I decide we are close enough and sit back on my haunches so I most effectively create a barrier between them. Only the underbrush serves as cover for me, but I'd rather him think I don't need it than huddle behind a trunk like he's doing.
To complete the look, I put a bored expression on my face and start running a hand through my mane.
Worst case, he's from a culture where personal grooming is an insult, but I'll take the risk. It has the added benefit of making me seem unarmed.
If I don't know about his species, I bet his doesn't know about mine.
Ree keeps talking as I keep grooming. After removing the many tens of tangles, I'm glad I thought of it.
I hope the dark violet I know my muzzle is showing right now as I think of how unkempt I have been for my little human doesn't destroy the entire show.
She's as effective as usual and I still have plenty of tangles left when he steps out from behind the tree.
I tense up when I see a genali rifle in his hand, but he props it up against the tree and keeps talking. His face bears a passing resemblance to a human male, except with broader features, much bigger eyes with a horizontal pupil, and ears that come to three points that jut out from his head between black braids.
His braids are thick and elaborate with rough beads, bones, feathers, and even small wooden carvings mixed into them. His skin is dark gray with a bright green, glowing pattern across his face and down his arms.
It pulses like it's a type of fluid pumping across the surface of his flesh.
It may continue under his clothes, which are made from the skin of some alien creature and stitched together with sinew. It's thicker in some areas, like armor was built into its design and is scored and pitted in enough places that I know he's seen a lot of violence.
From the patina, only some of it since being abducted.
He's muscular, with a broad chest and narrow hips. The more I look at him, the more I can see the overlap in human physiology.
Two arms. Two legs, though they are much longer than a human, adding to his greater height. His hands work similarly, but he only has three wide fingers instead of four.
Almost human, at least in shape.
Judging by the dark green liquid oozing from a wound to his lower abdomen there are some very significant differences in internal makeup.
He lets out a sharp hissing bark that makes me dart my eyes back to his face. Multiple bright white teeth are showing now, all of them sharp.
I move forward at the sight of such a threat but Ree yanks on the mane at the back of my neck. I grunt, then pay closer attention to his body language.
I guess more than one species is confused about what showing teeth means. He'ssmiling.
Although I suppose I am getting used to seeing hersmileand I'm starting to associate it with happy times.
I realize my mind had been wandering when she speaks my language. "He's injured. I'd like to go over and help him."
I shake my mane in self-reproach for not staying focused.
"No. He can do it himself. I assume he took the medical kit from the genali."
"That's harsh, Thivoll. I need to solidify his trust so I can ask him the giant favor of searching for and protecting a woman. The least we can do is stitch the man. This time we have plenty of supplies and the guilt from not treating Szhe'ka still haunts me."
If he only knew what it was like to have a human pulling him around by his tail, he would run the opposite direction. Withwhatever sound his species makes that is the opposite of that war cry he made earlier.
Then I concede he doesn't have a tail. And also that I enjoy having my tail pulled. I huff out a breath.
"Only if he agrees to have me within tail range. But of course, don't tell him what my tail does," I add hastily.
She trills, pats me, and then goes back to speaking to the male. She comes out from around me and stands at my side. I feel better when she shows some caution by not immediately walking over to him.
My fur stands on end at the way he looks at her.
His eyes are widened, and they rove over her body in a way that suggests appreciation and interest.
