I realize her 'ohs' and 'uhs' must be vocalized pauses.
Adorable, but I'm still confused.
"Then why the threatened bite?"
I know something's been lost in translation, but the hair along my spine rises anyway.
"Oh! That was asmile, not a threat. Sorry," she says, her oddly flexible lips pulling the opposite direction as before.
Now I wonder what that lip movement means.
Dear Thela, humans are an odd species.
"When IsmileI'm happy. Or trying to look friendly," she explains.
There is no translation for the word in my language.
Showing your teeth when happy is an odd concept. I try it. Ree's eyes get big, then she holds her stomach and lets out another long trill.
She moves her other hand over her mouth at the end, probably so I won't be threatened.
"Thissmileis confusing, but I very much like your lovely trill," I tell her. "We should climb, though, so we can be more comfortable."
She nods to indicate her agreement and I'm relieved.
19
Ree
Thivoll's attempt at a smile would've been one of the most frightening things I've ever seen had he tried it when we first met.
His ebony teeth are deadly sharp.
Except the combination of his lips trying to mimic a human's movement and the way he squints his eyes makes him look like a giant Cheshire Cat with black shark teeth.
Or maybe I'm feeling a bit too much like Alice and I'm projecting.
Either way, it's comical.
I can't contain another laugh and I'm relieved when Thivoll doesn't take offense.
I like the idea of getting more comfortable, especially after the terribly cold night and the stress of the crash landing. Not to mention that this is the first time I've felt a glimmer of hope that maybe I won't be sold off at auction.
That alone brings its own form of exhaustion on the heels of weeks of tension and terror.
"To answer your question, I would appreciate your help," I say.
"Excellent, I . . ." Thivoll trails off, his ears stop their constant swiveling, and he turns his head to his left. I hold myself still and quiet, wondering what he hears.
The forest around us stills and the hairs on my arms rise.
I startle when Thivoll pulls me to him, but I remain silent. My face is enveloped by the soft fur of his mane as he pulls me tighter against his chest with one arm. Then I feel us rise, a shot of panic at the speed of it causing me to wrap my arms around his thick neck.
After catching a quick glance of how far up we are I bury my face deep into his fur so I can't see and wrap my legs around his waist. It tapers at a different angle than a human, with no hips to catch my weight so I have to squeeze hard to remain locked against him.
We stop ascending not long after, and I feel the difference in gravity pulling me away from his chest instead of down toward his back paws. I hazard a look and am relieved when all I can see are twining tree trunks and thick leaves.
Thivoll pulls gently on my legs, letting me know he wants me to release my death grip. As I do, his arms wrap around me and he repositions me so he is holding my weight. It gives me the confidence to pull my face from his fur and inspect our surroundings.
