Zara Goes Missing

Having picked as much cotton as they could carry, Zara, Ayan and Reiner headed back to their home.

"Do you really need this much? It's can't last more that a couple of days, right?" Ayan asked Zara.

"Um, well you see, I'm not like the females here...." Zara didn't know whether or not she should bring up the fact the she actually menstruates once a month, not once a year.

But would it be a problem if she brought it up? Or would she get herself into more problems. Something like this was a total game changer for the people of this world.

But once a year, no wonder the female population took a dive, even if women only menstruated once a year it wasn't a given that they would give birth, another reason the female birth rate had declined.

"Zara? Are you okay, if you're not careful you're going to trip." Ayan told her.

"What? Oh, sorry I was just thinking about something. Hey...what if I told you guys that I actually get my period or I mean go into heat once a month? Not once a year...." Zara didn't know how they would react.

"Are you serious? That's amazing Zara!" Ayan exclaimed.

"Not for the women of my world." She thought.

Reiner stood there in silence for a while before saying anything. "I see."

"Huh? That's it? I thought you would be a little more surprised than that Reiner." Zara muttered.

"In any case, the mutt and I will protect you." Reiner turned his back and continued walking.

Zara felt a little bit more calm about the situation knowing that Reiner and Ayan weren't so worked up about it, but how would the other males react if they knew, or worst, the females?

Once they all got home, Zara started working on rolling her cotton for the upcoming months straight away. She would need enough to last her through the winter so she worked as fast as she could as the cold season was going to hit in a matter of days.

"We already stocked up on everything we need, and I'm almost done making the winter clothes for us, so this will be one of the last tasks I need to do before the cold season sets in." Zara told them.

"Hey mutt, lets go." Reiner told Ayan.

"What? Where are we going? I want to stay with Zara!"

"We need to go hunt, and if we want Zara to make it through the cold season without starving, both of us need to hunt. Or is that body you're so proud of just for show?" Said Reiner.

"Huh! Then why don't we make it a challenge? The one who hunts the most game sleeps close to Zara today!" Ayan exclaimed.

Reiner didn't say anything and just quietly left the house.

"Why is that guy always so serious?" Ayan asked Zara.

"Or he just got a head start." Zara laughed.

Immediately Ayan sprinted out the door, "You bastard!"

Zara continued to laugh, then went back to making her rolled up cotton. Not long after they had left she heard footsteps.

"Ayan, did you forget something, you're always so-"

Zara looked up, but it wasn't Ayan or Reiner.

A couple of hours later Reiner and Ayan came in bickering through the door.

"It's doesn't count just because your kill is bigger! I killed the most!" Ayan was telling Reiner.

"You sure are a noisy mutt."

"Well then let's let Zara decide! Zara! Zara! .....Zara?"