Carefully he tugged on his bindings. His body ached. The night before the Chiefess had practically drained him dry while the others had rubbed his body into oblivion. All Vultures except Nolkonoe had left. Lying on the bed, he stared at the two women as the used his body as a pillow. Their legs were wrapped around his legs, and their arms around his chests. A small pool of drool was starting to form from where the Chiefess had been muttering in her sleep. Nolkonoe on the other hand made no noise or movement.

She was far more of a relaxed sleeper compared to the bordering line violent sleeping habits of the Chiefess. As not to insult her, he hadn’t mentioned it before, but he had multiple bruises on his arms and legs from where he had either hugged him too tightly in her sleep. Or rather hit him when she subconsciously thought he was trying to escape. On the other hand, Nolkonoe didn’t seem to care. Any time he moved; her eyes would flutter open. After visually assessing him, she would then go back to sleep.

As he moved slightly to adjust to the tight hug of the Chiefess, Nolkonoe slowly started to wake. As predicted, her eyes fluttered open. Looking at him, she saw one of the Chiefess’s arms beginning to wrap around his neck. Lifting herself slightly, she looked over her shoulder and past the white and red cloths that hung as a makeshift door over the entrance. Peeking through the curtains, she saw the beams of light entering the room.

Moving her weak gaze back to him, she smiled wearily at him.

“Morning,” she said, snuggling back down into his chest for a second before dragging herself from the bed. Lifting her arms above her head, she stretched. Then she stretched her legs, then her neck, and lastly her back.

She squatted down, and then jumping back up. Turning, she looked at him with a wider, ever so slightly brighter smile and look in her eyes.

“I’m going to go for my morning exercise. I’ll see you tonight for your ‘leaving ceremony’ alright?” she said before pulling on her corded grass skirt and top. Not bothering to reapply her paints, she moved to the door. Stretching one more time, she then started her jog down the steps that lead to the house. Chuckling slightly, Charlie remarked how he originally thought this place to be a temple, completely ignoring the incredibly larger temple near it.

Lying back onto the furs of the bed, he listened to the feet Nolkonoe rapidly run down the stairs and away from him. Trying again to move his arms, he felt his muscles ache and burn. This quickly put an end to his attempts to move. Cursing to himself, he realised out he should have gotten Nolkonoe to untie him before she left.

Staring down at the Chiefess as she cuddled into his armpit, he calculated the risks of trying to wake her. Last night and the day before she had been in a fairly good move by her standards, and in all honesty, he was hoping that the goodwill from those past twenty-four hours were going to flow into today. Staring down at the sliver of a smile across the face of the Chiefess, he liked to imagine this to be a good omen of her attitude.

A while longer past, and like most mornings, the Chiefess took her time to begin to wake. Firstly, her eye lids dragged open. Seeing the already awake Charlie, she pulled herself up him. After a few sleepy but still effective kisses onto his lips, discouraged, she rose from lying along his chest. Next to him she would always do a few more morning stretches before finally climbing out of bed.

A moment later of getting dressed in her skirt and top, she then finally turned her attention to Charlie again. Walking to each bed side post in turn, she untied him from his bindings. Rubbing his sore wrists, he sat up on the bed. Like all mornings with her, she picked up his clothes and threw them into his chest.

“Dress,” she said as she placed her headdress onto her head. Charlie just as quickly got dressed. Again, like most mornings, they went to the river to bathe. An hour or two later of Charlie tolerating the Chiefess forcefully bathing him they again dressed and returned to the village.

Entering the village, the Chiefess escorted him towards the centre, before again steering him in a new direction.

For the first time in almost a week, Charlie looked at the front of his merchant caravan. Looking to the Chiefess, he beamed a smile at her.

“Do trade today, I stay with you. Last day after all,” the Chiefess said, her small translation book in her hand.

“Thank you,” he said before walking quickly to the door of his caravan. Slowly he opened the door and walked inside. Not wasting time, the Chiefess followed him inside. Walking in the Caravan, she examined the boxes of clothes, and trinkets that covered the room.

“Sorry, it’s a little messy,” he said awkwardly as he moved over to his bed. Sitting down, he relished his old bed and its familiar comfort. The Chiefess smiled as she began to move around his room. Carefully she looked for boxes and baskets, wanting to try and learn more about her friend.

As she rummaged around carelessly, Charlie set to work gathering supplies he had accumulated along his trip to the southern realm. Some tribal skirts of different tribes, jewellery from the dwarves, wine from the Vinichi. Gathering all these things into a few wooden boxes, he dragged them to a large wooden window on the side of his caravan.

Clicking a few latches, he opened the window. His eyes landed onto a small group of native women and a trickle of men. Not expecting them, he simply gave a nod before pulling his trinkets and their price stickers forward. The natives, who had originally only just wanted to spy on the Chiefess and her new pet, all started to visually examine the interesting and colourful items.

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As he began to sell and haggle with the natives to the best of his ability, the Chiefess moved to his bed. Knowing that he was happy and doing well, she climbed onto the bed and made herself comfy. Crawling around for a while, she dragged his pillows and blankets into a nest like structure. Once this was created, she lay down and enjoyed the warmth of the fabrics.

For a second the Chiefess lifted her head from her resting place. Her ears pricked as she listened closely. Chattering from a few native girls. They were talking to Charlie. Normal, but she listened closer. Gritting her teeth, she leapt over to him. They were flirting with him. Charlie jumped as the Chiefess pressed herself against his back. Leaning over him she snapped and growled at the four girls he was trying to communicate the price of a skirt with.

