by Calista Skye
I gulp it down and help myself to more of it while Dar'ax busies himself with his various sacks. One of them in particular intrigues me. It's large and round, and it seems to contain something big and heavy. He treats it very carefully without doing anything other than just peering inside before he hangs it back on its branch.
He moves with quick and practiced movements, and within ten minutes he's erected a large, furry tent and built a fire beside it. This time he lights it himself, which is just as well. The sun is setting, and I don't know how effective my glasses would be for lighting fires right now.
As he works I glance at him and can't help admiring his movements and his obvious strength. He's totally in his element here, confident and fast. I notice that he does the same thing I've seen Jax'zan and Ar'ox do: looking around at short intervals, just to check for danger in this very deadly jungle. It reassures me, somehow. He doesn't need the dino to be competent, like a weak guy who's only tough safely behind the steering wheel of his SUV. No, this guy is strong anywhere in this jungle.
He's very serious, though. The two other cavemen I've met will behave much like Earth men when they do things like this, chatting and joking and even humming tunelessly. But Dar'ax doesn't do any of those things.
I take a deep breath and relax, knowing that I'm safe. Watching the caveman do his thing takes my mind off the sad thoughts I just had, and I wonder if that was his intention.
I take another sip of the brew and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. No, he can't possibly know what I was thinking. He's never had a family. This is a planet with only males. Their children come from strange plants called Lifegivers, and they don't have siblings or mothers. Only a biological father, who usually doesn't have a strong relationship with the boy he's sired and who is pretty much his clone.
Our camp made, Dar'ax finally sits down and dives into his bag that contains food. Again he hands me a leaf with a selection of the foods he's got.
And this time I give him a little smile when I accept it. “Thank you.”
His yellow eyes flicker, but his serious expression doesn't change. Somehow that reassures me. He's his own man, reserved and withdrawn. He won't burst out in song and dance just because a chick smiles at him. But still, I'd like to break through that shell.
We munch on the food, and now I can feel a familiar buzz spreading. Yep, that fruit juice of his definitely contains booze. I know some girls back on Bune who'd love to get a sip of that.
As usual, it makes me chatty. “Where Dar'ax come from?”
He raises his hand and points across the river. “Four days in that direction.”
“Is far. Tribe is there?”
He looks away. “Deh.”
Ah. There was some soreness in that 'no'. Maybe ... “Dar'ax is outcast?”
After all, both Jax'zan and Ar'ox were cast out of their tribes when they chose their mates over their tribes.
“Deh!” His eyes flash in anger and I reflexively pull my legs closer. I suppose suggesting someone is an outcast could be seen as an insult. After all, the cavemen consider it one of the worst things that can happen to them, and it's probably connected to pretty serious shame. Damn his booze!
“Okay. Okay. Fine. I see. Didn't mean to ... sorry.”
He won't understand the words, but my apologetic tone shouldn't need any translation.
He takes another bite of his breadfruit and looks away again. “There is no tribe.”
Ah. Well, I'm not going to pursue that line of questioning right now. It's plainly a sensitive topic for him, and I'm supposed to be miffed that he kidnapped me. I don't want to get too personal just yet.
And still, I long to know more about him. There has to be something behind that stony face.
No tribe, huh. “Where you take Heidi?”
He stares into the fire and doesn't reply.
Doesn't he have a plan? Or does he think he can roam around this jungle planet on his dino with me as a starry-eyed groupie forever? Sure, that does have some appeal, like permanent RV-ing. But it seems like it would be a rootless and difficult life, despite the cool ride he has.
I decide to try something else. “Dar'ax take Heidi to Bune and friends. Be Dar'ax tribe. Very nice tribe and have women and food. Also make swords.” I have no idea what 'smithy' or 'forge' is in cavemanese, but Ar'ox and Jax'zan enjoy making iron weapons and tools, so I can only assume that it's attractive to any caveman.
But not to this one, I guess. “Dar'ax has no tribe.”
“Dar'ax not want tribe, Heidi think.”
He just shrugs. But I'm not done.
