Page 22 of Caveman Alien's Bride

“We are gathered here today to witness and establish the union of these two, Chief Korr'ax of the Borok and Tretter tribe and… does she have a title, Chief?”

“Bride,” I decide on the spot. “Bride Bryar.”

“... and Bride Bryar. I assume she has no tribe. This is done in the presence of our Ancestors, whom we want to please with every action of our lives. And the action of getting married must surely be of great importance…”

I hear some Bigs climbing the hill behind us. They may have tired of the constant fighting on the beach and now want easier prey.

“... and such that we can always look upon them and say,” the shaman drones on, “surely they have been blessed by their Ancestors, for see how well they live together as husband and wife! Furthermore, all we who witness—”

“Get to the point,” I command. “There are Bigs approaching.”

“Then in the presence of your Ancestors, do you, Chief Korr'ax, agree to marry Bride Bryar, to love her and protect her against any danger?”

“Toh!”

“And do you, Bride Bryar, agree to marry Chief Korr'ax of the Borok and the Tretter, to love and to… hmm… and to support him in his struggles?”

Bryar doesn’t reply.

I look down at her. “Say ‘yes’.”

A long heartbeat goes by. Bryar’s staring straight ahead, breathing fast.

I’m about to nudge her when she says “sarih” and bolts. She runs straight into the jungle, faster than I thought she could.

“Come back here!” I roar, then take off after her. I get one step before I trip over a stick that the other female has thrown with great accuracy.

But I don’t stay down. Sprinting as fast as I can, I quickly catch up with Bryar and grab her arm.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

She looks up at me with red-rimmed eyes, tears running down both cheeks, her face scrunched up. “Ahm skerd.”

A part of me wants to drag her back and hold her firmly until she says ‘yes’ at the altar, then tie her up and carry her to my village. This may well be a test to see how determined I am. Perhaps all women are like this.

But another part of me feels that a marriage has no meaning if the woman truly doesn’t want it. And to the best of my judgment, Bryar doesn’t.

“Perhaps it was too sudden,” I think out loud. “Perhaps you needed time to get used to the thought of being mine. I suppose we can do it later. Or not at all, if you really think you don’t need my protection.” I let go of her and gaze up at the tree crowns. I wassoexcited about this.

Bryar looks back the way we came. “Ahm sarih. Ahm redi nao.”

To my astonishment, she grabs my hand and walks with me back to the altar until we’re standing like before.

“Toh,”she says softly.

A heavy load falls off my shoulders. It was a test after all.

The shaman takes our hands and puts mine on top of Bryar’s. “Then I declare that you are now married, a husband and wife for eternity, in this world and the world beyond.”

“Is that it?” I ask, glancing behind us to where the Bigs could appear at any time. “We’re done?”

“Yes,” the shaman says and hurriedly starts packing up the altar. “I hear the Bigs coming.”

“Perhaps you want to kiss the bride, Chief?” Breti’ax suggests.

I bend down and place a kiss on her cool, soft lips. It becomes a longer kiss than I’d planned, because it feels incredible.

“Oh, and place this on her.” Breti’ax hands me the leather necklace that will show that Bryar is married to me.

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