The Chieftess’s grip held tightly to Charlie’s arm. Every minute or so she turned to glance at him but would soon turn her head back as a blush came over her face. She spat and muttered a few words of anger in her native tongue as she dragged him through the jungle. Soon they emerged back out into the small, slice of desert that separated them from the village.

The women who had seen them in the lake happily chatted with the other native women, spreading the word of their Chiefess and the boy. On seeing the girls, Charlie felt his chest tense as he saw her draw a large white stone knife. Throwing his hands forward, he stopped the Chiefess from drawing her knife.

Shooting a glare back at him, she calmed as she saw the look of fear in his eyes. Quickly she turned to face him. Putting out a hand she placed a finger onto his chest. Ploughing her mind for words, she then spoke.

“Lucky, I like you, you lucky you cute,” she said in her thick native accent and broken English. She sounded so different in English. It was like she kept trying to mimic Charlie’s western accent. Natives of tribes he had visited often tried to mimic his accent as an insult, but it seemed that the Chiefess did it out of a place of making him feel safer rather than anything else.

The Chiefess moved through the village, a terrified and tired Charlie being dragged along behind her. Eventually they arrived back at the main eating area. Again, she started to drag him as she moved over to one of the large wooden tables. Sitting him down, she took out one of her large knives that she kept hidden in a small leather pouch under her skirt.

Once he was secured in the seat, she lifted one of the knives in the air she made a large show out of slamming it into the table in front of him. It was almost like a “no touching” sign she was displaying to the tribe. Satisfied with her visual statement. The Chiefess wondered off to do God knows what. Now alone, Charlie could feel the stares of the natives fix onto him.

Within only a few seconds of the Chiefess finally being out of sight did the women swarm him. In their thick native accents and crude language, the women started interrogating him. Hundreds of questions, or at least what he assumed to be questions, swarmed him as the women surrounded him. Charlie froze as he tried to process what was happening. A hand reached through the crowd, grabbing him and yanking him from the chaos.

Nolkonoe and Phukomeia along side their fellow wolves moved to calm the crowd, as Ourupadia dragged Charlie from the crowd. Nolkonoe and Phukomeia both made sure he got to see their looks of “you owe us one” before he was finally taken away by Ourupadia and her fellow huntresses. The group took him through the village, making sure to keep him concealed under a large, colourful tarp. This wasn’t the way he planned to spend his morning.

Without saying a word, the women carried him through the village and out into a large dirt opening. Peaking out from the blanket, he could see several wooden targets and other fighting dummies, as well as stacks containing weapons for the warriors. Many women with the red painted arrows sat under a large tree on one side of the training ground. Ourupadia and her friends quickly approached them.

Feeling Charlie sink into her arms, she opened the blanket to allow herself to see how he was doing. As they approached the stronger, far taller than Charlie, warrior women, she could see the glimmer of fear in his green eyes. Putting a hand onto his face, she gave him a warm smile as they reached their fellow huntresses under the tree.

At first the huntresses looked on with mild interest as Ourupadia placed the bundle containing Charlie under the shade of the tree. Sitting up from their relaxed positions, they looked like the bundle started to move. Their eyes widened as they saw the small, very pale boy move from the blankets and into the open.

Their curiosity began to peak as a few huntresses leapt forward. Grabbing him, they dragged him back to the centre of their group to hide him from any prying eyes. Muttering assumed as the women surrounded him. The older, more mature looking of the warriors kept Charlie by their side to avoid the hands of the younger huntresses from getting too curious.

Charlie sat terrified as he sat on the lap of a far taller, stronger, beautiful huntress. She kept one hand around his waist to keep him still as her other hand checked his body for injuries. Ourupadia seemed to explain the situation to the others, which only made their curiosity increase as even the older of the huntresses started to prod and poke at the boy.

All quieted as a woman approached. She wore the same paints as the other huntresses, but a large red feather headdress sat in her hair. Strutting over, Ourupadia and the others made way for her as she came over to Charlie. A few yells went up from a group gathered under another near by tree. The woman responded to them with a few quick yells back.

Once by the side of Charlie, the woman crouched to look him in the eyes. Seeing the bright red eyes of the woman, Charlie moved back. His body though was quickly stopped by the huntress who’s lap he was sitting on. Putting a handout, she gently caressed the side of Charlie’s face. His emerald eyes captivated her. Moving her hand down to his, she gently lifted it. Seeing the mark of the Chiefess on his hand, a smile came to her lips.

“Charlie?” the woman said. For a few seconds he was silent, not sure on what he had just heard.

“Your name, you are Charlie, right? I remember those bright eyes anywhere. Your hair has become a little darker, so I didn’t recognise you at first, but those eyes and seeing you cower like that confirmed my suspicions,” she said as she snatched him from the lap of the huntress.

“Sorry, do I know you?” he asked as she started to cuddle him against her chest.

“Such an adorable little thing, still as cuddly as I remember!” she said triumphantly.

“Sorry, I still don’t know who you are?” Charlie asked again as the woman started to play with his hair. Moving her face down, she looked him in the eyes. A look of annoyance spread across her face. Sighing, she placed a soft kiss onto his forehead.

“Well, you were young when we met, but I really haven’t changed at all in looks. Still though, you have matured well! I thought the talk of the Chiefess playing with a boy in the water was rubbish, but seeing you have her mark and fit the description, I can see it wasn’t rubbish at all!” the woman yelled again as she continued to play with his hair.

