35

The next day was going to be long. As much as I could see that Coreys dad wanted to ask us questions, we could all also tell he was already over this entire ceremony. When we are at the tribe he's never bothered and he leaves on his own adventures when the heard starts to move, he make sure everyone gets through the pass and leaves by himself for months. He like his space more than most people do and doesn't like talking with all these people. It's going to be very interesting to see how he reacts to this entire thing since he has to be around all these people and they want to talk to him and get to know more about him and his tribe. He doesn't know that much though since he is gone for months on end Corey and Sam and Liz run the tribe while he's away on his exposition, so the three of them know more about the tribe and it's day to day than he does. It's not something a leader would like to admit though so he likely didn't and just went with what he had seen since he came back, but at the same time I'm sure a part of him wants to brag that his future leader is already running his tribe perfectly giving him time to go and do what he wants and to have adventures. It also means the strength they have right now isn't going to change with a new leader and there won't be fights or any attempted revolutions to change leaders.

I also knew he hadn't ever joked with us before and when he pointed out my strength to lead and fight in battle it wasn't meant to be just a joking matter. It was meant to show the power that he holds and that his tribe isn't one to betray or back out on because they will get what they want. It shows the strength we have in just the few people that came for the wedding ceremonies. He was reminding them that he was still in control even with his people more than a mountain pass away. Also in a way proves that May will be safe under are protection and care. He's quite good at being low key about his true intentions and about making threats without it truly sounding as if it was one. For a man who doesn't like to be around people he's very good with his wording and tones. It's quite surprising to most people who are new to the tribe, most likely even more surprising than the fact that he leaves his sons and daughter to run his tribe while he goes off doing lord knows what. He's extremely smart and tactical which I'm sure is how he manages to survive on his own for so long and somehow always bring back some stuff.

I've always wondered what he does when he leaves for months, ever since Corey told me about it I've wanted to know. I also wonder if he always did this or if this started after his wife and mistress died. Like when she was his wife did she spend months and months alone ruling over the people or did he always stay by her side. Obviously he wasn't loyal to her so she probably wasn't all that important to him. He likely married her out of necessity and the woman he actually loved was most likely Liz and Sams mother since he had two kids with her while his wife was alive, but it was his wife that allowed the two to take his name and title. It's probably part of why he treats Corey so differently, he's aware Corey is his first born no matter how anyone looks at, he's also the head lady's son, unlike his two other children who's mother wasn't anything more than a local peasant girl. Maybe that's why the tribe is the way it is now and makes it so no matter who you are you still have a part to play and there isn't any poverty. It's the leader and the head lady, then their noble men and women, then the people. There is still three levels u like most other tribes. Other tribes have the leader and head women, then noble men and women, then guards and hunters, then second class which have money but not as much as nobles and nights, then third class which also have enough money to survive but can't have anything lavish, then finally the people who live in poverty that barely can afford to feed themselves or can't afford to and don't have the skills or weapons they need to be able to properly hunt. A normal tribe have 6 to 7 classes within the tribe and it is very important when it comes to marriage and who you can have a child with or come in contact with outside of jobs.

I've wonder a lot on who his mistress was and what her status was. Along with what the rules were when his father and grandfather ruled over the clan, because he could of easily been forced to marry and they might of had different class before he took over. I can't imagine being Coreys mother though, the way she had to of felt when she found out his father had two bastard children must of been heart breaking. Even if she didn't love his father he cheated on her and betrayed all wedding vows. Yet she still allowed them to take his name and title and raised them since their mother died shortly after Liz's birth. She had to have been embarrassed and most likely felt humiliated when she found out since others knew as well, but she never let that blind her. She also didn't take it out on any of the children and felt that they couldn't pick there parent and it wasn't their fault for what happened so they shouldn't have to suffer for it. She never held any resentment towards them and taught Corey not to have any either and to view them as his sibling and his equals. Which isn't common at all. Most bastards are at the lowest classes and have horrible lives for however long they live or with live a slave in their parents house to serve his actual children. If it's a women's bastard child she is killed and the child is either killed with her or sold to another tribe to be a slave, it's normally the women who are used in wedding rituals. They are sold and made so they are unable to have children and are used for sex for wedding rituals and for higher class men's pleasure. Either way they live horrible lives and have no real control over anything that happens to them up until they die. Coreys mother saved both Sam and Liz from a life like that. I'm not sure I would be able to say I would do the same. Knowing full well what happens to them I still don't know that I'd have it in my heart to say they should hold my husbands name and title and raise them as if they were my own. I wonder if Coreys father ever loved his mother at any point in her life. She died a few years after his mistress died, they were all still young but they all remember her and remember her fondly.

