The Vixen War Bride
Page 26
The eyes of every tod and vixen in the truck, particularly Bao Sen and Yasuren’s, were on him as the young fox woman gingerly held her hand out and let herself be helped down by the Dark One. Once she was safely on the ground, Ben turned to the next, finding himself looking up at Alacea.
Cognizant of the many eyes on them, Alacea quickly surrendered her hand and nimbly hopped down from the truck. She bowed to Ben.
Alacea then went to the other side of the truck and started helping others down. The villagers, unsure of where to go now, meandered near the vehicles as the other trucks unloaded.
Ben offered his hand to Bao Sen, who ignored it and hopped down from the truck on her own, rifle firmly in her own hands. The Ranger looked up and found Yasuren looking down at him. He offered his hand, and the vixen gave Bao Sen a look, noting that the Huntress was looking at her meaningfully. If it was going to be done, now was the time, while every Va’Shen could see her, while the other huntresses were still among the other Va’Shen and not separated from the others.
The noblevixen paused for a moment as everyone, not just the Huntresses, looked to her. She looked down at Alacea, who was looking at her as if sending a message with her eyes.
All will be well.
Making her choice, Yasuren gave Ben her hand and allowed him to lower her to the ground.
The Huntress was not sure whether to relax or tense even more after the vixen’s decision. She remained ready.
When the last Va’Shen was off the truck, Ben closed the gate and secured it. There was still at least one more trip to make in order to get all of them.
“LT!” he hollered over the crowd of milling fox people. He caught sight of the young Korean woman and beckoned her to come to him.
When she finally worked her way through the crowd, Ben gestured to Alacea. “We have at least one more trip to make. I’d appreciate it if Alacea or Yasuren or someone could stay here or even go back with us to get the rest so they don’t have to worry as much.”
Patricia nodded and turned to the two vixens.
Alacea took a moment to decipher this.
Yasuren’s ears twitched in affirmation, and Alacea turned to Patricia. she said.
“Alacea said she’d stick around,” Patricia told Ben.
“Great.” Ben turned and started toward the lead vehicle.
Patricia turned to him and translated. “She wants to know what you want them to do.”
Ben looked at the Va’Shen, mildly confused. The entire collection of fox people was staring at him, none of them moving toward their luggage, walking toward the gate or otherwise fleeing.
He turned to Patricia. “Do you need them to do anything?” he asked her. “Exit interviews? Intel debriefs? Stuff like that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean, it’s not like we don’t know where they live.”
The Va’Shen continued to stare at him, fully expecting some command that would formally begin their subjugation. At the very least, they expected a warning or restrictions on their movement. Perhaps a menacing threat or reminder of who was in charge.
Although the fox people didn’t laugh, the Va’Shen equivalent of a sinister laugh would not be uncalled for at this moment.
Instead, Ben looked at them and waved his hand over his head as he called out loud enough for all the villagers to hear him.
“Okay! Bye bye now!”
He turned and started for the LTV again, leaving two hundred bushy fox tails twitching in confusion behind him.
Patricia turned to them and clapped her hands together, offering them a broad smile.
Pavastea’s ears flattened against her head, her tail whipping back and forth in agitation.
Pavastea’s ears shot straight up, and she happily ran to the collection of luggage not far away. Bao Sen and Alacea joined Yasuren a moment later.
Yasuren released a breath she hadn’t been aware she had been holding, and the fur of her tail flattened as if the appendage was a balloon with a hole in it.
Yasuren turned to her, her ears flattening.
Alacea’s eyes were firm. She knew something had been afoot, but not what, and she was going to learn now.
Yasuren raised her fan in front of her mouth so that only her eyes could be seen.
The priestess looked at Bao Sen, who met her gaze with equal measure. In her eyes, she did not feel that she had to be ashamed.
Alacea released a breath and decided to let the matter lie.
Yasuren’s ears twitched in an affirmative.
The idea made sense to Alacea, but she wasn’t sure she wanted the Huntress to have to deal with the Dark Ones alone with her. The priestess was already somewhat accustomed to them, and their actions did not alarm her as they once did.
Bao Sen bowed in acceptance, and the two left to find their belongings.
Alacea took a deep breath. It had already been a long day, the latest in a long week, and it was only to continue for a few more hours, at least.
