Tracked on Predator Planet (Predator Planet Series)

by Vicky L. Holt.

  The rokhural snorted and puffed noisy breaths in their sleep but remained still.

  I waited.

  And waited.

  My heart thundered in my ears and still nothing.

  I clenched my fists and ground my teeth. Where was she?

  A half-zatik passed. The rolling of a stone? I stood alert. No rustling of the sleeping rokhural.

  When my breaths became shallow and my heart regretted its safe and steady chamber, I spied a dark figure.

  Esra!

  She continued her slow and crouching creep along the wall, her helmet facing me. A few more steps, and she was in my arms.

  I retreated with her farther into the tunnel away from the nesting site.

  “What did you find?” I asked.

  “There is another passage, Red,” she said. “But there is another nesting site in the next cavern as well.”

  “Ah.” I kept Esra’s small body pressed against mine. “My mighty hunter was not satisfied with our meager odds. She desired a more challenging contest.”

  Her visor shifted until I could see her bemused expression behind.

  “You’re incorrigible,” she said with a half-smile.

  I cocked my head. “VELMA has not communicated with me, so I cannot ask her what that means.”

  I saw Esra’s smile break like double suns through a storm cloud. “It means I love you like crazy,” she said.

  “I think that is not the definition VELMA would give me, but I accept your answer.” I held her close to me, but we both stared into the dark passage that portended a dangerous battle if we did not succeed in evading the teeth of the rokhural.

  35

  “VELMA, have you heard from Esra?”

  “I cannot access my connection to either of my SLO neural networks,” VELMA said. “I will keep trying.”

  Odd.

  “Is it related to the earthquake somehow?”

  “Negative. There appears to be interference from solar flares or atmospheric anomalies. I will inform you when I find out.”

  “Okay. And you’re sure my treatment is complete?” I asked.

  “Your blood is clear of all signs of infection. I need a DNA sample from Hivelt so I can manufacture the preventative vaccine for your continued health on this planet.”

  “Right,” I said and bit my lip. That wouldn’t be awkward at all. At least I had warned him about it. I replaced my helmet and stepped out of the hatch with care, the rocky terrain begging to sprain my ankle.

  The glade was now a field of broken and tumbled rocks. The tree stood firm, but the landscape was new. The spring was now a shallow river, its banks having widened, and the boulders had crushed the skeletal remains and buried the dead pazathel-naxl.

  Hivelt stood with his back to me, several meters away at the forest’s edge.

  I walked to greet him. “Hivelt.”

  He turned to meet me, and I spotted a large white fur and a black pelt.

  “They’re beautiful,” I whispered and reached for them without thinking.

  He thrust them at my open hand. “I preserved them for you,” he said. “I remembered you desired the pelt of the tree thief, so I acquired it. And the Pazathel-nax,” he paused. “Take it.”

  Shocked, I lost my train of thought. The white pelt was softer than the yellow fur of the creature he called shegoshe-tax. I petted it and held it to my chest for a moment. When I looked up, Hivelt was cocking his head as if seeing something odd. I stepped back and cleared my throat. “It is well-preserved. They both are.” I turned them over and inspected the white hides. “How did you do this?” I looked back where my smoking fire and drying rack used to be. All had been lost in the storm and earthquakes.

  I heard a smile in his voice.

  “Hivelt knows of a special plant. I will show you when we travel to meet Esra and Naraxthel,” he said. “Have you heard from them?”

  “VELMA lost connection with her neural network in Super Low Orbit. So, no.” I stroked the furs and then shook myself. “I forgot. I need a very small sample of your DNA for VELMA to manufacture an inoculation for me so that I can remove my helmet on your planet.”

  “Ah. You spoke of this Dee Enn Ayy before. What must I do? All that I have is yours.”

  I paused, unable to speak for a minute. I couldn’t see his face, so I missed subtle nuances, but his words were … poignant. I pulled out a swab. “Um …” I coughed a little, and he stepped forward. “No, I’m okay. I just need to, uh, swipe this inside your mouth. That’s it.” My throat felt so dry. I swallowed and waited for him to unlatch his helmet.

