by Zara Starr
Ella seemed equally as surprised by our entrance—nearly jumping from her skin as she moved quickly to cover herself with my mantle and the furs Bahl had given her.
I smirked to myself, having seen the curve of her backside clearly since I was at the head of the group.
Julene shook her head and pointed at the girl. “I was just about to start looking her over. I gave her the vakasha tonic, but she did not drink much of it. From the appearance of her face, I do not think she found it that pleasing,” she said.
I gave a nod and averted my gaze from Ella as I looked over the other three males in our group.
“You should allow her to dress, she seems uncomfortable from your stares,” she added.
I gave a nod and walked back toward my bed skins. I knew in the back I had yet another mantle; the very one that had belonged to my mother. I held it out to her as I walked back to her side.
“Aye,” I said as I looked down at her.
Ella perked a brow at me and nervously took the mantle, quickly wrapping it about her body as she turned away. She melted back down to her knees before the outspread food leaf, her eyes flickering across the lot of us as we watched her.
“She still seems petrified of us,” I said.
Khay, my brother, nodded and moved past me, his hands digging into his satchel as he removed some meat from it. I recognized the meat as being dried bovine meat and I wondered if Ella would respond to it differently than she had the monlas.
Khay approached her and knelt down, holding the meat before her.
Ella glanced at the meat and groaned, her lips twisting into a frown as she shook her head.
“No, I don’t want that,” she said, pulling the furs closer about her body.
I wondered what the words meant, but from her behavior, it was clear that she did not want anything to do with the food offered to her.
If she doesn’t eat — there’s no way she will survive here.
“She doesn’t seem to care for the meats,” Khay said, perking his brow and frowning. “I don’t know why. Something has to be wrong with her.”
“Maybe she doesn’t eat meat. Have you taken a look at her teeth?” Bahl asked.
I perked a brow. Bahl’s teeth were notoriously flat, as were Dew’s, but although chewing some of the meat was more difficult for them, it had nothing to do with what they ate.
“She seemed to really like the fruits. I have some here. I will bring more tomorrow, but this may be to her liking,” Dew said, as he pulled out two small palm-sized blue fruits.
“Do you think that might be the problem? The teeth?” I asked, looking to Julene.
It had been years since I had so many members of the tribe freely visiting in my home cave, but it was nice to share the burdens of my obligation with the others.
“She continues to refuse to eat certain foods, but she seems to enjoy the fruits. I haven’t seen her teeth yet,” Julene said.
“I did, when she smiled at me,” I said. “But they are not all flat. Some appeared pointed, though not nearly as sharp as our own,” I finished.
“Should I give her the fruits?” Dew asked as he stood near me.
I nodded, and Dew took a step closer to Ella. She stared at him curiously.
“She doesn’t balk at you,” I said. “She didn’t balk at Bahl either, though she didn’t seem to like Bahl taking her measurements.”
“I still need to take the measurements, but go ahead and give her the fruits first. She seems genuinely terrified of us,” Bahl said.
“Aye,” Dew said, and knelt down to offer the smulps.
Ella glanced at the fruits, wrapping the furs tightly around her body so that they stayed, and then slowly took one from Dew’s hand as she looked back at him. He smiled at her, watching her mouth closely, which I too began doing as I watched them both.
“Yum!” Ella exclaimed loudly, the juice of the smulp dripping down her chin as she bit eagerly into it. “Those are delicious!” she said, smiling a bit, and revealing both pointed canines and some flatter teeth in the back—molars that reminded me of the flat square-shaped teeth of our bovines.
Dew stepped back and Khay, who still remained, knelt beside Ella and began making strange faces at her. He slid his thumbs into his cheeks and began blowing raspberries out of his mouth.
Ella finished munching on the smulps and looked back at him with a perplexed expression. My brother must have looked like a real dumb fool to her, but I knew he was just trying to make light of the situation—something that Khay was notorious for doing all the time.
“Just stop, Khay,” I began. “It only seems to upset her more. I’m not sure what she is saying but I am very concerned that she is not going to make it here. She keeps refusing everything but fruits. I don’t understand why.”
Dew gave a shrug. “Perhaps, she is a herbivore like the bovines? Maybe she cannot eat meat at all?” Dew asked.
This was the first I had ever even considered such a possibility, but Dew had a strong point in his observations. The fruit was the only thing Ella ever touched.
“It is possible, but—” I looked around the crowd and decided to try one more time. “Step back and give her some space. It could be she feels overcrowded and terrified, and that may be why she cannot eat.”
Khay stood up and stepped back to stand alongside Julene. Dew and Bahl exchanged passing glances with me as they too took their places on either side of the elder female and my brother.
I walked over to my satchel and extracted another piece of meat, this being from the smaller pequine birds that we had domesticated over the years.
I knelt down beside Ella and made eye contact with her, pointing down at the meat and then back to my own mouth before I pointed back at her.
“You must eat, Ella,” I said sternly.
Ella looked back at me and began shaking her head quickly. “No! I cannot eat that! Please, stop trying to force it down my throat!” she bellowed.
