To Catch A Warrior [Unearthly World Book 5]

by C. L. Scholey

  Zabbie spun around when a bunch of warriors roared in anger. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw four of the warriors covered in a pink dripping substance. A number of the fruit had simply fallen from the branches and all four warriors were saturated. Cy was scowling at her. A blob of pink jelly sat perched on his head.

  “Well don’t blame me,” Zabbie said. “One of you must have touched the tree. When the fruit is that ripe it doesn’t take much for it to fall. Simply walking under it could have caused it with all of your big clomping feet. I told you to follow me.”

  “How the hell do we get this shit off?” Cy demanded. He shook his head in disgust sending a few warriors fleeing from the dye.

  “It has to wear off.”

  “Damn it, I look like an overgrown Earth pink poodle,” Cy bellowed. “We all do.”

  “Franken poodles,” Zabbie whispered and rolled her eyes.

  Zabbie turned and hid a laugh behind her hand. The warriors looked ridiculous covered in patches of pink. The other warriors had turned their attention from Zabbie to the other four. Titus was doing some ribbing of his own, telling Cy he’d have to find him a cute little bow for his hair, maybe the human females would like this dye bottled for their fingernails. Cy could give them a glimpse of the shade. After the initial ribbing, their voices quieted to a few seething grumbles.

  The area they travelled was beautiful, lush foliage, brilliant colors. Small animals skittered into holes chattering at their intrusion. The flat ground tapered to a slope. Zabbie crept up the side of a hill and motioned for the warriors to be quiet. All on their hands and knees they surrounded Zabbie. The scene beneath them was tranquil. Huge shaggy ebony shadow beasts were bathing.

  In a hushed voice Zabbie explained what she wanted. “Those are shadow beasts. All the ones bathing are female and their young. See that massive one at the water’s edge? The only one with the stripe of white on its back. He’s the herd’s male. We don’t want to mess with him or his herd. Now over there are other males just waiting to pounce if they even think they could beat the herd leader. So if we go after one of them, the herd male won’t care and he won’t interfere and neither will the other males. It’s every male shadow beast for himself when it comes to survival.”

  “We should go after the male leader. He’s the only one worthy of a Zargonnii warrior,” Cy said in a scoffing tone.

  “No. We need one of the smaller males, it’s safer,” Zabbie insisted.

  “The larger male will give us more meat for the humans. I’m a Zargonnii warrior; I don’t need a safer route. We won’t let it hurt you, female,” Cy argued.

  “You won’t get near him,” Zabbie said her frustration rising. “It’s not me I’m worried about. If you attack, so will the other males looking to mate, maybe with an underage female, it would be chaos, the mother females will freak.”

  “Titus, are we going to let a human female tell us how to hunt? She can stay and watch how a warrior hunts from the sidelines where she won’t be injured,” Cy complained.

  “She appears to know what she’s talking about. Zabbie have you hunted these beasts before?” Titus asked.

  “Many times. A lone shadow beast will be enough of a battle without asking for trouble. I know where the spear needs to find its mark.”

  “It’s better to hunt if the tribe is confused. We need to rattle them so they panic and run,” another warrior said.

  “Tane’s right,” Cy said. “It will be easier to go after all to make certain we get one. Not corner one single one and hope for the best.”

  “These aren’t buffalo,” Zabbie snapped. “You’re not shooting fish in a barrel. Don’t let their lumbering movements deceive you. They think and work as a family unit. If you go after any of the young, even to scatter them, it’s their mothers you need to worry about. The male will laugh his ass off at you while your dumb ass is shredded.”

  Cy and another snorted with contempt and glared at her. Too late Zabbie realized she’d bruised their egos. She saw the look on Cy’s face. Bellowing war cries rent the air, four of the warriors leaped to their feet and took off, startling the herd. All the shaggy beasts turned to watch the warriors’ loud approach. Zabbie jumped to her feet howling.

  “Titus, they’ll be killed. They don’t understand what they’re dealing with.”

