Ocello took out his pot again and made a quick meal from some grains and fruit that he had in his never-ending bag. I remembered how he stuffed all the blankets and hides in it, and it still seemed to have room. Was the bag one of those that had endless space in them? I would have asked, but I didn't want to make him uncomfortable if he couldn't tell me. While we ate, Ocello gave me a brief history of the region.
"Across the river is Bena Village at the base of Ozelo Mountain. There are several tribes that came together to work the land there and hunt. We have some artisans that make fabric and treat hides that are brought back from hunts." Ocello pointed off across the river as he was talking. "It is very peaceful there. There are a few other villages in the area that all work together and trade."
Ocello pointed off to the east where the sun rises. "In that direction live the Moanchan tribes. They fight a lot with each other. We avoid them for the most part." By then the grains in the pot were soft and bubbling. Taking a moment to dish up a dish for me, Ocello continues as he handed me a spoon.
"The Xica tribe live to the west close to Hualan lake." Ocello sighed. 'They have someone they say rules them all, but I can't imagine so many people having to bow to a single family, but I've heard of people killed if they refused to bow." Taking a moment, he went to the edge of the forest and brought back a thick branch. He shifted his nails into claws and began using them like a scalpel to carve the wood. After a while, he was able to make another bowl and spoon that he rinsed in the river before dishing himself up some of the grain porridge.
"Those other tribes sound violent. Are you sure that we are safe?"
"They tend to keep to their own areas. The mountains keep them from coming her too often. The Moanchan are too busy fighting their own people to worry about others. The Xica know we would never bow to them. They may be able to control those that are close to them, but trying to control people who live months of travel away isn't something they want to worry about."
"How do you know about them since they are so far away?"
"We have some people who have left those places and decided to settle here instead. They tell us stories of what they left." As we ate, Ocello pointed out some of the plants in the area that we were eating. It turns out that he had picked the berries that were in the porridge when he went to get wood for the small fire. Many tribes used the camp as they passed through. It wasn't long before I finished my food and started yawning. I noticed that as the sun got higher in the sky, the heat was starting to get unbearable. Fanning myself as the sweat rolled off my brow, Ocello started to look worried.
"Why don't you take a moment and nap. I can get out the hides and blanket. They sun is just going to make the day hotter, and you shouldn't be out for too long in the heat. We can continue in a few hours." Ocello pointed over to the trees. "You can wash up in the river as I set up." I nodded and headed to the cool river water. I was happy as the splashing took the edge of the heat.
I looked down at the white chef top that I had on. When I had gone out to the deck, I hadn't wanted to bother getting another shirt dirty and since it was late, I didn't think anyone would have noticed. The thick fabric was more suited for the kitchen where you needed protection from flames than the hot sun. The button at the top had long since fallen off and dirt and grime had rubbed into the pristine white till it was more like dingy gray. Looking over to Ocello, I had to wonder what he thought of my attire. It was very different from his own, but he hadn't said a word. The pants were a stretchy black that I had gotten as my belly started to grow out of my clothes.
When I woke up, loafers and socks I was wearing had been removed and dried before being set next to me. They were different from the sandals that Ocello was wearing, but I was grateful I had them now. I could have ended up with nothing more than flip flops. My feet would have been torn up if I had even been able to keep them on in the waves after being shoved off the cruise ship.
I would likely need to find out how to get more clothes and footwear somehow. And maybe make some money, or whatever they use here. I decided to put that on my mental list of things to ask about or take care of in the future. It wasn't like I could do anything about it now.
After a refreshing wash in the river, I walked over to Ocello who had laid out the soft hide on a bed of soft leaves. Handing me the blanket, he helped me down to the makeshift mattress. It was unnecessary, be again, he made me feel safe and protected, which was the only thing keeping me from freaking out. Sure, I had agreed to come here, but I hadn't thought about the lack of technology and what that meant for me. I was going to have a baby in what seemed at the moment to me like a society that was still in the early stages of development.
But that was something to worry about for another day because at the moment, my eyes fell closed as sleep overcame me.
"You will be fine in childbirth." I heard before looking around. I opened my eyes to a scene straight out of an artistic representation of paradise. A flower filled meadow spread out before me. I was lying on the edge of a pond with a waterfall trickling down behind it. A rainbow from the spray of the droplets filled the air.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Oh, you were worried about giving birth in this world and I just wanted to let you know that even though we don't have the kind of medicine you had in your previous world, in a way, we are just a bit more advanced at taking care of women." As my eyes adjusted, I could see an outline of the same goddess I had met in the place before I had come here.
"Why is that?" I was glad that was the case as it was one less worry, but I didn't think I would trust it unless I understood why.
"I told you the women here have magic, right?" I nodded. "That magic extends to self-healing magic. Some of the women can even heal others, but that is rarer. You should be able to do that when you develop your powers further." My jaw dropped.
"But I thought it was only elemental magic?" The goddess nodded.
"But your bodies are made from the elements and therefore can be regulated by manipulating those elements. It's a bit complicated, but I'm sure you'll figure things out as you go." The outline of the goddess walked over to the edge of the water and a kaleidoscope of butterflies took flight around her.
"But I don't know how to use magic yet. You said I needed to be blessed?"
"Ah, there is that. Another reason I decided to take a moment and come visit." I could see the faint outlines of the goddess's smile as she gave me a motherly smile. "You have already been blessed the moment you arrived. You would not have been able to enter the world without the blessing, even with the child in your belly." She giggled and doubled over, her laughter getting boisterous. "You should have seen his face when he woke with the mate tattoo on him. He is a little annoyed now, but I met him in a dream and made sure he knew it wasn't your fault. I don't do that for everyone, but this is a special circumstance." Slapping the ground, she snorted again. "It was a once in a lifetime experience. I should try to make it happen again sometime. He is a difficult child sometimes, but I am glad he will have you now." The goddess looked over at me, and I couldn't help the grin from her contagious joy.
"Will he really be fine? I would hate if he truly had no choice."
"Just follow your heart and give it a chance. If you both hate it, we'll talk again and see what we can do. I don't like breaking the rules too much unless I really must cause there are some very severe penalties that the world would have to face too." I nodded and was relieved that if things didn't work out with this husband that I would be able to do something about it later.
"You will be at a loss and have so many worries as you settle in this world, but just know that for a while at least, I'll be popping in to make sure you are alright. As for using magic, the best way to learn is to start with imagining the magic flowing in you and then imagining that magic flowing out and becoming something. I bet it won't take long for you to get the hang of it." Stepping back to the waterfall, she took one last look at me.
"Thank you for your kindness. Would it be disrespectful to know a name for you so I can thank you properly?"
"You can call me Oichlys. Now off you go!"