Page 78 of Caveman Alien's Touch

“Everyone sees who you are,” Sprisk chuckles. “Except you.”

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Nobody sees any reason to wait until a certain time for the wedding, so when everyone’s ready, it starts.

Astrid is wearing a long robe made from the skin of several Bigs. It’s one that comes from the shaman’s hut in the Borok village, Sprisk told me. She doesn’t have Melr’ax’s shaman’s hat, because this is not a tribe and we don’t really have shamans. Even so, she’s clearly a good choice. With her round, alien frame and dark skin, she looks mysterious and secretive. We all know she came from the stars, like all the women, so for us Foundlings, she’s even more appropriate for this than a triber shaman would be.

Bronwen is wearing a long wrap made from the fine fabric that the Borok tribe seems to have in great amounts. Her hair shines in the sun, and I know that Alba spent a long time on it this morning. She’s wearing a circle of colorful flowers around her head, and she holds a small bunch of them in her hands, too. In short, she’s the most breathtaking thing anyone on Xren has ever laid eyes on.

I’m in the shorts she made for me, which is perfectly fine. I have also hung some pieces of various skins around my waist, mostly to hide the bulge that keeps appearing in the front of the shorts. Since that will apparently never end, I have asked some clansbrothers to make a little bag that I can hang in front. But it’s not done yet.

A small altar has been placed in a suitable spot at the outskirts of the camp. We all gather there.

Astrid says some moving and still holy words about love and the stars, and then she asks me if I agree to marry Bronwen and to live with her for the rest of our lives.

“Yes,” I state, making sure everyone in the clan can hear it.

“Ey du,”Bronwen says when it’s her turn.

Astrid says some more words and declares us married.

I take Bronwen’s hand. “That was easy.”

“I not think is supposed to be hard,” she says with her bright voice, her eyes shimmering. They have that mysterious look again, with black lines around them. “I think the hardest part is behind us.”

“Good.” I could stare into those eyes forever.

“Kis, kis, kis,”the women start chanting.

“They want us to kiss,” Bronwen tells me.

I grin. “I want that too.”

I lift her chin and bend down to kiss her full lips. There’s a tinycrackand a spark as our lips touch.

“Sorry,” I growl. “I’m very excited.”

“No, I think that wasme,” Bronwen says. “Wait, I’ll try again.” She reaches up with both arms and puts them around my neck, and then we kiss deeply without any more sparks.

The women start cheering, and so do the clansbrothers.

“I never knew they could make so much noise,” I tell my wife as I straighten up. “I think a new age has started for the clan. Wait. Give me your arm.

She reaches out her thin, bare arm and I put a small bracelet around her wrist. “You will notice it has been made from the necklace the Borok tribe gave me. By all rights, it should be made from the teeth and nails of the outcasts, but that didn’t appeal to me.”

“I’m glad,” Bronwen says as she admires the bracelet. “This much better. Ithoughtyour necklace look smaller today, but I thought it because you very strong and muscle.”

“Maybe it’s both,” I modestly suggest.

The crowd comes flocking around us, and Bronwen is surrounded by her friends. They’re all wearing their fabric garments, all in the same color, but apparently that’s the way it should be. They certainly seem happy.

“Well done, clansbrother,” Brak says and slaps me on the back. “The more married men in the clan, the better. Because the more women we have, the better our clan will be.”

“That’s the way it seems. Certainly our clan has never been better than it is now.”

Clansbrother Kerek waves at me from waist height. “The special foam is ready now, Noker. As are the other things.”

“Thank you, Kerek. I think we will need them after we eat.”

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