Steph's Outcast

R'jaal puts a hand up before anyone else can speak. "Which is something Raahosh and Leezh and I have discussed. Some of the group cannot travel because of kits or kits-soon-to-come, but there is no reason that the rest of us cannot leave for a time and return when it will be less of a strain on our resources."

"How are we on food?" Harlow asks, speaking up.

"Low," Hannah volunteers. She's the one that loves to monitor supplies, and her expression is unhappy. "A lot of our dried food and leathers are directly under one of the nesting creatures. We've lost a lot."

Raahosh shakes his head. "The sa-khui prepare for this sort of thing. There are many caches of meat in the snow. There are extra supplies in every hunter cave from here to Croatoan. We will be fine if we borrow from them."

R'jaal speaks up again. "Some of the hunters had discussed making a trip to the fruit cave now that the weather is nice. I propose that those of us that do not mind travel will head to the fruit cave, and then go on to Croatoan."

"What about Ashtar?" Flor asks. "Can't he fly us?"

"Ashtar is going nowhere without his mate and child," the golden dragon-man growls.

"And I'm staying," Veronica chimes in. "I'm needed here. There's a healer at Croatoan but I'm the only one on this end of the mountains, and we have a few people too pregnant to go far."

"We walk," R'jaal says. "Walking is good. We can gather herbs as we go, and look for caches. We can hunt for our meals and leave the supplies for those that stay behind."

Raahosh nods. "My mate and I will be staying with our kits. Until the shell-beasts leave, we will stay in caves for protection. We have this cave. We have a cave farther down the beach with tanning supplies. We have Mar-dok's cave with his things."

"We have my pottery cave," Bridget offers. "It's small but safe." She takes A'tam's hand. "And I can clear my stuff out so someone can use it. A'tam and I will be going with the group to Croatoan."

R'jaal nods. "I will be leading it. We will head out in the morning, once everyone is prepared." He turns to Flor, who hangs back next to Sam. "You?"

Her eyes go wide and she puts her hands up. "Whoa, why do I have to decide first? Go to someone else."

"S'am?" R'jaal asks.

"Staying," Sam says promptly.

Flor turns to her in surprise. "You are?"

Sam nods. "I don't have any desire to meet anyone else." She shrugs. "I'm fine where I am."

R'jaal goes around the room, asking each person if they are staying or going. Brooke and Taushen want to return, even though Brooke is heavy with child. "I'm not due for two more months or so," she insists. "I can do some walking."

Bek and Elly will stay, along with Veronica and Ashtar. Gail and Vaza will stay, since Z'hren is small and will tire out easily if they travel. Lauren and K'thar and Hannah and J'shel will go to Croatoan. I wonder about N'dek and his prosthetic leg, but I shouldn't have. "We stay," N'dek announces.

"This is the greatest time in my life," Devi agrees. "You'd have to pry me off this beach!"

Sessah announces he will stay to help with the hunting since so many males with pregnant mates are needed close to camp. I'm a little surprised by that, but maybe he wants to avoid Tia. Pregnant Willa and her mate Gren stay. Angie and Vordis stay, along with baby Glory, while Nadine and Thrand elect to travel to Croatoan. It seems like all of Tall Horn is going—Penny and S'bren, Callie and M'tok, and Mari and T'chai all agree to head out with the Croatoan group.

Mardok and Farli agree to go as well, because Farli misses her family. Daisy announces that she would love to go, because she “adores” people. That makes me glad—maybe it'll help her realize that she needs to contribute more. Flor still looks torn, but eventually agrees to go.

I'rec declares that he will go with the group heading to Croatoan, and he nudges O'jek, who sullenly agrees to go as well, nodding. His gaze flicks over Juth, and I wonder if they're enemies. Either way, I'm glad he won't be around while Juth gets adjusted to staying with us.

R'jaal turns to me. "And you?"

I gesture at my leg. "Obviously we're staying."

R'jaal just nods, glancing at Juth. "It will be good to have you and your…mate here to help, since there are many that are pregnant. All hunters will be needed to help with supplies."

Ooof, I'm not much of a hunter, but maybe I can handle childcare while people better at hunting—like Liz—take a stab at it. I also don't point out to R'jaal that we're not really officially mates, because how can I? The last thing I want is to have everyone turn on Juth when he's already feeling vulnerable and isolated. O'jek keeps glaring in his direction and it's starting to piss me off, and I pride myself on staying level-headed.