Zathar and his people had prepared an “apartment” for us inside Ahoshaga’s vaulted halls. The for Thunder Rock hunters once feared and ghost-riddled mountain peak had become the human’s safe space. As it turned out, it was astone town inside a mountain, the same yet not, as Artek’s maze-like home. The rooms they had set aside for us were quite large and sprawling—enough to have a room for each youngling, and a bedroom for Jolene and me. Not that my young wanted to sleep apart, but that had been anticipated, too. Clean nests with warm furs had been ready and waiting for them: a big one for my mate and me, and one for my younglings.
“I’ll watch over them while you two go to the meeting,” a human female said, meeting us in the ‘living room’ area of our new home. She’d introduced herself as Farah earlier and had been very good at charming my young into trying the strange foods their human cook had made. Pregnant, her belly indicated she was possibly halfway along, and she was clearly very happy about it. Her mate hovered nearby, silent and watchful. He was a Water Weaver, his scales green and his fist holding a trident.
“Thank you, Farah. I don’t think they’ll wake, they’re pretty knackered. But Nisha sometimes has nightmares. Fetch us if that happens, okay?” Jolene instructed the female. They were very different from one another, and I’d been surprised, when seeing so many humans together, to notice that. They’d all been pale and pastel to me, but Farah’s skin was a rich tan, her hair black, while Kalani gleamed like midnight. Jolene would always be the prettiest to me, but that was because she was all mine.
“I’ll send Buzz to fetch you if that happens, don’t worry!” Farah responded, and she scratched the small purple Ayala perched on her shoulder under his chin. “Right, Buzz?” He chirped softly in response, though I very much doubted he understood a word she said. My eyes went to Zeidon, the Water Weaver male, and he gave me a nod. That was good enough, that was a promise from hunter to hunter to see to the task.
It was still difficult to leave the rooms and walk deeper into the mountain. After what my younglings had beenthrough, I didn’t want them to wake up and wonder where I was. I wanted them to know that I’d always look after them. Jolene’s small hand in mine helped, though. We were a unit, a couple, and we had each other’s backs. Even if it was as simple as a word or a rock from her sling, it was good to know she was my partner in every way.
The path spiraled down past many doors, then ended at a round meeting space with a fountain of water at the center. A ground-fed, unnatural spring clattered gently into the round stone pool. Wooden chairs and benches had been set up in a circle, too, and on a table, a spread of food and drinks had been laid out. A small human, accompanied by a very big Bitter Storm Naga male, stood behind that table and was serving plates to the hunters and humans peering at the offerings.
Zathar and his mate, Vera, presided over the meeting once everyone had settled in with food. I felt strange being part of it—to see a group work together toward a decision, rather than simply obey a single queen or my mate. Jolene’s questions about how to rescue the humans still on the ship had prompted the meeting, and I’d then recalled the Queen’s plan to burn it down. I hadn’t told them how to enter the ship, but with the snow making tracks hard to hide, I had no doubt other hunters could find the way in too. Mounting a rescue had suddenly become urgent, rather than a “wait till spring” kind of affair.
Once I’d been allowed to speak about what the new Queen had planned, it became a matter of who would be on the rescue party and when they’d depart. Of course, it was no surprise that Jolene insisted on being part of the rescue. “I am the one they trust! And I know how to work the stasis pods, I have to go,” she said with confidence. I wanted to tell her she couldn’t. The last thing I wanted was to see her in danger—especially so soon after we’d escaped the clutches of the Thunder Rock Queen. At the same time, I knew there was nothing that would stop her; this was her mission.
“And I should go. I’ve been inside the ship; I know the way,” I declared instead. There was a moment of silence, and then Zathar agreed, and that was that. I was shocked by how quickly that had gone and how eager everyone was to help—mated, unmated, and of so many different Clans that it still baffled me to see them all work together so smoothly.
I didn’t think they knew quite how many humans were sleeping inside that ship, though, too many to fit inside Haven. Too many to be able to feed them all with only this many hunters. They had a good group, but not nearly enough to feed thousands. If anyone knew how hard that was, it was the Bitter Storm Naga—but even they did not object. Then Corin spoke up and proved that he was worthy of being an honorary Shaman, even if he did not officially carry the title. “We’ll have to fix the ship and move it. It’s the only way to keep all those stasis pods safe without taxing Haven’s resources beyond their limit.”
Later that night, when we’d returned to our new den and relieved Farah and Zeidon of their task, I lay with Jolene in our new nest. “I don’t like it,” I said to her. And rather than understand that I was worried abouther, she thought I disliked leaving my younglings at Haven. Her reassurances were quick and plentiful, and they all made me smile.
“I know,” I said to her. “I know there are capable females and males here who will guard them and care for them. I could see that as soon as we arrived. Nobody looks at them the way they did at Thunder Rock.” Nisha had struck up a quick friendship with one of the Bitter Storm boys, and she’d oohed endlessly over the handful of babies. There were even some Thunder Rock outcasts here whom they knew, one of them a male who used to help Arosha with them on a regular basis. Familiar faces, as well as new ones, had made them feel welcome.
“I was worried about you,” I said. She grinned as if that were funny, but then she kissed me, and tangled in her arms, I forgot about it until the next morning.
***
Jolene
We flew in two groups to the edge of the woods near the ship, then had to walk the rest of the way so as not to be seen. Khawla and I were part of the first group, but I did not see him for some time, as he’d gone ahead to do what he did best: scout. Jasmine and Kalani were the only humans with me; the rest of the group was made up mostly of unmated males, or “aspirants,” as they were called at Haven. Zathar led them, while they’d left a male they called the “Warlord” in charge at Haven to see to the protection of those left behind.
