The fifth day since her arrival to the world caused Lizzy some anxiety. She and Phantom had spent some of the night exploring each other's bodies and sharing secrets in the dark of their new room. It turned out that the wolf was the last member of his family left alive after an attack by a beast from another part of the planet. He had been one of five siblings and his parents had experienced a happy mating based on love. It was due to that fact that Phantom had never had a second father figure in his life.
Maybe it was seeing that loving mating that led Phantom to confess to Lizzy. "I know that you will need many mates to keep you safe. Sometimes I wonder if my mom had chosen more males for her den...maybe everyone would still be here. Maybe I'd still be meeting my family at gatherings or showing you off to everyone." His fingers reached out, tracing her bottom lip. "I know I am asking a lot for us to love each other this soon. All I'm asking for now is that we build a den together and keep these pups in your womb safe."
Tears had gathered in her eyes at the understanding and devotion in Phantom's eyes and she prayed that it wasn't just because of a random skill. Then, the pair had fallen asleep in each other's arms.
Now, Lizzy stood at the entrance to the cave before the makeshift window that had been added for her benefit. She closed her eyes, inhaling the smell of the forest and enjoying the view of the sun cresting over the trees. The pair had taken the chance to sleep in and recover after the busy day of preparing the cave to be habitable. Today the goal was to begin gathering before Lizzy got any larger. She rubbed her stomach absentmindedly and felt as it bulged. The bump yesterday had been noticeable, making her appear as if she was three months pregnant in human terms. Today, it appeared even larger and she was experiencing the discomfort of pregnancy. Her ankles were swollen, her bladder continuous in its complaints, and she was ravenous. She had told Phantom that they needed to gather food and strengthen the defenses of the cave but that stockpiling supplies came first. He had agreed, setting off immediately in search of prey.
Thankfully, the males here did most of the hunting and meat preparation. Females tended to focus on crafting, raising the children, and additional gathering. They were in charge of teaching the young how to do the same and were in charge of their potential growth. Something that Phantom assured her was a constant task. It was one of the benefits of those staying in the village. They often went on group hunts and the females would get together to teach and do other tasks.
Lizzy squared her shoulders, leaving the cave with a small shuffle. Today she would gather as much as possible that could be stored for later. Of particular interest to her was the [Nutritious Root]. It was shaped similarly to a potato and if she knew anything about potatoes it was that they could grow in the worst conditions. She had considered trying to get Phantom to build some garden beds in the cave but the more she considered it the more she questioned if it would work with very little light. The only place that it could possibly exist would be in the main cavern under the light shaft that the wolf had made.
She grunted as she bent over, swiftly finding and gathering materials. Planting a small field of [Nutritious Roots] would only be smart once the pair had set up an adequate food storage room. Instead, she would gather items that could be traded for storage containers such as crates and barrels. She remembered seeing some in the village so she knew that they could be made and it wouldn't hurt to have something more to store food in.
Lizzy paused, checking her inventory to find she had already gathered more than she thought would. Some of her memories from Earth were trickling back the more time she spent in this world. The fact that she could recall small facts like how to store potatoes so that they wouldn't rot was evidence of that. But, it makes me wonder if my memories have to be unlocked or if something happened to me before I was transported here. The more she considered that thought, the more she found herself shuddering. She had a nasty feeling that her memories were being suppressed and fed to her in little bite sized chunks as she needed it.
Several hours passed, Lizzy gathering anything that she could identify with her basic skill. She wished that she could upgrade it, but the empty coin balance made even the prospect of the skill gacha a dream. A cramp hit her stomach suddenly, and Lizzy doubled over with shock. It was far too early for her to give birth and she groaned as the pain passed. It seemed that the baby was kicking her to get her attention. She looked up at the sky, noting that it was indeed past lunch time.
She began her slow waddle back to the cave, not knowing there was a pair of eyes watching her from the safety of the trees.