Guardian of the Storm

by Kaitlyn O’Connor

  Satisfied, she crawled inside, feeling her way carefully and finally settled with her back against the smoothest, flattest stone she could find. It gave her the creeps, sitting in a darkness so thick she could almost feel it, but she was out of the wind and relatively warm. Once it was light she could explore the cave more thoroughly and decide whether she wanted to remain or look for other shelter.

  It comforted her to see that, now that she was inside the cave, the starlight made the world outside look far brighter. Dropping her cheek to her knees, she focused on the light outside. Her eyes were just beginning to drift closed when movement outside jerked her awake once more.

  It was the grat … and it was heading straight for her.

  Chapter Four

  The grat stopped just outside the cave entrance, sniffing the air and then dropping its head to sniff at the ground. A low growl rumbled from its chest and then it slunk forward until it was just inside the entrance of the cave, its red eyes glowing malevolently, staring unblinkingly into Tempest’s.

  Either her luck was running true and she’d managed to wander around the pile of rocks until she’d found the grat’s cave, or the grat had followed her because of the meat she’d brought with her. At the thought of the food she’d brought, two things occurred to her simultaneously—she did not want to be holding something that was going to draw the thing closer, and, if it had followed the smell of the meat, then tossing it to the grat might appease it.

  Tearing a small piece off, Tempest threw it. The tidbit landed almost directly between the grat’s forelegs and it jumped back, startled. Cautiously, it eased forward again, sniffing the cave floor in tight little circles until it found what it sought. It looked up and directly toward her once more even before it had finished eating it.

  The second piece Tempest tossed hit the grat on the forehead and bounced away, rolling to a stop only a few feet from Tempest’s foot and her heart skipped several beats as the grat scrambled after it. The idea had been to get the thing away from her, preferably away from the cave entrance altogether so that she could escape, not tempt it closer. She knew she had to wait until she had the grat’s attention again before she threw the last of the meat, however, otherwise it might be hard to convince the thing that she didn’t have it anymore.

  The next time the grat looked up expectantly, Tempest hurled the remainder of her meat as far as she could send it. The grat ducked, apparently thinking she’d thrown a stone at it, but its nose automatically followed the arc as the scent of the meat whizzed past its head and, with a hopeful growl, it launched itself in pursuit. The moment the grat shot out of the cave, Tempest scrambled out behind it. Unfortunately, she emerged just in time to see the grat trotting back triumphantly with the meat in its mouth. Tempest froze, staring at it, but the grat stopped well before it reached her and focused its attention on devouring the meat.

  Slowly, Tempest began inching away, her gaze fixed on the grat as it ate quickly and looked up at her hopefully once more.

  “Do not move!”

  As quietly as it was said, the voice was so unexpected Tempest jumped, glancing quickly toward Kiran as he emerged slowly from the predawn gloom. The grat’s reaction was far more violent. It whirled toward Kiran, all four legs splayed in a stance that dared him to approach. The bristly hair that ran from the crown of its head to the tip of its tail stood straight up, making the small animal seem suddenly twice its size.

  Tempest stared at it in amazement. For several moments she wondered if it actually had doubled in size. As it growled threateningly at Kiran, however, and she saw the bunching of its muscles that indicated it was about to leap toward him, she strode briskly toward it and popped it on top of its head. “Stop that!”

  The grat jumped, cringing away from her, its head whipping in her direction. It stared up at her indignantly for several moments and then, to her surprise, trotted off a short distance and flattened itself against the rock, its bushy tail slapping angrily against the rock as it divided its attention between Kiran and Tempest.

  Kiran, she saw when she looked at him once more, was studying her with a mixture of disapproval, surprise, and something else she couldn’t quite identify.

  “Why did you leave?” he asked finally, both anger and confusion in his voice.

  Tempest looked away. “Because I didn’t want to go back and I knew you would make me if I stayed.”

  “You are a stubborn female.”

  Tempest looked at him indignantly. She wasn’t appeased in the least by the faint smile that now played around his mouth, but it made her heart flutter strangely and the muscles in her belly clench. “Because what I want is not the same as what you want? Or because I’m just as determined to do what I want to do as you are?”

  He frowned, the amusement in his eyes dying. “Life is not always a matter of simply deciding what one wants for one’s self,” he said harshly. “I did not dismiss your needs only because I wished it. I have been given a task, which is vital to all of Niah. It is mine by right of birth, and a great honor to be chosen. It is a destiny I wish to fulfill, but not one that I chose. The prophesy unfolds, and I must follow my destiny for the good of all.”

  Tempest was skeptical and made no attempt to hide it. She didn’t doubt for a moment that Kiran believed what he’d told her, or that he was a capable warrior, but he was only one man, after all, no matter how great a warrior he might be. How could one man do anything that would effect the whole world?

  Kiran flushed angrily at her expression. “I know you do not understand. You are a child of the stars. You do not understand our ways or our beliefs.”

  The comment irritated Tempest. “You didn’t seem to think of me as a child the other night. Or was that something else I felt nosing around my backside?”

