Fafi sat on the tree and thought of what Paley had said.

She felt a grain of truth in them, but she also felt them wrong. She felt the former plain dweller had just dumped some fancy words on her and not even bother to truly discuss the issue, assuming many, many things.

She harrumphed and looked around, seeing the tiny dead things leave to follow their master.

Fafi had been quietly observing the charming conjurer over these weeks and occasionally followed him on his travels beyond the valley. She did it out of concern, seeing him wither as he continued to use his magic.

His odd magic not truly magic but life itself, bended to the will of the caster. His own life and the life of other things. ‘Powerful stuff,’ she mused as she nibbled the meat she had forgotten about while the fool had sprouted words.

But the show of magic had been pretty. Especially that glowing green eye. Unlike the dead thing, his was still shining with life.. Pity there was only one of them.

She reminiscent how that eye had stared at her body that night and groaned and slapped her head, ‘stupid, Fafi, stupid stupid stupid! Ruined it you did!’ she screamed in her head as she agonised her actions when Paley had reached out for little chieftess.

She let herself fall backwards and landed on the ground behind her with a thud. She looked at the sunset, washing the green forest in shades of red.

She had tried to approach Paley during these long weeks, but couldn’t gather enough courage till this day to do so.

She had wanted to.. do something about the incident, to make it better somehow.

And it bothered her that he did not seem to care that she did not approach him. Luckily, the big oaf had stopped trying to marry off his daughters to him after what had happened.

She didn't really know what she wanted with the plane dweller either. But.. She did not want this. When he had looked at her like one of his dead things did, she felt hurt.

When they had mated, she did not intend for it to go beyond that. Just a little fun with a strong male, perhaps wrap him around her finger. Maybe a little fun now and then as well, as it was a rather satisfying tumble.

But now, after a few weeks of stalking, she had grown rather fond of the odd thing. She hummed a tune she had heard him hum. A plane dweller tune, she reckoned. Too mild and harmonious to be one of her kinds. Soft and gentle without the hootin’ and tootin’.

‘Fearing the bad will never let it become good. He said,’ Fafi mused and picked herself up from the ground. ‘Maybe should listen to Paley’s advice and just approach Paley’

‘Aggressively~’ she added, while snickering.

She squashed a dead thing spying on her and hopped down from her sitting spot. After a couple of stretches, she began skipping towards the village in a far better mood than before. She hoped he liked her humming.

Viktor cursed under his breath after Fafi had squashed his bug. It was clear she had been following him around as she hummed the tune of ‘Moon Maiden’. A tune he had hummed last week when he had stayed in the forest till night to search for some nocturnal critters.

‘And she did so deliberately,’ Viktor thought as he gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

He quickly passed the sentries of the village and the guards at the staircase with the undead in tow.

They did not stop him, but seemed rather uncomfortable with letting the malnourished undead pass.

His bad mood mellowed as he reached his hovel and saw Sisa lounging in front of it, looking bored and playing with her ferret.

He whistled to her and walked up to her. Her bored face lighting up as she heard him whistle, something he had been doing to call out to her over the last week.

She scampered up and skipped towards him, only to stop and look at the figure behind Viktor.

Sisa looked at the balefire filled eyes staring into the distance before turning towards Viktor and presenting the ferret, “Trade?” She innocently asked. She did not seem to mind at all that Viktor had gotten himself a goblin undead.

Viktor shook his head and resisted an urge to pat the girl, begging him with round puppy eyes. “Sorry Si, need him for myself.”

“Muu..” She cutely pouted and pulling back the ferret in her embrace.

“Why do you even want a risen kin?” Viktor asked wearily.

“Minion!” She exclaimed cheerfully in common sprechen in response, causing Viktor to deflate and tiredly support himself with his staff. He had been teaching her common tongue after she had asked multiple times.

Viktor pinched Sisa’s puffed up cheek, earning him a squeal and invited him in. He had extorted some furniture through Krugh with the help of Sisa and the main living area had now some shelves with clay jars with hemp lids. In one corner, he had firewood.

He had gathered some clay himself and was building a clay oven into the valley wall. He intended to gather more of it in the coming days with his new helper, hopefully enough to complete the oven and isolate his sleeping quarters with clay and hay, and use the oven as a fireplace during the coming winter.

They sat down on the sitting mats while his new servant went to put his travel gear away.

Sisa lounged on the elevated top, resting her head on her hands as she watched Viktor sitting calmly and looking towards his sleeping quarters.

A few minutes later, the undead returned with a bowl of berries that it placed on to the table before moving to stand next to the entrance.

Sisa took a palmful of the red berries and threw them in her mouth, and munched while looking at Viktor’s undead. “Paley, sure that won’t teach Sisa Conjurer magic?” She inquired with a mouthful of berries.

“You mother would kill me if I taught you how to rise the dead.”

“Eeeh~ but you’ll come back, right?” She pressed on while taking another handful of berries and threw them in her mouth.

