Ocello stood guard while I proceeded to figure out how to "expel waste" as he had put it. I think that I would have been fine if I hadn't been pregnant. My small bump threatened to put me off balance and I was relieved that I didn't get anything on me. When I was done and had cleaned myself in the river nearby, we walked back to camp.
The fire had dimmed a bit, but Ocello took care of that with a few more chunks of wood. The subsequent bits of glowing ash that escaped into the night sky mesmerized me. I hadn't noticed before, but a pot had been set in the embers of the flames. It looked like terracotta from my old world with a round underside and even a lid. Ocello took out a thick square of fabric from his bag and used it to lift the lid from the small pot, releasing a savory fragrance into the air.
"That smells good." I told him, scooting closer. I could see the pride in Ocello's smile.
"It is rabbit stew. I used some roots and onions that I foraged on the way here." Pulling the pot away from the flames and setting on a small piece of stone nearby that seemed to serve like a table, he handed me a spoon. "We only have the one spoon, but please eat as much as you like. I have plenty of ingredients to make more."
Grateful, I dug into the stew. I felt a kick in my belly as the little one told me how much he was enjoying the meal, and I couldn't help myself from groaning in pleasure. Ocello sat nearby watching me with a silly grin, but the moment I moaned, his lips parted, and his eyes descended to my lips. Standing suddenly, he told me he was going to get some more firewood.
It wasn't long before I realized that I had consumed almost everything in the pot. I stared down in shock as I realized that I had barely left anything for my rescuer.
Ocello emerged from the woods and laid the wood he had found on an already large stack near the fire. When he saw me gapping, he laughed.
"Don't worry and eat it all if you want. I had some food earlier and am not too hungry right now."
"But still."
"No buts." Ocello said, walking over to the lean-to checking, that the roof was still tightly in place. "I made the stew just for you," came his shy reply.
I blushed for a moment, but with his reassurance, I finished the stew leaving barely any to lick from the bottom of the pot.
"Thank you for the food." I stood, gathering the pot and spoon to rinse them in the river but Ocello stopped me.
"You should try and get some sleep. I'll take care of this." He took the pot and spoon and pointed over to the makeshift bed I had been sleeping in. It had been straightened and smoothed out. "You should get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us and I want you and the baby to rest as much as you can."
As much as I wanted to protest, fatigue had begun to settle in, and I swayed. It must have been the food. I always felt tired after a good meal. Nodding, Ocello guided me to the blankets. He waited till I had crawled under the fabric and settled in, curling on my side and snuggling into the soft fur under me. I meant to stay awake at least until he came back, but the moment I closed my eyes, I slept.
In the morning after using the trees again, Ocello had another pot of food ready for me and as I ate, he started to tear down the temporary structure, scattering the branches and broad leaves so as if we had never been there. He shook the blankets and hide out, rolling them tightly before securing them to the bag. He also poured water on the fire to put it out, stirring the embers until the ask was cool and there would be no worries that the fire would restart after we left. Once I finished eating, he took the pot and spoon, giving them a quick rinse before tucking them into his bag and slinging it onto his back.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked as I stretched out a bit, yawning from the early morning.
"We can go. I will probably be slower than you are used to."
"That's alright, if you want, I can carry you in my beast form." I paused and shot him a quick look.
"You can do that? I mean, what is your beast form?"
"I'm an ocelot. Would you like to see?" Nodding my head, he began to shift. I can't really describe the process of a shift. It is one of those blink and you'll miss it kind of thing. In the moment of a breath, instead of a man standing before me a large catlike creature stood before me. It had a base of golden fur with black, brown, and white leopard-like spots. Two dark bands of black extended from his eyes up to his forehead. The bag that had been on his back had shifted to the back of the creature. It was the size of a tiger I had seen in the zoo, but I didn't seem to be afraid.
"You can ride on me, but I promise to be gentle. The bag should give you something to hold onto if you are worried about falling." The gentle rumble coming from the creature sounded a lot like the purr of Ocello's voice. Just deeper. I approached him.
"Can I touch you?" I asked. The desire to pet a cat the moment I see one had not changed, but this was the first time one would be able to talk back to me.
"Go ahead." I placed my hand on his furry head and stroked just a bit, letting my hand stroke the soft fur. After a moment, I was about to hug him when Ocello cleared hit throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I…"
"You are fine, I am enjoying your care. But we do need to go if we are ever going to make it to the village."
"Yes. How do I…?" I had never ridden a cat before. The closest I had come to riding a beast of any kind was a camel at the zoo when I was a kid. Ocello saw my awkwardness and bent his knees, crouching on the ground so that his back was lower. After a moment of clumsiness on my part, Ocello stood, and the ground felt as if it was very far away. Not that I feared heights, but the quick movement sent my stomach tumbling.
As the forest passed by, I could feel the movement of Ocello's beast form underneath me. The goddess had said that there were only four types of beast forms. This must be the ocelot form. Giggling to herself, she wondered if the reason he was named Ocello was because he was an ocelot. Both of his forms were beautiful, but one was cute and awe inspiring and the other was seduction and gentleness. It was an interesting combination.
Would the man who was the father of my cub be the same or different? I looked at my mate tattoo. Before, I had only glanced, but as I looked closer, the mark seemed to be in the shape of a canine or wolf. Was my first husband a wolf?
"You said you could take me to my husband. Does that mean you know who he is?" I asked. Ocello paused for a moment to navigate around a log that had fallen in the path. Bending down to avoid the branches overhead, I waited.
"It isn't that I have met him, but he is in the tribe I come from. I've seen him around the village. I can't remember his name, but he is a strong hunter. Many women have tried to seduce him, but he has remined single long after most men have a wife."
"Do you think he will be upset. Neither of us were given a choice in this."
"He didn't seem to dislike the idea of marriage. He just didn't like anyone in the village. He might be upset at first, but you are lovely. Any man would be happy to be your mate."
He came to the edge of a river with a bridge hovering over it. I could tell that the bridge was rudimentary, but it looked strong. Pillars had been erected on each of the banks and in the center of the river with Wooden logs bound together spanning the distance. Ropes had been tied at the sides to provide a rail to prevent people from falling off.
"We shall take a break here before we cross the river. I can hear your stomach growling."