Even I would be too distracted thinking of the other women we need to help, and they are only a vicarious responsibility.
Now that we have a way for her to exit our cave, I no longer want to risk her being with me when I kill hunters. There are safer outings we could take, but it's worth finding out if she would consider staying.
"We have a couple of traps we could set up near the entrance, but how about I go looking for more tonight?"
"Sure, but let's get her in the other small room first. I don't like how she's sitting out here like she's part of the supplies."
I move Silver as she goes into the room with our nest in it.
As I'm setting the chamber down in the back of the room, she comes in with a blanket. She drapes it over the chamber so only Silver's neck and head are showing.
I haven't really thought about how troubling it would be for a nearly hairless species to be without clothing.
"Should we dress her?"
Ree shakes her head. "I would really like to, but everything will be contaminated and we've already done enough to her in that regard."
I see her point. When I look over to her, she is absentmindedly scratching at the back of her hands and forearms.
A thrill passes up my chest and quivers along my whiskers thinking of how beautiful they will be if those portend coming changes.
"I assume you are going to have scales there soon?"
She looks down at what she's doing and pulls a face. "Likely so."
"I'm sure they will look just as beautiful as your others, my Ree."
She sniffs. "We'll know soon enough. Let's get this cave better protected."
I growl. "I would rather you remain here."
She ignores me and grabs an empty pack, then rechecks her pockets to ensure she has a medkit and rations before moving over to me and extending her arms.
I huff out a breath.
This is one of those moments where I realize that one of her most attractive traits is also one of her most annoying ones. I love all the ways she is exotic, but she is just as willful as a manticorid female.
Which is of course why I can't trap her here.
The pang of fear that thought brings urges me over to her, but not to lift her just yet. I push my muzzle into the base of her neck, loving the feel of her new scales against me, and take a deep breath of her intoxicating scent.
I want to move her back to our soft bedding, but we go out into the night.
We spend some time ensuring we didn't leave any scrapes or other evidence of our habitation on the rock face or at the base, then lope off into the thick forest.
With Silver ensconced in our nest my heart is much lighter. In fact, I've never felt so alive or hopeful, although there are dozens, if not hundreds of hunters on the continent.
Space station work was reliable, but I'd trade it without another thought for the exhilaration of leaping rock to rock with her legs holding me tight.
I had the occasional encounter with a manticorid female who was passing through the station, but never once imagined the utter delight I would find here with my precious Ree.
Her thoughts must have been far heavier while I was pondering this because she lets out a long sigh.
"What's bothering you?"
She hums. "Do you think the genali will just keep taking women from my planet until we're all gone? You have Sentinels and have lost half of yours."
I wish I could assuage her fears, but I doubt she wants lies.
