This was the first moment with Aevi that could be considered amicable, as she hissed and avoided him or stalked him from the shadows, leaping out in hope of startling him. So his response mattered or this rare accord would be broken. “Then you understand my uncertainty,” he said finally, unable to determine a better rejoinder.

“I do! If I support your need to collect dirty things, will you tell Qalu not to fuss over my shinies?”

“Perhaps Qalu could acquire two shiny things, one for you to keep and the other for her to use?” he suggested.

Truly, he had no notion whether that idea was viable. Some objects doubtless required more resources to obtain. And Qalu had not given him access to her financial records, leaving him unable to determine what was a reasonable request.

“Yes! Let’s ask her. We can go right now. Please, can we?” The rear extensor tickled as it whipped around, and for some reason, Aevi’s proximity didn’t set off the usual recoil.

Somehow, they had become temporary allies. “I am ready to return.”

Helix expected she would leap off his shoulder, but instead, she settled in, as if she meant to ride him back to the habitat. He could think of no courteous way to demand that Aevi dismount, and furthermore, in all probability, such a request would also mar their tenuous rapport. Therefore, he resigned himself to being a Pherzul conveyance. As they proceeded, however, he didn’t mind her weight and the churrs she made reminded him of home, of the Barathi, and more familiar times, even if he hadn’t been part of that world physically, as he was here on Tiralan.

Her claws gripped his swator, offering hints of sharpness, but she was careful not to hurt him, a technique doubtless perfected through contact with Qalu. It was easy and surprisingly pleasant to imagine them roving together like this, and he experienced a pang of…something. Not an emotion he had felt before, as he was still learning, and there were so many, some of which appeared to be tied to his physical host.

Aevi chattered the entire way back, bits of nothing about what she saw or smelled, and he found it…comforting. He didn’t need to respond; she didn’t seem to expect it, and by the time they entered the residence together, she was nuzzling against the side of his face and acting with what he thought be called…fondness. What Qalu had requested he demonstrate in front of her mothers.

Did that mean he was supposed to perch on top of her? No, she’d said that she wouldn’t require physical contact as part of their arrangement. As he puzzled over this requirement, Aevi called, “Qalu! We need to speak to you!”