well regarded family. Just relax and be yourself. Oh, by the way, the men are apt to kiss you as much as the women will...we’re very affectionate and warm...all of Elvinkind is. Just don’t cringe or flinch when they do...you’ll get used to it!” she whispered, mere seconds before the first of many eagerly stepped close to be introduced.
Rasten lost count quickly, the number of close relatives staggering, not to mention the seemingly limitless number of cousins, nieces and nephews. That over a dozen generations were present was another thing that left him speechless. The clan elder, Midarini sensed his awe, and being seated next to Rasten, was able to give him some understanding.
“Yes, it is a bit much, isn’t it? Being near immortal has some odd effects, which other peoples never experience. Even though almost no Elvin female will have her first child until past two or three hundred, choosing to do other things first, the fact that we live so long means we end up with quite a range of relatives. It has its aggravations, but it has a surprising effect; care to guess what that is?” the elder asked, a look of amusement plain.
“I can’t imagine!” Rasten sighed. “I’m having trouble absorbing all of the Elvin ways!”
“You’ll get accustomed to it in time! What I was hinting at is this; it makes a leader think long and hard about his or her decisions, seeing that they will impact their own family for generations to come! Short lived people tend to be a bit more short sighted!”
Surveying the hall, where more than two hundred were seated, all engaged in animated conversations, filled him with a sense of wonder.
“Is this real or illusion? I mean, if you put this many human family members together, there’d be all sorts of scheming afoot, along with gossip and vicious backstabbing,” Rasten wondered. “Do the Elvin kind really get along this well?” The elder thought this quite amusing.
“They are mostly a very cohesive group...it is one of our greatest strengths. Our enemies would be much more dangerous, if they didn’t constantly undermine themselves with plotting and attempts to advance their own place at the expense of all others!” Midarini laughed. “What?” he asked, seeing Rasten’s brows furrow.
“I can’t imagine I was brought here just to serve as a reason to have a gathering such as this? Amein took a terrible risk, coming to find me. What is the real reason?” he asked, curious to see what the elder would say.
“Well, it wasn’t just so Amein might have a new playmate, although it probably has seemed like that so far?” he teased, knowing Amein’s tendencies well. “There are dire things you must know, that will better shape your understanding. Come to my study later, and bring Amein...we’ll speak more fully then,” was all he offered. Rasten nodded, disappointed, but he was soon required to go to a small stage, with Amein, to tell of their adventure, so that all might be informed.
By the time they were finished, Rasten had come to the understanding that he likely was more immune to embarrassment that he had ever thought. Amein didn’t hesitate to tell the most intimately personal parts of their meeting and journey, delighting her family with his helpless succumbing to her naughty persuasion. That she was bursting with pride at her sexual skills, any could see. Rasten noted that many of the females seemed to be dreamily staring at him, likely eager to try their hand with him, alone and naked. This gave him mixed feelings, on the one hand unbelievably sexy and tempting, but on the other, he doubted if Amein would be as thrilled. It struck him that she was in large manner showing off, and slyly teasing her relatives, like a young human woman might do upon the conquest of a man desired by many. What he couldn’t decide was if this was a sign of some immaturity, or merely a common Elvin trait.
When they were finished, and preparing to go see the Elder, they passed by
Rasten lost count quickly, the number of close relatives staggering, not to mention the seemingly limitless number of cousins, nieces and nephews. That over a dozen generations were present was another thing that left him speechless. The clan elder, Midarini sensed his awe, and being seated next to Rasten, was able to give him some understanding.
“Yes, it is a bit much, isn’t it? Being near immortal has some odd effects, which other peoples never experience. Even though almost no Elvin female will have her first child until past two or three hundred, choosing to do other things first, the fact that we live so long means we end up with quite a range of relatives. It has its aggravations, but it has a surprising effect; care to guess what that is?” the elder asked, a look of amusement plain.
“I can’t imagine!” Rasten sighed. “I’m having trouble absorbing all of the Elvin ways!”
“You’ll get accustomed to it in time! What I was hinting at is this; it makes a leader think long and hard about his or her decisions, seeing that they will impact their own family for generations to come! Short lived people tend to be a bit more short sighted!”
Surveying the hall, where more than two hundred were seated, all engaged in animated conversations, filled him with a sense of wonder.
“Is this real or illusion? I mean, if you put this many human family members together, there’d be all sorts of scheming afoot, along with gossip and vicious backstabbing,” Rasten wondered. “Do the Elvin kind really get along this well?” The elder thought this quite amusing.
“They are mostly a very cohesive group...it is one of our greatest strengths. Our enemies would be much more dangerous, if they didn’t constantly undermine themselves with plotting and attempts to advance their own place at the expense of all others!” Midarini laughed. “What?” he asked, seeing Rasten’s brows furrow.
“I can’t imagine I was brought here just to serve as a reason to have a gathering such as this? Amein took a terrible risk, coming to find me. What is the real reason?” he asked, curious to see what the elder would say.
“Well, it wasn’t just so Amein might have a new playmate, although it probably has seemed like that so far?” he teased, knowing Amein’s tendencies well. “There are dire things you must know, that will better shape your understanding. Come to my study later, and bring Amein...we’ll speak more fully then,” was all he offered. Rasten nodded, disappointed, but he was soon required to go to a small stage, with Amein, to tell of their adventure, so that all might be informed.
By the time they were finished, Rasten had come to the understanding that he likely was more immune to embarrassment that he had ever thought. Amein didn’t hesitate to tell the most intimately personal parts of their meeting and journey, delighting her family with his helpless succumbing to her naughty persuasion. That she was bursting with pride at her sexual skills, any could see. Rasten noted that many of the females seemed to be dreamily staring at him, likely eager to try their hand with him, alone and naked. This gave him mixed feelings, on the one hand unbelievably sexy and tempting, but on the other, he doubted if Amein would be as thrilled. It struck him that she was in large manner showing off, and slyly teasing her relatives, like a young human woman might do upon the conquest of a man desired by many. What he couldn’t decide was if this was a sign of some immaturity, or merely a common Elvin trait.
When they were finished, and preparing to go see the Elder, they passed by
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