Pairing with the Protector

by Evangeline Anderson

  “Whitney? Whitney!” The urgent voice from the side of the cage caught her attention and she turned to see Yancy and Yarrow standing there. Yancy was gripping the bars so hard her knuckles were white.

  “Yes?” Whitney ran over to them, kicking the greenish-purple grass aside in her haste. “What is it, Yancy?”

  “Take us with you.” Yancy reached through the bars and grabbed her hand. “Please—please try,” she begged urgently. “I don’t want my babies to be taken away from me again. Please, Whitney!”

  “I’ll try,” Whitney promised. She looked through the bars of their cage to the one beyond it. “What about you, Dood?” she called. “Should I try to get Zhu-zhu to take you too?”

  The auburn-haired tweedle appeared to think about it for a moment but then he shook his head.

  “Nah—I’m pretty happy here with my little Beauty.” He laughed. “Finally found a female who doesn’t speak back and she’s always in the mood for mating. What else can a tweedle ask for?”

  Whitney wrinkled her nose. No great loss there. But she was going to try her damndest to get Yancy and Yarrow free.

  “All right,” she said to the two of them. Go to the door of your cage when Zhu-zhu comes back and hold out your arms, like you want to play. I’ll do my best to get her to let you out.”

  They nodded eagerly and just then, the thundering footsteps of the youngest Tusker could be heard on the ramp once more.

  “Okay—show time!” Whitney whispered and ran back to the door of her own cage. She still had the big bunch of wadded fabric which was the doll’s dress clutched in her hands and now she took a minute to pull it over her head. It was way too big and the fabric was scratchy but it was clothing. Whitney hugged it to herself, savoring the feeling of not being nude anymore. If she got out of this, she was never taking off her clothes again, she swore to herself. She would take baths and showers fully clothed. She would—

  Zhu-zhu came into sight, a bright pink vehicle that looked not unlike the Barbie jeep Whitney had owned as a little girl clutched in her chubby seven-fingered hands.

  “Here it is—my hover-cycle!” she exclaimed proudly, displaying it. To Whitney’s relief, there were four molded plastic seats in the toy, which was about the size of an SUV with its roof cut off.

  “Take us for a ride! I want to go outside!” she sang, clapping her hands.

  “Okay!” Opening the cage door with her trunk, Zhu-zhu held the toy hover-cycle carefully, just outside the high platform the cages were located on to allow Whitney and Rafe to climb in. Before they could “blast off” in the toy vehicle though, Whitney sang quickly,

  “Oh look, Zhu-zhu—they want to come too!”

  She pointed to Yancy and Yarrow, who were holding their arms out beseechingly and begging with their eyes as hard as they could.

  “Oh!” For a moment, the alien child looked uncertain. But, as Whitney had hoped, the lure of having her toy car full of passengers was too much to resist. “Okay!” she said at last. And, opening Yancy and Yarrow’s cage, she held the bright pink vehicle steady and let them climb aboard as well.

  Once everyone was settled, Whitney sang to the little girl, “Let’s go out in the sun and have a little fun!”

  “Outside the house?” Zhu-zhu looked doubtful but Whitney sang,

  “Think of all the fun, out in the sun! Your hover-cycle can fly, up in the sky!”

  This seemed to decide Zhu-zhu because she nodded again and took them up the ramp, making “Zooming” noises all the way.

  It was a bit of a bumpy ride and Whitney felt her gorge try to rise but luckily she had thrown up everything earlier so she was able to keep from puking now. Even so, it was like the scariest roller coaster ride ever. She was very aware of the fact that the only thing between all of them and a two or three story fall to the ground was how careful a pre-schooler was with her toys but Zhu-zhu was conscientious enough to keep the toy vehicle level and none of them tipped out.

  They came to the huge front door and Whitney’s heart began to beat even faster. Were they really going to get out? Was Zhu-zhu able to manage the massive door on her own?

  Luckily, she was—although the issue was in doubt for a moment. But with a final twist of her trunk, Zhu-zhu managed to get the door open and then they were out in the open under the turquoise alien sky at last.

