Thanks to all that have been waiting patiently for the second chapter of book 2. Again due to personal and health issues I had really brain locked half way through the chapter. While I was working on the third story I posted I realized what I wanted to do and not trying to give anything away. There is going to be some bouncing between the dimensions. Having said that as Dr. Who put it Time is a sort of timmy wimmy wibbly wobbly thing. That explains the random differences in time as they go to and fro between universes.
Again this is strictly edited by me but after working with several editors I have gotten better, in my opinion, with using less of the he/his she/her tems and actually using more detailed descriptions. Instead of the 'they looked at the stone and wondered' I would use 'They looked at the power stone and wondered at the glow'. Having said that if you do find typo's or sentences/paragraphs that don't make sense to you please leave a comment.
Mentioning comments I really do want comments from all my readers so I know what you think about the story. It will help me fine tune it to the readers while keeping the characters true to themselves. As mentioned both in the story and in the preface in Ranicke the age of majority is 80 turns or so since they live much longer lives than we do. If I mention any sexual relationships they will all be the equivalent of 18+ in our fine reality. Read and enjoy.
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That evening the rain had started again but they had gotten quite a bit done. The rugs had been beat mostly clean of dried on mud. Some hunting had been done and they had fresh meat which was nice. Many of the other chores that needed to be done when it wasn't raining had been done as well. Jim was more than pleased with how their tent looked. The kids had done a damn fine job and he was going to treat them to some more of the story he had started the night before.
"Okay everyone gather around and I will tell you more of what happened when I joined the tribe." He was smiling as one of the other kids crawled in his lap for a cuddle. One thing Jim had discovered was that they aged differently than humans from his world. The first few years they aged as did normal humans. Once they hit about 7 or 8 years old the aging process slowed down drastically. The boy who had been helping him clean the trenches for example might look just shy of 18 but was actually closer to 80 turns old. Most of the species on this planet were capable of growing to anywhere from 500 turns old to several thousand.
As an example Moran might only look maybe in his 30's but was over 500 turns old. The largest reason the tribes hadn't over run the world was because they lost so many members to illness and animal attacks. That and they tended to go years between pregnancies. Jim had finally met Nasha's son and the man, though they considered him young, was over 150 turns old. To be honest it made Jim feel like a wee babe considering he had just turned 37 if he had been back home.
The little elf girl settled on his lap and Ignos and Balos were leaning against his legs and playing really quietly as they practiced some of the chords from earlier. It was quiet enough that the others could easily hear Jim over the quiet notes. "Oh goodness where to start. Well after I talked to Moran about becoming Sorrel, Nasha, and Nora's mate we had the ceremony for the fallen warriors and tribe's members. It was a very hard evening to deal with. I knew one of the warriors who had fallen and sort of several of the others."
Jim's voice was rough as he was talking and he really hoped the children understood what he was trying to say. "Knowing that I will see them again one of these days does help and knowing that I will see my Sissy again helps as well." He went on to describe the services though several had seen them and others. "I hate losing people I care for or belong to the tribe."
The little girl wrapped her arms around him and gave him a good hug and peck on the cheek. "We all hate losing people poppe Jim." She tucked her head in his chest and simply held onto him.
He held her and continued. It was coming back as memories again. As he was telling them he was remembering it. It was two nights later after the funeral pyres when Jim was indoctrinated into the clans. In this case it was a case of his being brought into one tribe and being made a tribe friend of the other from what he had been told. In this case he had been told to have his weapons as well as the ladies with him.
It was a case of his not just requesting entrance into the tribe but to ask for the three ladies hands in mating. Well at the moment courting and he was going to have to face Nora's family when he asked to court her. That was going to be interesting since he was asking to court three ladies and join the tribe. In this case he was being helped get ready by the ladies and not Thomas.
Since the elders had accepted him as a new tribe member the tribe emblem had been stitched onto his shirt. There was also a symbol for the bear and also a symbol he didn't recognize. All three women helped get him dressed in the dress clothing that Sorrel had started. There was the darker green shirt and the lighter green pants along with the soft boots. He used the belt and sheath he had been given by them. Jim made sure the sheath he had been given with the axe was on as well.
"Oh damn it to hell, I am not going to cry again. I have done enough." Between the cloths, being approved to court three ladies and the kids in his life he was so happy. Any tears would be of happiness and nothing else. He still had the staff and needed it since his butt still hurt. He finally stood tall and walked out of the tent with the others. "I will not cry and nobody is going to make me." That was a very quiet murmer.
Again he was lead to the small platform and this time he walked up with it with the ladies around him and as odd as it sounded Alon in his arm. "Again I seem to be called to the scene of the crime." Jim smiled at him and was lightly smacked by Sorrel. "I mean I am requested to appear before you Chief Moran."
Moran turned and looked at Piquel. "Can we send him back? His humor is horrible and I am not sure I want him infecting the tribes." He had known Jim for a bit over a month and knew or had discovered his sense of humor as to be horrible at times. Usually it was when he was stressed.
Piquel grinned at Moran. "Well if you don't want him..." That got him quietly growled at him by several people and he had to grin. "I would have to say that after the last few days we could use the humor so won't complain too much."
Chief Moran moved forward and carefully turned Jim around to face the combine tribes. "Jim the Protector has asked to join the tribe. He has been interviewed by the elders and the masters that deal with him. All have approved of his joining the tribe." He looked around and smiled. "Now Chief Piquel has something to say as well."
Piquel smiled. "Well I would offer to steal Jim from this tribe but have a feeling his potential mates as well as Jim might frown at me. I have talked to my elders and pride members and we have decided to request Jim to join as a friend of the pride." He pulled out a jeweled necklace that had a puma carving on it. "This shows that you are sort of a member of the tribe and have the right to raise Alon and take care of Sheeha till he has reached his Majority." The necklace was snug against Jim's neck when he placed it on him.