I hadn’t thought I’d find it hard to say goodbye to Nisha and the boys that morning, but I had—even though I had faith that we’d all come back. The Krektar had no firepower and weren’t the best fighters, with their crude spears and bows. That had leveled the playing field considerably for these Naga, and with the aid of a dragon and Kalani with her laser rifle, I was certain we’d have an easy victory.
It had been Rasho who had helped convince me to let go of hugging them, telling me in his stern imitation of his dad that I had a job to do. I’d still been chuckling over that when I climbed onto the dragon for a dizzying, slightly nauseating flight back the way we’d come, to the shipwreck. The second group the dragon brought arrived closer to the ship, and they caught up to us, unhindered by slow human feet, before we could even see the wreck rise above the treeline.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. This last group of Haven hunters included Reid. He’d only been briefly introduced to me yesterday, so all I knew was that he’d arrived before the wreck with Vera and some of the others. Unlike the handful of men rescued last time, he was already perfectly adapted to Serant and mated to a Naga female. Not just that, but he was clearly a former soldier and easily kept up with the Naga inthe snow. Perhaps a little too easily, but nobody explained to me how that was possible.
I felt confident we had a good group together to take care of the remaining Krektar and perhaps convince Thor to help us. This could work. We’d save everyone, then fetch Corin and his mate to repair and fly the ship. That nasty Queen would not be able to harm any of them. They’d be safe. I’d have completed my job, and I was very relieved not to be alone in shouldering this burden.
When I’d stolen the medicine to help those kids on Earth, I had no one. Nobody was willing to stick their neck out and take a risk, and I was certain someone close to me had even ratted me out to the authorities. Now, Khawla was on my side, and I knew I could trust him with everything. I also had Jasmine to back me up, and the humans and Naga at Haven hadn’t had to think twice to set up this plan. These were good people, free to do good deeds, and I was proud to be part of that.
Then we reached the edge of the treeline and took in the ship crouched over the land like a big, hulking shadow. It was covered in snow, as was the ground itself, but we did not need to see tracks to know where to go. We weren’t the first to arrive. Khawla came back, grim-faced, to huddle with Zathar and discuss what he’d seen, while I peered with Jasmine and Kalani at the battlefield from behind the shelter of a tree.
The Krektar were out in force just outside the ship, more of them than I’d seen during my escape. I was surprised there were this many still around, but it was a force of at least three dozen. They were fighting with the Naga in the snow, and the Naga were heavily outnumbered and possibly in trouble. I wouldn’t be sorry about that, except for Khawla. These were probably people he’d grown up with, friends, even. Some of them might even be the hunters who had helped us escape.
“Look there,” Kalani said, and she pointed. On a hill to our left, sheltered by the trees, a small group of blue Nagawere watching the battle as well. I would bet good money that it was the Queen and an escort—overseeing things, but not taking a risk herself. She’d sent her hunters into battle, and they’d been caught by surprise by the number of enemies still hidden inside the ship. The question was: Why had the Krektar taken the fight outside? They could have sealed the ship.
“Now what?” Jasmine asked. “They’re doing our work for us, but when the fight is over,wewill have to deal with the winners.” She was right, and I didn’t like our odds. The Naga were more effective fighters, but they were outnumbered. Unless we came to their aid, they might not make it. I glanced from the two girls to where Khawla was huddled with Haven’s leader, Zathar. There was no mistaking that Zathar himself was once Thunder Rock and probably had ties to the males fighting down below. They were both incredibly grim-faced when they turned to face the waiting males behind them.
“We have two choices,” Zathar said as he raised himself higher on his tail to address everyone. They were a motley group, some blue, just as many purple, and a handful of other colors: a sprinkle of red scales, a few green, and then there was the one golden Dragon rider male. Not all of them would feel loyalty to the Thunder Rock males fighting for their lives with the Krektar.
Khawla had told me about the former prince, and he’d spoken with tones of respect. He’d clearly liked Zathar and had faith in the male’s ability to make fair choices. Raising his hand, he held up a finger. “One, we can leave the Thunder Rock hunters to die at the hands of the Krektar, then sweep in afterward to fight the remaining force. Or two, we can join them now and possibly save their lives in the process.” He pierced the males with a bright, azure stare, giving one blue male a slight nod and piercing a red guy with a sharp look, as if he were gauging their desire—gauging their thoughts.
“I understand that only those once of Thunder Rock would feel any loyalty to the males bleeding in the snow right now. They are here, sent by Thunder Rock’s Queen to kill the humans aboard the ship. They are not our allies. So I cannot ask any of you to risk your lives for them. We will put it to a vote.” I held my breath as I waited to see what the gathered warriors would do, my fingers squeezing around Jasmine’s as we held hands in tense anticipation.
It was the one human man among the group who stepped forward and asked to address them before they cast their vote. When Zathar nodded and moved aside, Reid stepped in front of the group of armed, grim-faced warriors with casual confidence. He was dressed in leather from the planet—pants, a long-sleeved shirt with a fur hood and collar—but his boots were military issue from his life before. He pushed his hood back to expose his mop of unruly black hair and pierced everyone with a sharp stare.
“I know they are not our allies, but speaking as a human, I do not hold it against them for fearing us. Wearenew and different, a threat to a way of life.” He gestured with a hand to the fighting going on in the snowfield below us. “They are also following traditions long ingrained in all of you, to obey their Queen. Just becausesheis wrong doesn’t mean they feel the same way. Remember what it was like to be part of a Clan before you were cast out, and put yourself in their… uh, scales.” With a final nod, he slipped away, moving easily through the snow to take up a position next to the golden Naga. That male smiled broadly and slapped him on the shoulder, his appearance making him stand out not just because of his unique hue but because he had two black horns rising from his forehead.
