As Rami wrapped her arms gingerly around his neck, she stiffened slightly. His dark, wolfish hair brushed against her cheek, and she could detect a faint, clean scent of crushed grass, mixed with a more primal musk of his skin.
His strong fingers gripped her thighs, a jolt of alarm and vulnerability shooting through her at the unexpected touch, but he lifted her effortlessly, confirming his earlier remark that she was tiny and not heavy. Rami leaned back, her chest carefully avoiding his broad, muscular back.
"Thank you," she whispered, the words barely audible, but filled with genuine gratitude for his offer of transport in this bewildering world.
Yves's breath caught for a moment at her soft thanks, his steady pace never faltering as he began to move across the uneven terrain. towering ridge trees stretched endlessly into the heavens, their emerald canopies casting soft shadows over the leafy undergrowth.
Rami felt herself gently swaying with his powerful strides, the motion surprisingly smooth given the challenging environment.
The air, thick and humid, pressed against her skin, carrying the mingled scents of damp earth, decaying leaves, and the peculiar, almost ferrous tang that she had come to associate with this alien world, strongest near patches of reddish-brown soil. The subtle sweetness of blooming, yet unfamiliar, flowers mingled with these heavier aromas, creating a sensory tapestry both alluring and unsettling.
"No need to thank me," Yves murmured, his deep voice breaking the gentle quiet.
"Males protect their females, especially pure ones like you.". His words lingered in Rami's mind, a stark reminder of the different customs and expectations in this new world where females were rare and had more than one spouse. The idea of being pure and protected was entirely foreign to her. She looked at his powerful frame, seeing the rippling muscles beneath his skin, and felt a wave of anxiety mixed with a strange sense of security.
As they moved deeper, the dappled sunlight, fractured by the dense canopy, painted shifting patterns across the forest floor. Rami noticed the sheer size of everything – a single blade of grass seemed almost like a small tree, and the bug-eaten leaves scattered around were large enough to be makeshift coverings.
The soft, yielding moss beneath Yves's feet sometimes offered a gentle cushion, other times felt treacherous, like when her foot slipped on a patch of particularly slimy moss.
Suddenly, the cool air caused Rami to wrinkle her nose, and she sneezed. Her body shuddered from the involuntary movement, and her half-squinting eyes opened wider. Yves paused, sensing the slight tension in her movements. As her chest had unknowingly pressed against his back, she pulled away quickly, sneezing again, her nose itching uncomfortably.
"Could I possibly have caught a cold?" she thought to herself, a mundane concern in an utterly surreal situation. He set her down gently, his movements deliberate yet graceful.