Chapter 44: Food On The Table

Dakota had been in a foul mood one morning and gone to sit by herself during breakfast. What little time Sapphire had gotten to spend with her leader over the last week, she had felt tense and quite stressed.

Sapphire decided she needed to know why for this just wouldn’t do. Things had been improving around the keep. If the occasional explosion had more than a few of them on edge for much of the day. But her mother was doing better and no one had had any complications with their recoveries. Likely thanks to her and Unkai’s efforts. So why wasn’t she cheering up the worst was over after all.

Sapphire had gone over and taken a seat next to her friend hoping to at least figure out what was troubling her.

“So? You look like someone stole your meat?”

“Ha Ha very funny. If we aren't careful someone just might.”

“Now what is that supposed to mean?”

“We are expecting a dragon, our supplies of conserved food are still very low from winter, we are far behind on stocking up again and we only have two huntresses fit to hunt” Dakota looked to Sapphire before picking up a slice of the bacon they had started making most mornings after Fengi’s miraculous idea in the kitchen. “And here I am the queen of the hunt. Stuffing my face full of yesterday's kill.”

“You know it won’t be long before you are flight worthy again, you just need to be careful for the time being. Besides, it's still weeks before Jarix might come here at the earliest estimates. He might not even be coming, remember?”

“Yes I know, but it's not like I can count on not having to feed him. And what happens if those bastards come back and put us under siege huh? We wouldn’t last a month right now. With a dragon make that two weeks tops”

“Well better do something about it then” Sapphire looked down to her plate of food. There was an easy answer she just wanted to hear Dakota admit it.

“I’m not sending the men on a hunt if that is what you are suggesting. I’m not that desperate.” Well, Dakota was proud and in all the years Sapphire had been here it had never been necessary to admit they had failed in their duty. That hadn’t been what she wanted her friend to say though.

“Well we do just so happen to have someone who is not really a dragonette, does he count?”

“He is already looking after our children standing guard, undergoing lessons, giving lessons, and making weapons for us. You seriously want me to ask him to go out hunting as well. Besides he is a man unless you have forgotten. They protect our home and we provide for it and he has done more than his share of both already.”

“Well, are you sure though, he might be able to squeeze a bit more into his day, or he could skip guard duty or something for a day, surely that won’t hurt too much? Why don’t you ask him? I'm sure he won't mind. Not to mention we have no clue how they go about it where he is from. Consider it a cultural experience.” Sapphire was doing her best to sell this idea, not only was she certain Tom on the hunt would be rather effective. She was fairly sure he wouldn't mind doing it either.

Dakota for her part just looked at Sapphire not seeming very pleased.

“What are you playing here?” Okay, perhaps Sapphire had tried a bit too hard.

“Well, we haven’t seen or heard how his people go about hunting. You might even learn something"

“You just want to put another name above me on the kill count, don't you?”

“No of course not, besides he isn’t a huntress so he's not going on the board now is he? You could also just ask him to haul the kills back with that quadbike thing. It would save a lot of time” Sapphire could see Dakota thinking that one over, they did spend most of their time hauling the kills back and forth, especially when there were just two of them, meaning one big kill per trip.

“Well there’s the point he isn’t a huntress now is he.”

“Then make him one”’

Dakota facepalmed at that one. “Your kidding, right?”

“Call him a hunter instead he isn’t a dragonette so why should the rules apply to him. If I know him he wouldn’t care if he broke the rules anyway. As long as we don’t get mad at him. I think he will even lie about being part of the huntresses if you ask him to.”

“Okay, I’ll ask him, just don’t tell Nunuk or Apuma, not before I tell them at least. The last thing I want is a lesson on my duty to my keep right about now and for the records I think this is humiliating.” Dakota clearly wasn’t happy with this and Sapphire thought she might not even do it, in the end. She just didn’t want to keep discussing it.

“Hey if anyone is getting that talk, how do you think she is treating Rachuck after he let a damn black knight through the door?” Sapphire said with a serious look in her eye.

This gave another thoughtful expression in Dakota as she looked to her brother who was sitting with most of his guards, having gathered around Kokoashi, seeming to do their best to cheer him up a bit. Their spirits sounded high enough even if it was just for the sake of their friend.

Sapphire looked back to where she usually sat and saw Esmeralda Fengi and Jackalope sitting. Fengi helping Jackalope cut some food for her. It was a pitiful sight, the once-proud huntresses sitting sulking, and hand-feeding each other in silence.

“Come on, a team doesn’t eat at different tables." Sapphire went getting up, Dakota reluctantly joined, going over to the others. They hadn’t talked much but it was still nicer to have everyone together at least. Sapphire did her best to try and liven up the mood a bit. It was clear both Esmeralda and Fengi were tired, Dakota was already in a bad mood and Jackalope was clearly busy feeling sorry for herself.

