Husband of the Goblin Tribe

Chapter Sixty-seven – In which Ark receives confessions of love from both Prima and Vera, but in very different ways.

In Vera’s cave-hole, I sat behind her with her between my legs resting against my body. With one hand I held a piece of day-old bloody meat by its exposed bone in front of her face while she snacked on it, and with my other hand, I was playing with her breasts, which was something she happened to like. That hand was absolutely drenched in gob-milk, but if being spoiled like this was what brought a smile to her face, then who was I to judge?

“Glace?”

“She’s made friends with Button. Ivory is keeping an eye on her while those two play.”

“Milkies?”

“Is that an offer?”

Vera giggled and then nodded her head.

I had to help her turn around in my lap, because she wasn’t fully recovered yet. Her mending was going slow, partly because her giving birth to Glace had seemingly sucked the life out of her for a couple of days. But, seeing her appetite coming back was the first sign that she would be better soon enough. I felt a little bad, seeing as how I haven’t seen Glace consume anything aside from Vera’s milk, and it made me think I was stealing my daughter’s lunch. But if Diana being born to Berry has taught me anything, milk production was never an issue for these girls.

So, helping myself to some fresh from the tap gob-milk, I had to admit that currently, Berry’s milk tasted the best. That’s not to say Vera’s was bad, but there’s like a certain bit of sweetness to be found in my Berry-picker’s breasties. I’ve always been a chocolate milk kind of guy in my past life, but I suppose in lieu of chocolate not being a thing in this world so far, strawberry milk will just have to suffice.

While I helped myself to Vera, she helped herself to me, biting down on my shoulder and drawing blood. While it stung, I endured it, understanding that it was some kind of sensual compulsion. It was perhaps Vera’s desire to be as close to me as possible considering her fuckhole was going to be on the mend for at least a few more days. I would have bitten back, but I was honestly unsure if I should do so until she was doing better physically.

Vera, pulling her teeth out of my shoulder, leaving behind copious amounts of goblin saliva, pushed my head away from her chest and put her own forehead against mine. Then she said a single word that melted my heart.

A word I expected to hear from my daughters one day.

“Love.”

“Are you saying you love me, Vera?”

“Know.”

I wrapped my arms around Vera and stroked her hair and back. If anyone else of the adult goblins had said it to me, I might have discounted it a bit. I certainly wouldn’t have believed it if it came from the mouths of Old One or Stella… but Vera was a smart goblin. I didn’t doubt she knew exactly what it meant. Different from care.

“Are you sure you want to? I’m everybody’s Husband. To all your sisters in the tribe. I don’t know if there’s a different version of love for goblins than there is for humans, but can you accept that I wouldn’t be able to return it only to you?”

Vera nodded her head softly into my chest.

“Know. That.”

I tried not to squeeze her body too hard while hugging her, as I made it clear where we stood.

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“As long as I’m here, I will always take care of you.”

“Glace.”

“Yes, of course Glace, too.”

“Lazy.”

I could feel her body go limp as she leaned against me. She wasn’t asleep, but she wasn’t putting any more effort into continuing to prop herself up, not that she had been doing a very good job of it in the first place.

I scooped her up, took her to the bath and let her soak for a little while supporting her body across my legs. After that, I brought her back to her room and laid her back down to sleep.

I was paid a visit afterwards by Prima, who had brought me some fire-meat, and something fresh for Vera, albeit a little too late.

“She’s asleep. Diana brought something for her to eat already.”

Prima went into her sister’s cave hole and looked down at her.

“Vera sick?”

“No. She’s just worn out from having Glace. She just needs time to eat and rest and she’ll be fine. She made it this far in life, which means she’s a strong one.”

Prima just kept a concerned look on her face the entire time.

“Glace know stone magic?”

“It’s closer to what Vera can use.”

“Picture magic.”

“Yeah.”

“Where Glace?”

