Chapter 8 #5
Hanging limply in his arms, my face pressed against his massive chest, I laid there docilely, listening, my legs dangling but out of his way, as he walked and gripped me tight, like I was a naughty toddler about to pass out.
That word kept popping up from other deep, grumbling voices and each and every time he gave a short grunt in reply.
A greeting? Does Kehl mean “Hi”, “Hello”, or “What’s up my fellow furry dude”?
“Where are you taking me?” I mumbled against his fur.
Pausing to pull away so he could look down at me, the male stared at me in surprise. “Think you sleep,” he admitted.
“Not by a long shot,” I huffed, which seemed to amuse him because his impassible expression cracked. It was small, an amused twitch of his lips that was there and gone in a flash but I’d noticed and noted it.
Slumping back against him, I told myself I chose to break eye contact. His eyes were insanely pretty this close, that deep molasses color tipped with a golden amber, the center shot through with bronze. It wasn’t obvious unless you got up close enough.
Realizing I hadn’t had a real good look at him before now, I catalogued a face heavily marred with scars, like it’d healed and been slashed again, over and over.
The skin was loose in some sections, particularly a spot over his left cheek, then tight, pinched, in others.
As a result of what looked like repeated wounds and healing, his face was rather distorted, missing hair in large chunks, nostrils misshapen.
I had a feeling that beneath that fur thick on his body there would be much of the same hidden within.
Sliding my hand up his chest, an action that caused him to stumble a step, suck in a sharp breath, before continuing on, I only meant to satisfy my curiosity, not freak him out.
As my fingers crept up towards his throat, I felt something was off. Pale, hairless flesh, hot as the rest of him to the touch, met a lip or seam of fur that I could slip my fingers inside that wasn’t obvious just looking at him. It blended in well. He was wearing something…
Thick fingers curled over mine, lifting my hand up and away before they could venture further up his person.
My head shot up. Our eyes met and held. He’d yet to release his grip on my hand.
His face didn’t frighten me. Maybe it should? I didn’t know. If anything, he looked like he’d been through a lot and lived to fight another day. He was strong, that much was evident, physically and mentally, if I had to guess. He just gave off that aura, a survivor through and through.
“Sorry,” I whispered, not sure why I was whispering.
Glowing eyes that seemed to shine brighter in contrast with his pale skin and all that surrounding fluffy fur studied me as curiously as I did him.
“No sorry,” he grunted out. Reaching out, I thought he was going to touch me, like I’d boldly done to him, but he grabbed part of my furry blanket and tucked it up tighter around me.
“Who that, fecked face? Who you got, Kehlro?” a beastman called out to the male holding me.
“Kehlor,” the male holding me spat. His mangled lips pulled back, exposing a set of teeth with more pointy ends than flat ones.
“Sure it not Kehlro?” the other male teased. A loud chomping sound issued. I couldn’t see him facing Kehlor/Kehl the way I was.
“Think you funny, Rek?” my male- I mean, the male holding me, shot back. A huffing chuff left Kehlor that lifted his chest and me along with it before it fell and dropped me back down where I’d been. “Go play you Joad-knee. Be good male.”
“Rek good male!” This Rek shot back. “You bad male, fecked face, mean to my Jojo, no want sell things her! Pfft. Bah! No good things from you any the ways! Think you big warrior male, grumble-grumble complains while you make little thingies. Psh. Rek no care.”
Kehlor’s pale, scarred brow shot up. “Think Rek take Kehl?” Kehlor demanded to know.
Curious now, I turned, the blanket covering my head slipping as I twisted.
A shocked gasp left this Rek, who then began choking on the bit of what I assumed was fruit that he’d been talking and chewing with in his mouth, a wad of whatever that sweet smelling thing was stuffed in his right cheek.
Eyes watering, he pointed, blinking rapidly.
“What happen you female?” he managed to choke out. “Where her head fur?!”
Kehlor growled, baring his teeth at Rek. Twisting, he lifted my hood back up, covering my head to cup the back of it protectively. Switching to growl-speak, his voice grew loud, and louder, until it drowned out Rek, who seemed fond of talking over others.
Kehl finished speaking and it was quiet for a full minute before Rek ventured tentatively, “She ‘kay?” Walking around Kehlor, Rek eyed me sympathetically.
“You ‘kay, little female?” Rek spoke softly, a commiserating grimace on his face. “No like being without my Jojo neither. Make Rek very sad.” Glancing from me to Kehlor, he frowned. “Portal open. Males come through, claim their mate. It close, it open, it close, it open. Want Rek beat Vurhg? My Jo’s males put bad Vurhg in ground, cover with dirt again. You say.”
“When?” My gaze darted from Kehlor to Rek and I perked up. I might get the hell out of here soon?
