World of Ranicke 04

He finally wiped his eyes and handed Tonya to her mother and gave her a good hug. He also gave Sorrel and Nasha a hug. "Now I think it is time for a bit more food and then maybe some dancing and celebrating." When Thomas came over and offered him a drink he gave him a very suspicious look.

Thomas laughed at him. "I am not that stupid. If I did that you would end up with a funny looking fur rug in your tent whenever you get one." He settled down and lightly stroked Tonya's ears. "You are a damn good person and I am so proud for knowing you." He reached over and strapped on a bracelet as well. "From the team. Simple yet wonderful. Mind you we are going to keep kicking your butt in the training circle."

The puma chief came back over since he had been watching Jim as he dealt with the little girl. He settled down as well. "Mind you I am going to drag your butt to the training circle. It has been a long time since I have had my tail handed to me like that." He took a sip of the drink he had. "I did hear people talking about the song and was slightly offended." Piquel couldn't help but grin.

Jim blushed. "Sorry, had a bad day and feel so..." He sort of waved his hand around and Thomas had to grin.

"He felt it silly that he was getting so much attention since he just did what he was supposed to." Thomas pushed the cup a bit closer. "Drink and relax Jim, just juice with a tiny bit of alcohol in it. Just enough to help you relax and accept that you did something special."

Suddenly Master Eldon was there with Jim's instrument. "Maybe something better this time? Not quite so insulting?" His tone was not pleased though he did find it an amusing song.

Jim lightly strummed the instrument. "I am sure you have lost warriors before and this is a song about a warrior that was lost and honored. You won't understand some of it since it is from my world but I think you will get the important parts." He looked down at the instrument. "Our world has a different tuning than yours." Jim started singing 'I drive your truck' by Lee Bryce. Once he was done he looked up at him. "It is a song about a man who lost his brother."

Piquel could feel the emotions and knew people that had lost brothers, sisters, and yes children to the forest. He lowered his head and took a few moments to recover his emotions since he lost his brother as well. "Jim that was wonderful and with your Masters permission I would love to have you play a few songs for both tribes." He reached over and stroked the bracelet Eldon had given him. "Especially mine. I am sure you have heard him sing but we haven't."

Eldon looked at him and smiled. "Well tomorrow is the moon ceremony which is a major dance." He glanced at the three women. "Might not be a good idea for you to have some women trying to hit on him." Nora hissed and Nasha growled. Sorrel simply flicked her tail along his back.

Piquel couldn't help but grin as he looked at the three women. "I have a feeling that wouldn't be a good idea myself." It was obvious that the three of them doted on him. He looked at Eldon and grinned. "So what are you doing with a good apprentice like him? He is a damn good singer even if the songs are sort of odd." There was a great respect.

Eldon smiled. "As he mentioned he is from another world and is teaching me his style of music while I teach him mine." He glanced at Jim as he was back nibbling on the food they were giving him. "I would say he is a journeyman but has to learn a woodwind." There was definite affection when he looked at the human.

The three had moved down the table and were talking quietly as the others were eating. Tonya was laid down on a comforter and snoring quietly. Jim looked at all three of them. "I know that I have only been here for a bit over a month or maybe a bit more but I do care for all of you." He had to stretch to reach all three and kissed and hugged them. "I am not really sure how I managed to come to care for all three of you but I do."

Eventually they were done eating and he looked at the others. "Well I have a feeling that we are going to be doing some dancing and if someone else asks me to dance then you are going to allow it." He gave each of them a look. "I won't accept any answers right now." He blushed. "Well not any offers. I have more than enough right now." He looked down at Tonya. "What about her."

Nora smiled. "I have someone arranged to watch her in case she wakes up." When Jim picked her up and pulled her close Nora smiled. "You seem to really care for her." She reached over and stroked her ears.

Jim looked at her and then in the distance. "In a way she makes me think of my nephew who I might never see again." He pulled her closer and tucked her head in his neck. "I can accept probably not making it back but I am going to miss that little boy." He closed his eyes again and simply held her for a moment as the music started getting louder.

