Gentle Beast

by Margaret Afseth

  Tusha suddenly got the impression Loki was not just speaking of her relationship with her children, but as if he was the father. Her conscience had her feeling guilty of the crimes he listed.

  It's true; perhaps I am like his child, though it has come about unnaturally.

  “Always be my gentle butterfly,” he encouraged. “Not a venomous snake.”

  Tusha recoiled at his words.

  Am I a vicious creature? Perhaps…deep inside.

  He continued. “Our agape love is always waiting, hovering beneath our silent observation. It’s not rebuke; sometimes it’s regret…”

  Puzzled, Tusha wondered.

  Is he identifying with me, or is he speaking of himself?

  She well understood the feeling he described.

  If I were able to rewrite the past, I’d do many things quite differently. Yet, I will always love my children, no matter what, even if that love is not reciprocated. They will be a part of me until the day I die.

  “We have no guide book to go by,” Loki went on. “We stumble through and make mistakes…that may or may not need forgiveness. But once the young ones are parents themselves, and are in a similar situation, they will at last understand the heart behind the love of the elder…” He paused. “Sometimes, however, that knowledge comes too late, and they can never make up for it; they can no longer tell them they are sorry…”

  Loki went very quiet for a moment, pondering something in retrospect, as if he had suddenly been hit by an ugly comparison to his own past.

  After a time, he continued, as if encouraging himself. “No matter what they do. Or what they may become, we must always love them…”

  Once again, his words seemed to have that double meaning.

  Tusha felt near to tears, sensing something very heavy under his soliloquy. She wasn’t sure if she had done something to offend him, or the reprimand applied to her relationship with her children.

  Maybe it is both?

  It even seemed Loki had an ulterior motive behind his words, a warning of some impending wound about to be inflicted, almost as if he were apologizing before the act...

  ****

  “When did you get so wise,” she asked softly. “For a physical, you have wisdom beyond your function.”

  He grinned sheepishly at the unexpected praise, recognizing in his apprehension, he’d begun to ramble. “Sometimes,” he excused, tongue in cheek. “When a physical falls in love, he becomes like a mental…”

  Tusha’s eyes went huge, and she sucked in a surprised breath. It was the first time he’d spoken aloud of his sentiment.

  Loki looked away.

  I will have to be careful how I do this. I know what I am about to do will hurt…maybe, if I strike quickly?

  He sighed heavily. “You will not understand the why,” he stated bluntly. “And no doubt, without that full knowledge, you will be angered by what I am about to do…”

  He felt sudden dread from her, and it initiated a protective response in return. All he wanted to do was kiss away her fright, tell her that he would never physically hurt her, but he kept his head turned away, so he would not respond.

  He then delivered the hurtful blow.

  “I must go back inside…” he declared quietly.

  Once again, she sharply inhaled from the shock.

  “But, you’re coming back? I’ll wait here for you.”

  Loki ignored her. “You are safe for now. Stay safe.”

  “What do you mean? Aren’t you coming with us?”

  It was as if she was deliberately playing dense, couldn’t grasp the concept of him leaving her. So he dug the pit deeper.

  “I must go back down. If I don’t, I’ll be a fugitive with not only Bom hunting me, but the entire universe. I’d never again see my family; my mental would be lost…”

  Even in his ears, the excuse sounded selfish.

  “What about me?”

  He sighed.

  Yes, what will become of her? She’ll be free…

  “Keep safe. Please…”

  It is best not to prolong the parting.

  So, he simply vanished, teleporting to the portal leading down into the kitchen. He hoped she would not follow, that in time she would forgive him.

  Let me go Tusha. I have to do this; it is the only way.

  CHAPTER 49

  Tusha gazed absently at the world about her, and for long moments, she merely watched as those they had set free tramped away, disappearing into the distant trees. When they could no longer be seen, she just stood there.

  Silently, she waited, hoping Loki would have a change of heart and return. With a mind probe, she reached out to find him, but he had his thought barrier up. He had shut her out.

  He means for me to forget him…

  But I will always remember you Loki; You gave me life. And even though you might not want me, I will someday search you out; I will not let you die in that demon place!

  I will go back in…when I am more experienced. I will rescue you, and if you've been sent somewhere else, I will find you…even if you don't want to be found!

  But that resolve evaporated, as the full impact of separation hit.

  Suddenly she dropped to her knees, screaming in violent rejection of her circumstance. She raised her fists to the sky, then doubled over, as if the agony was in her belly, and not her heart.

  Her cry became a wail, like that of a Siamese cat, wandering, seeking the soul of the kitten she’d just found dead. Tusha gave way with abandonment and disregard; her mourning keen fled across the fields for all to hear.

  And the Noor female grieved: what might have been, the travesty that had been played out at her expense, the loss of a supposed mate. Her body shook, and the tears flooded; for long moments she cried. Then, as defeat turned to anger, she stopped abruptly, turning to thoughts of revenge.

  In that moment, when wrath took over, Tusha forgot all of Loki’s words. She gave one last exasperated scream at the sky, the hot tears fled, and with a cold calm, she took a deep breath of resolve.

