Despite the long day they’d had, Taylor didn’t suppress her tired laugh.Even though Vikan’s English was exceptional due to his language implant, he still didn’t quite grasp some phrases.
“It’s an expression,” she told him.“It means I don’t like you doing all the work while I sit here and do nothing.”
“It is a male’s responsibility to see to his female’s needs,” he told her, still perplexed.
“I’ve been taking care of myself, by myself, for a long time, Vikan,” she told him.
“That changes now,” he bit out, growing impatient.He raked a hand over his left horn.She noticed the bone was more smooth and worn than his right and she wondered when he’d picked up that habit.Finally, after debating something, he jerked his head in a nod and said, “Dig a pit for the fire,tev?”
Surprise made her smile.“Okay.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled one of his silver blades from the sheath across his chest.He handed it to her and murmured, “It will help you dig.”
And if anything happened…it would protect her.
“I will not be far.I will be able to hear anything that would dare to approach,” he assured her and Taylor nodded, briefly glancing down at the blade.
“Hurry back,” she said, looking up at him, reaching her hand between the leaves of their shelter to squeeze his forearm.
Vikan’s eyes flashed when he looked at her hand and jerked his head in another nod before turning away.
Taylor let out a small breath, watching him go, unable to stop the worry that rose in her.Not the same worry as that morning, however.After her silly impulsiveness, Taylor knew that Vikan would never just leave her somewhere.Rather, at that moment, she felt fear forhim.
But he was a capable, strong male.She had to trust that he knew this land and knew what he was doing.
So, even though she was sweaty and tired and aching, she squatted down and began work on the fire pit, digging the blade he’d given her into the rich, fragrant soil that smelled similar to bitter coffee grounds.
When she was finished, she swiped the sweat from her brow, her heart pounding with the physical effort of her digging, but she looked at her work with an appreciative gaze, smiling.
She was just wiping off the caked dirt from his blade when Vikan returned.He’d only been gone maybe twenty minutes, but in his hands, he held two dead, large animals.They had black, gleaming fur, and impossibly long ears.
“That was fast.What are those?” she asked, attempting to hide her relief at seeing him.
“Mirizax,” he murmured.“This land is filled with them.”
“I didn’t see any when we were walking.”
“They burrow under the land,” he told her, depositing the game inside the circle of their shelter.Still, he didn’t step inside.He cast a look over her fire pit and jerked his head in a nod, “Good, female.This will hold the flames well.”
Even though it was a small praise, she felt it warm her chest and an odd flutter started in her stomach.She realized at that moment that she’dwantedto please him.
“I will not be much longer,” he said, ducking back out.Taylor eyed the two—what had he called them?—mirizaxand blew out a short breath.She was used to her meat coming in shrink-wrapped packages, but knew thatthiswas how it was done on Luxiria.She’d better get used to it.
Eyeing the blade, she reached for it and grabbed the closest animal to her.Its fur was impossibly soft, like mink, and she whispered, “I’m sorry.Thank you for feeding us tonight,” before she dragged the knife down the length of its protruding, bony spine, cringing the entire time.
She knew that Vikan had to be starving since he’d let her eat most of this travel rations.She wanted to at least help him prepare their dinner, so that he would be able to eat more quickly once he returned.
Even so, she’d never skinned an animal before, so she didn’t know quite what she was doing.It was dirty work and she’d hoped to salvage the fur once she’d skinned themirizaxbut she’d butchered the first one.Still, her efforts rewarded her with a freshly skinned animal, not as clean as she would’ve liked, but it was her first try.
Vikan returned shortly after she began on the second.This time, he stepped into the circle of the aloe vera leaves and dropped an armful of strange things.There was a white-colored moss that looked like the cotton ball fluff on the aloe vera leaves.Next were dark green, flaky rocks that smelled atrocious.Then there was a large, flat, dark stone.The last was something she recognized.They were the beige gourds she’d seen hanging from long, spindly trees way back before they’d entered the aloe vera forest.He’d collected over a dozen.
“You’ve been busy,” she murmured, eyeing him.
“So have you,” he commented, eyeing themirizaxand Taylor nibbled on her lip, hoping she’d done it right.
“I’ve never skinned an animal before,” she admitted.“Did I ruin them?”
“Nix,” he said.“You cut well for the first time.”