“Hey what the fuck?” he said, looking to the Chiefess with his eye’s brows raised and eyes widened. Shrinking slightly, he saw the blank look spread across her face.

“You understand their words,” she said quietly.

“No,” Charlie responded quickly as the Chiefess pinned him.

“They flirt! Want to touch you, so buy skirt,” she said, poking her head up over the counter to make sure the vixens were gone. Happy they were gone, she allowed Charlie to get up as she moved back over to her nest.

Looking out of his window, Charlie sighed as he saw the crowd had vanished, scared off by the Chiefess. Sitting back at his window, he began to try and sell his goods again. No one though dared to approach as they feared the Chiefess’s rath if she even got the hint of a flirtatious word from them.

Watching from her bed, the Chiefess sighed at the look of sadness that started to droop over Charlie’s face. It didn’t matter. No matter how much money he made it wasn’t going to change the outcome of that night. But still….

An arm wrapped around the neck of Charlie, dragging him onto the wooden floor.

“Wait,” he tired to plead but the Chiefess was relentless as she dragged him over to her nest.

Throwing him down into the piles of blankets, she soon joined him. Pushing him down she began to spoon the saddened Charlie. With just one of her legs, she managed to tuck both of his between her thighs. After placing a pillow under his head, she placed one arm over the tom of him. Cuddling him against her chest, she used her other hand to gently massage his head.

“Charlie good boy,” she whispered to him.

“I need to work!” he said, trying to break from her hold.

“You need to lie,” she said, not relinquishing her grip for even a moment.

“I need the money!”

“You need me,”

“But my family!”

“Your family won’t care,”

“My family will!” Charlie turned in her arms and looked her in the eyes.

“My family will…” he paused for a second, his eyes tearing up slightly.

“My family will be disappointed again,” he muttered, his eyes looking down from her eyes. The Chiefess placed a kiss onto his forehead.

“Your family don’t care about you,” she said very matter of fact tone. For a second the Chiefess froze as a sharp pain came across her cheek. Looking down, she saw Charlie had gotten a hand free. He had slapped her.

“Don’t you fucking dare! You know nothing about me! You know nothing about my family!” he screamed at her, going to slap her again. Raising the hand, she had been using to stroke his hair, she blocked his attack.

“I know much,” she said, struggling to keep her calm as she gripped tightly to his wrist while her arm tightened around his body.

“Let me go!” he yelled again, this time prompting a few natives to peer around the door. Glaring to the women, they quickly retreated from watching.

“You brothers don’t love you,” she said, this being a speech she had long prepared to give him. But originally, she had planned to tell him this the next day.

“Don’t say that,” Charlie said, his voice cracking as he tried to move from her arms.

“Your sister doesn’t love you,” the Chiefess continued.

“I said stop,” Charlie said, his voice starting to crack more.

“Your mother doesn’t love you,” she said, trying her best to not accidently hurt him as she held him tighter to stop him from running.

“Please,” Charlie cried as he felt his throat tighten as he continued to suppress his tears. Leaning closer, she placed her lips next to his ear.

“Your father doesn’t love you,” Tear burst from Charlie’s eyes as she said this. Getting his other arm lose, he threw his arm back. Swinging forward, she landed a punch on the face of the Chiefess.

For a second there was silence as she stared at him. Tears flowed from his eyes as he started to hit her stomach and chest franticly. The hits did nothing to harm her as she simply lay and watched him.

“I love you,” she said, pulling him closer.

“I don’t care!” he cried. The Chiefess allowed him to hit her as she hugged him closer.

“I love you. I’ll love you no matter what, remember that” she said, allowing him to continue hitting her.

“Because of you I had to kill people!” he screamed. He carried on his attacks until his arms were sore.

Attack after attack landed on her, not harming her in the slightest. He had been pushed so far, the past few days. She did nothing in retaliation, knowing he had to let out all that pent up anger, fear, and other mixtures of emotions. Gently she stroked his hair while whispering sweet words into his ear. Eventually his attacks slowed, until they crawled to a stop. Leaning forward, he placed his head against her.

Manoeuvring him into a comfy passion, she stared down at him. Such a fragile creature, she thought to herself, only now really processing that he was just seventeen and lived such a different life to hers. He had always been sheltered, cared for, looked down upon but his far more successful family members. All he wanted was recognition. Before she had thought of him to be tougher, but still he wasn’t ready yet. Poor thing…

“I’m sorry,” the Chiefess said. Nolkonoe and Phukomeia stood in the doorway.

“How much did you hear?” the Chiefess said, holding Charlie to her chest as she stood.

“The drugs are ready, its time to claim your prize,” Nolkonoe said, turning and walking from the hut, Phukomeia close behind her.

“what’s happening?” Charlie said, calmed from venting his anger to the Chiefess. Walking to the exit, she said nothing.

“Me and friends play some drinking games, I like you to be our server,” she said, placing him down onto his own two feet. Standing, Charlie looked up to the Chiefess.

“Sorry, I… just had a lot of pent-up stress,” The Chiefess didn’t need to translate what he was saying, she knew him well. She knew him better than he would ever know.

“I love you,” she said turning and leaning down to look him in the eyes. Charlie blushed and looked away, still annoyed but also not being able to help the fact he found her stunningly attractive. Giggling, she knew he was calmed for the time being.

“No worry, come, be server. Then we have nice little ceremony,” the Chiefess smiled as she led Charlie into the village, and into her clutches.