I don't know that I'd be ok with marrying Corey and him leaving me every breeding season to disappear for months. I would worry way to much about him and his health. I know Coreys father is strong and has taught Corey many things to make it so he could survive on his own if need be, but it doesn't mean I'd ever not worry. He gets hurt on hunting trips when he has help from his tribe, I can't even imagine what would happen if he was alone. I love him to much to let him go.

I don't think Sam or Liz would ever let him go alone though. They are both very loyal to Corey, they also have never challenged his authority or his place as the next leader they just have excepted it. They follow him as if they are simply nobles which I guess they will be after their father dies. It's probably why their father brought up everyone's strength and loyalty to one another. Honestly their tribe is one that I wouldn't want to mess with but I think after he dies it will become even stronger with all the sinking being united.

I truly don't like the think about this but May doesn't seem like someone the leader would choose for Sam to marry and have as a permanent wife. A part of me is scared there is a lot of ulterior motive behind this and that a part of him is probably hoping she doesn't survive her first child that way Sam can remarry someone who is a leaders only daughter so that the tribes with unit making ours even bigger than it already is. It's probably what part of what happened when he married Coreys mother. Their tribe is big compared to a lot of other tribes. It's a small army which isn't very small if we are being honest. His tribe is easily more then 100 in size. They never all are together though which is why it doesn't seem as big as it really is when they travel. They always have scouts out looking for hunting grounds and then actual hunter which are constantly groups of 20 men coming and going and there are about 60 men who are hunters and at least one group of them are gone at all times. And scouting groups are small groups of 15 and there are 4 scouting groups. Then the nobles and guards, all of them are warriors though so there isn't any just regular people. Just looking at scouting and hunting groups there are 120 men since they are groups of only men. Which is able half of the tribe. Most people don't know how big it truly is since they are never truly completely together unless they are going to war. That's the one time the entire tribe is all called back since war becomes the most important thing, and when they win it adds more people to the tribe since they take over their enemies tribe. All of the other tribe are given a choice to join their tribe when they take over and those who won't swear an oath of loyalty to the leaders and nobles of their tribe are taken and traded or sold as slaves for goods to benefit their tribe or are killed to show an example of what happens when you resist the rulers. After the oath is sworn they are taken and trained the way they need to be for the job they are going to have within the tribe and are used to benefit the tribe so either way they choose the tribe is benefitting in some aspect. Not many tribes are stupid enough to go up against dragon slaying tribes though. They are know for there strength and aren't called dragon slayers for nothing, only other dragon slaying tribes normally go up against one another. I don't think many other tribes would even have a chance to stand very long against Coreys let alone thinking they would win though. It's simply because of numbers, there is strength with numbers and all of them are trained to be warriors, but there is also stealth in small numbers. It's not likely that Coreys tribe would have the advantage of stealth when it comes to their movements when they are at war where as a smaller tribe would have the advantage of being able to move without being as easily noticed so they may be able to catch Coreys off guard. If they attacked correctly they could win but I don't think any leaders are that strategic and Coreys father doesn't seem like the type of person to ever not be on guard, so I think it might be hard to sneak up on them especially if they are at war.

I'm sure they will show their skills tomorrow during the hunt. It'll be a long day. Corey lay in bed next to me in the tent. His arms wrapped around me hold my body up against his. It's warm and safe, it was clear when I came back that he had missed me. Neither of us like to be far away from each other for long because we don't like the unknowns of what could happen to the other person even though we are both very capable people. I know tomorrow is going to be even longer for him than it will be for me and Liz. I also know tomorrow after or before dinner will likely be when they inspect May since that's when the guys will return. It also means Corey will be back for it. I know it won't bother him, but it bothers me just thinking about it. It's not fair that it's something as a women you have to go through when her counter part isn't going to have anything like that. The closest thing to an inspection he's going to have is while he's having sex with women before the wedding. May is going to have a much harder time than Sam, but she isn't trained to lead because she wasn't taught how to which one a way isn't her fault but it also is for not showing the want to do so before she wedded a man who had such influence over a tribe people. She did know his position as we knew hers, that's all she was told about him before this because she needed to know and have a chance to start to prepare but she didn't. It will be her undoing if she truly didn't go out of her way to learn anything because she will have a very long next few days and months. Coreys tribe isn't very forgiving or opening to outsiders. She will need to figure herself out, and figure out how to do what is needed quickly.