“I’m okay,” she called out over Rykker’s shoulder.
“Thank the Gods. What happened?”
Rykker looked around, ensuring they truly were alone before continuing. “There were multiple Raxxian recovery patrols in the area. We hid for some time, then shifted course to travel around their area of activity. We are now heading your way again, but we are still far out.”
“But it will be getting dark soon,” Arkness said, clearly not thrilled with this situation. “Can you make it back?”
“Not safely before nightfall, I fear. Can you scan the area? I’m sending our coordinates.”
“Received. Stand by.”
Rykker and Olivia did just that, standing, waiting. Fortunately, Arkness was quick.
“Low-power scans show movement in the area, but not close to your position. A large group, from what I can make out.”
Rykker did not like the sound of that. “Raxxians?”
“I can’t turn up the power without being detected. I’m not sure who is out there.”
“Very well. But can you at least tell if they are coming our way?”
“It seems they are on a parallel course. They should not cross your path unless they change direction. But you’re right. It’s not safe to make the trek back right now.” Olivia could hear the conflict in his voice, but Arkness was doing the right thing, even if it was not what he wanted. “You will need to find safe shelter for the night.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“How’s Harper?” Olivia asked, leaning over Rykker’s broad shoulder, the contact delightfully warm in the cooling air.
“She is doing well and is resting comfortably. I tended her injuries and gave her a restorative as well as a mild sedative. The mending of her body has begun, though she will require a proper healing once we are back in the city.”
Olivia felt the knot of uncertainty she’d been carrying in her gut all day finally begin to loosen. “Thank you, Arkness, for taking such good care of her. It means the world to me.”
“Of course. Anything for you.”
Rykker stepped forward, surveying the land. “We should get moving while there is still some light. We will comm you in the morning.” He then closed the line. “I see something that way,” he said, pointing to a deep river they had noted in the distance. “We should head over there.”
“What is it?” Olivia asked.
“I think it’s another crashed compartment.”
She squinted hard, scanning the distant waterway but seeing nothing. “Where? Wouldn’t it have shown up on the maps?”
“Not if it came in at an angle,” he replied, stepping close behind her, his arms wrapping around and guiding her until she was facing the right way. His heat and musk were a heady mix even given the stresses of the day. “You see it? That shape under the canopy on the near shoreline where the trees overhang?”
Olivia looked again, adjusting her focus to the shadowy area beneath the unbroken trees. She hadn’t even bothered looking there as any ship that landed through those trees would have left a trail of destruction. Unless…
“Oh, I see it!”
There it sat, almost invisible, covered in muck and sand, but the shape was unmistakable now that she knew what to look for.
“It must have come in at an angle, likely due to a thermocline forcing it laterally,” Rykker mused. “It would have hit the water from the side, thus coming to rest in that location without touching any greenery around it.”
“Like skipping a stone.”
“Skipping? I don’t quite understand?—”
“I’ll show you when we get to the river. Come on!”
This time Olivia took the lead, her spirits soaring at the thought of finding more human survivors. Or even alien ones for that matter. Anyone who made it out of Raxxian captivity was a brother or sister to her, no questions asked.
