“So, you don’t know if— What do you mean, two months ago?” Her body went slack, and she fumbled the cub, who released a loud yowl.
D’rama gave her a concerned look. “It has been… sixty-seven days since you left. This is two of your months, yes?” She twisted to the pitcher and cups sitting beside her on a low side table and filled one, passing it to Blue.
She gulped the water down. “It’s a little longer, but yeah, basically,” she said, dazed and clutching the cup in her free hand. It had been a year for her and Forrest, now D’rama was saying they’d only been gone for a little over two months? How was that possible? When the Ministry had sent them home, they’d manipulated the time factor, but it was supposed to be an advanced technique. She definitely hadn’t anticipated something like this.
“Wow. So. Huh.” Forrest wasn’t any more articulate than Blue’s thoughts.
Just then, two women entered, carrying trays. One held small bladders of some liquid, the other held three bowls of stew and fresh bread.
Mmmm… stew. Well aware she was avoiding thoughts of time, space, and science, Blue tore off a chunk of bread and stuffed it in her mouth. Niggling thoughts of hunger drove her to take another bite before she realized it was not her own hunger, but the cubs’. Garfield let out another cry, punctuating his distress.
“Are those for the little guys?” she asked, her gaze sliding to the bladders. D’rama nodded, and Blue reached for one. On one end was a small nipple. It looked like rubber but softer—some sort of washable leather?
She held it before Garfield’s mouth, and he latched on, suckling. Forrest did the same for Sylvester, and the tent fell into silence, broken by the occasional mewl from a cub or the clink of a spoon against a stone bowl as D’rama ate her own dinner.
Eventually the cubs were satisfied, and Blue was able to eat her own food. It had cooled off some but was still wonderful, just as she remembered it. The meat was fall-apart tender, and the vegetables not too mushy. Why did the stew on Karran taste so much better than on Earth?
She looked down at the sleeping cub and stroked a gentle finger over the soft fur of his nose. She remembered Pats, her old cat. This little guy would be nothing like her, and already he was filling a hole she didn’t know she had in her.
Who knew?
“It is curious that they are so well behaved for you two. Most cubs found are not able to bond with another. We usually have to leave them where they are. It is surprising Mo’ran even allowed you to try.” D’rama took a sip of her water, her gaze on the small piquet.
Blue blushed. “We—I didn't really give him a chance.”
She chuckled. “I see. And the young man here let you go after such a dangerous animal?”
Forrest stiffened beside her. “Blue can take care of herself. Plus, we weren't in any danger just then.”
“Hmmm...” The woman took another sip of her water, then set the cup aside. “You may be able to tell by now that the piquet can be… different.”
Blue dipped her head in a nod, wary at D’rama’s cautious tone.
“It would be best if no one learned of this. The piquet can be dangerous in the wrong hands, as our history has proven. I would rather that remain in our history.”
Blue sighed, torn between calling the woman out for her cryptic statements and simply letting it go… for now. As the matriarch, D’rama was probably used to her “suggestions” being followed.
Forrest took the dilemma out of her hands. “What does that even mean?” He placed Sylvester in his lap but kept one hand over him protectively.
D’rama pinned him with a glare. “It means that this world is filled with a past you do not know and do not understand, and it is too long for me to tell you, young man.”
Well now, that was a little much. “Yes,” Blue said. “However, could you summarize for us?” Tact, Blue, tact. “I can probably get the whole from Mo’ata, or even Mo’ran, later.” Or, no tact.
She raised a brow. “Perhaps.” She looked at Garfield again, just as he let out a small sneeze in his sleep. “It is not something ever shared with outsiders. Even then, few in the clans know the full truth.”
A small stab of disappointment hit Blue. What did she expect, just showing up like this? Ta-da! I am here; tell me all your secrets. No, not likely.
