Chapter 13: The East Coast Genteli

~~ August - Week 32 ~~

The East Coast Genteli clans had decided to send envoys to Futura.

To the south-east of Futura was a town called Copperton. It was run by the Genteli that were selling the copper and lead to them. Their primary source of news about the new town and its occupants came from Iain. They had decided a month before to send envoys to find out for themselves what was going on.

The inhabitants on Jahnville were widespread. Their communities weren’t as technologically advanced as on the other continents. The Genteli were hoping the new people would help them advance.

The de Far family controlled this region with five other leading families. Queen de Far had been more prolific than most actually bearing five children, three being sons. Their youngest, Don, was a problem child as far as they were concerned, as he always wanted to go off adventuring.

Don had two concubines, Vera de Veer and Blue de Grey but he refused to marry them or anyone else. So, they decided to send him and them to Futura. Iain had informed them not to take slaves, as the High Lord didn’t approve of slavery.

Don didn’t particularly like slavery either, so he wasn’t bothered. The girls were a little put out that they couldn’t take their personal servants. Don arranged paid servants for them so they would be looked after. He then chose his best herders to assist them in getting to Futura.

Don had decided to go overland and take his herd of ponies and possibly sell them. He only had a limited market for them here as there was a lot of competition and few buyers. His caravan also took other trade goods including a wagon lined with copper ingots.

Don even sold off most of his stuff, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to come back. There was no reason to say here, other than a family that barely tolerated him. Iain had told him he would most likely be welcome and Futura was an exciting place to visit.

His Friend Zan de Nar also decided to come with them. Don was surprised by the request, but he was happy to have him along. He told Zan he might not be coming back for a long time if at all. Zan didn’t have a problem with this. Since he was only visiting, he was always happy to go somewhere new.

It took them nearly five weeks to make the journey. The girls had enough of roughing it, by the time they arrived. Iain’s Map was good, and they had little trouble finding the road leading into the valley and headed in.

Gavin’s tent village was the first place they came to. They were surprised to see several clans of Prols were living here. They thought only humans and faeries were in residence. One of the Prols went and got Gavin.

Gavin was amazed to see the herd of thirty pones and six covered wagons being pulled by more ponies. DT had also been at the office and he wandered over to be introduced as well. Don got off his pony and introduced himself to Gavin and DT.

Don introduced his friend Zan, and the girls had to get out of the wagon to inspect the humans. They were soon cooing over the lovely human males. They were both disappointed to find DT was newly married so concentrated on Gavin. Gavin felt a little out of his depth with the two beautiful women flirting with him.

Gavin was about 173cm (5’ 8”) tall. He was solidly built had broad shoulders and narrow hips which girls seemed to like. While not classically handsome, many would call him manly. These girls certainly did. Genteli men tended to be slimmer in build and shorter.

Gavin explained to the Genteli that he was a geologist and effectively the Mine Supervisor. DT told them he was in the Army and Construction. When they asked, what was mined Gavin said a bit of everything. Don asked were the Prols came from. Gavin said he had no idea.

They turned up looking for work, so he put them to work. When Don looked at them, he realised none were slaves and commented on it. Gavin informed in no uncertain terms, his workers were all paid employees and slavers were not welcome to Futura. Don happily assured him that he too didn’t abide by the practice. He explained to Gavin why they were there.

Gavin commed Lee to tell her she had Genteli guests. He made the Genteli girls and Zan comfortable in the shade of his office and offered lemonade. He then talked ponies with Don and DT. Gavin decided he liked the guy; he didn’t seem as uppity as many of the other races said the Genteli were.

Don was amused to find that when he met the humans, they were mostly taller than him. Among his people, his unusual height of 170cm (5’ 7”) he was very tall, he was like Jim’s equivalent in his race.

As the third son in a matriarchal race, he was surplus. His half-brothers hated that he towered over them and got the girls even if he didn’t want them. Even so, the other families had been trying to palm one of their daughters off on onto him for years.

The only reason Vera and Blue had come with him was because their families had insisted on it. Hoping one of them would get lucky enough to come into season and that he would get her pregnant. As a Prince, they would expect him to marry them. Even as a third son, he was still a Prince and family ties had political consequences.

The girls were both second daughters, and their sisters both had daughters, so they too were surplus. This was one of the reasons that the three of them had ended up together in the first place. So far, Don’s luck had held as neither girl came into season on the trip.

Not that it mattered, as he hadn’t touched either of them for months. They had kept up the concubine farce, to keep their parents off their backs. Their constant bitching on the trip had kept him well away from them, even if he was horny. Fortunately, he had Zan to keep him company.

Now that there were new males to distract the girls them coming into season may change. However, he had no plans of being the bunny. He may have to warn anyone who paid interest in them. They weren’t bad girls but were typical Genteli females in expecting a male and others to pamper them.

Blue amazed him when she started talking to Gavin and DT about different minerals in the area and appeared to be quite knowledgeable about mining. Then he remembered her family operated several mines. Apparently, she wasn’t just a pretty face. It wasn’t a discussion they had ever had.

Gavin seemed quite taken with her. ‘Poor sod,’ he thought. Don let Gavin know that the girls were his and Zan’s travelling companions and not their property. They had no objections if he wished to get to know either or both of them better.

Don was amused by the gleam in Gavin’s eye as he looked at Blue. He thought she would be doing well to get the guy, not that he wished her on anyone. He’d had a very trying five weeks, travelling with the girls.

Lee and Sean turned up, and they were introduced to Don, Zan and the girls. The Genteli were amazed to see the leaders of these people dressed as casually as Gavin was. There was no pomp or ceremony. The fact Don was a Prince back home, meant nothing to them or so it seemed.

When the visitors had all bowed to Lee, she had told them in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t that different from everyone else and to stop bowing at her. The girls were not sure how to take her or Sean. If anything, they found their casual attitude to their status very intimidating.

They were used to others bowing and scraping to them. The fact that these people did not intend to do so was sobering for them. Don didn’t really care. He had jumped through the hoops at home, but he liked these people’s attitudes. Zan was amused as well. So far, he had found the humans very interesting. He didn’t bother mentioning his status.

Don again explained why they were there, and Lee and Sean invited them to Futura. Sean explained the rights of guests and Don assured them; they could pay their way. Apparently, even dignitaries had to look after themselves. Freeloading wasn’t an option apparently.

Then they discussed what to do with the ponies. Sean suggested they could fence off the paddock on Sparky’s side of the creek to the creek from her fence. He didn’t want to put them in with Dave’s camla. Dave had fenced off the land between his valley and the river on the other side for the part of the herd that he wasn’t being milked to live in.

Lee agreed it would be good place for them and it did need eating down. There were no whippers over there anymore so they should be safe. They could put the wagons and the herders over there as well if they wished. Sean and Haf could work out a lease with Don as the ponies and workers belonged to him.

They only had a four-person lifter, and they offered for Don and Zan to travel with them. Gavin gallantly offered to bring the girls. The six herders and two servants were happy to travel in at their leisure glad to be rid of the girls for a while. DT went with them to show them where to go and learn more about them.

Sean commed Sparky to ask her if she wouldn’t mind having visitors on her side of the creek. He wanted to put the ponies over there. Sparky said to remember to leave the path clear, and the faerie folk had no problems with the ponies being there.

Sean commed Gary who said he could find some workers to whip up a fence and a gate for the ponies. They had built a special platform just for dropping fences into place. They would set up a port-a-washroom-laundry and a kitchen as well. Sean gave him the dimensions of the wagons the visitors lived in.