  The clock is ticking, Whitney thought to herself as they left the vast, blue-domed Tusker residence behind. Who knew how long Mama Tusker was going to be gone? Had she just run to the store for the Tusker equivalent of a carton of milk, or was she going to be gone all morning doing errands? There was no way to know, but Whitney didn’t intend to take chances.

  “Too much sun—in the forest is more fun,” she sang to Zhu-zhu. “Please can we go and I will thank you so!”

  Now that they were outside and playing, Zhu-zhu seemed amenable to almost any suggestion.

  “Okay, Lovely!” she exclaimed and then went zooming off, into the forest, holding the hover-cycle in front of her.

  Oh God—oh my God! Whitney held on tight, very aware that if Zhu-zhu tripped on a rock and went sprawling, all of them were probably going to crash to the ground and die a terrible death. But the little alien girl was sure-footed and soon she found a track that she seemed to know and started following it.

  Beside her, Rafe gripped Whitney’s hand.

  “I know this area,” he sent urgently through their link. “Our ship should be just a little further on in the clearing up ahead.”

  Sure enough, after just a minute Whitney saw something silver winking in the corner of her eye. When Zhu-zhu took another step, she saw their ship parked just where they had left it, looking small as a toy surrounded by all the vast trees with their green and purple leaves.

  “Here is where to stay! Here is where to play!” she sang-shouted as loudly as she could, trying to get the little girl’s attention.

  “Oh—here?” Zhu-zhu skidded to an abrupt halt, making Whitney wish that the toy hover-cycle was equipped with seatbelts. As it was, only Rafe’s strong grip on her arm kept her from tumbling out of the front of the toy vehicle and falling to the ground, twenty feet below.

  “Put us down, on the ground,” she sang shakily, hoping the little girl would obey.

  Luckily Zhu-zhu seemed perfectly willing to put them down. And, after a moment, they all climbed out on rather shaky legs.

  “You distract her while I get the ship started,” Rafe sent through their link.

  I’ll try!” Whitney sent grimly. Walking over to Zhu-zhu, who was sitting down on the grass, her knees folded, she sang,

  “You’re so sweet, you can’t be beat!”

  Zhu-Zhu grinned down at her.

  “Thanks Lovely! You’re the best tweedle ever!”

  For a minute Whitney felt sorry about letting the little girl take the blame for their escape. Then again, Zhu-zhu was the one who had captured them in the first place, she reminded herself. Also, Mama Tusker didn’t seem to be a mean or abusive parent. She would be upset with Zhu-zhu for letting her prize-winning tweedles get away, but she wouldn’t beat her or hurt her over it.

  And I can’t live my life in a cage just so an alien pre-schooler doesn’t get a time out for playing with mommy’s pets, she told herself firmly. I have to get out of here—all of us do!

  “We’re all aboard,” Rafe’s voice came through their link. “Get back here, Whitney. Find a way to make her look the other direction and run!”

  “I will—give me a minute!” Whitney sent back. She supposed she could send the little girl across the clearing to look at the brightly colored butterfly-like insect she saw fluttering there, but there was something she wanted to try instead.

  Touching Zhu-zhu’s arm, she sang to her, “My friend, Zhu-zhu, did you know tweedles are people too? They don’t belong in a zoo! To put them in a cage is bad and it makes them very sad.”

  Zhu-zhu’s eyes widened.

  “Really, Lovely?”

  “It’s
very, very true—it makes them sad and blue!” Whitney sang. “And they don’t know what to do.”

  Zhu-zhu seemed to have a sudden thought.

  “Lovely,” she said uncertainly, peering down at Whitney. “Are you sad?”

  Whitney made her face as sad as possible and sang,

  “I miss my home and my friends. My sadness never ends.”

  Zhu-zhu’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Oh! I didn’t know that! I thought you were happy in your cage with Mama and Papa and me!”

  “Zhu-zhu you are sweet and you really can’t be beat,” Whitney sang. “I hate to leave you all alone, but I need to go back home.”

