening to the music. Since the caravan was reasonably large there were one or two other bards and a junior Songsmith and they had gathered around to listen. One was quietly strumming something which was counter point to what he was doing. The other was obviously trying to make some notes on what he was doing which didn't bother him at all. To be honest he was more relaxed than he had been for years. This place though foreign felt almost like home which made him wonder. He still didn't have much if any memories from before waking up so many years ago. The headaches and brief flashes of something was becoming more common which was both frustration but also right. "Well I think I am going to go and crawl into my bed roll and contemplate the sky, well clouds, before I fall asleep." He leaned over and gave Erma a light kiss. "You coming or are you going to stay up and relax for a while?" She considered it for a short time. "I think I am going to check on what is needed for breakfast and then I will meet you at the tent." Erma gave him a good kiss. She murmured something in his ear which made him laugh and then blush. "Oh you are a horrible female and... Oh damn it." He groaned as he stood up and adjusted his pants as he destrung the Corwith and tucked it back in the case. He was getting ready to head to the tent when one of the females spoke. She had a rather curious expression on her face. "I really want to know her secret for having caught you. Even if it is short term I really want to know damn it." She was a race he wasn't familiar with but was sleek and well rounded. Her fur was a tawny gold and she had faint traces of maybe some sort of feline but he couldn't be sure of that. "Besides I have to admit I would like to know what you are doing to make her howl at night..." Just for good measure she winked at him. Lak-Non had more than a few years of experience dealing with females from his time in the court. Then again he had dodged more than a few after leaving the court as well. He gave her a good wink back as well as an insouciant grin. "Some secrets I need to keep to myself and though you are truly a lovely woman... Erma is keeping me more than content." He went so far as to lightly take her hand and pressed a kiss on the back. "Now as far as possibly showing you a few things to help with playing an instrument..." One last wink and he headed towards the tent. At the fire there was a pause and then everyone died laughing. One man looked at the female and smirked. "Oh my, I can't believe you got turned down. I might have some time before I go on watch if you want..." He winked at her even as he was leaning against his current companion. ~~~ They finally made it to the pack Erma was a member of and he couldn't help but be impressed. To be honest if he hadn't known what to look for he would never have figured out just how many pack members there were. The tents and caravans were very carefully designed to blend in with the forest. They had plenty of green, brown, hints of gold, and other colors. "Damn this is nice and I can't wait for a real bath." Erma leaned against him for a moment before turning to grab her things. "I know what you mean Lak-Non, I do love my family and I did enjoy traveling but after a while it just got old. I love my job in the town as well and there isn't much which would make me leave it." If it wasn't for the fact he was not going to settle down for a while Lak-Non would have been a damn good male for her. He was smart, well educated, strong, yet gentle. Lak-Non gave her a warm smile before lightly licking her muzzle. He knew what she was thinking but he simply couldn't stop moving. They had very briefly discussed it at one point even though he couldn't really explain it. He was literally driven to keep moving which was why he was here. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 08 A/N: there are some errors but I have been working hard to get this out. Please do enjoy. Vote, comment and let me know. ***** The throne room erupted as if a Neathon hive had been kicked. Every guard in the room pulled their weapons and circled around their lord. The courtiers scrambled to get out of the way and avoid the upcoming bloodbath. They all knew this was going to be messy as hell and none of them wanted to end up part of the mess. The king's guards snapped their weapons out and circled around the throne. One shoved Theik back away from the king. When they did he grabbed the slave and pulled her back with him. When he reached the side of Zephara he growled at a guard. "Secure the female and search her. I am about positive she is the assassin." One of the king's guards checked on the king and stood up and bellowed out. "The King is dead. Lock down the palace. Nobody gets in or out." His eyes glanced around the room and settled on one person. "Take him, he orchestrated this." He was looking directly at the son Theik had been looking at. That was the wrong thing to do. Even though there were more guards for the king than the various sons' guards combined the son's had more than the King. The room was silent for a very brief moment before the son in question screamed out orders to kill anyone who approached. That started the fight and it was going to be ugly. Theik glanced at the Captain. "Have your guards work with the kings. Support them; it will make it more likely Zephara will survive." The Captain bellowed at the troops. "Guard Zephara and assist the kings guards if possible." He already had his massive axe out. The other guards had their weapons out as well and were looking very dangerous. Even Zephara had his weapon out and was looking dangerous. He had shoved Z'nala behind him and when Theik glanced at the tutor he had to blink since somewhere the man had pulled out two long slender knives. Where they had come from he had no clue but he lashed out and a nearby guard who had been approaching. He barely saw the knives flash before the guard went down with his throat cut. Theik didn't have a chance to make a comment before another guard approached and he was forced to fight. For some reason moments after the all out fight was started the kings guards charged over towards Zephara and started helping. Theik was going to have to ask why later but at the moment all he cared about was keeping the young man alive. How long the battle lasted he wasn't sure but when it was over the throne room was in shambles. There were dead bodies all over the place, internal organs scattered around, and what seemed like rivers of blood. Theik was breathing heavily and was feeling rather exhausted. He was forced to drop the head of his axe to the stone floor as he finally had a chance to look around. Zephara was being supported by Z'nala and he looked injured but not badly. The tutor was a bloody mess and had blood dripping off of his face, hair, and clothing. Considering the decapitated bodies near him Theik had a feeling the blood was due to arterial spray. There were only three of Zephara's personal guards, including the captain, left. Of the Kings guards there were more but not many. From the looks of it none of the other son's survived the massacre and that was what it had been. Shortly after the fight had started more guards had come in and put down anyone with a weapon with brutal efficiency. The only exception was Zephara. Even Zephara was looking the worse for the wear and he had blood splattered all over his body. It was obvious he had used his axe since it was bloody and had scraps of tissue hanging off it. Even Z'nala had her knife out and there was blood on it. "Well fuck, that was interesting." His eyes met the captain of the king's guards as he was speaking. The King's Captain gave Theik a very slight nod before he bellowed out again. "All guards protect the heir apparent. Ensure he comes to no harm or the punishment will be harsh. Your deaths will be slow and the stuff of legends." The people in the room froze again before looking at Zephara and bowing down. Zephara paled and started to shake before Theik walked over and quietly spoke to him. "Zephara you are the best hope for your country. I will be here as well your tutor, Z'nala, and your Captain. I know this idea scares you but go with it." Z'nala touched his arm lightly as well. While she was trying to comfort the boy, no, young man Theik turned and stared at the Tutor. The man gave him a wry grin. "I wasn't always a tutor Theik-Lakal. I served in a special branch of the guards." He wasn't going to say anything else at the moment. Eventually he would since they would need the information though it might lead to his death. If that happened so be it and he would accept it. Theik gave him a hard look. "You have been around Zephara enough for me to know you could have dealt with him anytime you want. I will trust you for the moment but we are going to talk later." His voice was low and hard. Once he had spoken his piece to the tutor he turned to the former King's captain. "We need healers for the injured and to secure the compound. What do you need from me?" He didn't want to give orders but this was his lord he was talking about. The King's Captain gave him a hard look before turning and bellowing. "Get the healers in here to take care of the injured. All surviving guards and imperials will be secured. Clean this damn mess up by this evening or more heads will roll." He turned back to Zephara's Captain. "Get him to his room while we clean out the imperial chambers. We are going to need to have the crowning ceremony as soon as possible. As long as he isn't too injured it will need to be tomorrow." Theik understood but really didn't want the boy strained. "We need to talk Captain. Maybe once this mess has been cleaned up?" He wanted to know why they came to support Zephara instead of one of the other son's. This almost smelt like a setup just to off the other potential heirs. That was not something he liked the idea of. ~~~ By that evening Zephara was treated and though he had a number of wounds they were relatively superficial. He had lost a fair amount of blood but he was doing reasonably well. Theik had been forced to get a number of wounds treated as well. Somehow Z'nala had managed to come out of the blood bath needing nothing but a bath and some clean clothes. Everyone else had wounds which needed taking care of had been dealt with. At the moment Zephara, Theik, the Tutor, Z'nala, and the captain were talking. Theik gave the Tutor a hard look. "Speak now. Who were you, what is your purpose, and why