Edward, who had been lost in his thoughts, nearly collided with Night before waking up.
With a deep sigh to restore his mental state of mind, he worked along with Night on making the rope. Soon, a leather rope that was more than one meter long was cut out. Edward had decided to weave 3 leather strips together to make the most basic rope he could.
Edward made a lasso from the rope. Then he found a nearby small tree that he could easily bend. He placed some grass nearby the trap. Once finished, he took Night with him and squatted behind a large tree in silence, waiting for a prey to be trapped.
Night had her doubts after seeing the strange contraption. She couldn't understand how just sitting in silence would just bring them food. For her, who was used to running after animals to kill them, it was difficult to digest that they had to do nothing but wait, and food will just arrive for them to eat.
Edward understood what Night was thinking but didn't bother to explain it to her. He felt it was better to show not tell.
After waiting for less than half an hour, he heard a bang, the small tree bounced, and a rabbit was hanged out of the grass like a magic trick!
"Hahahaha, success!" Edward couldn't believe it; his luck wasn't that bad!
Night was so happy just like Edward that she gave a gasp of surprise before uncontrollably laughing. Night was so pleased that she pulled Edward and licked his face with her delicate soft tongue. This was something akin to a miracle for Night.
At that time, humans did not have something similar to a handshake, and embracing was the standardized social etiquette. Edward was shocked by the actions of Night, but he soon understood what she meant.
'Don't take everything for face value. They have different values and cultures compared to mine. Not everything they do means what it usually means to me. It might mean something different for them.'
Edward remembered the example of smiling and showing teeth to monkeys was something considered aggressive. Still, for humans, it was something good-natured.
'Night is my first contact with people of this world. I'll need to keep her happy and satisfied with me. If she can totally rely on me, then I'll have someone to guide me along. She isn't dumb like I thought someone of this time might be. She might not have the knowledge, but she is at least curious and sharp-minded. She can be taught, and soon I'll capture her heart with my 21st-century intelligence.'
Edward had not felt it before, but up till now, his heart held unease and anxiety. He was restless and confused in an unfamiliar environment. His heart finally calmed down and gained a bit of confidence to be able to do anything after he was successfully able to catch a rabbit. It was like a small victory for him.
'Do savages drink blood? Are they terrified of fire? Ahhhh, there are still so many things I have to figure out.'
"Night… I can let you eat meat like this every day….." He paused, holding the rabbit by its ear in one hand.
"You don't have to go to the forest to collect food with so much difficulty in the future. I can promise you delicious rabbit meat every day, at least."
He handed the dead rabbit to Night while peering at her face with sincerity. He really needed someone trustworthy. He couldn't make it alone, no matter how smart he was.
Although Night had just seen how Edward had just caught a rabbit, even then, she didn't readily believe his promise of eating rabbit meat every day. It was such a bizarre concept that it was difficult for her to actually believe it.
Edward untied the leather rope on the trunk, broke half of the branch, and made a bow drill. Then he carved a small pit on a dry wooden stick he found nearby using the obsidian knife.
Once he was able to complete a basic rudimentary fire starter, he found some dry grass and other materials from his surroundings. Once ready, he smiled towards Night, who had until now been curiously watching him from the side.
"Night, I'm going to do something dangerous, but you need to trust me. Just like with the rabbit, I'll show you something good."
He wasn't sure how much Night would trust a stranger she just met, but he knew how much she feared fire, and he could use that to his advantage to make his position better.
"Don't be afraid, no matter what. You saved me, so let me repay you."
Night silently heard his incoherent words that didn't make sense to her. She wasn't sure, so she just opted to keep quietly observing instead of making a statement.
Edward felt the slight uncertainty remaining in Night. He remembered how she licked his face when she was happy. He wasn't sure how people like her expressed themselves, and he knew his norms of society won't apply here.
A thought crossed his mind, he remembered how once a friend of his had a baby and told him that touching your nose with the nose of the baby relaxes the child somehow and allows the baby sniff your scent as much as he can, so he would relax with you more and remember your smell.
'Even if the society I came from is vastly different from hers, some things must still apply true, such as basic human instincts. If something can be applied to children, then it might work here too.'
Edward slowly brought his face closer towards Night. If it was a modern girl, she might recoil back in fear of a surprise kiss, but Night wasn't aware of such modern problems. Edward wanted her spirit to relax and express his goodwill and intentions in the most basic way possible, something even she could understand.
He touched his nose with her nose and then gently rubbed his nose against hers. Her face showed surprise, but her curiosity made her try this "new" thing.
They both took in the scent of the other person. A few moments later, Edward retreated back.
"I mean, you no harm. Let me show you something interesting."
His face held a smirk, imagine how Night will react to what he was about to do.