Time we don't have.
"Alright," I say, "please be careful."
"I'll take the utmost care of your fellow human, Ree," he vows.
I pat his mane. "Oh, I know you will. I mean be careful to not get hurt."
He purrs in response and his whiskers wiggle.
I'm pretty sure it means he really liked what I just said, but I'm too shy to ask.
He makes sure I'm firmly wedged against the tree trunk, then pulls away. He uncoils himself, runs a hand through my ridiculously long hair, and then disappears into the canopy.
I listen carefully, but can barely hear him descend.
I realize I didn't think of two important things when I agreed to this plan. For one, I'm now who knows how high in a tree by myself with an injured arm. And for another, I really should have peed.
"Dammit."
22
Ree
I have little to occupy my time aside from worrying, so for a distraction I focus on my breathing and keeping my heart rate as low as possible.
Unfortunately, eventually I can't focus on anything else but the increasingly insistent demands of my bladder.
Just when I'm desperate enough that I'm trying to figure out how to climb out on a limb for a makeshift mile high bathroom Thivoll returns.
"I—" he begins but I interrupt him.
"Is it safe?"
"Yes," he says in a confused drawl, his whiskers drooping.
"I need out of this tree," I say in a rush. "Now!"
To his credit he simply blinks at me, then grabs me and we scramble down at a dizzying speed. Once we reach the ground, I push away from him and start trotting away,
"Stay there," I order as I all but dive into a nearby bush.
Thankfully, the increase in my heart rate only results in a moderate responding increase in pain.
I try to pull my pants down with my good arm, but instead of hooking into a band, my thumbs slide off the fabric.
"Argh!"
"Are you alright?" Thivoll asks in a concerned voice.
"Yes!"
I realize my error and instead picture my pants disappearing and the weird black fabric recedes.
The relief is instant.
"Ah," Thivoll says, with a knowing tone. "Yikes!"
I smile at his not quite accurate use of the term, but one that completely fits with the definition I gave him.
