Satisfied with his kill, Leif returned to his cave with the dead elk in his jaws. As he slithered away, he relished the taste of the elk flesh between his fangs.
'I should probably hurry up, the little female must be waiting for me'. His heart raced with excitement and happiness as he thought about the little female waiting for him back in the cave.
As the rain continued to fall heavily with dark clouds looming overhead, a chill swept through the air.
Daisy looked out and began to worry about Leif getting a cold in this rain. She moved closer to the fire, warming herself and thinking about what she could do in exchange for his help so far. She recalled that when she cooked her fish, she was able to save a good amount of spices, including ginger.
'How about I make ginger tea?' She thought about it and decided to make ginger tea for Leif, so that he can drink it when he returns. She grabbed a medium-sized clay pot and set it on top of the campfire, supported by a few brick-like stones.
Then she filled it with the purified rainwater that Leif had stored before adding the ginger slices. After increasing the heat of the fire flame from low to medium, she sat aside and waited for the water to boil.
As the water boiled, a warm and pleasant aroma of ginger filled the cave. Daisy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling warm and relaxed from the familiar scent.
Drinking ginger tea on rainy days can be beneficial because it relieved congestion and sore throats. Additionally, the warmth of the tea can help provide comfort and relief from the chill of the rain.
Daisy reduced the heat slightly after seeing the water bubble and change color, ensuring that the tea did not completely evaporate. It felt a little monotonous to drink it by itself, so she looked through her basket for something to go with it.
As Leif eagerly approached the cave, he was greeted by a distinctively pungent scent coming from within. His nose wrinkled and he choked on the smell.
The tips of his tail curled unconsciously, and he wanted to desperately flee from the place, but remembering the little female trapped inside, he blocked his nose and slithered in quickly.
Daisy was slicing a sour fruit to add to her ginger tea when she heard a series of noises outside the cave. When she looked over, she saw a large, dark figure rushing toward her.
Startled and frightened by the unexpected appearance of a strange beast, she was about to scream when she heard a hoarse voice. "Little Female, are you ok?!"
Daisy choked on her saliva and coughed several times. Leif's eyes widened in concern and he quickly transformed into a human and he rushed to her side. "Little female! Are you okay? What happened?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them as he looked at her anxiously.
He was afraid she had been infected by the strange scent coming from the cave. Daisy felt her shoulders hurt and let out a cry of pain, letting out a hiss. Leif's eyes quickly widened in horror as soon as he realize that he accidentally squeezed her too hard.
"Little female, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I..." He quickly took his hands off her shoulders and looked at her guiltily.
Daisy was confused by the sudden commotion but she quickly consoled Leif as she knew he had no intention for hurting her.
"It's okay," she said softly.
Even though her shoulders hurt a little, she could handle it. Leif's heart sank as he saw the fingers mark on the her soft, delicate skin. It was striking against her pale complexion, standing out starkly against pale skin. His face contorted with a look of shock and panic as he stared at the red marks on her shoulder.
Daisy stared at Leif in confusion, her head tilting slightly to the side as if wondering what the fuss was about. Her shoulders no longer ached, and she felt fine, so she couldn't understand his panicked expression.
Thinking that he was still concerned about hurting her, she reached out and took his hand in hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"It's alright," she said softly. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. It doesn't hurt anymore."
Leif's tense face was not relieved by her words; he still looked guilty as he looked at the fingers mark on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he muttered, his voice thick with remorse. He can't help but feel disappointed and angry at himself for hurting his future mate.
Daisy noticed his low mood and quickly decided to distract him from his negative thoughts. She hurriedly grabbed a cup of freshly brewed ginger tea and brought it over to him, her face lighting up with excitement.
"Here, drink this," she said, holding out the cup to him. "It'll make you feel better." Leif gently took the cup of ginger tea from her. The strong, pungent smell of the ginger tea hit his nostrils immediately, making him wrinkle his nose in discomfort.
He now understood from where the strange smell was coming from. He gritted his teeth and took a small sip while staring at the innocent little female. The strong and intense flavor of the ginger tea made his taste buds tingle.
Despite the unpleasant taste, Leif continued to drink it as a form of punishment for hurting her. "It tastes good," he said, forcing a smile.
Daisy couldn't help but giggle as she watched Leif's face wrinkle with disgust and mild discomfort as he drank the strong ginger tea. She had anticipated that he would be unable to drink it, so watching him drink without a complain was amusing.
His forced smile was too funny, and she found herself covering her mouth to muffle her laughter. "You don't seem to be enjoying it very much," she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Leif swallowed the remaining ginger tea and smiled as he set the cup down. "It was delicious," he said unconvincingly, still wincing at the taste.
Daisy saw through his lie, but she didn't call him out on it. She knew that he was not used to the strong flavor of the ginger tea, so she decided to let it slide.
She believed he would eventually get used to it.