by S. E. Smith
“What I do is no concern of yours, Cardin. Remember that if you don’t want to lose the rest of your teeth,” she called over her shoulder.
3
“Where have you been?” Queen Tima Tralang demanded.
Madas fought the urge to turn around and walk the other way. If she did, her mother would simply order one of her many brothers or sisters to hunt her down. She was the youngest of twenty children, and somehow she was always earning her mother’s ire. Ever since she could remember, she had wanted to be free. She wanted to be free from the responsibilities of their outdated traditions. She wanted to explore the world she lived in, as well as hundreds of others she had only heard about from the rare traders who had visited over the years.
“Answer me, child,” Tima snapped.
Madas took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and returned her mother’s stern gaze. “I’m not a child, Mother. I’m seventy-five summers old. That makes me a mature Tearnat,” she replied.
Tima stepped forward and raised her hand. Madas braced for the reproving slap. After all the times her mother had struck her, Madas thought she should no longer regret that her mother truly did not love her, but even now, she wished for warmth and love from the one person who would never give that to her. Tima’s hand stopped a fraction of an inch from her face, her expression changing from one of fury to one of shock.
“What is that… that thing on your shoulder?” Tima hissed.
Madas protectively raised her hand to her shoulder and stroked L’eon. She was surprised when her mother took several steps back.
“I found him in the woods,” she replied.
Tima shot her a look of distaste. “Well, dispose of the creature before you return to our dwelling. I will not have that… thing in our home. Stay inside. Cardin said that outworlders have contacted him. I don’t want you running loose,” she ordered.
Madas pursed her lips and nodded. She knew it would be useless to argue with her mother. Bowing her head, she started to walk away.
“And don’t forget to get rid of that beast,” Tima repeated.
“Get rid of you. Never! You are not a beast. You are my fallen star. I would sooner take the moons from the night or the sun from the day than dispose of something so precious,” Madas growled under her breath.
L’eon sat on her shoulder, glaring at the retreating back of the female who’d dared to threaten his Familiar, his pet. It was rare to connect with someone of a different species, because of course his people killed any who were stupid enough to come to their small planet, but he’d like to think that no matter how they had met, he would have connected with Madas and protected her from harm. She was a special creature, anyone could see that.
He had never been tempted to leave home himself, but on rare occasions, he had seen a few of his kind slip onto retreating ships. What became of the ones who left, he never knew. His kind lived a solitary life for the most part, coming together only if the need to breed came upon them, and yet, he had immediately been drawn to this Tearnat. She showed no fear and touched him with warm, gentle fingers. The sound of her laughter made him want to purr. He also thought she was cute with her little sharp teeth and dancing eyes.
This was the second time today that he’d had to protect her, however, and he worried about what her future would have looked like if he hadn’t adopted her. When the male had appeared on the path, L’eon had used his camouflage abilities. Until he knew more about his surroundings, he didn’t want to reveal himself. He had taken on the color of Madas’s dark green locks. When the male had gripped her face, L’eon discharged a small shock to the man’s arm. He would have generated a more powerful one if he had not been afraid of hurting Madas. The man had been smart enough to step away.
When the older woman had lifted her hand to strike Madas, L’eon had wrapped his tail around the older female’s wrist and reappeared. The female had glared at him, and he’d laid his ears back and grinned at her, showing off dozens of razor-sharp teeth, his eyes glowing a brilliant red.
He sniffed and snuggled closer to Madas as she walked away and the other female disappeared from sight. She lifted her hand and murmured to him.
His ears twitched with delight when she scratched him behind his left ear. He could feel his back leg begin to thump when she hit just the right spot. Pure pleasure coursed through him and he melted back against her.
Yes, I will keep her. She will be a great pet, he thought.
4
A month later, Madas walked along the uneven trail. She laughed at L’eon. He was bouncing in and out of the high ferns.
“Don’t go too far,” she warned.
L’eon twitched his ears and scrambled up the side of a tree. Madas walked over to a spot where a dozen red Starfire flowers bloomed. She had been waiting for these flowers to bloom for the past week.
She sat down on a nearby log. Leaning her spear up against the fallen tree trunk, she pulled her satchel over her head and opened it. She took out her drawing pad and the box of fine charcoals that she had purchased from one of the village shops. She lovingly caressed the stars etched into the metal case. The box of colorful charcoals was one of the things that had come from another world. It could very well be the closest she ever got to leaving her village.
Opening the tin, she removed a dark red stick and began to draw. Her notebook was filled with such drawings. She loved to observe everything around her and was careful to document even the smallest detail in case they could help her clan in the future.
Her mother had not shared her interests. Her passion for art had drawn her mother’s scorn, and her love of the forest had fed her mother’s ire. Madas was her father’s daughter. Even though he had died when she was still young, she remembered her father’s teachings and his gentle manner.
Tima was his opposite in so many ways. She hoped to sell Madas to the highest bidder when the time was right for another alliance. If nothing else, Madas understood her mother’s desire for power and her determination to retain it. Unfortunately for Madas, she was Tima’s last unattached child.