“But,” D’rama continued. “You are not truly an outsider, are you? Not if you have bonded.” Her eyes went distant, and her gaze seemed to lock on something over Blue’s shoulder. “It was a dark time for the clans. And it was long before the Alliance or the Ministry. For the rest of Karran, it may as well have never happened. We were at war with the clans of the north. Both sides used the creatures as battle animals. But it was not an honorable practice.” She met Blue’s gaze. “To train them, to bond with them, hunters would kill the mothers and steal the cubs. The bond is usually only successful with a first imprint.”
“Just like what we did,” Blue whispered, appalled. “If I had known…”
D’rama snorted. “‘If I had known’ is the excuse of the young and of fools. But in this case, you were correct in your actions. If it really was a juvenile with her first litter, it is unlikely there was a pack nearby. Those young ones would have died.”
Blue stroked her finger along the silky edge of Garfield’s ear. “They don’t seem so savage. I mean, the mother, deadly, yes—the claws on her were terrifying. But these guys’ thoughts… or feelings—I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but they’re almost… gentle.”
“And this was the problem. They can be ruthless in defense of their young, their mates, or their pack. But they did not kill indiscriminately. Then they were twisted, taught to kill for the sake of blood.” The woman slid her eyes closed and took in a shaky breath. “Eventually, only a handful remained in the wild. The rest were being bred for battle, for savageness, and it destroyed them.”
“The rest of Karran doesn’t know about the bond,” Forrest breathed out. “You’re afraid if they did, then the piquet would be used again. But are there even wars on Karran? We weren’t here long, but I got the impression the Alliance worlds were at peace.”
“Again, you show your youth. Is the Alliance at war? No. But struggles for dominance and power are always ongoing. Who is to say that these animals would not be a tipping point for some ambitious or unscrupulous person? There are also worlds that are not part of the Alliance.”
Blue’s thoughts skipped to Phillip and the crystals she’d handed over to Levi. She still didn’t know exactly how they worked, but she’d pieced together some of it based on what Phe had told her and what she’d seen herself. These were also not something anyone wanted out in the world being used indiscriminately.
Was “figure out politics” too general an item to go on her list?
“What if someone finds out, though? How do you know no one will tell?” Like someone did with the crystals, she finished silently.
A sly smile. “The best kept secret is one which does not exist. There have always been rumors of the savage piquet and the primitive clansmen who choose to live so close to them.”
Forrest gaped at her then laughed, loud and long. Sylvester let out a grumbling peep from his lap. When he recovered he stared in admiration at the matriarch. “It’s why you turned your backs on technology. You, all of you, created this… illusion.”
Could that be true? The still present smile on D’rama’s face told Blue it was. “Talk about convoluted,” she said.
“Oh, it is not all for that reason. But yes, protection of the creatures in our area is a large part of the… motivation for our chosen way of life.” She looked again at Garfield. “May I?” The slightly wistful tone had Blue gently passing the cub over.
“Wait. Creatures?” Forrest asked.
This time Blue was the one to make the connection. “The quorin. They choose their riders. Mo’ata mentioned a bond once…”
“Yes.”
“But the connection isn’t as deep as the one with a piqu
et.”
“No.”
This was a lot to take in for one day. Blue had a feeling there would be many more days just like this one. “Okay. Next time someone says something is complicated, I’m going to roll with it. Why is the whole damn universe so complicated?”
Her frustration and weariness must have leaked through. D’rama handed the cub back over and rose. “You have traveled far today, and you must be tired. It will be at least a few days until my son can be found and informed of your presence. We will have many more opportunities to talk.”
Blue and Forrest rose as well. The Mamanna called out, and a guard entered. She spoke to him, their native language like their accents, musical and harsh at the same time. Then she switched back to English. “Di’man and T’ram will host you for the next few days. He will show you now to the tent, and then you will be able to get clean and rest.” Stepping closer, she placed a light kiss on Blue’s cheek. Then she moved to Forrest and looked up at him expectantly until he lowered his head. She kissed his cheek as well and stepped back. “We will talk more tomorrow.”
