If the humans killed all the sytos, we had nothing to worry about, but if the Kwin survived with even a few guards she’d come for us.After a mile, Jiith stumbled, a few minutes later he collapsed and I picked him up, too.
The added weight slowed me down, but unless I was willing to tear his arm off, I had no choice but to carry him.I ran until the shadow of the human city disappeared behind us, and I ran a little farther after that, looking for landmarks to guide me toward camp.
Between Jessa and Jiith, I knew we wouldn’t get there tonight.But I’d need rest and sleep to travel the distance, and I wasn’t closing my eyes until I knew the sytos couldn’t creep up on us.
It took some time before I realized the percer was tracking me.My ears barely picking up the crunch of steps in the distance and when I looked behind, I could just see the outline of his bulk in the moonlight.
I paused for a moment, turning fully to watch the boar.He stopped, too, far enough away he was nothing but a dark blur, but close enough there was no mistaking what lurked in the distance.
“Is that the percer?”Jessa whispered.
“It is,” I confirmed.“He’s not attacking though.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to figure out why he was following.Percer sows were predators, but the boars were omnivorous scavengers.He wasn’t hunting us and he wasn’t attacking.Unless Jiith was closer to death than I thought and he was hoping for an easy meal, there was no reason for him to be here.
As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Jiith let out a pained cough.
“I heard the others talking about him,” he said hoarsely.“They found broken eggs at his nest, his pack had abandoned him, probably because he was injured.”
I considered the information.Percers were not native to my planet, everything I knew from them came from the fights, and the gossip of the guards outside my cell.I could only guess at the boar’s motivations.
“Is he lonely?”Jessa asked tentatively, her hands gripping my ribs as she tried to twist her body to look at the beast.“If they’re social animals and his pack is gone, is he hoping for protection?”
“I fought him,” I pointed out.“Hurt him badly.He wouldn’t see me as a friendly face.”
“He’s hurt and alone,” she said slowly.“We did let him out.Maybe he’s just desperate.”
The boar ventured closer as we watched him, his movements slow and almost submissive.His bad leg was tucked against his body, forcing him to hobble on the other three and he kept his tusks pointed down as he limped forward a few steps and lowered himself to the ground.
“He’s not attacking,” I finally said.“We’ll worry about him if that changes.”
“You need to rest soon,” Jessa said.“I don’t think I can run on my feet, but I can walk.”
“What’s wrong with your feet?”I demanded, my worry shifting from the percer to my mate.
“I cut them up on the glass last time I fed you,” Jessa said.“It’s not bad, but it will be if I run barefoot on rocks.”
My jaw clenched as I considered our options.We were miles from the sytos now, and they would need to regroup if they survived their fight with the humans.It seemed wiser to rest and move on faster tomorrow than push ourselves and be weak if it came to a fight.
“We’re sleeping here,” I decided, lowering Jessa and Jiith to the ground.My mate hissed when she stood and grabbed my arm.My tail flicked as I recalled her running over the glass.She’d been feeding me for days, always barefoot.I doubted tonight was the first time she’d stepped on the shattered glass.
“Let me see your feet,” I ordered, dropping to my knees in front of her.My sudden movement pulled Jiith off balance and I wished we weren’t still cuffed together.
Jessa looked between my horns, her forehead creasing.“But the percer-”
I shook my head.“I can only deal with one thing at a time.We rest for now, if he attacks, I’ll kill him.But I want to see how bad you’re hurt.”
She set her hands on my shoulders, balancing herself as I lifted one of her feet.Bits of dirty tape clung to her skin, but whatever bandages she’d had were long gone.Dozens of small cuts had scabbed over but her largest toe was still bleeding, the edges of the wounds red and angry, bits of dirt clinging to the blood.
“I had a medpack in my bag,” I said.“But that’s long gone.”
“I’m fine,” she muttered as I carefully set down her foot and reached for the other.“Tovis, I’m fine.”
“Human feet are already tiny and fragile,” I said, reaching for a touch of my usual cheerfulness.It wasn’t easy, smiling whenever you felt worry, making a joke when all you wanted was to sleep and heal.But I’d seen firsthand what happened to those who lost hope.
Despair bled the life from a body just as easily as a knife.A few smiles and a moment’s lightness had eased my fellow turochs hearts before we escaped, and I knew Vret had only survived the blow that shattered his pelvis because I made him laugh and curse at me whenever the guards checked on him.
The illusion he was healthier than he was, was the only reason they hadn’t dragged him from his cot and killed him.
