I chuckle at the idea that she’s trying to be a bird, and my laughter fills the area. Dagger seems to be a little embarrassed at my laughter, but after a moment, she starts to laugh, too, and we both enjoy the joke together.
It’s been so long since I felt comfortable around a woman. Hell, it’s been a long time since I spent time with a woman who wasn’t my sister or sister-in-law. Women and me don’t seem to get along.
I’m too gruff.
I’m too mean.
I’m too dark.
I’ve been called heartless and evil and terrible.
I’ve been called broken.
I’ve been called a killer.
I’ve been called so many things that right now, just being around Dagger is like a breath of fresh air. She might be scared of me, but she doesn’t judge me, and that makes me feel good, right. It makes me feel like even though we’re different, maybe spending time together isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe we can create some sort of comfortable companionship, at least until I find the fereers and get back to Diamond.
But then what will happen to her?
The thought saddens me because I wonder if Dagger will want to return to Mars. I wonder if she’ll want to return to her home, where she came from. I’ve only just met her, but the thought of saying goodbye breaks my heart a little, and that concerns me. Why does she have such an effect on me?
“Yes,” I finally say. “We’re going to stay in a nest. Not like the birds, though.” I walk around and look at the trees. Several look sturdy at first glance, but the branches are weak or damaged from storms. Those won’t do. The tree we sleep in needs to be able to keep us in the same place overnight, needs to be able to keep us safe and secure through the darkness.
There are plenty of animals who hunt in the darkness. There are plenty of creatures who come roaming at night, looking for prey. Fereers aren’t one of them, otherwise I’d be hunting at night instead of in the daylight. I like that I don’t have to hunt at night during this journey. Night hunting makes everything more difficult. I have to be more concerned about safety and food and watching my back at all times. During the day, I still need to be cautious, but things are a bit simpler.
Finally, I locate a branch that is thick, wide, and high. I pull my nesting rope from my bag and shoot it. The end of the rope ties automatically around the branch I’ve selected.
“What the hell?” Dagger says. “Did that rope just tie itself?”
“It’s nesting rope,” I say, which seems like it should be obvious. Next, I pull the nest from my pack. Pressing a small button on the side, the nest quickly expands and forms a small box. It’s about eight feet long and three feet wide. The exterior is completely camouflaged.
“Woah,” Dagger lets out a low whistle. “That’s incredible. It’s like a little tent, but better.”
I shove my pack inside the nest and motion for Dagger to follow suit.
“Wait,” I say, realizing she’s human and things might be different where she comes from. “Do you need to…?”
“Do I need to what?”
How do I put this delicately?
“Do you need to, um, use the bathroom before we go in?”
“Oh,” Dagger blushes. “Yeah, that would be a good idea. Hang tight.”
I don’t know what that means, but she hurries behind a tree and comes back a minute later looking a bit red.
“Sorry,” she says, but I’m not sure why she’s so apologetic. Humans are so tricky, so strange. I shake my head at her for a second. Should I ask what she’s sorry about? Something about her embarrassment makes me think twice, though, and I decide to let this one go.
“In you go,” I point to the nest and she climbs in. Once Dagger is inside, I finish connecting the nest to the nesting rope and make sure the entire thing is secure. Then I glance around the area once more. There shouldn’t be too many predators here, but you never can be too safe. I pull a couple of small alarms and cameras out of my pockets and walk the perimeter of the clearing. I set them up in several places. If anything tries to follow us or get to the nest, I’ll know before it happens.
Satisfied, I climb into the nest with Dagger, close the door, and push a button to lock the door.
“What happens now?” She asks. Dagger is sitting in the corner of the nest and has her legs curled up to her chest. There’s not a lot of room with both of us in here. Once we lie down to sleep, there will be even less space. I try not to think about how that makes me feel.
The last thing this woman needs is to know how attracted to her I am.
“Hang on to something,” I say. She reaches for a handle on the ceiling and grips it. Once I’m satisfied that she’s holding on tightly, I press another button and turn a knob. Then the nest lifts into the air toward the tree.