Georgie’s there with her baby in her lap, and Farli’s seated next to her. They’re whispering and both look up with guilty expressions when I approach.
Yeah, bingo. They’re up to something. I hold up the weird disk thingie. “What the heck is this and why was it in my bed?”
“Your bed?” Georgie bounces Talie on her knee, her brows drawing together. “What do you mean?”
“Did you guys go in my cave?”
Farli shakes her head, and then covers her mouth to hide her giggle.
“But you know what this is?”
They exchange a look and Georgie begins to smile. “I might have an idea.”
I’m starting to get cranky. I’m tired, and sore, and my mate is gone and I don’t feel like playing games. “So what is it, already?”
“That, I honestly don’t know,” Georgie says, reaching for the disk. I hand it to her and she studies it. “Oh dear.” Her lips twitch. “This is pretty bad.”
“What’s going on?” I’m utterly mystified.
“So, after Vektal and Cashol talked the other day, Cashol came and spoke to me. He was worried about leaving your side.”
Farli gets up and offers me her seat, and I take it with a heavy thump, fascinated by what Georgie’s telling me. “Because of the baby?”
She shakes her head and hands the bone disc-thingie back to me. “Because of you,” she says gently. “He worries you’ll struggle if he’s gone.”
Tears prick at my eyelids. “He’s not wrong. He’s only been gone a few hours and…it’s hard.” I feel an empty gulf where my laughing, funny mate normally is, and it hurts.
“I know. It’s always hard, but it’s necessary.” There’s no judgment on her face. “So he asked me what he could do to keep your mind off of him. Something to keep you distracted. I suggested a treasure hunt.”
“You did?” I knew I’d been taking a fair amount of naps recently but for Cashol and Georgie to come up with a treasure hunt on the down-low and me not realize it? That’s kind of crazy.
“Well, actually I suggested a lot of different things. The only idea he actually liked was the treasure hunt.”
I hold up the disc. “So this is part of that?”
She shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. I told him the concept - that there are clues and arrows left to point to the treasure - and didn’t hear anything else about it.”
Oh, my goodness. Is this a clue? Is the painted, sad looking squiggle supposed to be an arrow? I study the object again. Instead of seeing a crudely made object with drunken lettering, I see it for what it really is - an item lovingly made by my mate, probably while I was asleep. He made it without a lot of time to work on it, and the squiggle that should be an arrow probably looks like that because the sa-khui have no need for arrows or symbols except as decoration.
I sniff. Hard. And then I start to cry. “This is the sweetest thing ever.”
“I know,” Georgie says. She waves a finger in front of Talie’s face and smiles when the baby reaches for it. “He’s thoughtful, that man of yours.”
“He’s the best.” I mean it, too. I’m already thinking of ways I can show him that I appreciate his thoughtfulness. I’m going to have to have his favorite meal ready for when he comes home, and blend some of his favorite tea-leaves. Maybe I’ll make a new pouch for his spearheads. His favorite hood is worn through, and I can make him a new one, and…oh, there are so many things. It suddenly feels like not enough time to do everything.
“Well?” Georgie asks when I’m lost in thought.
“Well…what?” The baby kicks hard and I put a hand to my belly, momentarily confused.
She laughs. “What about the treasure hunt?”
“Oh!” I gaze down at the disc I’m clutching tight in my hand. It kind of feels like the prize all on its own. But Cashol’s put so much thought into making me happy, and I want to see what he’s done. I’ll probably weep like a crazy person over each new thing, but that’s all right, too.
It’s funny - knowing that he set this up makes me feel less alone. Like he’s here at my side even when he’s not. I feel a smile tugging at my mouth, and it feels like the first genuine one I’ve had all day. I picture Cashol bent over this ugly disc, working hard on it and anticipating setting me off on this little mini-adventure while he’s out on a real one.
“I guess I’d better start looking.” I hold up the disc-on-a-thong. “Any ideas on what this is supposed to lead me to?”
“Girl, no clue at all.”
I eye Farli, who’s sitting nearby quietly. “Do I need to search your paint pots?”
She giggles. “He borrowed them but already gave them all back.” She shakes her head. “No necklaces.”
“Oh, is this a necklace?” I study it again. Bless my mate’s heart, but it’s kind of hideous. “I thought it was like, a teacup saucer or something.”
Georgie gives me a strange look. “With a hole in the center?”
“What else could it be?”