Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 136: brought to you by wife tracking tattoos

There's no funny into for this chapter...why is there no funny intro for this chapter!?! Is Tyndali busy? Sick? Dying? DEAD? I don't know, since the last time I talked to her I sent her off to catch a kabuto for me around a bigass pink tree. Poke'mon, ya'll. It's the noblest of housewife pastimes.

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For the next few days, Neara avoided talking to Orson. She couldn't stand the smug look on his face whenever she reached for something and the rich brown tattoo gleamed in the sunlight. For his part, Tony didn't act much different although he allowed himself to sit closer to her and didn't always ask before bringing her a snack.

Benedict remained focused on Ethel, who had yet to speak. Her eyes were either puffy with tears or looked hollowly ahead. Neara's attempts to talk bounced off like a failed rim shot. Eventually, she contented herself with sitting next to her friend and just eating in silence.

"We're running low on salt," Benedict mentioned, holding up a deflated skin. "I think we have another day left, and that's if the males don't eat any."

"Neara can have all my salt," Tony said, "and I'll just trade for more at the next town."

"What town, fluffy? We've been walking for days and there isn't a single sign of habitation anywhere. No ferals, no wandering doctors, nothing." Benedict huffed angrily and adjusted the sleeping Ethel in his arms.

"Oh, we've passed several towns, I just didn't know you wanted to stop." Orson appeared next to him and grinned, leaves caught in his wild hair.

"Why wouldn't we want to stop?" Benedict sounded on the verge of a breakdown.

"That's fine; I'll wait until the next one. Maybe tan a few furs to get extra."

"Because there could still be Scorpions tracking us."

"And why haven't you gotten rid of them yet?"

Orson smiled gently, then patted Benedict's arm slowly. "Because if something happened to Neara, I'd have to destroy the world from the ground up and I can't trust you to keep two females safe."

Benedict huffed angrily and marched forward, ignoring Tony's confused look.

"Neara, surely one day of riding a bear wouldn't be too much to ask, would it? If we want to get to the beach before winter sets in..." Orson said.

"Winston needs to be able to find us, and if the heavy rainy season starts up again, it'll wash away our tracks."

"Yeah, and it wouldn't be a problem if you'd mated with him back in the City."

"There wasn't enough time... we were never alone..."

"You and I both know that's predator shit."

"I know! I could go back and look for Winston. I can track her easy." Tony smiled and puffed himself up a bit.

"Nice try, two-stripes, but any Scorpion would tear you apart and, again, if anything happens to Neara..." Orson lowered his voice to a threatening growl.

Tony cocked his head to the side. "You know, without being able to see your stripes, you're not that scary."

Orson rolled his eyes. "That's the point in keeping her safe. If every predator knew I was a sixer, they'd be trying to take me down. Idiots love an impossible challenge. Come on; I see a good campsite ahead."

They continued in this manner for another week or so, Neara couldn't keep track of the days to save her life, until they stopped in a small village. Orson finally allowed them to resupply, although he refused to go inside the village to avoid 'distractions'.