24. Ree

24

Ree

Thivoll doesn't give me any time to overthink our descent. I'm still distracted by the way his fur is flopping around from him shaking it out when he grabs me and we quickly descend.

I make my way to a nearby bush, and assume Thivoll is doing the same. I avoid thinking about how much I really miss modern conveniences so I don't end up whining.

It's never a good look.

When I come back, Thivoll is on all fours. His hands stretched out far in front of him, his butt is up in the air, his head is thrown back, and he's yawning hugely. I thought his teeth looked menacing before, but now I realize he has three of the razor sharp ebony rows that resemble shark teeth with a somewhat similar jagged triangle.

I blink at the sight of it, but the rest of his pose is so comically feline that I can't help but smile as I walk toward him. He looks over at me and slightly recoils, which makes me remember that to him I'm being threatening.

The idea of barely over five feet me making such a giant, incredibly dangerous alien recoil with my small little white teeth, sets me off laughing.

The way his whiskers droop, which I'm beginning to associate with him being confused, makes me laugh even more.

"I'm sorry, Thivoll. I keep forgetting what a smile looks like to you, but you have to admit that I'm not particularly scary, right?"

"My dam was smaller than me long before I was grown, she doesn't have venom, just like any female manticorid, but she is one of the fiercest beings I've ever known. It isn't always about might. Presence is more important and you have an intensity about you."

The way he says it makes my heart warm. "I've been in a leadership role at my emergency room for a year now. Maybe that's where it comes from."

"I know little about humans but what I did research suggests you are very young for a leadership role."

I cringe when I think of how young I must now look and how that would affect my career.

If we ever get off this planet, let alone get me back to Earth.

Plenty of people would literally kill someone to go back to looking this young but I've worked hard to get people to trust my judgment.

If I went back to the ER looking like this, I don't think anyone would listen to me.

It was hard enough to be taken seriously as a female in my thirties. I think any advocacy for my fellow nurses would just be scoffed at now that I look like I'm barely old enough to drink.

But no need to burden him with that. "I'm older than I look. How about we find some food?"

He blinks at the sudden topic change, but doesn't press the issue. "This plant can be eaten raw by many species. I'm certain your nanites will make it safe."

I look at the plant he's pointing to, then walk closer to it. It's a light lime green with a variegated white pattern.

"Do I eat the leaves?"

"Yes, and the stem if you would like. The roots are likely too hard for your blunt teeth."

Blunt teeth, huh? I raise an eyebrow at him, but he just keeps looking at me with his normal expression. So I guess there was no joke or insult intended and he also has no idea what a raised eyebrow means.

Of course.

Fancy tech swimming around in my head only gets us so far.

I look back at the plant. Good thing I like salads.

"Hmm. Raw or cooked?"

"Both."

I grab a leaf, turn it over to check for bugs and then cram it in my mouth before I can overthink it.

I'm starving and can't afford to be picky.

It has a tart, slightly bitter flavor that reminds me of lime mixed with kale except nothing quite like either.

I grab several more.

"Do you know the protein level?"

"Moderate," he explains, "but there are several other plants that in combination would provide what you need."

I nod, and finish chewing what's in my mouth. "How do you know the wild plants on a planet you've never been to?"

"These were introduced. The planet was a failed colony before the genali claimed it. The colonists broadly distributed food crops so they would naturalize."

A failed colony doesn't bode well. "Did it fail because of the technology interference or something else?"

"As far as I know the braceaaer colonists simply didn't want to make the dramatic cultural shift it would take to live with basic technology. Windmills and water generation work here, but not if you want to store the power or do anything more than simple things like milling grain. No instant communication. No power. Few are interested in such a primitive existence."

Interesting. "Braceaaer?"

"You know what they look like, actually. They've been abducting humans for hundreds of years and your journalists have provided accurate portraits."

My jaw drops open. "Little Green Men are real?"

Luckily he knows it's a rhetorical question so I don't feel like a fool.

My lips quirk up when I think about how much of that I've been doing since meeting him. Tam would give me her I-know-you-like-him eyebrow waggle as soon as he turned away.

It makes a giggle try to bubble up.

But then my thoughts turn more serious. "Do you think we will get back to Silver soon?"

"Yes, I'll do whatever I can to help your friend."

"Even after getting shot?"

"Seems to underscore the importance even more, my Ree."

I blink at the sudden possessive he uses, but push the thought aside. "You'd risk yourself for a bunch of aliens you've never met?" I ask, somewhat bewildered.

"Well, of course," he says, not elaborating further.

I feel my chest filling up with some sort of unidentified emotion.

Not long ago I was despairing over how to find my way in the woods, wracked with guilt to be leaving Silver.

The rush of appreciation I feel overtakes my good sense and before I can think better of it I take the two steps between us and throw my arms around him.

"Thank you so much, Thivoll. I had no hope of helping her without you."

I ignore my brain trying to overthink and just enjoy the sensation of his fur against my cheek and the heat from his body. One of his arms wraps around me and his rumbling purr soothes my remaining anxiety.

He pats my butt again, this time making me jump a bit in his arms.

I open my mouth to say more but he gets us moving for the day. "You gather more of that and I'll get some of the other plants."

I grab several handfuls of the leaves, careful not to fully strip the poor plant. He returns with a much larger bounty.

So much that I can't eat it all and I'm not sure how to carry it.

I hope he plans to help and hasn't just gathered a Thivoll-sized meal I can't fit in my stomach or store away.

"Are you eating some, too? Your teeth suggest you're a carnivore, not an omnivore like I am."

"We can eat almost anything, but do feel best with a mostly protein diet, you are correct."

"I can't eat all of this, Thivoll."

"Take what you can eat now," he instructs me. "I'll eat the rest."

I grab a very healthy portion. I stuff some in my mouth so I can fit more in my hands.

Thivoll's whiskers droop. "Should I hold some for you?"

I regret the giant mouthful now and shake my head. He keeps staring at me, waiting for me to finish chewing so I can more fully answer.

"This is plenty."

He blinks rapidly. "How many times a day?"

"Three, maybe four if it's only plants."

He huffs. "You will be very simple to provide for, it seems, though we will need to find more than just leaves."

He tilts his head back and simply dumps the rest of the food in his gaping mouth, his jaw hinging back much farther than my eyes are comfortable seeing.

I jump when his jaw closes with a snap.

I really like the man-cat-alien and my body is all on board with all kinds of naughty ideas, but at times like these I'm reminded just how very alien we both must seem to each other.

He falls to all fours and crouches down. "Let's find water."