Zephara?" He was too tired to beat around the bush and his give a crap was used up. The Tutor didn't even twitch at the implicit threat. "I worked for the former King's clean up squad. That was how he phrased it. It is a group of very special agents who killed on the King's command. When I decided I was ready to become inactive I decided I was tired of the work. I chose to become a tutor so I could hopefully influence anyone in power to try and improve how the kingdom was being handled. The King told me to start tutoring Zephara since he didn't trust him and figured my being close would be useful." He kept his hands on the table and looking at Zephara as he was talking. "I did as he instructed but very quickly realized that Zephara is an exceptional young man. Even growing up in this environment he was both very smart and very curious. He wanted to know things. He wanted to know history, science, auguries, religions, and laws. He devoured what he was being taught like the thirsty ground with a good rain. He isn't a brute or in it for himself. I see in him hope for the future and for the kingdom. The King did try to have me kill him but I chose not to. I even went so far as to deal with an augur who had seen a future if Zephara didn't inherit. The kingdom would have collapsed into years of civil war." He kept his eyes on Zephara still as he was talking. "The Augur was somewhat mad from what he had seen. He saw times of great famines, terrible diseases running rampant though our citizens and those of other countries in Cerule. Do with me what you want but I have long since decided to tie my hope and faith with Zephara in the hopes he can save our country." Theik looked at Zephara to see what he might have to say. Ultimately it was his choice and he was the one who had to make the decision what to do. At the moment Theik was tossed up. He had been around the man and never suspected at all which bothered him. It did show he was a damn skilled operator which could be an advantage. He had a brief flash of pain in one temple but it was quickly gone. Before anyone could speak there was a knock on the door and then it opened. Theik was impressed when everyone including Z'nala whipped out a weapon of some sort. When the door opened the Captain of all the guards walked in and he grinned. "Nice to see all of you are prepared to protect the soon to be King. Now I only have a few minutes to tell all of you something. The spy holes are blocked and nobody will over hear what I have to say." Zephara glanced around and shook his head. "Relax Z'nala and come here please." He urged her to sit down next to him and wrapped an arm around her. "What do you have to say Captain?" The Captain closed the door before speaking. "There was to be an attempt on the King's life and we knew about it thanks to your Tutor. When Theik-Lekal told you about what he had overheard we went and took a look. We did discover who was the root of the attempt and also that he was planning on killing the rest of you. He wanted the reins of power and wasn't going to let a little thing like being a kin-slayer get in his way." His eyes didn't leave Zephara's eyes. "I made the choice to see what was going to happen. Your father was destroying the empire. I made the choice. If you feel I need to die so be it. Trust your Tutor, your Captain, and Theik-Lekal. You are the hope for the empire and the people." He grabbed the baldric and removed his axe and dropped it to the floor. After that he lost the belt with his knives. "My life is yours to do with as you decide your highness." Just to make sure Zephara understood he knelt down and bowed his head exposing his neck. Zephara gave Theik an almost helpless look before he stood and slowly moved over to the Captain and looked down at him. "I am not pleased by your words. What you did and why you did it are going to require me to think on what I wish to do. Go to your quarters and remain there. I will think about this and decide how to deal with you. Collect your weapons and leave my presence." He waited till the man left before he snarled something out in a foreign language. The Tutor winced but didn't say anything. Theik did though. "Boy shut up and listen. Things are fucked up at the moment and yes shit happened. I agree with the Captain. You are the only hope for this damn place. Do not bow down to hate, anger, fear, or revulsion. Grab the reins of power and do right by your people. This is what the Bear wants." He wouldn't remember using the term bear in the future and if anyone mentioned it he wouldn't recognize it. Zephara almost flinched when Theik spoke before he realized there were overtones of that other voice. He stood as tall as he could and gave Theik a level look. "Thank you. I needed that. I will do my best and I expect you to give me a good smack." ~~~ It had been a year since Zephara had taken the reins of power and it had been a rough year. The first month or two in the palace it had been a mess. There had been a dozen or more assassination attempts on Zephara's life. To be honest it had been a very bloody two months for the palace. A good third of all the imperial family had been killed as Zephara took control. Between Theik and the Tutor they had terminated a good portion of them without the boy's knowledge. Though they didn't realize it that was where the term kin-killer had ended up coming from. They had wanted to keep the boy in one piece and to be honest hadn't spared much concern about how they did it. For Theik it was killing anyone who was a blatant threat. For the Tutor it was in very subtle ways since he was an assassin. It was what he had been trained for and there were any number of heart attacks, illnesses, diseases which killed. He was very skilled with all of them though in actuality most were poisons. Theik was sitting in his new quarters and sucking down an ale as he was strumming one of the instruments he had picked up. Where the skills came from he wasn't sure but he had discovered he was pretty good. As good as he was as a warrior he found solace in playing the instruments. He had dabbled in writing a few songs but he hadn't shared them with anyone. He kept thinking as he was relaxing and playing. After the first few months things had started to settle down. One thing Theik had ensured was a visit to the slave trader and ensured he suffered. Having a former male ending up as a slave pleased him. So the man had to sit down to piss? Eh, who cared. Theik didn't. Z'nala hadn't been told since she was slowly starting to bloom. She was right next to Zephara as the Tutor teaching was teaching him. She was learning more than she could imagine. Theik had to smile at that. The two were starting to really get along and for some reason Theik was pleased. When he had purchased the girl it had been a whim but now he was seeing something more. It was going to be years before anything came to fruition but it was going to. By the end of the last year the center of the empire had been calmed down though it had been rough. There were still the rebellions in the provinces to deal with but the rules of law was slowly being imposed. A number of the upper crust were not pleased and there were still some ongoing plots and attempts on all their lives. It did help that the core of the guards were beyond loyal to Zephara. Theik leaned back into the chair he was sitting on and a slight smile crossed his face as he kept strumming. The next few years were going to be interesting and he was actually looking forward to it. ~~~ Zephara looked back over the last few years and had to sigh. They hadn't been easy for him since he had been forced to make some hard decisions. There had been more than a few deaths he had been forced to order though they hadn't deserved it. They had been players in larger plots. Those who had forced him to kill had paid in the long run. He had wanted long slow deaths for those but Theik had lived up to what Zephara had asked. He had smacked him down both verbally and physically once or twice. Z'nala had been a great deal of comfort as well though he wasn't sure why. She kept working as his servant even though she had been freed. That actually rather confused him. When he had finally asked her about it she simply gave him a slight smile. She hadn't said anything and settled for drawing him a bath before leaving the room. He had been rather disgruntled for several days after that. When he had grumbled at Theik he had simply received a smile but no comment which hadn't helped. What was even more annoying was that darn girl wouldn't tell him how old she actually was. Since their race developed differently he had no idea how old she was. For them it wasn't till towards the end of their minority that they really started developing. In his case it would be another fifteen turns till he was an adult even though he was now the King. In her case she could be somewhere between forth and his age. He had a feeling she wasn't telling him just to tease him. Zephara had to admit the last few years would have been so much harder without her help though. She had taken very good care of him and seemed to make it a point to fulfill all of his daily needs. Clothing, food, learning his schedule, and even studying beside him. She was almost as smart as he was and that was both intimidating yet very interesting. At times it made him want to pull his feathers out and scream. What she was doing he didn't have any idea and it was driving him nuts. As far as Theik he simply smiled and shrugged. Zephara knew Theik had information but the dratted human wasn't giving it up. For a brief moment he considered screaming but that wouldn't do anything but end up with half his guards in his room. "Damn both of you for being so annoying." It was a definite discontented grumble. When he did figure it out he was going to be rather pleased. Then he could stick it to the two. Eventually he finally headed towards bed and crawled in. Maybe tomorrow he would figure it out. ~~~ Z'nala knew she had been really driving Zephara crazy over the last few years but she was actually close to his age. He had protected her, had held her papers for Theik-Lekal, and taken care of her. She had quickly started to fall in love with him and if he would let her she was going to let him take her. Z'nala wanted him as her mate when they were old enough. Till then she was going to do her best to draw him to her. For now she simply was going to take care of him. When the time was right she was going to let