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The second day of our journey passed much like the first. Clear skies, hot sand, and talking amongst ourselves. Unlike the previous day, we didn't get around to much story-telling, instead talking about our various skills and what we hoped to do with them once we found a place to live. I had to think about what skills would translate well in my new form, and declared that I would be the best butcher and decorator. With the memory of the skinned yinglets still fresh in my mind, I didn't mention that my main skill in butchering was skinning and preserving the hides. I didn't know how to store meat in this world, but I could disassemble most creatures in no time flat. Combined with Bekki saying he wanted to be in charge of food gathering, I thought we'd be able to process any meat we obtained fairly well. Bekki's ramblings about all the food he'd find and subsequently prepare for us had him frequently darting down to the water in an effort to bring choice snacks back. We did avoid overindulging on clams and snails unless we were about to stop to rest, though. Nurln daydreamed about what kind of building materials he'd have access to, hoping for wood and firm earth to burrow in. The poor male would sigh wistfully whenever we passed a large branch of driftwood, clearly wanting to take it with us to utilize it.

The only event of real significance during the second day was when Bekki came back from the tide-line dragging a large, heavy clump of seaweed. It was stringy stuff, with lighter colored bulbs along its length. He told us it was a medicinal plant, and that he had to get it for the enclave's healer 'soooooo many times'. Once he heard that, Nurln recognized it as the main ingredient in Green Paste, a time-honored salve for wounds. The stuff was still somewhat damp from the sea, so for a good hour, we walked along with seaweed draped over our backs.

Later, we had completed our sun-down sleep and awoken at around midnight, according to the boys. The seaweed, which we had left stretched out over the sand, had mostly dried over the course of the day, and we decided to grind it up before moving on. Bekki took his bowl, and Nurln and I each got a cup filled with seaweed. Armed with rocks foraged from the beach, we sat with our backs against a weathered driftwood log and started mashing the seaweed.

"Wanna sing a song while we grind zhis up?" Nurln asked. Bekki apparently wanted to, as he launched into a song. He'd sing a line, then Nurln would repeat the last word three times. After the second line, I joined in the chorus.

Bekki's singing voice, though high-pitched, wasn't too bad, in my opinion. "Oh, zhe Matriarch has a big stick/She says to zhe males, show me ya prick/Zhey did, zhen she whacked 'em in zhe dick/Zhey cried 'n whined 'n said she was sick/But one did a quiet and just did a lick/So zhat was zhe one zhat she did pick!/Hump,Hump,Hump!" We all joined in on the last chorus, and I was struck by the brilliance and beauty of yinglet lyrics. After we sung it again, I held up my rock to get their attention and said I had a song.

"Swim-a happy swim/And when you swims-a happy swim remember dis/Dat anyone who can swim-a happy swim/Has-a happy heart widden/Kiss-a happy fish/And when you kiss-a happy fish remember dis/Dat anyone who can kiss-a happy fish/has-a happy heart widden..." As I continued the Happy Song, I realized that my singing hadn't improved with my transformation, but I was having fun. The song was a smash hit with my males, and we ended up singing it over and over again. Eventually, we got back onto The Matriarch's Stick, and from there, I taught them all about the wonders of Smashmouth Allstar.

After my soulful rendition of Shrek's greatest hit, Nurln laughed and made a comment. "I don't know what any of zhat means, but it sounds great, my Matriarch. Zhe land of zhe gods has some good songs." We noted that Nurln hadn't yet sung anything, so as we grinded the last of the seaweed, he began to sing a lively song.

"Humans live so long and zhey are so-so strong / but zhey never get along so I'd razher be a yinglet! / Gull-dogs like to play and seems like a good lay / but zhey eat zhe males everyday so I'd razher be a yinglet! / Indrels smell nice and zhey always buzz twice / but zhey crush ya like a mice so I'd razher be a yinglet! / Baxxids got big claws and never use zheir jaws / but zhey need ozzers for paws so I'd razher be a yinglet!" We went through it a few times so Bekki and I could join in. Bekki collected our seaweed mush and put it in an empty pouch. We all got equipped to start traveling again, singing all the while.

Once we were on our way and we paused for a bit, I piped up. "I dunno what dose dings are. What's-a Baxxid? And-a Indrel? And-a gull-doggy?"

