Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Thirteen

The next day we followed our usual routine. After eating breakfast and washing up, Winston escorted me to Harvey's where I would wait while my mate went hunting. I didn't immediately bring up the conversation about mating to Harvey. I thought it might be best to ask him about it later in the day, just before Winston usually came to pick me up. That way, if he rejected me, I could leave without things getting awkward.

He had a few patients this morning. Nothing serious. A sprained tail here, a poison ivy rash there. Around noon, I went for my usual fifteen-minute walk. I walked to the stream that ran just inside the village boundary where the other females would sit in the shade and socialize. I spent about an hour talking with them.

In the two weeks since I'd started this walking routine, they had given me tips on how to raise cubs, how to breast feed the first time and when to start looking out for teeth. They told me about their personal experiences with childbirth and tried to reassure me that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. They also taught me how to weave a basket to carry my cub in.

After promising the females a sample of my next batch of soap, I headed back to Harvey's hut. He had a patient with hemorrhoids and was prescribing a salve of chamomile and witch hazel. I offered a suggestion of increasing the amount of vegetables in the beastman's diet. He probably wouldn't take my advice, but not many feline beastmen would, being carnivores and all.

He didn't have any patients after that, so we focused on our soapmaking project. I wanted to try adding scented oils to the mix, like lavender and sage, but I couldn't get the portions quite right and the consistency of my soap kept fluctuating.

We worked together and the atmosphere between us was good. I had thought to wait until a little later in the day but now felt like the right time.

"Harvey?"

He looked up from his work, grinding lavender with mortar and pestle. "Yes Bailey?"

"May I ask you something?'

"You know you are free to ask me anything you wish. I promised to help you. There's no need to be hesitant."

I straightened my posture. "It's not about the cub. Well, not entirely anyway."

Noticing the seriousness in my demeaner, he put down the bowl and came over to where I was sitting on his raised worktable.

"What is it?"

"Harvey, would you-"

*BANG* *BANG* a knock at the door interrupted me.

"HARVEY! ARE YOU IN THERE?" Said a voice I wish I didn't recognize.

Harvey recognized it too. "Parker? What's he doing here?" He got up and went to open the door before the leopard broke it down like the first time.

As soon as the door was open, Parker brushed passed him, with a female in his arms. It was Qingqing. He brought her inside and sat her down on the softest spot in the hut, Harvey's bed.

I was perplexed. What were they doing here? They should still be in the city. Bai didn't look injured or ill, so why would they come all this way just to see Harvey? It didn't make any sense.

"Qingqing?" Bai, who had looked like she was about to nag at Parker for his rude behavior turned to look at me when I said her name.

"Bailey! Oh! how lucky! I was hoping to see you. How are you? You look healthier. Did you put on weight?" The excited teenager rapidly fired questions my way. I ignored the comment about my weight, picking my battles.

"I'm well. I'm a bit surprised to see you though. What brings you to the village?"

"What do you mean? I came to see you of course. I wanted to see if you were settling into the place ok."