𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙭

|17| Honey Chocolates

TAERIC

I glance around as Emara ties a lead to Bear before attaching it to a post. She had explained that they couldn't take Bear with them any farther. After Bear is secure, we make our way through the gates. A sign with crumbling lettering forming the words "Welcome to Halloway Springs" stands tall.

"Okay, so first on the list is Jamie's stall. I normally sell the animals first to get some coupons for trading and free up space in the cart," Emara says. I nod and continue to follow her as she leads the way to this "Jamie's stall."

I can sense the gaze of many humans as we make our way there. As I look around, a range of faces look back at me. Many females crowded around short structures Emara had said were stalls.

Very few males are littered around, dramatically disproportionate to the number of females. Many of them seem to be young kits or far older. The fully grown males are only at most a head taller than Emara, still considerably smaller than any male on my planet.

"You would be surprised by how many new people appear in this little place," Emara whispers to me with a smile. I look down, noting how close she had come to stand beside me. "A lot of people migrated to find a more stable community and get help after the wars," she continues. "It's sad since they lost their homes, but it is great for us since it means you popping up out of nowhere won't be as weird." She glances around, and I see a few females who had been staring look away. "I guess you do stick out a little more, though," she grins, "guys on my planet don't really get as tall as you."

Lilly snorts under her breath. "Yeah, cause that's the only reason..."

I wonder what she could mean, but cannot ask, so I brush it off and continue to follow Emara. I can smell a mixture of emotions over my presence. Some stop to stare blatantly, while others try to be more discreet. Their reactions range from fear to curiosity, and others, something far less polite. As I walk by, a few whisper to others by them. But most look for a few moments before getting back to whatever they were doing.

After passing a few more stalls, Emara leads us to the side. A female with auburn color hair hands another some slips of paper. The other female counts them before waving and walking away, and the one with auburn hair turns to hang up a creature's pelt.

Emara leads the rest of us to the table, holding up a finger to tell us to be quiet. She grabs the deer by its antlers and hefts it onto a table, separating us from the other female. The thump that echoes through the air makes the female turn on her heels.

"What the-" her eyes take in the deer, and she gasps. "I haven't seen one of these for a hot minute!"

A hot minute? How can a time have a temperature? This must be another one of the metaphors humans use.

"How did you get this?" the female continues as she looks it over. She glances up, and her lips pull into a surprised smile as she notices Emara. "Mara! You are full of surprises every time I see you! How did you get the-" she pauses for a moment as she notices my presence, "the, uh, deer?"

"Oh, I had a friend help me out," Emara smiles.

The female's eyes flit to me again. "Oh, I'm sure."

"It was Taeric!" Evey says joyfully.

"Taeric?"

Evey continued before anyone could answer. "Yeah! This is Taeric," she says with a point. "He has been staying with us for a long time, and he sleeps in the tiny hunting cabin! It's so much fun! He is super strong," she announces with a flex of her little arms in imitation of muscles. "He caught me when I was slipping from the woodshed, too. But I won't do that again 'cause it is not safe, Mara said."