Chương 3: New Perspective

Crunch. A stick breaks as I run through the forest away, away from mothers insistence I pledge myself and away from my cousin she wants me to pledge myself to.

Mother's worries are understandable. With so few females we only have one in a village and each has such full control of the males around them that if they find one undesirable they can even be removed from a village. The matriarchs can decide everything, what food is produced to who to trade with as well as who is in charge. Now mother would choose people who fit the requirement as long as she could stand being around them. She trusted her capable aids who had pledges themselves to her to give her good advice and would accept when she made mistakes.

My cousin that brat is nothing like mother. She is still yet to come of age having not begun her cycle. She is childish and refuses to admit her wrongs. Wishes to only have those she considers attractive around her to the point that she appoints those unsuited for the job to be in charge whether they want to or not. The biggest reason I'm so against this is she doesn't care for me at all. She doesn't think of me well nor does she find me attractive. the only reason she would accept is that my looks are rare. not even my mothers kind asking would have made her agree. I'd be a trophy, abandoned for and use other than to show off to other females.

I don't want that for myself. I could never be with a female and be more satisfied than to be a trophy. Though I would like to be with a female. I could never be one of the males that settles or prefers another male, no matter how feminine he is. I mostly just want to really contribute to the group. I'm a great hunter so that would be simple enough for me to do. I did work as a hunter and trader for mother; but Annabelle, my dearest cousin, was already telling me I wouldn't be doing anything once I arrived at her place.

Being a trophy wouldn't be so bad if I still had something to do. With Annabelle I couldn't hunt so I wouldn't get hurt and I couldn't trade since I would need to be away for too long. I know she has no plans to have me learn any other work even if she did assign me something.

So here I am now. I ran away since my mother was insistent it was Annabelle or nothing and I had no desire to go to her, a feeling of disgust really. She said if I didn't go to Annabelle I might as well be a stray. So here I am, a stray, wondering about trying to find someone to take me in. If I don't find a village that will take me in I know just enough to live off the land. I rather live in a community though, I'm not one to be alone.

I have come quite some ways since I left the Mother's village I think it's been 15 days. I know of a village a day to the east once I go through the forest ahead. The only thing the forest has is small animals so I didn't go through with the trading group but with just me that's enough food. It is about lunch time with the sun high in the sky I head into the forest. Once I'm close to where should start heading east I begin to hunt.

I investigate only to find an unexpected set of footprints. I was looking for rabbit prints but found human footprints. There is no way I would not investigate this. It could be someone from the village I was going to go to to see if they would take me in, with an introduction from someone that would be so much better. It could also be a stray like me but one that is lost.

Having followed the prints while thinking I find myself at an opening in a hedge where a stream flows through. Vines conceal what's beyond but the prints seem to be going in that direction both in and out so it seems to be where people are. Only one by the prints.

I go in and I see someone stabbing a stick into the stream. they seem unskilled by their hopeful yet frustrated exclamations. They have yet to notice me so I stay and observe them. Long hair of a brown color, on the taller side though not especially so, not scrawny or especially muscular from what i can see past the loose fitting clothes. Seem decently hardworking, maybe I could take him with me to the village I plan to go to. He would have to want to go with me and I'd want to talk to him to be sure he has a good character before I travel with him.

That decided try to make a little noise to let the know I'm here. They spin around and I see shock in their eyes and I'm also shocked. That is no male! Female! Alone! It makes no sense. Alone and attempting to hunt on her own. She steps back into the water and the once loose clothes hug her every curve. She is definitely an adult, not starved either; decently plump. Appealing.

It once again brings to question how is she alone?