by L P Peace
She demanded a blanket from a confused Thanesh and wrapped it around her with the reflective side out, but the damage was done. She’d been so careful her whole life. Her only hope now was if the Protectorate looked after the health of their prisoners. Otherwise, Alethia was guaranteed to develop skin cancer over a lot of her face. The idea horrified her.
Even with the blanket reflecting much of the light away, Alethia was overheating. She could feel her footsteps slowing, her mind fogging, wandering with every step. She gritted her teeth, forced herself to walk quicker and took another sip from the warming water bag. Thanesh’s hulking figure marched several feet in front of her. She was deliberately holding back to delay him noticing her skin and the inevitable questions and criticism she’d get for being a weak human.
‘Why do you set the slaves free?’ Thanesh asked.
‘Because someone did it for me once,’ Alethia said, her eyes fixed on the treeline. It didn’t seem to be getting any closer.
‘Who?’ Alethia considered the question. It couldn’t hurt to share some details from her life. He wouldn’t be able to track her from knowing about her stepfathers. Once they had taken their slave mate and her daughter, they had severed all ties with their former life. Invictus was initially called something else. They found Tessa, an uninhabited planet, then made new friends so that there was help to support and protect their mate and children.
‘When I was six,’ she started, hating this story, ‘I was put in a crate by the Huan who owned my mother and I. They sold me to some alien guy that liked kids in the worst possible way.’ Thanesh looked at her with a look she couldn’t decipher on his face.
‘They were entertaining a Kuyon pre-bond pair about a job they wanted doing,’ she went on, not sure whether or not she should, ‘and my mother was a one-night deal-sweetener.’
‘They prostituted her?’
Alethia nodded. ‘Business deals, neighbours, acquaintances. It’s a wonder I was an only child by this point.’
The Protectorate shook his head. Now she could see the disgust.
‘But the Kuyon bonded to her.’ Thanesh wasn’t asking.
‘They stole us,’ Alethia confirmed, shivering.
Alethia still remembered the terror of being put in the crate. She remembered Daninca, one of the Huan, ripping her from her mother’s arms as her mate, Colvin, restrained her mother. Her mother screamed and begged for her daughter. Alethia tried to cry out but couldn’t breathe. She thought she was going to die as they placed her in the crate and shut it, promising her mother that if the Kuyon were happy, she could have Alethia back. But it was a lie. The moment her mother was out of sight, the crate was placed in a transport and sent away. Alethia still remembered screaming as the vehicle took off, knowing with dreaded certainty she would never see her mother again.
The crate was sitting at the port waiting to be loaded when it was suddenly opened and two blue faces with black eyes looked in at her.
It wasn’t until Alethia heard her mother’s voice calling her that she knew she was safe. Her mother had come. Even when Teyrin, a stranger, pulled her out, she knew she was safe. From that moment on, he and Adanith were her fathers.
‘So, the half-Kuyon at the slave market is your brother.’ Thanesh’s voice brought her abruptly back to the present.
Instantly, Alethia regretted opening her mouth. ‘Just… shut up.’
Thanesh chuckled at her. ‘I will get it all from you,’ he promised. ‘one way or another.’
She wasn’t well. Thanesh kept sneaking looks whenever he sensed she wouldn’t notice. Her condition was poor and diminishing. During their trek, her face had turned an angry red colour. Her skin looked tight and uncomfortable. He wanted to pour water on it, but he knew from the angle of the sun that it would do harm, rather than soothe the burning he could feel radiating from her.
Her mental state was declining. Angering her briefly brought her fire back, but her walking slowed by quick degrees increasing the time it was taking to reach the treeline. She was trodding now; one foot in front of the other like a work animal trying to conserve energy. He wanted to stop to give her a break, but it would do her no good here, in this plain; she needed shade.
