Ocean looked away like she had said something she wasn't supposed to have said.
"Forget I said that."
"Ocean, what celebration?"
"It's just like a wedding, that's it. Nothing to worry about."
Her face said she wasn't telling all the truth, but I nodded and accepted it, regardless. Pressing her about it was just not fair, she clearly wasn't supposed to have said anything about it. Ash made his way back to us and showed us the fish he had caught.
"I refuse to allow you to catch the biggest fish." She said, handing me the bag before watching the water.
I watched the two of them catch fish left, right and centre for what had to be hours. I felt him before I saw him. Wilder was walking down to the beach. The limp he had earlier was gone and he and his spear in his hand. He was still shirtless, just like he had been the last time when I checked on him.
He carefully sat down beside me, speaking, when he saw my eyebrow raised at him.
"I woke up and my leg wasn't sore anymore. I came to find you, though I didn't have to do any actual looking. Somehow, I knew where you were."
"That's how I found you earlier."
"It's strange, but useful."
He looked away from me to look at the other two in the water, who at the moment seemed to compare their fish sizes.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Too long. They have caught enough fish to feed the entire village tonight."
Wilder let out a loud whistle, and they both turned. Ash was the first one to make his way over.
"How is your leg?"
"It's better, next to no pain now."
Ocean brought her fish over and frowned when she realised they stuffed the bag with fish and their last two would not fit at all.
"It seems we are all going to be eating fish for dinner. Ash and I will collect some firewood and Ocean, you and Adler will start cleaning them. I'm sure the others will help if needed."
"Alright, come along Adler."
Ocean took the bag from me, and I carried the two fish that didn't fit. The one in my left hand was still moving. I hated it. Ocean could tell too. She was laughing every time I moved the fish away when it moved.
"We can clean these in my hut."
"Alright."
Her hut really wasn't that much different from Wilder's, only she had more storage and space since her hut was slightly larger. She pulled all the fish from the bag and laid them out along the ledge space she had. It was the closest thing to a kitchen counter they had. She pulled out some of the different stone knives she had and got to work on them.
"Adler, grab that pot and bring it over."
I grabbed the clay pot she asked for and brought it over; she dropped a fish fillet in the water. I watched her do this several times, bringing her the things she asked for. She showed me how to fillet the fish too and even let me try it.
"Please be so careful. I will never hear the end of this from Wilder."
"Yes. I understand."
I held up my fillet; it wasn't perfect, but it was done. I dropped it in the water and continued to watch her.
"Ash and Wilder are back. I can hear them."
I went and looked out the door, seeing a few good stacks of firewood beside the large fire. Wilder was moving some of it into the firepit carefully. I watched his back muscles flex and move. When he turned around to look at me, he was chuckling at me. Ash was speaking with the chief as she was helping him construct somewhere to hang the fish to cook over the fire.
Wilder came to help Ocean with the fish shortly after I openly watched him. He was quick at filleting the fish, and they turned out so nice looking. He was handing the guts and heads to me to put in another clay pot for bait to catch more. It was nasty, but I was handling it.
He handed me a fish head and my finger slipped down the throat hole and I gagged. Ocean was howling with laughter. Wilder just watched with an amused look on his face. I put the thing in the clay pot and took in some proper breaths.
"Come help me dry these off."
I nodded and went to help Ocean rinse and dry the fish off before setting them in a different style clay pot. It was shorter and more flat, kind of like a baking dish. Honestly, that's what it reminded me of when I looked at it.
Wilder sat down after he washed his hands and watched Ocean and me finished cleaning and drying the fish. Wilder offered to take it out to Ash to hang. She said she was ok to do it and told Wilder to go relax. That idea sounded like a good one.
"Want a snack before we have fish? I have a coconut back in the hut, and we both could probably use a nice, long drink of water."
"Oh, that sounds really pleasant."
Wilder and I headed back off towards his hunt. His mother gave us both a look as we passed, and I wondered if she thought we were sneaking off to get nasty, which was not the case here. He slipped his hand into mine as we almost arrived at the hut. The connection of the bond seemed to make us both relax a little more. It was comforting to be connected again. Neither of us understood it, but we were just rolling with it. We really didn't have another choice in the matter. It was clear the bond didn't die down. No matter how much time passed.
He let go of my hand when we walked into the hut. I wondered how he was going to crack open the coconut. I had clipped away at mine until there was a hole, but knowing it, he had a simpler way to get into it. He picked it up and smacked it against the hut, more so a rock. It cracked open, and he was quick to catch the water in a pot. He used his fingers to split it in half.
"Impressive," I muttered while watching his muscles flex.
He looked up and gave me a soft smile.
"It's easy. I'll show you when I have another one."
"Alright!"
He pulled out one of his stone knives and used it to slowly and carefully peel out the chunks of coconut. He passed me a chunk of coconut, his eyes lingering on me a moment longer than they should have. If I didn't know any better, I might have thought he was admiring me.
He chewed on a piece he cut out for himself and continued to cut away at the coconut.
"Wilder?"
"Hm?"
"I am very excited about the fish and everyone's company. Some of your village mates make amazing music."
"Yes, music is played often here. I can remember music being a staple in my childhood."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Oh while, I think about it because I have yet to see any for myself. Do you have any larger, dangerous animals?"
"Yes, they are separated from us by water, though, and I don't suggest you try to go over to the other island. At least not without some kind of protection. We have large dogs there. My mother thinks people like yourself have brought them to that island. They are absolutely not friendly. The wild dogs are not to be experimented with."
"Do they not swim?"
"They have never tried. They know we are on this island."
"Is that why you always have your spear on you?"
"Yes and no, I like to have it on me for the chance I might be able to hunt for something for a meal."
"I see. That is a good reason, then."
"I would like to teach you how to protect yourself with a spear in the next coming weeks. It would make me feel slightly better should I not be with you when you need me."
"I think I would like that as well. It would make me feel better to know I knew how to handle myself if something happened, and I would be useful."
"You still will not be allowed to hunt with the party, spear skills or not, Adler."
"I understand that."
"I will teach you basic hunting skills, however,"
"Why?"
"You can learn to hunt with me, but not the party because by our village traditions until you are of hunting age to hunt with the party, you can only hunt with your guardians or life mate."
"Oh."
"Yes."
"Any other village traditions you should fill me in on?"
"There are plenty, but I'll tell you about them in the coming days. They are not important. The only one you need to worry about is when we make the life partners promise."
"Oh?"
"It's what the shell blade is for."
"Oh. Explain more to me?"
"It will be used to make a blood pact between you and me. After that, with only that blade, I will hunt down and kill an animal as a tribute to our mating. Only when you have accepted my kill are we officially life mates."