Helping the Tribe, Pt IV [Job/Solo]

Job Overview: The only thing left to help put the tribe right after dealing with the Ravenous Bear is to defeat the creatures destroying the crops. The fields have been invaded by gophers that are eating the roots of the crops. Help the tribe with this final task and be rewarded.

Spoiler:

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The tribe feasted well the next night, numerous dishes focused around the great bear Lexi and Leo had defeated being provided. Lexi had tried to stay up for the festivities, but found herself too tired to make it long in the raucous celebration. Before the moon was high in the sky, she had slipped away to the hut she shared with Onyx. Leo was already there, curled up with his head resting on the pillow Shana had made for her. While he did not mind the other villagers, loud events made him seek the refuge of the hut. She smiled when he raised his head at her entrance, the young woman moving to curl up beside her beast. The tiger gave a loud purr as she rested her head on him, lulling Lexi to sleep. She did not even stir when Onyx drifted in, slightly inebriated, to cuddle behind her, his hand resting protectively across her. The siblings drifted to sleep, curled against Leo’s large body.

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Activity in the village returned to normal, the farmers focusing on the few crops the tribe had planted while the shepherds tended to the flocks, a record number of lambs being born making them extra cautious about predators in the area. Lexi split her time between helping with preparing meats for drying, hunting, and helping with the baby animals. A couple of the Screeching Horror chicks had taken a liking to her and often perched on her shoulder as she moved about the village. They could not fly yet, just now growing in the feathers that proved so valuable, but with a bit of flapping and using claws and beak, they were able to climb her to rest on her shoulder. She also spent time with the lambs, the playful young sheep bouncing and head butting anything they could find. Leo was forced to remain behind when she visited the lambs, the mother ewes too protective to allow him near and often charging him, not knowing he posed no threat to their young.

Lexi’s illness did not seem to be getting much better, though she was better able to control the urge to vomit. She still found herself constantly tired, often taking naps in the middle of the day only to awake feeling groggy and sick to her stomach. It had been nearly a month since Lexi had taken down the bear. Her appetite began to change, as well. She found the smell of roasting meat often triggered her sickness and began avoiding the hut where the meats were being dried for the winter. She spent more time with Shana, helping the woman weave and sew clothing and flaps for the huts. The wool from the sheep provided an excellent source of clothing for the village and she enjoyed the act of sorting and twining the wool into thread before crafting it into cloth. Her own clothing had become tighter recently and she was grateful that she would not have to try and sew herself something out of leather, the material prone to shrinking and clinging if it ever became wet. As she and Shana sat weaving one day, Lexi was startled when Shana’s quiet voice drifted out in a curious tone.

“Who is the father?”

Lexi frowned, her head cocking to the side.

“My father? You have met my father. I don’t think I ever remember learning his name, he was always simply father to me.”

“No, no… not your father… the father of your baby, silly!”

Lexi paused in her weaving, confounded by the question. What was Shana talking about? She did not have a child, unless one counted Leo, but he was less her child and more a companion.

“I… I do not have a child, Shana…”

Shana looked at her, wide-eyed, before setting her weaving to the side and coming to crouch in front of Lexi, resting a hand on her knee.

“Lexi, do you truly not realize… or was I wrong… I assumed with your illness that you were pregnant…”

Lexi’s world stopped spinning for a moment at the words. Pregnant? She had seen babies born her whole life, both human and animal alike, but she had been young when her parents had died. She did not even know how babies were created, she simply assumed that when nature determined the time was right, a female began to swell with child. She had been confused enough by her monthly cycle and had only calmed down when a friendly old woman she had traveled with had explained the process to her, but the woman had not bothered to explain anything beyond it being normal and that Lexi would ‘understand when she got older’. Lexi’s confused look made Shana’s eyes widen further.

“Oh, you poor thing.”

The rest of the afternoon was filled with Shana explaining to Lexi where babies came from, many of the stories making Lexi flush a bright red color. When Shana explained some of the symptoms of being with child, Lexi thought harder on her own symptoms. While it was true she had not had her monthly flow in a few moons, she had assumed it was due to her sickness. When Shana gently probed at Lexi, asking if she had engaged in any of the activities described, Lexi only blushed harder. Assuming the girl had possibly been attacked and did not wish to talk about a traumatic experience, Shana let the question go unanswered. Instead, she reached out cautiously to rest her hand on the small swell of Lexi’s belly, the skin taut, not soft like one would expect from someone generally gaining weight.

“If I had to guess, based on the timing for your lack of flow, you have probably been pregnant for at least 3 moons, Lexi.”