Ben caught Ramirez’s eye and pointed at the refueling station not far from them. “Let’s get these vehicles gassed up so we can go get the rest.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“All right, people!” Ben called to his troops. “Job’s not done! Refuel, grab some chow, and let’s head back out!”
As the Rangers milled about like ants with a mission, Ben saw Warren marching up to him. The senior chief gave the Ranger captain a salute and offered him his hand to shake. Ben took it warmly.
“Welcome back, Sir,” Warren said. “Looks like everything went well enough.”
“Mostly,” Ben told him as he started for the LTV where Burton was being helped out of the seat by two other Rangers. “One wounded, but not bad. Got another couple hundred Va’Shen to move. Thanks for sending the back-up, by the way.”
“No problem,” Warren told him, giving Burton a quick but concerned look. “Enemy fire?” he asked quizzically.
“Wildlife,” Ben replied. “Planet has a creature that spits exploding phlegm.”
“You’re joking!”
“Wish I was,” Ben told him.
“Yeah, me too!” Burton piped up from his stretcher.
“He’s not in any danger, but I want him out to Jamieson at the first opportunity,” Ben continued.
“The Air Force guys leave for Jamieson tomorrow if you think he’s okay to wait,” Warren supplied.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be okay,” Ben admitted.
“It leaves us without a proper corpsman,” Warren warned, using the Navy term for “medic.”
“Hell!” Ben replied loudly. “We didn’t have a proper medic before!” he called in Burton’s direction
.
“Hurtful!” Burton yelled back.
Ben turned his attention back to Warren, biting his lip. Despite the joke, not having a medic definitely concerned him. “Let’s hope everyone’s Buddy-Aid training is up-to-date until he gets back.”
Warren nodded, his lips pursed and obviously no happier with the situation than the captain was.
“You going back out?” Warren asked.
“Yeah,” Ben told him. “Get the last of them and come back. Three hours, max.”
“Helluva first week, isn’t it?” Warren asked as he turned to go.
“First of many, probably,” Ben admitted. Warren turned to go, and Ben called to his back. “What day is it, anyway?” he asked.
The naval engineer turned and called back. “Tuesday! Taco night!”
It took just over an hour to gas up all the vehicles. By then it was coming to late afternoon. The sun would be going down soon, and Ben was eager to leave and get the job done and over with. Downing the last dregs of coffee from a paper cup, he tossed it aside and started for the row of vehicles waiting nearby. Patricia and Ramirez were waiting for him there along with all the vehicle drivers and commanders.
He gave a nod to the NCO, signaling him to begin the route briefing. It didn’t take long. It was the same route, same basic mission, same possible threats, same rally points. The only difference is that part of it would be after dark now. If anything, though, that made Ben more comfortable. The Rangers were used to moving at night. They owned the night…
At least… they did. They owned the night when they had working night optical devices, drone coverage, infrared scopes and a direct line to a reconnaissance plane overhead. Without those things, on Va’Shen home turf, the best he could claim was that they “shared” the night.
Still, any advantage was better than none.
The brief concluded, and the soldiers, sailors and airmen started for their vehicles. Ben opened the door to the LTV and looked around.
“Where’s Alacea?” he asked.
Patricia nodded in the direction of the truck behind them. “She’s in the back of the truck. Probably more comfortable than the turret.”
Ben nodded and bit his lip. He turned to Patricia again. “Take my seat.”
“Sir?”
“I’m gonna ride in the truck. You take my seat.”
“Oh! Um… Yes, Sir!” The lieutenant climbed into the front seat next to Ramirez, and Ben made his way to the back of the first truck in the convoy, shifting his rifle to make it more comfortable on his shoulder. Grabbing hold of the tailgate, he hoisted himself up and climbed inside.
Alacea looked up, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Dark One. Noticing it was her Tesho, she wondered if he had come looking for her, demanding her presence in another vehicle. Instead, he took a seat on the bench directly across from her and placed his rifle butt-down between his knees, putting his hands over the flash suppressor at the end of the weapon’s muzzle.
“Okay if I sit here?” he asked her.
She bowed her head to him.
Ben sighed and shook his head. “I still don’t know if you’re calling me an asshole or not,” he said deadpan. He pointed to himself. “Ben,” he said. “Just call me Ben.”
“That’s right, ‘Ben,’” he said. The truck rumbled to life under them and the exhaust spewed black smoke. “Not ‘tesho.’ ‘Ben.’” He pointed to her. “Alacea…” He pointed to himself. “Ben.”