Rek lifted his hands helplessly. “When good time for you us bury bad Vurhg?”
“No, the portal,” I elaborated.
“Oh.” Was that disappointment I thought I’d spied?
Thick shoulders lifted in a half shrug. “Rek no know. Sometimes opens, sometimes closes, long times, short time.” Another grimace pulled across his face, green eyes meeting mine.
“‘Pologies. Not what want to hear but truth. No know.” Turning to eye Kehlor, he nodded and thumped the male on the back.
“Kehlor take care ‘til little hairless female’s males come, yes?
Kehlor no want mate. Scare all females off.
Kehlor keep other males ‘way ‘til yours come.”
Kehlor scowled at Rek, then barked something at him in their growl speak that had Rek shooting a curious look Kehl’s way.
With a snorted huff, Rek rather dramatically turned his gaze towards me. Leaning in, his face out of Kehl’s view, he smiled when Kehl started to growl at him warningly. “You have name? What Rek say, see female in village, tell my Jojo come meet new female Rek make friends with for her?”
He wants me to meet his Jojo? “Prudence,” I blurted, no idea why I didn’t just make up a name.
Rek blinked, jerked back a little like he couldn’t have possibly heard me right, then leaned back in. “What you say, little female?”
There was nothing little about me. My expression pinched but I gamely repeating, “Prudence. Pru-dence.”
Rek pulled back and shook his head, hard. He looked like a wet dog shaking off water. “Who name you female?” he demanded of Kehl.
Kehl bared his teeth and growled at him in response.
“No growl me. Rek not call her Poo-dense. What name that, eh? Poo-dense? Sound like mean name, like Rek call Kehlor Kehlro, like my female say wrong on the accident, or fecked face, cause you fecked in the face not sell pretties to my bootiful Jojo-mine, stingy butts face.”
Kehl sighed, like he was just not in the mood to deal with this Rek person, and I couldn’t blame him.
“Per-oo, Karen. Per-oo-dense,” I shot back, incensed on not only my behalf but Kehlor’s.
Rek frowned, staring at me. “Your Poo hit head too hard, Kehlro? Not ‘member Rek name Rek.”
Was he intentionally playing dense or was this the norm?
Glancing from Kehlor to Rek, I blinked stupidly. “I’m sorry, Karen, what was that? I wasn’t paying attention. You lost me, snot eyes.”
“Snots eyes?” Rek’s jaw dropped and he spluttered. “I not Karen Snots Eyes! Rek has pretty eyes! My Jojo say so all the times!”
“Jo do? No recall her say Rek eyes pretty. Huh.” A tall, thin Lo denaii male walked up, grinning at Rek’s fit of pique like he rather enjoyed heckling the male. “Think they look like-”
“No one cares you think,” Rek growled. “Shuts your face, Go.”
Good. Rek needed a heckling.
“Kehlor,” Go greeted, though his tone implied they were civil but not on friendly terms.
“Gofur,” Kehlor grunted out back.
Gofur glanced from Kehlor to Rek, then to me.
When his gaze landed on mine, bright blue eyes roamed my face, pausing on the gash on my head someone had applied something to that seemed to be like a sort of bandage, holding it all together.
“You female ‘kay? She need healer?” Gofur asked softly, quietly, as if he feared I might startle.
Realizing my fingers were curled in Kehlor’s fur, gripping it tight, and he was gently resting one of his hands over one of mine still, a comforting gesture, I forced myself to loosen my grip.
“Poo fine, Kehl say,” Rek answered for both of us, then took another massive bite of fruit. “Vurhg kidnap, hurt, piss Kehl’ Poo off.”
“Kehlor,” Kehlor corrected, as if the shortened version of his name was not welcome issuing from Rek’s lips.
I couldn’t blame him. He’d shortened me to Poo!
Kehlor made no move to correct Rek’s assumption I was Kehlor’s.
Nor did I. It was honestly better to let them think I was Kehl’s at this point.
“Poo?” Gofur muttered slowly. “Kehl’ Poo?”
“Go funny in the head?” Rek grumbled, scowling over at the male as Gofur gave him a look. “Too many fun times, our Jojo turn you brain to mush? Rek say Poo. Kehl’ Poo.” Rolling his eyes in an overly dramatic fashion, Rek huffed. “Dummy head.”
“Pru,” I corrected.
Rek gave me a look. “That not what Rek say? No give Rek the funny looks. Rek not pick name that sound like you poop dense, Poo-dense.”
“Prudence,” I grumbled, getting a little growly sitting here, exhausted, barely keeping it together, head throbbing something awful, while he holds us up butchering my name, nosing in peppering us with questions, and insulting Kehlor.
“Pah-ru-dense,” Gofur grumbled at Rek, frowning his way. “Her name Pah-ru, not Poo, worms in the brains.”