"Zhey is ozzer kinds of zhink-animals! I never seen any of zhem myself, zhough." Nurln looked to Bekki for help.

Bekki hummed to himself for a moment as he prodded the sand with his spear. "I never seen an Indrel eizher! I only know zhem because of what zhe older ones said to me...Oh! But Baxxid! Zhere's one of him in Saltden, maybe more! Nice guy! He was always at zhe trading lay...lie...lee-aye-zon? You know, zhe human boats come from zhe sea wizh stuff." Bekki slowed to walk next to me, putting his spear back in the holder. He held his hands at an angle, fingers curved. "Baxxid has suuuuch a big claw on zhem! And a long body like us! Really, really nice long boys. But zhey can be sooo loud. So loud you maybe go and die." I decided to invest in some low-tech ear plugs if I ever came across something matching that description. Dying by sound sounded terrible, no pun intended.

Bekki began to pet his own face, listing off information as he touched each part. "Gull-dogs is so-very different from yinglets. Zhey is almost all females, and have soooo many muscles. Zhey is so pretty! Zhey got long noses wizh black on zhis part, and orange under zheir eyes. Zhat's why we call'em gull-dogs! Zhey got zhe same face colors." I noticed Nurln looking unabashadly interested as Bekki continued. "Zhey always go on four legs and like to swim! Zhe males are weird, big fat lumps, and only have grey fur on zhem. Sometimes zhe females eat'em, like in zhe song." Nurln asked if anyone had ever humped a gull-dog, and Bekki responded in the negative. Apparently, though one could barter safe passage through their territory with gifts and body language, they were an aggressive species without a language that yinglets could speak. Bekki noted that this was similar to how the Indrel supposedly were. From what I learned of the gull-dogs, it sounded like they were legged seals.

When I pressed for more information about the Indrel, the information was spotty and filled with a lot of 'ums' from all parties. All I got was that they were large bugs that could exude a nice smell, and liked to live in mountains. As Nurln and I were both curious, I asked about Bekki's experiences with other races. He told us about how the Baxxid at the docks would slip little treats like honeycomb or fruit to the yinglets when the humans weren't looking, and how he had once hurt his toe-claw and the Baxxid hid him for a day so he could recover. The honeycomb comment prompted a slightly envious comment from Nurln, but he was quieted when Bekki assured him that it didn't even have grubs in it. I hoped to never go back to Saltden, but I hoped to one day meet a Baxxid.

Most of his talk was about the singular Baxxid residing in Saltden, as he was usually chosen for short-range scavenging and foraging. The moon got lower and lower in the sky as he continued with his few stories of meeting gull-dogs. The most interesting one was that there were apparently 'different' gull-dogs to the north of the enclave he had seen once. They were pink in color, friendlier than the ones he was used to, and were taking care of a 'regular' gull-dog that had wounds on her forelegs. As we set up camp once again, he described how they couldn't talk either, but had traded some shrimp for the yinglet's 'bug-meats'. We bedded down soon after he finished that tale. I had a fleeting feeling of anxiety again over how I should be freaking out about my situation, but it was buried underneath all the new information I had absorbed. In the brief moment before I fell asleep, the stars dotted out pictures of new creatures.

Another rest, another breaking camp, and another continuation of our journey. The sky had grown slightly cloudy as the third day broke, and wind tossed sand onto our backs. Bekki had stretched up and stuck his tongue out while spinning in a circle, and assured us that it wouldn't rain. After only half an hour or so of travel, I noticed that Nurln was starting to lag behind me, making it hard to pull the sled in a straight line. I stopped, asking him if he was okay, and he said he was. Judging from how out of breath he was and the shaking of his legs, I realized he really wasn't. I called out to Bekki, who hadn't stopped walking, and he dashed back to us. Nurln looked ashamed as we worried over him, but kept quiet as we traveled just a bit further to a sheltered area of two rocks leaning against one another with a space in between.

"I'm so-" He began to speak, but I cut him off before he had a chance to apologize.

