by Zara Starr
“And they say I am the elder brother?” I chuckled as I patted Dew on the shoulder. “You are wiser than they accredit you, Dew. I am positive your help will be a bonus where Mikaela is concerned.”
“Has the council called her forward yet?” Dew asked curiously.
I shook my head and was glad to do so, but deep inside I knew it would be short-lived. There was no way we could harbor the female without eventually bringing her to our people.
It would be a severe penalty to think or attempt it, of that I was certain. Especially, considering that Funi didn’t really appreciate Ella’s emergence. I wondered what he would do to Mikaela if he found out about her before we were able to intercede for her.
“No, but I don’t feel it is too far off. Do you know why it was that Karr brought Ella to them so early?” I asked.
“Ella wasn’t very keen on staying in the cave, just as it seems your Mikaela isn’t. Karr attempted to keep her in his cave and go about his business as usual. I think he was fearful of what would happen if he notified us too early of finding her, but Ella’s persistence was also her downfall when she took ill—just like Mikaela did,” Dew said.
“I’m sure you know that Julene was brought in to help her after this, but that doesn’t really make total sense of it all, does it?” he continued. “Ella still wanted to know why and how she ended up here and that curiosity drove her to endanger herself, even after we had all copulated with her.”
“And yet, Ella eventually gave into it didn’t she? I mean, she seems wholly content with the three of you now,” I observed.
“Yes, but she was always dead set against Arh because of how he went about things. Didn’t he first come across Mikaela?” Dew asked.
“Yes, and he also took her captive and led her back to Veruka’s cave in binds. It was truly unbelievable to see—cruel, even,” I said, feeling a sudden and overwhelming sense of upset overcoming me.
I still couldn’t get the ingrained image out of my head as I thought more about it. Poor Mikaela, having been treated in such a horrific way—and yet, to think that Arh still behaved as if he had some right to her.
If she did end up choosing us both as part of her triad I wasn’t so sure sharing her with him would be the easiest thing for me to do, but I knew I’d do anything to be with her—which was what had led me up to this point.
“So, that is something I would use to my advantage. Arh does not care what the females want or desire, he thinks only of what he presumes is best. This is his downfall, especially with these females. They are headstrong and intelligent—something that Arh himself cannot equate within a female. He simply does not understand them.” Dew shook his head.
“So, what you should do is learn everything about Mikaela,” he advised. “Befriend her creature and invite her into the outdoors. Show her what will cause her harm and how to avoid it—engage her attention in the places and ways no other would think of.”
“That seems almost impossible though. The creature yaps and tries to bite anyone who gets close to her. How am I to befriend it?” I asked.
“It seems to like meat. Have you tried feeding it?” Dew asked.
I cringed and shook my head. “No, I do everything to stay clear of it. The yelping hurts my ears and it never seems to shut up. I worry that if she does go out into the meadow and it begins yapping as it does that it might attract predators—possibly even dragons.”
“Then it would seem the best solution would be to learn ways to quiet the creature. Again, you think it is impossible to connect with Mikaela only because you are allowing minuscule barriers to pop up in your face. Why do that, brother?” Dew asked.
I gave a light shrug and forced a smile. Dew made it seem so easy and yet I felt deep inside that Mikaela and Ella were entirely different—Ella had settled in, but I wasn’t so sure Mikaela wanted to.
Arh
For the past days, I had been doing what I knew best—hunting. I hunted both for Mikaela and the tribe as a whole for the coming cold season.
It seemed to be best, as I knew that Mikaela enjoyed the meat and I loved to bring her some. But I knew that mother had outlined that Mikaela’s being kept in her cave needed to come to an end. I just had never imagined it would be announced to me so abruptly.
I made my way toward the tribal cave with an assortment of meats that I knew needed to be distributed to the other families. My eyes flickered around the interior as two of the elders approached me.
“Arh?” Funi, the taller of the two asked.
I paused and made direct eye contact with him.
“Yes?” I asked, holding my kills with one arm as I peered back at him.
“Why hasn’t your mother been to the tribal cave in some days now?” he continued.
“She has been busy. I am sure she will show up soon enough though,” I replied curtly.
“I do not believe that,” Funi said, his voice lined with suspicion.
I perked my brow, disturbed by his tone. It was enough to send me reeling, but with my hands full I was thankful—punching Funi now would not have been in my favor and I knew it.
“Well, how fortunate that what you believe has nothing to do with me being here. As I said, my mother will be along soon enough. I have deliveries to make,” I explained.
“Aye, and some explaining to give also,” Otoro muttered.
I scoffed. “What are you talking about?”Otoro crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes.
“The pregnant female who rejected you—she was overheard discussing a new female with Dew. What do you know of this?” he asked.
I stood in silence—my eyes darting between the two as I searched for the right words to answer. So, Ella had told someone and now the council suspected Mikaela’s existence.
I only prayed nobody had heard her stupid creature’s yelping to add to this, but my hopes were quickly shattered when Funi next opened his lips to speak.
