by S. E. Smith
His attention fixed on the spot where she had just been standing. She remained perfectly still. After several seconds, he shook his head and waded out of the water. She watched him dress, once again admiring his broad shoulders and tapered waist.
If only he would turn around so she could get a glimpse of his buttocks and tail. Then, she’d have a complete picture of him embedded in her brain. She sighed regretfully when he pulled his trousers on and reached for his shirt.
“I need to plan the route we’ll use to lead him away. I want you to stay here and keep an eye on him. I’ll be back in a few hours,” she finally said, having difficulty tearing her gaze away from the male below her.
She looked at L’eon when he climbed onto the tree trunk. He grinned back at her and raised his foot, one toe raised in agreement. He looked awfully pleased with himself about something. Maybe he was hoping to practice some of his pranks on the Tearnat before they killed him.
Her gaze moved back to the Tearnat, and for a moment, she felt a fleeting wave of regret. Shaking her head, she pressed a kiss to L’eon’s head before she skillfully descended the tree. She made sure that she stayed hidden as she jumped the last few feet. Peering around the trunk one last time, she saw the male working on his spaceship.
Correction—my new spaceship, she thought with determination.
She swallowed. This would likely be her last chance to escape. Her mother’s patience was a frayed thread, ready to snap—and Madas hadn’t come home last night. If the Queen was finally ready to force Madas to engage in the mating challenge with the spineless excuse of a male named Cardin Tre, Madas knew she was as good as dead. There was no way that Cardin could complete the mating challenge on his own.
She would rather die trying to get to the stars than die in a pit of boiling water. Thinking about it, she didn’t know how any of her siblings had survived. The only thing she could think of was that her mother had intervened in some way—an intervention that she wasn’t sure her mother would extend to her when the time came if Madas continued to resist her mother’s will.
Blinking back the sudden burn of tears, she gripped her spear and turned away. She was on her own—with the exception of L’eon. It didn’t bother her. Since her father’s unexpected illness and death, she had gotten used to being alone.
Moving away from the beach and deeper into the forest, she decided she would lead the death walker north. There was a path over the mountains that would take him back to the edge of the desert. Once he reached it, he could keep going. A week’s journey would take him to an outpost.
She had never been to it, but her father had—once when he was a boy. He said he wanted to know what the pale-skinned Tearnats were like. When she had asked him about them, he had grown quiet and shook his head. The look on his face was so sad that she had never asked him again.
Picking her way through the ferns, she looked around. She would use the animal trails as much as she could, but she would also need to take him deeper into the forest away from any areas where he might encounter any of her clan members. Her clan seldom came on this side of the mountain. They were leery of the hairless beasts that roamed in packs and the occasional night crawler.
“What would be the best way to keep him following me?” she wondered aloud.
Worrying her lip, she turned in a circle. She was skillful with traps, but that wouldn’t help her. The point wasn’t to trap him, but to lead him away, and she needed to be cautious about how she did it. This Tearnat was big and strong. He was also a warrior, so he would be skilled if it came to a fight. Her biggest advantage was that she was fast and she knew the forest.
“What would make him follow me?” she murmured.
She needed something of value to him. Something that was so important that he wouldn’t leave without it, something that he would follow her to the ends of the forest for. She could get L’eon to find something in his ship. That would be the smartest move.
She raised her spear and pointed it north, remembering a particularly thick stretch of forest on the way to the Goddess’s Stronghold and the misty ravine. Once she led him through the last section, she could circle around and cut the ancient rope bridge across the ravine. Even if he did find his way back via a different route, she would have plenty of time to retrace her path to the beach, and steal his ship.
Lowering her arm, hope swelled inside her. She and L’eon would be long gone, the Sand Tearnat would be able to find his way back to his people through the desert, and most importantly, she wouldn’t have to kill him.
“Please, Goddess, please, let this work, because I truly fear this is my last chance to escape,” she whispered, staring through the trees toward the distant mountains.
Chapter Six
Gril looked down with surprise when sand flew out from under his ship and hit his boot. Bending to look under the wing, he chuckled when he saw L’eon digging in the coarse sand. A moment later, his new companion held up the bolt he had dropped earlier and hadn’t been able to find. Gril reached his hand out and L’eon placed the bolt into his palm.
“Thank you, my friend. I have been looking for that. How are you doing this morning?” Gril asked.
L’eon grinned at him, and then climbed up onto the storage crate that he was using as a workbench. Gril watched as the little lizard picked up each tool on the container and examined it before he put it down. Then the creature moved to the circuit board he had been trying to repair.
Gril scooped the board up before L’eon could touch it, shaking his head and laughing when L’eon paused and looked at the board, then at him with a puzzled frown. With a sigh, he reached out and scratched L’eon behind his ear.
“I’m almost finished with it. The last thing I need is for you to get sand on it,” he said.