She rose from her perch on the log and moved closer to the flower. She knelt to get a better look at a delicate petal. It was important that she capture every vein and texture correctly. She was so focused on what she was drawing that it took a moment before the snapping of a branch registered. She twisted and stood up.
“I see you have wandered away unprotected again,” Cardin said with a smug grin.
Madas’s gaze darted to her spear. Cardin shook his head, his expression malicious. She dropped her drawing book and the red piece of charcoal as she moved forward to retrieve her spear. He beat her to it.
“I order you to leave me be, Cardin,” she growled.
He chuckled and twirled her spear around his hand. “You are not as tough as you act, Madas,” he taunted.
Madas narrowed her eyes. “And you are even more stupid than I thought,” she retorted.
Cardin snarled. The spear rolled on his palm before he gripped it and threw it in her direction. Madas jumped to the side and rolled. She stared at the quivering spear that was now embedded in the tree behind her. Twisting around, she looked at Cardin with growing rage.
“You dare threaten me,” she hissed.
He threw a pair of metal wrist cuffs on the ground at her feet. “I’ve requested that your life be bound to mine,” he stated, stepping over the log.
“Never,” she snarled.
“Once I snap them on you, you cannot deny my claim,” he asserted.
Before Madas could reply, Cardin attacked. She leaned to the side, swept out her tail, and knocked him off his feet. The ground shook from the impact of his body. Madas turned and faced him again when he rolled onto his hands and knees before he slowly stood.
“I’m going to knock out the rest of your teeth,” she vowed.
“You will feel the sting of my whip for the one that you’ve already removed,” he promised.
She snorted in disdain and stepped
to the side when he tried to circle around her. She curled her fingers into fists. Cardin should know better than to challenge a warrior-trained Tearnat female—especially her. She had trained with her older brothers and roamed these forests since she was old enough to walk. She would never submit to someone like him.
Cardin flashed his teeth before he swung his tail. Madas jumped when she saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. She grabbed a low branch and kicked out. Her boot-clad feet connected with Cardin’s broad chest, and he stumbled backwards. She dropped back to the forest floor with a hiss of warning.
He recovered more quickly than she’d expected and charged her. Madas locked her fingers with his and fell backwards. She used the momentum and her knees in his stomach to flip him over her head as they hit the ground.
She pushed off the ground, back onto her feet, and narrowed her eyes on the spear embedded in the tree. Rushing forward, she grabbed the end of the long shaft. She yanked it out of the trunk just as Cardin wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She swung her tail up to wrap it around his arm.
Unable to get a grip on him, she lifted her feet and pushed off against the tree trunk, hoping to cause him to lose his balance again. Instead, he squeezed her ribs until she could barely breathe. Madas knew that if she lost consciousness for even a fraction of a second, it would give Cardin enough time to put the wrist cuffs on her.
She angled the spear in her hand until the blunt end of the shaft was aimed toward him. Tilting her head to the side, she struck behind her. The satisfying thud of metal on flesh was followed by Cardin releasing her and staggering back.
He wiped his hand across his lips, smearing blood along his chin. Both his top and bottom lip were split. Glee washed through Madas when she saw several dark, empty gaps when he opened his mouth.
He spit out several teeth coated with blood. “You are going to pay for this, Madas,” he snapped.
He wiped his lips with the back of his hand again, and quickly withdrew a laser pistol from his side pocket, aiming it at her. She curled her lip in derision.
“You are reduced to threatening me with a weapon?” she said, her voice dripping with contempt.
“Put the wrist cuffs on, Madas,” he ordered.
“I would rather die than mate with a coward,” she snarled.
“I won’t tell you again,” he said.
“Never! If you try to put the wrist cuffs on me without my permission, I will contest it. I will demand a tribunal with the Council and challenge you in the Ring,” she replied.
“Your mother would never let you,” Cardin retorted with a sneer.
“I don’t need her permission,” she quietly responded, lowering her spear.
Cardin shook his head. “You were always naïve, Madas,” he scoffed.
Madas braced herself when he pulled the trigger. Her eyes widened in shock when a snarl shattered the silence, and suddenly there was a blur between her and Cardin. She cried out when she saw L’eon hit the ground and roll. Dropping her spear, she fell to her knees next to the inert body. Tears burned her eyes. During the past month, the little alien creature had become her constant companion and best friend—two things she’d never had before.
“What is that thing?” Cardin demanded.
Madas breathed a sigh of relief when L’eon opened his eyes and grinned at her. She sat back on her heels when the little lizard rolled over onto his feet and shook his head. He turned his head toward Cardin and narrowed his eyes.
She watched the cute and cuddly little lizard morph into something that she had never seen before. His body swirled with colors and a series of ridges rose on his back. Her amazement grew as she saw tiny, electrical charges running along his tail as he raised it.
“This is L’eon,” she said, the smile on her lips growing.
Cardin sneered and pointed his weapon at L’eon. He fired several shots at the little lizard. Madas watched in awe as L’eon opened his mouth and swallowed each blast. Then, L’eon licked his lips and grinned. Reaching out, she stroked his head.
