The Melier (Women of Dor Nye Book 1) (4 page)

“Natives approaching the ship, captain,” Wade interrupted.

Lucia’s eyes bugged, remembering again she had on no pants. She booked it to the cabin to snatch them up, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she rushed to pull them up and over her bum. They were filthy too and she inwardly sobbed that the Treps intrusion snatched her of a shower earlier. Dried sweat made her scalp itch and all she wanted to do was stand under hot water.

****

Soren felt
strange
things. His reactions were unnatural.

I am a slave
, he agonized in his mind.
I must not feel
.

When Lucia did not send him back to Commander Ta’Ra’Enn, he felt surprise. He felt elation that they would not
eat
her. He
felt
. This was not good. If Lucia found out he was
feeling
and
thinking
, she would think he was a bad slave. Soren didn’t want to disappoint her.

But she had
touched
him. She had smiled and laughed and touched him again.

Why does she do this?

Most importantly, why did Soren like it and
crave
for her to touch him again?

****

“Soren,” Lucia waved him over to the door once she was back in the galley. He stood at her back as she swiped the panel to the main door. It slid open in a
whoosh
and the ramp extended. Three individuals stood back patiently at a polite distance while she and Soren slowly descended. She hoped her implanted translator knew the language of the land. The control tower attendant spoke Za, but it was one of the trade languages; every control tower operated under a trade language.

Or that they understand you. Who knows if this country bunch even has translators?

True.

“Hello,” Lucia waved and smiled. “I hope it’s alright we landed here. We seek temporary refuge.” The ship’s ramp receded once they were on the ground. Its door closed and the individual in the middle stepped forward and smiled in return. Lucia was very happy to see non-threatening, mostly flat teeth. She assumed it was a woman, as she was wearing something similar to a dress. Swaths of comfortable looking cloth hung against her androgynous frame, the cream color a bright contrast against her rusty orange skin. A wild platinum mane hung down her shoulders and the texture almost appeared fuzzy. Her eyes were slanted almonds and the irises a florescent green.

What a strange combination.

“Welcome to Yu’Lem,” she nearly sang, voice very soft but full of energy and warmth. “This field will do fine for your craft. You have come just in time for the harvest and we could use any help you are willing to give. Come, come,” she waved as she and the two males at her side turned to go back from whence they came. Lucia tossed a glance at Soren over her shoulder, who looked wary, but she shrugged and began to follow the trio.

Wade said these people don’t eat humans.

Trying to comfort yourself, I see.

“I am Re’Len, a healer.” She gave a nod, encouraging Lucia to respond in kind.

“I’m Lucia and this is Soren,” she hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “We’re… antiquity merchants.”
Okay, so that’s a smidge elegant for what I really do, but it’ll work.
Thankfully Soren didn’t say a word, even when Re’Len smiled at him. “I thank you for allowing my ship to stay here, and we will help you however we can.”

“The harvest is a joyous time,” one of the males piped up and tilted his head in greeting as they continued to trek the field. A warm breeze wafted through the terrain and set the knee high, waxy purple blades to sway. “Our day has just begun. The town will gather in the forest to harvest the
seetkut
plant and enjoy each other’s company. Tonight, a festival will be held and many friends and family members will come from surrounding areas to celebrate another good year.”

“You must join us,” Re’Len nodded. “Much food and dancing to be had at the
seetkut
festival.”

The expectant and eager look on Re’Len’s face had Lucia nodding, unable to say no to the woman. She really couldn’t have asked for a more hospitable welcome and she’d feel bad if she chose
now
to be antisocial. “We’d be happy to, thank you.”

Lucia looked up at Soren over her shoulder. His eyes were wide and lit with fascination as he surveyed his surroundings, unable to even keep up with the conversation without getting distracted.

Big baboon.

