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I had Agnarr sit down on the bed. During our bath at the ceremonial pools I had done just a simple braid, but given that he was likely also going to be introduced as the future jarl today, I wanted him to look nice as well. I couldn’t French braidmyhair, but thanks to church camp, I could French braid anyone else’s. I finished it up and tied it off with the leather strap.
“Do you want to go see if you like it? I did something a little bit different than the first one. I am going to have to learn more about what kind of braiding your—I mean our—tribe has,” I said hesitantly.
Agnarr turned to give me another embrace, “I am sure I will love it, but I will go take a look,” he said, before heading to the bathroom.
I followed him, wanting to see his reaction. He looked in the mirror and smiled, his cheeks going a darker shade of green, which I now knew was the orkin equivalent of blushing. When he looked at me I was surprised to see tears in his eyes.
“What’s wrong? Do you not like it?” I asked, concerned.
“I love it,” he said, embracing me. “I’m just seeing myself for the first time as a mated male. It is a lot to take in.”
My heart melted into a puddle. A man who was not only in touch with his emotions but also able to express them. Holy fuck. I stayed hugging him for a minute before pulling back and looking up at him.
“Are you ready to head out? I think it’s about time,” I asked.
“Já, let’s head to Emla’s cabin.”
CHAPTER3
PIPER
Agnarr and I walked on the path that curved around the village.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m...well, I’m feeling a lot of things right now. I am worried that I am going to be thrust into this position of leadership and the women will already think I have abandoned them. I don’t know if they will trust me. On the other hand, I am really excited to see other humans and find out more about them. I think a sense of camaraderie will be good for my sanity.”
“Are you ready for this?”
“As ready as I'll ever be. I am used to speaking in front of a classroom so this shouldn't be that different... ”
We continued to walk in silence, holding hands. I was oddly at peace as we approached Emla’s hut. I had Agnarr, I had the baldrian, and I knew I could manage a classroom. This wouldn’t be that different. We approached Emla’s cabin and Agnarr paused. He pulled me into an embrace, kissing me gently.
“I am going to stay outside so you can talk, but I am here if you need me at any time, okay?” face etched with concern.
“Yes, that sounds perfect,” I said, kissing him again before heading inside.
I let go of his hand and walked up the steps to Emla’s hut, taking steady breaths, ready to meet my sisters. I opened the door to find eleven women seated in a circle. Their conversations came to an abrupt halt as I entered.
“Hi,” I said shyly, “I’m Piper.”
Immediately one of them jumped up and hugged me. She was curvy with a wild mane of curly brown hair. She held me tight before letting go to look at me.
“I’m Billie, we’re so glad you are back. Did you get the herbs you needed?” she asked.
I was shocked at her embrace. I was expecting a reserved if not hostile situation, Tora had clearly prepared them well.
“I actually did. So if any of y’all deal with anxiety, we’ve got meds!” I said enthusiastically.
There were some cheers in the room, letting me know I wasn’t alone.
I sat down in an empty chair, completing the circle.
“Okay, so it seems you already know I was left here because of the anxiety meds in my system. The ‘bad’ aliens decided I was unsuitable for whatever purpose they had abducted me for. Have you all discussed why you were left here?” I asked.
Billie was the first to pipe up. “Yep! We’ve actually sorted ourselves roughly into categories, in hopes that it would help the tribe.”
“Do you feel comfortable going around and sharing?”
