“Look at these,” Benny said as he pointed.
Seda noticed how the mushrooms had gotten larger the further they walked. The ones around her were as tall as Kalon, and in the near distance, they were as large as the oak trees in the Heath Forest.
“Oh my,” Askold whispered in awe. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
Elco circled, trying to find a place to land that was free of the red-topped mushrooms. Finding that he could not land on the ground, heperched on top of a tree that bent to the side and stared down at Seda. “This is the Amanita Copse. The last time I saw this place, it was not nearly as vast as it is now. They’re very dangerous if you come into contact with them. They don’t move or bite, but they’re poisonous if touched. Tell your friends not to touch the large ones. The larger the mushroom, the more potent the poison.” He took off into the sky, and the force of his weight lifting made the tree swing back and forth.
She reiterated what Elco said to Kalon, who called out to the group. The group continued forward carefully and began searching for a place to rest.
They kept walkingfor another hour when Seda felt something in her underwear. She let out a groan out of habit. None of her attempts at getting pregnant had worked out, so her period was always a letdown each month.
Her whole life, she was told that having periods was shameful and that it meant you weren’t loyal to Joro.
“I need to find somewhere private, please,” she said to Kalon, who was still carrying her.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, his eyebrows rising as he looked down at her.
She ground her teeth and looked away. “Yes, I just think I might have started my…period.” She winced as she said the last word.
She averted her gaze from him, her face feeling like it was on fire.
He set her down, and she carefully stepped around the smaller mushrooms, finding a spot behind a large one for some privacy. The rest of the group all stopped and looked at Kalon.
“What’s going on?” she heard Askold question.
“Seda needs privacy for a moment. Let’s take a short break,”Kalon replied. She listened as everyone set down their items and talked among themselves.
Seda peeked around the corner of the mushroom, being careful not to touch it, and looked to ensure no one was watching. When it seemed safe, she bunched up the skirt of her dress and slid her underwear down her legs.
The red spot stared back at her.
Sadness surrounded her as the last insemination failed. She deeply wanted to have a baby, and the ongoing cycles of hopeful waiting each month were draining. Perhaps motherhood wasn’t meant for her, a thought that made her heart ache.
She looked around, realizing she had nothing she could use to keep herself clean. There wasn’t even a damn moss ball she could use. There was no way in hell she would use a mushroom. What was she going to do?
Crap! Crap! Crap!
She heard the sound of something tearing, then someone cleared their throat from the other side of the mushroom. Seda jumped, quickly pulling her underwear back up her legs.
“Yes?” she nervously called out.
“I have something for you. Are you decent?” Kalon asked.
What could he have for her? It’s not like he carried cotton pads in his pack. Did he?
“I’m decent,” she replied.
He walked around the corner and smiled at her. Her eyes moved down his body of their own accord. A long, tension-filled moment passed between them as Seda’s eyes roamed down his bare chest, and she noticed it rise with a deep inhale.
Heat crept up her cheeks as she stared at his strong muscles, olive skin, and the black tattoos that slithered from the one on his neck, down to his hands, around his chest, and hid below his belt line. She really hadn’t seen many tattoos before. Occasionally, people in Jorowould visit Barrio to have small pieces of art applied to their bodies. But they were usually pricey and flashy, so not many, aside from The Rising members, had tattoos that she’d seen.
She cleared her throat and ran her hand over her neck. “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” she asked, inwardly groaning at herself for ogling.
He held out his hand filled with scraps of material to her. “Here, thought you might need something for that.” He nodded toward her stomach. “I have another shirt in my pack.”
“Oh… thank you.” She fidgeted with the skirt of her dress.
He smirked at her as she took the cloth from his hand, their fingers brushing against each other for longer than usual.
