I might have enjoyed sleeping on him a little too much because when I finally found the strength to get up and face the day I immediately felt the loss of his warmth.
“Good morning,” I greeted Orsu as he sat up rubbing his eyes. He gave me a groggy smile and bid me a good morning as well.
“How did you sleep?” he asked as he stretched and yawned.
“I slept pretty good, actually. I think talking about my worries really helped.” I gave Orsu a genuine smile of appreciation for that.
“I’m glad to help.” Orsu smiled back. “Are you hungry? I have plenty of leftover food from yesterday. You can eat as much as you like. I can restock at the den.”
“I know you have plenty of food,” I teased. “You didn’t pack anything else.”
Orsu let out a hearty laugh. “That’s not true. I packed the fur you slept under and some water.” His eyes twinkled with mischief as we bantered. There was something about him that made me feel light as a feather inside. It wasn’t exactly a vacation from my anxiety, but his presence seemed to make everything else I was facing more bearable.
I took the pouch of dried berries and Orsu munched on the nuts.
“Do you think it’s safe to head out now?”
I was eager to get back to the other women. I wanted to know if Gabby had made it back to the den.
Orsu looked up at the sunlight shining through the crack in the ceiling and nodded his head. “Yes, the nocturnal beasts should be back in their dens by now.”
He got up and winced as he put pressure on his leg.
“Should we stay here another day so you can heal?”
Orsu shook his head. “The pain is not great, and I need to return you to your dekes. I have herbs in my den that will speed the healing of my leg.”
Dekes. He’d used that term a few times now.
“What is a dekes?”
Orsu furrowed his brow as he thought about how to explain the term. “It’s your people. Those you live with.”
“Ah, like a community. That makes sense.”
The big blue alien walked to the boulder blocking the entrance and gave it a mighty shove. He seemed to be struggling to move it more thismorning than he had last night. Blood trickled down his leg from where I had bandaged his wound and he grimaced.
“Here, let me help.” I stood beside him and helped push the boulder. He stopped momentarily and looked down at me with a smirk.
“What, are you going to tell me I’m too weak?” I’d been surrounded by cousins and coworkers my whole life who teased me for being short and weak. I understood that I had physical limitations, but I was still a capable individual.
“Never,” Orsu’s expression became very serious. “You have survived much. I think you might be stronger than even you realize.”
That wasn’t what I had expected. I had braced myself for more teasing, especially from a guy as big as Orsu. It was nice to be taken seriously and not have to defend myself, even if I didn’t have that much strength to offer.
We worked together and the boulder eventually moved. The bright morning sun felt amazing on my skin, especially as I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh forest air.
Orsu sniffed the air and nodded to himself. “It is safe. There are no predators nearby. Stay close behind me though, just in case.”
“Just in case, what?” I could already feel my panic starting to settle in when I looked up and saw a small mischievous smile playing across Orsu’s face.
“Are you teasing me?”
“Always,” Orsu smiled and his chin quivered ashe desperately tried to hold back a laugh.
“I should throw my chancla at you for that.”
“Is a foot covering considered a mighty weapon where you’re from?” Orsu asked, still wearing his teasing smile.
