Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
"I am told it is considered impolite to have your cock swing freely," O'jek says in a dry voice. "The hyoo-mans do not like bodies, it seems."
I think of how entirely covered the human females were, their bodies draped head to toe in thick furs. "A shame."
I put the loincloth on, tying it at my waist, and then head to the main fire, where many people have gathered. There is a strange mixture—I see two males with bright red skin, a pregnant female, and more of the tribe that calls themself sa-khui—the people of the khui. I do not see my bright-eyed female, though, and I pace around the fire, searching faces.
A pregnant female with a strange orange mane and a spotted face holds a bowl out to me. "Are you hungry?"
I pause, wondering if this is a trick. "Of course."
She gestures at the bowl. "Go on, take it."
My stomach growls. My mouth fills with saliva, but I do not reach for the delicious-smelling food. "I have not hunted for this meat."
Her expression turns to one of sympathy. "There is plenty of game in the mountains, and in the waters here. We all pitch in together and bring in enough food for the entire tribe. Now that you're part of the tribe, you get to eat, too." She takes a step forward and places the warm bowl in my hands. "When you have rested, I'm sure you and your people will contribute, too. Until then, we'll feed you gladly."
I sniff the bowl, raising it to my lips. It looks like a mixture of cooked seeds and meat in a thick, rich broth. Hesitant, I scoop some out with my claws and eat. It is unusual, but the taste is good. It is also hot enough to scald the tips of my fingers, but I do not care. I will eat it anyhow.
The female smiles and holds a thing with a rounded end out to me. "Spoon?"
I eye it, but it does not look all that tasty. In fact, it looks as if it is made of dried bone. Not wishing to offend when she has offered me food, I take it and gently bite on the end, wondering if I am supposed to get a flavor from this.
"It's not for eating." Her mouth twitches and she holds her hand out. "May I?"
Relieved, I hand it back to her. She drops the rounded end in my bowl and uses it to shovel another mouthful, then offers it to me. "You use it to eat."
"Aaaah." I take it from her and nibble on the stuff scooped onto the “spoon.” "My thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Another custom? I nod. "If you like, I will never speak of it again."
She chuckles as if I have said something amusing, and tilts her head, indicating O'jek. "Your friend is welcome to come eat, too. It's allowed." Her expression grows slightly uncertain. "Is it not a thing, where you're from?"
I shove another mouthful into my face before someone changes their mind and snatches it from me. "Game was scarce at our home. If you did not catch it, you did not eat it."
"Well, it's a good thing we don't have that rule here," she says, patting her very pregnant belly. "My name is Harlow, by the way. My mate is Rukh. He's out hunting right now. We're part of the sa-khui tribe."
"H'rlow," I say gravely, giving her name the honorific slurring. "I am A'tam of Shadow Cat clan."
She nods again and then glances back at O'jek. "If I give you another bowl of food, will you make sure your friend is fed?"
I stuff more of my food into my face, shoveling it with my spoon. I want to eat it all before I am forced to share, just in case. "I am looking for someone. A female."
"Who? Maybe I can help?" She turns back to the fire and ladles another bowl of food out, tucking a small spoon into it as she does. I notice that no one seems to think this is odd. There are several others near the fire eating their food and talking quietly—a skinny brown female, a young one with a puffy mane, and one with a pale yellow mane and equally pale skin. Near them one of the sa-khui males paces, wolfing down his food as if he is racing off to start his day. None of them look twice at me, and so I eat a little slower, trying to make my food last.
"The beautiful one," I say between bites. "With the bright eyes."
H'rlow gives me a wry look. "You might have to be more specific than that."
I do? I consider this as I eat. "She has a brown mane," I say between bites. "And…nice teats. And she laughs a lot." When she gives me another helpless look, I grow frustrated. I cannot say she has a small nose, because they all have small noses. She is short, but they are all short. She…