“There have been many strange sounds from your mother’s meadow—echoing through the trees as if an animal was crying and then it ceases. What do you know of this?” Funi inquired.
I closed my eyes and lifted my kills again—extending my arm slightly.
“I have deliveries to make,” I said, brushing past them as I made my way deeper into the cave. They would follow, I was sure of it.
“Would you really disrespect us so? To not even offer a response?” Funi asked, his irritation noted in the sound of his voice.
I chuckled, he would forever be one of those people that no matter how he tried to disguise his intent, his voice would reveal his true nature.
What stunned me was that he himself had not yet learned it. And he was an elder—an almost laughable fact that I wagered was only due to his long tenure of life and not for any real wisdom.
“I came with carcasses in tow and you only care to argue with me when I could be preparing this meat for sustenance? I do not have time for this now. Can you not call a meeting?” I asked, knowing full well they could and should.
“What was the animal, Arh?” Funi demanded.
I rolled my eyes and bit into my lip slightly. I did not want to come unglued but being caught between a rock and a hard place had the same effect on me that it would any wild animal—I was ready to fight, and then some.
I flexed my fingers and sighed as I glanced toward Otoro.
“If you want an explanation, I will give it, but not now. I am busy and have valid reasons. Call a council meeting and I will be there,” I reaffirmed.
Funi stepped forward as he scoffed and Otoro lifted his arm and shook his head.
“Stop, Funi. A council meeting will be held. You have until dusk to finish your tasks and we will meet at the council cavern the moment you have finished,” Otoro said, tilting his head.
“If there does exist another female you are to present her at the same time, and whatever creature is responsible for the yelping,” he continued.
Funi frowned but remained silent.
&nb
sp; “Fine, I will do so,” I said.
My mother had been right when she said Mikaela’s time to stay in her cave was coming to an end, but I had never imagined it would come about so swiftly.
It seemed my luck was turning for the worse, yet again, and I had no choice but to go along with what fate was laying out for me. It seemed that my chance for a mate might very well be ripped away once more, much to my dismay.
I sighed and continued on my way, my thoughts shifting to Mikaela’s annoying animal and the many problems it had started from the beginning.
I was right not to like it, but now it was jeopardizing us and I wasn’t sure what to do about it without infuriating the female I desired.
Mikaela
Dey had taken me to Ella once more and my conversation with her had gone really well. We were two very different people, but the more time we spent together, the more I liked her.
When it came time to return to Veruka’s cave, I didn’t really want to go. It was nice to have someone to talk to who actually understood my language, and Tremor even seemed to quiet down around me while I was talking to her.
And yet, I still wasn’t able to wrap my mind around why she was so happy with being a woman involved with three purple men.
I was totally blown away by the idea of each of the men fathering a child. But as I considered the fact that many children had stepfathers who loved them as their own while still having healthy relationships with their biological dads it became more believable.
Dey led me back to the home cave and we were both immediately surprised when Arh stepped between the two of us. My eyes flickered back and forth between the two of them and I instantly suspected that Dey was both disturbed and displeased by whatever Arh was telling him.
I frowned and sighed, remembering how Ella had described their initial way of forming communication and breaking barriers.
I coughed slightly and Arh glanced at me, digging into his satchel and extracting a folded-up leaf. I took it and opened the leaf to peer down at what appeared to be the meat he knew I was so fond of.
I smiled and nodded, stepping up on my tiptoes as I gently hugged him. It was nice that he kept thinking of me even though I could tell he and Dey were both frustrated about something neither of them had explained to me yet. The question was what.
Dey suddenly urged me toward the cave opening and Arh began walking forward at the same time. The three of us entered the cave to find Veruka seated near the fire. Arh approached his mother and Dey pointed at my mat area.
I took the cue that he wanted me to sit down and sat, tearing off a piece of meat and handing it to Tremor as I watched them begin speaking at length.
What was going on? Had something bad happened?
My thoughts raced as my curiosity continued to pique—I had to know what had happened one way or another.
Dey
Arh cut me off from the moment I had wanted to relish alone with Mikaela by immediately stepping between the two of us the moment we came into the clearing. It was just my luck, of course, but what he had to say made it all the more disheartening.
“Dey, where did you take her?” Arh asked me.
“She wanted to go see Ella at her cave and I figured the walk might do her some good. She seemed tired of being in the cave,” I said.
“Did her animal start yelping again at any time?” he demanded.
I perked a brow.
“Well, it does yelp from time to time but honestly it was fairly quiet on the walk there. I suspect that is probably why Mikaela wanted to get out of the cave so badly. To quiet the animal,” I said.
“The others have heard the creature bellowing and Funi and Otoro confronted me about it when I brought meat for sustenance delivery,” Arh explained.
I felt my eyes widen as I listened. If Funi and Otoro knew about the creature they would probably be asking about Mikaela soon. If they hadn’t already learned about her, that was.