  Kiran stared at her hard, his color slowly darkening. It was obvious from his expression that he was more than a little tempted to pretend he had no idea what she was talking about. After a moment, however, a hint of amusement gleamed in his eyes. “A serpent has no mind and can not consider its actions. It does not always obey my commands. It acts solely upon instinct, seeking a warm, dark place in which to hide.”

  From what she knew about the male of her own species which, granted, wasn’t much, it was an honest answer—insulting, but true. Apparently, men were men, whatever part of the universe they hailed from.

  There was nothing in his expression to suggest that he’d said it to be nasty. It was still a low blow, whether intentional or not, and one she would’ve liked to dispute. Unfortunately, her experience with the male of the species was virtually nil. There had been a painfully brief period of time when she had attained an age where she had begun to see boys in a new light, when she had made awkward attempts to gain their attention by flirting. With impatience and excitement, she had looked forward to the time when her parents considered her old enough to begin to experiment with her sexuality in her search for a compatible male to share her domicile.

  The sickness that spread through the colony like wildfire had changed all that. It had banished all thoughts from everyone’s minds except survival. She had not been able to think beyond surviving since that time, had spared little thought to a possible future when it was difficult even to get through each day. She had had no opportunity to begin to understand better.

  His comments brought to mind something her best friend, Georgia, had once told her, however. She’d said boys rarely had another thought in their heads beyond sex, but was that only young males? Or all males? And would that include males of other species? And if it was true, then how was a female to know if a male was particularly interested in her?

  She blushed, embarrassed to realize she had been ignorant enough to think that Kiran’s reaction must mean he was interested in her as a woman. In spite of all that he’d said to contradict it, she’d been certain he must think she was attractive or he wouldn’t have reacted in such a way. She should have known better, considering his comment about her bones.

/>   She didn’t know why it hurt. She ought to be glad. She was glad. At least now she knew, without a doubt, that she didn’t have to worry about him sweating and grunting and slobbering all over her.

  Not that it looked like that would be anything she’d have to worry about anyway, considering he’d made it clear she wasn’t welcome. She didn’t believe for a moment that he had any intention of coming back for her, or ever had. He’d just said it to make her feel better.

  She shrugged. “Just so long as he doesn’t take it into his head to wander around my.... Uh.” She felt a blush brighten her cheeks and stumbled to a halt, horrified by what she’d almost said. “I never did like the idea of all the grunting and sweating and slobbering that ....” That made it better! She looked away, unable for the moment to think of anything to say to redirect the conversation to something a little less uncomfortable.

  Kiran closed his eyes, willing the images she’d conjured to leave his mind, fighting the urge to offer to teach her the joys of the flesh. His instincts had been right. He was going to have a hell of a time purifying mind, body, and spirit if Tempest remained so temptingly close. He would have with most any female companion, but he found that, against all reason, he was drawn to Tempest far more powerfully than he could recall being attracted to any female of his own kind.

  It was not something he wanted to explore … not now, certainly, perhaps not ever, for she was not of his kind and it seemed doubtful that two who were so different could find harmony.

  He did not want to leave her here, however, and she was just strong willed enough to follow him back if he did take the time to return her to the other place.

  “You may come with me … if that is what you wish. I will have no peace if I leave you here.” He would have no peace in taking her, but at least he would know he had not left her in danger.

  Tempest looked at him sharply, but she wasn’t about to question the invitation, or spurn it only to save face. She would’ve preferred to stay at the oasis than return to the place where she had spent nearly two years of her life, but she far preferred being with him, however reluctant his invitation. After a moment, she nodded and they returned to their campsite of the night before, gathered Kiran’s belongings and set out just as the great red sun of Niah crested the horizon.

  They had been walking for several hours when Tempest cast a glance back, wondering if she could find her way back to the last oasis if she ever found herself in need. To her surprise and dismay, she saw an undulating movement and realized the grat, crouched low to the ground, was following at a cautious distance. She glanced at Kiran to see if he’d noticed, but he hadn’t even stopped. Finally, she dismissed it, certain the grat wouldn’t follow them long before it realized she wouldn’t be tossing out more food to it.

  When the sun reached its peak, they stopped to rest, relieve themselves and eat. She discovered then that she’d underestimated the little grat’s determination. The long, coarse red hair that covered the animal blended surprisingly well with the dull red sand of Niah’s great desert as it flattened itself against the ground, but she saw it slink down the side of the dune behind them before flattening itself at the bottom of the shallow trough that separated the two dunes.

  Finding she’d lost her appetite at the reminder of how desperately starved the poor little thing was, Tempest casually tossed the remains of her meal over her shoulder.

  “She will continue to follow if you continue to feed her,” Kiran said without glancing at her, a frown of disapproval drawing his dark brows together.

  Tempest flushed, but there seemed no point in trying to deny that she’d just thrown the remains of her meal to the grat. “She’s hungry.”

  “She is a wild thing. She must learn to fend for herself, or die. It is the word of the Great One, Zoe.”

