A confrontation in the family

The rain grew stronger by a minute. Every other second, someone in the swarm got hit by a water globe.

The bees supported each other, and no one else fell, but they grew more and more soaked. Those lucky enough to stay dry—like myself—got ahead of the bees weighted down by the water in their hair and over their wings.

Our stamina was draining, too. Halfway to the hive, we had to rest again. At least, the massive fern-trees still protected us somewhat.

I led the swarm under one such leaf. Water was streaming from its sides in thin rivulets, but the ground under the fern-tree was relatively dry.

The bees were all wet and sad and shivered from the cold. I was wet and chilly, too.

In a relatively drier place, my daughters immediately huddled together for warmth.This was great for them, but they were all naked and my daughters, so I stayed a hand's length away.

"Father, what are you doing here? Aren't you cold?" a bee asked.

"I'm fine! J-just fine!" I pointed at my leaf skirt in-between shivers. "Look, I have some *actual clothes*! They *totally* protect me from the cold. They would protect you, too, if you actually wore any. One day, you will—when Craftsmen Bees will get to it."

Eventually…

There were just so many steps needed before clothes could be implemented. Like knives. And thread… Establishing military and border patrols was much easier!

"As you say, Father," my obedient daughter-soldier said.

'Thank their lack of curiosity! I really don't want to explain to them what's "propriety" is.'

Several minutes later, the swarm flew out again. The last stretch was the hardest.

The headwind made my teeth chatter, and I could barely see with all the water flowing into my eyes.

Finally, our mountain home was in front of us. Only the last stretch remained.

"Come on, girls! You can do it—just fly up! Fly up, and the hive will be there!"

Curious heads were already poking out from the entrance. Our approach was noticed.

The rapid pitter-patter of the storm was our dramatic music as the bees reached for our home.

Some of them used the mountain pillar itself for support between bouts of flight. A few slipped during this, but were immediately caught by their sisters. Several bees threw away or dropped their hammers because they were too heavy or slippery, but they could be picked up and fixed later.

And finally, the swarm climbed into the hive entrance, a bee after a bee.

〔Border Patrols〕 

Brainpower requirement: 13

Allows establishing your territory. 

Increases chances of noticing outside threats to the colony beforehand. 

Allows opening and closing borders. 

〔〕〔〕〔〕 

We did it!

Several hundred bees were already waiting near the entrance, and they immediately ran or flew up close to help our swarm climb inside.

It was such a large and thick crowd that when someone offered me a helping hand, I grabbed it without thinking. I was less exhausted than my daughters, but still bone-weary and shivering.

Then I looked again and gasped.

"Ambrosia? What are you doing out here?"

She pulled me away from the entrance and through the crowd that spread in front of her as if by magic. All in silence, while around us, hundreds of bees were talking and shouting, creating a familiar background noise.

Thunder rumbled from far away, and a flash of lightning threw sharp shadows on Ambrosia's beautiful face.

"Amby… Amby, are you angry with me?"

"Angry?" Ambrosia turned to me and stopped. "No, I'm only disappointed."

We were on the ground level of the hive, standing on the hard stone, far enough away from other bees to be mostly hidden by darkness and almost in privacy.

The stone floor was like an anvil against which I was crushed by the weight of Ambrosia's icy tone.

"What? Why? Hey, actually, you should be praising me right now! I just solved our ant problem—moved to solve it, at least." I rubbed my free pair of arms against my shoulders to warm up. "Why do I feel like a hard-working husband who returns to the wife after a long day on the job and meets only berating instead of a warm dinner?"

Ambrosia reached out and began rubbing my shoulders, too. She was slightly pregnant with eggs at the moment, with a soft round belly and fattening sting-wielding "tail". Ambrosia's skin was dry and warm, and I eagerly leaned closer to her.

But her face stayed as cold as a glacier.

"Is that so? For someone who always claims that he will live a long life, you put yourself at risk way too easily, Nectus. Going all the way to the far reaches of our territory when it's so cloudy outside—is there really anything valuable inside your head, or is it all just wax and rocks for weight?"

God, Ambrosia was so cruel.

I pressed herself closer to her and buried my face in her chest. At least if she was going to berate me, she could provide me with moral support in the form of her boobies!

"*Someone* had to establish our borders properly, and who else but me? And when else but today? There's no time to waste!"

Maybe I was getting a bit stir-crazy sitting inside all day, too.

My words came out muffled, but Ambrosia heard them. She sighed, not stopping rubbing my shoulders.

"Everybody in the hive has a role, and yours is *not* flying around recklessly. Your daughters make the hive work better just by being themselves. They come up with better ways to do their normal tasks. Your training helps even more. Your *really* couldn't have waited for another day?"

And what could I say to this without pissing Ambrosia off even more? If she decided to lock me up "for everybody's safety", I would have to take my balls hostage—and this was the last thing I wanted.