“So, what is the possibility?” Charlie questioned, glancing between the document he made for the Vultures to assist him as well as a copy for the Forgers that was having to write.

“Low, the Forgers are a stubborn clan, with even more stubborn women leading it,” Nolkonoe said, pacing around the room, ploughing her mind for ways to approach the Forgers to get them to agree to the contract.

“Yes, but she isn’t here right now. Maybe we can get some of them to help us while she isn’t here. But it will take a few days to write some new contracts for them…” Charlie said, moving his hand down the page until he began to write a new paragraph.

“We don’t have a few days though, she returns in only two or three,” Nolkonoe said, wrapping down any ideas that could have gone with that plan.

“Then how about just asking her when she returns?” Charlie questioned, but Nolkonoe didn’t respond. A moment of silence later, she looked up from his papers to see Nolkonoe’s response. Just from her frown, he could see her to be deep in thought.

“If it was me or the Chiefess to ask, she would probably decline. But for what you did against the Region Lord, she may have more favour towards you,” Nolkonoe theorised.

“Is it even safe for me to be alone with her?” Charlie said, keeping what Nolkonoe had said about different clans fighting for him in mind. He didn’t want to be caught off guard and seduced into becoming a member of their clan.

“Who, said you would be alone? I’ll get Phukomeia to go with you…. Well on second thought she was very hard set on getting you to join our clan, so she may try to seduce you. Ourupadia maybe? From what I hear, she has been acting more dedicated and loyal to you than even her own clan, the Huntresses. Herself and the others you saved have talked highly of you and could make good guards,” Nolkonoe said, looking to the doorway to see a pair of ears disappear from around the corner.

Ourupadia was listening, and she had been for a while. Even though she didn’t understand what was being said, she still wanted to be present to make sure Nolkonoe didn’t try to do anything to him. Grinning, Nolkonoe looked back to Charlie.

“Yes, I think she would make a great guard,” Nolkonoe said, knowing that when she set her mind to it, Ourupadia was one of the only people in the tribe who could go toe to toe with the Chiefess.

“But I’m not sure the would be okay with that,” Charlie said, knowing that for one reason or another the Chiefess and Ourupadia had a rivalry between each other that seemed to orbit around him.

“Well, we don’t have to go to the Forgers, we can just make the documents without any images. And anyway, you talked about paying us but the Chiefess is the one in charge of the money and it distribution,” Nolkonoe said, moving to Charlie’s side. Sitting down, she stared at the carful writing and well-formed font of his documents.

“For a starter, we need the images otherwise people could easily pretend to be another person. The images would help us to prevent people from doing this. When it comes to the money, I plan to pay for clan and the Forger clan (if we can get their help) fifty coppers for every person recorded, and once a person is recorded, they shall give them this,” Putting down his pen for a second, Charlie leaned forward and tapped a small, paper slip.

“This will say that they have been documented, and it means that both their image, occupation in the tribe, age, name and other details have all been recorded. Once all gathered, we shall go through the papers to make sure there is no missing information, and that there are no duplicate documents. After this process, your people and the other workers shall meet us in the centre of the village to be paid,” Charlie explained, going back to writing his document.

“If possible, I also want to get some of your Vultures who can read and write in slandered English to help make more of these documents with me,” Charlie said, his eyes still fixed on the paper as he wrote the final paragraph. Nolkonoe stared curiously at the final lines. Squinting her eyes, she struggled to read the incredibly tiny text.

“What does that say?” She asked, pointing to the final line.

“Fine print, it’s just some jargon that doesn’t really matter,” Charlie quickly dismissed before pushing the contract to one side.

For the next few hours, he sat in silence, giving any other questions or conversation starters Nolkonoe threw his way a quick, one-to-three-word response. Even with her questions, not once did he lift his head from staring down at the imperial made paper. Looking at the stack of finished documents and blank pages, Nolkonoe noted that she couldn’t see him slowing in pace and wondered if there were even enough pages to keep up with him.

Coughing a little to give him some vague forewarning that she was about to talk, Nolkonoe stood up from his side.

“While you do this, I’ll get some drink and something to snack on. I’ll also go into the storage huts to see if I can find you more paper,” Glancing at the floor, Nolkonoe saw the piles of empty and used pens.

“I think I’ll also get some more pens and some ink as well,” she said before wandering out the door.

“Thank you,” Charlie said, again not lifting his busy head. Once outside, Nolkonoe saw Ourupadia sitting around the corner. Next to her was a small whole in the wall where she had been staring at them, but now she sat as if she was simply doing so for no apparent reason.

“Is he alright?” Ourupadia questioned in the native tongue, using her tail to cover the hole in the wall.

“I think he is just bad at doing multiple things at once, so he doesn’t want to talk much as it distracts him,” Nolkonoe said.

