Chapter 103: Special Ritual
Maeve had never been good at sewing, and she knew it. Back then, she had tried to fix her torn school shirt because her uncle refused to buy her a new one. But her sewing was so terrible that the stitches came loose after only a few hours.
After that day, she never wanted to sew again. Part of the reason was the embarrassment she felt when the shirt ripped open again while she was riding the bus.
However, now that she was sewing with Zini and Oraya, she realized that sewing wasn’t as frustrating as she had always believed.
Zini and Oraya patiently guided Maeve through each step, never rushing her.
"No, not like that," Oraya said gently, smiling as she adjusted the way Maeve held the needle. "Try making smaller stitches. They’ll hold the fabric together much better."
Maeve followed her instructions carefully. This time, the thread stayed in place instead of tangling into a messy knot.
"That’s it!" Zini clapped happily. "See? You’re getting better already."
Maeve looked down at the neat row of stitches and blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Of course," Oraya replied. "You learn very quickly. I think you have talent. You just needed someone to teach you the right way."
Maeve couldn’t help smiling because no one had ever praised her sewing before.
The three of them continued working together, chatting and laughing as the afternoon passed. Little by little, the pieces of soft beast fur began to take the shape of a tiny outfit.
"It’s for Lior," Zini said with a grin. "He’ll grow up so fast that he’ll need new clothes before we know it."
Maeve gently ran her fingers over the small shirt they were making. Just imagining Lior wearing it filled her heart with warmth.
She finally realized that the only reason she had struggled so much in the past was because she had never had someone willing to teach her with the same patience that Zini and Oraya showed her.
Neither of them ever criticized her, even when she made mistakes. Instead, they simply smiled, corrected her gently, and encouraged her to keep trying.
"He seems to like Nyx," Zini suddenly said.
Maeve looked up and turned toward the open doorway. Outside the hut, Nyx was holding Lior safely in his arms.
The little boy looked completely relaxed. Every time Nyx smiled at him or gently rocked him, Lior let out a happy little laugh.
Maeve smiled without realizing it. "I think Lior likes anyone who makes him feel safe," she said softly.
At that moment, she realized that if anything ever happened to her or her husbands, at least Lior would be in good hands.
The thought made her heart ache for a brief moment, but it also gave her a strange sense of comfort.
After all, when her parents died after their cruise ship sank, Maeve had been passed from one relative to another.
She understood that not every family was willing to take in another child. But still... it had been one of the most painful and traumatic experiences of her life, and she never wanted her own children to go through the same thing.
"Zini, in this tribe... if a child’s parents withered away, would the whole tribe help raise that child?" Maeve asked softly.
Her sudden question caught Zini off guard. Even Oraya, who was sitting beside her, looked up in surprise.
For a moment, neither of them answered. Zini slowly set down the piece of fur she had been sewing and looked at Maeve with gentle eyes.
"Of course," she said without hesitation. "No child would ever be left alone."
Oraya nodded in agreement. "In our tribe, children belong to all of us," she said. "Their parents raise them, but everyone helps. If the parents are gone, the rest of the tribe becomes their family."
Maeve quietly listened, her fingers tightening around the small shirt she was sewing.
"They would still have a home," Zini continued. "Someone would feed them, teach them, and make sure they grew up loved. That’s how our ancestors have always lived."
Maeve couldn’t help smiling softly. Without any of them realizing it, their words had healed a wound she had carried in her heart for many years.
"I’m really glad to hear that," Maeve said with a gentle smile. "And once everyone starts having babies, I’ll do my best to help take care of their children too."
"Oh, Goddess, that reminds me!" Zini suddenly said, her voice a little louder. "We actually wanted to talk to you about something."
Maeve tilted her head in confusion as she noticed that both Zini and Oraya had suddenly become unusually serious.
"What’s wrong?" she asked. "Are... you still having trouble having children, even after I gave birth to the leader’s child?"
Oraya quickly waved both hands and shook her head. "No, it’s not that," she said with a small smile. "Actually... after the leader’s mate gives birth to their child, the tribe holds a special ritual for every couple in the settlement."
Maeve blinked in surprise. "A ritual?" she repeated. "What kind of ritual?"
Zini nodded. "Yes. It’s an old tradition that has been passed down for generations."
Oraya explained, "Every married couple will stay in their own home to take part in the Blessing of New Life."
Maeve tilted her head. "What do they do?"
Zini smiled, though a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "They spend the next week focusing only on mating with each other and on starting a family. During that time, the rest of the tribe takes over many of their daily duties so they can stay together without worrying about hunting or other work."
"The elders believe that sharing the Sky Mother’s blessing gives every couple the best chance to welcome a child," Oraya added. "Many babies have been born after this tradition."
Maeve looked surprised. "The whole tribe does this?"
"Every married couple," Zini said with a laugh. "After the week is over, we’ll wait for the signs of pregnancy by watching for the Red Moon to appear, just like we did when you were pregnant, Goddess."
Maeve gently bit her lower lip. The tradition was basically a week dedicated to every married couple trying for a baby. It sounded a little ridiculous, but at the same time, she could understand why the tribe had kept the tradition for so many generations.
"So... do I have to take part too?" Maeve asked shyly.
Oraya quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no. You don’t have to join the ritual," she said with a reassuring smile. "It’s mainly meant for couples who want to have children. Since you already have one, you’re under no obligation to take part again."
[Host, if you want to join the ritual, you’ll have to do it with all of your mates!] Pinky said excitedly. [Do you want to join, Host?! The others can look after your child for a while.]
[And don’t worry about getting pregnant. You don’t have to conceive during the ritual. You can simply ask your mates to drink a boiled brew made from the bark of the red tree.]
Maeve couldn’t help twitching at the corner of her eye. Pinky seemed determined to convince her to join this rather perverted ritual.
’We still have so many things to do for the tribe, so I don’t think we’ll have time to take part in this... ritual,’ Maeve replied in her mind.
Fortunately, Pinky didn’t push the matter any further or try to force her by giving her a mission.
"So... when will the ritual be held?" Maeve asked a little awkwardly. "I’ll let my husbands know too, so they can divide the work among the people who won’t be taking part."
"The sooner, the better!" Zini replied with an excited smile. "We’ll probably hold it sometime next week!"
That night, after all of her husbands had returned home, Maeve finally told them about the ritual.
"Oh, that ritual should have happened much sooner," Cerus said with a frustrated sigh. He clenched his fists. "Those damn Pyrax really left our settlement in terrible shape!"
Even now, a few damaged huts still needed repairs, although most of the rebuilding had already been completed.
Axan remained calm. "It already happened," he said. "There’s no point staying angry about it now."
Cerus let out a long breath and leaned back against the wall. "I know," he muttered. "I’m just annoyed that everyone has to delay something they’ve been looking forward to because of them."
Ikarus, who had been quietly listening while holding Lior, looked toward Maeve. "If possible, we’ll hold it the day after tomorrow," he said. "I’ll ask the others to speed up the repairs on the damaged huts. Can you ask the women to prepare enough clothes, blankets, and other daily necessities for every household before then?"
Maeve nodded without hesitation. "I can do that," she replied. "Zini and Oraya have already been teaching me how to sew. I’ll help however I can."