I climb into the clearing and dump the heavy skarn on the ground. It’s cooled a bit, but it was almost done when I took it, and it only needs a little more heat before we can eat it.
The griket gets up and looks at me with its big eyes.
Aker’iz squeals when she sees me, reaching out her arms. I go over and lift her. “Thank you for taking care of our little chief.”
“She’s a good chief,” Dorie says and wipes her front with a rag. She’s changed her clothing, from the alien one to a looser, more recognizable garment that reaches to her knees. It’s made from the skin of a Big. “And she likes to eat.”
I hold Aker’iz out from me. “Did she grow in the time I was away?”
“She fast grower,” Dorie says and gets up to stretch. “A chief should be big.”
“And she doesn’t smell bad.”
“We took care of that,” she says. “And we went to the beach to get clean. Those dead krolts are still there.”
I feel my eyes widening. “You went to the beach? After the… after what happened there today?”
Dorie shrugs. “Is part of our home. We not will stay away from it.”
“That’s wonderful,” I exclaim as warmth and pride fill me. I have seen warriors needing to stay out of the jungle for days after less harrowing experiences than the one Dorie had today. She maylook soft, but she has steel in her. “Dorie cleaned you, Aker’iz. Did you say ‘thank you’?”
The baby just gurgles. She looks tired, so I put her in the playpen.
Dorie discovers the skarn. “Oh, you brought food. Cooked already?”
“I stole the dinner from some silly tribesmen,” I tell her, not wanting to alarm her by telling her more about those three.
Her eyes go wide. “Tribesmen? Nearby?”
I quickly cut the Y-shaped sticks that will carry the pole with the skarn on it. “A small band of lost tribesmen. Not that near. Don’t worry, they’ll leave tomorrow, and go back to their village. I let them know that this is my turf.”
Dorie looks into the jungle. “There been no tribesmen here, except one.”
“And there will be no more,” I assure her. “I will scare them.” I decide that tomorrow I will check if they’re still here. If they are, I will hurt them so bad, the jungle might finish the job for me.
The griket stalks around the clearing, always keeping both eyes on me.
I ram the two sticks into the ground and support them with rocks, then put the skarn in place over the fire. “We’ll have to wait for a while. It needs more heat.”
Dorie still peers into the jungle. “You not think they follow you?”
“They didn’t. I made sure. There’s no need to worry, Dorie. I scared them.”
She comes over and strokes a hand on my lower back in passing. “I know.” She gets Aker’iz, who’s fallen asleep, and gently places her in her pack.
I understand the gesture—if enemies come, Aker’iz is easier to grab now.
“Who was the tribesman who was here?” I ask. “You said there hadn’t been any, except one. And I have seen his tracks.”
Dorie sits down with her stiff pieces of skin. “When you came here first time,” she starts nervously, “I tell you about my tribe. I say many warriors and… well, you know. It not is true. There was a tribe, with Callie and Morgan and Riley and me, but no warriors.”
She tells me about Cora and Sprisk and what she knows about the Borok tribe. I stay quiet until she’s done.
I give her a little smile. “I already knew some of these things. I saw no traces of many warriors, only one strange one. And some women. This area is unclaimed turf. There’s no tribe nearby, and those who gave us tonight’s dinner won’t be back.”
She glances over at the skarn. “How long to cook?”
It’s a little after sunset, and the jungle is growing darker fast. “When it’s fully dark.”
