Chapter 94. Dig once

It seemed like Dríade was having an existential conversation with something in her head after she mentioned Grove mother.

"What's a Grove mother?" I whispered towards Tilty as the fawn seemed equally as enraptured.

"The leader of a Grove. Dryad's are all female so think of it like the head mare of a Centaur's family just. On a larger scale." The fawn replied with a squeak.

"It's much more than that." Voras added herself into the conversation with ease. "A Grove mother for Dryad's is like a Matriarch of a hive. She controls who's tree produces what, who can be pregnant at what time or the Dryad's version anyway and also when they can be pregnant. Her word is law to other Dryad's effectively. If a Grove mother wants something it becomes the entire Groves priority to get it. In return she needs to be able to offer protection and have their future in mind. It's a trade off as most can't guarantee the protection that comes with the power."

Voras looked like she was bundled up for winter with the layers she was wearing as not even her spider legs were safe from her coats. It was strange considering she was immune to the cold on my land.

"So if Dríade here was to say I have a special room in the land of a Deed owner that all Dryad's trees would be safe in and no one but Dryad's could enter, she could in theory be a Grove mother?" I asked for clarification.

"It would require you to give permission for the Dryad's to enter your land in the first place but yes." Voras's answered with a smile.

Dríade broke from her stunned state and again snapped her head so quickly in my direction I could hear the wind.

"You do that and I will feed anyone that you want." She spat out her words so quickly that I almost missed them. "I will have every single Dryad under me line up every morning for you to have your fill in any way you want. I don't care what it takes, you let me do this and you can ask for ANYTHING!"

I was a little taken aback by the strength behind her promise and I'll be honest the thought of hundreds of girls all lining up was appealing.

"So long as it doesn't threaten my Livestock I'm happy for you to do whatever you want." I shrugged try to look nonchalant.

Dríade buzzed. Her whole body shook before she spoke so quickly I couldn't make out anything she said. I wasn't even given an opportunity to ask her to repeat herself as she darted into the air and started to fly out of my land.

"Well that just happened." I said watching the Dryad leave. "And we're just going to conveniently forget that she made the promise that she would be a lot harder to convert than you Voras."

"Yeah. You basically promised her everything a Dryad every wants so be prepared for when she gets back." Voras laughed and smiled at me.

"I feel I should know what that means but fill me in?"

"If she succeeds in becoming a Grove mother or even just starts the process she will be begging you to join her for sex. Probably with all of her acquired Dryad's either participating or watching." Voras continued to laugh as she saw my face go through a few motions.

"That would be fun to watch." Zeldi snuck up behind me before wrapping her hands around my waist. "We could make them all polish a certain part of you in turns. Or all together."

"Of course you agree with that." I slightly scolded my little mare who took it like it was a compliment.

"Only the best for the stallion of my herd."

I rolled my eyes at her antics and tried to find some way of changing the subject. Fortunately the perfect thing was right in front of me.

"So Voras. Slightly over your hesitation around me yet?"

The spider woman in question gave me a smile that was about as genuine as she could. "Yes. I've found a perfect middle ground that won't trigger my defensive reaction."

[What she means to say is that she's covered herself in so much of her silk that she is effectively a walking nest.]

Tarakona seemed to smirk down at everyone from behind the house as she started to stretch like a cat waking up in the sun.

"I mean if that works for her great!" Zeldi let go of me and went up beside Voras to poke the coat. "You do have to remove it when I give you permission to sleep with him though."

"I am aware of that. I just... Wanted to try this." Voras slightly shied away but caught herself and tried to stand up straight again.

It wasn't what I would call progress but I also wasn't going to tell her how she should get over her trauma. Instead we could all work together to dig the pit, and by all together I mean beg Tarakona to do it for us.

"Well in that case. Hey Tarakona, mind digging out the pit for the basement?"

[But I just got up my love. I feel a little stiff after what we just did.]

"I'll give you a wash afterwards." I offered.

[Deal.]

We all stepped back as quickly as we could to get out of the way. Tarakona took to the task of digging with a vigor I hadn't expected. She also purposely put all the dirt on top of the current automatic butcher and as the glare from the sun hitting it died down I couldn't blame her.

"How many layers do you have on then?" I turned my attention back to Voras as if she felt like she was in her nest again we could have an honest conversation. Without her underwear being thrown at me, this time...

"Ummm. I kinda stopped counting at like six?" She replied moving her hands and arms to show off the many layers of colour underneath. "I know I really should be giving you my silk but I just wanted to know if this would work."

I shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. "The silk is nice but as I've said before, so long as you are comfortable and happy here I don't care."

Voras relaxed into a smile only to jump when Zeldi found a spot to poke on her side that the layers of clothes didn't protect.

"So if you feel like your in your nest now will you act completely normal or what? How does your whole thing work?" My little mare asked.

I winced. "Zeldi it's trauma and unless you have the knowledge to help her work through it we just need her to progress at her own pace."

"It's complicated." Voras added for herself. "I want desperately to be part of your family. Or herd. You are following Centaur rules right? Or should I think of this like more human standards?"

"Centaur!" Zeldi said nodding her head before pointing to herself. "And head mare right here."

"Riiiight. Well I want to be part of your herd then and I promise I'm working my way through it all. You have been incredibly helpful in that regard it's just..." Voras couldn't find the words.

"It's not a quick fix." I helped.

"Yes. It's not a quick fix. Exactly." Voras nodded.

"Well Master is stuck unable to grow without his quest and no offense but I'm not letting him sleep with you just to complete his quest. You have to earn that." Zeldi tried to hold her head up high but she was still the shortest of us three.

"Understandable. It's why I'm looking at, unconventional options for spending time with you guys." Voras said and actually lowered herself down to be at Zeldi's level.

Zeldi's ears stood straight up at the display and she seemed to smile brighter.

I took that as some sort of power play that Voras was accepting that she had lost. Probably a good way of getting into Zeldi's good books, she did like anything that ment she was the head mare or whatever.

I need to remind myself to ask Helayt more about what that is so I can assist Zeldi, and make sure she's not pushing it because the definition I got from Yenem was good but a little vague now that I'm actually trying to help her.

"It is also better if we do accomplish this plan of your's to extend our food supply for carnivores." Voras added. "And if I may ask. Can it produce eggs?"

That, was a good question. I immediately wanted to say no as eggs were not quite a butchery item but this was a fantasy world. Maybe I was wrong.

Unfortunately I was right and the automatic butcher couldn't produce eggs.

"Nope. If you want eggs we might need to get our hands on some chickens as I don't think feeding you Tarakona's eggs would be very beneficial." I replied talking the long way around my Dragon as she continued to dig.

"Oh it's not for me." Voras shook her head.

Zeldi was quick to figure out who even before I could.  "Oooow is this for the other Livestock that lives up in the falls?"

Oh yes. My next reward. Voras did mention that there was both a Deed and another Livestock up there. So they like eggs...

"Is she a Lamia?" I asked trying to think of any other monster girls that liked eggs. There were a few but they were mostly snake like so they came under the Lamia species.

"Close. Madu is a Gorgon." Voras answered only for Zeldi to gasp and even Tarakona stopped digging.

I however didn't see the problem and replied with no regard to what I was saying. "Cool. Might be hard to braid her hair though."