Ep. 3.7 (R) - You Want Me to Wear What?!

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Aidan, Patrick, and Farid are standing on the steps of the community house, waiting for the guide Chief Qa'watil has tasked with showing them around the compound.

Patrick stands on the lowest step, deep in thought, looking out over the property. Farid stands across from him, leaning back against the railing, one hand in his pocket, the other flipping through his phone.

Aidan stands on the steps behind Patrick contemplating whether or not to break Patrick's reverie.

After some thought, he finally leans over and taps Patrick on the shoulder. "So, mate," he whispers apologetically. "I meant what I said at breakfast, yeah? I'm sorry I screwed up last night."

Patrick doesn't turn around and can barely bring himself to acknowledge Aidan's presence. He rolls out the tension in his shoulders and just keeps looking forward.

Aidan's lips purse. Maybe Patrick didn't hear him? He starts to reach forward and Farid, who looks up, catches Aidan's gaze. His eyes go wide as he silently, violently shakes his head.

But Aidan's on a mission, so he ignores Farid's warning and taps Patrick on the shoulder again. "Really, mate," he says, a little louder this time. "I get it--I do. I understand now that, for the sake of diplomacy, I need to sit tight and just keep my trap shut."

Patrick spots the Chief's guide headed their way. He clears his throat and says to Aidan, "Good." He still doesn't turn around. "Then why don't you put that lesson into practice, right about now."

He steps off the stairs and approaches the guide: a gorgeous woman in her early 20's, with straight black hair, a deep russet glow to her skin, and mischievously dark eyes. With her regal features and confident bearing, she looks very much like the Chief. She extends her hand.

"Hello, my name is Una, Una Qa'watil," she says smoothly.

Patrick smiles, turning on the charm. "Qa'watil? So you would be...?"

"That's correct." Una smiles coyly and says, "I am the Chief's daughter, but please, don't hold that against me."

Patrick's smile widens. "Never," he says. "But I have to ask, why didn't we meet you last night at dinner?"

"I, unfortunately, had other plans," she answers, cocking a cryptic brow. "I am sorry to have missed out, though. I heard it was quite the show."

Her gaze shifts up to Aidan and her luminous smile fades, just a little bit. Not an unexpected reaction from a Shifter who's heard, but not seen, the unplanned exhibition Aidan was responsible for the previous night. But Una quickly recovers. She plasters her dazzling smile back on in order to to play the part of the tribal ambassador and reaches out to shake both Farid and Aidan's hands. 

"I hear that my father was so impressed with you all last night," she says, "that he wanted to make sure we welcomed you properly with a cleansing ceremony. It should be an enlightening evening." She smirks at Aidan and Farid, in particular, then turns and gestures for them to follow her.

Falling in behind her, Aidan and Farid exchange concerned glances, then look to Patrick who just shrugs and gives them an incomprehensible smile. They follow Una across the main yard in silence.

"So," Una says over her shoulder, "I'll take you through the grounds, as my father has requested, and if you have any questions along the way, please feel free to ask. After all, this is a cultural exchange."

She leads the boys through the compound, passing by various groups of yurts and cottages, grouped and organized by family unit.

They pass by a particularly large encampment with an outdoor seating area covered by a red, blue, and yellow striped canvas top the size of a Barnum and Bailey circus tent. It sits behind a large log structure that looks less like a log cabin and more like an exquisitely designed mountain lodge. With an $80,000 Cadillac Escalade and a $95,000 Land Rover parked outside, the boys stare in awe at what has to be Chief Qa'watil's main residence. Broken down holiday park, this was not.

As they continue, Una points out another wooden structure about the size of a large, multi-car garage with two totems sitting out front of it and intricately etched murals running along both sides of the building. They recall the founding of the tribe, extol the blessings of their land, and celebrate all that has been bestowed upon them as a people.

"This is our Spirit House," Una tells them. "It's a very sacred space for the Kikatuwa tribe, as it was built and blessed by our elders, almost a century ago. It's a space that we use when we need to find guidance, seek wisdom, or thank our ancestors for the many blessings they have given to us."