It was a clear dismissal. Blue wondered what had happened to Mo’ran, why he wasn’t escorting them, but the day had caught up with her, and all she wanted was, as D’rama had said, to get clean and rest. They followed Di’man from the matriarch’s tent and toward a small grouping of medium-sized tents at one end of the camp. The sun must have set while they were with the matriarch. Long shadows were broken by oil lamps and fires dotted through the camp.
A screaming cry tore through the night, followed by a crash of wood and pounding hooves. She tensed, her heart pounding, and clutched the cub to her, searching for a place to hide. What new creature was this?
Forrest grabbed her arm and pulled her between two tents when the creature came into view. It had a dark coat, allowing it to blend into the shadows. It galloped toward them and came to a crashing halt, twisting to face her.
“Beast?” she whispered, then laughed. “Beast!” She launched herself at the devil-mount and wrapped her arms around his neck, waking Garfield. The cub let out a small yowl.
Beast startled back and eyed the bundle in her arms. He slowly stretched his neck until he nudged the sweater with his nose. Garfield let out another mewl, and Beast cocked his head. Blue stared, fascinated by this meeting. Curiosity and… a sense of welcome came to her. She didn’t know who it was from or who it was for.
Garfield’s little paw made its way out of the folds of the sweater and waved in the air. Beast sniffed at it once then snorted and shook his head, sending his mane flying. Then he turned his attention to Blue, sniffing her all over, lipping at her hair. He moved to her, draping his neck over her shoulder and twisting, pulling her into the best beast-mount hug ever. “I missed you too,” she whispered as tears gathered in her eyes.
At her words he pulled away and snorted again. She was sure she saw an eye roll in there as well. He sniffed the cub one more time and turned, flicking his tail at her as he walked away.
Clansmen and women had gathered, staring wide-mouthed at the reunion. Two men, panting hard at the edge of the path, glared at Beast as he trotted back to the corral. He, of course, ignored them.
Blue laughed, becoming aware of the wide grin stretching across what must be most of her face.
“Damn,” Forrest said beside her, draping an arm over her shoulders. “I need a Beast.”
“Find your own. That one’s mine.”
A throat cleared next to them. Di’man stood there, disapproval and a new wariness reflected in his tight expression.
Yay! Gotta love making a spectacle of myself. She sighed as they continued to follow the clansman to a tent on the outskirts of the camp. They probably think I’m their doom made flesh or something. The thought was so ridiculous she laughed, which drew even more strange looks.
“This is pretty different from last time, huh? It feels weird—even more awkward, like we’re interlopers.” Forrest kept his voice low.
“Yeah, like when we were here last time, it was an accident, so it was okay. Now, when we’ve come deliberately…”
“Like the tourist who decides to move to the small town.”
Di’man twisted around to look at them, even as he kept walking. Two women passing them on the path stared at the still mostly wrapped in cloth cubs, barely glancing at Blue and Forrest.
“Or it’s the cubs,” Blue said.
“Are you—” Forest broke off when Di’man stopped in front of a tent with one flap pulled open. Colored streamers of red and orange hung to one side of the entrance along with a decorated panel, designs in green, red, and orange standing out. Looking around, Blue noted that all the tents in this section had a similar panel, some with three colors, some four, others only two. The designs were each different as well, a unique one for each tent.
A woman ducked out, a pile of clothing clutched to her chest. It was the same woman from earlier, the one who had snubbed Mo’ran. Di’man spoke to her, and she nodded, waving Forrest and Blue into the tent.
“I welcome you. I am T'ram. I do not speak well of the English. My prida know more, but Di’man go and other not here now. Please, sit.” She gestured to a table where five chairs were gathered, setting aside the pile of clothes. As with the Mamanna’s tent, this one was separated into sections with cloth partitions.
“Thank you,” Blue said. “Actually, we've… had a tiring day.” Understatement Blue? “It would be great if we could clean up and then get settled for the night, if you don’t mind?”
T'ram nodded and gestured for them to follow her back to another section of the tent. Their packs lay near the cot. “You stay here for night. Is Fo’tan’s area, but gone for few more days. Patrol. Stay, I will bring clothes and show you baths.”
