The Bear Kingdom

After a few hours of traveling through the rolling hills of the forest Oribella and Poppy began to pass some simple huts and sheds. Some occupied, some abandoned. Eventually reaching a large stone wall with four men guarding the entrance.

Oribella could see they too had round bear ears sticking out of their hair. All the gaurds looked shocked to see her. She waved hello and three of the four ran up to Poppy, whose speed had slowed down to a leisurely walk.

The three started walking alongside Poppy and spoke amongst themselves.

"I thought you were making it up when you said you found a gorgeous female in the snow!"

"she's pretty but not as attractive as MY spouse!"

"Oh, but you only say that because she's YOUR spouce!"

Poppy stopped and leaned to one side for Oribella to dismount. She slid down Poppy's right side, holding the pot of meat that was almost empty. Oribella had felt hungry again while traveling and helped herself.

"So what's your name?" the married guard asked.

She answered. "Oribella Rossi."

"You have a longer name?" Poppy asked, now in his human form.

"Oh, yes, my full name is Oribella Rossi. But I want YOU to call me Oribella." She said leaning into Poppy's chest. "You're courting me so you get to call me by the first half of my name." Poppy wrapped his arms around her and picked up his female. Oribella giggled in the process and blushed when she realized she was being carried like a princess.

Oribella looked at the male who had asked her name and pointed "YOU and other males may call me by the last half of my name, 'Rossi.' Only Poppy and other females get to call me 'Oribella'." and she kissed his cheek.

"Rosey? You're beautiful like flowers" the youngest guard said, "and a rare beauty just like a rose. So it's fitting I call you Rosey!"

Before Oribella could reply Poppy had kicked away the younger male. "Stop trying to flatter my female!" Poppy roared "if she wants she can be courted by others, but only after I'm officially her spouse!" Oribella leaned over and nuzzled her head under Poppy's chin

"Oh, Poppy, there's no need to yell at him! You saved my life," clay jar in her hands, head tucked under Poppy's chin, she let a blissful smile stretch across her face, "it would take more than I can imagine for you to lose my attention."

Now at the archway all four guards heard Oribella and couldn't help but feel envious. Two of the four were bachelors and the other two were spouses to the same female. Even those with a spouse thought "it would be so nice to have a female's attention like that."

Poppy kissed the top of Oribella's head and proudly continued walking past the gateway and into the city, proper.

Oribella took in the sights as best she could. She felt like she was in a historical documentary about ancient civilizations! The buildings appeared to have windows, but no glass. There were simple wooden buildings in the trees and sturdy earthen houses on the ground. Oribella could see deeper in the city, a large stone building, a castle built around a tree so large it had to be several centuries old. With more buildings amongst the large branches of the titanic tree.

Poppy was making his way twords that large building. The final destination was a decently sized earthen building just outside the castle wall. Outside sitting in the sunlight there was a very pregnant woman bundled up in fur clothing who appeared close to the same age as Oribella. As well as a man dotting on her. running in and out of the house to fetch her things.

"Poppy!" the woman hollered "She really came back with you!" Oribella quickly figured this was Poppy's sister. They had the same dark hair and medium complexion. However this woman's eyes were a rich green. And she was insanely gorgeous in Oribella's opinion.

Poppy, still holding Oribella, replied "Yes, River. This is Oribella. We're not mates yet but Oribella is kind enough to let me court her."

River squealed with delight. "Oh You're making such a good choice giving him a chance Oribella! Poppy is an amazing man!"

"Thank you, River. But I'm not exactly giving him a chance-" Oribella realized what she had said and quickly corrected herself "-what I mean is I AM Poppy's mate!" She turned to look Poppy, both blushing. "I just prefer waiting longer to make it... official." Oribella stretched her neck and kissed Poppy's cheek. Poppy couldn't believe how lucky he was to find a lady like this. If he had a weak heart could have die from Happiness in this moment!

River smiled and called into the earthen house "Quinten! Bring out the box!"

A few moments later the male who'd previously been bringing snacks and drinks to River came out of the house with a small wooden box. He handed it over to his female and took a seat in the snow beside her chair.

River held the box out to Oribella to look at.