“What did they say?” I asked, hoping they hadn’t yet discovered Mikaela’s existence.
We all knew it would be time to reveal her soon enough, but if the elders had learned of her and the animal already I worried about the outcome for her pet.
“They want to know what the creature making the yelping sound is and…” Arh trailed his words, reaching into his bag as he held out food for Mikaela.
I watched as she took it and smiled pleasantly back at him. It was one of those moments I was thankful she couldn’t understand our language. With the way she regarded the dog, the elders were going to be hard to convince.
“And what, Arh?” I pushed him to continue.
“They have heard about Mikaela already. Apparently, they overheard Ella discussing her with Dew and now they demand that I present her—now,” he added.
“Now? What do you plan on doing about the creature?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but we should bring her into the cave and tell mother. She may be able to help or at least intercede for us?” Arh said.
“Where is Scar?” I asked suddenly.
Arh shrugged.
“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I arrived, but that isn’t unusual,” Arh replied.
I nodded. I knew this to be true but hoped we could also convene with him for advice on how to advance in light of the recent news.
“Let’s just get her inside the cave,” Arh muttered.
I nodded, slipping my hand up to gently caress Mikaela’s spine. She began to walk forward and Arh followed shortly behind. We crossed into the cave and Veruka looked up with a cheery expression.
“Ah, you brought her back finally. How did she do?” she asked.
“Well enough, but we have other problems now, it seems,” I muttered.
Veruka perked a brow and I pointed toward Mikaela’s nesting area. I knew she would understand that I wanted her to sit down and enjoy the food Arh had given her. She immediately took a seat and began feeding her creature out of her hand.
I looked back at Veruka and sighed. “Well, tell her, Arh,” I said waving toward him.
Arh pursed his lips and sighed as he approached his mother.
“The council wants Mikaela brought to a meeting tonight—now. Will you come to intercede on our behalf?” Arh asked her.
Veruka scoffed and chuckled slightly.
“I did tell you this time was coming soon, didn’t I?” she asked, shaking her head. I watched as Arh’s face turned sour—frowning deeply back at his mother as she continued. “Yes, I will go with you and offer my advice. I am certain they will have an issue with her animal but I will intercede for that also. The animal’s existence is important to this female and I fear she will not partake in our customs if we do not afford her this one,” Veruka explained.
“How are we going to bring her tonight? She will not want to leave the animal,” I said. “And I fear bringing it with her may not be wise either.”
“Funi and Otoro will listen to me, as will Julene. I have much sway in their decisions, you must not forget this, my son,” Veruka muttered.
“Where is Scar?” I asked.
“He chose to go hunting this evening. I think he has some plans of his own, but I am sure he will return soon. Especially, if the council knows of this female’s existence. Courting shall begin soon enough, I imagine,” Veruka said matter-of-factly.
“What if they wish to kill the animal, as I did?” Arh asked.
“They are likely to wish that, but I will tell them just the same as Ella told all of us—if we wish for this female’s willing participation in our ways we must accommodate her with some compromise,” Veruka finished.
“You make this sound so easy. Do you know how hard it was for me not to remove the canines of Funi for his tone alone?” Arh asked.
“Wise you were for not doing so, but that is a matter for another time. For now, you should ready the female and her animal. Shouldn’t you?”
I chucked as Veruka silenced herself, turning my face from Arh’s. The last thing I
wanted was a confrontation right before meeting the elders, but hearing Arh’s own mother put him in his place so rashly was a reward I had not been expecting—not in the very least.
Nine
Scar
I had my fill of waiting around for nothing and decided to take leave to go hunting on my own after Dey took off with Mikaela.
I wanted to find her a very special animal— it was an omnivorous creature that had large buck-teeth and strangely long ears. They often hopped and, in our tongue, we called them conehas.
It wasn’t often that I actually ate coneha since it was an animal that was swift and hard to find. It was much easier to spear a stag than to snag a coneha but I wanted to make Mikaela a very special stew.
I knew she would appreciate it since she had loved all my other stews, and I wanted to make it for her since I knew that time was coming to an end with her. I wanted to do something to keep myself fresh in her mind.
If I couldn’t establish myself as one of her selections, I was positive that I would never find myself a mate on Eilahas.
Not unless I was lucky enough to have one fall out of the sky as had happened to both Karr and Arh. Of course, it would be the two of them who found a female, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t find other ways to make Mikaela see my value.
The great thing about the coneha was that it paired excellently with most of the vegetables that she seemed to love. I just hoped that she enjoyed it because it had already been several hours since I first vanished from Veruka’s cave and even so, I had yet to come across a single coneha.
I emerged into a small clearing, my eyes darting across it as I looked for evidence of any of the fuzzy creatures. I grinned as I saw the familiar white fluffball of a tail that the elder conehas often exhibited.
I pulled out the tools I needed to make the perfect deadfall trap—which was the easiest way to procure a coneha—and began gathering all the necessary items and set to work immediately.
