Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Ninety-three

At the pace we were going, what should have taken two weeks was taking a full month. Drizzle season was ending and the hot season would be in full swing by the time we got there. I was already starting to miss my castle.

It was really unfortunate that we had to leave at all. We weren't able to harvest the wheat and rice we'd been growing but at least we had plenty of herbs, potatoes, garlic and some different lettuces. We also had to leave behind the alcohol experiments. I brought enough soap to last the journey, along with my favorite outfits that I didn't think could be replicated easily. Harvey brought as many medical supplies as he and Olly could carry. We were better off than most in our group.

Some beasts only had the furs on their backs but then again, they didn't really have the same standards of hygiene I did. Most males also didn't carry anything unless it was for their female. They were able to eat what they could catch and could go days fasting without problem. Since we weren't an overly large group, we often had two or three campfires and we would take what the males caught and turn it into a community meal. The only problem was the occasional morning sickness.

The morning sickness I had with these cubs was a lot easier to deal with than when I'd been pregnant with Kit. I mainly rode on Winston's wide back. He didn't want me to ride anyone else with his cubs in my belly. It made him feel better to know he was in charge of my comfort during the trip. But even Winston's gentle walk made me wish I had a flying mate just so I could get there faster.

Kit was walking beside us when he noticed I was turning a little green. He yipped to alarm Winston and my tiger stopped so I could slide off his back and into the bushes. Kit came over and patted my back with his tiny paw. Ever since he learned he was going to be a big brother, he started taking his job very seriously, despite only being the size of a shiba himself.

Winston let out a low growl to let Shuu at the front know I needed a break. Catching my breath, I sat in the shade of a maple tree. I had felt bad about the sheer number of breaks I needed until other females started complaining about how hard the trek was for them.

Some females were still breast-feeding new cubs and others were older and just didn't have the stamina to ride for more than a couple hours at a time. Tristan's mom was both, but she had four capable mates to help her. Lance became every female's dream when their cubs started to play and ride on his tail and he just let them. It kept the kids entertained and didn't slow our progress. Harvey and Oliver were quick to notice if anyone was too tired to go further or needed medical attention. So even though progress was slow, we were all in good health and the breaks I needed were appreciated by all.

We had left the plains and had been traveling through dense woods for some time. The trees were a combination of deciduous and evergreen and they were all ancient giants. Some of the fruit bearing trees still had flowers and covered our path with petals of purple and pink. We were getting closer to our destination.

Tristan came to where I was sitting with a bamboo container of water. "If you're tired, we could stop here for the night. We wouldn't have been able to go much further before dark anyway."

"I think that is a great idea." I responded as I gratefully took small sips of the water. Since Winston was carrying me, and Harvey and Oliver were carrying the medical supplies, that left Shuu to carry my things and Tristan offered to carry the food items.

Winston roared to let the group know we were settling for the night. Males immediately became busy clearing space for campfires and others headed out to hunt. Shuu returned from the front and picked a suitably flat space to lay out the furs we had brought with us. I had to abandon my mattress for the second time and sleeping on the ground was not doing my hips any favors. But I had my mates and they did what they could to cushion my body and keep me warm.

Despite the discomfort, I loved nighttime with them. I could play with their fluff  and tails as much as I wanted, and the big toe beans are just as fascinating as Kit's mini ones. But before I could make myself comfortable on the furs, a forest green, scaled tail wrapped me up and lifted me high into the branches of a pear tree.

"My darling Bailey, when were you planning on rescuing me from the tide of furballs? I feel like I haven't seen you in days." Lance complained as he rubbed his cheek against mine.

I pushed his head away, "Aww our poor snaky-poo. Are the cubs playing too rough with you? We could make a palanquin so they could carry you for a change. Would you like that?" I asked teasingly.

His eyes lit up at the mention of some new contraption, "Ooooh, what's a palanquin? No. Never mind. A question for another day. No. Instead I demand payment for my services."

I looked down in contemplation, stroking one of his smooth scales, "What could the richest snake in the world want from little old me?"

His tail coiled all the way down to my ankle, "I demand you stay within my coils until morning. Tonight will be warmer than it has been in weeks. You will be quite comfortable. I promise."

I giggled at his dramatics, "Very well brave warrior. I am yours to do with as you wish."

"Don't tempt me you fox. You know not what you say." He whispered into my ear.

I blushed a little as his arm wrapped around me just below my breasts.

True to his word, he did not let me leave the tree even for dinner. He used his tail to grab what was offered by Harvey and fed it to me.

When it began to get dark, he had Shuu bring us my bearskin coat to use as a blanket. Then we watched the sunset together over the tops of giants. There was a slight breeze that brought the sweet smell of crabapple flowers to us, and cirrus clouds moved slowly by, reflecting the oranges and pinks of the sky.