Chapter 25: Homecoming.
Riss was utterly amazed at the welcome she received from the people of Runs's village, she'd expected them to be utterly terrified of her but they just weren't, nervous and a little cautious yes, but scared?
Not at all it seemed.
No sooner had they been led into the village itself and the gates closed behind them than the whole village turned out to look at the strange newcomers in their home, Riss noticed children peeking out from behind the legs of their parents curiously looking at her and indeed all of them with wide eyes, in fact, it didn't take long for one of the braver ones to break free of their mothers grasp and to run right up to Visa of all people.
It was quite a sightseeing the small human boy standing looking up at the huge female deathclaw while she stood staring at him curiously as well, she must have seemed like an utter giant to the boy who couldn't have been more than five years old, he was dressed in what looked like traditional deer leather clothing with a small pair of mocassins on his small feet and his jet black hair was tied at the back with an assortment of beads and strange-looking ties while two large bangs constantly swished across his face making him blow them out of the way.
Everyone froze solid like they fully expected the huge claw to either snatch him up and devour him in a single bite or swipe him clean in two with her wicked claws, but instead, Visa simply leaned down and with a single hand gently plucked the little human from the ground before placing him on her back where he sat atop on of her spine with his arms wrapped around her neck.
"Hold tight little one I don't want you to fall," Visa said in the softest voice Riss had ever heard her make, undoubtedly Seven had heard her speak softer in their nest together but everyone else just got deep growly Visa.
The boy squealed with utter delight and clung tightly to the neck of his mighty claw steed as she rose back to her full height, Riss could actually taste the worry washing off his parents in waves as they stood wringing their hands silently praying for their child's safety.
But they needn't have worried for a single second, little did they know that Visa was a human loving claw and would never ever raise her hand in anger to a child of any race let alone the one she had fallen so deeply in love with.
"Get the feeling I'm getting a rare glimpse of mamma Visa right here" Seven chuckled softly patting his big claw girl's long right arm and she shot him a look that quickly morphed into a sly grin.
"Indeed you are my human and I must say these little creatures are delightful, I expect you to give me many of them of our own," she said grinning as everyone could practically feel Seven paling under his armoured helmet, but never one to back down from a challenge Seven as if feeling all the eyes upon him simply puffed out his metal-coated chest and nodded.
"Well I can but try," he said and Visa's grin widened.
"Indeed we can my human, practice makes perfect as you humans say and we will practice vigorously until we get it right," she said making her brother snort a laugh.
"What the hell have you done to my sister Seven, can't ever remember being this bold or forthright before?" Ven said and Seven just shrugged.
"Simple dear brother, he showed me who I truly am and made me accept it, now I am who I am meant to be and I am with who I am meant to be with, no more need for masks or pretence, I honour my male as he honours me and I care not one shit who knows I love him or who knows he loves me because I am proud to stand at his side and call myself a human lover," she said proudly puffing out her chest and standing tall making her little jockey squeal with delight as he got even higher moving to sit atop her shoulders now and gripping onto her horns.
Ven glanced at Gregory and slid an arm around his slender shoulders, "Amen to that sister, amen to that" he said feeling Gregory hug his side unashamedly.
Riss let out a happy little hiss and flicked her tongue at the group happily, she could taste the joy in the air radiating from the two large claws, their pride was a truly heartwarming thing to see and in such a public setting no less, it made her very hopeful that her own human would be just as proud to stand at her side as both Seven and Gregory stood at the sides of the ones they loved.
In fact just as she was having such a happy little daydream Runs returned to her and grabbed her hand making her jump slightly having not heard him approach, he gestured for her to follow him and then did the same to the others, it seemed that Visa's little gesture to the brave boy who was still riding on her shoulders had quite the effect as now she and Ven were utterly surrounded by a group of them all trying to get either a claw ride or just to be able to touch such mighty creatures.
The pair had to be very careful where they stepped as they waded forwards through the group and when Riss glanced back at them it seemed to have spread to both Seven and Wisp as well as Seven now had one on each huge shoulder pauldron and one on the back of his head while Wisp was beginning to look like a bus with some many of them hanging onto every surface as she rolled forwards.
Runs led them through the village which was made up of a large collection of large tent-like structures shaped like large upside-down cones made from what appeared to be leather covered with both intricately woven leaves and grasses, with a wooden skeletal structure giving it both strength and flexibility from within.
Riss assumed this gave them both flexibility and possibly mobility as well as she figured that with skilled hands such structures would be rather easy to erect and take down allowing the whole tribe to relocate their village quickly should the need arise.
As they followed Runs Riss's swivelled her head left and right constantly, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of her beloved human's home, other than those gathered around them she could see the tasks that people had been hard at work on, from hunters carefully preparing their latest kills for the pot to feed the people, to gathers having brought in a harvest of various herbs for both medicine and food which sat in woven wicker baskets in neat rows around preparation tables.
There were even tanning racks where skins had been stretched and were now trying to be turned into a whole host of things like clothing and covers for the buildings, they even had a rather primitive blacksmith who had a little forge and clay smelter to turn any ores the tribe found into anything from tools to weapons, the place just seemed so full of life and purpose.
Riss and the group were presented to a group of four, two women and two men with a fifth standing behind the group and by his sheer presence Riss could tell that he was the man in charge around here, his clothing was covered in a great variety of what appeared to be trophies like bones and little skulls, not to mention an array of beautiful feathers that had been woven together to form beautiful rainbow-like plumage across his shoulders and in his hair.
"These are honoured elders and chief of the tribe, Fights-Many-Bears, he earn his name chasing bears from our lands and saving the people" Runs said proudly then he turned and said something to the elders in his native tongue and Riss swore she heard her name being mentioned and to her sheer delight Runs took her hand in his and held it seemingly very proudly before the group.
The chief stepped forwards and fixed Riss with a stae that seemed both challenging and thoughtful, Riss felt her heart starting to beat hard and fast in her chest and she had to fight the urge to deploy her camo and scamper off to hide in the village somewhere under the intense gaze of the powerful leader but Runs squeezing her hand and fixing her with a warm smile gave her the strength to endure.
The chief turned his curious gaze to Runs and noticed the pair holding hands, he said something to Runs and Runs nodded and said something in what sounded like a proud voice to Riss, "What doessss he asssk my love?" she asked and Runs looked at her.
"He asks if you are my woman because we hold hands I say yes, I tell him that I is proud to stand at your side as you claims me under the stars to be yours and after yous saves I's life it is yours by right but that I is happy to stand proudly at yours side," he said proudly.
His words made her both happy and somewhat conflicted, she didn't want Runs to feel obligated to be with her because she had helped save his life, she wanted him to be with her because he loved her plain and simple, she would have to speak to him in private when she got chance.
The chief seemed rather confused by this and spoke to Runs in what sounded a bit of a harsh response but judging by the equal harshness that Runs responded to him it sounded like he was defending her honour, something that got proved a moment later when to Riss's utter surprise Runs turned around grabbed hold of her head and pulled her down to his height before sticking his whole tongue into her mouth right in front of everyone causing more than a few gasps of shock.
Riss utterly melted as she felt her beautiful male's tongue roaming around every single inch of her mouth, when he finally pulled away he turned and fixed the chief with a defiant stare, the chief stepped up to Riss and looked up at her before speaking.
"He asks if you a spirit of our people truly love I" Runs translated and Riss looked between them before fixing the chief with a defiant stare of her own.
