Roque waited until he saw the one that Ryne believed was their leader.
“What do you want?” Connor bellowed from the stockade wall. “Why are you here?”
“My padur, Terran, and I have brought our mate--our hearth woman, Noely--to see her people,” Roque responded in Noely’s tongue.
It would have been hard to say what stunned the sky people more--the announcement itself or the fact that he delivered it in their language, particularly when they had all been convinced that the natives were very primitive.
Chapter Five
Connor recovered--to a degree--before anyone else, whipping a quick look around for any sign that the two aliens had arrived with others. Having convinced himself there wasn’t a flock of warriors bearing down on the stockade, he’d collected himself somewhat when he met the man’s gaze. “She is here?”
Roque nodded. “She is breeding. I must have your word that no harm will come to her before I bring her.”
That statement threw Connor into turmoil again. It also insulted him and that pissed him off.
It did flicker through his mind to wonder if there had been trouble, before, but they’d found no sign that anyone from Earth had ever arrived at the planet.
Maybe they had had bad experiences from others?
“I give you my word.” He signaled his men then to relax their posture. “Lower them,” he said quietly.
Roque studied him for several long moments and glanced at the others around him. Finally, he nodded and lifted his head, signaling Terran to bring Noely.
The piercing whistle brought Noely’s head up. She got up before Terran could reach her to help her up, brushing at the seat of her clothing. Terran swung her into his arms and raced along the ground, spreading his wings to gain lift when he pushed himself off of the ground.
Torr took to the air behind him, but then passed him and Noely, leading the way. They circled the clearing for a quick look for treachery and finally landed on either side of Roque and Ryne.
Terran was reluctant to put her down, but he did when Noely began to wiggle, setting her carefully on her feet and then steadying her.
She looked up at the faces along the top of the wall, feeling a little uneasy. “You’re from Earth?”
Connor studied her face, but there was no doubt in his mind that she was from Earth. “We arrived in the Artemis.”
Noely sucked in a shocked breath. “How?” She shook her head. “Never mind. We can talk when we don’t have to yell at each other.”
Connor was still skeptical. “I can’t allow the men to enter armed. Our citizens do not carry weapons within the village.”
The Izun warriors shared a long look. “We cannot fight a battle on top of Noely without risk to her,” Roque said grimly and then studied Noely. “Do you feel safe to trust them?”
Noely frowned. “I haven’t seen or heard anything to make me think they’re doing anything threatening. I think they just want to protect themselves. If it was just for my sake, I’d say let’s just go home.” She shrugged. “It isn’t. It’s for everyone and that wouldn’t prevent a new war that no one can really afford. Somebody is going to have to be the first to trust.”
Roque studied her a moment longer and then nodded and preceded her to the gate. Terran and Torr matched their steps to hers and walked on either side of her and Ryne followed at the rear.
Unfortunately, the gate was opened only wide enough for them to enter single file and there were soldiers waiting to take their weapons. Again, the group hesitated, but then Terran and Torr handed over their weapons when Roque had and boxed Noely in again.
Ryne lifted his head once he’d passed his weapons to the warriors collecting them and swept the open ground in a quick search for Belle, even though he was convinced he wouldn’t see her, that she would hide from him if she wasn’t busy somewhere within the enclosure at some task as many of the people were. His heart rate went a little wild when he spotted her almost atonce. She had paused with a group of others to watch their arrival. She met his gaze across the open space and held it for a space of heart beats--just long enough to make it clear that she recognized him, at least--before she glanced at the others he was standing with.
The leader.
The man recognized him, as well.
He had noticed the look that passed between him and Belle.
And he was not pleased.
Because the star man sawhimas a rival to his claim, Ryne wondered?
Or he simply resented his interest in Belle because he was not the same?