“Sorry, but again, who are you?” Charlie said as he felt the woman start to pull a little tightly on his hair.

“Oh, I’m just the lead huntress of our tribe. You came here with your farther may years ago, myself any my daughter were the ones who cared for you. She will be ecstatic to see her toy is back!” the woman said, still in her excited tone. For some reason, shivers ran down his spine, like some kind of repressed memory had just been brought back into fruition.

“For now, though, I think it is best you lay low until the excitement around you dissipates. I’ll get you something to eat, you just lie here and allow the huntresses to care for you. They will start training soon and will probably need someone to keep them company during their rest breaks,” the woman said, before handing him back to Ourupadia. Watching the woman wonder off, he still found himself wondering about her name.

Now back on the lap of a huntress, he found it to be the best option to just allow the women to bite, lick, sniff, or kiss him. It seemed that every time he tried to resist, he would usually get a growl or a bite from the women, so yes, it was best to just allow them to do what they wanted until they had to go and train.

Ourupadia glared over at him every now and then, or better yet she was glaring towards the women who harassed and teased him. One woman, with two stripes of red paint and one of white on both cheeks. Licking her lips, she then licked Charlie on the cheek. Muttering something to her friends, she ran her hand down his chest as she licked him again.

Putting a handout to her friend, Ourupadia shoved the other girl back. Saying a few words to her fellow huntress, she then grabbed the woman’s wrist and started to walk off with her. The other huntresses soon started to follow. Alone, Charlie laid back on the grass, deciding to just watch and wait out the day until the natives had gotten over their weird obsession with him.

Once comfy on the grass, he looked over to the small army of huntresses as they started to train. It seemed Ourupadia held some leverage over them as they had all quickly decided to follow her when she had taken the first woman. The Lead Huntress, the Chiefess and then Ourupadia, why were they all so seemingly interested in him? Well, Ourupadia was just more of a helping and kind hand, but still, why such kindness?

Lying on the grass, he starred at Ourupadia as she took a bow from one of the wooden stands. Taking the bow, she then took several arrows.

Looking over to the tree, Ourupadia made sure Charlie was watching her. Seeing his relaxed eyes were fixed on her, she felt her heart rise into her throat. Loading an arrow onto her bow, she walked up to the wooden plank on the ground. Again, she made sure he was watching. Okay, he was. Lifting her bow, she aimed it at the centre of the target.

Fixing her eyes on the centre of the target, she fired a single arrow. Smacking into the centre of the target, the arrow found its place. Ourupadia smiled widely. Looking to the side, she could see Charlie watching her. A smile on his face matched hers. The target was a good three hundred meters away. Charlie was expecting her to hit the target, but right in the centre, was something he really wasn’t expecting.

Now with a new boost of confidence, Ourupadia got another arrow and loaded it into the bow. Aiming her bow, she fired again. Her arrow landed on its target, the head of the arrow hitting next to the head of the first arrow. Wanting to further show off her skills, she loaded another arrow, wanting to make a triangle with the arrows on the target.

Firing her third shot, she hit the target, forming the intended triangle pattern. Smiling, she stared at the arrow formation, her gaze then turned to Charlie. A look of amazement spread across his face as he realised what she did. Smiling, Ourupadia realised how easy it was to keep the outsider entertained. Moving to the target, she took out her arrows. Once retrieved she returned to the starting line.

From there on the huntresses continued to fire their arrows at the target. Charlie did his best to pay attention to the huntresses as they fired at the targets, but the melee fighting with large wooden poles was just beginning. The huntresses were now split between the two training exercises. Looking off to the side, Charlie saw three other groups sitting under different large trees that sat around the area.

First was the one where the lead huntress had come from. Next was one that looked to have the same wolf paw patterns on them that the Chiefess had. The last looked to have markings of a large bird on them. These all looked to be the different factions within the tribe, or different clans. The woman in the red headdress soon returned, a large bowl of meat in her hands.

Moving to his side, she made herself comfortable next to him.

“Sorry it took so long, I heard that the Chiefess had you well fed earlier so I thought I would get a bowl for myself, and I can have you take any bits you like from it,” she said as she sat next to him on the short grass.

“Also, I think the Chiefess is a little… angry,” she said, hesitating as she probably tried to think of a way to describe the Chiefess’s anger.

“Wait, what?” Charlie said, feeling his body tense up at the thought of the Chiefess having anger sex with him. What was anger sex? Well, he had heard the head merchant say it and really didn’t want to find out what it was.

“I think she found out you snuck off with Ourupadia to the training field over here,” the woman continued as she started to eat from the bowl of meat. Charlie’s eyes soon noticed the Chiefess as she began to storm over to the training huntresses.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep her distracted for a while, you just sit here and relax,” the woman said as she took a few more pieces of meat. Devouring them quickly she then leapt up and began to strut over to the Chiefess. It wasn’t clear what she said to her, but it seemed to work as he saw the Chiefess wonder off with the woman.

Clear, everything was fine. The Chiefess was distracted for the time being and his sanity was saved from what ever torture she would have placed him under for leaving (even if it wasn’t of his own accord). A finger prodded into his side. Instinctively, he turned to see the instigator. His heart sank as he saw the grinning faces of Nolkonoe and Phukomeia. It looked like they had followed the Chiefess to come and collect their debt.

“Oh shit,” Charlie muttered.