him know what she wanted and needed from him. It wasn't just a way to get her family name back but someone who would protect and care for her. Somehow she knew that Theik cared for her but he was going to be moving on eventually. ~~~ It had been years since the three of them had taken over the country. An augur and been meditating and trying to connect with those she bowed down to. When she did it wasn't a good message. She received a message of blood and agony if something didn't happen. When she had woken up the first time she had been bed ridden for a good week. Once that time was over she had tried again and again received the message but this time there was a feeling that someone had to start moving on. It wasn't anything but a general feeling and the need to go to the palace. The old woman finally made it out of bed with the help of her assistant. Once she was up she gathered what was needed and slowly made her way to the palace and hoped they would listen. It was such a generic seeing that she honestly wasn't sure what was to happen. It was simply a feeling that if something didn't happen hell was going to break loose for the Empire. It took some time before she made it to the palace. When they did arrive she approached the guard. "Sirs, I's is a augur and needs see Theik-Lekal and the King. Is' of importance for the empire." She leaned against her staff as she was talking. The seeing and other information was taking its toll on her. The guard called for one of the palace augurs and waited. He didn't take much at face value and wasn't going to let some old woman just because she said she had to. He ignored her as he kept processing other people coming into the Palace. Eventually one of the temple Augar's came down and before much could happen his eyes bugged out. "Let her in or else. The King needs to see her." He had simply glanced at her and could feel... Something which felt like a sea of fire barely touched him and he thought he was going to go up in flames. With an even more strangled voice he spoke. "I will take her to the throne room." He had a feeling that if he didn't he would end up going up in flames. That was not the way he wanted to go even if it was spectacular. Eventually they reached the throne room and he quietly talked to Theik-Lekal about the old woman. When Theik came over and talked to her he tensed though he didn't really say much. He gave a quiet order for her to be escorted to one of the side room. Once that was done he walked over to Zephara and murmured in his ear. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 08 The two of them eventually walked into the side room and Zephara spoke. "What do you want? I am being blunt since I don't have a great deal of time." They had talked to some other Augars about Theik and the bonds and hadn't had much luck with it. She carefully stood and looked at the King. "Your highness some being contacted me. You will have to eventually let Theik-Lekal leave your service. He has a destiny to serve which he can't hear." Suddenly she burst into flames and when they vanished she had as well. Both of them were horrified when that had happened since they hadn't expected anything like this. Zephara was not happy with this turn but he couldn't deny what they had seen. "What I am supposed to do? You have been such a pillar of my support for so many years? He had long since come to the conclusion that Theik was to keep him from doing anything stupid. Hell he had found the woman of his dreams and he and Z'nala had wedded several years ago. She was carrying their first child at the moment. Theik turned to Zephara and sighed. "I have had a feeling I have needed to start considering moving on Milord. I can't say why but I have been dreaming of going to the nearest hill and seeing what is on the other side. I don't know when I am going to be called to move but I am going to. I..." Theik looked away as he kept speaking. "I have fulfilled what I have been brought her to do Zephara. I am going to miss you and Z'nala so very much when I am called to move on. I don't want to but I have to. I will not take chances with not moving and something happening." His voice was thick with emotions since he had grown to care for a number of people here. ~~~ Thankfully it had been several years before he had finally been forced to move on. That had been a tearful exit since he had come to love the two and their children. When he had been forced to move on Z'nala had delivered her and Zephara's second child. Even more important she had named their second child after him. That had ended up with his crying his eyes out as he left the city. For how many years he had traveled he wasn't sure till he had ended up in the port town which serviced the other continent. When the ship he had finally ended up on left he was standing on the bow and looking at the ocean. He missed his friends a great deal but he had been forced to keep going. He might have settled down for a while at times but he had been forced to keep going. It didn't matter what he felt or who he was with but he had been forced to keep going. ~~~ Lak-Non had been traveling for a number of years since he had arrived on this continent. He was currently relaxing in a hot springs of a Kitsune clan he had been with for several months. Over the last four or so years he had spent at most six months with whatever clan or tribe he had asked to travel with. That confused him somewhat since over the time he had been in Cerule before coming to this continent he had spent a number of years in any one location but currently it felt like he was almost being driven to move. Back in Cerule it was more of a gentle nudge. So far he had spent time with Inu's, Kitsune's, Dargoth's, Neko's and even human's. At each pack, pride, tribe or other name for the group he had done much the same. He had acted as a warrior, a teacher of warriors, songsmith, and whatever else was needed. As he had spent time traveling around once in a rare blue moon he would come across some music which was familiar. When he did for some reason he always seemed to get a bloody headache as some spot of memory came back. What he found so frustrating was the flashes of memory in many cases didn't make any sense to them. There were flashes of strange metal caravan's, huge structures, brief scenes of places he had never seen before. If he hadn't known what the augers had said about him he would have been seriously questioning his sanity. They hadn't been able to say much when he and Zephara had gone to them other than there was years of travel in front of him. They had indicated that his past would come back to him but it would be a long slow process. Over the years and bits and pieces of memories came back to him he had cursed the gods and spirits. So very little of it made any sense to him other than frustratingly short glimpse of what might be a family. There were brief glimpses of kids, tents, and caravans similar to the ones he had gotten familiar with. At the moment he was relaxing against a low chair slowly strumming the Corwith he still had. Over the last few years he had created a number of songs and written them down. For some reason he simply couldn't let them go and didn't approve them for general use. Now he did teach his style of music to others and told them they could create their own but not pass his around. It just felt right for some reason though why he couldn't say. Sitting next to him was a rather attractive lady similar to the species Zephara and Z'nala came from. The feathers on her head were brown and golden compared to the other two. Theirs had been primarily white with black spots and stripes. Even her groin had some very soft feathers gracing it though those feathers were incredibly soft and flexible. She had traces of feathers up her back and along the back of her legs and arms. Lak-Non had to admit she had been a very interesting lover and had kept him busy at night. Neither was ready to settle down and both knew it. She was past her majority but as she put it 'had many years before she settled down'. The night was dark and the clouds were low though he knew there wasn't going to be any rain yet. In front of the tent were a number of this flock he had gotten to know and they were listening to him play. What he found amusing was they actually sounded like birds at times with slight chirps and clicks. At the next stop he was going to be moving on and that was only a few weeks away. From what he understood it was going to be some traveling by himself for a number of days since the flock didn't get along with the next group. He had asked about it but nobody would really say much about it. It was just they weren't likely to ever get along very well. He smiled at C'lacka as she leaned against him as he played. He knew they only had a few more weeks but he had been enjoying their time together. "So you looking forward to an enjoyable evening tonight? I do know that I have been greatly enjoying our time together." At the moment Lak-Non was simply doing some instrumental work. It wasn't something he did that often unless he just didn't feeling like singing. This Flock actually preferred it unlike many of the other groups. It allowed them to croon and sing with the music. She leaned against him and preened for a few moments. "Darn straight Yames, I am so looking forward to enjoying the next few weeks." Since their race tended towards the smaller size of most of the races he was nicely larger than most of the males and damn but he rocked her body. When he left it was going to be annoying but she would get used to it. Eventually he packed his instrument up and stood. "Well I am done for the evening. I feel the urge to go to bed and have a bit of fun." He grinned at the bird calls as C'lacka leaned against him. Lak-Non gave them a sly grin as he walked away from the others. "Goodness they seemed jealous for some reason. Not sure why unless you have been telling bird tails. Or tails of birds being satisfied..." She bumped him and clacked at him as they walked into the tent he was sharing with C'lacka. "I am going to miss you when I move on. I don't know why I am forced to keep moving but I am going to look back with my time with you and many other people. I am going to miss so many people I have met but..." He looked up at the very rare clear sky and raised a hand as if to touch the sky. "Something is driving me on. I don't know what it is but I know I am going to find a place I can settle down and be at peace