  Bitterly, she vowed she would never trust him again.

  If he can so easily forget me, why should I remember him?

  She resolved three things at that moment: first, she would make it her life’s work to set free the humans in the pens beneath her feet; second, someday she would mete out appropriate justice to that malicious overseer, Bom; and thirdly…

  I will never forgive that Noor male for leaving me behind!

  You have just become my enemy!

  One more thing she decided:

  I will never again be your Tusha. No! I will change my name, hide from you Loki. You will never find me!

  And then she cried again. Utterly confused, she retracted all decisions made previously.

  Almost as if the Almighty wanted to weep along with her, the clouds pulled up over the sun, and it began to rain.

  ****

  Loki stood in the kitchens, refastening the dreaded belt. He drew in a sharp breath as the painful probes pierced his tender flesh. He’d forgotten about the agony of the drain-away energy reversal.

  Darren watched him with accusation and puzzlement in his eyes.

  The Noor couldn’t explain why, but he felt guilty, a need to defend his actions.

  “I have to,” Loki excused. “Or Bom will find the escape route…he will follow, and hunt her, and…you know how that will end. I needed to buy them time…”

  Darren nodded silently, but still seemed unconvinced this was the best way to go.

  EPILOGUE:

  More was standing in the doorway of his shop; he saw Loki as he passed through the tunnel beyond.

  So, the Noor male has survived. Good! Now maybe, Bom will be dealt with.

  It was just a matter of waiting.

  Absently, More wondered where Loki had hidden the little queen.

  ****

  Like an errant kitten being berated in disgust by its owner, Bom’s large hand suspended Uel by the back-skin behind his n
eck. When Loki stumbled into the med bay area, the warden was shaking the Feline violently.

  Turning, dropping his prey, the huge Roog Feline growled deep in his chest at the intrusion. Uel, forgotten for the moment, crawled beneath an exam table to watch.

  I thought I’d done away with this blight! How is it that Noor survived?

  “So, you still live, do you?” Bom barked. “And now I suppose you think I must release you?”

  Loki stood his ground. “My term is up! Even the extra time you added on.”

  Bom snorted. “You have no rights here!”

  “I have the right to demand freedom, and you know it! And…I want Uel released, as well. He too has served his time…long ago. His release time is long past. If he is not let go, once I am out, I will plague the council, until he is released. For your own good, you’d be wise to do as I ask.”

  The administrator shifted his weight, thinking. He knew both of these males could be more trouble than he needed. Uel alone, he could handle, but together, they could secretly undermine him. They had obviously done so before.

  “Very well,” Bom agreed. “I’ve had enough of you anyway. But…we’ll discuss my terms when you leave.”

  “No conditions, Bom! We’re done!” Turning to Uel, peeking out from beneath the exam bed, Loki added, “You will join me on my momma Dia’s med ship, Uel.”

  Bom growled, ready to dispute. Loki met his eyes with fierce warning in his own, and the half Roog knew it was time to cut his losses.

  He turned, and strode from the room, purposely ignoring the two behind.

  They are my prisoners! How dare they tell me how to run my kingdom!

  ****

  Needing to impose his authority, and to have the last word, as Loki and Uel were loaded onto the transport, Bom bent down to whisper a warning to the Noor. He switched to the Roog tongue, so that Uel would not fully understand. He knew the Noor was a linguist; Loki would not need a translator to comprehend.

  “Listen, you Noor half-breed,” he hissed. “I will tell you this just once. If you speak of what went on here, I will have you back so fast…not only you; I will have your entire family, including all of your matriarch Dia’s ship staff, imprisoned. And you know I have such power…I will take their lives, and yours, before I am done. Do you understand? Your silence buys their freedom, as long as you keep it!”

  Loki nodded, ever so imperceptibly, then stepped into the shuttle. The door slid shut, and Bom grunted in triumph.

  I have won!

  ****

  As the door shut, Loki had the nagging feeling; his release had gone too smoothly.

  Bom is up to something!

  He wondered where Tusha was at this moment, and if after all, she was really safe.

  ****

  Bom chuckled to himself.

  Now to find that she of his!

  The Noor male had done exactly what he’d expected of him. They had searched the entire facility, from end to end. The little one with the butterfly tattoo was nowhere below ground. That meant, somehow, the Noor had returned her to the surface.

  The hunt has just begun! It will be so invigorating!

  ###

  About the Author:

  Margaret Afseth, a Canadian novelist, grew up on the prairies. She raised her four children from preschool age to teens on her own. Now, as a widow and grandmother, through the encouragement of her family to follow her dream of writing full time, and publishing her work, she has stepped to the publishing stage in the latter years of her life.

  Since her late teens, Margaret was always an avid reader and clandestine writer, but due to discouragement, and the unfortunate hard lesson in which her first novel was destroyed by a misguided counselor, she was too publisher shy to go through the gauntlet of the critics...until, that is, the ease of on line self-publishing became available.

  In February 2013 Margaret published her first sci-fi thriller the Aopato Chronicles.

