”Weird. That’s how I have just been described. Is it bad that I’m as pleased as I am about that?”
Razkar chuckled at her words and shook his head, honestly but pleasurably befuddled. The men were starting to drift towards the food, but he was taking his time. He did not want to be away from her.
"I don't know. I guess not. When you go through your life with people calling you unworthy, being seen as a curiosity must be an improvement, right?"
He smiled at her and was surprised to find that his words carried no sting in her eyes. He wasn't being cruel or harsh and he had chosen his words carefully. Besides which, he was happy for her. The young ones were always more open to strangers and strange things; they had none of the prejudices of the old. Razkar was sad to see that die in them, but knew it had to be done. The world was a harsh and unforgiving place: they needed to be the same to survive it, especially in Falyndar.
He rose and followed his father and brothers to the food, already feeling his mouth moisten from the aroma.
"I will return shortly."
Zek was waiting with a quietly satisfied expression on his face. Razkar thought he'd been wearing it all day. He handed his son a wooden plate and a carving knife, watching as he hungrily carved off a hefty chunk of thigh and put a grilled fish on there to join it.
"Vegetables, son."
"Father, I'm-"
"-not going to argue with your father? Good." A handful of hated maize was deposited on top of his meat, and even at his age, Razkar felt the urge to sulk. "Get back to your woman before someone steals her, boy."
Razkar opened his mouth to make a crack and then he head snapped around on its own, just to make sure... nope... no-one sniffing around her. Wait. A shorter, younger male stopped by, a smile on his face, head bobbing...
"Is that cousin Akela?"
"He's just greeting her properly, Razkar."
"I didn't say he wasn't!"
"Your words didn't. Everything else did."
Razkar threw a withering glance his father's way, which bounced off him like an arrow off plate armor. Finally he clapped the old man on the shoulder and walked back to Ayatah and his... cousin.
"Cousin! Greetings to you!" He said, trying very hard to not add the words "now step away from the female before I thumb your eyes out". "How did you fare today with the longhouse?"
"Wonderfully, Razkar. All but the final section of the roof. I was just introducing himself to your friend..." He extended an arm graciously towards Ayatah "... before getting myself some feed. I will intrude no longer. Cousin... mistress..."
His smile of farewell was just a little more familiar than Razkar liked, and his narrowed eyes tracked his kin away from them. When he sat own by the wathful and not-fooled-for-a-minute Ayatah, he immediately moved his lips close to her ear and growled his word.
"Let's not tarry this feast. I want to get you back to bed..."
Razkar chuckled at her words and shook his head, honestly but pleasurably befuddled. The men were starting to drift towards the food, but he was taking his time. He did not want to be away from her.
"I don't know. I guess not. When you go through your life with people calling you unworthy, being seen as a curiosity must be an improvement, right?"
He smiled at her and was surprised to find that his words carried no sting in her eyes. He wasn't being cruel or harsh and he had chosen his words carefully. Besides which, he was happy for her. The young ones were always more open to strangers and strange things; they had none of the prejudices of the old. Razkar was sad to see that die in them, but knew it had to be done. The world was a harsh and unforgiving place: they needed to be the same to survive it, especially in Falyndar.
He rose and followed his father and brothers to the food, already feeling his mouth moisten from the aroma.
"I will return shortly."
Zek was waiting with a quietly satisfied expression on his face. Razkar thought he'd been wearing it all day. He handed his son a wooden plate and a carving knife, watching as he hungrily carved off a hefty chunk of thigh and put a grilled fish on there to join it.
"Vegetables, son."
"Father, I'm-"
"-not going to argue with your father? Good." A handful of hated maize was deposited on top of his meat, and even at his age, Razkar felt the urge to sulk. "Get back to your woman before someone steals her, boy."
Razkar opened his mouth to make a crack and then he head snapped around on its own, just to make sure... nope... no-one sniffing around her. Wait. A shorter, younger male stopped by, a smile on his face, head bobbing...
"Is that cousin Akela?"
"He's just greeting her properly, Razkar."
"I didn't say he wasn't!"
"Your words didn't. Everything else did."
Razkar threw a withering glance his father's way, which bounced off him like an arrow off plate armor. Finally he clapped the old man on the shoulder and walked back to Ayatah and his... cousin.
"Cousin! Greetings to you!" He said, trying very hard to not add the words "now step away from the female before I thumb your eyes out". "How did you fare today with the longhouse?"
"Wonderfully, Razkar. All but the final section of the roof. I was just introducing himself to your friend..." He extended an arm graciously towards Ayatah "... before getting myself some feed. I will intrude no longer. Cousin... mistress..."
His smile of farewell was just a little more familiar than Razkar liked, and his narrowed eyes tracked his kin away from them. When he sat own by the wathful and not-fooled-for-a-minute Ayatah, he immediately moved his lips close to her ear and growled his word.
"Let's not tarry this feast. I want to get you back to bed..."