Chapter 4

Lucia, Soren and their group walked a red clay path through the melodious forest and Soren’s intense fascination with everything around them was contagious. Lucia found herself just as enraptured with the sounds alone. Colorful birds of gold, aqua and shimmery silver sang chipper songs that mimicked the loveliest soprano. Their long, wispy feathers danced as they perched on branches or took flight. Animals howled out to each other and fuzzy white long limbed mammals scurried through the trees or hung from branches, watching them pass.

Sanru’s beautiful.

The path opened up into a canopied clearing, filled with Sanruki people of all ages. Younglings zoomed through the shorter purple grass with ribbons trailing behind them as their high pitched squeals of delight pealed through the air. The large, blue barked trees soared to the sky above, shading everything below it from the green clouds and most of the dark orange sun, though a number of rays snuck through to speckle the clearing. The trunks were immense. Ten men of Soren’s arm length in circumference, at least. Every trunk was covered in reaching, winding electric blue vines that sighed each time its fruit was plucked. It was almost unnerving to hear it and Lucia wasn’t sure that’s what was really making the sound until Re’Len confirmed.

“The
seetkut
vines tremor, that is what you hear,” Re’Len nodded. She picked up a basket for herself and swept a hand toward the stacked pile for Lucia and Soren to do the same.

“How peculiar,” Lucia mused and accepted one of the woven baskets Soren had picked for them. Setting it down momentarily, she pulled the band from her wrist and bent forward, allowing her springy curls to tumble. She gathered them with both hands, smoothing them into a bundle as best she could and wrapped the band around a few times into a ponytail.
Much better
, she thought as a breeze tickled the back of her neck upon rising.

“Please, start anywhere,” Re’Len ushered with her hands as she began to walk toward a tree on the far side of the clearing.

Gathering the basket, Lu headed to the far right of the clearing and tentatively reached out for one of the green globes that were slightly glowing. When she plucked it, the sigh sung out and the glow in the fruit died. Soren mimicked her action, picking a fruit higher up on a thicker vine. Its sigh was a little deeper and the strangeness made Lu’s lips pull up in a half smile. She could hear it then, as her eyes circled around. There was a slight shift in the tone of the sighs, depending on the size of the vine.

Soren turned into a picking machine, eager to hear the musical sighs of the fruit as he plucked it and Lu couldn’t help but laugh. His speed and enchantment caught the eyes of a few younglings who’d stopped twirling in their long ribbons. They inched closer and closer, Soren completely unaware, to watch the big, blue, four armed alien. Lu slowly plucked more
seetkut
, splitting her attention between picking and watching Soren.

****

Soren enjoyed the sounds of the
seetkut
. He couldn’t remember hearing such beautiful sounds before. There were never beautiful sounds with the Trepnils. Even their music was painful to his ears.

Soren
liked
Lucia’s laugh but couldn’t understand why she laughed at him. He was picking quickly so she wouldn’t have to do more work. He was being a
good
slave. He wanted to tell her to stop picking
seetkut
altogether, but it was not his place.

He picked faster.

****

Sometime later, Soren circled their tree, looking for any missed fruits within reaching range. He’d filled eight baskets to her two, with his speedy skills. His golden eyes fell upon the fruit just out of his reach, even with his ridiculous height.

“Lift me up onto your shoulders,” Lucia said, raising her arms. Soren wrapped a set of hands on her waist and lifted her smoothly, like nothing. She gripped his wrists as her legs draped over the front of his chest and curled to him. She quickly kicked off her boots so she wouldn’t get red dirt on his suit and her fingers slid over his bald head, the textured skin feeling oddly relaxing. It wasn’t smooth or shiny, but matte, warm and dry. Lu kept one hand on his head and the other started picking. Soren’s first set of arms held onto her thighs while the second set held onto the empty basket. Each fruit she picked, she passed down to him and he deposited.