"This is supposed to be a fertility charm, and I think it must work," River looked down and rubbed her stomach, "since this is my second female baby!"

For a flash Oribella was unsure of why the sex of the baby was so important, but then she remembered her and Poppy's walk through the city. Oribella thought "I didn't see any other women..." and with what Poppy told her of females having their choice of males, she finally concluded the ratio of the sexes must be skewed heavily to one side.

After her moment of thinking Oribella replied, "That's so wonderful!"

"Thank you! I can't help but be prideful." River smiled, "all the Doctors in the Kingdom who have attended to me said it's extremely rare to give birth to more than one female baby in a lifetime."

Oribella continued talking with River for the next few hours. Soon after arriving, Poppy went off to complete some errands, and River's mate, Quinten, went to prepare a meal for both of the females he was temporarily watching over.

Oribella told River portions of what she had told Poppy the night before while in the cave, and worked on the phrasing of her 'backstory' should she ever be pressed on her personal history. If some version of Area 51 excited in this world Oribella did NOT wish to see it.

Should someone ask what tribe she's of; Oribella is a female of the Sapien tribe, from an extraordinarily far land. (Sapiens are Similar to Apes, like Leopards are to Tigers.)

She did her best not to lie. Most of the differences in culture, and also Oribella's lack of understanding, can be explained away with a simple reminder that the Sapien tribe lives an umimaginable distance away.

When someone asks how Oribella made it here "if the distance is so far?" It's poor phrasing, and maybe even in poor taste, but it's not untruthful for her to say "I was slowly lead through the lands by large number of constantly changing, unfaithful males."

As she felt the primary factor in her decision freeze to death was the way men always treated her in relationships over the years. And she only found herself where she was due to that suicide attempt.

However Oribella decided to keep the fact she had tried to take her life between her and Poppy.

River was happy to answer Oribella's questions about the land Poppy had found her in. Oribella learned so much about the social structures of this world in just a few hours.

The Kings are appointed not by birthright but by physical strength. Any 'beastman' of the tribe may challenge a King for their title, but challengers must consider how well liked the current king is.

Females often have more than two spouses. Children of the female refer to all the adult males in the family unit as their "fathers," but denote some emphasis when speaking about their biological fathers.

Males have 'Animal Stripes' and females have 'Spousal Marks.' Poppy had mentioned spousal marks but didn't tell her how they were given. Males receive more stripes when they 'level up' and females receive marks when they become spouses with a new male. That is done by mating. And the location of the mark depends on the female's feelings twords the male.

In exchance for River teaching her so much, Oribella described both the social structures of her homeland (in terms river could understand), as well as some of her favorite dishes in GREAT detail to the very pregnant and hungry, woman.

Quinten eventually brought each female a large bowl of a thick fishy stew with rice mixed in, it was similar to a seafood porridge, and the two women continued talking while they ate. Each sharing smaller details of their lifes they thought the other would appreciate. Facts about the culture and social system as a whole were given by River, and Oribella would usually arrive at a social parallel between the worlds, to keep River unsuspecting of Oribella's transmigration.

Oribella absorbed the information from River as best she could and leaned that she was the 'female cub' of the Bear King! The city the were in was The Bear Kingdom, and River's house was on the land of Bear Castle.

Oribella understood how the Kings worked but only somewhat grasped the workings of the Spouceal Marks and Animal Stripes. Although to her it was by far the most foreign of all the concepts of this world. It seemed magical in some regard and she couldn't fully grasp it yet.

Even after finishing their stew, they kept talking. The two were fast friends! However it was after Oribella had finished describing how her family made and used pesto sauce that River spoke of something quite curious...

"You know, Oribella," River sat slightly more seriously, "Mother told me stories about a female she'd once met when she lived in The City of Beasts, before it became The Fallen Ruins."

River spoke with an intrigue to her voice that made Oribella both flattered and concerned. "Mother never was able to get to know her personally, but the female was particularly smart. She aided the Tiger King in creating new methods of farming, and shared all kinds of cooking techniques with the other female members of the city... I'm not sure if that female is real or not," River smiled, "but you remind me of the female from those stories, Oribella!"