  Too late, the warriors realized Zabbie spoke the truth. All four warriors stopped in their tracks watching the metamorphosis take place. None of their prey turned tail and ran just like Zabbie predicted. The lumbering shaggy eight foot high beasts spun into action sensing the threat to their young. Glowing white eyes appeared as the fur from their heads peeled back and down their necks to reveal black bald faces with hanging skin that flapped while the mothers exited the water. The herd male stood back keeping the young offspring in the water while the mothers attacked.

  Zabbie heard Titus swear. The six lone male shadow beasts turned tail and ran. Thirty angry females charged the warriors. All males stood their ground, they were warriors. Idiot males and their pride. Zabbie didn’t hesitate. She raced to the warriors with her hands held out. Titus was bellowing for her to stop. His bellowing grew frantic when Zabbie outdistanced him. Zabbie ducked between the warriors to stand in front of them. She heard Cy yell for her to get behind him but she ignored him.

  The first and largest female leading the herd pounded the ground, stampeding toward Zabbie. Reaching her, the beast stopped a hairsbreadth from her outstretched hand, her hooved feet clumping mounds of dirt and grass in front of her, sending bits to spatter her ankles and calves. The beast stomped an angry hoof and tossed its head. The roar of fury gave Zabbie goose bumps. Zabbie could feel her heart pounding the noise, thump thump, ricochet in her head. White glowing eyes blazed, when the beast snorted smoke flew from its nose. The shadow beasts roared in unison sending a blast of air to ruffle Zabbie’s shirt. The beast’s teeth weren’t razor sharp, it was an herbivore. The five inch high rowed square teeth were no less impressive and could sever a limb.

  “Back away,” Zabbie said to the warriors, her tone quiet, even.

  “I’m not leaving you here,” she heard Titus answer. His words were deep, guttural, primal, filled with anger and worry.

  “You are all male. You smell like a threat. These are peaceful creatures until you threaten a female or their offspring. I’m female. I’m no threat. Please, back away.”

  “Zabbie,” Titus said.

  “Go now. Every second you stand there makes this situation worse. The male is getting angry because he can smell you’re male. You’re lucky he hasn’t already attacked.”

  Zabbie cast her glance for a second at the leader shadow beast. He was stomping and roaring. Just a little more time big boy. She heard the rustling of footsteps behind her. Chancing a glance back she watched the warriors retreat, Titus the last and looking none too happy.

  The females, all thirty who had formed a line of defense noticeably relaxed. Their saggy skinned faces became covered once more as their fur slipped back into place. All turned and lumbered back to the water. The leader of the herd wasn’t as subtle. He reared and stomped, he’d had enough; he was ready to charge. It was time to leave. Zabbie spun on her heels and headed for Cy. Striding up to the pink embarrassed warrior, she poked a finger into his blotchy dyed chest.

  “You chased off all the other males. It could be days before they come back. There are no other animals we can hunt that has the thick fur I need. These creatures don’t mind the ice and snow. Their little ones love to play in the blizzards. The males could have gone into the winter to hide. I may have lost my only chance, you dolt. Damn it, I lived here. Listen to me next time.”

  With her shoulders ramrod straight, Zabbie marched back up the hill seething.

  * * * *

  Titus spun on his warriors in fury. “You put my mate in danger.” A few eyebrows rose in surprise. “Yes, my mate. I’ve been too preoccupied to say anything. You look like a bunch of damned pink fools who no doubt owe a p
int-sized pixie—yes, I overheard your stupid comments—with your life. You realize she understands you, right? Dumb assess.”

  “Captain, I know you’re angry but first the Gorgano ship explodes, then the fruit falls on us and now a tiny human female saves us from a herd of monsters,” Cy said. “Something is going on.”

  Titus threw back his head and roared in anger. “All of it is easily explained. Anything could have made that ship explode. Zabbie is right, your big dumbass feet knocked the fruits down, and she is familiar with these beasts.”

