Nosmiles's wife waited for him at the door flap to their home.

Her hair was a bright rust red, not the black that most goblins seemed to have. It was tied up in intricate braids that must have taken hours of work and was decorated with flowers. She was clearly far into pregnancy. The clothes she wore were the finest they'd seen so far, though they'd obviously been adjusted to accommodate her pregnancy. The fur was snow white with red spots but seemed natural to whatever creature the fur had come from, not dyed. She even had signs that she'd used some form of makeup to outline her eyes and apply a purple tint to her lips and cheeks.

Paige thought she looked like some tribal princess, even with her pregnant belly and the faintly visible laugh lines forming on the goblin woman's face.

She held a primitive broom in her hand, dirty and old, completely contrary to the rest of her appearance. She set it aside, leaning it against the wall outside their door.

Slowly, she took three steps down the path of stones that led to their door and stopped, folding her hands on top of her pregnant belly.

Nosmiles slowly approached his wife, face unreadable, without a smile or frown. When he stood just out of arms reach from her, he too stopped.

Then, his wife slowly lowered herself to her knees, struggling a bit because she was so far along with child. Once she was on her knees, she refolded her hands and looked up at Nosmiles calmly.

Nosmiles drew his dagger.

Paige was getting mad watching whatever the fuck submissive bullshit this was, and when Nosmiles drew his dagger she felt like killing him. She managed to push down those impulses, though, realizing her class was influencing her emotions again. She noticed Levi beside her was standing completely relaxed, a slightly amused look on his face. Something about his demeanor reassured and calmed her.

After Nosmiles drew his dagger, he reached into a pouch and withdrew a large, beautiful stone. Looking closer, Paige saw it looked more like crystal than actual stone. It was a transparent smokey color, and inside were mineral deposits of white clouds and steaks of both white and red. It looked like a thunderstorm caught in a 3D image.

Nosmiles slowly got to his knees in front of her. He held up his dagger between them and spoke some words in their language before setting the knife at her knees. Then he took the stone in both hands and said a few more words before setting the crystal next to the dagger.

After that, Nosmiles bent forward until his forehead touched the ground in front of his wife.

After a moment, she reached out and stroked his hair, small tears coming from each side of her eyes. She spoke a few words in their language and nodded.

As if a spell was broken, Nosmiles quickly got to his feet and collected his dagger, resheathing it. His wife collected the stone, and Nosmiles gently helped her to her feet.

Their daughter clapped and cheered from her perch on the wolf's neck.

Nosmiles and his wife kissed passionately and then fell into each other in a tight embrace.

Paige didn't understand what had just happened, but she was glad she had kept her temper in check.

Levi was immensely interested in the exchange, but he thought it may be impolite to ask about it.

Unfortunately, or fortunately in this situation, David had the tact of a toddler. "What was that ritual thing you just did?"

Nosmiles blushed purple all the way to the pointy tips of his ears. His wife blushed a little also, but not as deeply, and she let out a soft musical laugh.

"Introductions first. I am Noon-weira, wife of Tua-keesa. You must be the Spirit-bonded I have heard so much about while stuck here waiting with my broom, no?"

She spoke English better than Nosmiles. At least as well as the Shaman had.

After they'd all given their names and Nosmiles had described their encounter, Noon-weira invited them inside. "Come inside, have some tea with us. You may have to crouch at the door, but there will be room enough inside." She turned to Nosmiles, politely continuing in English. "Tua'k, grab our daughter... and no, Yoadi may not come inside. We have guests."

"Ju selador, ju selador... Why no. He is tired from the hunt, as I am. Yoadi worked hard." Nosmiles responded in a pleading voice.

"Don't say ju selador to me like it will change my mind. Give him meat and a blanket. He can come inside when our guests leave," his wife said, turning to lead the adventures inside.

After they had all ducked their way inside, they found the inside had a high ceiling that they could comfortably stand in.

One side of the single room home was lined in with beds made of furs. The other side was a collection of organized possessions, from dishware to scrolls. There were some primitive toys and dolls with those items, but it seemed most of the toys were laying wherever little Aba-fira had last played with them.