“Dar'ax has no tribe. Where Dar'ax take Heidi?”
9
- Dar'ax -
She looks at me with those mysterious, dark eyes behind the sparkly pebbles, looking so womanly stunning that ... well, it stuns me. She pulls one hank of silky hair behind her ear in a movement that seems to me heartbreakingly womanly and charming.
And I don't know what to answer. It's an obvious question to ask, an innocent question.
I don't know exactly where I'll take her. Wherever my mission leads me, I suppose. I just know that I will fulfill my mission. And that I can't bear the thought of being apart from Heidi.
It's hard to reconcile those two thoughts in my mind. The mission is my only purpose. But the more time I spend with this wondrous being, the more painful it seems to not have her with me at all times. She changes my world just by being close to me. The sun seems warmer, the colors of the jungle brighter. The night air more balmy, the scent of the jungle milder and less noxious. Even Gerk seems calmer and more pliant when she's riding on him with me.
I look up at the stars, avoiding her quizzical gaze. She's so beautiful it hurts to look at her for long. And it creates such a pressure in my loins.
“Where does Heidi come from?” If she can ask questions, then so can I.
“From the ...” She points up.
“From the sky?”
“Yes, from the ...” She jabs her finger up, as if to point at something specific.
“From the stars?” It wouldn't surprise me.
She juts her chin out. “Yes. From the stars. Far star.”
It makes sense that she comes from the stars. Mythical beings come from there. And the cruel Plood, of course. I remember shaman Sai'ex trying to teach us about the events when the women were taken from us, and how they would return someday. I never put much stock in it, and I see no reason to do so now. Heidi is a woman, that's obvious. But it's also obvious that she's not one of our own women returning. If she were, she would speak our language. She would look more like me. Our women had stripes, I think, but she clearly doesn't.
But I suppose I could just ask her. “Are you a Xren woman who's returned?”
“Deh. Heidi come from other star. Urt. Not Xren.”
I taste the word. “Urt.”
“Urth,” she repeats. “Taken. Plood.”
I focus on her. “You were taken from your own world by the Plood?”
“Toh. Heidi taken. And other women. Taken Xren.”
“The Plood took you from Urt and placed you here on Xren?”
“Toh.”
That seems possible. The Plood took our women. It would make sense that they'd also take the women of other planets. And they dumped Heidi and her friends here. Is it the Plood's way of making amends? Giving us other women instead of our own? Maybe they placed our women on another planet.
“Are there Xren women on Urt?”
“Deh. None see Plood before. One night, Heidi taken and other women taken.”
I don't know what to say to that, so I stand up to check for predators. The fire will both attract and repel them. And of course they know that Gerk is close by, so they will be jittery. I usually let him roam free whenever I'm not riding him. He's a mighty kronk, and I both fear and respect him. It feels right that he should have a taste of freedom regularly, every day. I don't want a majestic creature like him to be a slave.
&nb
sp; Of course I don't think he's capable of being a friend, exactly, but the way I tamed him is supposed to attach him to me in a way that he'll understand. It's a brutal thing to do, but sometimes it's necessary. I show my respect and appreciation by not overtaxing him and by giving him a fair chance, after each time I ride him, to bite my head off. So far, he hasn't done it.
I can see a pack of deadbites at the edge of the clearing we're in, but that doesn't bother me. They won't attack at night. Probably that's their usual resting spot.
The stars twinkle above us, and it looks as if the night will be a welcome relief from the rainy season. The Plood topic is interesting enough, and if I had a tribe and no urgent mission, then I would probably ponder it more. As it is, I can't let it distract me.
I notice Heidi yawning, and that simple act sends heat and affection through me. I sense that she has lost much, and I'm starting to feel a kinship with her.
Of course that's a ridiculous idea. We can only be truly close to those who are similar to ourselves, those who can handle themselves well in the deadly woods, those who you can fight alongside and who can be relied on. Heidi can only be relied on to run straight into the jaws of manbanes.
