Page 4 of Oret
The hunt was on, and everyone was paired up to ensure that there was no suffering from animals that were hit but not killed.They filled a truck in no time and filled the next one.That was when one of the hunters seemed to be missing, and they stopped to look for them.While they were looking around, Victoria began to take samples.It was a good use of time, so he helped her.The hunter turned up, and luckily, he was unharmed except for the ass chewing Oret gave him.He put everyone at risk by wandering off because those hunting for him could have been hunted by the predators in the area.
After that, the hunt resumed, and they filled a few more trucks before they took a break for lunch.Lunch was an informal affair, and everyone ate whatever they had brought.Not the best meal for his female, but he had brought extra food and some of those chocolates that she loved so much.By the time they were through eating, he was happy with the calories she had consumed.If she were around him all the time, he would see that she would gain back the weight that she had lost.That was a priority for him because he was that concerned about her.Once lunch was done, it was time to work on their kills.
To begin with, they all worked on their own kills and salvaged whatever parts they wanted.Even though they didn't have Earth to trade with, at least not in the way they had before, they could still make things that they needed with the items from their kills.Furs were always good, and skins from certain animals were also good.Horns and claws were still collectibles, but the market for them was smaller.Victoria had amazing skills when it came to working her kills.It was hard to say who was better, but it was probably him because he had the size and strength over her.They worked hard, but with their large number of kills and the training they were undergoing, there was no way they could complete them all.Some would just be gutted and placed in refrigeration for tomorrow after the fishing.
It was time to get back to the hunt now that they had some empty trucks to fill up again.In the late afternoon, the young hunters had the pig roasting and the camp set up.Everyone would set up their own spot for the night before they gathered around the fire to tell stories and eat their supper.Most Majuri love this part of the hunt the best.That was saying something for a race that loved outdoor activities, such as hunting.Oret knew that most of those in Victoria's family were good storytellers, and he was excited to see what stories she would tell.He intended to let her tell the first story to get things started.
With the hunt over, everyone went to clean up as best they could before they set up their spot for the night.Most had sleeping bags, but a few had cots because they were afraid of what might be on the ground.A good reason to worry, but most of those creatures could crawl up the legs of a cot and end up in bed with you anyway.All that work for nothing.He’d tried both ways and ended up with company in bed either way.That was the company he didn’t want.There had even been a poisonous snake that had slithered up the leg of his cot.It had been looking for warmth on a cold evening, and it had been sluggish, and he had managed to get away from it.The medical people had loved him because the snake had turned out to have a venom that made a useful medicine.
Tonight, he would love to share a sleeping bag with Victoria, but as hot as it was here, there was no reason to cuddle.They each had their spot set up, and now they went to the fire, which was burning low because, again, the heat was too much to bear, even as it grew dark.Others joined them, and soon the circle was full, and it was time to start telling stories.
“As the leader, Victoria should go first and tell us a lovely story from Earth,” Oret offered.
She shot him an ugly look, then proceeded.“Earth is a lost planet, but it was so much more in its past.Earth has had many great civilizations in its past, with some employing dark practices, while others sought knowledge and strove to do good.With so many stories, it’s hard to choose one, but I’ll pick the story of the Amazon warriors.It was a race of female warriors that had fighting skills that no one could ever match.They could beat the best fighters of any race and yet in time, they disappeared, and no one knows where they went.”
“How could a race of female warriors survive?There would be no way for them to reproduce,” Oret wondered.
“Part of the legend is that they would choose males, the best, most capable ones that they could find, and they would mate with them.Some say that once they became pregnant, they would force them to leave, and some say they would kill them.Others say a small group of men lived among them because female members of their group fell in love with them.But it was truly a female-led society, and even if males were allowed to live among them, they would have no say in anything they did.”
“What do you think happened to them?”
“I like the story that they went to another world and never came back.”
“There are worlds out there in my time with female-led governments.Some are even warrior worlds.Perhaps that was where they escaped to.”
The rest of the story time was spent arguing about how a place with only females could exist.Everyone had an opinion, and the argument was still going strong as the young warriors handed out the food for supper.Victoria got the fruit from the pig’s mouth.It was the closest thing they had to an apple.She split it with him, and it was good.The argument that a few still discussed finally ended after bedtime.At least Victoria had her sleeping spot set up right next to him, and he could feel her heat and was pleased with her presence at his side.He wished that she would sleep in his arms, but he knew it was too soon to expect that.When they said goodnight, he did give her a sweet kiss, and he was pleased that he had gotten away with that.
