Kira looks uncomfortable as she responds. Her body shifts and she touches the silvery shell in her ear. “I’d like to see if I can get this removed. If I can, I’ll need to get the language from the computer there. And I’ve been thinking.” She gestures at the cave. “Look around us. This cave isn’t a natural formation. The doors are too smooth, the ceilings too perfect. I think that when Vektal’s people landed here, they must have found a way to do stone cutting of some kind. I’d like to see if we can do so again. Maybe we can cannibalize parts from the ship and make new cutters. We’ll need more room for everyone.”
Vektal rubs his chin. “It is a good idea.”
“I’ll just need one person as a guide,” she continues on quickly. “Just send me out with one of the hunters and I’m sure I can find my way back once someone shows me the way–”
I’m standing before she can even finish her sentence, my protective instincts getting the better of me. I stride over to where she’s speaking with the chief. Her plan is a mad one. The humans do not know anything about this place. They are not familiar with the snows, the creatures, the dangers. Kira would never make it back if left on her own. I won’t let that happen. “I will take Kira to the elders’ cave.”
She looks over at me in surprise, but I notice she doesn’t protest. She simply firms her little human mouth and then looks at Vektal.
This worries me. She wants to leave so badly she is willing to endure my flirtations? She is indeed troubled by something.
“You should take more,” Vektal instructs. “Other humans need the language as well.”
Kira’s expression grows even more troubled. “Oh, but if it’s a fruitless mission, I don’t wish to waste the time of others. Really, it’s all right.”
“We can keep the group small,” I compromise. “Perhaps three hunters and three humans?”
Vektal nods. “When will you set out?”
I look to Kira.
She looks frustrated. “I would like to go as soon as possible.”
“Tomorrow, then. First light. I’ll ask around and see which hunters wish to go.”
“We have to take two humans?” Kira looks unhappy.
“What’s the matter?” Georgie asks.
Kira gives a quick shake of her head and puts a false smile on her face. “I just hate to waste everyone’s time.”
That’s not it. She’s hiding something, but what it is, I am not sure.
I intend to pry it out of her, though.
? ? ?
After being pressured, Kira agrees to bring the two humans called Harlow and Claire with us. Harlow is the one with the orange mane and the speckles covering her skin. I remember her because of her unusual coloring. Claire I remember nothing of save that she is extremely quiet. That, and she is apparently sharing furs with Bek whenever she gets a chance.
Bek, of course, immediately volunteers to join us with our traveling party. No doubt he will see this as time to spend with his human lover away from the overcrowding of the cave.
I don’t blame him; it’s why I shadow Kira. In addition to protecting her, I secretly hold out hope that one of my flirty barbs will hit the mark and she will melt in my arms.
I’m less pleased that three other hunters are volunteering to go with us. They do not care that our party is supposed to be small, only that they might get the opportunity to spend some exclusive time with the unattached human women.
“After all,” Harrec says. “Is that not how Raahosh resonated to his woman? He kept her away until she gave in.” He nods at the women preparing their packs nearby. “I would not mind having time alone with one of the women. Perhaps I can convince their khuis that I am ready for a mate.”
I frown at his words. “This is not about mating the females.”
“No? Tell Bek that. He thinks the tiny one with the small voice is his property, for all that they are not properly mated. I’ll stay away from her, though.” He shrugs. “Either one of the others will do for me. The one with the shell in her ear has nice eyes.”
A hot surge of possessiveness blasts through me. “You can go next time,” I lie. “Haeden is coming.” When Harrec starts to protest, I add, “He has to check his traps.” And I storm away, furious that he thinks to approach my Kira.
He just wants a mate – he doesn’t care that Kira’s eyes are sad or that she feels alone. He’s not right for her.
When the other two hunters ask when we are leaving, I give them the same excuse – our party is full. And then I approach Haeden and tell him that I wish for him to join us. My surly friend is not amused.
“You volunteered me?” he asks, sharpening the head of his favorite spear with a stone. “Why?”
“Because you are the only one I trust not to think with your cock when it comes to the human females.” I cross my arms and watch him, trying to keep my voice casual.
He grunts and glances up at me. “You wish to keep them away from the one you picked out, you mean.”
I laugh, because Haeden has always been able to see through me. “Perhaps. But can you blame me?”
The look he gives me is sour. “Which females are going? Is Joh-see?”
“No, she is not.”
“Good.” He stands and blows the bone-dust off of his spear tip. “Then I will go.”
“Did you want her to go? I can speak to Kira…” My voice trails off into a chuckle at the scowl he gives me. “No? Joh-see is harmless.”
“She talks incessantly,” he says in a curt voice, placing a small, leather protective case over the tip of his spear. “Regardless of whether or not I am interested in hearing her words.”
Amusing. “Perhaps if you spoke to her instead of ignoring her, she would realize what an unpleasant fellow you are.”
“And perhaps I should tell Harrec you changed your mind.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “No need to get testy, my friend. Will you join us? We leave in the morning.”
He gives me a quick nod. “But if Joh-see shows up, you are going without me.”
KIRA
As I pack my bag, the translator in my ear makes it impossible not to hear Aehako’s conversation with Haeden. A hot flush covers my cheeks. He’s chasing the other hunters away because he wants to be the one to spend time with me. I’m flattered, even though I tell myself I shouldn’t be. Aehako has no claim on me.
I just…wish he did.
But now the aliens are coming back, and I guess it’s a good thing that I’m alone.
At my side, Harlow makes a face as she tests out one of her snowshoes she’s made. “This one’s splitting, I think. The wood isn’t green enough. Or, um, pink?” She pulls the shoe off and examines it. It’s made from leather straps and the wood from the pink, whippy eyelash trees clustered outside of the caves. “I need a new branch.” She gets to her feet and dusts off her soft leather pants. “You guys want to come with me? We need to make a pair for Claire anyhow.”
I stand, abandoning my pack. The guilty part of me wants to continue to listen in on Aehako’s conversation, but I shouldn’t. “I’ll go with you.” I already have shoes but Claire rarely leaves the cave, so she does not.
“I’ll stay inside,” Claire says in her small voice, and she busily works on repacking her bag. A quick glance around shows Bek hovering nearby. Ah. I shrug on my fur cloak and a pair of mittens, and then get bone-handled knives for myself and Harlow.
We head out of the cave into the snow and walk a bit further down the path, toward the thick copse of the pink, flippy trees. I hear footsteps crunching behind us and know that one of the hunters is shadowing us. They’re always very careful to keep the humans watched – not out of anything negative, but simply because we’re clueless about this world. They don’t want us to get hurt.
Harlow studies the trees. “I wish they had a lot of branches like the trees at home. That would make this so much easier.”
I nod, moving into the ‘forest’ of trees. Some of them have a split branch at the top where it forks outward, but for the most part, the trees are straight up into the air, with just feathery fronds for leaves that jut out of the bark. They do look like one big eyelash covered by a lot of smaller ones. “Let’s just use saplings, then? It’ll be less cutting.”