I stood in front of Corbys and smiled at him. "My name is Althine. I'll choose you if you'll have me" I said. He beamed and said "I'll make you proud to be my concubine. I am going to keep you safe". I nodded. The shaman just shook his head. The others looked upset. Teodan was especially angry. "Why would you choose a colt when you could have a hunter provide for you?" he demanded. I shrugged and said "I already made my choice. Don't be so jealous". He glared before looking at Corbys. "I challenge you for the right to have Althine" he snapped. I narrowed my eyes and said "What the hell are you doing!? Challenging a colt to a fight? What is the matter with you, you coward!". "Shut up, you slutty mare! You should be thankful someone useful to the tribe even wants you". The shaman chuckled and asked Corbys "What are you going to do, young one? Will you accept his challenge or give Althine up?" Corbys looked around at his peers and the rest of the tribe. He then looked at me. He took a deep breath and said "I accept the challenge!"
The shaman chuckled and addressed the tribe. "The challenged gets to decide what the contest will be" he said. The tribe looked at him expectantly. Corbys was very intimidated and looked down as the pressure got to him. It was looking bad until his mother came up to him and pulled him close. He looked at her. "Raise your head, my son. Focus and think hard about what you are the best at. Your father is not here to guide you. You need to stand firm and show everyone your worth to the tribe" she said in a firm voice. He nodded slowly and raised his head. He looked determined as he thought. Eventually, he said "I want to settle this in a duel". Everyone began to murmur again. "A colt is going to fight me? Are you sure you don't want to send someone in your place?" Teodan mocked. I stepped forward. "I'm fighting in his place. I can teach you to not try to snatch what's not yours" I said with a smile on my face. He glared at me. The shaman looked on and said "Is that acceptable to you, young one? If so we will have the duel now". Corbys nodded and I equipped my great axe.
We both circled each other tensely to feel each other out. Teodan smirked and asked "What is a mare like you going to do with all those axes? Cut up the game we bring back?" The other hunters laughed with him. The three warriors of the tribe not critically wounded looked a bit nervous. Teodan borrowed a pike and brandished it. We traded blows and parries. I was doing better. He did not have battle experience. He had a big strength advantage over me. I outmaneuvered him and swung my axe with a heavy attack. He was barely able to block with the pole of the pike. I hammered the pike until he dropped it. There was simply too much pressure to continue holding it up. I kicked it away and beat him over the head with the flat face of the axe. His head went side to side as he fell to the ground. I raised the axe in victory. The shaman stepped forward and announced me the winner. There was a commotion until he silenced them. "Since Corbys will not come of age for three months, you will join his family. In the mean time, you will serve as a second healer" he proclaimed.
