It was finally the workless day of the week. S’samph normally would have taken the opportunity to organize and clean his nest and spend the day visiting S’kasia, but today he was on a mission. He’d learned something of the intricacies of human courtship practices and now he had to go acquire the necessary supplies to make a proper overture to Eleri. S’samph was about to head out of town to the neighboring community of Indras when he saw two levibikes speed by. Their chrome frames flashed in the sun. S’samph shielded his eyes to get a better look at the riders. Each levibike carried a driver and a passenger. At first, nothing seemed remarkable, but S’samph quickly caught a glimpse of the ribbons of pale fur on the second levibike’s passenger.
Eleri was with the kyrot again. The younger male cared little for hard work, but he took great pride in caring for the maintenance of his levibike. Perhaps it was the only tool at his disposal to impress a female. S’samph grimly considered his own dirt-encrusted vehicle. In the few conversations he’d had with the other male, the kyrot exclusively focused on discussing his levibike and bemoaning the lack of civilization on Cassiaq-IV. The top half of S’samph’s damaged frill stood at attention as he watched the figures shrink in the distance. Despite the tear, he could still express definitive outrage.
He had no right to feel so upset. Eleri didn’t know his intentions. He didn’t even know most of his intentions, but he knew he had to fix things. Whatever it took, he wasn’t going to lose Eleri to a competitor. If she chose someone else, he would concede, but he wouldn’t let her be manipulated away from him without fair competition. S’samph collected his supply bags and tucked them into the storage compartment of his levibike before setting off.
If he’d just accepted her from the beginning, he wouldn’t be in this mess. He wasn’t enough of an egotistical fool to deny the cold truth of it, but his pride was injured every time she rejected his offers of assistance. But there was nothing he could do other than study her culture, learn the ways of her people, and create the optimal plan of attack.
No, he wouldn’t win this with brute force, Eleri had responded poorly to his attempts to insert himself in her life. He’d win her affections with strategy and careful planning. S’samph might be a farmer now, but his years of military training were ingrained as deeply as his scales. He wasn’t about to give up on another objective. Once had been enough. And he refused to let go of anyone else he cared about as long as he stood a chance.
S’samph arrived in Indras just before sun high. For now, he’d keep his distance from Eleri and the other Kyrot. At least she was with several other females to serve as a distraction from that ravik Minio. As he sped down the dusty main road connecting Indras and Laurus, S’samph reviewed his plan in his mind.
First, he would buy her a fancy container for the flowers she liked to eat since apparently, humans enjoyed receiving flowers as a gift offering. It was beyond him why anyone would want to consume flowers, but he wasn’t about to question human courtship practices. His first job was to prove he would be an adequate provider, despite females latil’e being generally as competent at hunting and physical actions as their male counterparts.
On Latilla this proof meant offering a variety of freshly killed b’kri, but clearly humans preferred flowers and needed a special container for storage. After that, he would get his dam’s mating bands restored to their former glory and offer them in place of the ring usually offered by human males. He’d need a special box for that too. Apparently, there were many particularities with human storage containers. Latil’e females would be much more interested in his abilities to provide partnership and stability for a love match. Human females were probably closer to teösians in that they seemed to require sweeping romantic gestures to prove depth of devotion.
His mental planning had taken him most of the way to Indras. He recognized the familiar statue of a kodair calf standing on unsteady legs by the entry gates. Unlike Laurus, Indras was large enough to require a security patrol at their borders with a population of about four hundred. They were also the largest producers of kodair products which were much more valuable than the crops grown in Laurus.
Cured kodair hides and products from their milk sold for astronomical prices on Brasnia Prime or Ita Ita. Indras had been settled on a particularly fertile patch of grazing lands, which made it ideal for animal husbandry. However, it was also situated much closer to the raviks’ settlement, which putthem at greater risk of being raided.
“Hey, you’re from Laurus right?” The b’zeri watchman asked as S’samph approached the gate and removed his helmet.
“Just here to do some shopping.”