  Zabbie was standing at the top of the hill, her back to them. She bent to retrieve the long pointed stick she had dropped in her mad dash to save his warriors. The idea would have been hilarious if Titus hadn’t almost lost his heart. He’d have to remember his female could run like a cyron was chasing her. He’d never encountered a faster female; she could outrun some of his warriors. She outran him. When he realized she was moving faster, he panicked. The human female was his mate, yes, he was still exploring his feelings for her, but they had only just met. When he thought he had run out of time to get to know her, it hurt his heart. Her courage could get her killed. She had the speed to back it up.

  How is that possible?

  Titus had Holidayed with many females, none he felt protective over. A Zargonnii female didn’t need him, they only wanted his seed. A warrior’s seed gave the female long life and a child. It was all the female wanted. Zabbie had no clue she would now have hundreds of years—with him. Not once had she mentioned a child. She Holidayed with him because she wanted to, there was no prize, unless she felt he was the prize. The idea was a revelation making him fill with pride. He’d have to keep an even closer eye on his fleet-footed female.

  “How did she beat you to us?” Cy asked. It appeared he had been pondering the same thing. “And I tried to reach her to drag her behind me but she was too fast for me. Not much of anything is too fast for either of us.”

  Titus glared at his friend. “I get it. Your ego is bruised.” He shook his head in disgust. “This has nothing to do with what you claim are her powers. It’s her prowess that irks you. A little female tells you how to hunt, then saves your sorry asses. Get over it. I told you she’s a little warrior; she’s had to be to survive.”

  “Her actions, though noble, are dangerous,” Cy said. His semi contrite tone eased some of Titus’s anger.

  “She told me she would live like she was dying,” Titus said and sighed.

  “If she’s lived like that for years you’ll have your hands full. She apparently can outrun you.”

  A few warriors snickered at Cy’s words.

  Titus raised his eyebrow at his men. “Well, there’s more than one way to catch a warrior.”

  A few fast steps and Titus was beside Zabbie. He grinned at her. “I can program my vessel to search for a male shadow beast. In the meantime we can return to the ship and eat. After a good night’s sleep you can teach us how to hunt shadow beasts and I guarantee you this time you will have our rapt attention. Even the pink Franken poodles.”

  Zabbie giggled. Titus heard a few grunts and growls but no real protests. Zabbie slipped her hand into his.

  “Can we spend the night on the planet, alone?” she asked.

  “That’s not safe,” Cy said as he marched up the hill followed by the others.

  “You can monitor us from the ship,” Titus said. He could see how Zabbie had her face tilted to the sun, trying to absorb the rays. He wondered if she felt the ship was too confining. Where she had spent the last year had no warmth, within the irony of a sun.

  “There will be a storm tonight,” Zabbie said. “I want to feel the warm rain water on my skin.”

  “What about shelter?” Cy demanded.

  Cy was grumbling under his breath and Titus knew he felt Zabbie was endangering them.

  A smile curled Zabbie’s lips. She tugged on Titus’s hand. “I know the perfect place. We had to abandon our home when the Tonans came. I also know of fruit we can eat, that won’t stain.”

  “Head back to the ship and we will see you in the morning,” Titus called to Cy. He saw Cy stiffen, then obey his command.

  Chapter 6

  Zabbie led Titus to the humans’ first home, after gathering the edible fruits she adored. She marveled they resembled the ones inside the sun planet. The couple ate while they walked in silence, juices dripping from their chins. The texture was the same as she remembered. The flavor was that much better when heated by a real sun and not a smoky fire.

  The trees on the summer side of the planet were massive with equally large branches. The gnarled dark chocolate wood of the tree the humans lived in was easy to step onto and walk up to another level twenty feet high. Zabbie explained the height was a little taller than the massive beast the humans were wary of. They didn’t want the creature poking its face in on them while they slept. The wood was smooth and warm under her bare feet, Zabbie had missed the feel. The humans went barefoot most of the time until they were forced to wear the furs.

  When she approached the long green vines hanging from the tree, she parted the heavy wall-like strands and stepped inside. The curtain closed behind Titus. Strands of light filtered in places where they had cut the thick vines for windows. The storms were brutal but hardly budged their vine wall and not much water found its way in. At one time, she viewed it as an impenetrable force field. How wrong she had been.