It was morning, and a day for fishing.As with everything he did, Victoria was a master fisherman.She out-caught everyone, and when she began to fillet her fish, it was obvious that she was better at it than even he was.This was a job they managed to keep up with, and by noon, they had caught, gutted, and prepared a huge number of fish.Guess what lunch was?It was fish and it was delicious.Victoria's appetite had increased, and he was pleased with the amount of food she had eaten.She needed him, and he hoped that it was clear to her as well.His female insisted on going to the mines and checking on things before she would even consider going gathering for the afternoon.When she checked up at the mine, she was pleased with the progress and how everyone was doing in their jobs.
“Ready to go gathering?”He asked.
“Just for a little while.You know that managers cannot rest on their laurels because it doesn't take long for success to turn into failure.”
He couldn't deny that it could happen, but, in her case, he didn't believe it would.She would just jump in there and work twice as hard until everything leveled out.Failure was not in her vocabulary.She just needed to understand the concept of taking care of herself first.That was something he would teach her, and sometimes it didn't mean doing nothing, but it meant doing something different that wasn't as strenuous.
They headed out on their bikes, and instead of gathering in the woods as they had last time, this time they went out to a meadow and skirted the woods.This was a good place to find a lot of rare flowers and flowering shrubs.As was the case in most worlds, they experienced great success and discovered several types of berries.Since the bikes were nearby, they were able to load several bags of berries and the other plants they had found.This time, they had no luck finding ore or minerals, but each trip yielded its own worthwhile items.The berries they had found were worthwhile on their own.
Several of the plants had medicinal value.One was useful in treating certain types of cancer.The value in that was amazing.Many of those from Earth are at risk of developing cancer in the future.Having treatment for it made the medical personnel happy.Oret felt happy with the results, even if it only benefited the colony.He looked forward to the berry pies because all were edible, except for one, which had medicinal uses.Victoria looks much better now that she has had some time away from the job.Tomorrow, she would go back, and he hoped she would cut back on her work just a little.Having good people working for you could make all the difference, and as far as he could tell, everything had been going well, even though she had been gone.
Perhaps he should have worried more about his own responsibilities, but he figured he would take care of things when he got back and rectify anything that might have gone wrong.Not that he thought anything would because he had his people well trained, and they wouldn't want to let him down.Victoria went to her tent to get ready for bed, and he went to the cafeteria to get a supper that they could share.When he got back, she was in her PJs, but she had cleared the table, and she was ready for them to share a meal.If only he could speed up the progress and mate her before the chief’s patience ran out.
“What did you bring me?”Victoria asked.
“We have grilled fish, rice pilaf, a local type of asparagus, and chocolate cake for dessert.”
“That sounds good.It also smells good.”
“Brenda says it is the best meal they have right now.I can't wait to have some,” Oret said as he slid her plate across to her.
He felt hopeful since Victoria had set the table with flowers and a candle.Maybe she was feeling romantic.He could only hope.She knew he wanted her, and he hoped she wanted him.Maybe a little more work would finally get through to her.No one else would ever do for him.He needed to move the relationship forward, but he wasn't sure how to do so.Victoria was a strong female, and she was set in her ways.How is he going to get around that?For now, he sat at the table with her, and they ate their food and talked.
“If ever I would mate again, you would be that kind of man.”She smiled at him.“Daniel was a good man.Capable, strong, and smart.Like you in many ways.He has been gone so long now.It seems like another life except that I have my children to remind me that it isn't.”
“Give me a chance and you'll see that I am what you really need,” Oret observed.
“Still too soon.We are friends.Can't that be enough for now?”
She had figured out what the whole problem was: time.He didn't have forever to bring her around to his way of thinking.At some point, the chief would make the offer, and everyone would know.Radvar wouldn't tell anyone, but somehow these things always got out.Once that happened, she would avoid him like the plague.Victoria had already parted from some of her children, and she would never want to part with the rest of them.They would be close but not close enough to have a meal with or go see a child to babysit.That was the way that she wanted things, but not the way that it would be if she mated him.