‘Alethia.’ She continued walking, oblivious to him and to everything else. ‘Alethia,’ he called again, louder this time. She looked up at him. Her dark blue eyes appeared dull but somehow stood out against the redness of her face. They were listless. It pained him to see her like this.
‘Put the bags down.’ She looked at him, confusion on her face. He realised she was having trouble comprehending him. He walked over to her, dropping his bags, and stripped her of hers. He scooped her into his arms and set out at a run. They were less than a madith from the treeline now. He needed to get her there quickly.
‘The bags,’ she protested.
‘I will get them once you are safely out of the sun,’ he said. She looked at him for a moment, catching Thanesh in her almond-shaped blue depths. She smiled in gratitude and relaxed against him.
The systems sun put out a lot of UV. The life on Vidan was strong as a result. It was one of the things that had drawn Thanesh here. Was this what made humans so weak? Weak UV? Why did anyone keep them as slaves? They must be so inconvenient to care for.
He thought back to the story she told him. At first, Thanesh thought she was lying to him. When he looked at her, he expected to see deceit in her face. The idea that her owners sold her to a male whose attention would surely have damaged her beyond repair made him angrier than he had ever felt.
Three hundred solars ago, Thanesh and his brothers woke to a harsh reality. They were intended to be slaves but quickly changed their fate.
When they made their way off Teralis, they found a galaxy that cared little for life; full of races that were only interested in what they could take for themselves. He hadn’t questioned it. Instead, he and his men, with no small amount of luck and no small amount of hard work, created a space for themselves that few had the nerve to challenge them for. He had no use for slaves. But never questioned their use, their care, until this rote.
Thinking back to his conversation with Kidaal, Thanesh thought of the Ualha child. He knew Kidaal thought of her as a pet. He also knew that would change when the child became older. Once her body matured and readied itself for childbearing, Kidaal’s interest would change. He thought nothing of it at the time. Now, in the wake of Alethia’s story, it disturbed him.
The trees wrapped them in the shade and the air cooled around them. Better, the sound of trickling water filled his ears as soon as he stopped running. Thanesh turned, zeroed in on the sound and set out in that direction.
‘The bags,’ Alethia said, her voice weak. She tensed and looked over his shoulder at the plains behind them.
‘There is water nearby,’ he said, pulling Alethia closer to him to lessen her jostling against him. She leaned against his chest and relaxed once more. The moment she heard the water, her head turned in its direction.
‘I see it,’ he assured her.
A small stream cut through the land in front of them. He sped up, depositing her on the ground next to it moments later.
Filling his filter canister, he tested the water before handing the flask to Alethia. He watched her throat work as she swallowed; drinking everything in the flask, then moving towards the stream to refill it. Thanesh snagged it from her, refilled it and handed it back.
While Alethia drank, Thanesh unclasped his top and pulled it off, quickly followed by the black tank he wore beneath. He plunged the top under the water and wrung it out then turned to the human.
‘Here.’ He held out the top. Alethia swapped the top for the water and held it against her face, groaning gratefully. ‘Are you content to stay here while I get the bags?’ The female’s face was hidden under his top, it bobbed in response.
Thanesh stood but hesitated to leave. He looked around the forest, taking in the details he hadn't noticed before. Their environment was a p
lay of darkness and light. The canopy was thick, and what little light was able to penetrate it was dappled, highlighting small sections of dense growth where the few colourful flowers grew. Above him, he could see small patches of the sky through the massive trees which rose several hundred fenth at least above them. The trees were broad, Thanesh estimated their footprint was eighty to one hundred fenth in diameter, the trunks ranged from dark yellow and green to greys, dark browns and even black. The leaves were various shades of brown-tinted greens and came in a variety of shapes. There were sizeable gaps between the trees, but there were so many of them that he couldn't see far in any direction. Branches extended from the trunks close to the ground and split into smaller branches and twigs which sprouted cupped leaves. Massive roots buttressed the trees and obscured his vision farther. Smaller plants grew between the roots, small compared to the tree, but large, even compared to Thanesh. There seemed to be dozens of layers of growth in this forest, from the tall trees high above to small flowers which grew in spaces between them. Insects swarmed in the shade, reminding Thanesh of the wildlife that invariably must live here. He grimaced. Visibility was low; there was no way to see a threat coming unless it announced itself. Once he left Alethia, she would be vulnerable to any predators in the area.
