“That’s the ship, left here by the Plood. No, don’t worry. The Plood are long gone. But they brought Dorie, and she’s not happy about it. Those are spears that can be used to kill anything. If you’re good enough. Dorie is a spear master, and one day I will ask her to teach me.That’swhere we keep our food…”
It’s much the same tour as yesterday, although he changes some of the descriptions of what they’re looking at. Little kids do like things to be repeated, as I recall hearing years ago. I can’t deny that he seems to be a perfect father for little Aker’iz. It must be instinct, because I don’t thinkToday’s Parentaccepts subscribers light-years away, but I assume parental instinct is the same on all planets.
All right. I have to make myself useful. He’s still showing no sign of wanting to get rid of me, but once I see a sign like that, it’s going to be too late. He should see that I’m pulling my weight here. But I also have to remind him that this place is mine.
“That is meat?” I ask and point at the pack he dropped.
“Finest skarn meat,” Kenz’ox says and puts his daughter down. “It needs longer on the fire to be tender, but the flavor is full.”
“I will cut,” I tell him and grab the little knife that Sprisk gave me. Sitting down on my usual rock, I take out the big pieces of some prey animal that must have been a good runner, judging from its muscles.
It’s been a while since I was squeamish about these things. The girls and I have been able to take down the occasional edible wildlife when one of them strayed so close to the saucer that it really gave us no choice. The saucer does still give off some thin nourishing substance that kept us alive the first months, but we felt it wasn’t enough. There is something to be said for actually feeling full after a meal, and the only thing we knew that could help us there was meat. Morgan was the best hunter, but we all pitched in on gutting the prey she would bring home.
As I work, I can’t help sending Kenz’ox some stolen glances. He has that kind of presence. He even overpowers the terror that the jungle radiates. I know that if something mean comes out of those dark woods right now, I’ll bravely seek safety right next to him.
I really should not have kissed him. Because now that’s the only thing I can think of. His lips were so soft and searching, and it kind of boggles my mind because the rest of him is so hard and powerful. His beard was also much softer and silkier than I would have guessed. I have an urge to run my hand through his thick, semi-curly hair, which also has a soft look to it.
I clear my voice. “You good with the baby.”
He sends me a blue glance. “Yes? I don’t really know what I’m doing. I have sometimes cared for the boys in the village, but thisone is more thoughtful. She doesn’t crawl around as much, and she screams less. Is that common for girls?”
I shrug. “I not have baby myself. But I think boy babies not very different from girl. Perhaps Aker’iz just is more thoughtful baby.”
He carefully puts the girl down. “When she looks at me, she doesn’t blink. It’s as if she sees through me and out the other side.”
“Aker’iz hasintenseeyes,” I tell him. “I not know word in your speech.”
“Intenz.”Kenz’ox tastes the alien word. “Mmm. Yes. That’s how it feels.”
He gets up and follows Aker’iz, who’s enjoying her exploration of the clearing on all fours. It’s an adorable sight, the huge, scarred warrior with the big sword focusing only on that tiny little girl.
I’m not sure what to do. I’m not going to be part of their family. At the same time, I have to live here, too. How much should I separate my life from theirs? Is that even possible?
My only hope is to get the saucer to work. Or for Dex to return, but that does seem unlikely after all this time. Callie coming back would solve part of the problem. We could stick together and let Kenz’ox and his daughter stay until we fixed the saucer. Or decide to join Cora’s tribe.
No, that last thing is not an option for me. The saucer is here, and now I know that it does kind of respond to my touches. At least sometimes. So I’m even less interested in leaving it now.
It gives me an idea. “There is other tribe. Borok tribe.”
He gives me a glance. “So you said. I’ve never heard of it. Is it big?”
“Yes. Big village. Is a mountain there. Safe village, no Bigs come.”
“Safe?”
“They say it is safe.”
“Is it far away?”
Cora and Sprisk had been walking for weeks, apparently. “Yes.”
“Safe for Aker’iz?”
Cora said some really good things about the chief and the tribe. “I think so. Other women live there. Earth women. Babies. Girl babies.”
“Why are you not there?”
I nod toward the saucer. “I want to repair that.”