with. I need that peace and I am so tired of traveling. I want... I am not sure what I want but I need something." She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his tall frame. C'lacka gave him a gentle hug and rubbed her face against him. "Lak-Non I have greatly enjoyed our time together and almost wish you could stay. I knew when I met you that you wouldn't stay around. There is just something about you which calls for you to keep moving. I understand and accepted this from the beginning. Now you had better show me some of the best next few weeks or else." She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a slow fluttery kiss. She licked, sucked, and nibbled his lips. He leaned over as she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he let her slowly nibble and try to draw him into her bed he returned the favor. Lak-Non's hands slipped around her back and started at her shoulders and slowly traced the feathers down her spine. At her waist there was a small flared tail of feathers as well. He lightly traced his fingers down the edges of her tail and cupped her tight bottom. She didn't squeak, click, grumble, or do anything other than press her body closer to him. "I am going to drag you to bed and let you bang me into sleep." She pushed on his chest to move away from him. Keeping his eyes on his she slowly stripped her clothing off and had to smile at his reaction. As she was slowly stripping her clothing off she watched Lak-Non's eyes starting to travel down her body. She was most definitely bird like with angular facial features, the traces of feathers, and delicate body structure. Lak-Non had honestly been rather worried about hurting her the first few times they had made love. She had to seduce him into her bed the first time which was when he discovered her strength. Yes she was delicate and light but she had very strong muscles. His eyes traveled up and down her body as she was slowly working her clothes off. She, for her species had larger breasts but they were similar to some of the feline species. Her waist and hips were narrow and as he had previously contemplated she had some very soft looking feathers coating her groin. Unlike a human it was only in the front and didn't extend down the groin. From experience she had the feathers down her back as well as a short tail of feathers which covered part of her bottom. He grinned at her and slowly started stripping down as well. Lak-Non watched her eyes do much the same as his had been doing. As he stripped his shirt off her eyes wandered over his shoulders and chest before slowly moving lower. He knew that he was teasing her yet he also knew she enjoyed the teasing. By the time he was done stripping she was most definitely interested in him. Then again he had a decent erection himself. "Come here you lovely woman. I am going to do my best to please you this evening." She came over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. C'lacka didn't bother saying anything and settled for pressing her lips against his and gave him a passionate kiss. She knew the rest of the night was going to be very enjoyable. ~~~ Eventually he left the Flock and started heading for the next group. He had been on this continent long enough to know the rainy season was coming up soon. From what he had both seen and experienced many of the groups moved to a more central highland area to wait out the rain. That first rainy season he had been there had been almost horrifying. It had rained for almost three months straight. Lak-Non had never seen anything like that much rain before. Yes he had seen some heavy rains but not for several months in a row. He really hoped he was able to make it to the next location and meet up with the tribe and Pride. He was able to finally get some information out of the leaders of the Flock. One group was a tribe of mixed species and the other was a Pride of felines. Being that Felines and the Zetheron, they didn't use that term, were radically different he could understand it. Rarely had he traveled between the groups by himself but he honestly wasn't worried. Lak-Non knew what he was doing and had a good idea of the path between the two groups. He had been given some very detailed instructions on how to get from the one group to the next. Before he had left he had very carefully gone through all of his belongings since he had collected a fair amount. Much of it he gave to C'lacka to do with as she wished. The majority was clothing, small gifts and small things he had collected. All of his important items such as his jewelry imperial emblems, travel needs were neatly packed in his bag. It was still a fair amount since he had the two axes, bag, and Corwith. Lak-Non still wished he didn't have to travel but such was life. If you knew what you were doing traveling alone wasn't that dangerous but that didn't mean it was safe. It could be something as simply as a broken bone or a cut that could keep you from getting to the next location. With a stretch he stood and after giving C'lacka one last good kiss he grabbed his items and headed out of the camp. The trip to the next meeting sight was supposed to be three or so days. If he pushed it he should arrive the evening of the third day. With a rather cheerful step he left the Flock gathering. For some reason he was in a very good mood and was looking forward to meeting this new group. By the end of the day he was more than ready to crash after getting some food. Thankfully at way points there were small buildings constructed. It was for travelers such as traveling diplomats, travelers such as himself, and traveling news bringers. There wasn't much to them other than a small heavily constructed stone and wood building for protection. Before he walked in Lak-Non checked for any animals which might have taken it over. Once it was cleared out he tossed his bag down and pulled off his battle axe and the Corwith. "Whoever was here last time was a turd and didn't resupply the wood. Dick!" He pulled his regular axe and walked out to get some wood. Since the previous user hadn't refilled the wood pile he collected some extra. There were a few chores expected to be done as well to keep the small buildings in good condition. That didn't take that long and eventually he bared the door and crashed for the night. The next two days were much the same and as he had expected he arrived towards evening. At the edge of the open area he was met by two guards. One was a Puma Warrior and the other an Inu. "I am simply traveling through and mean no harm. My name is Lak-Non and I am a warrior and songsmith. I wish to speak to either chief for permission to stay and possibly travel with you." The two guards gave him a good look and he obviously looked dangerous but he wasn't acting anything other than relaxed. He looked like almost any other human other than what they could see of one axe. The handle was intricately carved and was skinned with a leather they didn't recognize. He did have a case for some sort of musical instrument. Something seemed familiar but neither one could bring it to the front of their mind. The Puma warrior called out. "We need two reliefs. We have a wanderer asking to see the Chief's." Two warriors came trotting up and gave the man a good look. "Go take him to the chief's. We will be here till you are done." As they took up guarding the other two gestured for Lak-Non to follow them. As they walked through the crowd they did get some interest. "Just so you know you arrived at a good time stranger. One of our Chief's relatives just introduced her new kitten to the Pride. The celebration tonight is in honor of the kitten." Lak-Non gave him a pleased smile. "Congratulations, any new pup or kitten is a blessing. Maybe I can sing something for them. I would be honored to do that." He might be a warrior but singing was far more what he wanted to do anymore. "When you are introduced make the offer." He was pleased that a traveler would value a child as well. Most of the wanderers were loners and other than to travel occasionally with the various tribes. Eventually they made it to the center of the two groups and the warriors led the wanderer to the chief's. The presentation ceremony was just finished and the group was stepping down from the stage. As they were wandering through the tribes, he started getting tired of defining them, he was definitely interested. One of the tribes was obviously feline but the other was a major mixed bag of races. This was not a group he had ever encountered before. Most groups had a few of other races but the second group was almost exclusively mixed. When they finally reached the center of the two tribes he froze when he saw the people just coming down. A burning pain slammed through his temples. Behind him a form appeared and let out a stunning roar. It clapped a massive paw over Lak-Non's head. "Wake my warrior, wake!" With another shattering roar the figure vanished. ~~~ Soran Tribe The next person to go into labor was Nang. In her case it was in the middle of moving from one location to another. She already knew she was having a son which would please Dan to no end. He loved his girls but all men wanted a son. Nang also knew Dan didn't care if he had girls or boys as long as they were healthy. It was just who he was. Thankfully in this case it was early in the night and she would probably deliver before the tribe needed to move. She nudged Dan. "Wake up old man, I am in labor." There was definite amusement in her voice. Dan rolled over and gave her a good kiss. "I know you young and sexy woman. The more pregnant you are the sexier you are to me and you know it." His voice was soft as he spoke since it was the truth. As far as he was concerned she was beautiful all the time but it was especially true when she was pregnant. He slipped out of bed and pulled on a loin cloth and some pants and boots. Nang gave him a kiss before he moved since she knew how he viewed her body. It did show signs of having had two children but it just made him want her in his life even more. "Damn it Dan don't talk like that right now. You know that makes me want you and now is not a good time to be horny." She curled around her stomach as the next contraction hit. "Most definitely not now." She swung her legs over the side though it took a few moments. Anymore she did wear her loincloth to bed. In this case it was thicker and designed for capturing excess fluids. Her water hadn't broken as of yet and she hope it would wait till they were outside. Dan grabbed a long shirt for her and helped her pull it on. As he helped her outside he called across the street. "Nang is in labor and I am taking her to the medic's tents." Well caravans but they would understand. The walk was much as it had been with him and Sheeha. When they arrived at the medical caravan they were quickly shown in and to a room. Back at Jim's caravan, they still considered it his, one of the older kids had heard Dan call out and he hurried to the adult section and called out. "Warrior Dan indicated the Mystic is in labor and wanted you to know. I am going to go and wake Allie and Ana." He turned and hurried to the girls section and called out before walking in. "Allie, Ana the Mystic is in labor." He opened the curtain over the opening and made sure they were awake. Allie sat up and stretched and yawned. "Oh, um give us a few minutes and we will be out." By now she was used to the rather casual attitude about nudity though she still wore a short shirt to bed. When she stretched it showed her upper half off. The boy blushed and ducked back out. "They went to the medical section." Yes nudity was common in the baths and such but that didn't mean he couldn't notice cute girls and she was definitely cute. "I have informed the momma's as well." He settled back on the couch in the central section and was quickly asleep again. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 08 Sorrel sat up and stretched. "I will go and let Pam know, if you wouldn't mind Nora go and let Bear know. They will want a shaman there and it might as well be him." She pulled on a long shirt and after one last stretch and yawn headed towards the artists caravan's. When she arrived she stepped into the small communal area which had been setup for overnight. "I need to talk to Pam since Nang is in labor." Most of the guild caravan's and tents had someone sleeping in the communal area in case they were needed. Tonight it was Harmony and she sat up and stretched as well. "Hello Sorrel and let me go and wake her and Kinnie up. I am sure Pam will want to know." She hurried to the back and was out several minutes later with Pam. Pam walked over and gave Sorrel a good hug before grinning as her growling belly bumped Sorrel. "It will be my turn soon. I can't wait. I will come back to your tent and wait with you there. Kinnie said this was for family and he will stop by tomorrow morning." From what she understood unless there was a good reason for a stop when the tribe was on the move they kept going. Labor was such a common thing that they simply took them into the caravan and kept going. It didn't sound like fun to her but it was how they dealt with it. Sorrel returned the hug and had to smile as well. "I have to admit that I am betting the two of you have a darling baby. Kinnie could have come with but either way is fine. I am sure the girls are going to be anxious till their brother is delivered." She gave Harmony a nod before she curled an arm around one of Pam's and walked out of the tent. Both were in just night shirts and it was obvious Pam was most definitely pregnant. Eventually Nang did deliver and it was only a few hours later. Having had two babies already she didn't need all that much time before their son was born. At the moment she was laying in bed with Nickolas latched on to one breast as he was feeding. They had discussed this and since Jim's middle name was Nicklaus they had gone with that. Dan was sitting next to her and had a rapt expression on his face as he watched his wife and baby. "We do good work love and he is a lovely little man." A finger and thumb were wrapped around a tiny foot and he was looking so happy. "Love you Nang and I am so very pleased." The tribe had started moving shortly before Nang had delivered but the medical caravan had extra suspension. It was to keep the injured from being impacted to much by the movements. In this case Nang was settled in the bed once it had been cleaned up as she was nursing. She would be there for a day, maybe two before going back to their caravan. While she was feeding their son Ana and Allie came in and settled down. Both had to blush a bit since even now nursing wasn't something they were used to seeing. "We were told you named him Nicklaus. Can we call him Nick or Nicky while he is little?" Ana had settled next to their dad and was leaning against him. Her hand had caught one of his tiny hands as well and was fascinated by the tiny fingers and nails. Allie settled down on the other side of Nang and gave the baby a pleased look. "I am going to hate doing diapers even more than now but he is a lovely baby. That was a very good name you chose for him mom." She didn't touch the baby since both Dan and Ana had his free hand or foot at the moment. Both Dan and Nang gave a low quiet laugh. Nang detached him from her breast and burped him before moving him to her other nipple. "I am so very pleased we have son. Mind you as much as I have enjoyed being pregnant a few years before the next would be nice." She reached over with her free hand and gave one of Allie's hands a good squeeze. I will probably come home this evening. Why don't the two of you go and help with the others. As soon as I am done feeding Nick I am going to fall asleep." She was hugged by both girls before they left the moving caravan. As soon as she was done nursing Nick Dan took him and changed his diaper and tucked him into the small crib next to the bed. He slipped in next to her and curled up and held her. "Love you Mystic and you keep giving me such wonderful children." ~~~ Since Pam was pregnant with Kinnie's baby she delivered about a month after Nang did. Since it was between species it was shorter than a normal human birth and was just a bit over seven months. When she went into labor both of them had moved into a side tent for the Artists. Both were doing well but for the moment they weren't quite feeling ready to purchase their own tent and find somewhere to set it up. That and neither were mated even though they were in an exclusive relationship. Pam did care a great deal for Kinnie but she was still dealing with the loss of her husband Jeff. It had been years but it wasn't an easy lose to deal with. Kinnie knew this and once she had become pregnant they had started really talking about it. He knew how much she had loved her former mate and respected that. When the time was right he might ask her to become his mate but they had plenty of time. Thankfully the artists had a number of pups, kits, cubs, and children in a nursery section so they didn't have to worry about that. As it was he had been awake for a short time when the contractions started. Pam woke during the first major contraction and he rolled out of bed. "Let me help you up Pam and I am so excited. I can't wait to see our pup." Pam groaned as the contraction finished before standing up. For now she was going with her loin cloth and a long shirt. It was stupid to get all dressed up in anything else. She held her arms out to Kinnie and let him help her stand before they slowly moved out. Since this was her second child she didn't expect it to take too long before she delivered. Kinnie helped her up and they slowly walked out of the artists area and towards medical. Personally he was pleased they were at one of the sites they stayed at. Since this was his first pup he didn't like the idea of her being bounced around in a moving caravan. Yes most of the women dealt with that at one point or another but for now he hated the idea. When they passed Yimmy and Dan's tents he called out. "Pam is in labor, tell those who need to know." Right about then a contraction hit and they had to pause as Pam groaned. By the time it was done Dan and Sorrel were somewhat awake. "Keep going Kinnie and the healers will let us know how it goes." Sorrel stepped over and gave both a brief hug before urging them on. She couldn't help but have a pleased smile on her face. No Yimmy wasn't there but his legacy was. The ones who had come back with were being fruitful and expanding the tribe. Bear might be past the age of wanting a family but he had been working hard with the senior Shaman to both learn and teach. Pam was an excellent artist and was starting to produce some wonderful art. Dan and Nang, well Nang was the new Mystic so what could be more important than that? Their two girls were growing and learning as well. When Pam delivered she found she had a little girl and as expected she did take after her father. Pam was lying on the bed sweaty and tired from the labor. "We have a beautiful little girl Kinnie, what should we name her?" They had a number of discussions but nothing had felt right since they didn't know the gender of the child. Kinnie lowered his ears when she asked that. He stroked the babies cheek as she was nursing. "Would you mind if we named her Chloe? That was my mother's name." He had lost his family in one of the fevers that occasionally hit. It had been years but he still missed his family. Pam looked up at him and wrapped one of her hands around his. "That is a lovely name and though I don't know if you do second names I would like Chloe Madison to be her name." Madison was the last name of the fiancé Dan had lost so many years ago to cancer back in their world. He leaned over and pressed his muzzle against her cheek. "It is a lovely name for a lovely little girl." He finally slipped into the bed next to her and pulled her close while she was nursing. ~~~ They had finally arrived at the meeting grounds with the Puma tribe. Most of the tribe had dealt with the loss of Jim as a tribe member since it happened often enough. For those intimately involved that was a different subject. For his widows and Sheeha it was still a painful memory. Once they had arrived Pam and Nang had come over with their children. Nang had her mate and Pam was with Kinnie since they figured the Puma Chief would come to Jim's caravan. When he did they were right and Sheeha and Alon had stepped forward and greeted them. Once Sheeha had given him a hug and introduced her baby they watched Alon hug Piquel and start sobbing. Sheeha was definitely stressed. It didn't stop her from introducing the new additions to the tribe. "Chief I have some introductions to make. The ones I am going to introduce are from Yames's world." She turned slightly. "This is warrior Danilo Legarith and his mate Mystic Nang. Their two oldest girls are Ana and Allie and their baby is Nicklaus. Bear is a Shaman and Pam is