‘You should come to the edge of the forest.’ He continued looking around as he spoke, trying to make out any predators that might be lurking. ‘I do not trust that you are safe here.’
‘I’d prefer to stay by the water. Keep bathing my face.’ She pulled his top from her face. The look she gave him which was supposed to be hopeful came closer to pitiful. ‘Just leave me a gun. I’ll be fine.’ Alethia saw the look on his face and scoffed.
‘Thanesh, what am I going to do? Your people are on the way. The Ulidon are on the way; I can’t fight either one alone. To top it off we’re on a planet that wants to burn me to death.’ She swept an arm dramatically around them. ‘Unless my people stumble on this planet, my only way off is with you.’
He couldn’t argue with her logic. He leaned in close to her and smelled her. He fought the urge to close his eyes at her scent, forcing himself to look in the dark blue depths of hers.
‘I can track you by scent,’ he told her, reaching out and taking some of her hair in his hand and smelling her again. ‘Warm, sweet, intense. Simple but layered. What is that?’ he breathed.
‘My—my mother said I smell like vanilla,’ she whispered back.
‘I do not know what that is.’
‘It’s a spice, from a flower on Earth.’ Her voice was shaky. ‘People use it to flavour and scent things.’
‘Hmmm.’ He breathed her in again. ‘I like it.’ He held her eyes fast for a minute before he placed one of his knives in her hand. Alethia gasped and looked at the blade. Her face fell.
‘How am I supposed to defend myself with this?’ He was pleased by the huskiness of her voice.
‘This,’ Thanesh indicated the knife, ‘is to stop you from straying from this spot. You are less likely to attract attention if you stay.’
‘You’re a real asshole,’ she called after him as he ran to the edge of the small clearing.
‘I do not know what that means,’ he called plunging into the forest.
It was harder to run in this forest than Thanesh anticipated. He had first seen this planet more than a century before and scoped it out several times since then. After making up his mind that that would be his home planet, he had courted the Tinar leadership in hopes of securing it. Vidan stood on an oft-used flight path to the Intergalactic Council. But while he and Korren had previously visited the island, where he originally intended on landing, he’d never been near the rainforests.
Retrieving the bags without pausing, Thanesh headed back towards the treeline. He thought about the human in that little clearing on her own and sped his pace. His heart thumped faster every moment he was away. It was not just because he had left Alethia behind in a strange jungle with nothing but a knife for protection, something he deeply regretted. It was his reaction to her.
When Thanesh first heard of someone on Esra pretending to be Protectorate, using their name to buy slaves, he was angry. Seeing her changed something.
No, not something. Everything.
Thanesh’s world had been thrown off-kilter on meeting her. He was being spun on the spot like a child’s toy he had once seen. She was beautiful. No, exquisite. Spin! She was buying slaves to free them. Spin! She had been almost sold as a child. Spin! Her smell. Spin! Her attitude. Spin! Her bravery. Spin! Her compassion. Spin! He was dizzy in the presence of her. Like a compass thrown off by a magnet, he was not sure where his north was anymore. Like the centre of his galaxy had shifted itself to accommodate the force that was Alethia.
He ran back to the clearing spurred by the fear that something would happen to her while he was gone. It was like the night before, all over again. He had lain on the cot with the intent of getting sleep while he could. Alethia was restless for a long time disturbing him, but when she finally fell asleep instead of resting himself, he was unable to tear his eyes from the healing wound that almost killed her. All night, he replayed the events in his mind. She stumbled around the interior of the pod, her words slurred, unable to focus, confused. She fell to the ground and leaned her slight weight against him as though she trusted him to care for her. He had, he couldn’t help himself. Seeing her like that… the idea of burying her on this planet… Thanesh swallowed.