Patrick leans over and whispers to Aidan and Farid, "We should start our search for the artifact there, given that it's a sacred space."

Both Aidan and Farid nod in agreement.

As they follow the winding path through the compound, Aidan suddenly looks up and notices an enormous flock of birds camped in the trees surrounding the sacred edifice. "Uh, so, what's with all the birds?" he asks, genuinely interested.

Una stops and turns. Looking up at the flock, she tilts her head and smiles. "Ah, you noticed our wolf-birds," she says to Aidan.

"Wolf-birds?" He looks back at her quizzically.

"Yes," Una replies. "You probably know them better as ravens." She gestures towards the flock. "You see, ravens are one of the few animals to sustain a truly symbiotic relationship with Shifters, especially with Wolf Shifters," she adds. "They often follow us on our excursions, showing us the clearest path, and alerting us to any unseen danger. In doing so, they are rewarded by the gift of sharing in our spoils."

"Your spoils?" Aidan crinkles his nose in question.

Patrick slides him a weary glance. "She means the kill," he adds, matter-of-factly.

"Oh..." Aidan slowly nods, his head bouncing then coming to a full stop once the meaning of Patrick's words actually sink in. "Ohhhh..." His eyes go wide as it registers that Patrick's actually  talking about dead animals. Given that the most hunting Enchanteds ever do is for medicinal plants and herbs, and on occasion, for rare sales of very expensive and highly coveted items, this comes as a bit of a shock to him. "I see," he murmurs, a bit thrown off, but ultimately marveling at this unexpected difference in their cultures.

In response, Una smiles and says, "We Shifters are very proud of our capacity to live in harmony with nature and our environment, and especially our ability to live peacefully with other species." Her gaze drifts over Aidan to land specifically on Farid.

"Unfortunately, unlike some Otherworlders," she murmurs, making a not so subtle reference to the time of the Shadow Wars, when Vampyrs--having found a way to temporarily control demons--were not only winning the war, but regularly enslaving Shifters and making captured Enchanteds their indentured servants.

Feeling defensive, Farid can't help but return her pointed glare, but quickly his heated glare fades into a woeful frown, and he looks away.

First the comment that Minuk had made when they'd arrived about Enchanteds living in manors and Vampyrs living in castles. And now this? He'd underestimated the chasm that still existed between the races. When were they going to get past all of this? When were they going to let their troubled history go?

Una, having made her point, simply turns on her heels and continues the tour.

*****

The boys are back in their yurt, getting ready for the evening's cleansing ceremony that Chief Qa'watil will hold in their honor in about an hour. While Patrick is not familiar with the specifics of the Kikatuwa's cleansing ceremony, he explains that all Shifter ceremonies involve spending at least some time in a sweat lodge to help purge whatever negative elements that particular tribe feels needs purging.

Each of them is back in their sleeping area, silently stripping off their clothes. They're expected to strip down to their briefs, and for the ceremony don a special loincloth and nothing else. They've also been provided with leather slippers and thick, white terry cloth robes to cover themselves as they make their way to the sweat lodge, and all of this has been thoughtfully and carefully laid out for them on their beds.

After a few minutes, Farid can't bear the silence any longer. "I think if one of us can keep the Chief and Minuk occupied," he says, "for at least twenty or thirty minutes, the other two can get into that Spirit House and get a good look around."

"Hmm... agreed," Patrick says, nodding. "I'll take point on Minuk and Chief Qa'watil. I'm pretty sure I can keep them talking for that long in between the ceremony and dinner. We'll all come back here to shower and change, and I'll get back quickly. I can claim that Headmaster Pierce had to speak to you and you'll be a bit delayed."

"Sounds like a plan," Farid says as he pulls off his jeans, then tugs his shirt off over his head. He reaches for the loincloth neatly folded on top of his robe and looks at it curiously. "Cultural differences aside," he says, "is it weird that I feel like I'm going to an expensive spa, rather than a sacred ceremony?"

Patrick chuckles. "No, it's not that weird," he says. "But a spa, this is not. Dude, it gets so hot in that sweat lodge, you feel like someone's cranked up the oven and left you in there to cook overnight."