  “You do? Really?” The little girl sniffed and gave Whitney an understanding look. “Well…I guess if someone took me away from my home, I’d want to go back too,” she said at last.

  Whitney nodded eagerly, glad for the little girl’s empathy which was unusual in a child so young.

  “That is very, very true—that’s what I want to do,” she sang. “But you will always be my friend, until the very end. You’ll be in my heart, even though we are apart.”

  Zhu-zhu brightened. “Okay,” she said, smiling through her tears. “Then I guess we should say good-bye now?”

  Whitney nodded again.

  “Goodbye, my friend Zhu-zhu. Now you know what to do. When you grow up big and tall, remember to be kind to tweedles small,” she sang as she made her way to the ship. “Remember they are people too and don’t put them in a zoo!”

  “I won’t!” Zhu-zhu exclaimed. “I promise, Lovely!”

  And then strong arms were reaching for Whitney and pulling her inside the ship at last.

  “Hang on,” Rafe growled in her ear. “We’re getting out of here now.”

  The ship rose quickly into the air, its engines humming smoothly. Looking out of the viewscreen, Whitney could see the little alien girl waving an enthusiastic goodbye with both her hands as well as her trunk.

  She was surprised to find that her eyes were wet as she waved back, though she knew Zhu-zhu couldn’t see her. It wasn’t that she was sad to be finally leaving captivity—she couldn’t have been more relieved. But their time spent in Mama Tusker’s cages had changed so much.

  Despite their relatively short stay there, her whole life was different now and she knew nothing was ever going to be the same.

  Thirty-Four

  They couldn’t take off for space right away, of course. Rafe had never gotten to finish the repairs to the ship that he’d started before they had been taken. Until the ship was strong enough to withstand going through a wormhole, they couldn’t leave the planet. So he flew further over the vast forest, looking for a safe spot to land—preferably one where no Tuskers were anywhere near.

  “This is amazing!” Yancy, in the back seat of the shuttle, was looking around in wonder.

  “So it’s really true,” Yarrow muttered. “You have a ship that flies and you come from another planet. I thought the two of you had been sniffing too much tweedle weed.”

  “Why did you come with us if you didn’t believe our story?” Whitney asked them. She had cried a little when they took off and Rafe felt the mixture of confusing feelings coming from her. But now she wiped her eyes and turned to face the two tweedles they had managed to bring with them.

  Yarrow shrugged. “I knew Yancy wanted to go. She didn’t want to lose another litter.”

  He said nothing about the fact that he must surely be the father of said litter, Rafe thought. But he decided it was not his place to say so and kept flying, eyes straight ahead.

  “I believed what you said was true,” Yancy said. “At least I hoped it was.” She cocked her head at Whitney. “Tell me—why did you say all that to Zhu-zhu before we left? Why not just distract her and run?”

  Whitney bit her lip.

  “I’m not really sure,” she said at last. “I guess I was hoping that what I told her would stick with her and maybe someday when she grows up, she can advocate for your people. When a people are oppressed or enslaved, they need to speak up for themselves, but it also really helps if they have someone on the other side speaking up too. Maybe Zhu-zhu can become the voice of the tweedles someday.”

  Yancy sighed. “That would be wonderful. If only they would see us as people just like them. Just because we’re smaller doesn’t mean we are less important.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Whitney nodded enthusiastically. “And if you can find even one Tusker to listen to you, you can start a movement. Darkness may go on for a long time, but it can’t last forever,” she said firmly.

  Yarrow looked skeptical. “I hope you’re right,” he said. “But things have been going badly for what seems like a very long time for us. I hope that soon they will change.”

  “Oh, look!” Yancy leaned forward suddenly and pointed to something on the viewscreen. “Oh Yarrow—can it be?”

  “What? What is it?” Whitney looked at where she was pointing and Rafe hovered in place, allowing them to all see.

  There, nearly hidden in the branches of one of the vast trees, was a tiny red scrap of fabric. It was close to the ground and smaller than many of the leaves but its vivid color stood out sufficiently to make it visible.

