Chiaki woke one morning with a slightly more noticeable coolness in the air. "The light-rainy season is getting ready to being?" She asked Qianhuang.

He shook his head. "We are already in the light-rainy season, it just has been a few dry days by chance. The dip in temperature means we are probably half way through it."

"I need to collect vegetables to store over the Winter to go with the meat, several months of just meat alone would not be healthy for me."

"I believe the wolves have realized to give the village a wider avoidance by now. I would say it is safe to go to the lake where I have been collecting clay. But only during the brightest hours of the day." He didn't trust night hunting animals to be as wary. He rolled over and pulled her to him. "Cuddle to me until the sun drys the dew from the grass, it will be warm by then."

Chiaki smiled and cuddled in tightly against Qianhuangs chest and body, tucking her face against his neck. They lay entwined with each other as the sun slowly rose into the sky, chasing the chill from the air.

"I think I will not hunt today, it might send animals running to the water. If you want to store vegetables then I will need to use the clay to make a few big pots. Will you be alright outside the village?"

"The lake is pretty close and I could take Bai Qingqing with me to get her to do something other than hiding in Parkers house."

Qianhuang nodded, it was obvious to him after seeing Chiaki and Ji Mo adjusting to life in the Winged Lion Clan village that Bai Qingqing was not doing well here. His instincts told him she would be better off to take a mate who would care for her. What he had learned from his own mate though was that females of the human kind needed longer to think on such matters. Mates meant more to them in one way, and less to them in another, than mates did to females of this world.

"I will be closer too, if I stay in the village today."

"In case I need you?"

"In case you need me." He agreed.

Chiaki sat up, the sleeping furs pooling around her hips, and stretched her arms about to rid them of stiffness. Her nude breasts bounced slightly from the movement, drawing Qianhuangs attention as they always did. Perhaps he could persuade his mate into some morning love-making.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Oh! Look! These sprouts taste good during the Summer!" Bai Qingqing said as she as Chiaki walked towards the lake. "It's so late in the season, I'm surprised to see any of them in this stage!" She plucked the green stem with light orange leaves and took a bite. "Mmmm."

Chiaki chuckled, she didn't recognize the plant herself, but Qingqing did and that was good. Being able to find food was a skill the girl should know. "Tasty?"

"Yeah! I was quite the foodie at home." The young girl admitted, she looked sad at the sudden reminder, but didn't begin to cry.

"That's useful." Chiaki praised, knowing Bai Qingqing needed distracted. "I've learned what sweet potatoes and carrots look like in this world, mint too."

"Really? Bai Qingqing stopped walking and turned to face Chiaki. "Can we find them here?"

"That why- whoa!" Chiaki yelped as the ground blow her feet suddenly gave way and she tumbled into a darkened hole. She landed a little roughly. "Oaf!" She'd landed on dirt and not rock thankfully and it was dry. She shakily pushed herself up.

"Chiaki!" Bai Qingqing yelled down from above.

"I'm unhurt!" She called back, peering up at the brightly lit entrance above her, seeing movement that was likely Qingqing herself looking down at her.

"Hey, there's a rock jutting out over there!" There was a movement, Qingqing pointing to the rock, but the sunlight made it hard to follow.

Chiaki looked around, taking in the surrounding area. It was about the size of a very small room. Dry and a little uneven. The topsoil above her head was tangled with the roots of plants. She found the rock Bai Qingqing had mentioned, it wasn't directly below the hole otherwise she would have landed on it, but it would put her high enough to climb out with Qingqings help.

As she walked over to the rock she noticed a splotch of red, maybe she had bounced off the rock? She paused to look herself over, she hurt from the fall and might not have noticed a more important injury. She found no blood, plenty of scrapes though. She sighed, Qianhuang would have a fit she'd gotten even a little hurt.

She peered over the rock and found a neatly folded bolt of red cloth. How had that found it's way into a hole? She looked around again, the walls were smooth dirt and now that she looked closer the floor of the hole had a pattern to it. Was this place man made? Or an animal den? She should probably get out of here quickly and tell Qianhuang about it.

She grabbed the bolt of cloth, surprised by how much it weighed and even more surprised by how it felt. This was an animal skin, not woven material! "Here, look what was down here!" She said, passing the heavy item up out of the hole to Bai Qingqing. The girl grabbed it and quickly put it to the side. Then helped Chiaki pull herself free of the hole.

They were both covered in dirt now and Chiaki could see her scrapes were brighter in the full light than in the darkness, easy to notice. Well at least she'd get to formally meet the healer of the village now. "What is it?" Qingqing asked.

Chiaki pulled the red skin into her lap. "An animal skin." She ran her hand over it. "Feels like snake skin or alligator skin. It's so bright, maybe it's dyed?"

"S-s-snake?!" Bai Qingqing yelped and pulled her hand away from the skin as she had be about to touch it again. "It's huge!" The girl was right, the skin would have came from an animal larger than an Anaconda. The breeze blew across the area making both females uneasy. Qingqing got up. "Can we go back to the village?"

"Yeah." Chiaki stood quickly too. "If there is anything this big near the lake, the village needs to know." She grabbed the skin. "I'll take this so they will have a better idea of what it is."