“She made friends with Button, Ivory is keeping an eye on her.”

“Hear Old One say Glace new Shaman.”

“Yeah, that’s what she said to me as well.”

“Prima strong one, three moons… four moons… know Shaman.”

“You mean Old One’s mother?”

“Stone-feet. Also know Spear-hand.”

“Spear-hand?”

“Old One only strong one. Humans attack Bloodmaw, both fight, die.”

“...oh.”

“When strong one, learn how use spear from Spear-hand. Stone-feet say Prima make Guardian when adult. Old One listen Stone-feet. Make Prima Guardian when adult.”

“Ah… so does that make Old One something of a mother to you as well?”

Prima only shook her head.

“Fire-bringer. Make Prima and Vera. Not Old One.”

“Was that your mother’s name, then? Fire-bringer?”

“In charge of Bloodmaw fire-pit. Make torches, know many things. Not strong goblin. Prima strongest of strong ones she make. Tell Prima protect Vera. Prima listen, protect. Vera never happy when Prima protect. Vera happy now with Husband to protect.”

“I’m sure you’re mistaken. Vera knows how hard you tried to take care of her and understand her, and how hard it was on the both of you because she had difficulties with being able to talk properly to you.”

“How… Ark know what Vera say when only hear one word?”

“Most of the time I don’t. It’s just as hard for me to understand her as it is for you.”

Prima crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Make sense now. Ark stupid, Vera stupid. Stupid know stupid.”

Ah, was it a result of the commutative property of stupidity? I’d like to think it was closer to what Vera said earlier. It was the simple language of love. When I think back to my previous life, my father and mother were like that. My old man would grunt in a certain way, and my mother knew exactly what he was saying or what he wanted. It’s really one hell of a skill to possess. But does that mean I’m the wife who understands grunt? I thought I was the Husband here…

Prima quickly shifted topics on me while I was mid-recollection.

“Ark… when curse Prima many moons ago. Prima’s strong one… be like Vera when come?”

I slapped my hand to my face.

“Prima… There was no curse.”

“Talk with Stella, say curse real human magic!”

“It is, sort of, but I never really cursed you. Why would I? You are also carrying one of my daughters. I would never do anything to harm them.”

“Prima remember what Ark say! Call Prima monster!”

“I was just mad that you wouldn’t let me make a room for Diana in light of the situation with Berry getting a fat belly overnight! It is not my–Ark’s way to ever hurt someone who has done me no wrong.”

“Not think keep as Husband, make give big seed wrong?”

“At first, maybe I did. But not anymore. Tell me, Prima, do you hate me?”

Prima shook her head.

“Not hate Ark. Think stupid, but not hate. Want Ark stay Husband. Make many strong ones, even if not make belly fat when trade.”

I groaned.

“You say that, and now I wonder if you came to see Vera because you were concerned, or you wanted to know if I made your new spear yet.”

“Do both.”

“Right. Well, I talked with Ivory and got her to give me a few bones, but I still need to get an idea of how to make it look like something you would be happy with.”

“Need be strong, sharp. Use spear for stab, for throw.”

“So something that does both of those. Anything else?”

“Make heavy. Prima body change. Feel many stronger after get big seed first time.”

“Really? A heavy spear that’s sharp and can be thrown… Alright. I’ll work on it. I also have to make Diana’s weapon. I will let you know when it’s ready, and I promise it will be a… what did you call it? A grand weapon?”

“Good. Now only thing left do... last hunt day.”

“You’re going back out to hunt?”

Prima shook her head, and then smiled wide, showing me all of her scary razor-sharp teeth.

“Not need go out. Prima here hunt Ark.”

Oh.

OH!

As I was led to my bedroom, I was reminded that insecure goblins regularly need lots of reassuring that they are doing well and remain on top. And as luck would have it, that just so happens to be Prima’s favorite position!

…and to be perfectly honest, when it comes to Prima, it’s also mine.