Prima Fears

"Prima!"

At the entrance to the cave-hole was Lily, the runt of the tribe.

"What do you want?" Prima asked grumpily, not really wanting to be disturbed right now.

"I came to sit with you and talk about Husband."

"Oh? Did he do something stupid again? Or do you think it was me being stupid this time?"

"I think you both were stupid, but I also understand why both of you did that. No. I came to take you to Berry's room. You still haven't gone to see it yet, have you?"

"Why do I need to go see Berry's room? I already know Husband used magic to make her cave-hole bigger for her strong one."

"It's already done. But it's not like any hole we've ever dug, Prima. To see how much Husband wants to care for Berry's strong one, and even the strong ones we will have soon, this is why you need to come with me and see it. To know why he went so far to do it for both of them… Maybe this will help answer some questions you have while sitting here stupid-thinking instead of smart-knowing."

Prima sighed.

"If I go, will you leave me alone after?"

"I'll only come by if I need to trade."

"Fine. I'll go."

Prima didn't want to let go of the object which she had chosen from Ark's possessions, so she kept it in hand as she and Lily walked through the cave together, passing where Ark was in his cave-hole, and almost to the shit-pit where Berry's cave-hole was located.

Berry was sitting in what was now her spacious living room playing hand-catch with her strong one, Diana Artemis. She was sitting down and trying to catch Berry's hands from a still position before Berry could move it away. Prima was always damn good at that game. She also wanted to play it with her strong ones when they were born.

Prima saw the strange wall in the room, but didn't understand now what Lily meant when she said it was already done. It only looked like a small hole was dug in two places.

"Hi, Berry! I brought Prima. I want you to show her the room Husband made so she can stop stupid-thinking about him."

"I'm playing with Diana Artemis right now. You go show her, Lily."

"Okay~"

Lily all but dragged Prima over to the room and explained what he did as much as possible. She showed him that the wall was meant to hide part of the room, but the square hole was meant to be able to see who came in when Berry was still sleeping. She had lots of room for herself and the strong one to sleep in, and long square dirt holes and ledges to keep important things hidden away or safe from Diana to reach. Husband was worried about Berry's strong one getting into poisons in case Berry was asleep when Diana woke up.

It… was unlike any cave hole she had ever seen, Prima had to admit to herself.

Prima understood Ark cared. She didn't doubt it. She never doubted it… but she had another feeling in her heart now. She wondered if Ark cared more for Berry or Diana than her. She wanted all these things for her own strong ones, and wanted Ark to make them. It was a feeling that made her angry and sick at the same time.

"See, that was all Husband wanted to do. He didn't want to use bad human magic. Only good magic so Berry's strong one has room to become a big strong one like the Old One and Great Protector said she would be, and to stay healthy."

Prima was utterly defeated, she knew. She knew it when Ark took her body yesterday. She knew it when she cried in front of him and he still cared for her, even though he talked little. She was still the one the Guardian trusted to not let him do many things, including magic, which the Great Protector now put Jewel alone in charge of.

Prima had ignored Lily, and pushed past her out of the expanded cave-hole only to squat down on the floor in front of the strong one. Placing her hand down in front of her, letting Diana see there was a new challenger.

Diana tried to catch Prima's hand but the goblin Guardian wouldn't let her. She always moved just a bit too fast for the strong one to cover it with her claw.

"At least you have a strong one, Berry. Mine is rotting inside." She started a conversation with Berry, the matter of Ark's curse presently on her mind and on her lips.

"There's no way that will happen. Husband would not make your strong ones rot."

"But he used wicked grand human magic! He cursed me directly!"

"Maybe, but Husband will not let your strong ones rot. Husband wanted Prima to understand that caring for the goblin tribe, especially our strong ones, is the thing he thinks is the most important. More important than himself. Except for the time when you kept Husband away in his cave-hole, he comes to visit every day. To see Diana Artemis growing."

"She's big."

"And hungry. She eats so much. A whole rabbit worth of meat every day, berries too. My milkies are also sore from how much she drinks."

"...how does it feel?"

"For Diana Artemis to drink from my milkies?"

"No… for the strong one to come out. Old One helped you, didn't she?"

"All she did was tell me to breathe and push. Mushroom-picker and Bone-taker held me up until she crawled out from my body. My fuckhole hurt and bled so much then and still hurts now. Hurts almost as bad as my scar did back then. I'm also upset right now because I want Husband to give me big seed again. Even Husband said he was sorry when he gave big seed to Jewel and Lily while I sat next to him and put my head on his arm after everyone came to see the wall he dug yesterday."

"That sounds like something he would do."

"He's stupid, but he cares. We could have a worse Husband. One that really hates us and doesn't want to give us big seed. Remember, the Great Protector said many humans were like that, hating us like we hate the Black-claws. That's why she found us a special Husband to make strong ones with."

Prima was distracted with Berry's platitude just long enough for her strong one to capture the end-finger on her hand.

"GWAAAH!" The strong one squealed triumphantly before Berry plucked her up and praised her.

Prima looked at Diana Artemis for a moment and couldn't help but wonder how different her own strong one would be. Would it also be as strong as Berry's, or would it be some kind of rotten goblin after all?

"Need meat tomorrow? I'm going hunting in the morning."

Berry shook her head.

"No. I already take Diana Artemis hunting with me. Show her how to use poisons. Let her rip and eat the white bird and the horned rabbit we catch on our own. More important than giving meat, would you like to hold her for a little bit, Prima?"

Prima stared at Diana for a moment before taking the strong one from Berry, bringing it to her chest, feeling the warmth of the newest member of the goblin tribe.

It was ugly, brown, just like Berry's ugly scar. But it was strong. Prima could not deny it was a strong one, and would only get stronger as it continued to get older.

"Actually, Prima… I'd rather ask you instead of meat now, you take her on a hunt later. A big hunt. Black-claw or redboar, or spotted many-horns. There's no one better in our tribe who can teach her what I don't know about being a huntress."

Prima agreed only to think about it, but that was enough to appease Berry. And enough to shave off a fraction of the sour feelings Prima held on to as to whether or not Ark had more feelings for Berry than he did for her…