  Tempest glared at him, feeling, right or wrong, that it was a more personal comment than it had seemed, that he was referring to her, not just the grat. “So, only the strong are worthy of surviving?” she demanded tightly.

  Kiran nodded. “Destruction will follow disharmony. The strong live to create others of their kind of equal or greater strength. The weak die to replenish Niah. They do not breed others that are as weak or weaker.”

  The balance of nature it had been called on Earth, and Tempest was well aware from her studies that that law had proven true. Once the meteor had upset the balance, the entire ecosystem of Earth had crashed. It seemed odd to hear much the same from a being of another race on another world, but she supposed it was human conceit to believe the people were the only ones who could understand this immutable truth.

  All the same, and despite the fact that he’d made no reference to the people, she felt his comments were intended to remind her that the people had ignored the law and perished because of it. Or, perhaps, the fact that they’d all died had proven his point. Either way, she resented it on a very personal level, feeling that it was yet another jab at her own weakness, not just the weakness of the people in general.

  Stature didn’t ensure strength anymore than the lack of it implied inherent weakness. “Just because something appears weak, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it is,” she said tightly. “And I wouldn’t think this Zoe you talk about would consider it your decision to make. I expect he does his own deciding.”

  Kiran studied her a long moment. “She.”

  Tempest’s brows rose. “She?”

  “It is the female who gives life. The Great One, Zoe, naturally, is female. It is She who keeps the balance. She does not interfere and we are forbidden to interfere.”

  Tempest was still gaping at him in surprise when he stood, gathered his pack, and set off once more without another word. “The female does not just give life and abandon it!” she called after him. “She nurtures her young until it’s strong enough to fend for itself!”

  Kiran stopped abruptly and turned back to look at her in surprise. “You understand the way of Zoe?”

  Tempest gave him a look. Obviously the Niahians were as conceited in their knowledge as humans, certain no others could be as intelligent, or understand the things they understood. “I understand the nature of the female of the species … I am a woman, whatever you think.”

  Kiran’s lips tightened in annoyance. “You are still more child than woman or you would know what I think,” he growled, then turned away and started off once more.

  This time Tempest gaped blankly at his retreating back for a good two minutes before she shook off her surprise and trotted after him, more thoroughly confused than ever. Her inexperience must be more obvious than she’d thought, or maybe he only presumed she was inexperienced because he could tell she was young? Well, she was inexperienced, but she wasn’t completely ignorant, whatever he thought. Sexuality had been part of the school curriculum. She’d been thoroughly educated on every aspect of copulation, from the mundane to every conceivable, and some pretty inconceivable, variations.

  It was just that, not having any first hand experience, she had a hard time imagining it in association with herself, and theory was different than actual practice.

  If she hadn’t known better, she would think he was deliberately trying to confuse her. Why couldn’t he just say he did, or did not, like her in a sexual context? One minute he would say, or do, something that would make her think he did, and the very next minute, he’d dispute it.

  As interesting as the puzzle was, she set it aside after a while when it occurred to her to wonder what might lie ahead. She hadn’t been given to thinking about the future as a destination, or as something she need plan for. She could barely remember a time when she had looked beyond the next meal. Before, she supposed she’d really been too young to consider what sort of life she would have when she left her parents’ domicile to make one for herself. She had tried to imagine sharing it with first one and then another of her classmates, but she hadn’t really been able to fix it in her mind. It had been hazy, almost dream-like and she’d always ended up picturing her
parents instead.

  Now she began to wonder what sort of life Kiran had. He had said they never stayed in one place long, but it was hard to imagine traveling endlessly. Surely, they must have some settlements somewhere on this vast world?

  She shook the thought off finally, realizing that she couldn’t plan any sort of future when so much was still unknown to her. Perhaps, if Kiran didn’t want her for a companion, she would find one when he returned to his own people?

  She needed a companion. She hadn’t realized it before, because she’d had no choice but to live alone, but she was used to being surrounded by people. She needed the stimulus of interaction with other beings as much as she needed water and food.

  She supposed it was her own needs that had prompted her to befriend the grat as much as her realization of its needs. The thought made her glance back. She didn’t know whether to be glad or sorry when she saw it was still trailing them.

  Kiran wasn’t going to like it.

  On the other hand, it was easy to see she couldn’t really depend upon Kiran for companionship and the grat seemed pretty determined to adopt her.

  Deciding it was probably thirsty, she stopped and poured a little water from the water bag Kiran had given her to carry into her drinking vessel. Kiran glanced back at her, but said nothing when she took a sip from the vessel. When he turned around and kept walking, she waited until he’d started down the next dune, then backtracked. The grat stopped abruptly when it saw her coming, flattening itself against the ground. She halted a few feet away from it and held the vessel out, swirling the water. After a few moments, the grat lifted its head and sniffed. The nostril slits quivered and it licked its lips, but it didn’t move any closer, despite Tempest’s efforts to entice it. She frowned. “Fine! When you’re thirsty enough maybe you won’t be so shy.”