  Eerie silence greeted them as Zabbie stepped onto a huge round fur rug. Zabbie wasn’t surprised the shelter was still abandoned. She could envision everyone, where they stood, their certain gestures, their voices. Every individual greeted her in her mind with hellos. There had been a lot of laughter in this home, at one time. Aliens had taken everything from her; she supposed she should hate them all. Titus smiled at her in a sad way when she glanced up at him. She didn’t hate Titus, far from it. His hands brought her body to life. His rugged looks made her want to see what was on the outside, not create images within her mind. One by one the images faded out, each individual she took a last look at, until they were gone.

  Mismatched, odd-looking handmade furniture was scattered about. Wooden bowls lay on the ground. A lone wooden spoon was snapped in half. When the Tonans attacked it was a mad race to freedom. Their number had at one time totaled twenty. Three women were taken and five men slaughtered on that fateful day. Zabbie closed her eyes and heard the screaming, the yelling. She was one of the lucky ones. As she raced for her life in the dark, winter was suddenly before her. Frozen, unable to take another step, she gazed into the wall; the darkness reflected her harried frenzy. It was the first time her eyes were different, ancient. Loss and fear and the unknown did that to a person. There were good memories of winter as well, before the loss of life.

  The blizzard in winter’s area let up at times and for fun they went sledding. Smooth pieces of bark made fast sleighs. She never tired of snowball fights and snow people. As Zabbie up righted a table and ran her fingers across the top, her lips flickered into a small smile. She had loved the planet until death had come to their door.

  “Are you all right?” Titus asked.

  “I’ll be fine. So many memories. I lost friends. There was a certain man I liked; we were starting to get close. He was one of the first killed by the Tonans. I think because he was the largest of us.”

  Titus turned her into his arms. “Were you in love with the man?”

  “No. Not even close, I admired him. Damon was hard to get to know. He considered himself the leader of our family because he was big, he was a strong bastard. He could be aloof. There were times he stared at me in such an odd way and when I asked him what he was thinking, he told me I was the strongest-minded woman he knew. I guess, because he thought like your warriors when hunting. Damon almost got his ass kicked the first time we hunted the shadow beasts. He’s lucky he’s fast. Was fast.

  “I watched those beasts closely after that day and realized those babies were the mothers’ lives. We would never ge
t one. The male was too protective of the females who gave no thought to their safety when it involved their little ones. That left the bachelors. We hunted a single male we agreed on and brought him down without interference from anything. Damon pulled me aside and said I was perfect. We became closer after that day, but he was still aloof. We never made love. I hadn’t been with any man after we left Earth.

  “He yelled to me to run when the Tonans invaded and I never saw him again. I suspect he saved my life. When we regrouped it was in the winter season, Damon was one of the ones who never joined us. No bodies were found. I think the Tonans took all they killed and those they didn’t to leave no sign we existed.”

  She glanced around and waved a hand. “This is all that’s left of us. I can almost see our imprints.”

  “From the looks of the place you did well. You made it a home.”

  “We became a family and were ripped apart. We rebuilt in an underground cave in the winter season. The Tonans might have looked for us, but I never saw another.”

  “How did you come across the Gorgano? You said they appeared?”

  “I’m sorry; my mind is so confused about what actually happened. I think I can remember the aliens in the cave, but then I’m not sure. Maybe I was dreaming of them.”

  Zabbie scratched her head trying to clear her thoughts. She wasn’t certain what was real and what wasn’t. She didn’t want Titus to think she was crazy. There had to be a real memory of what had happened with the aliens in her mind somewhere. Her mind settled onto a clear recollection and she sighed in relief.

  “One day I was out hunting with a few others in the summer season and there was the Gorgano. We split up and ran again. I was wearing my furs having just come from the winter season. I, I got away the first time. We had to hunt and collect food. I wasn’t as lucky the second time we went into the summer season and was captured. The Gorgano tried to make me take the furs off when it caught me and took me to the mother ship, but I refused. The alien wouldn’t touch me or the furs, but it was able to transport me with a beam of some kind.”