Motherhood In The Beast World

Ch. 39 Arriving Boisterous to...

It took almost a week to get to the land where a tremendous amount of giant sakura trees can be found. And throughout that journey our group did eventually experience an attack from ferals in addition to a reroute of direction in order to go undetected from colossals. Thankfully never met any live ones, colossals that is, though that crazy female excitedly wanted to go with the scout group. Speaking of, besides the occasional squabble of disagreements between the mermaid and I, we eventually bonded in finding ways to deter the mosquitos from our uncannily tasty blood (experimenting with placing mud all over skin to scourging with vigor for the citronellas). Undoubtedly, we females have become the exquisite palate to those mosquitos that have left their usual source of food, a.k.a. the males alone.

This very early morning, in order to bring back our refreshing appearance, we females took our time in bathing off all the mud, sweat, and minty smell from our skin. While we bathed, some of the males bathed elsewhere for our whole party would be judged. I was informed that during the next three to four days beastmen from around the region will show with pride their tribes. If by chance a tribe arrives looking shabby, the females will scoff at their ugliness/uncleanness and the males would snicker at the in quote weak competition.

"Which male will you ride to the Sakura Tribe?"

Blinking, my thoughts go back to the mermaid who was still washing her long green hair. I've never seen anyone wash their hair for so long... making me thankful that my hair isn't that thick.

"I've thought about giving the honor to my head male."

"Oh?" The female raises an eyebrow and gives me a 'are you sure' look.

Attempting to cross my arms under the water, I began to point out that it's mostly the head males who would bring their female on their backs to new tribes.

Veronica sighs out loud. "Young female, your tribe is called Clear Lake Tribe for an obvious reason, but from which Clans are the Leaders from?"

Oh. I sheepishly smile in the inside while keeping my facial expression outwardly stiff. She has a point, however, there's a problem with how most females view beauty.

"Ahh you're getting it young female, but you only have one choice and it's that adult wolf of yours." She then shakes her head and gently places a hand over her left eye, "a handsome wolf, but too bad about his eye though. Good news is that you can quickly choose any of the other males that have been protecting us throughout our journey."

As she smiles brightly, my lips turn into a frown remembering how she surprisingly got a mate within our own tribe.

"Is that why your latest male is a bear beast?"

"Bingo!" She sings happily. "I was aiming for Vicky, but since Cory so unselfishly volunteered to protect me after having my only close male being injured, it worked so perfectly for this journey."

Veronica dunks her head once more into the small lake and getting back up swims smoothly towards my wary eyes. Note to my future hopefully smarter self, nothing is more scary than being in a body of water with an unhinged, unpredictable, mermaid. The female slowly swims around my form and while barely touching my legs with her tail, she gets way too close to my face. "Would you choose to quickly mate another or go with your one eye beast?" As her direct question stumps me, her golden calculating eyes appear to search my own brown eyes for something that I'm unsure of.

Noticing the sky starting to lighten, Veronica thankfully leaves my sight and begins to swim out of the lake. As she leaves, she adds, "whatever you choose, make them either fear you or become awe of you."

I can't.

Turning to swim on my back, I blurrily look at the sky. Even if I could, I can't accept another bear beast so easily without feeling as if I'm cheating on Wyatt. A sarcastic laugh sounds from my frowning lips. So idiotic, isn't it? I've added many other males since my loveable bear passed away. And, selfishly, I currently have a growing desire to keep Vick to my family. As crazy headed as that mermaid is, she brought a buried thought to the surface. When will I accept another broad shoulder furry bear beast?

Letting myself sink for a final dunk in the water, my melancholic thoughts bring me back to his jade green eyes. Will I allow myself to accept another that has the same beast as you? Or one that has the same color eyes as you? Or one that laughs the same way you did? If I do, will I unfairly begin to compare him to you?

I can't.

Feeling my time is up and before one of my males could decide that I've stayed too long underneath the water, I quickly swam back up and left that decision for another day. For now I'll have to speak with my family about how we're going to entertain the Sakura Tribe.

- - - Fast Forward - -

Since two days ago the Sakura Tribe has been receiving guests from other renown tribes to participate in The Most Beautiful Competition. As of now, the guest includes female representatives from the Leopard, Peacock, Tiger, and Panda Clans. Thus, four tribes have arrived. Today another representative from a different Clan will make her appearance, while tonight there is a tale of one last unknown competitor.

A caw sounds off from the direction coming from the only lake.

"That's our cue," mutters a fox beastman who then yells at the rest of the beastmen to begin opening the gates.

As the warriors who protect the wall prepare for the guests, females and males alike scamper or fly out of their dens furrowed from the surrounding trees to glance in curiosity at the incoming tribe. A few naughty cubs ran in circles around the young single males who stood closer to have a better sight of what beauty would be gracing their already hard to beat females.

However, all went silent and most of the cubs fled when the tree limbs trembled due to the booming echoing roars sounding too close to their dens. The tribe's wide gate then opened to the scene of bear beasts slowly stepping forward with their shoulders hunched, head slightly lowered, and glancing without menace. Suddenly they stopped, got back up on their back two legs to give a final grizzly growl. Coming closer to the gate the same beasts morphed into their two legged forms who surprisingly included having war paint on their face, arms, and torso.

"Our leaders wouldn't allow us to be attacked so easily, right?" lowly whispers a crow beast to his brother. "Shhhh, we know this tribe," replies his curious yet perplexed brother. "Besides, look at what's behind them."

After the front beastmens have morphed, a horse beastmen surrounded by wolf beasts confidently walks to the front and speaks loudly, "Greetings Sakura Tribe. We are the Clear Lake Tribe. And arriving is my gorgeous warrior mate who helped our tribe with gaining allies to defeat the Ape Clan! May I present to you Suki, the bear beast female!"

As the horse beastman passed through the gates, he stayed in his half form while the wolves around him morphed back to their two legged forms and stood to the side with the other bear beastmen. Meanwhile all eyes stared at the female riding a one eye wolf who was surrounded by 6 other males varying from having unique long black two white striped hair, to completely white braided hair, to something more common like shoulder mid length black hair (though his red glowing eyes weren't that common). All walked in with their own styled warrior paint, including the female who displayed intricate braided hair adorned with feathers, black paint surrounding her eyes with vertical stripes going down both sides of her face. With her glowing light brown eyes, she calmly glanced at her surroundings, giving the few females present a small confident smile.

As the one eye light brown furred wolf stepped through the gate, he stayed in his beast form walking to where the Sakura Tribe leaders stood. Now closer, she took out the long rod like stick from her back, jumped out of her mate's back, and gracefully swirled the weapon to her side. The bear female's eyes dimmed back to normal as she and her mates respectfully bowed their heads to the Fox and Crow Leaders. As they bowed, behind them walked another female hardly ever seen around their area, presenting to them a modest smile yet she did not bow.

"May I present myself, I am Elder Veronica from the Mermaid Clan, here to accompany the Clear Lake Tribe's representative Suki. The half-female bear who has won her mates at each tribe they've allied with." She ends with a beaming provocative smile which in effect made both leaders carefully measure her. 

Posted on 11/10/23 only on ww atpad 13:45