The next day, as Marlin and Milly made their way down, they were greeted by 5 people at the kitchen table sharing breakfast. Kotak, Bron, her Father and Marlin’s parents.
It seemed they walked into a discussion. Marlin hadn’t really talked all that much to Milly’s Father especially not after his rather colorful words he used on Bron.
He wasn’t so sure from whom the Canta siblings got their temper and one look at her dad, put him on number 2 of most powerful people ever met. He estimated his dad winning, but not by much.
He had found a description of his dad’s ultimate discipline Sanctus Ultor,
which he only knew about because some of the older kin had talked about and seen it,
and from what it described practically nothing could beat that once Bradford invoked that.
“Ah Marlin”! Milly’s Father called him out, “sit and tell my foolish son of your encounter with that orc.
Marlin sat down slightly uncomfortable.
“Yes son, tell us about how you totally didn’t seek out a straggler orc on your own”, his dad intoned with a smile that really wasn’t a smile. “im proud you bested one but im rather curious”.
Milly sat down next to Bradford and copied his smile.
Marlin sighed and started from the beginning, laid out his thought process his struggles, and why he had been there. He pointed out that after the second boar he had second thoughts about it all, pointedly looking at Milly to convey why he had those second thoughts and her faux smile turned gentle. He squeezed her hands. their unspoken communication clear to them both.
He continued and explained his encounter in detail he didn’t use the same words but everyone here knew his colorful language. Explained it had been the cooperation of all 5, him, his gnolls and Billy that made sure they all walked out alive. One less gnoll or no Billy and he wouldn’t be sitting here. The fight would have dragged out too long giving the orc enough time to finish Marlin.
Once he was finished the T’jut chief looked at his stubborn son. “You might have a level more and be close to level 3. But you propose to hunt a bear. One bear would beat 3 of those orcs narrowly on it’s own. Even if Marlin agrees to join you and your friends. One of you will die”.
”I am stronger than you think father! I need to do this! I need to move on”! Bron was stubborn. “Besides the bear i tracked is by far not as strong as the Direbear you fought on your lonesome”!
“I had powerful friends help me with my vengeance”! The chief snapped angrily.
Betty spoke up. “Please calm down everyone, take a moment to ponder eachother’s stances and desires alright”?
Marlin noted her disarming inflections slight tone changes, it felt odd to see his mother use her diplomacy.
Both the T’jut men backed down, both fuming silently, obviously unwilling to budge.
Marlin spoke up. “Bron from what I understand your mother was killed by a dire bear and your father killed that bear”.
he continued:
“Any particular reason you want to kill this particular bear you have your sights on”?
Bron sighed. “I was completely useless for the hunt that my father went on to avenge my mother. It wounded my pride and for 10 years I neglected my training, felt it was useless. If a warrior cannot defend or seek vengeance when it truly matters, then what am I”?
Marlin understood in a heartbeat when Bron began to speak, that sense of powerlessness and weakness could be utterly soul crushing.
”why this particular bear”? Marlin asked.
“This bear has tasted kin flesh and will soon hunt for more”, Kotak answered.
“Brown or black bear”? Marlin asked.
”Black and it’s average in size”, Bron spoke. Marlin had a smile tugging at his lips.
“No offense chieftain, but a Brown bear, especially a well fed one I would have agreed. It could defeat 3 orcs. An average black bear? They are vicious, but i doubt one average Black bear could defeat 2 of those orcs that i faced, let alone 3”.
“This particular orc was slightly less strong than Bron and luckily not as aggressively gifted. But from what I gathered this particular orc was definitely above average”.
Marlin finished, he looked apologetic at Milly, who rolled her eyes.
”Still, without Milly buffing me up to the max with the titans gift, I would get shredded before my minions, you or Kotak could cripple it or slay it”. Marlin said to Bron smirking, “you should be trying to convince Milly, not your father, I don’t mean any offense with that chief”. He gave the Chief a small nod of respect.
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The 3 oldest in the room all sighed and gave Marlin a look.
Betty spoke, “you are slowly becoming more reasonable son but you still have a long way to go”. Bradford nodded, his thoughts mirrored Betty.
The chief sighed, “and Milly what are your thoughts”?
”I call dibs on that pelt in winter Bron, you can wear it when too hot”, Milly smirked and looked at her father, “father my feelings towards this are the same as Bron. I might not be a warrior but my role in the tribe is the same, my pride is the same and I could do nothing when mother died”.
Marlin spotted a fierce fire in her eyes. He was grateful for it, lately her doubts had marred that strength.
Kotak looked wholly unsurprised by Milly’s response.
The chief threw his hands in the air, “Ancestors save me from this sire”!
“I want to practice with Milly’s buffs against a boar first so i can get an idea how much it helps and how i need to adjust the way i block before we try a black bear Bron”. Marlin said to Bron, who nodded,
“that’s a good idea Marlin, once we get a feel for one another, we can come up with a plan”.
Kotak grinned, “i’ve been looking forward to work with you Marlin, it will be refreshing to work with sensible warrior like you”.
Bron scoffed, “i might have a temper but im a perfectly reasonable man”.
