Two days later. Dieg and Astri haven't mated yet, but Dieg is happy that she lets him be close and kiss her whenever he wants. They walk together holding hands and she's always gentle with him. Dieg is in the clouds.
That afternoon Astri was left alone at the cabin, being guarded at a distance by some mated wolves. She was removing weeds from her plantation, which was growing pretty well and really fast.
She hears the wolves around the cabin talking and looking to the sky, and then she looks to the sky too, and sees six men flying, with wings on their backs.
"Wow…" Astri is impressed. She thinks that it must be awesome to fly like that.
The group of flying men was led by a man with dark red wings, he had long red hair tied in the middle of its length. He wears a dark green cloth that reminds Astri of a Greek God. It looks like silk, covering one of his shoulders and the side of his chest, going down to a skirt tied on his waist that covers until his knees. He looked in her direction and their eyes met.
"Must be the Red Eagle Tribe, and that guy must be the leader. Dieg and Shung were preparing to greet them with a feast. Hope everything goes well with their partnership." Astri thinks.
She goes back to work, imagining that this tribe must be richer for Shung wanting their partnership. The leader looked rich indeed.
End of the afternoon Dieg came back, Astri just finished taking a bath and she smelled freshly clean. He hugs her from behind smelling her neck.
"Hum.. You smell so great I could bite you." Dieg says playfully, biting her shoulder.
"Don't! Ouch!" She says giggling and pinching his cheek.
"You look beautiful. Let's go?" He asks.
"Go where?" She asks, confused.
"To the gathering with the Red Eagle Tribe. My father told me to bring you, remember?"
"Oh… I actually didn't remember. Am I wearing good clothes for this?"
"Yes. You look beautiful, even if it's still the fall season. But you're wearing it because of your beast marks, right?"
"Yes. Letting my body be too exposed will make people wonder where my beast mark is." She answers.
"It's true.. And I like to know that no other male will be seeing your perfect body instead of me."
She rolls her eyes with a smile.
"And Wayde."
"I'll pretend he doesn't exist for now. Let's go, my beautiful mate." Dieg says, holding her hand and showing the way with his hand like a gentleman.
Dieg is always fun and that makes Astri feel less lonely, but she can't deny she's already missing Wayde.
Holding hands, Dieg and Astri arrive at a clear spot where the full moon is shining.
Several beasts are around, talking and feasting. Dieg taught the tribe members how to make fire and control it to not spread, just like Astri taught him. So the whole area is not dark, and there's a charming light coming from the little fires around.
Dieg spreads his aura to keep unmated males away from them. Most of the other tribe members are three marks or less. Even if they could challenge Dieg, they wouldn't because they respect their future leader.
They finally arrive where Shung, his mate, the doctor, and the guests are sitting. Dieg is happy to show all those males his beautiful mate.
Astri felt that many eyes were on her, but the deepest one was from the leader of the Red Eagle Tribe. He's looking at Astri like he was calculating things. Astri sits on Dieg's mom's side and smiles at her, greeting her and then Shung.
"Good evening, Astri. This is Lee Braze. He's the leader of the Red Eagle Tribe." Shung introduces them.
"Good evening, leader Lee Braze." Astri politely bows her head, but Lee is focused on her beautiful eyes that look like the stars.
"Good evening. I didn't know you would have such a beautiful female here, Shung." Lee says, still not removing his eyes from Astri, and that is making Dieg angry.
Shung holds his smile, not showing he's happy with that comment. He knew that Lee was single and he hoped that Lee would be interested in mating with one of the females of the tribe.
Until now Lee didn't stop his eyes on any female, but Shung knew that Astri would call Lee's attention.
Astri looks behind Dieg's mom and counts 8 men. So she has 9 mates! Astri is shocked. Ana had five already, so she shouldn't be so impressed.
"You look so beautiful. It's nice to finally meet my son's mate." Dieg's mom says.
"It's an honor to meet you too." Astri speaks, with a smile.
Ana arrives with that cheap queen attitude, followed by her five mates, but she still has one purple eye and is trying to hide it with her hair. She sits near Dieg and looks at Lee. She never thought she would see another beautiful male like Wayde in her life, and Lee is both beautiful and rich.
Lee didn't pay any attention to Ana, his eyes were still on the little female with eyes like the stats who was still talking to Shung's mate and not eating at all, while the other females were eating.
"Do you want me to roast the meat?" Dieg whispers to Astri.
"Don't have to. I can eat at home." She whispers back.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Not yet. I would love some water, though."
"I'll get some." He says smiling.
Dieg stands up and leaves. Ana glances at her father and by her eyes, Shung understands that she wants to be introduced to Lee. He does introduce Ana, hoping Lee would have more interest in his tribe.