  Pulling it off, some of his longer, feather-like locks stuck in it a second before he shook his hair out.

  His sweeping brows, black eyes, and high cheekbones brought to mind the Trickster, Nanabozho, who was known as the Raven by my fellow tribespeople, the Haida. But Hivelt had only shown me deference since my illness.

  He came closer, leaned down, and opened his mouth.

  The tip of the swab trembled in my fingers as I angled it into his mouth, avoiding his long fangs. I circled it against his cheek and stuck it in the vial VELMA had provided for me back in the ship. I retreated a step, swallowed, and cleared my throat again, glancing at his full lips. “Thank you. I’ll pack up, and we can be on our way.”

  He dipped his head at me and replaced his helmet.

  As I bit my lip, I peeked up at him, wishing he’d left his helmet off another minute. It didn’t make sense to me, but I found myself wanting to see him—truly see him. His expressions, his smile. I wanted more of him. The force of my yearning surprised me. It wasn’t love, was it? It was more of a … curiosity coupled with fascination and maybe a bit of mystery, too. Flashes of wonder crossed my mind when I pictured holding his hand or testing the sharpness of the claws on his fingers.

  I realized he must be staring at me through his helmet, and my face flushed. I turned to go, and his grasp of my arm stopped me. I looked at him with raised brows, but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded and released me.

  The back of my neck burned the long walk back to the EEP.

  His words played in my mind as I inserted the swab into VELMA’s sample collecting slot. “All that I have is yours.”

  I shook my head. Heat flooded my neck and jaw. The last man who had given up everything for me had died. My eyes misted over while I sat on the table waiting for the vaccine shot.

  Thanks, Dad.

  36

  “VELMA is sending you the last known coordinates for Esra and Naraxthel based on the last ping I received,” Pattee said. She looked over her shoulder at me.

  It was as I had suspected: Pattee moved through the jungle as if she were born here on Ikthe. Something about her stealth made my heart race and ache to be free. I wondered what it might be like to chase Pattee, keep her in my sights, test her skills of evasion. Alas, we were both in need of rest and recovery. However, I felt some compulsion to reach our people in good time. Perhaps … I peered into the foliage around us. “Stay beside me, Pattee,” I said. “I will look for an herb that will give us a burst of energy.”

  She stopped and watched me. “Why? I’m feeling better.”

  “You must think Hivelt a fool, but I wish to run with you as equals. It would hasten our journey and …” I stopped short. I couldn’t tell her it would bring me joy, could I? I was a hunter; we did nothing for the sheer joy of it.

  She cocked her head aside, and a small smile played around her lips. “I do enjoy running.”

  The way she spoke made me feel caught in an admission I had not made, but my heart also soared because she had agreed to run with me! Now eager, I parted the branches between two bushes and found a narrower trail. “Come.”

  We crouched in the trail, alert to peril.

  “It is a small plant, often growing in tufts not far from the black rain-bush. However, there is another predator that likes its taste. We must be cautious.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I’m not sure I’m excited
to meet another of this planet’s creatures.”

  “Trust your instincts here, and you will live,” I said.

  We took measured steps, eyes peeled for the black rain-bushes.

  “Is that it?” she said, pointing to our right.

  “Ah, very good. Now, look to the ground.” I pointed at an area about a veltik away from the black rain-bush. “The double-suns herb creeps along the understory. It hides in the shade, but its bright yellow blooms will catch your attention.”

  We approached, stepping over greenery and huge mushrooms. When Pattee bent lower to peer through leaves, I grasped her arm.

  “Hold,” I said with a whisper. “Look straight ahead, but do not move.”

  “What am I looking at?” she said.

  “Do you see the lichen on the fallen stump?”

  “Yes.”

  “It is not lichen,” I said. “Watch me, but do not interfere, though you may be frightened.”

  Standing beside her, I couldn’t make out her expression, but I trusted she would listen to my counsel. In the distance of a stride, about a veltik, I stepped in front of the stump, bumping it intentionally.