I still could not understand a single word, but knew for certain that she did not want the meat and seemed frustrated that it was continually being offered to her. But why?
“Okay, let’s try your theory, Dew,” I said, reaching for a bit more of the moon berries out of my own satchel. I held them out in my palm in front of Ella.
Ella sighed and nodded as she looked up at me, her hands reaching forward to take the berries which she quickly popped into her mouth.
I sighed and pursed my lips as I looked back at the others. “It seems to me that you are right, Dew. Tomorrow, bring her more fruit. I think she is a herbivore.”
Dew
I had left Karr’s home cave just after we all discovered that Ella was a herbivore.
It was honestly sort of funny to uncover that she shared something in common with me. Ella had flatter teeth like me and Bahl, but the canines were likely what had Karr thinking she might enjoy meat.
When she had chosen to refuse Khay’s and Karr’s offers of meat, though, I had no doubts that the herbs and fruits I had for her would make her entirely happy. The thought brought me joy, as I too preferred to eat fruit.
As the sun was rising quickly upon the horizon, I knew I needed to make haste in returning to Karr’s home cave.
I stepped through the meadow and was not at all surprised when I saw the parade of males standing in a line with various gifts; catches and fruits that they all sought to present to Ella.
Despite Karr’s protests in an effort to protect Ella, the courting had already begun. Luckily, I did have a few things to my advantage.
I strode straight to the head of the line and peeked over at Julene, who stood with her arms crossed as she conversed with another male, Klosi, who had ribbons of hili vine laced throughout his hands.
Hili vine had delicious round fruits that grew in clumps and was often used to make hilivin—a sort of alcohol that we enjoyed after the harvest and hunting seasons came to a dwindle, as the winters finally approached.
“Julene?” I asked
as I peered past Klosi. “May I go inside?”
“Aye, Dew. I was waiting for either you or Bahl to arrive to hold the charge so I can go about my daily chores for the morning.”
I smiled briefly at her and walked inside. The fire was low, and it appeared that Ella was curled up in the corner on the bed skins with the furs Bahl had given her balled up all around her form.
I could hardly see her—save for the upturned sign of her nose and the sound of her snores as they echoed throughout the cave.
I had brought with me several more smulps, a jar of moon berries, some Estrela fruits, hopi beans, plaayton root, and even a bit of carrosi—another delicious vegetable that we often paired with bovine and plaayton to make a stew.
Even if you did not pair it with bovine, the broth it made when boiled together with sweet water was delicious. I was not sure of Ella’s limitations as a herbivore and I did not want to give her anything she would not like.
Seeing her sleep so peacefully, however, I could not help but watch over her in astonishment. I carefully stepped toward her and knelt down, shaking her slightly as I spoke.
“Ella, wake up.”
The female flung the furs from her so quickly that I hardly had enough time to lean back to keep them from smacking me straight in the face.
“What?” Ella exclaimed loudly as her wild eyes flickered across the cave and found my face. “Oh, it’s you. Not that I know your name yet.”
I had no idea what she said, but I pointed to the Guayana leaf spread out at the side of the bed skins and began placing the fruits on it. She perked her brow curiously as I placed a bit more of the food down—mainly the vegetables, so I could see how she would react to them.
Her eyes scanned the food and she looked up at me, smiling as she shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I—” She shook her head and reached for the Estrela fruits first—which I figured she would do since she had seemed so keen on them before.
I smiled back at her and pointed to the vegetables.
“This looks so great,” she said. “The fruits here have been amazing, but what are these?”
Although I could not understand her words, she pointed to the carrosi, and I could guess her meaning. I smiled and picked one of them up and held it out to her—opening my mouth widely as I announced the name of the fruit.
“Care-oh-see,” I said.
She lifted a brow and tilted her head as she pointed at the Estrela fruits.
“ES-trelluh,” I muttered.
“Carrosi and Estrela,” she repeated.
I shook my head as I noted her mispronunciation of Carrosi and had to correct her on the word. “CARE-OH-SEE!” I said making emphasis on each syllable.
“Oh, okay,” she muttered and sucked in a breath as she took it from my hand.
She turned the carrosi over in her palm a few times and pursed her lips—as if she was not sure if she should eat it or not.
Realizing this, I lifted one of the carrosi and bit into it. She watched me chomp down on the vegetable and seemed to understand it was indeed edible.
“You must be an herbivore. But is this an inherited trait or a mutation?” I asked, knowing full well that Ella could not comprehend a single word.
For some of our people, having flat teeth had been a genetic difference that only a few of us shared. It was rare, but we found that it was best for people with flat teeth to eat the fruits and vegetables that inhabited our planet, mixed with some broth.
I did not have completely flat teeth as Bahl did, but teeth that were somewhat similar to his. Because of this, I was an omnivore—capable of eating both plants and animals.
Ella said something in her own tongue as she fingered the carrosi. I didn’t understand her, but she clearly approved of the root as she lifted it and bit the end, chewing slowly as she looked back at me.
I smiled and nodded, continuing to chew my own piece of carrosi as I watched her intently. I wondered if this was the case with her—did she too have such strange differences because of genetics or was she honestly a completely different species than our own?