Farid laughs. "Awesome. Can't wait!"

Listening to Patrick and Farid chat so easily, Aidan feels the tug of jealousy pull at him, and pull at him... hard. He knows he's screwed the pooch, several times in fact, but he doesn't want to give up on being useful in the end and give in to his insecurities like he usually does.

And then, he turns around.

He's only managed to unbutton his shirt halfway so far, but when he picks up his robe, then looks down at his pale, bony chest, and then at Patrick's sculpted torso and Farid's lean but well-toned body, he sighs dejectedly.

They're going to have to walk into this ceremony thing, practically naked, and find a way to be taken seriously, which is going to be tough, given his grand cock up at dinner the other night.

There's no way anyone's going to show him any respect with these two strapping young lads around. Good gods! With his skinny build, he's going to look like a prepubescent girl sitting next to either of them!

"Patrick, can I ask you a question?" Aidan looks up, holding the robe up to his chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Sure," Patrick says, suddenly feeling looser, less pissed and frustrated with Aidan.

"I mean no disrespect. Honestly, I don't," Aidan says. "But do we really have to strip down to our skivvies and wear these loincloths for the ceremony?" he asks, honestly. "I mean, I don't even know these blokes. You have to admit. It's kind of awkward."

Patrick chuckles. "What? You shy?" he teases.

"No!" Aidan retorts, trying to put on a brave face. "I just have a sense of decorum, is all," he straightens and says in an almost haughty tone. "And to be honest," he relaxes back into his typical speech and posture. "I'm not terribly keen to be lookin' at all those old men sittin' around in their banana hammocks all night, you know what I mean? I'm not sure I could ever get that image out of me head if I tried!"

Patrick lets out a hearty laugh. He can't help himself. The things this kid says. He sighs. "Trust me," he assures Aidan. "Between the heat, the smell, and the droning sound of the shaman's prayers, the banana hammocks will be the least of your concerns."

Aidan smiles at this and the tension between them dissipates, just a little.

Suddenly, there's a voice from outside. It's Minuk.

"You boys ready?" He pops his head in the yurt. "The Chief has asked me to escort you to the lodge."

"We just need a minute more," Patrick says politely.

Minuk looks at the state of the boys' readiness, or lack thereof, and purses his lips. "Chief Qa'watil does not appreciate tardiness."

"Understood." Patrick bows his head in respect and Minuk turns to wait for them outside.

After a few minutes, the boys emerge from the tent, wrapped up tightly in their robes. Patrick sees an opportunity to advance the mission and says, "Is there a way we could stop by the Spirit House on our way over there to pay homage to your ancestors before the ceremony?"

"Ah..." Minuk's suspicious expression slowly morphs into surprise. "I see you've been studying our customs. Impressive..." his smile widens slyly, "especially for a bear-shifter," he adds with a cocky tilt of his head.

Patrick lets the slight pass and just keeps smiling politely back at him.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Patrick," Minuk finally says as he looks down at his watch. "But I fear we won't make it to the ceremony on time."

He walks down the stairs in front of the yurt and begins to head towards the main path through the compound. Over his shoulder he calls to the boys, "Now, gentlemen, please follow me or else we'll be late."

*********

A/N - Fun fact. That bit about the ravens following wolves on their hunts is actually true. And unlike vultures who pick at the carcasses after the wolves have long gone. Apparently, sharing in the bounty while the wolves are still there is like a payment for being lookouts, of sorts.

Check out some Aidan pics below!  :-)

~ Paula ❤️

Even MORE Fun for You:

Aidan is convinced he's ready for his first Otherworlder mission with Patrick and Farid. He can't wait for the chance to be a hero.

But there's "Aidan-Aidan" readiness.


And then there's "Fantasy-Aidan" readiness. 

😂😂😂

I just couldn't help myself with this one. For the longest time, I was wondering what the heck I was going to do with this fantasy version of Aidan. Then, I got to the end of this chapter and realized I just HAD to post it here. I think only those of you who've just finished reading the chapter will truly appreciate the not so subtle subtext. 😍


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