Fay was glad to be under the shade of the canyon. The spot had been chosen perfectly, not at random. The cool wind that passed through it and into the village was refreshing, helping to keep both the meat and water cool.
He was given more water upon entering, but his thoughts drifted to the leather he now carried. He wasn't sure what to do with it—he had never made anything from hides before. Back on Earth, he had always left the skins behind.
Mira stood beside him, holding her nose, which was a clear sign that the meat would probably rot under his care. Fay began looking around, trying to see what the others were doing.
That's when he noticed some of the others handing their hides to a group of catfolk women. They appeared to be in charge of tanning. The women climbed sections of the canyon wall to hang the leather, using racks that already held dried skins, ready to be replaced.
"Do you think they'll help us with this skin?" Fay asked Mira. She had already interacted with quite a few people and was busy recounting how she had played with the other children and had even been given lots of food.
"Yes! They are kind!" Mira called out. It was strange for Fay to hear—she had never looked so happy or expressive before. Usually, she was reserved. Hopefully, being around other children had started to change something in her.
Fay smiled at that. He was glad she was doing well and felt grateful to the villagers who were slowly helping Mira see the world in a different light.
"Alright, let's go. I want to see what they can do… maybe you'll get some new clothes," Fay said as he took his sister's hand. Together, they walked toward the women. He stopped in front of them, waiting for one of them to notice him.
It wasn't hard—catfolk seemed to have a sense for movement and sound far beyond that of humans. One of the younger ones attending the tent, which looked more like a shop, silently greeted Fay.
In response, Fay presented the leather he had been given and tried to think of a way to ask what could be done with it.
The girl seemed sharp; she understood right away. Turning behind her, she retrieved a carefully crafted bag made of the same material, already processed and complete.
Fay stared at the item for a few seconds. From that alone, he gathered that the amount of leather he had wouldn't be enough to make clothing, something he had hoped to get for Mira.
"I'm sorry, Mira, but it seems we don't have enough for clothes…" Fay said, a little dejected.
He glanced around at the other items and soon noticed something that caught his eye.
A cloak. It looked light and well-suited for him, especially since his coat had proven unhelpful during the hunt.
He pointed to the cloak, then to his coat, hoping to signal a trade.
Taking off his coat, he handed it to the girl. The catfolk inspected it carefully, focusing on how it was made, the material, and the way it was stitched together with thin threads. She seemed intrigued and curious, as though she wanted to ask questions about the strange clothing from Earth—but once again, the language barrier made that difficult. Read complete version only at novel~fire~net
She then showed the coat to her fellow workers. The three of them examined the details she pointed out, as if drawing inspiration from them.
The girl glanced back at Fay and his sister, noticing they wore more of the same kind of clothing, but most of it seemed less useful. Fay's shirt and pants were too worn to be of value. As for Mira, her dress was the only item that stood out, but the cloth was so thin they likely found it unsuitable for crafting anything new.
"So, do you want it?" Fay asked. He believed that, at times, tone held more meaning than words.
The young catfolk girl clutched the coat closely, then gave a nod. She offered Fay a choice between three items but also signaled that he would need to give up the skin he had brought.
Fay quickly pointed to the robe. It looked light, made to protect from the sun, and even seemed like it would help him blend into the golden-colored fields.
The trade was successful. Fay received the robe, while the girl kept both the leather from the hunt and his long coat.
"What do you think, Mira? Do I look good? I'll use this to hunt more and get enough leather to make new clothes for you," Fay said, turning around a few times, feeling the robe's weightless fabric and how comfortable it was.
"Yes! Looks nice, Feyfey. I will wait for mine," Mira replied. She looked so adorable in that moment that Fay let her try the robe on.
"Good. Now let's head back to our tent—I need to rest a bit before we eat."
Fay noticed the meat was already being cooked. This time, he wasn't needed, as those assigned to cooking had already cut the meat into chunks and stuffed it into a large clay pot.
"I'm going to play more!" Mira shouted before dashing off. She was already back with a group of little demihumans, all of them engaged in a game of hunters and prey. Fay thought it was a good game for kids like them—it reminded him of how he had to learn to fend for himself at a young age.
He returned to his tent, exhausted and ready to sleep. He was so tired it would only take seconds for him to drift into dreamland.
That's when he noticed a shadow just outside the tent.
He wasn't sure who it was, but the sight pulled him up from his nearly reclined position. Peeking outside, he didn't see anyone. Instead, he spotted dried meat laid neatly in front of the tent entrance, placed on a large leaf.
Fay looked around, but no one was in sight. He didn't know who had left it, but he welcomed the gesture. Bringing it inside, he devoured the meat gratefully before falling into a deep sleep.