“Impossible,” Cardin said in disbelief.
Madas looked up at Cardin. “If I were you, I would start running away right about now,” she suggested.
L’eon snarled and bounced in front of her. Cardin must have taken her recommendation to heart because he stumbled backward before fleeing. Madas counted to five before she pulled her hand away from L’eon.
“Don’t kill him,” she admonished.
L’eon sneezed in reply and took off after Cardin. Madas roared with laughter when L’eon sent an electrical burst from his tail, and the bolt caught Cardin between his shoulders, sending him flying through the air. Rising to her feet, she collected her drawing pad and the broken pieces of her red charcoal. Irritation flashed through her as she placed them back in her satchel. She had paid good coin for these!
Madas suspected from the yelps and desperate pleas coming from Cardin that he might be wishing he was dead. She picked up her spear and walked over to Cardin who was now cowering and whimpering on the ground. She could tell by the flattened ferns that Cardin had tried to defend himself against the little lizard.
L’eon looked up at her and grinned. She nodded in approval when she saw Cardin’s twitching body. Drool covered his chin, and he looked like he was missing more teeth. She wiggled her nose in distaste. If she wasn’t mistaken, he had also soiled himself.
L’eon lifted his tail and pressed it against Cardin one last time. Cardin’s body arched as the electrical pulse coursed through him. Madas grimaced. Bites and red electrical burn marks were visible all over the male Tearnat’s body.
“You’ll be lucky if your balls aren’t cooked,” she observed.
Cardin started emitting a mewling sound. Madas bent over and held out her arm. L’eon trotted over to her, climbed her sleeve, and settled comfortably around her shoulders. She scowled intently down at Cardin.
“If you ever come near me or threaten me again, I won’t tell L’eon to spare your miserable hide,” she promised.
He babbled some nonsensical words that she took as acknowledgement. She reached up and stroked L’eon. The small lizard purred with delight. She wasn’t sure how long Cardin would be incapacitated, but that was his problem. She stepped around his still convulsing body and headed for the village. It was time she had a talk with her mother, she thought with determination.
5
Six months later:
* * *
Madas walked along the river bank. L’eon scurried a few feet ahead of her, stopping every once in a while to check out one of the colorful pebbles. If he liked it, he would bring it to her to put in the small pouch she had brought along for his treasures. One thing that she’d learned in the last six months was that the little lizard loved to collect shiny and colorful objects.
“I’m going to make you carry this home if you keep bringing back so many,” she teasingly threatened him.
L’eon looked at her with a pleased expression and stuffed his newest pebble into the bag. She grinned when he turned and continued his explorations. A sigh slipped out before she could contain it.
The last six months had been extremely difficult. Her mother was still furious with her, Cardin’s father had brought a complaint against her and demanded compensation for his son’s injuries, and none of the males in her village would even look at her now. The only thing that really bothered her was that Cardin’s father thought she should pay restitution for his son’s stupidity.
“One day we’re going to leave this place, L’eon. We’ll travel to the stars and visit other worlds. Maybe I will become a trader—or a space pirate! We could even look for your planet if you’d like.” She trailed off for a few minutes of companionable silence, listening to the familiar sounds of the forest, and watching L’eon’s delighted forays along the river bank.
Then she said, “My mother will bemoan the day I leave. I’m one of the best hunters and foragers in the village. The villagers would soon
know why they don’t have the herbs for their medicine or the meat for their children. Let Mother and the other members of the ineffectual Council deal with them when they come with their demands,” she said.
L’eon’s ears twitched at her musings, but he didn’t stop what he was doing. She couldn’t blame him. She had been talking his poor little ears off for the past few months. If she wasn’t careful, he would probably get sick of her as well.
She walked over to a large boulder and sat down. L’eon must have sensed her melancholy mood because he brought her a particularly pretty stone. When she tried to put it in his bag, he shook his head, pressed the stone into the palm of her hand, and closed her fingers around it.
“You are an amazing friend,” she murmured.
Bending down, she brushed a kiss across the top of his head. He looked up at her and grinned before scurrying off again. Madas looked down and rolled the dark red crystal around on her palm.
She had been disappointed when she found out that the meteorite that had transported L’eon was practically worthless. There had been some iron inside but nothing else of value. She would have to find another way to make enough credits to bribe one of the alien traders to take her off-planet.
She frowned when L’eon stood up on his hind legs and gazed up at the sky. His ears were pitched forward and his tail swung back and forth, emitting small electrical crackles and pops. She twisted around on the boulder to look in the direction he was staring. Her eyes widened when she saw a ball encased in flames approaching.
“A falling star! L’eon, another falling star! This is a big one, too! Maybe it will be of value,” she breathed in excitement.
She stood up and gripped her spear. Shoving the red crystal that L’eon had given her into her pocket, she whistled for him to come to her. L’eon ran to her and quickly climbed up to her shoulder. Madas kept her eyes on the contrail. She quickly estimated where it might hit.