“And probably she’ll spank you like she did after you walked over Krugh..”

“Oh.. Sisa thinks not need conjurer magic after all..” she said while wincing heavily with her mouth hanging open, filled with half chewed berries.

Sisa’s mother, the previous Chief’s wife. The only wife. Was named Tikka and was a stout matriarch with an iron fist approach in raising her daughter.

She had appeared after the meeting with Krugh and Fafi had ended and spanked her daughter without mercy in the chieftain’s main hall and afterwards profusely apologised to Krugh for her daughter’s misdeeds and overstepping her boundaries.

Tikka had been surprisingly acceptive of Viktor even after Krugh explained her the complete story and supported her daughter’s decision but not her actions. She did have some reservations about the dead ferret, but let it go after seeing how attached her daughter had gotten to it.

As for Sisa, sticking close to Viktor was with her blessing and full support, something about ‘teaching the little savage some plain dweller ways’ apparently.

Tikka herself rarely came along with Sisa but on the occasions she did she had a relieved expression when watching as Sisa and Viktor interacted.

But not this time, as she stood menacingly in the entryway, glaring at Viktor.

“What’s this about making dead kin walk pale one that I have been hearing about?” She growled as she stepped inside. Tikka threw a side glance at the undead in the corner and, for a second, it seemed like it flinched under her glare. Sisa had gone prone, making herself as small as possible to hide behind the table slab.

“Honoured matriarch, let me explain.” Viktor offered as he bowed down in reverence to the harbinger of wrath, a mother enraged.

His incoming doom stalled as she waited for him to continue. Her leg tapped heavily on the wooden floor impatiently as she directed her full focus to Viktor. “Speak.” She spat.

“Honoured Tikka, I am aware of my transgression and wayward ways. I beseech you to hear me.” He grovelled, “ To further my skills in conjuring I have indeed awoken a kin from its eternal slumber. But it is in the best interests of the Tribe. I swear upon my name and honour I will never do this to a tribes member without permission or in an hour of desperation.”

“On your name, eh?” She said, chewing her every word slowly.

“Indeed, great matriarch. Nothing less.”

“Then pray tell, what is your name, pale one from the plains?” She said and took a step closer. Sisa’s head appeared from behind the counter and peered over at Viktor with interest.

“It’s Viktor honoured and wise one.”

She sat down with a heavy thud right in front of Viktor. “Then pray tell me Vikktorr what will this teach my daughter about honouring the ones already passed.”

“T-that I’m not sure.” Viktor stammered out. He hadn’t thought or had any idea how the tribe handled their dead.

“Then let me tell you, boy, she will grow to believe their remains are to be done as one pleases instead of letting them return to nature.” She calmly stated. Eerily calmly. “Is that the correct way to see the dead Vikktorr?”

“One should always venerate the dead honored Tikka.” He assured her, “But their memories and spirit is what matters.”

He shakily raised from his bow and looked at the emotionless matriarch sitting in a dominant pose and continued, “ And their remains can still walk and be venerated and held with care.”

The matriarch’s eyebrow raised, but she kept silent.

“And just as returning to nature to nourish the land once more from where it came, they too serve a purpose as venerable dead, still serving the good of the tribe till they are no longer needed and they are reclaimed by the land.”

Tikka motioned towards the undead. “Then what of this one? Have you given it your ‘veneration’?”

“No” Viktor shakes his head. “He deserves my thanks as a servant but he is not to be venerated.”

“And why is that Vikktorr?”

“He is not part of the tribe, but one I found wandering. A resource better used as servant than to let it return to nature.”

“A resource..” Tikka mused while nodding slowly. She tapped her finger on the slab of wood and looked at her hiding daughter. “An interesting view on those no longer among us.”

“Surely the tribe does not venerate those who come to harm it or every outsider lain to rest?” Viktor interjected.

The matriarch hummed in agreement, “ You are right, plane dweller. I accept your answer and hold you to your views in the future.” She turned towards Viktor, “But I have a condition.”

“Of course, matriarch. Whatever you wish.”

“You are to teach your views to my daughter along with your conjurer ways.” She stated plainly and taking a berry from the bowl.

Sisa peeked behind the table again and stared at her mother, who cast a quick glance towards her and smirked at her.

“I don’t mind, but I am not sure if I can teach her my craft.”

“You will try. But you will make sure she learns how to properly respect the dead that walk, if you wish to continue to be by her side once she becomes chieftess. “Tikka said and threw the berry in to her mouth.

There was some rumbling behind the table as Sisa made a victory dance while lying prone after she had heard her mother’s decree.

Viktor bowed as relief washed over him. “Of course Tikka, I will teach her just as I continue to learn and improve my values.”

“Just call me mother.” Tikka said and waved her hand lazily before standing up and ruffling her daughters hair who finally had the guts to sit up before taking her leave and dragging Krugh who had just appeared in the entryway along with her.

“Till next time you kick up a fuss, Vikktorr” she said with a content purr as she left with a meek chief in tow.