"You don't gotta say dat. You stayed home a lot, huh?" He nodded in response, and I nuzzled him. "You get tired, you say so, or I eat your ears. We don't gotta be anywhere anytime. We goin' our own way. Don't be a dumb. You wanna rest? We gonna rest. You wanna eat? We eat. Is good way to live, ya?" The human part of my mind felt a bit guilty. As I was the Matriarch, Nurln would probably do anything I said. I wanted to make sure he felt wanted and needed in our group, but was worried that my apparent power as a female would cloud my intention. He meekly agreed with me, making me feel worse until Bekki told him to go to sleep. For once, Nurln fell asleep as fast as Bekki usually did, not even bothering to take his equipment off. Bekki and I gently stripped him, and rolled him against one of the rocks to protect him from the wind. The two of us then got the egg basket off the sled, opened it, and regarded the eggs as we relaxed.

"He is too smart, too smart that he is dumb." Bekki said sagely, wrapping his tail around mine and leaning on me. "He gots such a smart that he worries all zhe time. He should zhink about now! I zhink about right now." Bekki's glowing smile once again graced the world.

"Is right nows good for you? Dis is...different from what da land of da gods is like, but...I like it here. I like you, and Nurln. Dis is-a good way to be." Perhaps it was because I hadn't faced very much immediate death, but I was enjoying this new life. Things were weird, and even with how wonderful they were, I still had to look away when I ate gross-looking shellfish. But as a human, I had never felt such a sense of camaraderie and purpose as I did with my two companions.

"Hmm, yah! Be better if we had home, but it is, it is. We gonna find one sometime." Some may have called Bekki's world-view naively optimistic, but I enjoyed it. His worldly experience was just as comforting to me as Nurln's more educated knowledge. Despite his and Nurln's words, I didn't find Bekki to be especially stupid. He lacked much of the common sense that the blue male had, and didn't talk as eloquently. But he knew exactly where to find food, what could be found where, and knew what was worth bringing back or not. He was just as smart as Nurln, but in different areas. We chatted a bit more, and I couldn't help but notice that though it wasn't as serious as the chat I had with Nurln after the enclave, it was just as heart-warming. We meandered over topics and talked over one another, at points breaking into little tap-fights in an effort to assert ourselves. Eventually, when we were both trying to explain our favorite color of sand, we got into a little wrestling match.

Both of us kept our claws out of it, and the only time our teeth hit one another was when we used our snouts as playful battering rams. I had nearly won when Bekki wriggled free of my grasp and darted out from the rock shelter. I darted after him with a whoop. After a short chase, he turned and started to chase me. We ran circles around the rocks until we collided with one another, cackling like madmen and wheezing for air. Our noise woke Nurln, who sleepily poked his pointy muzzle out to ask what was going on. When we were able to speak without bursting into giggles, we told him all about our play-fight, and the colors of sand. The earlier look of shame evaporated from Nurln's face as we talked, and he shook his head with a chuckle. Neither Bekki nor I were sleepy despite all of our exercise, so we sat down for what could be considered a fancy meal. Rather than just licking the shellfish out of their shells, Bekki prepared a tasteful presentation of shellfish-on-the-shell with a dusting of the seaweed powder. He added in some mystery meat he found, along with some fresh seaweed of a different type. I had a very happy stomach by the time we finished. Bekki suggested we rest here until he and I had a chance to sleep, and we agreed with him.

We proceeded to yawn and laze about until my eyes picked up a slight movement. "Hey, did da egg does a move?"

If one had harnessed the speed with which we moved to the basket, they could have invented faster than light travel. My observation was correct. The egg was shaking slightly, occasionally bulging outwards. The three of us peeped from the edge of the basket, not daring to look on from above. None of us spoke, we simply watched. We all gasped when a tiny tooth broke through and began to make a slit in the egg. As the opening got wider, a small snout poked through. A sudden and vigorous slide of the baby's shelltooth resulted in part of the egg flapping open and a rush of greenish blue fluid. The little one poked its torso and one arm out, hazily looking around before settling on us. For the first time in my life, I looked at a baby yinglet.

It was so freaking cute. It flopped about, pushing at the oddly flesh-toned interior of the egg. I was so entranced that I toned out the 'ewwwwww' and laughter from the males. Though fluid-slick, the younglet had a thin layer of fur. It reminded me of my mouse-breeding days, of when the pinkies became fuzzies. In a way, it didn't make sense. Human babies utterly revolted me to the point of physical sickness. One would think that since the younglet was my same species, the feeling would be the same. Instead, I wanted to pick up the baby and snuggle it forever. It struck me as cute and right, how a baby should look. For the first time in my life, I felt overwhelming mothering urges towards a youngling of my own species.