However, Lee just ignored Ana.
Ana kept trying to seduce Lee, but he ignored her all the time.
After a long time, Astri wanted to go to the toilet. She whispers to Dieg that she will be going to the sandbox, he knows she doesn't like to be accompanied to the sandbox so he only nods. He knows that there are guards all around their cabin.
Astri walks away and gives a relieved sigh of not feeling the tension from Ana's side. She walks back to her cabin, Dieg made wooden walls around the sandbox so Astri has more privacy. After washing her hands she turns around and it's surprised to see Lee in front of her. She was startled and held her chest.
"You scared me…" She says softly.
"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention."
He's tall like Wayde, but not as muscular. He has a long feather earring hanging on his left ear. He looks like pure pride, his smile shows Astri that he's very sure of himself.
"I saw you here today. Is this your place?" He asks, looking around.
"Well, yes. I live here." She says walking away from the toilet and going to the front of the house.
"I think you deserve a better place. Better clothes. That boy doesn't have the money to provide all this for you. Is he your only mate?"
"Our cabin is cozy. And no. Wayde is my mate too." Astri answers. This man has no sensitivity.
"Shung told me that this Wayde is the strongest here, he's a tiger and has 7 marks."
"Yes. He's traveling now to bring salt to the tribe." Astri nods.
"An important task. But also risky. He left you guarded by a 3 marked kid. Living in this cold cabin away from the others."
"I asked to live here. I hate the smell of poop. Though it's better now that they learned how to use sandboxes, I still prefer to stay here."
"I see.. Thinking better, you're right. You're too beautiful to be seen by just anyone. It's dangerous because soon ferals and monsters will be coming to get you." He tells.
He's waiting for her to ask him to be her mate like all other females, but she doesn't pop the question even if he brings her to the edge of it.
Besides thinking about asking him to protect her, she was thinking about warming the cabin more because it gets cold in there late at night and it will get worse during winter.
"You should have a bigger and better place." He says.
"I was thinking of asking Wayde and Dieg to widen our cabin to have more rooms, but I think we will have to wait until summer for that."
"Just more rooms? Not a cabin, think bigger. A castle. With beautiful skins and tapestry."
"A castle is too big to keep clean.. And I like wood. Maybe mixing rock walls with wooden floors and walls too. Tapestry is a nice idea! I think we still have deer skin I can use to keep the floor warm so it's not so cold during winter. I can also take some skins and sew them together for warmer clothes." She says, then starts talking about projects she wants to do, like talking to herself.
"You won't keep anything clean. Other beastmen would keep it clean. I can buy any tapestry and clothes you want. You deserve the most beautiful home and clothes, like the ones from the Great Wall City. Luckily, I'm rich like them."
"Why will you buy me all that? And you went to Great Wall City?" She asks.
"I would give you anything you want. And yes, I already went to Great Wall City." He speaks.
"Oh.. Is your tribe near Great Wall City?"
"No, but flying is faster to get there. Why? " He asks.
"Just curious. Thank you for the tapestry idea. I'll be going back now." She says and starts walking back to where Dieg is.
Lee got confused. Was he ignored? Impossible. He follows her.
"Are you an eagle too? I can smell bird on you." He asks.
"Yeah. Everyone says that. This feather from your earring is yours? It's beautiful." She noticed he likes attention and he's proud of himself, so talking about him would make him stop asking things about her life.
"I know. Do you want it?" He asks with a proud smile.
"My favorite color is red. I won't lie. But I think it would look more beautiful on you." She tells.
"I think it would look perfect on your hair. With gems too."
"Gems?"
"Like this." He shows her a red crystal that is hanging with the feather.
"Oh, how pretty. It looks expensive."
"Poor thing.. Have you never seen money in your life? This single gem can buy 10 of that cabin or more."
She gets shocked.
"Why do you walk around with something so expensive on you like that? Someone might rob you!" She says in shock.
"I don't fear thieves. Thieves don't have eight marks like me." He answers, very proud of himself.
"Oh.. I understand. Either way. You should be careful. What if it falls?"
"I have a lot more gems."
"I see. Good for you." She says.
His chin falls down. He feels she's ignoring him, no female ever failed to gawk at him and ask him to be their mate. Astri just talks politely, like talking to a child who wants attention.
"Don't you want a rich mate?" He asks.
"Money is important, but I don't mind if my mate is rich and powerful or not." She answers.
"And what do you look for in a male?"
"We need to like being together. He just needs to like being with me, have a nice time together. Have fun. Showing we care about each other." She says.
"That's easy. I can do that."
They meet with Dieg midway. He was worried since Astri was taking a long time to come back. Now he knows the reason when saw Lee with her.
