Tarak looked down at his wise mate and smiled. “You are right.”
My Savrix looked around the room and announced, “Starting today we will forage what we can around the mountain and seek out new foraging grounds that we haven’t explored before. We will all make traps and the hunters and I will go out twice as often as before.”
He wore a pained expression as he looked down at Gab-bae, and I knew what he was thinking. It was hard to imagine parting from my new mate so soon after we’d claimed each other, but if that was what I’d have to do to make sure Julie was provided for, then that was what I’d do.
“I’ll help set up a schedule of hunters and humans foraging together in the mornings and hunters going out in the afternoons while we stay behind making traps and drying out the gathered food,” Ashley volunteered.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with this new plan.
Breakfast concluded soon after and as soon as the dishes were clean all the humans and half the hunters set about foraging around the mountain.
Even though the sun was high in the sky and it was a warm day, a somber mood filled our group. Julie was quiet as she gathered grains in the lowlands next to me and I worried that her mind was burdened with all the things that might go wrong if we didn’t gather enough food.
I wanted to reassure her that all would be well. This winter I would go out in the snows and would not return until I had killed one of the few animals that roamed the land in the cold season. Most animals stayed below ground to sleep and eat the food they had gathered themselves, butthat would not stop me from hunting for my mate.
I knew I would do all I could to make sure Julie was provided for, but would that be enough?
Julie
After lunch the hunters gathered their travel packs to spend the rest of the day hunting. Brexl and Rhaz agreed to do longer hunting trips that would keep them away from the dekes for multiple days in a row. None of the other hunters were as willing to leave the mountain for long periods of time. It wasn’t that they were afraid of the forest, it was clear they just wanted to spend more time around the females whom they hoped to woo. I couldn’t imagine being told half my life that I could never touch a person of the gender I’m attracted to and then once I finally get to do so, have to leave for long periods of time.
All in all, no one was happy with the situation we found ourselves in, least of all Gabby and I. We were newly mated and now we had to say goodbye to our alien’s for the first of what would be many hunting trips away from the mountain.
“I’ll be back tonight, I promise.” Tarak assured Gabby.
“I wish I could make the evening meal with you tonight, but I don’t think I’ll get back in time.” Orsu lamented.
“It’s alright, just stay safe out there okay?” Although Orsu had lived on this planet his whole life, and he was more than capable of protecting himself, it didn’t change the fact that this was a very dangerous place to live and an even more dangerous place to hunt.
“I will. I even packed some medical supplies this time.” Orsu teased with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Good. I hope you don’t need them.”
I wrapped my arms around my big teddy bear of an alien and rested my head on his chest as I fought back tears.
“Don’t let Lumod move my spices around. He always makes a mess of things.” Orsu tried to lighten the mood but it didn’t work.
His teasing only made me realize how much I’d miss his lightheartedness in the days to come.
“Come now my mate, there will be no tears. I will be back before you know it. You’ll see.” Orsu lifted my chin with his finger and wiped away my tears.
“I feel ridiculous,” I admitted. “I know you’ll be back tonight, I’m just scared I guess. And I…” How could I put into words the sinking feeling I had in my chest?
“The thought of being separated from you feels all-consuming,” Orsu supplied the words for me. “It is because our mating is new. With time it will become easier to be apart.”
“Well I don’t like it,” I pouted and Orsu chuckled.
“I don’t either, but with any luck, we’ll hunt enough meat to last us the winter and we will stay warm under the furs together until the snows melt.”
Orsu looked down at me with a heated gaze that made me blush. I’d like to spend more time with him under the furs.
“Goodbye, Gab-bae,” Tarak bid his mate farewell.
“No, don’t say goodbye,” Gabby said in a panicked tone. “I don’t like it. Say I’ll see you later.”
“Alright,” Tarak stroked her face and said, “I’ll see you later, my mate.”
And with that he turned and walked out into the daylight.
