The two woke as they had slept, nestled in each other’s arms, but with daylight came a renewed sense of purpose. Bodok had a mission, and he would not allow himself the pleasure of a distraction, no matter how appealing she might be, now that they finally had more daylight to work with.
He left Maureen to go and gather their morning repast, steering her towards the nearby creek for an early rinse off while he was gone to help clear the last slumber-laced cobwebs of morning from her head.
“You’re sure there aren’t any more of those things out there?”
“Oh, there most certainly are,” he replied with a little grin. “But they seem to be nocturnal hunters. You will be quite safe. Additionally, I will be within earshot if you need me.”
Maureen stared into his silver eyes and felt her loins tingle and her stomach tighten. Yes, she needed him, all right. But this wasn’t the time or place to revisit the prior night’s frolic.
“You’d better be right,” she said, trusting him implicitly despite only knowing him a short while.
“As I said, if you need me, just call out.” He looked around, surveying the surroundings now that they had full sunlight to work with. “However,” he added, “as we do not know if there are Raxxians near, I would suggest refraining unless it is absolutely necessary.”
The Raxxians. Maureen felt a flash of nausea hit her at the thought of their former captors. They were free, yes, but if they really were at risk of recapture, Bodok was right. Stealth would be important.
“I’ll be quiet as a mouse,” she said.
He cocked his head slightly. “I do not know what a mouse is.”
For whatever reason, she found his response adorably endearing and reached out and ran her hand across his chest. “A tiny Earth mammal. Don’t worry, they’re not noisy at all.”
“In that case, yes. Be as a mouse. I will return shortly.”
With that he trotted off through the trees, leaving Maureen quite alone.
“Well,” she said to herself, “I guess a little freshening up is in order.”
She followed his directions down from their campsite and found herself at the creek in no time. He had chosen their location well. Elevated enough so as not to be too damp, but not so high that they would be at the mercy of the elements.
Nature provided a windblock, and the trees sheltered them from being observed from above. The Raxxians had tortured him and he had no intention of being recaptured if at all possible. If a Raxxian retrieval craft was up there looking for them, he would not make it easy for them.
The creek was small, the banks relatively easy to traverse. Maureen recognized the spot. It was very close to where they had crossed the evening before as they headed to where they would bed down for the night.
The trees were particularly lush, their deep-purple and green foliage blocking much of the sun, resulting in an almost mystical, mottled light sparkling on the water. In addition, the air, while clean and fresh everywhere on this world, was even more refreshing for the gentle movement of the water creating a light breeze that smelled of healthy, wet life.
Maureen took her shoes off but paused.
“Aw, what the hell,” she said, shedding her trousers and shirt as well then walking out into the cool water up to her waist. It was clear, and the current felt wonderful as it caressed her body, loosening the residual stickiness from the prior night’s activities and leaving her feeling fresh and renewed.
She dipped her body down, submerging to her neck and scrubbing under her arms. Her nipples grew hard at the touch of the cool water, the tingles reminding her of the night before.
“None of that,” she chided herself. “I’m here to wash off, not get all riled up again.”
She gave herself one more quick once-over then rose from the water and strode to shore, allowing her body to dry naturally a few minutes before putting her clothes back on. They were dirty, the salt of the prior day’s sweat still permeating the fibers, leaving fine rings of crystals on the back. But at least they didn’t stink, though after the trek they had planned for today she didn’t think that would last.
By the time she walked back to the campsite she found that Bodok had already returned and was just placing the meat over the stoked embers. Sitting on a leaf off to the side was one long claw, barbed at the tip. It had been thoroughly washed clean but was intimidating nonetheless.
“What’s that? A trophy?” Maureen asked, suddenlyverygrateful to have had Bodok with her.
He picked it up and offered it to her. “For you,” he replied. “It is to remind you of your strength.”
“I wasn’t the one who killed it,” she protested.
“No, but you are a strong woman who survived the Raxxians. Survived when so many others did not. It speaks much of your drive and character.”
Maureen blushed a little, accepting the token with an appreciative nod. “Thank you. It’s, uh, lovely.”
“In its own way, I suppose,” he mused. “Now, let us eat while the meat cooks. I found a small cluster of berries on my walk.”