Piquel looked at the two of them and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes though it didn't really show in his body. "He really is from a different land isn't he?" He would be dancing with his mate later and eventually she would go and feed their child. He ignored the music and though he was looking at the chief and songsmith he was keeping an eye out on the male.

When a female approached he slightly shook his head. *Leave him be for tonight. Serve him if needed but nothing else.* He was chief and he could touch others with his spirit thought it could be hard.

Moran nodded. "He is and he has been doing a damn good job of trying to fit in." He picked up a veggie. "If I thought he was going to stay here he would make a wonderful mate for my girl and eventually a damn good chief. He always looks at both sides of things." He did notice the look on Piquel's look. "No poaching."

He sighed. "If you really pushed him he would kill you. His world is different from ours and I have heard from the warrior master that Jim even scares him." He didn't want to admit it but he had to. "What he did to you today was virtually nothing." Moran looked at him. "When was the last time you saw a warrior best a bear even with help?"

Piquel looked at him and gave him a measuring look. To be honest even his warriors worked as groups to take on a bear and never one at a time. The other comment by the chief almost set him off but he actually sat down, so to speak, and considered each and every blow. As Jim had been delivering it he had been almost silently been muttering what would happen if he did this move or that move. Looking back that was almost scary.

"That must be a pretty horrible place he came from then." He picked up a strip of spiced meat and nibbled on it as he contemplated what such a place was like. Being brutally honest Jim had made him look like a new warrior when he fought him. What was most humiliating was that he used a stick of wood while Piquel had been using a sword. Yes Jim had been injured but he could tell it was so he could land a blow that was worse than what he received. He finally shook his head. "I wouldn't want to go to that world."

Moran kept eating as the other chief was thinking. "I don't think you are looking at it quite the same way Jim does. He was trained to kill to protect even if that sounds contradictory. When he took the bear on Thomas said he could tell that he really didn't want to kill it but it had to be done so he did. He considered both sides of the issue and then made the hard choice." Moran looked over at the four of them. "Look at him. Does he look like he is going to stand up and go on a rampage?"

Jim had Tonya on his lap and he was holding her close to his chest as she was sleeping and she was just big enough he could rest his chin on the top of her head. His expression was gentle and even a bit pensive but as he talked he would smile and even reach over and tweak an ear of one of the ladies. One of the younger kids came over with a tray of drinks and gave them to the four and gave Jim a hug around one arm before quickly leaving.

Piquel looked over and the entire scene was almost unreal. The human he had faced had been cold and hard. He had been almost expressionless as they fought and his eyes were hard as stone. This Jim was holding a child and his entire body language was gentle and caring. When the boy had brought some drinks over and gave him a hug he had been startled as well. "He does seem different doesn't he?"

Moran nodded. "Back at our other site once he was healed enough from his first wounds he found some of the older boys playing teaching songs for the younger ones. He sat down without even thinking about it and started learning how to play one of our instruments from a boy who is about 15 and I know Jim is at least twice his age. How the turns in his world compare to ours I have no clue but can you see an adult allowing a child to teach him in public?"

He took a sip of his drink and waved one of the ladies over to refill it. "Not only that but you heard him playing and he is damn good. Eldon isn't joking about making him a journeyman songsmith as soon as possible." The food was really good this evening and he nibbled on one of his favorite fruits. "When he was recovering from the bear the children sat in watches playing songs for him and to help not just him but the ladies as well as needed."

When the lady came over she lightly flicked her tail along Moran's back and he had to grin. "I think we have discussed this enough to give you something to think about. I have some other things on my mind." He stood up and wrapped an arm around the woman and with a wave wandered towards Jim. "No fights ladies over who gets him tonight. You had better take them dancing Jim or you might wake up painted blue or something." After a light slap on the shoulder Moran headed towards the fires and started dancing himself.