She pointed at him.
“’Myorin?’” he repeated the new word. The truck started moving, and the two of them quickly caught their balance on the wooden benches. He wondered what the word meant as it related to the other. “Master” and “slave,” perhaps? “Leader” and “subordinate?” “Man” and “woman?”
He sighed.
Ben mimicked the gesture. “What’s this?” he asked.
She snorted as her ears twitched in laughter. It made her eyes light for a moment.
he said again, nodding.
They were silent for several moments. Finally sick of the silence, Ben pointed at the river nearby. “What’s that?” he asked.
She followed his finger.
She clapped her hands quickly, and he smiled. “Okay,” he said. He pointed at the trees.
“Purr… pole?” Alacea asked, her ears flattening. The word itself sounded funny. Like someone had swallowed a handful of glowbugs.
“Purple,” he repeated. He pointed at the trees. “Purple.”
“Purple,” she repeated.
“Yeah. Those trees…” He broke off and pointed at her hair. “Your hair. Purple.”
A light went off behind Alacea’s eyes.
He blinked stupidly at her.
Ben finally got the drift and gave her the English name.
Alacea’s ears twitched. “Torees.”
“Trees.”
“Trees,” she tried again.
He quietly clapped his hands together in little bird-like motions, mimicking her earlier praise for him. Her ears twitched again, unsure if she was being mocked. Ben leaned back against the railing and took a deep breath. “Aren’t we a pair?” he sighed. Alacea said nothing in response.
Her ears perked up as she suddenly remembered something. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the mini ka-bar he had given her the day before. Holding it in both hands, she held it out to him.
Ben smiled tiredly. He had a feeling he knew what she was saying. He waved his hand at her. “Keep it,” he said. “Souvenir. Besides,” he continued with a sigh, “Something tells me it won’t be the last time you threaten to kill me, so…” He shrugged.
Unsure of what he said, but noticing he was not taking the blade from her, Alacea withdrew the knife tentatively and then bowed to him in her seat.
Perhaps I misunderstood? she asked herself. Maybe when Dark Ones wed they exchange weaponry and so I am meant to treasure it? She took a breath.
Dark Ones were strange.
If they’re Dark Ones.
That tickling feeling in the back of her head made her take another deep breath. Everything she knew told her it was a fanciful thought, but even so…
Nothing would flip the world about its axis more than that.
It was after dark when the last load of Va’Shen villagers arrived in Pelle. Rather than bring them onto the base, Ben had decided it would probably put them at ease if they stopped in the middle of the village, allowing them to hop off the trucks closer to their homes.
When the convoy pulled to a stop between the mayor’s office and the Mikorin temple, Ben looked up at the now fully-lit building in near-awe. The temple seemed to glow in a warm orange light, bathed by unseen candles inside and throughout the grounds. He reasoned the building could probably be seen for miles.
From her seat in the back of the truck
, Alacea’s ears pointed straight up at the sight of her beloved home once again fully lit and occupied. She looked down as Patricia came walking up to the truck, smiling at the sight herself.
Almost entranced by the sight, Ben continued to look up at the temple while the Va’Shen villagers climbed down from the trucks. He turned, having more felt than heard the presence behind him.
Kasshas and Yasuren stood before him. The two offered him a bow, which he clumsily aped in return.
Kasshas told him.
Although Ben still didn’t understand what Kasshas was saying, he did recognize a word.
“Myorin?” he asked.
Kasshas’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Most trusted advisor!” His introduction to Yasuren came back to mind, and he smiled. Mystery solved. A myorin was an advisor, and so tesho must mean a leader of some type.
“Tesho?” he asked, pointing at Kasshas. He pointed at Yasuren. “Myorin?”
Kasshas looked at him as if he were dim child while Yasuren, remembering her deliberate obfuscation of her identity, hid her mouth behind her fan and looked away as if fascinated by something else.
He looked around for Patricia, but she was helping one of the other soldiers on the other side of the convoy. Not able to translate, he took a guess.
“I am glad we could help,” he said slowly and simply as if that would be enough for the leader to understand. He held his hand out to the chieftain, who looked at it suspiciously.
“Well,” Ben said, lowering his hand, not wanting to push his luck. “We’ll get there eventually.”
“Sir!”
Ben turned to the sound of the hail and found Baird waving to him from the LTV. “That’s all of them!”