Chapter 14: The Rabbit Scuffle
The sun dipped low, casting a golden hue over the Panther Village as Yue Lixue was carried bridal-style through the village. Everyone was buzzing with busyness. Some males were tanning more leather hides. Some were preparing fur and pelt clothes for females. Most leather was worn by males since it was too uncomfortable. Only soft leather would be considered suitable for females.
Some like Veylan's mate, Maria, would choose to wear the leather armour in public but privately, like at the family dinner, always changed into the softer leather.
The pair returned to Korran's family home, and he slipped Lixue down from his arms. "You're getting used to being carried by me, my little leopard."
Her face reddened at the nickname combined with such a comment. "You rarely give me a chance these days, there's no reason for me to be carried everywhere." Although it was nice, Yue Lixue would never admit it. She didn't want to get lazy and depend only on Korran.
She walked into the house, her mind set on the fruits that had been provided by Sable the other day. The shaman had realised Lixue was oddly partial to the sour fruits.
Korran then looked around the side of the door, where he had left the fruits from his earlier hunt. His arms laden with the white rabbits he had skillfully hunted earlier that day. His heart swelled with pride as he thought of Lixue's delight dazzling in her blue eyes and smiling at the sight of the delightful fluffy pelts. Knowing how much she would cherish the warmth and softness they could provide in clothing he rushed in.
As he entered the modest family home in the Panthers treetop village. He was met by the comforting aroma of Yue Lixue cutting the sour fruits with a standard beast's bone knife, a small meal being prepared for herself. Lixue greeted him with a warm smile, her eyes lighting up as she noticed the rabbits. "Korran, these are..." DEAD RABBITS?! "GET THOSE OUT OF HERE!!"
Unfortunately, Korran had assumed that her eyes had lit up from delight. Not horror and disgust. Still unrealising, he chuckled, his confidence unwavering. "I thought you might appreciate their pelts for warmth, and their meat is small enough to manage. I knew I was right!" He said, his voice filled with admiration for his mate.
Before he could elaborate, Maria burst into the room, her warrior's stride assertive and her expression stern. Her thick black locks trailing behind her. "Korran, what in the world are you thinking?" she barked, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight of the now stiff dead rabbits.
Korran blinked in surprise, taken aback by Maria's abrupt entrance. "Maria, what's the matter? Lixue likes them, don't you?" he asked turning to his little leopard, his tone defensive yet tinged with confusion.
Crossing her arms, Lixue shook her head, and Korran sighed in defeat.
Maria crossed her arms, her no-nonsense demeanour setting the tone for her scolding. "You bring home these rabbits and just leave them as they are? Females prefer prepared items, not dead animals still in their fur!" she declared, her voice sharp and unyielding.
Korran's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, his pride stinging under Maria's harsh words. "I-I thought Lixue might like the pelts- and- and that she would look great in them," he stammered, his confidence wavering under her relentless emerald gaze.
Maria rolled her eyes, her tone softening slightly as she realized the depth of his misunderstanding. "Of course, all females like the pelts and Lixue will love a white rabbit fur dress, but females also want and expect the garments and, or the meat properly prepared! You're a warrior Korran, a dumb one at the moment, maybe, but you need to learn how to prepare these things if you're going to be a proper mate for Yue Lixue in the future! You need to be better!" she lectured, her words laced with a mix of frustration and hidden concern.
Maria really did sound like a big sister, Yue Lixue laughed at how much they really were like family. Such a great sister-in-law Korran had. She might seem harsh, but Lixue knew that she could tell well.
Korran nodded sheepishly, his resolve renewed. "Fije, you're right, Maria, You're right."
"I'll go prepare them right away for you Lixue, you'll look fantastic in these in no time," he said, quickly exiting the room to properly prepare the rabbits and their fur.
As Maria watched him leave, a small smile tugged at her lips, a testament to her softer, more nurturing side. Turning to Lixue, she said, "Don't worry, he'll get the hang of it. If you ever need any help with tanning the hides or anything else, let me know. I can teach you how to tan them properly."
Lixue's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really? That would be wonderful, Maria. I've always wanted to learn how to make my own clothes. Although, leather was always supposed to be very difficult to prepare and stitch correctly. "
Maria nodded, her warrior's demeanor giving way to a warm, welcoming smile. "Of course! It's an important skill for any beast, and I'd be happy to share what I know. You're family now."
Over the next few days, Sira entered their little duo. Halika wanted her daughter to learn how to tan the hides too. It turned out that this was an early skill that all panthers were brought up learning. Thr young child's presence brought a gentle reminder of the community's interconnectedness and how much this Beastworld was different to anything Lixue had known or experienced before.
"Mother, may I join Maria and Lixue in learning how to tan hides?" she asked, her voice respectful and eager. Sira had begun looking up to Lixue ever since being with Halika when she openly explained how, as an older female of the Panther tribe and Elder, that Lixue was the next Moonborne.
Halika's weathered smile widened, her worn heart swelling with pride at her youngest daughter's eagerness to learn. "Of course, Sira. The more the merrier! We can all learn from each other. If you see your brother Zaric, tell him I'm looking for him to talk about some things."
Lixue could tell it was important. She didn't know that the elder female was trying to give her a way out of this arranged marriage.
Although to Lixue, this wasn't an arranged marriage. Beast's didn't have marriage in this world, but it was definitely a political mating for sure.
As the evening wore on, the communal area they worked at was filled with the sounds of laughter and the gentle rustling of hides being prepared. Maria's lessons proved to be both informative and entertaining, with occasional jokes and shared stories that highlighted the strength and unity of their tribe.
Many of them were stories about Maria's own upbringing. It turned out she herself had 4 brothers on the tribe and her mother had died in childbirth with her three younger brothers.
Yue Lixue couldn't help wonder about the mother mortality rates here in the Beast world. Was there nothing that could prevent deaths?
Considering deaths of females, who are already rare, would be considered such a tragedy. Surely, there were better healers than the shamen Sable. While some of his medicines had helped, he seemed more like a fake quack shamen when it came to help with her own memories.