I feel anything but small in this moment, if not a little nervous. I bite my lip. His braids are always precise and long-lasting.
“What if I don’t do a good job?”
He doesn’t speak, just lets my fingers clumsilycomb through every knot and kink. When the hair is mostly smooth, I section and begin to fold each silky strand over the other.
Enduar hair is soft, much softer than human hair. While I might use the texture of my curly hair to maintain the structure of a style, the pin-straight silk slides out of its bindings at every chance.
Exasperated, I try again. Then once more.
When I am finished, the result is a loose plait with a leather binding that is doing far too much work.
I throw my hands over my head.
“I give up! You do it.” I push off the bed, heading toward the tunnel in our rooms so I can finally find some of my own clothing.
He follows me. “Absolutely not. You’ve honored me with your efforts, and I want the world to see.”
I look up at him and his loose hair that’s already falling out. My eyes drop lower to the beautiful, long cock that fills up the emptiness in my soul. Heat spreads over my neck.
“Go, dress yourself. Or we will never leave this room,” I choke out.
He laughs but turns.
I should go into my room—I really should—but the muscled cheeks of his buttocks ripple with every step, and I realize just how beautiful every part of him is, from the lean, long torso to the muscled tail.
So many ideas flood my mind. Ideas I don’t even recognize.
It felt wrong to be so consumed by him when we had other things to do.
But… being together gives me strength. Gods know we will need a lot more of that before we leave.
Don’t mess this up again.
I push the cold words away.
Teo dresses first and comes into my roomto help me with the fastenings at the back of the dress I’ve put on. It’s simple and leather, but my inner thighs are sore. I don’t want to slide anything over them just yet.
He fastens the buttons at my back, smooths down my hair, and takes me out of the room.
When we are out of our chambers, the wonder returns. It’s hard to believe such a beautiful place exists in the world.
As I study the mushrooms we pass, I look up. “Can we check on my garden?”
He looks down at me and grins.
“Of course, my star.”
As we walk out of the palace, we start to see other Enduares. The air is full of anxious excitement.
I hear the Enduar word forhumanmore than once as we cross the path and greet person after person. They welcome us back and bless us with their kindness as we make our way to the greenhouse.
When I walk in, the musty, damp smell of mushrooms hits me. I see the tall, beautiful Enduar woman tending to them with water and songs.
Ulla turns to look at me and grins.
“Estela, I’m glad to see I’m not the only one worried about our little leafy plants and fungi,” she says. Her apron is already covered in dirt.
I smile and step forward, taking in another deep breath of damp earth.