“Of course. Welcome to Indras.” The watchman scanned his identity chip at the gate and cleared him to go inside. S’samph wondered if it would be smart to have a similar security system implemented in Laurus. He attached his levibike to one of the charging ports just outside the shopping district and then strode toward the bustling shops. His goal was to stay out of sight, but to keep an eye on the younger kyrot male to make sure he didn’t get any ideas without Eleri’s consent. It wasn’t hard to pin down her location. Indras was larger than Laurus, but it wasn’t huge, and she stood out like the bright pinpoint of a distant star with her pale head fur.
It turned out his concerns about the kyrot male had been misplaced. The useless ravik had run off to conduct his own business as soon as they’d dismounted. S’samph was both annoyed at the other male’s departure as it meant the females were unprotected, but also glad he wouldn’t be lurking around Eleri.
S’samph noticed with a flare of his frill that she still wasn’t wearing any proper sun protection. Unlike his skin, which was tough and well-accustomed to a blazing sun, Eleri’s pale body was apt to sun damage. She’d sustained such damage on her first day in Laurus when he was too much of a self-important ravik to go and retrieve her when she arrived. A sharp sting of shame rose in his chest as he remembered her in the clinic that first afternoon.
First, he went to the pottery vendor and purchased a sturdy container to hold her food flowers. When he had a chance to ask her about this, he would, but for now he paid for the rounded jar and had it wrapped to prevent breakage. Next, he stalked his way to the jeweler, to ask about polishing solvent and cloth.
Eleri and the other females had entered one of the clothing stalls while Minio went to one of the food vendors. S’samph knew he should keep his distance, but it was hard to prevent himself from striding over to get a better look at what was happening. This particular clothing stall sold fashion goods, not practical outfits, so he’d never had any cause to visit it before. While Myla and the other female draped themselves in impractical gauzy outfits and sparkling accessories, Eleri hung back with her single bag of purchases.
“Don’t you want anything?” Myla asked as she pinned a gaudy bauble in the dark fur behind her ear before turning to the younger kyrot femaleand lifting her wingtips in disapproval. “Not the green, Talin. I told you pink is a better choice.”
“I’ll get the pink then,” Talin responded with a slight tilt of her head.
“Good, and don’t forget ear pins. Now Eleri,” Myla switched her focus, “you really must get something new to wear.”
“I’ve spent my credits. This is everything I needed.” Eleri lifted the bag. “I don’t think they have anything for humans anyway.”
“Well, surely you have a few more credits. You need to wear something other than work clothes. The clothier can always alter something for you. At least try something on.”
“I have a few formal outfits from home,” Eleri’s face twisted away from Myla in a way that made S’samph suspect she was lying.
“Oh, Eleri, you can’t wear old human clothes to our festivals here. What about your mating ceremony? You’ll need more clothing than just that!” The younger female S’samph didn’t recognize chimed in to the conversation.
“Here. This looks like it has the right number of fittings for you.” Myla pushed a pale yellow gown in her direction. “Go try it on.”
“But I…” Eleri trailed off the rest of her sentence, examined the dress, and with a small shake of her head took the gown to a changing area behind some screens. S’samph’s frill rippled with indignation on her behalf. She was a competent female, but for whatever reason she allowed herself to be cornered by the others. After a few long moments, Eleri emerged from behind the screens in the dress. S’samph thought she looked lovely regardless of what she was wearing, but this shade of yellow made her look even more pale than before. It also draped strangely as Eleri held it close to her chest with one hand, making him suspect that the kyrot weren’t entirely sure how many openings humans required in their clothing.
“See? How charming it is on you! You should purchase it,” Myla tutted in reproach as Eleri glanced at herself in a mirror. “I think Minio would really like it on you. He’s told me just how lovely he thinks you are.”
Eleri’s face flushed to her red color of embarrassment. She started to adjust the closure at the back and retreated from the mirror space. “It’s very pretty, but it’s more than I can afford,” she lifted a corner of the fabric. “I can’t really wear it as it is anyway. It’ll just fall off.”
“What about all the credits you earned from your IA contract? Theypay well for contract brides I’m told.”
Eleri’s skin went an odd shade of puce. S’samph had promised himself he wasn’t going to interfere in her affairs unless she wanted him to, but the longer he stayed silent, the more his resolve faded as he struggled to maintain self-control.