  The gray-green, lumpy layer shot up as if launched, and a sheet of webbing wrapped itself around my armor.

  Prepared for its deadly embrace, I charged the armor with an eye-blink, and its lightning burned the substance, causing it to shudder around me, tightening at first, but then falling away dead.

  I turned to see Pattee’s mouth agape and cheeks ashen. Her eyes were round in astonishment. “What is that?”

  “It is the deception plant.” I inspected my armor for any bits left behind. “It is often found near the double-suns herb. That means it should be nearby. Ah, here.” I stooped to gather a handful and held them out so she could see.

  “They do look like two suns!” Her smile lightened my heart.

  We returned to the main trail and removed our helmets. I showed her how to crush the bulbs at the base of the blooms to release the liquid.

  “Chew it, then spit,” I instructed.

  “There won’t be any … adverse effects?”

  I frowned. “It has never been known to cause adverse effects in my people.” I took her in. Was my desire to run worth the risk to her? “If you are uncomfortable, we must not partake of the plant.” I felt bereft, but it was the safest course of action.

  “No.” Pattee looked at me, hand still cupped to hold the bit of liquid she’d gathered in it. “No, this is my home now. I have to learn how my body reacts to its flora. And you’re here in case things go wrong, right?” She gave me a tense smile and briefly closed one eye.

  I had seen Esra do something similar, but I did not understand its significance.

  She looked down at her hand.

  Pride filled my chest. She was correct and brave! “Maybe try only a bit at first?”

  She nodded and lapped up a bit of the liquid. Her face contorted for a jotik before she spat it out, but she was too polite to say anything.

  “It tastes like the sodden fur of the devil-dogs, does it not?” I asked with a grin.

  She nodded. “Worse.”

  I took my own portion of the buds and waited for the effects to kick in, which only took a few jotiks. Its potent punch caused me to inhale, widening my nostrils. “Ah, Hivelt is ready. Pattee, let us run.”

  She laughed. “I feel so awake!”

  “Ik.” I replaced my helmet, as she did hers.

  We broke into a stride; I shortened mine so that she could keep up, but her footfalls were strong and sure. I scanned ahead, subtly choosing more difficult paths because I wanted to see her rise to the challenge. These humans surprised me with their adaptability and enterprising spirits.

  As I predicted, she leaped over logs with grace and skill, avoiding jutting roots and jokapazathel holes with ease. I could imagine hunting the grass-eaters with her, flanking a bull at speed, working together to take it down. Why did not my people welcome the sisters on hunts? The question wormed its way into my brain, but I set it aside for reflection some other time.

  Pattee raced me, her arms pumping at her sides and her long legs devouring the ground we crossed. I belted a laugh when she spared a glance to see me at her left elbow, and her brows rose in alarm. She sped up, surprising me with the intensity of her competition. She edged ahead, forcing me to speed up.

  “Oh ho!” I shouted. Pattee was a fast human. A worthy contestant.

  We ran a half-zatik before she waved a hand to me.

  “I’m sorry,” she said and stopped. She rested her hands upon her leg-joints, folded over, and took deep breaths. “It’s only been an hour, but I think it wore off.”

  “Do not apologize. You are a strong runner. Are humans disposed to running great distances?”

  “Some are,” she said between breaths. “I used to run for recreation.”

  I cocked my head. “Recreation?”

  She looked up at me, her silver eyes twinkling in the suns’ light. “You know. Stuff you do for fun?”

  I sought Pattee’s technology. “VELMA, what are substitute words for ‘recreation’ or ‘fun’?”

  “Hivelt, refer to your words for ‘child’s play’. That is a suitable substitute for the words ‘recreation’ and ‘fun’.”

  “Ah,” I said and puzzled further. “When I was a very small hunter, I challenged my brothers to throw rocks into a pool of fish. Whomever could throw the rock the farthest won the contest.” I looked at Pattee, who continued to breathe deeply.

  “Okay, I can feel a second wind coming on,” she said. “Is that normal?”