an artist. She has a pup with Kinnie the Squorrel and her name is Chloe Madison." Piquel gave Alon a good hug and picked him up and was holding him as Sheeha introduced the others. He looked at them and lowered his ears before raising them. "I am sorry to hear about Yames since he was a good man. I am pleased to meet your baby Sheeha. I am also pleased to meet Yimmy's friends as well. I will look forward to this evening when Sheeha's kit is introduced." Saria was with Piquel as well as their son. Saria went to Sheeha and pulled her into a good hug. "I am so sorry as well Sheeha and you have my sympathy. I am also pleased to meet your son and he is a lovely young man. Would all of you please join us for our evening meal? Yames was important to our tribe as well and we would like to know what happened. If you can't speak I am sure the others can as well." Sheeha was a distant cousin of hers which was why she had been selected and asked to stay with the other tribe. Sheeha nodded at her and leaned into the hug before Yimmy started to fuss. "Someone is hungry so it is time to feed him." She settled down at one of the couches and lowered her shirt to give him access. When he latched on she had to wince slightly. Pam snorted as Chloe started fussing as well. "Tell me about it. At least this little lady is sleeping through the night. At least my lover leaves some for her in the morning." She poked fun at Kinnie because she could. He chittered at her. "Hey you are the one who... Um, never mind, not saying anything else." He chittered at her again as he forced his ears to stay upright. Once she had healed she had been very active with him and he had been greatly enjoying it. Then again it had been only a few weeks so they had time to catch up on. Nang snorted at both of them. "Tell me about it and Dan's son is a very hungry little man. He is a darling little boy though and I am so pleased." She had just fed him and he was sleeping in Dan's arms. She couldn't help but let a very gentle expression cross her face as she looked at him. He was obvious so very pleased. It wasn't just having a son but another child. She knew the gender of the child didn't matter just having another child. ~~~ The next night had been scheduled for the introduction of Yim and Sheeha's child. Since Yim had started as a Pride friend and eventually brought into the tribe they needed the introduction. Sheeha, Alon, and Jim's widows were with Piquel and his mate on a small platform. They had the power stones set up at the moment and both the tribe and pride were ready. Piquel stepped forward to address everyone. "Pride it is my sad duty to let you know of the passing of a Pride member. The Soran tribe informed me of the passing of Yames the Protector. He died protecting not just his tribe but the Farel Pack." He watched the Pride show sadness before they lifted their heads and yowled sadness. Piquel lifted his head as well and yowled out his sadness since he had come to be decent friends with Yim. Once the Pride had finished he spoke again. "Yames the Proctector did leave a part of him behind. Sheeha had a child with him and she named their son after Yames." He took the baby from Sheeha and lifted him up so the pride could see the boy. "This is their son Yames. Alon has informed me that he is going to remain with the Soran tribe to protect Yames's family and Sheeha's child." The roar from the Pride almost deafened everyone. The Soran tribe howled, chittered, yipped, and variations thereof. It did wake the child and he started fussing as he was handed back to his mother. ~~~ Right as they were stepping down from the podium two warriors were escorting a stranger towards them. Piquel and Moran turned to face them as did Sheeha, Sorrel, and the rest of that family group. Before anything could register the bear spirit appeared behind the man and let out a roar which stunned everyone. When he clapped his paw on top of the strangers head and bellowed again the man collapsed to his knees and clutched his head and screamed. Lak-Non had no idea what happened but what happened he couldn't define. It was like he had been dropped into a burning sea of fire. When he screamed it was from the depths of his soul. It felt like his essence was coming unraveled yet... It also felt right since even as who he currently was came unraveled something was weaving a new him. How long he was in the sea of fire he would never know but when he finally woke up he was in what looked like a caravan. Surrounding him were several women and several men as well. As he looked at them surges of memory came and went and he had to close his eyes for a short time. Each time he opened them more confusing memories came back till he was laying there feeling wrung out. The final time he opened them his eyes his eyes settled on three women. His eyes widened. When he spoke his voice was a croak. "Sorrel? Nasha? Nora?" The End. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Epilogue Lak-Non, he just didn't feel like a James, had finally moved to the caravan and tents which had belonged to this James. He was currently sitting in a chair strumming a Gitturn and thinking about the last few weeks. Lak-Non knew that his arrival had tossed a massive stone into the pool known as the tribes. That had been obvious that time he had woken up and recognized the women. They had broken down and cried for some time. All three of them had been pressed against his body as they were crying. Of the men one he had discovered was the Tribal Chief of the Soran tribe. Another was the Chief of the Puma Pride. The third appeared to be a friend of this James. Frankly by the time the women had been done crying he was about ready to lose it. Thankfully some white Kitsune female had come in and chased everyone away. She had come over and sat down on the bed next to him. She stroked his forehead and he could feel a cool sensation flowing from the tips of her fingers. "Relax Lak-Non, you have gone through a rather traumatic experience. I can sense two parts of you. The recovered memories and your existing memories, they are going to take time to integrate. When done you are going to be a different person than either James or Lak-Non. What you end up being is going to be partially up to you." Lak-Non had to close his eyes as her fingers stroked his temples and forehead. "Lady I don't know what I am feeling. I am so... So lost." He hadn't felt this off since waking up in that jungle. Then he knew what he was supposed to do, or at least had felt the calling to find his former master. Lia gave him a gentle smile as he was talking. She was gently applying her powers to help him talk to her. "I don't blame you young man. It is something you are going to have to decide. One thing I want you to do is to learn about the women who were in James life. He grew to mean a great deal to a number of people in this tribe. You are the one who is going to have to make the decision on who you are and what name you are going to have to go by." She kept stroking his forehead. Lak-Non had to lean into her stroking and he knew she was using her powers since he was definitely relaxing and the headache was slowly fading. As he laid there letting her fingers trail across his forehead he contemplated what she was saying and what he needed to do. For the moment he was going back to sleep and take it one day at a time. He quickly fell asleep and didn't realize when Lia had left. He also didn't realize when Sheeha came in and settled down next to him. When Lak-Non finally woke up again he had to groan since he really needed a privacy tent. He had long since learned many of the terms used on this continent. He slowly sat up and glanced around. When he found a Puma female with a small kit in her arms he felt another stab of pain. When the memory came back he almost wanted to cry. "Hello Sheeha. I am not James anymore but I do have some of his memories." He wanted to look at the child but kept his eyes on the Puma. Sheeha tensed and looked down at her kit. "Thank you for telling me that. What would you prefer to be called?" She wasn't going to cry but damn it she wanted their kit to know who James was. "What do you need?" Her arms curled a bit more around the kit. Lak-Non noticed her reaction and he sighed. "For now please call me Lak-Non. Can you tell me about your kit? Is the kit James's? Please tell me Sheeha. I might not be James but I am starting to recover some of his memories." He slowly stood. "I do need the privacy tents and would you mind showing me where the springs are?" Sheeha kept her eyes down. "He is Jimmy's kit and I was scared at first when I became pregnant but I am proud to say he is ours. His name is Yames as well." She glanced up some though she didn't look at him. "I can do that Lak-Non. I will have a bucket brought as well as some clothes. If you will follow me." She stood up and waited for him. Lak-Non reached over and pressed a hand on her shoulder. "Sheeha I can tell you that James did care for you." Another surge of pain and he cursed. "By the feathers of the first egg this sucks. Damn it to hell I hate these surges of memory." He had to stand there for a moment before he could continue. "If he had known he would have been proud but..." He dropped to his knees with another surge of pain. Sheeha tried to support him but he was too heavy and she had her kit. "White Lady, help, James, Lak-Non needs help!" It was a scream. Almost before she screamed Lia was there and was pressing her fingers against his temples. She focused her powers and suppressed his reactions. "I am going to suppress some of James's memories for the time being. They will be coming back but at a much slower flow. Your guardian spirit is not used to dealing with humans." Once she was done she knew that her fix was working. Lak-Non was panting from what he had been experiencing. Even once she was done he had to sit there and pant for some time. Once he felt capable of speaking he looked up. "Thank you White Lady that really helps." His voice was rough as he was speaking. He finally stood up and he really needed the bathroom. "Will you please show me the privacy stalls?" Sheeha's ears were low against her head and just in case Lak-Non had another episode called to have Thomas meet them at the tents. "This way please and they aren't far." Since he was in the medical caravan there were some close by thankfully. Once done there Thomas had arrived with buckets for both him and Lak-Non. "Thanks for getting the buckets." Lak-Non