“How is she doing?” a voice broke in behind me and I turned to glance into the face of Bahl as he strode inside Karr’s home cave.
I sighed as I looked back at him, watching as Ella’s face quickly followed the sound of his voice.
“She seems okay today. I have been thinking though,” I began as he walked closer. “Do you think she could look this different because of genetic traits? Like how you and I have flat teeth? Do you suppose that might be why she refuses to eat meat?” I asked.
“It is very possible. Has she seemed interested in eating what you’ve offered?” Bahl asked as he looked down at her.
Ella stood up suddenly, her eyes flickering between the two of us as she pointed toward her mouth. She nodded toward me and then Bahl and I perked a brow.
“What do you think she is trying to tell us?” I asked him.
“I’m not sure. It almost seems like she wants us to open our mouths,” he said just as Ella widened her mouth and let out a strange sound.
“Ahh!” she said, her fingers pointing at her teeth as she nodded toward the both of us again.
“I think you’re right,” I said as I tilted my head and looked at her gums.
She closed her mouth suddenly and pointed toward both mine and Bahl’s again. Bahl opened his mouth and forced out the same sound she had.
“Ahhh!” he said loudly.
Ella looked at me and I realized she was waiting for me to open my mouth too.
“Awww!” I said in a lower tone.
She glanced within both of our mouths and then I closed my lips, as did Bahl.
“Weird,” she murmured and pursed her lips.
Bahl tilted his head and pulled out a length of rope which he held out in front of her.
“What is that for?” she asked, her tone getting louder as she spoke.
“I need to measure her,” Bahl said. “I want to bring her clothes that will suit her smaller size better than the enormous mantle Karr gave to her.”
I nodded toward him and held my arms up. “Start by measuring me with it. She seems to follow our actions easier than our words,” I said.
Bahl pulled the rope and began measuring my forearm as he looked back at Ella. I grabbed ahold of my breeches and tugged on them slightly.
“Clothes?” Ella questioned as she looked back at us both.
“I don’t know what she is saying, but I think you may have a chance now,” I said.
Bahl’s eyes affixed upon her as he nodded and held the rope out toward her. “Do you think she will allow it?” he asked.
Ella tilted her head and lifted her arms, just as I had done, and nodded toward him.
“It seems that way,” I said.
Bahl grabbed ahold of the arm closest to him and began to measure. He moved around to her opposite arm when finished and then lowered to his knees as he began taking her size from various points.
“She is incredibly small. It stuns me. Even Julene is remarkably larger in size than she is. Don’t you wonder why?” he asked me.
I shrugged.
“I do not know but even for her smallness, she seems to possess a warrioress spirit. There is fight in her, unlike I have seen in any female of our own,” I muttered. “Though, I suspect that my opinion matters little. I am no warrior,” I acknowledged.
Bahl arose and walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he locked his gaze with mine.
“Dew, you are a strong male even for your shortcomings. Not all of us were meant to be as Karr and Arh are,” he said.
“They do not ridicule your manliness, Bahl. You have a set of skills that benefit them all. I do not,” I said.
“But you have the only food supply that this female will eat—isn’t that a benefit to you above all else?” he asked.
I smiled at his observance and chuckled slightly.
“Perhaps, but this female does not understand a thi
ng about me as I do not her,” I said.
“I do not think that will matter,” Bahl said as he watched Ella walk back over to Dew’s side. “She seems to have a preference for you.”
I shook my head.
“No, I think she felt most comfortable with you upon seeing your teeth, but when you touched her it frightened her. I wonder if the jagged teeth of our carnivores made her feel threatened? Do you think it is so?” I asked, knowing Bahl was a bit older and possibly wiser than even myself.
“I noticed she was drawn to our teeth and that seems to be the most logical reason for her apprehension. She may be fearful of our consuming her,” Bahl muttered.
“I think what pains me the most with all of this is the difficulty of forming communication with her. I’ve considered using pictograms again but I am not so sure,” I said.
“If she is afraid of us eating her it would stand to reason that the smiles of the majority of the Eilahasans would terrify her,” Bahl muttered. “The communication barrier makes this even harder to explain.”
“Indeed, how to tell her we mean to help and assist her is impossible. But I think she has begun to understand that neither you nor I mean to harm her. It seems like she should feel that way about Karr also,” I observed.
“We have no way of knowing that she has not. Remember, just as we cannot understand her or her culture she knows nothing of us, our kind, our customs, and likely nothing about Eilahas,” Bahl said.
“Do you think that is why she refused the delicacies?” I asked.
“If she is an herbivore she could have gotten deathly ill from eating them. We should be thankful she was smart enough to refuse anything she could not consume,” Bahl muttered. “I do not think she is as sickly as they think, though,” he added as he watched Ella continue to finish off the fruits and vegetables I had brought her.
“I agree, she shows intelligence and is very responsive. I wonder if she could learn our tongue, or if we could learn hers?” I asked him.
Bahl pursed his lips and looked back at her.
“Ella?” he asked casually. Ella turned her face toward him and tilted her head. Bahl reached down to pull at his trousers and opened his mouth loudly. “Clooths?” he asked.