L’eon sat down and looked at his front feet. Tiny crystals of sand clung to his toes. L’eon wiped his front feet together to knock off the sand, then held his toes up in the air for Gril to inspect with a grin, and pointed to the circuit board with his tail.
Gril sank down on the log he had dragged over during the night to use as a stool and looked at the colorful character across from him. There was something vaguely familiar about the lizard, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. He thought he might have seen or read something about a creature like L’eon before, but the knowledge eluded him—staying just on the fringe of his mind in the shadows.
He held up the circuit board. “This is the repaired—or almost repaired—circuit board for the starboard engine. I have replaced most of the damaged components. The only issue I am worried about is the power crystal. It is damaged and I don’t have a replacement. I am still trying to work out an alternative way to power the board. Without power to the board, the starboard engine won’t work and I am stranded here,” Gril explained.
L’eon tilted his head, looked at the part, and nodded. Gril didn’t think the little lizard could really understand the complexity of what he was saying, but it felt nice to explain the issue out loud.
He had decided that L’eon hadn’t really spoken last night, but just made a noise that his brain interpreted as a name. Still, the name fit and it was nice to call the creature something other than ‘lizard’. He sat back and looked out over the water. The swim this morning had refreshed him after a long night of working on the fighter.
His gaze moved to the sky. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension in them. There had been no sign of a threat—yet—but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t alone. He ran a tired hand down over his face. He needed to catch a few hours of sleep. It was better for him to be awake at night when an attack was more likely to happen than during the day.
He stood up and stretched. Lowering his arms, he studied the circuit board in his hand before he shook his head. He needed a few hours rest, then he could focus on the problem with a clear head. Reaching into one of the boxes, he pulled out the empty hard case that used to contain another board he had replaced. H
e gently slid the circuit board inside it. There was no sense in installing it until he had figured out a way to power it.
He sealed the case, and placed it on his makeshift stool, then looked up at the sky again, and turned to scan the forest. Earlier, he could have sworn he’d felt eyes on him when he emerged from his swim. The sensation had been so intense that he had felt a physical response.
His unexpected reaction had startled him and he had searched for the cause. He thought he had noticed a slight movement in the trees, but had finally put his unease down to tiredness. Eventually, the feeling of being watched had faded.
He looked down at L’eon. The lizard was currently sprawled on the box with his stomach exposed to the sun. His little tail and back legs hung off the side. Once again, that feeling of déjà vu struck him. He was sure he had seen a species like L’eon before.
“My brain is too tired to work right. I was going to ask if you would be so kind as to keep a lookout, but you look like you need rest worse than I do,” he chuckled.
The tip of L’eon’s tail moved and one eyelid cracked open a tiny bit before closing. Gril shook his head. He reached inside the ship for an emergency blanket and his pistol. After spreading the blanket on the ground under the wing in the shade, he lowered his tired body down to his soft pallet, the laser pistol readily accessible.
He rolled onto his side and looked at the forest again, mentally replaying his entry and landing yesterday afternoon. He tried to remember if he had seen any type of village or city among the thick growth of trees. His computer system had been malfunctioning, and before dawn this morning when he finally was able to restore power to it, there was no data on the scanners.
As hard as he tried, he couldn’t remember any information about this section of the planet. There was very little known about this region except that it was remote and had been under planetary protection for the last several hundred years in an effort to preserve the last remaining forests.
There hadn’t even been a scientific expedition to the region in over a century, if he remembered correctly. Bits and pieces of facts filtered into his exhausted brain. He remembered his father mentioning something about a cannibalistic species of Tearnat that lived here. His father was the one who had written the law prohibiting any exploration and proclaiming the forests a protected area.
I will have to remember to ask him about it when I return home—if I return, he thought as his eyes closed.
L’eon rolled onto his stomach and looked at Gril. The Tearnat lay peacefully asleep. His focus moved to the metal box. The ship would not fly without the colorful board contained inside.
He stood up, jumped to the log, and picked up the component to the ship. He looked at the Sand Tearnat and smiled. Madas wanted the male to follow her. The Tearnat would follow Madas to get this back.
Mischief gleamed in L’eon’s eyes. He looked around on the ground. There were shells lying around mixed with the sand. Holding his prize between his front feet, he jumped down. With a flick of his tail, he sent two shells up into the air. They landed on the log where the box had been.
Satisfied that the male Tearnat would know that he had taken the part he had been so protective of, he grinned and took off on his back two legs across the sand. He hoped Madas had figured out the rest of the plan, because their game of tag was about to begin!
Chapter Seven
“Have you found him yet?” the harsh voice demanded.
“The tracking device is no longer working,” the cloaked pilot replied.
“Find him.”
“I know my orders. Prince Gril Tal Mod will not return from this mission,” Devac Gru answered in a biting tone.
It was nearly afternoon when Madas returned to the tree near the beach. She had been leery of leaving for too long in case the male repaired his spaceship and took off. The thought had consumed her until she was running as swiftly as she could through the forest.
