"It was a lizard like creature. It had a sponge mane and it had little ones with it doing collateral damage in a sense." Beck said smoothing his fur out.

"I've ran into one of those before. Not sure what they're called, but they had this sticky mucus they spit on their targets. I figure you've found that out the hard way," he said as Ruby started grooming him as well, "From what I've seen, the little ones are the females and young. At least Ruby got to you before they decided you were food."

"I thank her for that. and it seems she has her eyes set on you now." Beck said watching the grooming.

"I don't mind. It's a sign of acceptance among nargacuga to groom one another," he said, leaning forward as Ruby started licking his head, "At least now I can stop worrying if she sees me as a threat to you. I'm not too enthused by the way she shows it, but no harm done."

"She has done that since when we first met. Though she was rough with me at first." Beck says thinking about that day.

Then she trusts you with everything she has. You wont find many that will befriend anthros of different mixes. You must be very special to her," he said, wincing when she ran over his left shoulder, "It would be nice if she stuck around. Every bit of protection we can get for the colony is needed."

"I know but i'm not going to force her to. It's her choice. Like i all ways gave her, when we worked together." Beck says stretching.

"It seems she's already set up a den at the edge of the forest over there," he said, pointing to the structure she had made earlier, "I suspect she'll expand on it to make it more livable as time goes by, but there's no telling what she has planned."

One of the Ruby's cub climbed from the den and ran over to her, climbing over Ruby to rest between Nathaniel and Beck.

Beck pets the little cub slowly. "I wonder who the father is though?"

"No telling. Usually, once they mate, the male will go out searching for others to spread his genes onto since Nargas are few and far between by nature," he said, sratching the cub behind an ear, "I've had to fight with myself to not distance myself from everyone from time to time. I'm sure Sasha has as well."

"That's neat to know." Beck said watching the cub.

"How do you think the merchant go ahold of that egg and those codes," he asked, looking over to the merchant, "He doesn't seem the type to just pick up those kind of items."

"I think that he found them and just thought of it as fire wood and food. But i'm not happy with that explanation." Beck says watching the merchant check Nathaniels work.

"At least the vine wraps gave way at a good time. It gave you a good distraction to get free," he said, rubbing the wing that had cut into the cart, "I should probably learn to control these. I've always been afraid to use them because of how sharp they are."

"Well you could learn to fly. it would give us a bird eyes few a situation." Beck says pulling out the instrument.