Marlin laughed, “and im a eloquent and well spoken man, once you get to know me”. He teased.
Milly snickered, holding in her laughter.
Bradford sighed, “I pity your plight with such stubbornness” he looked at the chief.
“Nay, the stubbornness is mine, my wife was the reasonable one”.
“huh i really would have figured you to be the reasonable one”. Marlin said.
Milly and Bron nearly fell of their chairs. “Wow Marlin you really missed the mark there” Milly shook her head. “Dad isn’t reasonable, the chief is” Bron said.
Marlin nodded, “that makes sense, i’ve only ever observed the chief as the chief not as your father”.
“such wounding words, from my own children”. The chief smirked.
Milly spoke, “can we break fast again as a family more often father”? She shrugged, “it’s been too long”.
The chiefs stern face eased and he smiled warmly at his daughter, “ you two worry me to no end, yes i would like that”, he sighed, “i’ve avoided you two, too long lately”.
”We weren’t exactly stellar son and daughter lately”, bron said.
All the T’jut, even Kotak did a double take to see if it was Bron speaking.
”Wow, you really can be reasonable Bron, when you are calm”. Marlin said.
”and you have a way with words from what i heard”, the chief spoke, “i was not too far away from you two fighting”. The chief looked at marlin.
”What was said will never be repeated and il take it to my grave”. Marlin responded instantly.
The chief looked at him and grumbled. “It was a harsh lesson”.
”Too harsh”, marlin said eyes on the chief never breaking eye sight, “I overstepped, and for the insult to you, I apologize”.
”As a friend you most certainly did, but so did my sire, he looked at Bron and Milly, “you two did apologize for that particular conduct right”? both nodded faces serious. “Good”, the chief nodded. “Because bron, as a warrior, no lesson can ever be too harsh, if it is…” he didn’t finish the sentence.
Bron nodded, “I agree father, the battlefield is not for the faint of heart and I must steel myself, which is another reason I must do this”.
The chief sighed, and looked at Marlin, “you are a bad influence, Bron was never this good with words or expressing his honor so well” he teased.
”Alright son you made your point, and i can’t really stop you when bloody Kotak won’t even try to stop you”.
Kotak shrugged, “Bron has been brooding on this for a long time he bend towards the chiefs ear, and whispers soft so only the Chief (and Marlin) can hear, “I sort of guided him to find this bear I estimate our group with the help of Marlin can take it on with reasonable margin of error, the fact that it comes from a request was an added bonus”.
The chief pondered. “Hmmm it does start to look more like fate, ugh fine you have my Blessing”. He got up, “I better leave before i change my mind and I have to have this whole discussion all over again”.
Marlin looked at his parents while the 3 T’jut excitedly started to discuss plans and strategy. The unspoken question in his eyes.
Especially Betty was struggling to keep it together, Marlin got up and took Betty’s hand and took her outside, “i think i need to toss a few apples into the compost and i spot a few weeds”.
Betty nodded she walked along, trembling.
”My previous life I lived, no I survived as a coward”.
They both look at each other. “I died so many times in that life mother, i can’t do that again. I nearly died again when i met that Torren guy. at the early stages in this life I must take risks, but i promise you they are all calculated risks”.
Betty sighed, “i know but im your mother, i will worry. You are about to face a bear Marlin”.
It’s only a black bear Mother. They only get to be about 7 feet.
Betty’s hear snapped and her gaze bore into him. “10 feet marlin! In this world they are 10 feet”!
“ow right sorry i misspoke, they were about 7 feet in my old world, doesn’t make a difference, I’ve done my research on all wildlife in this world, what to avoid what to hunt”.
Marlin continued,
“Im not stepping into this blind, half assed or half cocked mother. That’s not the man i am. If im not happy with the strategy the smoothness of my cooperation with the T’jut im not risking it”.
Betty remained quiet and got to work in her garden, while Marlin cleaned out the bad apples from what had rightfully turned into an orchard. “Trees grow remarkably fast in this world”. Marlin noted.
”They have to, they break too easily at the early stages of growth”.
”yea trees this size would be 40-50 years old, these i remember were barely saplings when i first sat down here all those years ago”.
”And now i must leave it behind”, Betty sighed. “Ow please don’t think i blame you Marlin and no don’t tell me how you talked to that man, i took one look at that Torren and could already hear your scathing remarks”. Betty looked away, Marlin could hear the tear drop.
“It never even occurred to me you would blame me for that, you are too good a person for that”. Marlin responded putting his arm around his mother’s shoulder.
“That orc was hunting me, got the drop on me and I still bested it. “We are getting the drop on that bear mother. Bron is right, his strength is still underestimated”.
Betty shook her head. “You are tough as nails Marlin and i do know a thing or two about dueling, if you blocked perfectly and he still managed to shatter your arm the way it did” she looked at Marlin, “that bear won’t stand a chance”.
For a moment Marlin is confused, but it hits him eventually, Betty is sad, not because she is worried, she is sad how quickly he grew up. Even for distant travelers Marlin aged at a record speed. Them leaving this place marks this as the definitive end of his childhood, if you could even call it that.
”im barely 16 years old mother, barely a pup”. He smiled and she hugged him back.