She gets up and goes behind a little bush, and I look the other way, across the river. My mission is there, and hopefully I can soon fulfill it.
I check on the special bag I've hung on the tree. It's about ready. A few more days only, I judge. When the time comes, I'll have to be quick. I grin to myself as I close the bag again. Nobody has ever tried anything like this. It will probably kill me. But if it works, then it'll be glorious.
Heidi walks over to the tent and looks inside. My crotch twitches by itself from the sight of her movements. Those wide hips, that fleshy behind, the full chest, the slender calves ... how can someone so different affect me so much? And confuse me so much at the same time? I have no time to deal with her and bring her along. And yet, that's what I'll do. Because she is so clearly mine.
I walk over to her. “Heidi wants to sleep?”
She looks up at me with what I can only guess is doubt. “Dar'ax sleep, also? Only sleep?”
I don't understand what she means. Only sleep? Certainly there are other things I long to do, such as Worship her the way the shaman taught us. But that was for another time and for other men. Not for tribeless, dishonored warriors on a mission.
“Toh,” I confirm. “Dar'ax will sleep, too.”
“Okay,” she says in her alien way.
She goes into the tent. “Is nice!”
It's a pretty large tent, because I can load it on Gerk and I don't have to carry it around.
“It serves its purpose,” I agree and go in after her, having extinguished the fire and checked that there are no predators nearby.
She lies down among the furs and pulls a skin over her, all the way up to her chin, obscuring my view of her extremely enticing shape.
Very well. I lie down too, on the other side of the tent. 'Only sleep', she said. Certainly.
I listen to her quick breathing and enjoy the scent of her filling the space in my old tent that I've had since I was a boy. If back then I'd known that there would ever be a woman in here, I would have exploded with excitement. It's an excitement that I feel even now. But I must remember that only the mission matters.
“Dar'ax.” It's a half whisper, as if she's afraid of waking me up.
I open my eyes. “Hm?”
“Dar'ax not know why take Heidi?”
Holy Ancestors! It's like she can see my soul and everything in it.
10
- Heidi -
He thinks for a little while, and right when I'm starting to think that he's brushing me off without an answer again, he takes a deep breath.
“Toh. I don't know why.”
That's what I thought. He doesn't have a tribe, he's not trying to mate with me and he's not even tried to do what the caveman call 'worship'. So it's getting obvious that he has no plan for this. He just saw a woman, the first he's ever seen, and when he got the chance, he took me. Totally on impulse.
And don't you know it, that makes me feel a lot better. It's gradually become clear that he's not planning to hurt me or sacrifice me or give me to his tribe to use as a sex slave or feed me to his T. Rex. The last thing I was worried about was that he'd force himself on me, but he's lying so far away from me that I'm almost disappointed that he's not trying anything at all.
Of course this tent we're in isn't the only one around. I've seen the one he's been pitching in his kilt all day long, and it's not much smaller than this one, so I know he likes what he sees. But he's a stubborn dude, and I can tell he's far too proud to force himself on anyone.
Something gives way inside me. He doesn't want to hurt me at all. He's confused about why he took me, and he obviously has some difficult things going on in his heart. Still he's passionate enough to abduct me, even if he doesn't know why. And now he's keeping his distance, like any good man would.
I can learn to like a guy like that. Heck, I like him right now. And it's totally weird: the relief that he's not going to force himself on me makes me kind of want to force myself on him. Or at least get closer to him. He's three feet away, and right now, that seems unnecessarily far to me. I think the alcoholic drink he gave me helps make me braver, too.
I take off my glasses, fold them and place them at the tent's inner wall. Then I innocently turn over under the clean-smelling animal skin, so that I get closer to him. I could easily reach out and touch him now, and I can feel his dry, manly scent.
He stirs, but doesn't move much. And his breath is calm and deep.
Shit, he's asleep. Maybe that's just as well. Because I have fantasies now about seducing a big, strong and confident caveman in a tent on a jurassic planet, and it's such a primal and hot vision that it's suddenly tingle city downstairs. It'd be such a pleasure showing him how it's done, this super-attractive caveman who's never seen a woman before.
