"Sarath is asking to be petted," the Luathan warrior said.
Kira gave him a dark glower. She didn't care what the damn creature wanted. He could ask for affection from his own people and leave her alone.
"He likes when you scratch his neck and jaw," the warrior offered.
Kira sighed. She really didn't want this. Given the monster showed no sign of moving away, she was left with no choice. Kira reached up and gave a small scratch along the jaw.
The monster made a happy sound and moved closer, jostling Kira. She tensed again but settled when the creature did nothing more.
"Just like that," the man said.
With nothing else to do but satisfy the horse's wishes, Kira continued petting him, making sure her movements were slow and nonthreatening. To her surprise, the alien horse's jaw was soft under her hand, like warm velvet.
The horse lifted its head and then sneezed all over the side of her face and hand.
There was a strangled noise from the warrior as Kira remained motionless as the big monster trotted away, its horse-like tail partially raised in satisfaction. Her glare could have lit the damn thing on fire. For a long moment, she fantasized about going after the horse, teaching it a thing or two about manners.
"You'd better run," she muttered at him. If that creature came near her again, she wasn't going to be responsible for what she did.
"I'm so sorry. Sarath does that to the people he likes," the warrior said, not sounding apologetic enough, given the laughter she could hear in his voice.
He handed her a handkerchief before moving off to corral his wayward mount.
"Thanks for the help," Kira told Graydon as she wiped at the snot on her face and hand. She grimaced as she pulled a hunk of hair forward. She'd need a shower to get it all off.
"I'm not stupid enough to get between anetairand something it finds interesting," Graydon said, looking entirely too amused at the disgust on Kira's face. "You should be honored. Theetairare fickle beasts. That he let you pet him, a stranger to his House, confirms your lineage."
Kira paused in what she was doing, her forehead wrinkling. "How?"
Graydon gestured to the carriage. After a long moment of hesitation, Kira reluctantly moved toward it and settled herself carefully in the seat, not trusting theoorospulling the carriage.
Graydon folded in beside her, his large shoulders taking up the majority of the space.
Jin hovered outside while the rest of Graydon's people took up positions around the carriage.
Graydon leaned over and conferred with Liont. "I think it’d be best if your people stay here or on the ship until I've had a chance to talk to the Luathan Overlord."
Liont's face got tight, but his nod was resigned. He reached up and shook Graydon's hand. “We’ll await your instructions.”
He and the rest stepped away. Liont knelt in front of Joule whose expression and posture hinted at nerves. Joule’s shoulders were stiff, but the boy’s nod was firm. “I won’t let you or the rest down.”
Joule took Ziva’s hand and walked her to the carriage, helping her into the seat behind Kira before climbing up himself, his face an expressionless mask. His eyes were pools of despair as they met Kira’s.
She didn’t know what to say to him. In the end, she said nothing.
Graydon settled back, returning to their conversation of before. “Theetairwere bred to act as mounts for their House's soldiers. They're fiercely loyal and are trained from birth to recognize those of the House's bloodline. If Sarath had seen you as a threat, the encounter would have gone very differently. That he didn't will reinforce your claim to this House and raise your esteem," Graydon explained.
Kira looked around with a frown, noticing the truth in his statement. There was a noticeable lessening in the hostile glances being aimed her way. Several of the Luatha were more willing to meet her gaze, giving her a respectful nod before looking away.
There was a reserve there, but not as deep as before.
Strange people to allow such a small thing to affect their actions, Kira thought.
Graydon stretched out beside her, his powerful body taking up a large amount of space as he relaxed. Kira frowned at him as she moved to accommodate his sprawl. It was on the tip of her tongue to tease him given how he resembled a redolent lord, come to survey his holdings. She bit the comment back. She was already getting too comfortable with him. Best to keep her distance.
Their road wound through the forest, the trees around them ancient and tall as they stood sentinel over the travelers. Their branches interlocked, twining together to create a canopy where no sunlight could pass, leaving the ground underneath cool and shaded.
Earth no longer had forests like these anymore. What humans hadn't destroyed in the centuries before spaceflight, had been ravaged during the war with the Tsavitee. Some of the planets settled by humans possessed vegetation resembling forest, but nothing that came close to what they currently traveled under.