Noon-weira had them sit on the furs around the central fire as she handed them simple clay cups and poured tea from an iron kettle. She'd obviously freshly made the tea and had anticipated their arrival.

After everyone was seated with tea, she finally began explaining. "So you want to know what that silly little display outside was." Her cheeks were slighly flushed purple, and a sparkle was in her eye. Though she was answering David's question, she met Maddy and Paige's eyes. "It is our custom for a proposal of marriage."

David opened his mouth to ask a question, but Noon-weira stopped him with a raised finger. "Yes. Me and Tua'k have been married many years. But, when we were young..."

"Ju selador... you do not have to say the story," Nosmiles said as he came through the flap carrying their daughter. "Is embarrassing."

His wife laughed and gave him a shrug. "You insist on doing it, so I insist on telling it." She turned back to the adventures with a mischievous smile.

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"When we were young, we fell in love. I loved him very much, and he loved me. But he was an idiot. In our culture, when a young woman wants to marry a man, she will sweep at her doorstep, dressed and decorated as beautifully as she can be. This is the way for a young woman to show she is ready to be asked. When the young man recognizes this, he is to approach. If the young woman kneels, as you have seen, then he is the man she has been waiting for."

"Ugh.. Noon'we, is embarrassing." Nosmiles groaned and covered his face.

"For four days, I swept, waiting for him every day. Every day, Tua-keesa walked by and didn't notice."

"Was only three days..." Nosmiles said defensively.

"How would you know? You didn't even notice. I had to find new nice things to wear every day." Noon-weira answered playfully.

Nosmiles only groaned in response.

"Finally, I gave up. I thought he was doing it on purpose. I thought he did not want to have me as his wife." Noon-weira made a gesture of tossing her hands up. "But someone told him of his mistake. For five days after, he waited for me to sweep outside the door. For five days, when I came to sweep the doorstep, he would approach. But I would not kneel. On the sixth day, I walked outside with my hair knotted from sleep, in my ugliest unwashed furs, and challenged him to approach. But he did... and so I kneeled."

Noon-weira took a sip of tea and let her story hang in the air a moment. Then she spoke to Nosmiles, "Tua'k, ju selador, you finish the story," she said in a way that was not a request.

Nosmiles groaned, but a smile played at his lips. "After I gave my oath and gift, when she say yes... I promise her that forever, for all of my life, always... if she is waiting for me sweeping at the door, I will walk to her in the way I should have the first day she waited. That I would bring a new gift and remake my oath. Always. I keep this promise."

Noon-weira had tears in her eyes. "And so, I am always sweeping the doorstep and waiting when he gets back from a hunt."

"Oh. My. God. That is the cutest story ever," Maddy said, squeezing David's forearm.

Paige felt her stomach flutter. Something like inspiration and desire surged through her. That was a love she wanted. And as she looked to Levi and wondered what could possibly be between them... he kind of ruined it.

"What's the significance of the kneeling and bowing? I mean, out of curiosity... because I am interested... I mean, I'm just saying. I just want to know what it means..." Levi kind of understood he was ruining the mood, but couldn't help his curiousity.

Despite the glares he received, his questions were answered.

Nosmiles explained.

"Woman must be willing to submit to man. The man must be willing to submit deeper. Woman gifts her... what is word...obedience. Men must show they will not abuse obedience, and that they too submit to the needs and desires of woman and family. A promise... to only ask for obedience when is important for good of woman and family. Woman must also show care that he has done so. It is dance, yes? Only can you be so with the right person. Much trust and love is needed."

"So then the woman just submits to the man, and he makes all the decisions based on the promise that he will do it with the good of the family in mind?" Maddy asked skeptically.

It was Noon-weira who answered this time. "You do not listen well or you do not want to hear. I submit first, yes... but he lives for us. My needs and wants, the children's needs and wants... they come first. And then his. If he demands obedience, it is important. It is for us all. This is simple to understand."

Before the conversation could grow more heated, someone burst through the flap of the small home. A goblin almost as tall has Nosmiles with bright red hair stood looking at everyone, face grim. He held a spear in his hand. He looked young, without any wrinkle on his face, but the anger on his face made him look older and harder.