gave him a nod in thanks as well. "Hello Thomas and for now please call me Lak-Non. Till the memories fully come back I don't know who I will end up being." Frankly this was going to drive him crazy since he knew the women and children who had loved James were going to want to talk to him. Thomas nodded since that made a great deal of sense. "The White Lady talked to everyone last night about not overwhelming you with attention. The youngest children are probably going to want attention though." Where Lak-Non was going to be living till things settled down he wasn't sure. It was something the other man was going to have to think about. As he was sitting there playing he glanced around the tents and had to smile. All the women were doing their own thing. Several of the kids were in the tent as well listening to him playing. That first morning when he had taken a bath had been interesting since everyone stared at the stylized bear paw tattoo on his chest. When asked about it he finally had a good answer to the question. He had told them since when he awoke he didn't have a warrior necklace the Bear had given him the tattoo. Lak-Non wasn't going to mention it was also to draw him to his former master. The first evening had been interesting as well since he had decided to join the women and kids for a meal. He had decided for the moment to stay in medical for a day or two. It simply wouldn't be possible to try and stay in the tent with James's family. Even with what the White Lady had done for him his head still throbbed periodically as memories were brought forward. Lak-Non was starting to find as something triggered them each memory was being integrated into whoever he was becoming. When he had walked into the tent that evening it had been very tense. For the women he assumed it was memories of him as their mate and their biological children. For the others he figured it were memories of James being their adoptive father. It was most definitely awkward for all of them. Lak-Non stood at the entrance and had to clear his throat several times before he could speak. "Hello everyone, I know this is hard but..." What was he supposed to say? "I have some memories of all of you and I am trying to understand them. For now please call me Lak-Non till I figure out who I am going to be." Sorrel stood up and walked over. She looked up at him and could see some of the features of James though there were differences as well. "We have talked with the children and the older ones do understand. Please come in and have a seat. Dinner will be here shortly." She carefully wrapped a hand around his arm and led him into the tent. "Thank you Sorrel." He settled down in a chair that was empty and realized it had probably been James's. It was central in the tent and fit his body almost perfectly. It was awkward till Nasha went had to pick up one baby and wrinkled her nose. "Someone is stinky, Lak-Non would you mind? I need to feed the other baby." Nasha didn't wait for him to reply before she handed him the baby and picked up Eelios to feed him. Lak-Non had plenty of practice with babies but he pretended to be offended. "I think there is something wrong with this picture, handing your guest a stinky baby." Even as he was talking he grabbed the bag with the baby stuff in them and quickly changed the little girl. Once he was done Lak-Non held her close and gave her a sad smile. "Hello Kerrie. You are a real cutie." That seemed to break the ice and some of the other kids came over and settled down around him. When the ladies laughed at him he had to smile since that was what he had wanted. Tonya leaned against his leg and gave him a shy look. "What do your necklaces mean?" She had been looking at them and they were exotic to say the least. He reached over and stroked her hair and ears for a moment. "Well this one", he touched the one from Zephara, "was given to me by my last master when I left his service. It indicated that I am considered a member of his family, was a senior advisor for him, and one of his guards." He looked out the front of the tent and had to smile. "I served in his service for many years before feeling the need to move on. He was a pretty good young man and had grown into being the king of his country." Nora looked somewhat confused. "What do you mean many years? James has only been gone for one turn." Nobody had really talked to him as of yet and didn't know of his history. Lak-Non had to scratch his head for a moment. "I can't explain that but I was in his service for close to twenty five years before leaving. I wandered Cerule for almost as long before coming to this continent. I have spent the last five years wandering before I found this tribe. Something wouldn't let me settle down for more than a few years before I would have to move." As he was speaking he was looking melancholy. After shaking his head he looked back down at Tonya. "Well this necklace was provided to me by the warrior's guild where the ship I was on landed. It seems that they felt my tattoo wasn't enough since it wasn't visible." He kept talking and answering questions. By the end of the evening everyone had relaxed some and the youngest kids had managed to get him to cuddle them. Since the kids were sitting around not to mention the women he started singing quietly. It was a love song he had written for Zephara and Z'nala so many years ago. As he was singing he was still thinking since it was a song he had played so often he didn't need to focus on it. It was an old friend and made him think about those two. Lak-Non couldn't help but wonder how they were doing. Sometimes he wished he could send a letter to them but the chances of it reaching them was slim. Maybe one of these days he might actually send one. He had decided to stay in a tent the healers had for the lightly injured for several days. Lak-Non had the memories of James loving his ladies and his children but it wasn't something Lak-Non could just jump into. He was still feeling rather lost and confused and the children didn't need to see that. Lak-Non had made a point of going to the tent for meals and spending a bit of time in the morning playing and singing for the kids. That was actually rather fun since they hadn't heard any of the music he had learned or written since he had vanished. Lak-Non had gotten to know James' baby with Sheena as well as the twins and Morgan. All four were lovely children as were the others that James had adopted. He had also met Dan and the Mystic as well as their three children. From what he could tell James had been well loved and had been a damn fine man. Thinking of James as a different person was the easiest way to deal with the memories. By the end of that first week he had talked to the four women about moving into the tent. He had made it clear he wasn't looking for any action at the moment. As confused as Lak-Non was that wouldn't be a good idea. They understood though they did ask if he would mind sharing the large bed with them. Lak-Non had to think about that for a while and tentatively said yes. It was going to be a case of trying it and seeing how the memories were impacted. The first few days had been rough but he had to admit something had called him back to the beds. It very quickly started to feel right to sleep next the women. Lak-Non had quickly decided it was from his memories of being James. He didn't fight it though since it quickly started helping with the memories coming back. There was still that stabbing pain in the temples but it wasn't nearly as bad as when he was curled up with them. It was much the same with the children. If he was holding one and a memory hit it wasn't as bad though by the end of the second week he was feeling rather confused. Even with the White Lady slowing down the recovered memories they were coming often enough to make them hard to sort through. On top of that the memories weren't chronological. They could be brought back by a conversation, looking at something, or even as he played. Lak-Non was thankful that the Chief had decided till he was cleared by the healers he was not to work as a warrior. That was very understandable since even though they knew James they didn't know Lak-Non. Lak-Non had made a point of visiting both Chief's before leaving for the high grounds. He had started telling him some of what had transpired in his past. Lak-Non had found it rather interesting in a way since some of what he had to say was rather out there. One memory was when the augur went up in flames before telling him that it was time for Lak-Non to move on. Both males gave him a rather neutral looks since they weren't sure he wasn't jerking their chains. Other times he left them shaking their heads in wonder at what had transpired. Both seemed to have wanted to ask if he felt he had lost out when he had left but thankfully they didn't. As he had been talking about Zephara and Z'nala it had made him rather introspective. He did miss the young pair and their baby. When he had brought the battle axe and his jewelry out they had looked very closely at them and asked a number of questions. That had been rather amusing since they kept glancing at him and back at the jewelry and the axe. Piquel finally shook his head and summed up what both had been feeling. "Good lord what little you have told us is an incredible tale. I am trying to wrap my mind around going from an advisor to a leader of many tribes to just a traveling warrior." Lak-Non had laughed but didn't say anything in reply. Nasha looked at him as he finished the song. "That was lovely Lak-Non. Did you write it for Zephara and Z'nala?" Her eyes were moist looking since she could feel how much he had cared for the two. He took a sip of juice before replying. "I wrote it for their handfasting. Much like how James felt about Alon I felt about Zephara and Z'nala. They weren't my kids but by the time I left they meant much to me. They even named their first child after me, well my old name." He leaned over and stroked Alon's ears. "James loved and cared for all of you very deeply." He glance at Farion and shook a fist at him. "That was for James." Farion blinked and before he realized it he was nailed by a guffaw and fell over holding his stomach. He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. By the time he was able to breathe again a number of the others in the tent were laughing as well. "Ah... Ah... Oh man that was good." Just for good measure he coughed a few times as well. "I have to admit I am coming