Moments later Piquel's mate came over carrying his son which he took from her and held him close. He stroked his ears as he stared at Jim and the women with him. His mate followed his eyes and leaned against him and simply held him. He would get in these moods when he was trying to think something over and she had seen the match. She had also seen him having what appeared to be a very intense conversation with Chief Moran and figured he was thinking about this evening.

"You know what is rather hard to say and very odd? That man scares me." He looked down at his sleeping son. "I should say that human scares me and that really bothers me to say." Piquel leaned into her warmth and relaxed. "Look at him now and how he was during the fight. I simply can't see the same person. I honestly think he would do what he did for anyone that he felt needed his protection." He had to shake his head when he said that. "I think I am going to go put the little one away and then drag you to the dance circle and then make love to you." He grinned at her.

Saria listened to her current mate and she had to admit hearing him say that was more than startling since he did not hold humans in high reguard. To have him say that one scared him was totally shocking. "They do paint a nice picture don't they? If you didn't know any better you would think that was his child the way he was holding her." She carefully locked the scene in her minds eye and then smiled. "I would say that sounds like a lovely idea and I will make sure to have one of the wet nurses feed him." She made a face since in the morning her breasts would be sort and aching but worth it.

He stood up and led her over to the four. "Warrior Jim I would like to introduce you to my mate and son. We are going dancing shortly and hope to see you out there." Piquel gave the ladies a grin when he said that. "No trying to steal my mate though or else."

Jim looked up and couldn't help but smile at the sight of the chief holding a baby. He handed Tonya over to her mother since it was time to have her tucked in. "May I please?" He held his arms out and took the small kitten in his arms and made sure he had his head well supported and the cloth on his bottom didn't come off. "Oh he is a cutie but I expect when he starts crawling he is going to be into everything."

Now this was what he was learning to live for and it showed. "I bet he is going to drive you to distraction but in a few years when he is older you are going to look back and grin at some of his antics if he is anything like my nephew." He stroked his cheek till the kitten turned and bit him and he jerked his finger back. "Hey, no biting."

That got a laugh from his mother. "He is ready to be nursed and how do you think I feel getting chewed on six or so times a day." There was no sympathy in her voice as she spoke.

When Jim gave him back he sucked on his finger. "Okay, how the hell does a bite to the finger hurt worse than a bruise from training?" Piquel snorted for a moment. "I am not going to touch that since I have a feeling you gave me a really nice bruise over one rib." He grinned and wrapped an arm around his mate and led her off.

"Thank god I am male..." Nora bopped him when he said that and he laughed. When he checked his finger he was still bleeding a bit. "Why do I have a feeling the old healer would laugh her ass off right now?" Nora had just come back from the temporary children's tent and looked confused till Sorrel explained what happened.

"Poor Jim, wounded in a training accident with a baby. I am sure she would have all kinds of sympathy for you." She tugged him up and waited for him to finish his drink before leading him to the dancing area. "You two can go fine some random males to dance with since I claim him for the next two dances." She wasn't aggressive but she did pull him close to her and gave him a long slow kiss. Several times another female or two tried to cut in and Nora politely but pointedly told her to leave them be.

Now when one of the males asked to cut in and it wasn't for Nora Jim was sort of floored. He didn't give a damn about your preference in bed partners but had never been hit on by a male before. "Um, thanks but I have three ladies that are going to draw straws later to see who gets me for the evening."

The male laughed. "If you aren't interested just say no Yim. I will pass it around since I know of two other males who would like to have a dance or two with you." He flashed him a look out of the corner of his eye. "Vertical as well as horizontal dancing."

Jim turned so red it wasn't funny and he hid his face for a moment. When he looked back up he grinned. "Thanks for the offer but I only lust after women so if you could pass that around I would appreciate it." He got a good slap on the back before the male vanished and he had to shake his head. He should have expected it but there simply had been so much to learn in what seemed like such a short amount of time.

