To Become a Man

There are some nights that are just better than others, some that would linger in your memory for a long time. And a night when you saw a warrior get his name and his first command, would have to be one of those that lingered.


When the First son of Jai had first found his way home, she had found herself liking him very much. He seemed intent on finding his place with them, and had worked very hard in learning their ways. Jai had commented in the beginning that the young man was not just his first son, he was his only son. Well, this stuck with her, and she had taken to calling him Only.


Well, Only has acquitted himself quite well. Given a quest by Ba'atar to go and search out the rogue Kassar that kept inserting themselves onto Tuchuk lands, he had done very well. He had killed many, including their leader, bringing back the man's daughter as a captive. He was to be rewarded for this by receiving his first scar. The Courage Scar. The most important of scars. And a man cannot get a scar without a name.


It had started out as a normal night of food, drink and teasing by the fires, but it became something much more special. Sitting there nestled into Ba'atar's side, she was not surprise to hear him ask Jai if he had settled on a name for his first son. He had. Ba'atar then asked if he intended to share it with us.


First Son of Jai, would be called Tengfei Tetsuo. Now to her, he would probably always be Only, but the importance of him receiving his name was not lost upon her, and there was no way that she could have been as proud as Jai was, but she was proud of the young man all the same.


There was much celebrating, as it was not every night that a man was named, that he would receive his first scar, but that was not the end of the accolades that were laid upon the young man that night. Ba'atar also gave him his first command. Command of an Or. The men had already been chosen. She thought that Jai was going to literally burst his leathers with pride, not to mention Only, or Tengfei.


It was a wonderful night. A night where it was good to be Tuchuk.


But, there were more small surprises to be had from the man she sat beside. With no build up, no fanfare, no easing into it, he had asked Jai what kind of bride price he intended to offer for Kaeli. Was that blackwine that spewed from the woman's lips? You could tell that this was not something that she was expecting to happen this night. However, Cana knew that it would be coming along sooner or later if the woman made Tribe, so she was not quite to shocked.


The dickering began. Ba'atar finally told Jai, that he would be making his decision within the next two hands on her fate. If she made Tribe, then Jai would have to come up with a suitable bride price for her, if she did not make tribe, and ended up in a collar, then she would be given to Jai. Did the woman just pale? Maybe so, just a little.


In Ba'atar's eyes, this was a win, win situation. However the leaf fell, the tribe would be enriched in some way. Either with a free woman that would produce many fine sons for the Iron Master, or a slave that would also give wealth by her service to the people. Only a man could justify such.


The only pall that cast over the evening came from Ayguili. In that strange, rasping voice of his, he inquired about the young leather worker prospect, Aponi. He told Ba'atar that if she did not make tribe, and was put in a collar that he would make an offer on her to be his slave. Ok, there is no doubt whatsoever that Aponi paled at that revelation. Close your mouth woman, you look a bit addled sitting there with your jaw agape.


Ayguili is an odd one. She had met him a few times at the firest of Ba'atar's parents. He was not the sociable type, which was actually odd for a Tuchuk. The Tuchuk may be very leery and standoffish towards strangers, but among themselves they tend to be very gregarious and outgoing. There was none of that in the man.


But probably the thing about him that gives her the most worry stems from the night that Polunu and Sakmeta were killed. When he stepped forward, there was no hesitation, not an ihn. The way he dispatched them both, was emotionless and businesslike, and for some reason that bothers her. Perhaps it was his eyes.



There was nothing in them. He did his duty, stepped back, wiped his quiva then took out a piece of jerky and sliced off some with the same knife that had just taken two lives and began to eat. It did not matter that they were lives that deserved to be taken, there was just a coldness in him that gave her pause.