Blue watched the woman walk away, speculative. She wanted to ask her about Mo’ran later. Something felt off.
An hour later, Blue, Forrest, and the two cubs were clean. It was an interesting experience, trying to get the little devils to stay in the water long enough to get washed. The clothes T’ram had brought were damp pretty much everywhere now.
They now sat before a small fire that had been lit in an area behind T’ram’s tent and was shared with five others. It created a cozy courtyard and a bit of privacy. The little guys were asleep again, having worn themselves out. Blue chuckled as she watched Garfield let out little wheezing snores while Sylvester snuggled against him.
“Forrest,” Blue said, drawing his attention from where he was warming his hands. “I think we need to rename Sylvester. I couldn’t really tell, but I think he’s a girl.”
“Nothing wrong with Sylvester. It stays Sylvester.” Forrest mock-pouted in her direction.
“Sylvie.”
“No.”
“Vivi?”
Forrest hesitated. “Maybe.”
She laughed. They’d been here not even one day, but they’d already acquired two of the cutest creatures ever. Oh, and had their understanding of the clans twisted and turned upside down, but if she thought about it, that was to be expected.
The bath had refreshed her, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to get to sleep now. They were here. And she would, hopefully, get to see Mo’ata soon. She studied Forrest from the side of her eye, and that little, wiggling, disgusting, slug of doubt stirred. Dammit, she would make this work. Don’t borrow trouble. She couldn’t remember where she’d heard that saying, but it seemed appropriate now.
A shadow fell over where the cubs lay. She looked up, mildly surprised to see Mo’ran. He sat beside her, keeping his gaze on the piquet.
“Hey,” she said.
“You okay, man?” Forrest asked, leaning forward to peer around Blue.
He pulled his shoulders back. “I must not stay long, but I thought you would want to know that we were able to reach Mo’ata. He, Levi, and Felix were on their way to the northern regions but will detour here first. They are about three days out.”
Blue grabbed his arm. “Really
?”
He patted her hand and met her gaze, finally. “Yes, really.” A grin played on his lips. “It was an interesting conversation. When I told him a certain girl with blue hair had shown up in piquet territory—”
“You didn’t!”
“— I thought at first the comm had shut off. But no, he had choked. Felix had to beat the air back into him.”
Elation and anticipation filled her, and her heart pounded. He was so close.
On her other side, Forrest chuckled. “That’s Blue. Making all the guys choke. On nothing. Just because,” he teased, but there was a slight tension to it.
“You okay?”
“I’m okay. Don’t worry, I’ll cry coconut if I need to. I’m just…” He trailed off.
She suppressed a smile at the reference to their neediness-words. They hadn’t been using them much for the last few months. “You’re worried about how this all works?”
“Something like that.”
Mo’ran, forgotten in that moment, cleared his throat then scrambled to his feet. “T’ram.” His voice held a note that just about broke her heart and magnified the wiggle-slug of doubt.
“Mo—” T’ram’s voice caught. “Mo’ran.” The rest of her words were in the clan tongue, but there was something…
A sheen of tears in the woman’s eyes, soon blinked away, reminded Blue of her sense that something was off between the two.
“Blue.” Mo’ran broke into her musings. “I will see you and Forrest tomorrow. I heard that your Beast… made known his opinion on your absence. So we will be sure to see him early.”
She and Forrest called out good night to him as he strode away, threading between the tents. T’ram also looked after him, her expression hard.
Suddenly it was all too much. The piquet, the time warp, Phillip and the crystal’s continued elusiveness, worry over her relationships with Forrest and Mo’ata. Now Mo’ran and T’ram. Blue stood. If this woman was playing with her friend, she wouldn’t for much longer. Placing herself squarely in front of the other woman, she crossed her arms, tilting her head back to meet T’ram’s dark eyes. “What are you playing at?”
Beyond Blue Frontiers Page 4