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That night, when Lexi retired to her hut, she was tired, as usual. But this exhaustion went beyond being physically tired, she felt emotionally drained. Was she truly going to be a mother? When Onyx asked what was wrong, she gave him a reassuring smile and told him she just needed more rest. She drifted to sleep with thoughts of babies dancing in her head. The next morning, Lexi did not curse as her stomach rejected her breakfast. Instead, she found herself smiling and searching out a broth instead of something more filling, hoping it would settle better. As she sipped the warm liquid, Tak came wandering up, glad to see the young woman managing to finish off the bowl of broth without her stomach rejecting it. Shana had told him about the conversation from the previous day, but had warned him Lexi did not seem keen to talk about it, so he simply greeted her and settled down to have a bowl of stew.

As the two ate, one of the farmers approached, frustration clear on his face as he explained there were gophers destroying some of the precious few craps they were able to grow in their short time. Lexi had gained a reputation for being one of the best hunters in the village so he was not surprised the farmer had approached her for help. Gophers sounded harmless enough, so he did not throw out cautionary words when Lexi agreed to help.

With a full, satisfied belly, Lexi grabbed her bow and quiver before following the farmer to the field. Around the field, she could see the problem. About ten gophers were plainly visible, one of the other farmers trying to chase them away from the crops and using a shovel to try and smash them. The sight was rather amusing, and Lexi smothered a chuckle. She knew the crops were important, but watching the farmers chasing after the large rodents was worth a giggle or two. Regaining her composure, she turned to the farmer with a smile.

“Clear the field, and I will take care of these rodents. Make sure Leo stays out… as much fun as he would have, I don’t want him destroying the crops in the process.”

The farmer nodded in understanding, whistling to get the other farmers out of the field so Lexi would not risk hitting one with a stray arrow. Once the farmers were clear, Lexi began targeting the gophers, three basic arrows taking out the three closest to her with no problem. She avoided using any of her exploding arrows, instead pulling the string back and launching a Multi-Shot forward, two arrows each finding two more gophers.

Next, Lexi launched Straight Shot II towards another gopher, the small creature dying instantly. Lexi caught sight of another gopher out of the corner of her eye and fired another basic arrow at it, the gopher joining the growing pile of bodies in the field. Lexi had to sit and wait for the rest of the gophers to poke their heads up from the ground. Luckily, the creatures were not highly intelligent and could not seem to gauge where the attacks were coming from. Another basic arrow took out yet another gopher. When another one popped its head up to try and chew at a crop, Lexi launched Rapid Shot at its head. The last one remained elusive, trying to avoid the fate of its brethren, but it was no match and when it finally poked its head up in an attempt to drag one of the plants underground, a basic arrow found a home in its body, killing it. Lexi finally made her way into the field, picking up the small bodies and using an arrow to poke around in their holes, checking for any more.

She could not find any other gophers, so she returned to the farmer, assuring him she had taken out what she could find but to come back to her if there seemed to be any more. The gopher skins were not large enough to be used for much, but she refused to waste them, carefully skinning and cleaning the small creatures. Perhaps if she sewed them all together, she could make baby clothes. The thought made her reach for the swell of her belly with a smile.

That night, she and Onyx dined with Shana and Tak, the children already asleep. Shana had made a filling stew, hoping it would not upset Lexi’s rather picky stomach. Lexi devoured two bowls of the fragrant stew, Onyx arching a brow at his sister’s renewed appetite. While it was true she rarely became ill in the evening, he worried she might be eating too much. He had noticed her weight gain but chose not to comment, instead simply being pleased she was able to keep the meal down. As they relaxed after the meal, Shana jumped up with an excited twinkle in her eyes, tugging out a large roll from one corner of the hut and presenting it to Lexi. When Lexi unrolled it, she found it was a furry rug made out of the bear she had defeated. Thanking Shana profusely, she jumped up to give the other woman a hug. She chuckled and hugged Lexi back.

“You should be sleeping on something a little softer than the ground, and since you were the one who killed the bear, we felt it fitting if you kept the skin.”

Lexi hugged Shana tightly again before bidding her and Tak good night, she and Onyx retreating to their hut. Nudging Leo out of the way, Lexi unrolled the rug Shana had made for her before laying across it, giving a loud sound of appreciation for how soft the fur was. It provided an excellent cushion from the ground and with the small bed rolls she and Onyx carried, it was the most luxurious thing she had ever laid on. As the siblings curled up and began to drift off, Lexi could not help but ask Onyx a question that had been tugging at the back of her mind.

“Onyx, do you know where babies come from?”

[1900/1500]
[Stamina: 180/250]
[Ammunition: 9/15]

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