Dieg can't be rude to Lee, but he doesn't like to know that Lee is courting Astri. Astri holds Dieg's hand and that calmed Dieg, making him smile warmly at her. Lee noticed their smile and he got envious.
"You have the most beautiful female in this continent and you let her alone?" Lee speaks.
"Astri doesn't like anyone seeing her peeing. And the cabin is being guarded." Dieg answers.
"By low-level males."
"They're the best we have here. I trust them." Dieg affirms. Lee sneers.
"Now forward she will have one of mine guarding her." Lee states.
Astri was ignoring them, thinking about what to do with the cabin to make it warmer.
"Astri?" Dieg calls her.
"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something." She says.
"Do you think you need a feather guard?" Dieg asks her.
"No. I don't think so. But about that I always let you and Wayde decide for you to feel at ease. As long as they don't stop me from doing what I want." She says.
"They're stronger, but.." Dieg softly says.
"Then it's decided." Lee nods satisfied.
When Lee noticed Astri and Dieg walking to sit far from him, Lee held Astri's hand and then told the other feather beastmen to step away. When the feather beastmen saw that their leader was opening space for a female they were shocked. They never saw their leader courting a female.
Ana was fuming when she saw Lee making Astri sit next to him and offering her the best meat. Soon Astri felt Ana's fierce gaze and rolled her eyes.
"I didn't see you eating anything all night. Do you want another kind of meat?" Lee asks Astri.
"No. I'm fine. Not hungry." She answers.
She's getting hungry, but she doesn't want to say that the only way for her to eat raw meat is by cutting and seasoning the meat like a carpaccio.
"Astri has a different taste for food, leader Lee. I wouldn't waste my time with her if I were you." Ana speaks.
"Luckily you're not me." Lee says coldly and then turns his attention to Astri again.
Ana trembles in anger. First Astri got Wayde and now Lee. Ana believes Astri will take all the males Ana desires.
Astri held in the laughter. She must admit that she liked to see Lee dealing with the rude queen.
"What do you like to eat?" Lee asks Astri.
"She likes to cook the food." Dieg answers.
"Cook?"
"I tasted it. It's indeed delicious. Thank you for sending me that pasta and meatballs thing you sent me, Astri." Dieg's mom says with a smile.
"The roasted meat is my favorite." Dieg speaks.
"Roast meat? How can I do that?" Lee asks.
Dieg prepares the fire in the middle of their circle and then puts the meats on sticks like Astri taught him. Then he pulls the salt pouch he carries for Astri and sparkles the salt on it.
"This is roasting meat. Astri learned from a doctor from a city that when we do that the meat gets more delicious and also kills any disease the meat might be carrying." Dieg took the front to answer everything and call attention to where he wants, but Lee is smart and notices by Astri's look that she knows more. But Lee doesn't pry on that.
As time passes the meat is spreading a delicious smell and everyone is drooling. Including Ana.
"What city did you meet this doctor, Astri?" Lee asks her, while she was drinking water.
"I don't know the name. I didn't ask, actually." She answers.
Lee was right, apparently his beautiful female hides something. He visited most of the cities of that continent and he never saw anyone eating like this. If she's hiding, it's because that knowledge is hers and she's doing the right thing.
"I see. There are many and it's easy to mistake a city for a tribe village too." He smiles, then changes the subject.
Astri always feels thankful when Shung calls Lee to talk. She feels that Lee is measuring all of her answers.
When the meat is ready everyone tries and then their faces shine like the meaning of the world has changed. They loved the meat that most of them got entirely focused on eating.
Lee liked the roasted meat a lot too, he looks at Astri, and she's eating quite happily too. So she was hungry, she just didn't want to call attention.
After a few more time Astri could finally go home. Dieg takes her home relieved that Astri will be away from Lee.
"That red bird was making me go mad. He would always be around you." Dieg says, annoyed. He sighs. "But I must admit that having him as a mate would be good for you and for everyone here."
"What do you mean?" Astri asks.
"You would be the reason he would stay. If he builds his tribe near ours, our tribe would be much safer because he has stronger beastmen. You need protection more than any other female and having him would assure you of that." Dieg explains.
"You know I don't choose anyone to be my mate just for being convenient. Even more for the convenience of others." She speaks.
"I know, but.. I think you should this time."
"Are you selling me to him?"
"What?! No!"
"Because it sounds like that. That you're telling me to accept him just to make the tribe stronger."
"And safer.."
Astri takes a deep breath, holding her anger. Females choose mates for convenience and don't think about anything else at first, but Astri doesn't like to be treated like that.
Astri steps inside the cabin and then pushes Dieg to stay outside. He looks at her confused and then she closes the door on his face. His female is angry at him.