here thanks to the river.
“It must be really boring down here all by yourself?” I asked knowing that he wouldn't answer me but instead just continued to stare at me.
“Well, at least we've got each other for company now, although all that dancing kind of made me hungry,” I said, just as my belly started rumbling and the sound echoed loud enough for him to hear. Again, he jerked back slightly and then the most curious thing happened. As if he understood what this sound meant he reached down and with his long talon, he speared one of the worms. One that must have tumbled from the large mound after I had been working at it to get him some. Then, with it now impaled at the end of his claw, he lifted it to his palm and flicked it off his nail, so it rolled right in front of me.
“What's this?” I asked curiously, just to be sure I was seeing this right.
Was he trying to feed me?!
This was confirmed when he nudged it with the back of his talon, making it roll closer to me. It was almost as though he was mimicking my own actions that I had done for him. Then he nodded his head as if silently telling me to go ahead. Of course, I had never eaten one of these worms, as our rations had only ever been a bowl of soggy liver root called, kabattu, which translated as ‘liver’ in Sumerian. This was no doubt due to its colour and shape as it resembled the human organ.
This particular root was bitter, and was only made edible after being cooked and then soaked in water to ferment for weeks. It was unfortunately the only food we were allowed as the worms themselves were solely bred for the beast and no other. Not that they had ever looked all that appealing but then again, neither did a bowl of kabattu.
But now, well it looked as if I might be down here for a while and unless I wanted to starve, then I knew I needed to give it a go. Now what I was supposed to eat it with I didn’t know as there weren’t exactly any sharp implements lying around here. Which was why I lifted up my hands to show him, and then pretended to fail at gouging out the centre of the worm before telling him,
“I don't have any way of eating it.” Then I opened my mouth wide and pointed to my teeth that were pretty pathetic compared to his own.
“See, I don't have lots of fangs and sharp teeth like you.” Then I started biting down as if pretending to chomp through the air before lifting up my shoulders in defeat.
Well, let's just say that after this little show, he got the message pretty quickly. I knew this when he suddenly used the tip of his razor talon and sliced through the worm twice, creating a thin slither that he speared at the end so he could hold it out to me. Then he nodded again with this flat bread sized slither hanging from his nail in front of my lips. I had to say once again, it didn't exactly look like the most appetising thing in the world, but then again, I was half starving. However, it wasn't like I had ever been picky, for I was ashamed to say I had eaten far worse in my days on Earth. Raw fish straight from their shells being one of them.
So, I shrugged my little shoulders and took a bite, and I had to say I was really surprised to find the texture was like cooked chicken, and its taste was actually sweet, like fruit. In fact, my eyes grew wider in shock, and I made yummy yum sounds after taking the slice off the tip of his nail and enjoying my unusual meal. Once I had finished the plate sized slice, he nodded again after cutting another piece, feeding me like some pet of his. I had to say it was nice to have someone care enough to want to take care of me, and I couldn't help but grin and smile and chuckle as I ate my meal.
Then, when I was done, I belched, making him tilt his head at the sound as I giggled and patted my belly. He looked as if he was about to make another slice for me, when I shook my head and