He broke through the treeline almost silently and found her lying on the ground by the bank. Her knife was out of reach, his top on her face and a large, long six-legged creature stalked silently towards her.
It had a black face, head and neck. The black stripe ran from neck to tail and merged into the black on its back haunches where it ran down its powerful back thighs. The rest of its body was grey striped with slashes of dark green. Sharp teeth were exposed in a silent snarl. Blade-like claws dug into the soil at its feet.
It saw Thanesh and growled. Alethia snatched his top from her burnt skin and cried out in shock when she saw it only a few fenth from her. She scrambled away from it, towards her knife. Instinctively the creature prepared to pounce in response.
Panicked it would snatch her and run, Thanesh withdrew a knife and roared.
The animal refocused, spinning and launching at the threat. Thanesh braced himself, squatting to shift his centre of gravity, and waited until it was close enough to pounce at him. As it leapt, he swept to the side, slashing out with his knife and connecting with the creature’s side. Its yelp turned to a snarl and it slowed, turning to launch at him once again.
The beast was large compared to Alethia, but not to Thanesh. This time, when he stepped aside, he reached out, grabbing its scruff, and plunged the knife through the rib cage towards where he hoped its heart was.
The creature struggled, attempting to break free of his grip. As the knife found its mark, it yelped, whimpered and fell still in his hand. He hefted it so that he could see it better. Dull gold blood dripped from its mouth. He shook it and when there was no reaction, he dropped it and rounded on Alethia, furious.
‘You had my top on your face,’ he yelled.
‘Food.’ She pointed at the creature. He looked back at it, then turned to face her. She was getting to her feet.
‘Vrok food. You would have been the food had I not returned when I did.’ Alethia walked by him, grabbing the creature and kneeling to the forest floor. She used the knife he’d given her to cut deep into the creature's throat, holding it out so that its blood dripped onto the forest floor. When she was done, she looked up at him.
‘I was really stupid,’ she admitted. ‘I’m sorry. I know better. I was taught better. It won’t happen again.’
Thanesh wanted to rage at her. To tell her she needed to be more careful. To hide her and protect her so that he could… He swallowed when he realised where his thoughts were going.
He opened his mouth and shut it again; shouting would on
ly be for his benefit now.
‘Build a fire,’ she said. ‘We’ll cook this up, store it, have lunch and move on.’
It turned out Thanesh didn’t know how to build a fire. Alethia worked at extracting as much meat from the carcass as she could while she instructed him to dig a pit, line the outside with stones and advised him on the tinder before explaining that dried, old wood that fell to the forest floor, was better than the wood fresh from the trees. He sat tending the fire, looking pleased with himself.
‘We’re gonna need something to cook this in.’
‘I have.’ Thanesh pulled bags to him and looked through them. Finally, he pulled out a pack which turned out to be two interfitting cooking pans. Inside were mess tins, cups and a small tin. Thanesh frowned at it.
‘What’s that?’ Alethia asked, knowing already.
‘A fire starter kit,’ Thanesh growled.
Alethia sniggered and his scowl deepened. ‘On the upside, you know how to start a fire without one now.’
Thanesh seemed to consider for a moment, before dropping the kit back in the bag, forgotten.
Grinning, Alethia returned to her task. She glanced at the skin; the creature was furred, and it would have made a beautiful decoration for her home, but the knife wasn’t even a little useful for fleshing and she’d gave the task up almost as soon as she thought about it. Besides, she didn’t have any salt to preserve it until she could tan it, and they didn’t have the time to dry it. The waste of it hurt her heart, but she knew the wildlife of the forest would find a use for it, even if it were just the insects breaking it down to feed the soil.