Totem of the Bear - World of Ranicke 1

Chapter 7

The next morning he was sort of rudely awakened when a woman cleared her throat at the tent flap.  “Nasha could you watch Emily for me for…”  She blinked and then lowered her ears in a blush when Jim sat up and yawned.  “Oh I am sorry I didn’t realize you had company.”

Jim yawned again and shook his head.  “Don’t worry about it.  I was just getting ready to go to the privacy tents and then grab a bath.”  He stood up and then blushed since he wasn’t wearing anything and grabbed his loincloth and pulled it on quickly.  Since it looked like Nasha was still trying to wake up he couldn’t help but walk over to the lady.  The woman looked like a Kitsune and her baby was maybe 6 months old.  “How cute, can I hold her for a moment while Nasha finishes waking up?”

The lady couldn’t help but watch Jim get dressed though since she had a mate it was just interest.  As he approached she gave him a good look over and realized he was the human that had been saved by the White Lady.  She figured if both Sorrel and Nasha felt comfortable around him then he must be okay.  “If you want but just make sure to keep the cloth around her bottom or you get the mess.”

He laughed at her when she said that and moved over and with her help took the baby from her and pulled her close to his chest and had to smile.  “I remember my nephew at this age and he was so cute.  Never did diapers though.”  Once he had her in one arm he lightly stroked her ears and had to smile.  “Someday maybe I will have a child.”

Nasha was sitting up.  “Bring her here silly since she is starting to wake up and she is going to be hungry.”  She had removed a breast band and took the baby from him and held her up to one breast.  “Can you ask Danita to swing past?  I need to grab a bath as well and breakfast but then I can watch her for the rest of the morning.”

Jim had never seen a baby nursing before and was fascinated by it.  The little girl was totally focused on what she was doing and he had to smile.  As her mother left the tent to look for the other woman Jim settled down on the bed and ran his finger along the baby’s cheek.  He had to smile and the tiny grumble he got from her and her ears lowering back in complaint.  “Okay stinker I will let you feed in peace.”  He was really smiling.  “I am going to go and get my bucket for a bath.”

Nasha had to grin at his reaction.  “Never seen a baby feed before, that sounds quite odd.”  If you looked around you would see a number of women nursing their babies during the day.  It was such a normal part of her world that it was something she would never have thought about.  “I will see you when you get back.”

He had to shake his head.  “No, we had what we called baby formula that could be picked up at stores and was a powder.  You mixed it with water in a bottle that had a fake nipple on it and fed them that way.”  For a brief moment that sounded really strange to him.  With a peck he left the tent and headed to Sorrel’s tent and when he walked in he grinned since she was still asleep and there was obviously a body next to her.  “Gee should I be insulted?”  He murmured before grabbing his bucket and sneaking back out.

By the time he got back to Nasha’s tent he was still grinning and got an odd look from Nasha.  “It seems that Sorrel was lonely last night…”  After thinking about it he was a bit bothered but having seen all the bed swapping he wasn’t offended.

Nasha laughed as she grabbed her things as well.  “Shall we?  I want a bath and food.”  She wrapped an arm around his and started towards the springs.  “So are you bothered by it?”  She asked him as they were walking along.

He shrugged.  “Sort of but that is because that is how my culture would feel.  Your culture is different and I am trying hard to see it from your culture’s point of view.”  Jim quickly stripped and slid into the cold water and waited for her to get in as well before starting.