Normally Sapphire would have likely joined them in feeling useless, but looking at the sorry lot they had become she instead elected to try and cheer them all up a bit. She could see Tom sitting with the children this morning already playing games with them something about patting your head while rubbing your stomach. Even Kiran was trying hard to master the maneuver.

Sapphire caught herself almost trying to do it before turning back to the table. Tom had taught her a card game while with the children, they had even managed to adapt it to work with their cards so might as well give this femhundrede a test run. Apparently, it was Danish for five hundred. Tom had insisted on using the danish name for some reason though.

Jackalope not being able to hold the cards and use her fork at the same time did complicate things a bit. Not everybody's head was in the game to start with, but with some effort they got it to work. It was a simple card collecting game and before they knew it they had cleared the table of the plates to make space for the cards they had gathered. The first round had gone to Sapphire, her previous experience giving her a clear advantage. Fengi had managed to get the second round though, sneakily stealing two of Sapphire's Jokers. Slowly everyone had gotten into the swing of it, and before long there were smiles at the table again.

Sapphire felt damn proud of herself. She might not be up for helping out with the hunting just yet, but she could still help them in other ways.

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Tom was having another of his joint design and explain sessions with Sapphire and Apuma and a few kids of course. He was explaining the concept of gears to them which inevitably had evolved into a bit of a math lesson. Sapphire didn’t seem able to do much more than addition, subtraction, and a bit of multiplication and division. That was apparently the curriculum around here. Just what they needed in their day to day lives and nothing more. Apuma was quite a bit more skilled even if Tom had lost him when he had tried anything more than the most basic of formulas and equations. Okay then, math class was gonna have to become a thing. Dakota had joined them giving a greeting and walking up to them at the board.

She had stopped looking bewildered at the blackboard tilting her head. Apuma had tried to draw up an equation in draconic numbers to see if it could be done, the result was alright but Tom was still convinced his numbers would be much easier when it came to more advanced stuff. As the other three discussed why a gear ratio should always be uneven. Dakota finally spoke up

“14” Walking up to the board and noting it down “That wasn’t so hard”

Granted it had been a fairly simple matter of finding x in a simple equation. But still, Sapphire hadn't managed it.

“That’s my girl” Apuma had looked up, giving Sapphire a push to the shoulder. See, I told you it wasn’t that hard.

“Oh come on, that’s not fair” Sapphire had just answered sounding defeated. Raising her arms in the air.

“You done this before?” Tom questioned looking to Dakota

“Well, I heard you talking for while figured I just needed to put the right number where the cross is to make it true.”

“Well, you are correct," Tom said skeptically, she hadn’t been here for long enough to hear that. Had she been listening outside the door? “You here to join us?”

“Not entirely” She looked to Apuma for a second before turning back to Tom. "Would you mind taking a short walk with me?”

“Not at all, you keep at it, I’ll be back." Tom went looking at Apuma and Sapphire. “She needs to learn this” Sapphire just gave an annoyed sound looking back to the board.

Tom had followed Dakota out the library into the corridors where the huntress had turned back to face him as the doors closed.

“Tom I need to ask you a favor”

“Okay? Fire away” Not entirely unexpected, Tom thought.

“Would you mind going out on a hunt with Esmeralda and Fengi, they need a hand to keep up”

“Sure, would love to,” he answered enthusiastically. “Wanna come along, will be bringing the quadbike, might get some wood too I think”

Dakota looked a little taken aback, before seeming to calm down again

“I take it Sapphire was right then, it’s no big deal to you is it?”

“Why would it be, I love hunting”

“You hunt back home?”

“Well yes, just for hobby, we don’t need to hunt."

“I’m guessing you farm all your food then."

“Correct”

“But males hunt where you are from then? You haven't held the tradition of the provider?”

“Uhm back home is reverse, men provide, women stay home. That is old school though, some places still do it like that. Getting less popular by the year” Tom did his best to look apologetic and shrugged.

She just stared at him for a while as if trying to decide if he was lying or not. Then turned away thinking it over for a while before answering.

“Okay then… so you go out of the home to hunt and provide for your home?”

“Well I go out and work to earn money to provide for my home, so yes” Tom shrugged again.

“And the women stay at home to defend it from intruders”

“We don’t really need to defend our homes, from anything, but in olden days they would stay home yes”

Dakota was lost in thought for nearly a minute thinking hard on something. Tom didn’t interrupt though. He was fairly sure Dakota was doing her best to figure something out here. Even if he didn’t know what.

“Well then Tom, since you are apparently a hunter, you care for the children like a mother and are actually closer to us in size and strength. I guess that sort of makes you a woman here. That would make you eligible for joining the huntresses as a proper member. Not just going along to help for one day” She sounded genuinely thoughtful even a bit happy at the conclusion, Tom thought.

