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I chuckled at her frustration. "Okay, no need to curse. Can I check out the food? If we can put some in their bay, they might be more inclined to move there."
Afctina's face cleared up instantly. "Right, that makes sense. Good idea." She brought the controlband on her wrist to her mouth. "Lini, can you open the cooler for me? Specifically the one that has the food for the rashipis in it."
A light to my left flashed on and a hatch opened with a hiss, releasing the smell of cinnamon and clove. So that was why the rashipis smelled like Christmas. It had to be because of their food.
Atina went in first and waved me along into the cooler that definitely wasn't cold anymore.
"This smells amazing," I said, wishing I could stay here forever.
Atina pinching her nose shut suggested that she disagreed with me. "It's horrid."
"Not to me." I picked a handful of the long hay and carried it back to the cargo hold where the rashipis were still scattered. A few of them looked up with interest when they noticed me carrying in their food but none were so foolish as to follow me. Maybe if I kept working with them, I could cultivate a good relationship with them, but right now, I was a stranger carrying food but also danger.
I dropped the handful of hay in the back of their enclosure and scattered some around the entrance. One brave rashipi had a little nibble which confirmed I could definitely use it as a lure.
"Let's transport a good portion of this to the bay," I suggested to Atina. "Is there some kind of cart around that we can use?"
"I don't know, I'm a pilot."
"Well, I'm a shepherd so this is my job." I looked around and found something on wheels that would work. I didn't know if that was meant for it, but it would have to do.
Atina and I loaded it with the Christmas hay, even if she seemed appalled by the smell, she bravely put up with it. I wondered what she'd think of other Earth smells and how she perceived my scent.
We wheeled a good amount of food into the bay, our actions attracting the attention of some of the rashipis who were watching us with a dazed stare. If they were anything like sheep, they were probably a lot cleverer than they looked.
"So what now?" Atina asked when we'd created a nice pile of hay.
"Now we herd. We should close off hatches and corridors so we restrict their path and build some sort of funnel to guide them into the bay." I scanned the cargo hold but there wasn't really anything that could be used as a makeshift barrier. "Actually, scrap that. You'll have to be my funnel."
Confusion painted Atina's adorable face. "I don't understand what we're doing."
"You'll just have to trust me," I told her, feeling confident for the first time I'd got onto this spaceship. I might not know anything about flying, space food, but I knew how to herd. And these rashipis were going to do exactly what I wanted them to do. I was going to make sure of that.
I took Atina by the hand, trying to ignore how nice it felt in mine. She let me pull her towards the entrance of the bay and I positioned her so she blocked the rashipis escape.
"You stand here. Hold out your arms like that." I pushed her arms up, letting my hands slide up her body. "When the first rashipis come your way, just remain calm and kind of... steer them into the bay."
Atina was watching me with interest but I wasn't sure if she'd properly registered what I was saying. Her gaze seemed locked onto my lips and I wondered if she was just trying to understand me better or if she had another motive.
I kind of hoped the latter. I wouldn't be opposed to having some Kyven fun of my own. Seeing my cousin with her Kyven girlfriend - no, mate, I should use the proper term - quite often made me wish for a partner of my own. I'd assumed that one day, I might meet the woman of my dreams on Kyven, but if this space journey ended up as a matchmaking trip, I wouldn't complain. Atina was fun to be around, intelligent, beautiful and exotic. And she clearly liked spending time with me, otherwise she wouldn't have asked me to join her first on the bridge and now on this wild goose...I mean, rashipi hunt.
"...talons?"
I blinked, realising I hadn't heard a word of what Atina had said.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, what if they swipe at me with their talons?"
"They won't. Herding is not about making animals behave through fear, but through respect. They will know that we're in charge and will follow our commands if we show them that we're the top rashipis."
Atina snorted. "I don't want to be a rashipi. They stink."
"Just an honorary rashipi until they're back in their pen, after that you can be a lovely Kyven again."
"Lovely? You think I'm lovely?"
My cheeks grew hot and I quickly turned to look at one of the lost rashipis instead. "We should get started before they wander even further. Stand here and make yourself look as big as possible. Don't let any rashipis pass. I'll let you know what to do next when I get there."
