CHAPTER 5
S’SAMPH
S’samph shoved his foot into the spade with more force than strictly necessary, sending clods of blue earth flying.
This stubborn patch of roots was as good a place as any to vent his frustrations.
It was already well past the first sunset, but he couldn’t find enough reason to go to the town center to find something to eat.
S’kasia wasn’t talking to him and getting asked questions about what had happened with Eleri was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
No doubt the townspeople were abuzz with the best drama they’d heard since K’kaen had been found floating naked in the irrigation canal with a vela pod on his head after a night of heavy drinking.
The responsible thing would be to release Eleri from their contract and eat the cost himself.
There wasn’t really another option. He’d done his best to convince her to return home with him, so at least S’kasia couldn’t doubt his integrity on that front.
S’samph had been loath to leave the human female in such a state, but he didn’t want to overstep the tenuous boundaries between them.
Besides, Eleri had made the ultimate choice when she had refused his offer to get her medical attention or to come back to his nest.
S’kasia wasn’t talking to him after he reported back what had happened the night before.
She probably would hold her angry silence until he made things right one way or another.
If the human was released from their mating contract and was free to pick another compatible male, then there would be nothing S’kasia could say.
It was impossible to say the next time there would be another batch of colonists coming on-planet, but he hoped by that point he was well and truly beyond the point of mating.
If he had half a brain, he should go to Pyo directly in the morning and ask that the mate contract be officially dissolved. Apparently, he did not. He swiped a film of dust away from his face as a levibike hummed past.
When the vehicle skimmed past the walkway leading to his property, it skidded to a stop and the loud reveille of a horn made him glance up from the massacre of dead roots on his property.
“Eshar, you’re out here late. I don’t suppose this has anything to do with the absolute mess you made with your human mate? I’m heading into town for food. Want to come?”
S’samph narrowed his eyes at K’kaen. He could tell the other male was fishing for information. “Fine, you insufferable ravik, let’s go.”
“I’m not the ravik here. That human female has enough to put up with being forced to live in Myla’s company because you left her alone in the sands.” K’kaen’s crimson frill rippled with disapproval. “I’ll pay for your meal if you give me details about what is happening.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re a terrible liar, S’samph.” K’kaen eyed S’samph’s rumpled frill which was an obvious tell of his lies. The damn thing always veered to the left when he was untruthful.
S'samph drove his thresher toward the shed where he kept his farming equipment. K’kaen kept pace beside him as the machine lumbered forward. Ribbons of evening sunlight bounced off the handlebars and into his eyes as he parked the thresher inside the shed and then dismounted.
“We decided it was best to go our separate ways.” S’samph removed his work gloves and shoved them into the pocket of his trousers before locking up the thresher along with his other tools. “Eleri confirmed her lack of interest.”
K’kaen’s tail lifted with disbelief as he mounted his levibike. “That’s f’fret and you know it. Myla was telling everyone about how you rejected her and how she came back to their home leaking sadness last night. Apparently, she wouldn’t say a word and just fled to her sleeping quarters.”
S’samph mounted his own levibike beside K’kaen.
“Eleri was not leaking sadness. In fact, she poured out her stomach contents all over my good boots and then refused medical attention when I offered to accompany her to the clinic.” The hum of the levibike engine drowned out his voice, but he had no doubt K’kaen could hear him.
His friend might have responded, but the roar in his tympanum combined with the noise from the engine made it impossible to tell.
When they reached the central village of Laurus, residents walked the dusty main street laughing and chattering amongst themselves.
Several people greeted K’kaen, but S’samph could feel the weight of disapproval in their gazes when they looked at him.
He was never particularly popular in Laurus.
He had neither K’kaen’s sharp humor nor S’kasia’s decisiveness, but usually people didn’t pay him much mind.
Now they were paying attention to him, and that was something he could do without.
K’kaen docked at the charging port and glanced back at S’samph. “Well, I did hear about the stomach contents, but that was from S’kasia.” K’kaen jabbed at S’samph’s boot with the tip of his tail. “But I need more details. Your clutch sister is ready to murder you if you step one foot off the sand.”
“Eleri was ill from travel. What more information do you need?” S’samph was starting to think staying home and eating mushy, astringent vela beans was better than the interrogation he had yet to face to pay for his meal with K’kaen.
“Eleri. That’s the human’s name?” K’kaen’s tail swished. “Are you sure it wasn’t just because she saw your face again? I wonder what she was thinking when she accepted your application.”
S’samph’s frill tightened against his spine. He’d been wondering the same thing himself, but it felt worse coming from K’kaen. He couldn’t even properly defend himself because he knew the jabs were deserved.
“Are you going to be this irritating all evening.”
“I’m paying for drinks and food. I can be as irritating as I like.” He led the way toward The Eon as S’samph dragged his tail after him.
“I didn’t realize the cost changed anything.”
K’kaen’s frill rippled with annoyance. “You’re even more dour than usual. Time to get you outrageously drunk and then maybe you’ll be less miserable to be around. You should be thanking me anyway.”
“For what exactly?”
“For chasing off a pack of males who were hissing around your mate last night.”
S’samph said nothing but followed his friend toward the only dining establishment in Laurus.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d even drank, let alone gotten outrageously drunk.
He usually preferred to be more in control of his own behavior.
Most of the single males were crowding toward The Eon’s dusty doorway, as it was the only place to eat if you didn’t want to cook for yourself.
A sign scrawled in barely legible Universal swung haphazardly above the entrance.
It was only when he glanced toward the clinic that he noticed Eleri standing out front.
She was beautiful in her strangeness. Her long pale-yellow fur was loose around her shoulders, and in the gentle light of Cassiaq IV’s smaller sun, she seemed to glow faintly.
Like this, she reminded him of one of the sacred g’gek trees back on Latilla with their fanning white boughs.
The only thing amiss was the expression on her face.
He had yet to read the manual on humans from the IA, but the tilt of her lips did not seem to be a happy one.
“Give me a moment,” he told K’kaen. His friend looked confused as S’samph started in Eleri’s direction.
All his best logic told him he should stay far away from her, but his instincts pushed him in her direction.
If she was in distress, he should do his best to be helpful as he would for any female.
When she noticed his approach, the corners of her mouth turned down further than they had before, and her arms folded across her chest. S’samph gave her the opportunity to speak first.
Eleri turned away from him before she spoke, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with a flat hand. “If you’re here for an apology, you won’t get one from me.”
“My work boots are unharmed.” He shrugged as though he hadn’t spent the better part of the evening scrubbing the purple acid away. They were still tinged slightly lavender. It was about as much as he deserved, if not less. “But you appear distressed.”
Eleri’s skin changed to a startling shade of scarlet. S’samph took a step back and felt his frill rise with alarm. She opened her mouth to say something when K’kaen sidled up beside them.
“Here’s your human!” He exclaimed loudly enough to draw attention from other passersby.
Eleri shifted slightly to train her gaze on K’kaen who barreled ahead with his own babble to S’samph’s immense disapproval.
“We met last night if you remember. Fine if you don’t, I’m not offended.
If you’re still looking for a mate, I gladly volunteer.
I sure as the arid hills can’t pay the IA fee, but S’samph and I can work out a payment plan.
” K’kaen thumped S’samph on the shoulder only to back off instantly as S’samph hissed his disapproval.
“That’s very kind of you.” Eleri said with a soft trailing inflection. “But I should probably get back to Pyo's home where I’m staying. If one of you could let me know how to get there, I’d be grateful.”
“I’ll give you a ride there on my levibike if you want.” K’kaen gestured over toward the charging ports.