“Maybe Socks did go this way,” I said, my heart skipping a beat. I wasn’t sad about getting to spend more time with Kali. Asmuch as I’d enjoyed walking through the Everend Market and soaking in the sights, she fascinated me even more. Not simply because she was stunning and lethal, though those aspects didn’t hurt. But despite her sarcasm and careful responses, I’d gotten a few smiles from her with her whole face, and that…I really liked that.
As much as I enjoyed my routine, I equally enjoyed this escape from monotony.
However, I needed to find Socks before this adventure was over.
The only reassurance I had so far was that Socks had gone missing for days at a time on the farm, stints where she’d run off and returned at her leisure, usually with something dead in tow. Considering most of her prize kills were far larger than her, I was more afraid for the woodland critters out here than for her.
“This trail looks like one that animals have trekked more,” Kali said, pointing to the left. “Though there are some broken twigs, signs of disturbance from something bigger.”
“An antebear?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “No, most likely an elf on the run, one who’s trying to get away with their stolen merch as fast as possible.”
“You’re going to look very foolish when it was just an antebear,” I commented, though who knew. Maybe other elves tromped through the forest like me with a complete lack of finesse. She was the mercenary after all, so she probably had some skills with tracking.
“I’ll take the risk,” she commented dryly. “Though if we can find your pagwai and my mark in one go, all the better, right?”
“True,” I said as we headed down the less-traveled path. Twigs and branches stuck out in either direction from errant bushes, and jagged stones jutted up along the way like purposefultripping hazards. The deep blue berries on a bush ahead caught my attention.
“Oh, look,” I said, slowing to a stop. “Zingerberries. We should gather as many as we can if we’re going to make this trek. Keep our energy up.”
“Didn’t realize tracking would come with a side of berry picking. Are you sure you’re cut out for this?” Kali asked, a brow lifted.
I didn’t respond, grabbing a spare bag from my sack and filling it with as many ripe berries as possible. They stained the insides, but the mess was well worth it for such a filling treat. Zingerberries were high in nutrients and often energizing, and even if Kali could survive long stints without food, I knew I couldn’t. I’d never regret being prepared.
Once the bag felt heavy enough, I popped a few in my mouth, savoring the sweetness, and then tied the bag off. When I glanced up, Kali stared at me with a curious expression.
“You’re unique,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll give you that.”
“Want a berry?” I asked as we continued down the path.
“I’ll pass.”
***
We’d walked for hours, and in that time, we’d already eaten a quarter of the sack of zingerberries. Kali caved quickly, and any complaints from my earlier pause to berry pick vanished. The air between us was comfortable, the conversation easy. While I’d expected a few shared orgasms would help break the ice, I was well aware that wasn’t always the case. I’d had my fair collection of fumbling hookups turned awkward after.
Kali let out ahummnoise and slowed down, so I followed suit. She paused in front of a particularly spindly bush, a scrap of darkfabric waving from it like a pennant. “Well, if Dynlan is the one traipsing through here, he left a souvenir.”
“Or a well-dressed antebear,” I commented.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re not letting that go, are you?”
I shook my head. “I’m very determined when I want to be. It’s a good trait for a farmer, though it hasn’t always been helpful in other aspects of life.” Past partners hadn’t liked my focus, thought I was too intense, too devoted to berry season. Given they knew I was a farmer going into things, I found the criticisms a bit ridiculous. The berries weren’t going to pick themselves.
Still, even some of my friends on the commune that I’d hooked up with had gotten frustrated with the amount of time I spent on work, so maybe I was missing something.
“It’ll be useful in finding your pagwai.” She tucked the scrap of fabric into a pocket and continuing down the path.
The fading light descended, stark through the darkening of our surroundings, which were murkier due to the overhead trees. The chill slipped in as well, all the telltale signs of dusk. We’d marched a fair way into the woods, to the point we’d have to walk hours through the darkened forest to find our way back to the Everend Market or even the abandoned cabin we’d desecrated. So much for my campsite that I’d rented.
“Should we think of setting up a camp?” I asked. Despite having decent night vision, I was a big proponent of resting when needed. Everyone needed sleep, so it felt practical.
Kali heaved out a sigh. “I was hoping we’d find him by now, but you may be right. He’s not going to be running nonstop, especially when he was on the go all day. And pagwais get a fair amount of sleep, so my guess is she’s already found a spot to nestle into.”
I snorted. Socks loved sleep more than the average pagwai. There was a high chance that was how I’d find her too, curledup in the hollow of a tree. Maybe her fur stained from eating too many berries.
“Let’s pause at the next clearing,” she said, taking confident strides forward. I didn’t mind walking behind her, as the flex of her thick muscles in action, the round curve of her ass was a feast for the eyes. As was the memory of what she’d done to me, how she’d sensed out every kink and quirk of mine with ease. A shiver ran down my spine.