to care for all of you as well. I know it has been a difficult month for everyone. Thanks all of you for giving me time to come to terms with knowing my past." He felt Alon lean into the caress and start purring. Sorrel came out of the caravan and she had a pensive expression on her face and a package in her hands. "Lak-Non we have been waiting to show you these items." Her hands were shaking slightly as she handed the package to him. "These were all that was left of Yimmy when he vanished. I think it is time for you to have them. Even though things are going to change simply because of how many years it has been for you they belong to you." Lak-Non had long since proved to her that he was or had been James so these belonged to him. Lak-Non looked up at her and when he reached out his hands were shaking as well when he took the package from her. He handed the Gitturn to Farion and set the package on his lap. His callused fingers stroked the heavy waxed paper wrapper. To be honest he was almost scared to open it and see what was inside since he had a feeling this was going to be the final step. How he knew that once opened his life was going to change he didn't know. It was just that simple. He was going to become a new person, not James, definitely not Theik-Lekal, and not quite Lak-Non. With a sudden decisive movement he undid the tie and carefully opened the package. As he had expected there was an axe in the package with a finely scrolled sheath. There was a second much plainer sheath as well which was a work sheath from the looks of it. There was a belt with some weapon and a large metal knife, several heavy bracelets, and three necklaces. He took the axe out and looked at it and memories of wielding it came back. It had been used to cut down trees, trim branches, and chop wood for the rare fires. There were memories of having killed with it as well. It felt so comfortable in his hands much like his other axe which was almost an exact duplicate of this one. After looking at it he checked out the belt and weapons. James knew what to do with and how to use the pistol but Lak-Non didn't have any experience so he left it alone. When he pulled the knife out he was impressed since it was a rather mean looking blade. It was also made of metal which was vanishingly rare. He examined it for a moment before putting it back. Those two items didn't bring back nearly as many memories though why he wasn't sure. The jewelry he was scared to touch since he knew this was going to define his future with the women and clan. The first one he picked up was obviously his totem necklace with the teeth and carved bear's head on it. He lightly stroked it and memories of saving Tonya from the bear. As they came back Lak-Non had to smile at Jim's reaction to getting the bracelet and even being given the warrior's necklace. "Did he really insult Piquel with that song?" When that memory came back he was almost horrified since memories of the images which went with the song came to him as well. All four women had to cover their muzzles to keep the laughter down. Sheeha's eyes were dancing in merriment when she replied. "Oh yes Yimmy did. I talked to him later about it and he was most definitely not amused by Piquel's reaction to his being given the totem necklace. Piquel was rather irritable for a few days afterwards as well. That had been the first time he had his tail kicked that badly for a long time." Alon was frowning at her and Sheeha shook her head at him. Lak-Non had to shake his head at that. Since this was his and that had been proven to him he removed the one given to him back in the town. When he slipped it around his neck and settled on his chest a sense of rightness settled over him as well. It felt right to be wearing it and he knew it. He also picked up the heavy silver bracelet Nora had gifted to him and with a smile slipped it on as well. "They both feel so right to have on again. James has such fond memories connected to both. Not the pain he suffered but of saving Tonya and cuddling with her. Nora meant a huge deal to him as well." As he spoke the room remained quiet. World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Epilogue The journeyman songsmith bracelet he picked up and smiled again at. It was lightly worn but it was obviously also something James had valued. "I know many of the others in the camp have been keeping away but I am going to need to say hello to Eldon. I can tell that he also loved to sit and relax with all of you and play music while his ladies worked and the kids did their studies." Not all things were taught by music. The songsmith bracelet given to him at the town was removed and sat down with the warrior necklace also. There were only two necklaces left and the last one he touched was going to be the hardest to deal with. Lak-Non picked up the sub-chief necklace and much like the other items stroked it for several minutes. He hadn't realized James had been a sub-chief of the tribe though thinking about it, it made sense. Lak-Non had settled into his role comfortably when he had finally encountered Zephara. "This isn't right for me currently. Maybe in a few years once the tribe is accustomed to me and Chief Moran asks I will consider it." He set it back down. Lak-Non reached down and carefully picked up the mating necklace and held it up. As he was holding it he had to close his eyes because of the emotions and feelings that started surging through him. His large hands curled around it and his face tensed up. Before Lak-Non actually looked at it he had to take several slow deep breaths. The ultimate question was if he was ready to take this step. He finally opened his eyes and one or two tears slipped out. His voice was husky as he spoke. "I can feel the love James felt for the three of you. He loved you, Sorrel, as his center. You gave him, in the beginning which he needed, stability and someone he could care about. Once he realized he might be here for a long time he allowed himself to fall in love with you. You were the first woman he gave his heart to." He moved his eyes to Nasha. "Nasha he loved you since you gave him someone he could relax and show his emotions to. He knew that you would never give up his deepest fears and worries. He also loved you since you gave him someone who needed his protection." He gave her a soft smile as he was talking. Lak-Non felt how much she meant to him. His eyes moved over to Nora. "He loved you as well. You showed him that even though he was trained to kill he could use that to protect. When he saved Tonya from the bear it helped him start to come to terms with who he was. You were also something stable in his life. There was a feeling of contentment to you with who you were. I can't explain his feelings better than that." His hands were still trembling as he looked back down at the necklace and the three images of the ladies on it. Lak-Non didn't know what to do at that moment. It was an overwhelming decision he needed to make and he wasn't sure he was capable of making it. Lak-Non looked up one more time and looked at Sheeha. "You weren't one of his mates but he did truly care for you. You were both a good friend and someone he could be silly with. James might have complained about your pouncing but he actually had a great deal of fun with it. If he had known your son he would have loved him as he loved all of his children." There wasn't a need to say both by blood and adoption since James had proved that many times. Sorrel had tears slipping out of her eyes as well and soaking the fur around her lower lids. She finally stood up and walked over to him. She knelt down in front of him and curled her fingers around the bracelet and his fingers. "I can't begin to understand what you might be feeling right now. I didn't return these items to you to force a decision but because they belong to you. If you don't feel up to dealing with the feelings and emotions the necklace is causing it can wait. When you feel more settled we can come back to it." Nasha came over and wrapped her arms around him from one side. "Yimmy has been gone for a year and we didn't expect to ever see him again. If you need the time take it and make up your mind. We can wait for you to make the decision." She knew what she wanted but wasn't going to push. Lak-Non might not be Jimmy but there were so many similarities that she was draw to him. Nora settled for hugging him from the other side and simply held him. What he had said touched her deep down. She knew James had cared for her and Tonya which was why she agreed with the mating. It had felt good to be cared for again after she had lost her first mate. To know that he had loved her deep down had brought her to tears as well. Lak-Non met Sorrel's eyes and for a brief moment what and who he was shown through. He took a slow breath and sat up straight. "If you three will have a somewhat confused human then so be it." He lifted the necklace and placed it around his neck. There was a momentary surge of the final bits of memory coming back. He didn't have much time before he was taken down by three very happy women and any number of kids. ~~~ Across the pathway Dan and Nang were watching the fun and excitement. Nang was currently nursing their son. "You get the diaper you know. I have done enough of them for the day." As she was nursing and talking she could feel the surge and flow of the powers across the way. They didn't involve her in anyway but she could still sense them. Dan snorted at her. "I know love, I know and it looks like things are going to calm down now. I know Lak-Non was feeling very off center since he arrived not that I blame him. So you think this is going to be good for him? Is he making the decision which is right for him?" He didn't know if she would answer him and if she didn't he was getting used to that. It still irked him occasionally since they had never kept secrets but being who she was now he did understand. She smiled as she was watching what was happening. "That is something which only time will tell but I do think it will be the right one for him." Nang looked down as Nicklaus finally let go. After burping him she handed him over to Dan to take care of. The real end. A/N: Before anyone asks I do not have any current plans to do any more stories about the World of Ranicke. If it does end up happening it will be quite a while down the road. I do hope everyone enjoyed this book and the ending. Please comment and let me know. As always read, enjoy, and vote.