After finishing the meal everyone crams into my little hut. I have added extra florescent plants to increase the lighting in the small room. It is a tight fit, but with me sitting up against the door, a hide covered wooden frame, everyone is able to able to sit and talk in a tight squashed circle. Everyone wants to know what my next plans are. Makes sense what happens to them is closely related to what plans I have.

"I want to try and get you guys safely back home, but it will require a bit of planning to make it safer. We will have to travel for two weeks through dangerous wilderness to get to the first signs of civilization." This is the full extent of my knowledge on the matter, as I have only their account to rely on. I have never been beyond the mountains, and I explain this to them. "What about you?" The question come from more than one person.

"I would like to come with you to the guild, as it seem a good place for me to find work with my skills." The trio of girls seem quite happy with this, even Lawra, though she recently revealed that she had been thinking of quitting the hunter's guild. Mari is sitting quiet in the corner, it never ones crossed my mind to leave her, but she got to be wondering what is in store for her. That might explain why she wanted to become my slave.

"So you will be coming with us to the guild, will you still want to associate with us?" It is a somewhat giddy question from Lawra. "Of course, you are my only friends. I hope to rely on your knowledge to help me become part of civilian life." I am genuinely hoping they will help me as I expect it all to be a bit of a cultural shock. "I know, why don't you marry me?" Lawra's question just confirmed that risk of cultural shock. For a moment, everyone is stunned. I guess this isn't normal after all.

The room erupts in arguments. Mostly between Kira and Lawra, but even Lynne is wading into the hot topic. Mari is cowering in the back, clearly unhappy. The little girl Naomi, being used arguments, just looks confused. Mara look like she understands what is going on. She probably does, she is twice their age, and a fellow woman. As for me, I am confused. Kira seems to think that Lawra did something very wrong. Lynne agrees but tries to be more understanding. However, no one is shrugging it off as a silly comment, like I would.

Letting my voice cut across the noise I address Mara. "Please come with me outside, I need your advice." I address the trio, asking them to not argue so loudly. Even the confident Kira look guilty as she calms down. With Mara walking behind I walk beyond the dryad tree and the safe area of the camp to get some privacy. We are sitting by the lakeside. Though dusk as set in, the moon and stars reflect plenty of light onto the lake. Normally you can't see this light in the forest, but near the lake it is a lot brighter because of it.

"I have a lot of questions, and you seem to have a lot of the answers. Would you mind helping me out here." As I address Mara, she nods before I have finished speaking. "I get the feeling that marriage is different here than it is were I come from. Can you explain what it involves?" Instead of prodding into where I come from, Mara addresses my question. "The core of a marriage is an oath ceremony bound by magic. Every daughter learns from her mother how to give the magic oath to her future husband. Normally the ceremony involves one or more witnesses, but all that is needed is for the woman to swear loyalty and obedience within the magic, and for the man to accept, which can be done anywhere and anytime." Sounds very one sided to me. "Why would any woman swear loyalty and obedience if there is nothing in return?" "While the man only accepts the woman's lifelong loyalty and obedience, she does get something in return. Due to the magic the man will feel compelled to look after her for as long as she is alive. Also, the obedience aspect is nowhere near the strict obedience that can be compelled through a slave bond."

I learned about something new. A magic slave bond that compels obedience. Scary thought not to have free will. And Mari wanted this. Why would Mari ask to become my slave when she could have asked me to marry her. She would be freer and I would be compelled to take care of her. Even knowing that I would be compelled for life to take care of her, I would accept her oath. It feels weird that I have accepted this seemingly one-sided marriage oath. Where is the mutual love and affecting. This seems like a cold world.

"Why would Lawra propose this after only knowing me for such a short time." Mara smiles a bit. "You might not know how this having lived alone, but women only look for two things in a man. Kindness and his ability to provide. You have plenty of both, which makes you very attractive to women." Women sure are practical in this world. Maybe I will have a chance at understanding them here. In my old life, I was always baffled by the seemingly irrational whims of women. Quite often I was the one suffering as a result of it. Being kind was never enough.