She didn’t slow until she was close enough to see the lake through the trees. Drawing in deep, calming breaths, she crept forward until she could crouch behind the tree. Relief swept through her when she saw the spaceship was still there, and items still littered the beach.
“Thank you, Goddess,” she whispered.
She barely smothered the startled squeak of surprise when L’eon jumped down beside her. She turned and glared at the mischievous lizard. He still had that suspiciously pleased expression on his face.
“What?” she hissed under her breath.
He turned and disappeared under a bush next to them, then dragged out something. Reaching around him, she picked up the thin, square metal box.
She turned it over and examined it. Leaning her spear against the tree, she opened the metal box and gingerly pulled out the contents. . She frowned as she tried to figure out what it was.
She looked up at L’eon when he gently placed one of his front feet on her chin and turned her head. He pointed at the spaceship with his tail before he patted the colorful board she was holding.
Madas could feel her jaw drop. She quickly looked at the ship, then the board, and then L’eon, her eyes widening.
“Did you steal this from him?” she whispered.
L’eon vigorously nodded his head and grinned. Madas could feel her own excitement grow. She slid the colorful board back into the box, sealed it, and placed it in her satchel.
“This is important to him, isn’t it?” she asked.
L’eon nodded again. She stood and picked up her spear. It took a moment for her to see the male on the beach. Even then, she only saw his foot. He didn’t appear to be moving. She looked down at L’eon with a worried frown.
“Is he alright? You didn’t kill him, did you?” she hissed.
L’eon rolled his eyes in different directions and shook his head. He circled several times before lying down and closing his eyes like he did whenever he went to sleep. Madas breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn’t know why. It would have been easier if L’eon had killed the male, it was just… her heart didn’t want that. A soft groan slipped from her and she closed her eyes.
I am NOT attracted to him! she thought with dismay.
She opened her eyes and blinked when she felt a tug on her pant leg. Looking down, she saw L’eon was pointing toward the beach. Madas stood frozen as the male crawled out from under the wing of his spaceship and rose to his feet. The Tearnat stretched and ran a hand over his slick head before he bent and picked up the silver foil blanket he had been lying on.
Her appreciative gaze followed his movements as he bent over. The material covering his buttocks pulled tight, highlighting how round and muscular they were. His tail looked thick and strong. He had a line of ridges along the underside that made her wonder how the tail would feel wrapped around her.
A rosy flush colored her face a darker shade of green and made the tan and red on her face vividly stand out. She shivered at the thought of his hands touching her with the same precision he was using to fold his blanket. She could almost feel them slide down her body.
“What is going on with me?” she muttered with a shake of her head.
L’eon snickered and fanned his face with one of his front feet. She shook her head again and made a face at him, then looked up when she heard the male’s distinctive voice cursing vehemently. He began searching the area around the ship. Her hand instinctively moved to her leather satchel.
His gaze swung to the tree line where she was standing, and Madas gripped her spear. With a snap of her fingers, L’eon scurried up the shaft, onto her arm, and settled on her shoulder.
“It is time to put our plan into action. May the Goddess be with us,” she murmured.
She turned and with a sweep of her spear, slashed the plants near her to leave a trail. She would leave just enough clues along the way to keep him following her. The cursing behind her suddenly stopped. He had heard the noise she had made. L’eon gripped her hair as she turned and fled.
Gril raced toward th
e tree line, silently cursing that he had not scouted the area last night when he first felt the sensation of being watched. He would not make that mistake again. His gut feelings had saved his life more than once.
He paused inside the tree line and pulled his pistol, scanning the area before he looked down at the ground. Squatting, he ran his fingers over the impression of a boot heel in the moist soil by the tree.
His eyes followed the impressions in the ground before he looked at the ferns a couple feet away. Rising to his feet, he stepped forward and fingered the clean cut. His eyes narrowed. The two shells, the distinctive three toed tracks leading into the forest, to where someone who wore small boots clearly had been watching him, and now ferns slashed by a weapon with a sharp edge—whoever had been here with his sticky-fingered little helper, they were working together, and wanted him to know it.
He moved forward, following the obvious trail that had been left behind, and mentally running through scenarios of how he’d turn the tables when he found whatever trap the two must be planning at the end of the trail. He didn’t have much choice except to see this through.
A half mile into the forest, the tracks suddenly vanished. He looked over his shoulder, then glanced down at the computer on his wrist. It would be easy to get disoriented if he wasn’t tracking where he was going.
The sudden sensation that he was being watched swept through him again. He slowly turned and pretended to be searching for tracks. Out at the edge of his peripheral vision, he caught a slight movement. He paused and knelt down on one knee.
As long as he remained where he was, he would be concealed behind a decaying log. His gaze turned to the spot where he thought he’d seen the movement. From his limited view, he could see the side of a boot and part of his antagonist’s leg above the limb of a tree twenty-five paces from him. His adversary’s face was hidden in the shadows.