  Discover other titles by Margaret Afseth at

  Margaret Afseth Auhor Page

  Aopato

  Remedy

  Turn Back

  If you enjoyed this book, here is a sample of book two of the Noor Chronicles; coming soon:

  SOUL SAVER

  By

  Margaret Afseth

  PROLOGUE:

  Ice at the water's edge; steam clouds rising in the air; the gurgle of a gently rushing watercourse just out of sight. Trees covered in hoarfrost above; dark obscuring everything.

  Liam crouched in the bushes with the young ones, waiting near the river bank, until it should be safe. In this disguise, it felt cold, damp, uncomfortable. Static made the fur of his body tingle.

  The water nearby filled him with dread, but this was where he'd found the young kits hiding. It was dangerous here; the youngsters could fall in; the humans had a weapon to drown the pair, and if the Roog came along, they too might use it to their advantage. Thankfully, the dogs preferred to stick to land.

  This human world had always seemed hazardous at best, and this time it was more so; they had much too long to wait before he could give the signal for pick up. The shuttle was caught beyond the solar system, concealed, cloaked, avoiding a Roog battleship.

  "This spot is not secure; we need to get beyond the buildings," Liam decided. "Darkness might hide the smaller primitive cat, but not those of us who are larger."

  "Where should we go, poppa?" asked the five year old male.

  Liam gestured toward a path above, and they ascended the bank together quickly. Once up there, the way led along the embankment, through an illuminated park that was adequately treed. But the light made the elder male uneasy, wary, cautious, yet he had little choice but to take this route.

  "Poppa..." the female complained. "I am cold."

  "I know, little she. When we are at a safer location, I will build you a fire."

  In his lifetime, Liam had saved many across the universe. When he found them, they were most often alone, their parents killed by Roog, or captured, which was as good as a death sentence in itself. And though the parents had hidden and sacrificed for them, setting out the beacon for rescue, by the time Liam got to them, the little beings were foraging to survive, in bins of garbage behind the businesses. Upon his arrival in their hostile environment, he became their lone protector, and this fact alone bonded the little ones to him.

  Because of his age, many of the children called him Poppa, a nick name implying grandfather in his culture. Liam cherished this designation!

  Always, when bringing them in, he made certain they were adopted by a new family, and kept in touch, returning often for visits. Because of this, wherever he went he had a welcome, and was called Poppa by the younger generation. It was the closest he could come to having children of his own.

  And this had been how he had staffed his momma Dia's med ship. He had once been a lost kit himself, alone, different. Dia had taken him in, accepted his unusual character and parentage.

  ****

  Liam heard the crashing, blinded, panicked escape of the person fleeing toward them before the creature stumbled into sight. When the human woman broke into the path directly ahead of them, the left side of her face next to her eye, and down the cheek, was covered in dry blood. She was limping, gasping with exhaustion, running erratically, eyes closed, arms outstretched before her, feeling her way along.

  Suddenly, she caught her foot on an exposed root; went sprawling, right into Liam's arms. He reached out to catch her just before her knees found the leafy peat beneath their feet.

  "Help me," she pleaded, in a voice that was soft and raspy, weak from fatigue. "They found me."

  She must think I'm someone she knows.

  At their touch, due to his empathic ability, Liam became aware of two things: first, she was trembling with unreasoning terror; and second, she'd been drugged excessively, and the preparation was just beginning to effect her. She went limp against him, going senseless.

  Liam sniffed at the air.


  Danger is coming! I can smell the obnoxious odor of Roog.

  It's time to leave the path!

  "Hide, little ones!" he growled urgently in the Feline tongue. "Under the bushes. Quickly! Our enemy approaches!"

  Lifting the unconscious female, he rapidly followed his charges, to dive and burrow with them deep beneath the foliage.

  Their escape was none too soon.

  Liam held his breath as the giant hunters loped by, moving upright; as always, unaware and unperceptive, expecting their quarry to be far ahead, and not beneath their feet. Large, with unconcealed dog-like heads, their bodies were camouflaged in human garments.

  Liam was intimately familiar with masquerade practices. It was a strategy used by both Roog and Feline. Whether on the hunt or fleeing, each wore a camouflage belt, which could change the outward perception of their visible image. His father's race used it to protect themselves, whereas the Roog employed it mostly to confuse their prey.

  The colossal dog creatures hunted humans as food. And just as easily, would kill or torture any of Liam's kind, just for the sport of it. It was their favorite pastime to seek the weaker young, and especially all females. No life was sacred or safe from them.

  It is unusual though for them to wear only half disguise. I wonder why they've become so brave?

  The young kits beside him flinched, as the pack passed over them. The female gave a hissing moan. Liam stroked her fur, and cautioned.

  "Shush, little she. They will hear."

  Liam knew their cover was good, the bushes large and full.

  The male twin worriedly added his challenge.

  "They will scent us, Poppa?" he whispered fearfully. "They can find us?"

  His tone said much, revealing just beneath the surface, the memory of the last encounter, in which they'd lost their parents to these beasts of prey. The grief was poignant.

  "If I can help it; they'll not have you," Liam disagreed in a low growl.