  “Ik but take a dose more now that you know your body accepts it,” I answered. “And did you contest others when you ran?” I pushed. I wanted to know more about this woman.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Did you win?”

  She grinned. “Always.”

  Pride swelled in my breast. I didn’t know much about these human beings, but Pattee belonged here with the Ikthekal. I felt it deep in my bones, tissues, and sinews. “Very well. Let us resume our run now, though it is not for contest or recreation.”

  “I know.” She did a series of stretches with her long and graceful limbs. “How soon will we reach their last known coordinates?”

  “Not a half-zatik,” I said. “I can carry you, if need be.”

  She began running. “I know you can. But let’s race, instead.” I followed behind, admiring her steady form as she dodged the branches and vines of the ikfal with smooth movement. I could overtake her, but I found it … fun to watch her from behind.

  Raxthezana’s words rang in my ears. “He has mated with Esra. She is his heart mate.” This caused me to question: how had Naraxthel known?

  I followed Pattee. She avoided pitfalls, ducked beneath branches, and kept a wary eye. Once again, the minimal contact with the predators of the planet surprised me.

  “Usually I would have killed a few talathel by now,” I said. “The jeweled green serpents have a deadly strike.”

  “I asked VELMA to transmit a high-frequency signal several days ago,” Pattee said. “I think it deters the wildlife somewhat.” She stopped for a jotik and waited for me to catch up. “You said you can hear the animals when they call to each other?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then they must use a lower frequency. Something well out of my range of hearing.” She continued hiking. “Tell me more about this planet.”

  I smiled, fangs clipping my lip. “Certain Death provides both health and wealth to our home world. My people’s biology requires more meat than is found on Ikshe.” Even now my stomach rumbled. I fished two chunks of jerked meat out of my pouch and tapped Pattee on the shoulder. “Take and eat.”

  She unfastened her helmet and hitched it to a fastening on her back. “Thank you.” She took a bite.

  I removed my helmet as well.

  We ate as we walked.

  She fussed with a pouch at her waist and produced a flat bar of somethi
ng I didn’t recognize.

  “I call it pemmican. It is adapted from a very ancient recipe of my people.” She broke off a piece and handed it to me. “Try it. I’m curious if it tastes familiar to you.”

  I raised a brow and bit into it. Flavor exploded on my tongue. I could taste the meat of the jokapazathel, jokal grass, and something else unfamiliar. “It is good.”

  She laughed. “You sound surprised. It’s the meat from the little rodents that are all over this place. I used what I called fiddleheads, though I’m sure that’s not your name for them. And some tiny red berries. Hopefully, you’re not allergic to any of it,” she said as her voice trailed off. “I should have thought of that.”

  “I don’t know this word ‘allergic’.” I finished my bite, pleased. Now I desired to make glisten-fish stew for Pattee. "Holy Goddesses, let me catch glisten-fish for my heart mate. I breathed in a crumb and began coughing. Doubling over, I pounded at my chest. Heart mate? I avoided Pattee’s eyes while I searched my heart-home for answers. I found a profound delight in sharing food with her. How did that translate to a life companion?

  “Hivelt, are you okay?” Pattee rushed to my side.

  I coughed up the crumb and spat into the ikfal. “Hivelt is fine. Do not trouble yourself, Pattee Crow Flies.”

  She backed away, and I noticed her downturned mouth and rapid blinking eyes.

  Perhaps I had been too short with her. I shrugged it off. “And how do you like the meat I prepared?”

  After a few tiks of hesitation, she gnawed off a piece of the jerked meat. “It’s smoky and peppery. I like it. What animal is it from?”

  “It is rokhural meat. The large reptile whose bones once lay in the glade,” I said. “There is a stew I like to make.” I hadn’t intended to tell her about the glisten-fish, but my mouth moved of its own accord. “The glisten-fish in the stream.” I gestured behind us, toward the glade we had left behind. “When put in a stew with jokal grass and ikquo peppers, it bursts across the tongue with great flavor. If the Goddesses would aid me in my quest, I would prepare this stew for you, Pattee.” I looked up at the Shegoshel and frowned.