Okay, maybe later. I'm sure there will be time. He has no tribe. But I'm absolutely going to recruit him to ours. We can move back to the cave, even, because now we know that there's no roving band out to get us. It's just one lonesome caveman. And we'd never have to worry about other tribes again. Because this guy controls what has to be the mightiest weapon on the planet: a freaking T. Rex.
As I give in to the drowsiness, I briefly entertain one thought: Back on Earth, I'd never be this forward. But this is Xren, the most lethal place I've ever been. And somehow the constant threat of death brings out the life in me. As it does in all of us girls. We've talked about it, too. We're much more spontaneous now, more appreciative of every good moment we're allowed to experience. Yes, we miss Earth and our families. But when danger lurks behind every tree and every cloud, we embrace life like never before.
And that feels pretty good.
Sometimes.
- - -
I wake up and Dar'ax is nowhere to be seen, but I can hear the crackle from a fire outside. I carefully stick my head out of the tent. The caveman might be less dangerous than I thought in the beginning, but I don't trust this planet further than I can throw it.
He's there, sitting calmly on the ground and watching the pot of tea on the fire.
Seeing Dar'ax calms my recently awakened nerves and makes me feel safe again. It's a luxury I haven't been too conscious of before. On Earth I almost always felt safe. On Xren I haven't felt safe until I met Dar'ax. Emilia talked about only feeling safe with Ar'ox, and now I feel it, too.
“Good morning,” I say and sit down beside him. “Dar'ax up early.” There's light on the horizon, but the sun hasn't risen yet.
“Heidi is also up early,” he observes and pours me a cup of the tea.
I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and sip the piping hot brew. It's not coffee, but it works for me.
Dar'ax gives me another leaf of food, and I can tell he's paid attention to what I've eaten before, because there's more of the breadfruit and the jam and less of
the cold cuts. That little gesture warms my heart, and this time I allow my smile to widen. “Thank you.”
We eat quietly, Dar'ax standing up, always looking around. I'm determined to get him to talk more today. About where he's taking me, for one thing. But first I want to freshen up.
The riverbank is very close, and the water looks clear and calm enough for me to want a little dip. Running water seems to be the one part of this jungle that doesn't contain all kinds of terrible monsters, and I think it will rain today, so if I'm going to take a bath, I'd like to get it done before then.
I finish eating and stand up. “Heidi want ... hm. Water. Walk in water.” I don't know his word for 'bath' or 'swim', so I make diving and swimming motions with my hands, pointing to the river. “Is danger?”
He gazes over to the bank. “A bath? The water is usually safe, but it could be deep. There'll be a current deeper down.”
A flash of inspiration hits me. “Then Dar'ax keep Heidi safe.”
We lock eyes again, and I find that I have no great problems withstanding the intensity in his gaze.
Finally he juts his chin out. “Toh. But quick. The woods are quiet today.”
That sounds good to me, but he seems to think it's bad. “That is bad? Danger?”
He looks around more, frowning. “Could be bad.”
Then he relaxes and walks over to the river, peering into the water as if expecting there to be all kinds of sharks and girl-eating jellyfish. “I will stay close.”
“Okay.” Well, I don't know how to do this in a modest way, so I pull my dress over my head and place it on a rock. And I suppose I could swim in my underwear, but it's been raining a lot lately and I know the stiff fabric gets itchy and gives me rashes when it's wet. So I quickly take all of that off, too.
I notice Dar'ax's double take when he sees me totally naked, and his gaze lingers on my chest and crotch. It's an invasive look, but in a weird and hot way I welcome that invasion right now.
I see no reason to try to hide myself, either, and that's actually pretty refreshing. I've always been conscious about my weight. I have an ample rear, and my stomach is perhaps not quite as toned as I'd like. But to Dar'ax, I'm the only woman he's seen, so he really can't be that picky. Also, the vulnerability of being naked in front of this huge and spectacular caveman while he stares sends a hot tingle to my pussy. To him, I don't think I seem that big.