Following my urges, I reached down and gently lifted the baby free of the egg. Not even thinking to ask for a cloth, I began to lick it clean. As I did, the younglet started to make tiny mewls and wehs. As the hatching fluids were cleaned from the baby, the fur lightened to its true color, and I set to examining the young one. It was much more compact than an adult, with thick short limbs and a stubby tail. The fur was soft shades of purplish-blue over most of the younglet, with some golden fur along its snout, ears, and belly. The unfocused eyes that peered around were gold, with a lighter yellow iris. Overall, a perfect and wonderful baby yinglet. I cradled the little one to my chest, which proved to be a huge mistake. The look of shock on the male's faces was only matched by the stony seriousness on mine. "Boys. Please get da baby some food dat is not my blood."

Only years working with animals that occasionally bit prevented me from throwing the cursed hellspawn currently biting my breast into the stratosphere. I stared stoicly at the horizon until Nurln held a small morsel of sea snail near the younglet. It snapped it up, releasing my abused tit long enough for me to hold it at arm's length. "Well, it's-a strong baby, if nuddin' else." I let Bekki take hold of the baby and looked down at my chest, huffing at the small bleeding wound. Before I could do anything about it, Nurln had bent his neck to lap at it. Once again, I stared at the horizon, noting how the sea and sky seemed to melt into one another. The first time a male was touching my breasts, and it was due to a bite wound. Luckily, his attentions stopped the bleeding, and he excused himself to run down to the ocean for a cup of seawater so he could prepare some Green Paste. Rubbing my poor boob, I hopped over to Bekki and gently pet the younglet. All was forgiven for the moment.

"Hmm, looks like a male!" Bekki held the baby over his head, looking carefully at it. The little one didn't seem to like this, and the adorable little weh'ing noises increased in volume until he brought him down.

"A male! We gotta dink of a good name for 'em. Hmm..." With the color and patterning, this one didn't strike me as much of a Betti. Nothing particularly inspiring came to mind, and I was still musing when Nurln came back with a cup full of seaweed paste. As he applied it to my wound, I noted the warmth of the younglet's golden marks and how much they stood out. It reminded me of something... "Boys! Whadda-ya dink of Pot Pie? As a name for da baby?"

This drew an 'ooh' from Bekki, but Nurln scrunched his face while he continued his application. I thought he was applying a bit too much, as much of my breast was now green. "My Matriarch...I heard from zhe nurses zhat most of zhe younglets...zhey...um, zhey don't often make it, my Matriarch. Perhaps it would be better to wait to name..?"

I shook my head hard. "Nah! Dis one ain't gonna die. You saw dat boob-bitin'. He's a strongest strong baby. An' we gonna take care of him. Is only dree babies, if da odder eggs hatch. Easy-peas. I say dis one is Pot Pie, and dat's da word of da Matriarch." There was no shame in this display of my Matriarch powers. We would take care of our own. Nurln blinked, but nodded.

"Speaking of zhe ozzer eggs, my Matriarch, how should we do zhis...? Zhere was an incident in our enclave where a new younglet ate zhe ozzer eggs, so we shouldn't put Pot Pie in zhe basket again. And..I don't zhink it's good for a younglet to walk so much." Nurln's easy acceptance of my order pleased me, and I cast about. Carrying a squirmy little thing wouldn't be easy on this journey, especially pulling the sled with the unhatched eggs. I picked up an empty pouch, holding it up to Pot Pie to compare sizes. It wasn't quite big enough, so I rooted around until I found a bigger one. It was filled with extra spearheads, so I put them in the empty pouch before inserting our new party member into the bigger pouch.

"Solution!" I intended to brag a bit more, but the one word about covered my emotions. With the help of the males, we figured out how to rig things so that the baby-pouch would be on my chest, with Pot Pie facing outwards so he could see. We also rigged a mini-harness for him for when we wanted to let him walk around without letting him get too far. It attached to a leash on a leather band I could wear. I made sure that the leash was short. I had nightmare visions of a hawk or something coming and swooping up our younglet, and I didn't want that to come to pass. The excitement of a new baby wore Bekki and I out, and after making Nurln triple-pinkie-promise not to lose Pot Pie, we took our rest.
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A new face joins the crew, at the cost of some of Tacci's hard-earned blood.