  “What does it mean?” Whitney asked, looking at the red fabric, swaying with the leaves.

  “It means,” Yancy whispered. “That we have come home.”

  Rafe landed the ship and Yancy and Yarrow climbed out quickly. Yancy made a strange hooting sound which echoed through the trees. After a moment, tweedles started coming out from among the leaves and underbrush.

  “They make their home in the tree, I guess,” Rafe remarked, watching as some of them climbed down the rough bark of one massive tree as easily as anyone else descending a ladder.

  “It would keep them safe from predators on the ground and keep them away from the Tuskers if they went high enough,” Whitney remarked. “Should we go out and meet their family, do you think?”

  That question was answered when Yancy stuck her head in the ship’s door and said, “Whitney, our people would like to meet you. Um…” She bit her lip and lowered her voice a little. “Could you not say anything about my litter? I couldn’t bear the shame if…if everyone knew.”

  “Of course, your secret is safe with me.” Whitney smiled compassionately. “And I’d love to meet your family. Rafe, are you coming?” she asked a bit awkwardly. Now that they were no longer in a life and death situation, she felt the distance between them yawning like a chasm again.

  “I must finish the repairs to the ship,” he answered shortly. “Enjoy yourself while I do. I should only take a couple of hours.”

  Whitney nodded and, glad to leave the awkwardness between them behind for a little while, followed Yancy out of the ship.

  * * *

  But the Great Tree Tweedles, as they called themselves, wouldn’t let Whitney and Rafe go without giving a banquet in their honor. Apparently Yancy and Yarrow were the son and daughter of the king of their tribe. They had been captured by tweedle hunting Tuskers when they were very young and the king had despaired of ever seeing them again.

  Now he was an old tweedle—twelve years old to be exact as he proudly told Rafe and Whitney—with a snowy white beard which fell to his knees. He thanked them again and again for rescuing his children and offered to make them a prince and princess of the Great Tree if only they would stay.

  “Thank you so much for your kind offer,” Whitney said, smiling graciously. “But we have people of our own to get home to.”

  Rafe wondered darkly if they shouldn’t stay after all. The odds of them ever getting home were still slim to none. Still, it was clear Whitney was determined to try, so he kept his mouth shut and simply nodded along.

  The tweedles of the Great Tree had an entire culture that had lasted for generations. They wore surprisingly well-fitted garments made of the huge purple and green leaves sewn together with twine and kept herds of green insects, about the size o
f sheep, which grew a kind of fluffy wool on their shiny, iridescent shells.

  They also had pets—caterpillars about the size of small dogs with sleek pink and blue fur which curled around their necks like scarves and made a purring- cooing sound when you stroked them. These creatures didn’t have insect faces at all—indeed, with their large luminous eyes and long whiskers, they looked more like cats than any kind of caterpillar Rafe had ever seen.

  Whitney fell completely in love with one of the baby caterpillars and the chief insisted that she take it as a pet, along with one of their prize-winning sheep-beetles, as Whitney had dubbed their wool-making insects, as a gift.

  There were many other strange things to see and Rafe could tell that Whitney would have loved to stay and study all these amazing alien creatures. But there was also a deep urgency within her—a desperate need to get home which exceeded even his own. He wondered why she was feeling so desperate but when he tried to find out, attempting to get around the barrier she had somehow erected between them, she turned to stare at him, breaking off her conversation with one of the tweedles.

  “Stay. Out.” The words came through their bond loud and clear and he knew that whatever secret she was keeping from him was going to stay that way—a secret. He withdrew at once, ashamed that he should have tried to breech her privacy in the first place. She had a right to her own thoughts, of course—it was just that she was so close to him now because of the bond. So close and yet so maddeningly far away.

  His attention was turned away from whatever she was hiding when the banquet began. They were given some of the surprisingly comfortable leaf clothes to wear and seated across from Yancy and Yarrow at a long table which ran the length of one of the thicker branches. The entire tweedle tribe was able to sit here and dishes of roasted nuts, stuffed seeds, and stewed greens were passed along, with each person serving themselves.