Malta was out by the lakeshore in the evening again, hunting for fluffotton tufts with about as much success as before.
"You're sure they're around here?" asked Regeel. He was with her again today, the other two still recovering from their ritual bout.
"Yes. Fluffotton grows on the lakeshore. I found it here before..."
"Plants have a season, right?"
"Yes..."
"Maybe its out of season." he commented, offhand.
Malta looked at him, puzzled. "Um..." she said, thinking, "No, it shouldn't be. It grows year round..." she contemplated the idea, frowning. Maybe he had something there. "But maybe its just a bad year for fluffotton."
"I was just saying." he said, dismissive. But she could catch the small, pleased note in his voice. "Thats all."
She beamed at him. "Mmm!" She was glad he was taking an interest in what she did. He'd been somewhat nice to her lately, and that was a change for the better. She decided that it was time to give up on the fluffotton for the moment. "Lets move on"
"Fine by me." he said. They walked in silence for a bit. "Malta?" he said, startling her. He rarely asked anything - none of them did, aside from the usual 'why aren't you going faster' or other unpleasant things.
"Mmm?" she asked, turning to him, her blue eyes wary as she leaned slightly away.
"You still think that maybe I should... bring gifts?"
"Mmhmm!" she affirmed nodding vigorously.
"Hmmm..." he trailed off, his expression deep and thoughtful. "I'll be right back. Don't get yourself in trouble while I'm away..." he said, starting to walk back towards the forest. "I promise I'll be back." he repeated, at her frightened expression, "Don't worry. Just an errand."
"Oh..." well, they'd never told her when they'd left her alone before. That was a good sign. "Okay."
She continued searching for herbs, until a grunt interrupted her. She looked up, hopeful, thinking it might be Regeel keeping his promise and coming back.
It was not. Beady red eyes and a large beak stared back at her - a drouil - as it meandered by in its colorful shell. She snuck towards it and, when she was close enough, cooed a soft hello to it. It grunted and stared at her, lifting its tail as a warning. "I'm not going to hurt you..." she said, moving closer, her posture nonthreatening and playful. It huffed, struck out with its stinger, and ran as Malta reeled back. The poison did nothing to her, but the sting hurt.
Suddenly, a dark, streaked shape came out from the bushes and crashed into the Drouil, bearing it to the ground. Regeel looked up. "I told you not to get in trouble." he said, finishing off the beast. "You think..." he said, stepping off and nudging the carcass, "This would be a suitable gift?"
"Mmhmm!" said Malta, healing her wound easily, "Uhm... Can I have its stinger?"
"Mm?" he said, grabbing the carcass in his mouth, "Oh. Mmm. Sure." Malta took off the stinger with her claws and put it away in her herb pouch. "Lets go home." he said though the dead flesh, "I want to see if you're right." They started towards the tribe lands. "Malta?" he said suddenly. It was the second question of the day, and it made Malta somewhat unsettled. "You weren't too bad back there. You've got..." he gnawed a bit, manipulating the carcass in his mouth for better speech, "Good stealth skills... Do you..." he hesitated, "Want me to take you hunting? Teach you a few tricks?"
Malta hesitated, unsure. "I'll... think about it."
Reply
