Since it was getting late, we all agreed to go to bed and do the wedding tomorrow. I went out to get Mara and Naomi before settling in for the night as well. Due to the small size of the hut, I found myself squashed in the middle with Mari on top of me, Kira and Lawra on either side and the rest against the walls on either side. It started getting hot quite quickly due to the close proximity of so many bodies. I had offered to sleep outside, but I was quickly outvoted. I need to find a solution to this tomorrow.

At dawn I got up. I shifted over to slide down between Lawra and Lynne, and slipped out without waking the rest. I guess the sense of safety added to everyone's sleepiness. Outside I found myself walking towards the small cave. Bambi comes towards me to greet me. How is this animal not afraid of me after I used it as bait I will never fully understand.

I start making some improvements to the cave, to make it livable. I make a shelter just outside the cave out of wood to help shelter the inside of the cave from nature. A gap in the side of the shelter works as a makeshift door. I tidy the inside of the cave and add lighting. The cave actually got more space than my house, and it quickly became livable. Be the time I finish everyone is up and about.

Mara has already started making breakfast. Naomi is off to look for Bambi. Since Bambi will stay within the enclosure, I don't feel too nervous about not keeping an eye on her. I approach the other girls who have gathered outside. As soon as I arrive, I get asked when I am doing the life oath with Mari. Apparently no preparation is needed. "After breakfast?" My vague suggesting is accepted.

If I was expecting something grand for the ceremony, I would have been disappointed. While everyone else was watching Mari cut her thumb and indicated that I should do it as well. What followed was more like an oath of blood brothers as we pressed our bleeding thumbs against each other. Mari says her oath and I accept. As soon as I accept a mark appear on the back of my hand. The same mark appears on Mari's hand. Mari shows her mark to me. "This is your personal mark, it marks me as yours."

The ceremony finished just as quickly. At least weddings are cheap in this world. I show my new secondary shelter to all of them, and Naomi quickly decides that she wants to live in the cave with Bambi. That means that Mara will be joining her, and it doesn't feel right to leave the two of them in lesser accommodation. I state that I will be joining them and prepare to refute any further arguments to have more join us. Instead the girls seem to have decided that Mari goes with me to keep Naomi occupied, if me and Mara need a private excursion.

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I leave the group of girls at the camp to go hunting. I leave my alert market just south of the camp to give me warning if any danger comes near the camp. I keep to the west side of the lake to be as close as I can to the camp. Instead of choosing my prey carefully I hunt everything I find. Best to stock up for later. I also got help with the dismantling. Late afternoon I have cleared all the surroundings west of the lake of any living creatures. Either they have run away or they are hiding. Since I am unable to find prey near the camp I start foraging.

An hour before dusk I arrive at the camp. I find Lynne, Lawra and Kira about to finish off the dismantling work I left for Lynne in the morning. Mari and Mara are making baskets. Mari explained to me the day before that she was making the baskets to sell at the market when we get back to civilization. Mari is wanting to feel useful, and with her limited skill set she is doing whatever she can. I need to find ways to make sure Mari feels useful. I don't need her to do anything, but if I leave it like that she might get depressed.

As we eat, I ask what everyone think we should be doing in the next few days. If I go hunting I will have to travel much further from camp than I am comfortable. Lawra suggest that they all help forage for anything valuable. Lynne agrees, and suggest we use the baskets made by Mara and Mari. It all seems like a good idea to me. I might not need a basket due to my soul storage, but the others will need a basket. Lawra also seems to be quite knowledgeable about plants and fruit that can be sold at a good price.

Shortly after, still early in the evening Naomi falls asleep next to Bambi. Mari signals for me and Mara to sneak off. We go to the same spot by the lake which is both out of sight and hearing from the camp. Without much further ado we get one with it. Surprising how it already feel like a chore, despite being enjoyable. Maybe it is just my perception of things. There is nothing wrong with Mara, she is stunning, but she is only doing this to get pregnant. As if reading my mind Mara says: "Don't think too much. I am happy to have met you." It makes me feel a bit better, but I can't shake the fact that I got married today, and now I am having sex with a different woman.