Chapter 10 Hrad
HRAD
Iposition the second camera so that it has a view up the river of the bridge.
Again, my doubts about the use of cameras to watch the tribe surface.
The humans want to learn from my people, but I feel it would be better achieved through conversations instead of spying.
However, I can’t deny that there is a part of me that is curious about how other tribes live.
Given that I remember little of my tribe, and all I know is what I’ve been told by my brothers, I want to watch what is recorded.
I don’t raise my concerns about the spying as it was all discussed in the pre-mission meeting.
My thoughts do not matter, and I understand why the humans are hesitating to make a more formal introduction.
We make our way back to the waterfall as the sun sets, and we cross the river in the dark.
Alisha wants to push on, but in the dark her eyesight isn’t as good as mine, and we are both tired.
The headache that had begun earlier in the day has now bloomed and consumed my skull.
While I was on alert before almost crossing paths with the hunting party, since then I have been more active with my searching for others.
I cannot stay alert much longer, so I make the call to stop for the night, even though I’m not sure how safe stopping will be.
While I did what I could to mask our signals, and we were not seen, that doesn’t mean someone didn’t sense something or that it wasn’t reported.
There may now be scouts searching the forest for Honey in the area.
They may assume they are looking for one banished warrior.
They will not be looking for humans. They will not be familiar with the signals a human gives out.
Alisha shrugs off her bag with a stifled groan and sits next to it. For several heartbeats, she doesn’t move. With another sigh, she pulls out her water bottle, a packet of sludge, and the tablet. Her fingers dance over the screen, which sends a pale glow like moonlight over her hands and face.
I sit next to her so we can talk. If she wants to talk.
Whatever she’s typing, I can’t read as she is going too fast. It could be a status update. Or a report on today’s events. Or even a message to one of the other teams.
She presses her leg against mine and then glances at me as if expecting a response. I realize what she is trying to do ani roll up the leg of my pants, and do the same to hers, so we are skin to skin.
You have no kam. I need to touch your skin.
I didn’t realize clothing blocked the signal. I just said, I’m not being rude. I need to get this written up before I forget or fall asleep. I’m not used to doing so much walking and climbing. Do you want to set up the tent?
Ah, that is why she was expecting me to answer. I glance up at the sky. It is clear of clouds, so even though the temperature will drop overnight, we will not be rained on. I do not think a tent is a good idea. It is too big and too obvious.
She sighs and nods. Charlie has made good progress. They haven’t encountered any trouble. Erica says they are ready to leave as soon as we return, though our delay will affect how much they can do.
That can’t be helped.
Alisha rubs her hand over her face. I’m half tempted to tell them to leave tomorrow morning since we will be back by noon. That way they don’t lose any time, and the ship should be fine for half a day.
What is more important? The research or the ability to get home?
She lifts one eyebrow. I can tell you think it’s the latter.
It’s always the latter. You never put your means of transport at risk.
Perhaps because she’s never had to fight and steal a ship, she doesn’t value it as much as my brothers and me.
The ship we took gave us the freedom to travel far further than we ever could’ve on foot.
It gave us protection and escape from the tribes that hunted us, and it enabled us to cross the sea.
You’re still worried about being found.
I glance at her. Of course I’m worried about being found.
She has no idea how close we came to discovery today.
That I sensed the others talking amongst themselves and that they were close enough to see us through the trees.
If one of them hadn’t started silently talking about not being selected as a mate, despite claiming to be the better match, we may have crossed paths.
I’d sensed their heartbeats, but a Honey warrior is not that much different from any large beast.
I am. We are very close to their settlement. We are on their land and hoping that their scouts and hunters don’t find the ship. Whoever is at the ship needs to take action if Honey warriors find it and prevent them from reporting it. That means either stunning or killing.
I have killed enough warriors that death doesn’t bother me if I am attacked. Is it an attack on me if they find the ship? If it were the sailing ship, I would do anything to protect it for my brothers, so I must guard the human ship in the same manner.
Perhaps the problem isn’t the style of attack, but my loyalty.