After a moment, he turned and focused on Nosmiles, gave a half bow, and then straightened. "Aba, ju atekatori cu een makgadoru."

Nosmiles lept to his feet, gave the young man a quick bow, and then ran and wrapped the young man in hug that was not reciprocated. That didn't seem to phase Nosmiles as he put his arm over the young man's shoulders and turned to the adventurers.

"This is my son, Ishcta-Jiun. Means 'to rise for all.' I am very proud. Is very good, smart, strong." Nosmiles gave the young man's shoulder a squeeze.

Ishcta-Jiun gently shrugged out of Nosmiles's grip and said something in the goblin language. Then he tucked his spear into one of the higher rafters near the door where it was hard to reach.

Nosmiles hovered with a frown. As the boy turned, Nosmiles said something in their language. His son, just raised his arms in a shrug. Again, Nosmiles said something, a question perhaps, and the boy dismissed it.

"Well, at least meet the Spirit-bonded. Have tea and speak with them," Nosmiles said to his son in English.

His son turned to give a glance to the Spirit-bonded, the adventures. For a moment, emotion washed across his face. It was hard to recognize what it was. Then he snatched a staff from the wall, and shrugged. He was out of the door before Nosmiles was able to say anything else to him.

Nosmiles turned and tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He shrugged. "He is having hard time with his learning." Nosmiles paused as if he wanted to say more and was thinking of the right words, but they never came out.

----

Nosmiles seemed somewhat eager to walk the adventurers to the Shaman's apatcha after that. He tried to fake friendliness, and he tried to smile, but whatever troubled him about his son obviously weighed on him. His smiles never quite met his eyes after that.

"I will find place for you to sleep while you speak with Shaman," he told them. "David, you will stay at my apatcha. Tomorrow, we shoot bows, no? But after you speak with Shaman we all join in celebration."

Darkness had fallen. The village had seemed to settle somewhat, though there seemed to be a lot of light and noise coming from closer to the center of the village. Torches had been lit along the pathways to light the way of anyone moving through the village, though most seemed to either be inside or at the festivities at the center of the village.

After that, Nosmiles was quiet as he led them to the Shaman. When they arrived, he slapped the tent flap and called out a greeting. As he waited for a response from within the apatcha, he spoke to the adventures, more solemn than they'd ever seen him.

"Shaman will now teach you truths. Listen well. Is important to us all." Nosmiles gave a polite nod. "I will find places for you to sleep. Then must find my son. He is... in need of my guidance. Please understand."

Everyone nodded, but Joe also reached out a hand and put it on the far smaller Goblin man's shoulder.

"You're a good father and husband, Tua-keesa. I wish I had been half the father you are. You go do what you need to do. We're not offended. We understand.

Nosmiles did give a genuine, if sad, smile then. "Thank you. I promise it is a small thing. He is coming of age. They are difficult now, no?"

Joe gave a nod. "Yeah, this age is the hardest part. But you're being there. And that's all you have to do. That's more than I did. So go do what you need to do. We'll see you later."

Levi thought he should give some words of encouragement but had no idea what to say.

Before anything else could be said, the Shaman opened the flap to her home. Peaking out, her gaze fell on each adventure in turn. "Come inside, Spirit-bonded. There is much you need to know. Bring the crow in, too, wild one."

Nosmiles gave one last nod and then turned away, presumably to find his son.

As their group ducked into the Shaman's tent one by one,Levi hesitated outside. He couldn't help but wonder what conflict Nosmiles and his son had, and wished he'd been able to say something helpful or at least be encouraging the way Joe had.

Before he could linger on the thought, the Shaman tapped him lightly with her cane. Levi hadn't even noticed he'd been frozen, staring after Nosmiles.

"Come. That problem is for Tua'k. He will solve it. Trust. He always does." The Shaman said gently. "Come. There are things for you to know. Things for you to decide. Come. Have tea. I must tell you the truths, now."

Levi looked down to see the elderly woman watching him closely. She seemed to see through him in a way he had never felt before. It sent a chill through him. She simply saw him, and he knew there was no way for him to hide from her, no way to pretend he was something else.

The weathered face stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. You see. Now that you see, maybe things will be easier. Come, Levi." And with that, the Shaman turned and walked inside.