Chapter 11

Later that morning, the three of them came before me. I said, "Nuvi, is all well?"

"Yes, Tom."

I looked at Willee and Javro. "Go your way in peace. Do not return. You have supplies and weapons for hunting and to protect yourselves. Our old village will accept you. The way that I gave you will lead you to them." The two men left. Each one was carrying a pack of belongings. I watched them for a long time. I then took a shortcut and made sure they were following the valley in the correct direction. They were.

When I returned, Merry said, "Tom, didn't you trust them?"

I smiled. "Yes, Merry. However, there is an old saying from my world. 'Trust but verify.' That saying helps a person sleep better at night."

Merry grinned at me and I grinned back.

We moved our new fellow villagers closer to our cave and helped them build huts close to our dry time hut. Most huts were built without solid sides to promote air flow and were not set too close together for the same reason. It also helped with privacy. Merry and Leelee had woven reeds loosely to block vision into our hut as did most of the other women with help from their men this time. Of course, sooner or later, I would go swimming or bathe or do something that would allow them to see me naked.

It took three days. The three of us went to wash and swim in the creek. My two ladies are nicely formed. Merry is just starting to show her pregnancy the slightest bit. Jani saw us getting in the water.

Apparently, she ran to tell the other women. By the time we were ready to get out, all the women in the camp had gathered. Merry and Leelee had been fondling me and I was erect. When I started out, I heard gasps causing me to look up and see the women gathered there. I walked unhurriedly to our things including a chamois type of skin used as a towel. Once dry, I pulled my shorts on and helped my ladies.

Merry and Leelee, I could tell, thought the situation was hilarious. They maintained their poker faces with difficulty. Jani walked to Merry and whispered, "How do you fit that thing inside you?" I could hear her. I had learned that I could hear better than most people.

Merry smiled and said, "With great pleasure, Jani. Our Tom is very enjoyable with our sex and never fails to leave both of us satisfied."

Jani responded, "I have never seen one that big!"

Leelee joined the conversation saying, "Tom is not only the largest man I've ever seen but he has methods in his lovemaking that make it even better. He has shown us new positions and ways to bring persons to orgasm that are astoundingly marvelous." She looked at Merry and they grinned at each other.

Jani looked at them and desire showed in her eyes. Merry said, "We have never shared Tom nor has he ever shown any interest in another woman. In his culture, mates were not shared and most matings last for life."

We walked back to our hut with one of my mates on either side of my body. Once we were far enough away for privacy, Leelee said, "You know, Tom, that you will receive offers now." She was grinning.

I said, "Just help me avoid them, please. Keeping the two of you satisfied is all I can or want to do."

Leelee grinned. "We know. We are just warning you that the requests will come."

We went to our hut with some more kidding from my ladies before the three of us were outside again. I did get some looks for many days.

We lived together quietly and happily for the next two years. I am now the father of four. The older boys were by the girls' first pregnancies. Then, Merry gave me a daughter and Leelee gave me another son. Taking care of four babies was tiring and they both decided to hold off on more children for a while. We were all still young.

I continually try to improve our village and its security. We had allowed six more families to join us. That was good news because we were now large enough to give an enemy pause before they attacked. I also worried about the Manubans. I worried that a confrontation would occur at some time. I talked to my mates.

They had come to agree with me that the worship of Manuba was worthless and any human sacrifice was brutal murder. The questions were what to do, when to do it, and how to go about doing it. I just hoped we figured it out before they showed up.

We also thought about the Others. Some of the younger couples and I built a comfortable hut on a hill next to a stream. We kept an occasional watch from that point. We had built a signal fire position with a good way to evade anyone attacking the hut.

The next years were quiet and our little community grew internally. We continued to build comfort into the village as well as useful things. My children grew. The boys were tall for their age and my daughter was also. We had crops and food animals. Many meals were taken in common and the three of us talked about living and how to live. Mario's mate, Jani, was particularly quick to adopt new ideas that she liked. She was quicker than Mario. Mario was a thoughtful man who thought everything through before doing anything. He could be quick when necessary but planned even more than I. We got along well together and passed still another year in peace.

Then, the Others came.

A couple was at the hill hut and saw the large group headed our way and lit the fire. They ran away as everyone had been instructed. Staying there to die wasn't considered a good idea! We formed into our fighting groups with those women who weren't able to fight scurrying into the cave.

Those women closed the entrances while the rest of us split into smaller groups to prepare to greet the Others. One of the things we had prepared was a hidden moat. The Others saw a small group on the far side of the moat. Though out of range, they fired arrows as they charged. There were about twenty. I could use my bow from a greater range. When they came into my range, I shot and killed two making the Others howl more and charge faster. They were running fast when they came to the moat.