Page 65 of Diamond

I have a feeling that Roshan will not leave without his friend and I don't want to leave her either. He seems eager to help quicken the entire ordeal, so he pulls the cart toward me and nudges my hand with his nose, as if pushing me toward her.

Her bright yellow eyes are laced with confusion as she looks between us, but Roshan leads me to her and looks between both of us expectantly.

My heart swells with pride at how smart he is and I make a quiet promise to find him good treats as soon as possible. There has to be a reward for him being such a good boy. The female argila keeps its wary eyes on me the entire time. It is making me more than a little nervous, but I keep myself calm and maintain my composure.

"Hello," I murmur softly, reaching a tentative hand forward to pat her head.

Her eyes are glued to my hand, but the moment, I touch her head, her large eyes flutter closed and when I start scratching her she lets out a sigh of satisfaction.

Roshan makes a low squeal and stamps his many feet down on the grass a few times.

It's beginning to seem like I have a natural affinity for these gentle creatures. One time might have been a fluke, but this second occurrence all but confirms it for me. I chuckle lightly to myself.

I hear a sharp, hissing bark and turn around in fear, only to find that it is just Kuret, laughing.

It looks like something out of a horror movie, with his mouth wide open and sharp teeth jutting out. When he catches me staring, he stops laughing immediately, looks away, and clears his throat. "Roshan is really smart. That was admirable of him."

It sounds like he is trying to convince me that his laughter is not mocking, so I smile to let him know that it is alright. I was just surprised at how human, yet scary, that was.

As if to remind me that there is nothing normal about the situation I'm in. The alien spider-fuzz ball nuzzles her head against my hand and begins to nibble on my fingers.

She is encumbered in a way very similar to how Roshan used to be, with a rope strung through holes cut into her cheeks, then tied fast to a large tree. Being familiar with this, I quickly free her from the ropes and unhook her from the tree.

In a matter of minutes, I am done, though I don't want to risk removing the rope through her cheeks just yet. We'll have to build up some trust first.

The female argila bolts away from me, closely followed by Roshan.

I am standing there in shock, staring at both animals as they crash through the underbrush, and I don't notice Kuret moving forward until he is standing right beside me.

"Roshan will come back," he assures me.

Although I find his words reassuring, I can't help but feel afraid as I continue to hear them moving farther away. After the last couple of days we have been having, anything could happen at any moment. They could get attacked, trapped, or anything, but I swallow it down.

It's not like I can go running after them.

I sigh worriedly. "You are probably right, but I hope she does too. I would hate to leave her here for something much worse to find her."

Kuret makes a sound. "They will."

I stand there, staring into the dark forest for what seems like hours before I see the two argila skittering in our direction. I squeal excitedly and call out to Roshan, watching as he increases his pace, looking back to make sure the female is still behind him.

Even though I had no involvement in his sweet temperament, I feel like a proud mother watching him like this. Obviously, he loves me as much as I do him, and that is enough for me.

When they return, they nearly push me to the ground, demanding pets, and I giggle like a small child surrounded by puppies.

They seem completely enamored with each other and it pulls at my heartstrings.

While I am scratching the female argila, I confirm that the reins are disappearing into her cheeks, just like Roshan, and I bend forward and undo it. My fingers have gotten good at knots.

When I am finished, I loop the rope correctly and hook her to the back of the cart so she can follow behind us.

"She needs a name," I say to Kuret, and he makes a distracted sound of agreement.

I had forgotten how alien this behavior must look to him. I don't think his people are very familiar with the concept of using animals for anything other than work or food.

"Do you have one in mind?"

Looking at her, I notice that her blue coating is just a few shades lighter than Roshan's. If I had the patience to wait until morning before naming her, I'm sure I could find something more well thought out. I wouldn't want to be stuck calling her something I don't like for the remainder of the journey just because I rushed to name her.

---