“What about his wrist?” Ourupadia, miming his wrist being sore by rubbing her own.

“Yes? Why wouldn’t it?”

“Earlier he hurt it, so I healed it with some Huntress magic,” Nolkonoe’s eyes pried wider as she stared at her.

“You did what?” Nolkonoe almost screamed at her. Ourupadia shrunk, not knowing what she had done wrong.

“Yes…I used Huntress healing magic” Ourupadia said, shrinking a little as she wrapped her wail around herself, bracing for Nolkonoe to try and beat her.

“You fucking idiot! He is human! Only regular healing magic works on him, he doesn’t have the blessing of the Goddess of the hunt, so the magic will work, it will just make him ill!” Nolkonoe said, doing her best to stay calm so that Charlie didn’t hear them. Despite not understanding their language, she still didn’t want him to see her in such a mood.

“I didn’t know! When we use it on other members of the tribe it’s fine!” Ourupadia argued, but still holding her tail around herself as a form of protection. Sighing, Nolkonoe rubbed the bridge of her nose. That’s why he was so ill earlier. Combined with her moving him so quickly and making him motion sick was probably what gave him such a bad reaction. He was lucking that when the Chiefess gave him some of her magic, it gave him a better resistance to the magic. Otherwise, he probably would have still been throwing up now.

“Just keep an eye on him, I’m going to go and get him something to drink as well as eat,” Nolkonoe said, being to walk away before stopping and looking back to her.

“Do you know if the Chiefess is awake yet?” Nolkonoe questioned.

“Not sure, but I heard yelling that sounded like her earlier. She was going on about Charlie no being next to her when she woke, but I knew he was busy and that she would interrupt him, so I said nothing,” Ourupadia said, looking a little brighter as she wagged her tail, wanting for approval of her actions and a bit of salvation from making Charlie ill.

“Good, watch him for me will you,” Nolkonoe said before wandering off to find the Chiefess. Now she would have to break the news to her that her beloved pet was too busy working to come and find her.

Relaxed, Ourupadia regained her confidence and returned to her post of watching Charlie through a gap in the wall.

One hundred. Charlie placed the hundredth document onto the pile. Falling back onto the pillow that Nolkonoe had given him, he closed his eyes for only a second. Opening his eyes again, he saw the face of Ourupadia staring down at him. Panicking, he leapt up, almost head butting her. Staring at him with a mix of confusion and concern, she raised one side of her mouth into an awkward smile.

Muttering something in her strange language, she placed a gentle hand onto his head. Before Charlie could ask about her reason for coming to him, she already had him wrapped in her arms. Lifting the exhausted, yet still determined to work boy onto her lap. Thinking for a moment, she stared at him.

“Tiered?” she questioned in broken English. Her thick native accent was something oddly relaxing to listen to.

“Yeah, but there is always work to be done,” Charlie said, knowing well that she didn’t fulling know what he was saying. Regardless, she smiled and began to move him again. Moving him around until she placed his head onto her lap, she smiled and allowed him to wriggle until his head was in a comfy passion.

Charlie knew her intentions were good; thus, he was more than willing with her as she began to gently stroke his hair. Ourupadia was a good person. He could tell this due to the lack of her trying to seduce him; or at least that was what his exhausted and battered mind told him. Running her fingers through his hair, she stared at his deep, emerald eyes.

Smiling, she moved her mouth down next to his head.

“Thank you,” she whispered the words Nolkonoe had taught her that showed thanks in the human tongue.

Turning his head, he looked up to her. Warmly, he smiled at her.

“No problem, just make sure I don’t get killed, alright?” Charlie said, closing his eyes and allowing her to massage his head. Both knew that she wasn’t aware of what he said, but both had knew it had a meaning of ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘it’s no problem.’

For what felt like hours the two lay in silence. Ourupadia rubbed his head while her tail gently stroked against his chest. Shuffling a little, Charlie winced as he rubbed his neck. Lying on her soft lap was nice but staying there for too long was beginning to hurt his neck. Seeing him wince slightly, and rub his neck, she lifted him to sit on her lap.

Relaxed, he sat on her lap, listening to her as she began to gently hum. More he listened to her, the more he realised it wasn’t just a tune, but a song. She was singing for him. Blushing lightly, he found himself closing his eyes and listening to her song. Amazing, such an angelic voice could be in any royal or imperial opera around the empire or even maybe the continent.

He wanted to compliment her, but he knew that for one she wouldn’t understand and for a second, he didn’t want to interrupt her for even a second. Together the two sat in a world of their own, ignorant to the figure standing in the doorway. The Chiefess stood, staring at them. A knife gripped tightly in her hands as she stared at Ourupadia.