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“That’s your bow?” I raise my eyebrow disbelievingly.
“It gets bigger,” he says, dropping it in his pack.
“That’s what they all say.”
He winks at me and finishes putting the nest and nest rope back in his bag. Seriously, this guy has more supplies shoved in his little bag than most people have in their entire houses. How he manages to fit so much in one compact carrying device, I have no idea. It must be an alien thing. I don’t know.
I should offer to help Ezra put everything away, but I don’t. Chances are I’ll just mess it up, anyway. He seems to have a specific spot where each item goes, so I sit quietly in the grass while he packs.
Once he’s finished, he takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. Then he wraps his arms around me and kisses me sweetly, softly.
“What do you think, darling?” He asks. “Are you ready for an adventure?”
“I’m already on one,” I gulp, looking around.
“Oh sweetie,” he laughs. “You have no idea how much fun we’re going to have.”
He checks something on his watch and we start walking. My shoes aren’t great for what we’re doing: traipsing through the darkness of the jungle. Still, they offer a small amount of protection for my feet. I glance down every so often at the grass, rocks, and dirt beneath me. The terrain is different from Mars: softer. There are more little hills, but it’s also more delicate.
My feet feel better walking here than they do on Mars. On Mars, my feet are always sore. Aside from the random thorns I keep noticing and the occasional rock, I bet someone could move through this jungle in their socks.
It’s so different, but so wonderful.
I’m beginning to question how anyone ever leaves this planet.
“So what do you do here?” I ask Ezra as he moves silently. He seems to know his way perfectly well. It’s impressive. I seem to get lost going to the grocery store. I’m not sure how I’d be able to navigate through these jungles. Ezra finding me was complete luck. There’s no doubt in my mind that he saved my life. I heard the howls of wild animals throughout the night; I’m under no impression that I could have made it on my own.
Without the nest, those animals would have eaten us alive.
“I’m a hunter.”
“That’s your job?”
“It’s my job.”
Interesting. On Mars, there are people who hunt, but most of the planet consists of small colonies and wide, open spaces. Anyone who wants to hunt goes to another planet to do it. Our diet primarily consists of vegetables and animals that have been raised specifically for eating. As far as I know, there aren’t any wild animals on Mars. Maybe there were once upon a time, but I’ve never heard of any.
“Do you enjoy it?” I ask, curious.
He glances down at me and keeps walking, but nods.
“It’s not a glamorous job, but it pays well, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time working. If I get a good haul, I only have to be gone one or two weeks every two months. That’s not bad at all.”
“What do you do the rest of the time?”
“Curious little thing, aren’t you?”
“I was just wondering.”
“I don’t mind,” he softens his voice, and the way he looks at me makes my
heart soar. It shouldn’t. We’ve only just met and I shouldn’t feel as comfortable and safe with him as I do, but I do.
“I was always busy when I was a nanny. I never really had time to do anything but take care of the children, so I don’t think I’m very good at much else. The idea of free time sounds nice to me. Being able to pursue your hobbies and other interests? That sounds nice.”
“It’s nice,” Ezra confirms. “But it’s lonely without someone to share it with.”
“What do you like to do?”
