Page 55 of Caveman Alien's Bride

The hut is dead quiet while the two Krast men stare at the first woman they’ve ever seen.

Now I turn and hold my hand out. “Come and sit with me, my wife.”

Bryar comes over, a small smile on her alien face as she takes my hand and sits down. Her movements are graceful and soft, her scent divine, her presence so powerful I can barely keep my balance on the bench.

“Greetings, warriors,” she says with her soft voice.

“G-greetings, Woman B-bryar,” the two Krast men stutter as one. They were plainly not prepared for this.

“The Krast tribe wants me to be their chief as well,” I tell her. “See how their stripes are green, like half of mine. In exchange, the only thing they want is a woman.”

“There are only two women on Xren,” Bryar points out. “But one is married, and the other is far away.”

“That other one could be found and brought to us,” one of the Krast men says, so eager he almost stumbles over his words. “Let us know where she is, so that we may get her, and you shall be chief of the Krast, Korr’ax! Your stripes match ours!”

The hut is quiet for several heartbeats.

“I don’t understand this bargain,” I finally tell them. “It seems that the Krast tribe wants to gain a great chief and a woman, while I gain an old headdress and the responsibility for turning the tribe into a great one again.”

“The Krast tribe is the greatest and most renowned on Xren,” the older man says. “Being its chief is the most wonderful honor anyman could ever dream of!”

“It sounds like being chief of the Krast is so wonderful an honor,” I say drily, “that the tribe will invite outtribers to kill you. And there are many opinions about which is the greatest tribe.”

“Of course nobody willforceyou to be our chief,” the younger man says, unable to take his eyes off my wife. “Simply say where this other woman is to be found, Chief Korr’ax, and we shall get her for ourselves. You will not need to be our chief, to wear our headdress or make our tribe better, if that bothers you so.”

“Remember where you are, warrior,” Breti’ax says softly. “Dozens of Tretter warriors would kill you for taking that tone with our chief.”

The man goes pale. “Of… of course no disrespect was meant, Chief Korr'ax! I am simply thinking of how we can all get what we need. I am sure there must be things the Krast tribe can do for you, Chief. There must be things your tribes need. We shall give them to you, in exchange for that other woman. Anything you want, Chief Korr’ax! Anything!”

“Anything?” I drawl.

“Anything, Chief Korr’ax!”

“Half your tribesmen as my personal hunters and warriors in the Borok village?”

The man is taken aback. “Well… we have a lot of warriors. I suppose that would be possible.”

“The exclusive use of your Lifegivers for only me and the men of the Tretter and Borok tribes?”

“That… that would mean the end of the Krast tribe,” the oldest points out.

“But therewouldbe a woman in your tribe. While it lasted.”

“Perhaps… perhaps it would be possible…”

I lean back. “Well, this all sounds marvelous. Unfortunately the other woman is far away, and she is under my protection. And so there can be no deal. I agree that the Krast tribe needs a new chief, by the way. I may be able to help withthat.”

“Tell us,” the younger man says, taking a step closer, shaking with excitement. “Tell us where!”

Breti’ax gets to his feet with surprising speed and pulls his sword halfway out of its scabbard. “Step back, Krast!”

The door slams open and four Tretter men storm in, swords out.

“Stay,” I command, lifting one hand.

“Tell us,” the young man pleads. “We will give you anything!”

“I doubt you two have the authority to promise things like these,” I tell them. “But I know that seeing Bryar can be a shock. Return to your tribe and come up with something that does not involve a woman.”

---