Chapter 16: Fabric and Dresses Production

Six years had already passed since the boar incident, and I turned 15 years old. Gurion was getting bigger, and we became closer as I visited him often. He used to always cling to me and be reluctant to part with me when it was time for me to go.

Meanwhile, fabric production was in full swing, especially when other tribes also started to negotiate with us on trading our fabrics for food, salt, rare herbs, and tools after learning about our fabric production.

I designed a backless cloak just for myself so that it would never be torn again like before. I also wore an undergarment that doesn't hinder my tail when it suddenly pops out after my transformation. It was made from a combination of cotton and silk fabric, with silk lace ribbon tied on each side as a waist strap to hold it in place.

I also decided to make a loose, backless, knee-length dress with a thick leather belt designed with a wooden clutch to keep it in place and remove it easily as I please underneath my long cloak that covers my clothing.

The preparation for the courtship ritual was almost done despite the busyness of the tribe in the fabric production and dress making for the female participants in the upcoming ritual.

Lindie was one of the participants this year and was expected to be married to one of the best-looking males in the tribe, named Dillon.

He had honey-blond, short, curly hair with a brownish cast at the bottom, while his eyes were emerald. He had the most charming and gentle personality among the tribe, despite being a Lion beastman. He looked more like a sheep in lion's clothing. His body was smaller than the average body of a Lion beastman, but I was sure that he would grow more in time.

Older Brother Orson, who was also one of the best-looking males in the tribe, will also participate, despite having no interest in any female who shall participate in the ritual. He has chocolate-brown hair and light gray eyes. Though he never approached me because of the hostility of his father towards me, he still made sure to greet me with a smile every time we met.

A male has the freedom to choose a female participant at the start of the ritual, and then they will be presented hand in hand in front of the altar of the beastman goddess at a scheduled time designated by the elders for three consecutive days.

If a male shall fail to choose a prospective partner before the scheduled time allotted to them, they shall be forfeited from proceeding with the ritual and from joining the succeeding rituals for at least three years, despite any reason.

Lindie never apologized to me for the incident four years ago. She acted as if I didn't exist, and sometimes she was extremely hostile to me. It was as if she were the victim of a failed murder attempt.

Even so, I still prepared a special silk dress for her to wear on her wedding day since our mom was no longer capable of sewing good clothing for her first step into adulthood.

Every female was envious of her when my father presented her with the wedding dress a week before the event, along with the coat and a few simple dresses she can use regularly.

The other females were also provided with new dresses sewn by the elders from silk fabrics.

I asked my father not to reveal that I was the one who made the dresses for Lindie, though most of the elders knew the truth since it took me two years to sew them all.

During the first day of the ritual, I decided to play around the hidden spring I found while hunting two years ago.

It was a little bit far from the tribe, so it could be tiring to walk by land. Luckily, I have wings, so it was easy for me to travel by air.

I intentionally left my mask at home, then removed my cloak and changed into more comfortable clothes since I was planning to go alone and I did not think that I would be able to bump into any male around the location I was heading to.

I brought my cloak but placed it inside my bag, took my bow, and tied my quiver on my waist in case something unexpected happened.

I ran on the backside of the tribal territory that has the highest fence installed since it is the area with the fewest guards. The fence was intentionally made high, and only winged beasts like me were able to pass through.

As I approached the high fence, my heart pounded in my chest. I carefully scanned the area for any sign of guards, but to my relief, I didn't see any. However, my attention was soon drawn to a figure standing just a few feet away.

It was Dillon. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized him. I gestured for him to keep quiet, not wanting to risk being caught. I couldn't tell if he recognized me or not, but he was shocked and confused.

I knew it wouldn't be long before my father realized I was gone. But I couldn't worry about that now. All I could do was hope that Dillon wouldn't mistake me for a spy or a thief and that I would be able to make it back to the tribe unnoticed.

I was wearing a two-piece bathing suit that I recently made using silk and cotton fabric. My body hasn't fully grown yet, but my bosom size was not that small compared to an average female beastman, so I had to make a top with cotton-made pads on the front to prevent my teat from sticking out. It was a halter top tied around the nape and at the lower back, just below my wings. The bottom one was a bikini-like design tied on both sides, and then I wrapped my body with a big shawl made from cotton fabric, draping it like a halter dress decorated with floral-shaped tints made from various colored herbs and flowers.