It was his turn to look a bit strange now though, the fuck did she mean sort of a woman? They were bigger and stronger than the males here, so he guessed it was a compliment in a way, but still, really? Did she want him to cross-dress as well? Realizing what this might lead to sent a shiver down his spine.

“Okay… So what now?” he tentatively asked, crossing his fingers it wouldn’t be too bad.

“Might as well do it by the book. You are going to be inaugurated by Nunuke to join my huntresses, much like you were into the guard. Wait, that might be a problem.”

Dakota paused for a moment thinking

“I’ll figure it out, but you will do it? No conditions, no buts or ifs, no demands at all”

“Well I would like to not have my things stolen while I’m gone, but sure, I’d love to.”Tom could see that first comment hit hard, perhaps he shouldn’t have said that.

“Right of course I’ll go take this up with mother then” Dakota seemed more than a little confused as she wandered off. Tom for his part just stood there for a second not sure why she had been so surprised he hadn’t protested. Maybe this was considered taboo here? No matter, back to the lesson at hand. He walked back into the room, to a Sapphire looking to the blackboard where Apuma was trying to explain the equation again.

“Hey Sapphire, Dakota wants to make me a huntress,” He said with a grin. Sapphire seemed to recoil at this, turning to look at Apuma who just looked puzzled doing the signature head tilt.

“I’m sorry what?” Apuma had questioned. Oh shit, wasn’t he supposed to say yet? Or was it that taboo to send a man hunting?

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Well on the bright side Sapphire didn't have to worry about keeping a secret, but still, that was possibly the shortest-lived secret she had ever been a part of. Apuma had clearly noticed her reaction turning to look at her

“Why would she do that?” Oh, right then she hadn’t told the old man anything then. For a lore keeper, he was not much good at taking note of a situation.

“Well, we are running a bit low on food at the moment and only have two able huntresses, soon to be three when Dakota is ready again. So I might have convinced her getting Tom to lend a hand wasn’t a bad idea”

“Yeah, she said I was sort of already a woman, not sure what she meant by that” Sapphire had to try really fucking hard not to burst out laughing at that, bringing up both hands to clamp her mouth shut. She was already imagining Tom in a leather skirt with just a breastplate on, oh and the crown.

“Hey, not funny! I’m, wait… would macho mean feminine here?” Tom questioned. His argument clearly falling apart in his hands as he struggled to work that out.

“Sapphire just mad you are more girls than she is." Kiran joined in sounding very supportive of his big friend.

Okay, that was beyond what Sapphire could handle, she began cry-laughing at the absurdity of what was going on still trying to clamp her mouth shut. Apuma just sat back down not sure what was going on.

Tom for his part apparently decided to play along with it, going over and picking up Kiran. He would do anything for Kiran after all. Apparently making fun of himself to help get the little guy out of his shell was on the table too.

“Yeah Kiran’s got it, I’m the most and best girl of them all”

“NO! That is Shiva” Vigon helpfully pointed out, causing Sapphire to laugh even harder.

“No Tom beat Shiva, he the best girl.” Kiran had argued back. Beginning a room-wide discussion on whether the fact Shiva and Jackalope were both taller made them more feminine than Tom, or if the fact he was more dangerous was more important. Not to mention the difference between being the best and most girl.

Even Apuma joined in now laughing at Tom’s misfortune as the poor guy just stood there resigned to his fate. Eventually sitting down with his head in his hands, clearly having gotten a bit more than he bargained for.

That was of course when Esmaralde had stuck her head in to drop off the rest of the children before she and Fengi were to be heading out on their second trip of the day. She froze for a moment at the scene in front of her not understanding what was going on.

“Essy is more girl than Tom too, she can fly," Turinia argued, sounding very confident in herself.

“Men fly too,” Kiran retorted, not yielding an inch. It was good to see the little guy was coming back out, he was just as staunch in Tom’s defense as he had ever been.

“But Tom can't. Can he? Can Tom fly now?” Holdey had asked, sounding confused, running in to join the discussion.

“Dakota decided Tom is woman enough to join the huntresses” Sapphire got out between breaths to help fill in the confused Esmeralda. She was panting under the strain of laughing that hard for this long, this was just the best thing ever. From between her fingers. Sapphire could see Esmeralda crack up at the realization of what was going on adding another laugh to the choir.

“She did what?! Oh, wait till Kokashi hears about this.”

“No don’t tell him please” Tom pleaded with her.

“Kokahi agree Tom is best girl” Kiran stated, helping Tom’s case immensely.

Tom was taking being ridiculed this much rather well in her opinion. Still, she was not gonna let this one go for a very long time.