Nora watched the entire thing and started laughing. "Actually we drew twigs to see who got to you first..." The insinuation that all three were planning on having fun was obvious. His expression at that was almost a riot as well. For half a moment she thought he might try running. "And no trying to hide. Thomas said he would be more than happy to keep watch outside the tent and I am sure he would be more than happy to chase you down."

He started laughing and gave her a good kiss. "Yes ma'am, no hiding and no running." Jim slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her and continued dancing with her. "I think I am going to make you scream my name..." He murmured in her ear and then nibbled on it and felt her react. "I am glad my ears aren't this sensitive..." It was obvious that they were currently interested in each other.

Eventually he swapped her for Nasha and he danced with her for a while and then Sorrel and he ended back with Nora and ended up walking away towards Sorrel's tent. It had been decided for the evening her tent was going to be the 'hook up' tent for the evening. To say that by the time the morning rolled around Jim was beat. One thing Jim had managed to remember was to ask Thomas to sort of reserve a training spot for him the next day.

~~~

The next morning after crawling out of bed and really waking up he stretched and slightly winced since his right shoulder still ached some. He had heard someone say that the White Lady was there and he was going to have her check his shoulder for healing. After eating and catching a quick bath he pulled on his normal cloths and his pistol belt. After a bit of consideration he ended up using his basic sheath for the axe and not the finely tooled one. That was going to be for festivals and ceremony's and not daily use.

The last thing he grabbed was the staff and he smiled. This was going to be fun though in a way he didn't want to do it. The last thing Jim wanted was a massive numbers of challenges and he figured if he did some training by himself it would reduce them. That was why he had asked Thomas to sort of reserve a location near where everyone could see him. Since Nasha had been the third lady he had been with he rolled over and gave her a kiss. "You know I still find it strange that you are nursing. It does make it interesting when we make love."

She laughed at him. "Well I haven't seen you complain when you play with my breasts..." The first time he had been very reticent when it came to that since she was a wet nurse but since then things had changed.

Jim blushed but started laughing. "Well it was the first time I was with a woman who was lactating you know. It was definitely different and thank goodness you had nursed beforehand. Getting a squirt of milk in the eye was somewhat startling." He started really snickering. "You seemed to have a great deal of fun though. I seem to remember you howling out your enjoyment."

She laughed as he gave her a kiss and a good hug. "True but nothing more than you made Sorrel or Nora scream in their own ways. I think you just like to keep people awake at night." She smiled as he laughed and left the tent. The four of them all went their own ways to do their normal daily routine.

As Jim was walking towards the training section he was greeted by a number of people and he returned the greetings. It was to be expected thanks to the ceremony last night. He didn't mind to much but he was still trying to down play his part and direct attention to the others on the team. By the time he finally found the training section Thomas was glad to see him.

"Oh thank god, I was about ready to pass out from exhaustion. This is all yours though why you want this one I am not sure." Thomas took one of his water bottles and sucked down most of the water. "So what are you planning or do I want to know?"

Jim laughed. "I am going to try and cut down on possible challenges. I really don't feel like spending the next few days fighting off young bucks trying to make a name." It had happened before and he wasn't in the mood for it. "If you want to stay and watch the fun go for it." He walked into the area that had been blocked off and while holding the staff stood still for a moment with his eyes closed.

Suddenly he moved with the staff and when he did it actually looked like he was fighting people. The staff acted like it impacted on someone and Jim was doing his thing. As the staff was whipping around it seemed to shudder as it was hit by things as well as impacting on someone he appeared to be fighting. It was all imaginary but appeared to be real. At one point the staff appeared to be knocked from his hands and ended up in one corner of the ring.

Moments after he 'lost the staff' he snapped out his axe and started working with that. As he was using it his face was hard and many of the moves were as if he was using the handle as a weapon as much as the bits. His body showed that he knew what he was doing though towards the end he dropped his right arm and tucked it in his belt as if it had been hurt.