I side more with my people, even unknown ones, than with humans. That is something I need to think about. I do not need to return to the colony. I could stay here, but I will be on my own without my brothers. Alone, like most banished, I will be dead within a year.
I pull out my water and sludge. While I am unsure about many things, I do not want to die. Nor do I want to return to a life of mere survival when I have seen there can be more. I need to carve my place, but I don’t know where to start.
Alisha bumps my leg and points at the tablet. The feed from the camera watching the bridge is on the screen. She gives me a thumbs up, but I’m not paying attention to the images on the screen. I like the way the soft light catches the curve of her cheek, and makes her eyes glint.
Having a mate might be a start.
But that means trusting a human woman and going through the rut…and I have found no one that made me consider taking the risk. I am not interested in human women who throw themselves at me, seeking to benefit only themselves. They do not care about me.
No one except my brothers has ever cared. Not my family, not my tribe.
You look like you’re thinking way too hard. She smiles at me.
I’m wondering if I can hunt and light a fire or if it’s too risky.
I already know the answer, but I don’t want to admit to considering her as a potential mate.
Not that I was really thinking that, even though she has some of the qualities I admire in a mate.
Alisha is adventurous and brave. She’s a leader who listens to her team.
She doesn’t look at me with disgust or lust. While some people want to be adored, I want someone I can work with.
Someone I trust. Trust is far more valuable than desire.
Perhaps that is my lack of experience of living in a proper tribe showing. But living in a tiny tribe of banished warriors meant trust was everything.
No tent, no fire.
I was just dreaming because sludge is so awful.
Alisha takes a drink. Don’t tempt me, because some fresh roasted something sounds amazing. She finishes her sludge with a dramatic slurp. Have you seen the vats where it’s made?
Unfortunately. But it is not that much different from eating moss or what you call worms. It is fine and it will keep you alive, but there are more interesting things to eat.
There’s always something more interesting to eat than sludge.
Do you fancy that dirty sock water?
She puts her hand over her mouth to smother her laugh. Tempting…
She is tempting me. My pulse quickens not out of fear of being caught, but from the way she looks at me.
My body has decided that now is the time to be interested in mating.
Perhaps it is only because I have spent so much time so close to her that her scent has snuck beneath my skin and into my blood.
My meq hardens and presses against my pants, which are not as loose and forgiving as the ones I usually wear.
I hope she does not notice and that the shadows are dark enough because I do not want to ruin what has formed.
It has been easy working with her today, talking to her and laughing with her.
It’s the kind of camaraderie I have with my brothers.
That I never thought I’d find with humans.
Her gaze lingers on me, which does nothing to cool my blood. This is awkward and unwanted. She has not expressed interest in me in that way. And I thought I did not want a mate…or perhaps I only want someone like Alisha as a mate.
Her laughter stops, but her gaze remains fixed on me. We should sleep.
I will take the first watch. And deal with my meq. At least it is distracting me from the pulsing in my skull.
No, you have been using your kam all day, and I can see the tension in your eyes. Rest. I’ll wake you before I fall asleep.
The only tension she can see is because I don’t want her to notice the reaction I’m having to her.
It’s biology, nothing more. But it means there is a part of my body that wants her despite the risks of the rut.
Or maybe it wants the rut. What my meq wants and what my mind wants are two different things.
But I need to sleep. If only for a bit. How well will I sleep knowing that she won’t sense anyone until they are on top of us?
My temples throb, and my meq joins in. How well will I sleep with these uncomfortable pants rubbing against the hard length of my shaft?
I consider arguing that she should go first, but we are more likely to be caught in the pre-dawn hours than now.
I nod and move away to pull out the blanket and wrap it around myself.
For several breaths, I lie on the dirt, sheltered by the trees, and it feels no different from all the times I’ve done it before.
Except this time it is not one of my brothers I want next to me, it’s Alisha. I close my eyes, determined to ignore the rough heat in my blood and the fears it leads to. We are here to do a job, nothing more.
And if she was interested, she would’ve said something…and I would’ve said no because I didn’t know her. Now I do, and I’m not sure what I’d say.