"Alright, fine."
I let out a cackle, channeling all the terrible superhero movies I watched during my misspent youth. "I stole this from my arch nemesis. Round one went to Kira, you fornicator."
"You did stab him."
"Exactly."
"And then he threw you off a cliff."
"Close your dirty mouth, Drasuk."
His laugh echoes in the small space, and my lips quirk.
I turn my gaze to the outside of the cave. I can see where a number of mid-sized animals are hiding in trees to wait out the rain. Judging by the lack of smaller animals on my new shimmer radar, it must only pick up creatures of a certain size.
Good. I don't need to know how many thousands of bugs are around me at any given time. Some things it's best to remain ignorant about.
"Do you think the worst of the storm has passed? It might be a good idea to start moving before it stops raining. Maybe it will help hide our trail."
"It would diminish it some, that's true, but if they get close, they'll still smell where we went."
I put a cheeky grin on my face. "Well, we could always hop back into the river."
He grunts. "That's actually a good idea."
"That was a joke, Drasuk. I don't want to get back in that crazy river. Especially not after a morning of torrential downpour is swelling it even higher. I like living."
"True. But we also need to gain some distance from them so we can plan and find another braceaaer group or camp. This time I won't destroy so many of the guns so you can find the ones that fit you best."
I assume this surge of giddy glee about gun shopping is how some women feel about shoes.
"Maybe I'll even find some weapons that will fit my hands," he continues.
I look down at his tough pads with his double sets of opposing digits, realizing that they no longer look weird to me anymore. Itdoesn't even bother me that his hands and feet look exactly the same and I'm only calling them different names out of habit.
I shake my head to focus back on his crazy idea. Well, my crazy idea, I guess.
"Are you sure you can keep us from drowning?"
***
It's fucking freezing, but I'm still alive. Drasuk has kept us safe, if not dry. The rain stopped a long time ago, but the river is still raging. My body doesn't even get any time to warm up to the water soaking me before another icy splash hits.
I'm noticeably warmer where my skin has been replaced by thicker hide, but that's only about a third of my body. I let out a snort. Funny how survival flips the script from worrying about a third of your body changing, to thinking about how the other two-thirds aren't as robust.
What can I say? Practicality rules supreme.
We reach another calmer section and Drasuk relaxes in the water for a while. It must be really hard work keeping his armadillo boat position amidst crashing into boulders and deadly currents.
I pat his chest and rest, too, by flipping onto my back instead of clinging to his spines. I'm pretty sure my new ant strength is the only reason I haven't been ripped off him.
"Alright, I'll admit it, Drasuk. You are a beast."
"Your tone says that's a compliment. Your words say otherwise."
"I guess you'll never know."
His tail flings up from the water and whacks me across the thighs. "Stop that. I was just getting moderately warm."