"So you are saying that most men are not behaving as I do?" "That is correct, there are a few exceptions like my late husband who loved me enough to throw everything away, but our love was forged over many years. Part of why Kira is furious with Lawra is because she could be seen to take advantage of your lack of knowledge on the implications of the marriage ritual." Kira's anger suddenly makes a lot of sense. If I accepted the oath I would feel compelled to take care of her. Mara explains that it is considered a crime to get a young boy to accept an oath. The woman would most likely be put to death.

Also it appear that accepting the oath takes little effort, but giving it requires genuine sincerity, as the woman will be giving away part of her free will. That last bit gives me some assurance that being put under a slave seal is not an easy thing, if the same principals apply. Mara's answers have been quite helpful, but I still got questions. "You said part of the reason why Kira was angry was the compulsion from the oath, what is the other part?" "That is quite obvious, Kira wants you as well. She is not as reckless as Lawra, but I suspect she want to propose to you as well some time in the future."

That does not make any sense, Kira ran away from home to not become the mistress of some noble, why would she swear lifelong obedience to me, if her independence cost her so much. I tell Mara my thoughts, and get an instant answer. "A mistress is not a wife. A mistress will likely be discarded. For Kira to be made a mistress instead of a wife says a lot of how low her standing was in the noble community. She probably wants nothing more than to feel valued and accepted."

If Mara is right about Kira, I can see us becoming close in time regardless of the status of our relationship. "What about Lynne's reaction?" I am coming close to getting the key questions answered, but I still don't know what to do. "Though Lynne keeps her feelings more guarded than the rest she probably thinking the same as Kira, but she is more understanding of Lawra." "What do you mean by more understanding?" "Lawra has clearly had a crush on you from first time you met. Even though I have only known her for days, I could tell that she was completely smitten from the first day she met you. Her behavior reflects it."

Another light bulb moment for me, I should have realized that her overly energetic chattiness around me was a bit too much to just be her personality. Mentally and emotionally I am not exactly a young guy. Initially I was warming more towards Kira, and finding Lawra a bit annoying, but this changes everything. What do I do? Not realizing that I said the last question out loud, Mara asks me. "What do you want?" "I want to take care of all of them, and that seems to be enough for marriage in this world."

Darn, I slipped up used the term this world. I don't want to complicate things. Mara seems not to notice, but responds with: "I get the impression that polygamy is not common where you come from?" Well, of course we usually make more out of a marriage than the contracts of convenience of this world. "If you want to you should be able to marry all of them, and most likely they will accept." All of them, that feels a bit greedy. As far as I am concern, marriage is a promise to stick together in thick and thin and creating a safe and stable environment to raise up children. I don't even know if sex is part of the marriage of this world. Not that I am going to ask Mara about it.

"One more thing. Before I set off to take out the goblin raiding party, Mari asked me to make her my slave. I understand that she does not want me to leave her, but why did she not ask me to marry her instead?" Mara looks at me with a serious expression. "There is severe stigma attached to women who have gone through what Mari has gone through. She is unlikely to ever marry, and unless she can take care of herself she might be destitute. Even if she sold herself into slavery. She would be considered of low value and treated accordingly. This is the future you saved the rest of us from. I hope you understand how grateful we all are."

Completely shocked by how cruel this world is, I am more resolved than ever to take care of Mari. She only has me, which explain how desperate she is to stay with me. Turning towards Mara I ask her: "What about you and your daughter?" Mara shakes her head: "You don't have to marry me, I will take my daughter back to her grandfather. Since she is the last of his blood, he will take good care of her. And for her sake he might accept me as well." Bit worried for Mara I ask if there is anything I can do for her. "There is one thing. Make me pregnant. The old man will take good care of me if he thinks that I carry his grandchild."

That is one heck of a request to make, but I did say I would do anything to help her. I am not sure how I feel about deceiving the old nobleman, but I am more worried about Mara being found out. While I am thinking Mara has stripped off and stand completely naked in the moonlight. "Do you find my old body attractive?"