Sachihiro
"My own daughter is almost 17 years old now, a good hunter and very fast runner," Solomzi says to me as we walk ahead of the other's.
"Thank you Solomzi really, but I am too busy to take another woman. I do appreciate the offer though."
He huffs, "You are a great man, you freed me from the wretched hands of the helves and their magical bindings. You should have at least 20 women, I myself have 7 and I am not nearly as great as you are."
Its been like this for a while, not necessarily from Ingwe's brother the whole time but the other elders have daughters or granddaughters that are apparently very good for marriage. Ingwe herself has become a sort of celebrity amongst her relatives, old friends and rivals. Some of whom are apparently now petitioning her and my other mates to join our family, extolling their great qualities and prowess in the hunt or lion taming or whatever else.
"Aren't your daughters now part of my family, is it not taboo amongst your people for relatives to become husband and wife?" I ask despite myself and I nearly groan and kick myself as he puffs up his chest in hope.
"This thing is easily overcome with sacrifice to the ancestors and explanation. They understand these things happen and will allow with, our bond will be closer if you take my eldest. I could take your eldest as well, we will become one blood."
I've noticed them eyeing Saya and its really a new experience for me. First of all my baby is only 14 years old, but she doesn't know I have wide range awareness and to stop her from masturbating would be very hypocritical and probably bad parenting. I don't really mind her finding her sexuality but then I also caught her 'experimenting' with an orc boy on the trip.
My heart nearly stopped and I may have kicked the boy in the teeth had I not quickly realised she was the instigator and very much in charge. I wisely decided to be a tattle and go tell Kuyoki, who apparently knew the whole time what was going on. Who even knew the boy's name and his orc father and tribeswoman mother.
I eventually learnt to swallow that with some hesitation, but that other boy was also just a child. Here though, these grown ass men approach me left and right to propose they take my baby as a third, a fourth or even a fifth wife. I get a headache whenever I see them approaching these few days we've been in these lands.
It doesn't help that all my girls are now running around half naked in traditional Alderman garb. Not that Barbarians are adverse to nudity, the girls used to run around the house naked back in Paradisum. But now it feels different, and I really don't know what to do.
"My daughter is still too young for me to organise a match for."
"Ahhh... I see..." He says with a voice filled with pity shaking his head. "My friend I also have a younger daughter, 13 years old and the apple of my eye. But already the vultures are circling and I have to organise a good match for her because now she has had her moonblood already, it is a sign of womanhood amongst my people."
"My people don't have it."
"Yes, in the hands of the vile helves I learnt many things besides this tongue they call Common. The helves don't have it either but some of the other human peoples have it. But that is besides the point, your daughter is also a woman grown and you know this yes?
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"How old was Ingwe when you took her away from her home to a foreign land she knew nothing about? She wasn't even into her second decade of I remember correctly but look at her now. Already a mother of so many, two of whom from her own womb.
"You forget how young you started shagging when it is your daughter's turned to be shagged. But regardless, every father has to move on."
I'm grimacing at the bad taste the man's blunt words leave in my mouth. He may be right or he may not be, either way I think I'm gonna need to invite him to a 'friendly' fight.
"Your manservant, he is always so grumpy looking. Why not get him a woman at least huh? There are several older widows that are going to waste at the village, I'm sure they could still bare a child or two."
"I'll mention it to him sometime." I say quickly not even looking at Soal behind us. I definitely won't ask such a thing, especially because I have no idea what the man will say in response.
"Ahhh.. we are here." Ingwe's uncle Somizi shouts and I turn to face their group. He has been walking with da and uncle Brian with one of his son's who's name I was never told.
I look around and all I see is grass from horizon to horizon, not even a tree in this velt of golden grass. At least its all hip level here and not the grass that hides giant snakes and other strange predictors, though I'm almost certain I can't be ambushed by a snake any longer.
"Here were? All I see is open land in all directions." Uncle Brian says and Somizi says like he is receiving words of wisdom from a Sage.
"This is the land of my great grandfather, he staked his claim after taming a golden lion and it's territory became his territory!" He says proudly.
I didn't know taming worked that way but I'm now looking at the land around us in a new light. The grass swaying in the breeze, the little rise off in the distance that's probably a hill, the flat areas where I may begin construction.
"How much of this land is your grandfather's?" Uncle Brian asks again and Somizi is a epitome of patience.
"Everything you see now and everything you see when you go stand over at were the edge of the horizon is over there." Somizi point's to were the sun will set.
The portion of land we can currently see is vast, at least 10km in every direction before the hills get steeper. There is enough land to build an entire town here, their grandfather was a wealthy man.
"How much of it will you give me?" I ask Somizi who seems confused before answering.
"All of it."
His response confuses me but I say nothing to contradict him, I can't help the need to confirm though. "All I can see in every direction is to be mine?"
He is confused again and his son whispers in his ear. He nods and faces me again taking out his belt knife and walking up to me. I watch him as he cuts his palm then holds the knife for me to do the same. I cut my palm and blood wells up easily, sharp knife that.
Ivget the gist of it and we clasp hands, our blood mixing as he speaks. "All the land you see in every direction up to the edge of that hill there is yours, by my ancestors O so swear."
And just like that I can feel it, the change in the breeze on my skin, the scent carried by the air tasting different, the ground softer, richer. The are paths through the grass I was previously unaware of but are so obvious now. This place has a pleasant feel tonit, not an aura but deeper than that. It feels like I belong tobit and it belongs to me though I can never truly possess it for you cannot possess a sapient being.
"It can't be that easy surely," I say flabagusted.
Solomzi nods, "truly the ancestors have accepted you, a white man. You are my brother in blood now, you have become an Alderman.