Soon the younglings joined in, singing, giggling and bringing Soren more baskets as they filled them up and rotated around the tree. One was very fascinated in his tail, which spooked him at first, causing him to nearly topple over with her still on his shoulders. She’d yelped and clung for dear life whilst her fingers covered his eyes. He swayed this way and that in an attempt to regain his balance while temporarily blind, loaded down with fruit and a jittery human. It had been quite the show apparently, because once Soren regained his equilibrium, the younglings yowled with laughter, falling all over themselves and causing some of the adults to chuckle too.

Lu’s heart settled once more and she rubbed Soren’s jaw, eliciting a purr before she went back to picking. The next time the youngling touched his tail; he remained calm and started teasing them instead. He’d raise his tail, whip it back and forth and tickle their faces. By the end of the day, the group of small ones gravitated toward Soren and the poor guy just didn’t know what to do.

****

She did it
again
. She let him touch her.

She feels nice. She smells good.

Soren
liked
touching her.

Why?

His inner battle was conflicting. One moment he reminded himself not to feel anything, the next moment he was taking deep breaths as her scent surrounded him while she was so close. Her pheromones were an assault on his senses. It was hard to concentrate on
not feeling
when that’s all he could seem to do.

Feel
conflicted.

Feel
good.

Feel
agony.

Feel.

Think.

The small ones that surrounded them made him feel things too. He liked their cheerful wonder and wide, curious eyes. He had never seen a youngling; none that he could
remember
. They made him feel
playful
.

I am too big. I do not want to hurt them.

Soren stood as still as he could around them and moved slowly, deliberately when he needed to. They liked his tail. It had never been touched before. He found that he took pleasure in teasing them with his tail, even if their cries of laughter made his ears hurt.

****

As the sun sunk lower in the sky, the quiet hum of a happy people was shredded when a bloodcurdling scream rung out around the clearing, followed closely by screams of a different, beastly kind.

Lucia felt Soren turn to stone beneath her and his curled claws tightened on her thighs, and she could feel them lengthening, like he was
growing
them. “What the hell was that?” she breathed, eyes turning into saucers. Adults swooped down around them, picking up the younglings and taking off down the path as others followed suit in a burst of chaos. A menacing growl vibrated through Soren and it sent a cold chill of gooseflesh along Lucia’s skin.

Soren pulled Lucia down carefully, keeping her close and scenting the air as he put her behind him. His stance hunched slightly as he gripped her arm and ushered her toward the path along with the others. They were close to the tail end and another yowl pricked the air, making the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “What
is
that?” she said to no one in particular.

“
Lome
!” a breathless woman said and others echoed the name as they continued down the winding red dirt path. Another screech and another, as it got closer. Lucia made the mistake of looking over her shoulder. Soren was no longer right behind her, and as she turned her feet tangled in a root. The momentum of her slowing run propelled her backward and she landed in a thorny bush where the path curved. She screamed in terror at the sight of Soren taking on the huge beast, and at the pain of the long, thick thorns sinking into the left side of her bottom and thigh when she hit the ground.

At her scream, she watched Soren turn into a ferocious, clawing, biting, roaring monstrosity.  The
lome
was twice his size, with thick black and purple fur.
If it lay still, you wouldn’t even be able to see it in the grass of this planet.
Its snout was lengthy with serrated teeth that were long and dripping with loops of saliva as it roared back at Soren in their battle. Lucia wanted to close her eyes at this different version of Soren, but she couldn’t look away. Panting with pain, exertion and worry, she was frozen and forced to watch everything play out. She vaguely noticed Re’Len crouched beside her, whispering her name and urging her to get up.

I can’t
.

She thought she said this aloud, but it was all in her head.

Soren’s fists pummeled the beasts’ side, claws digging out large chunks of purple fur as they both continued to clamor, circle and swipe at each other. A loud crack assaulted her ears as Soren shouldered into the beasts’ side where he was just clawing.

Broken ribs. I’m going to be sick!

The
lome
fell over to its side, curling and roaring as it tried to get back up but Soren didn’t allow it. Pouncing atop the beast, he pulled back two hands, black claws the longest she’d ever seen them
grew
longer, and he let them fly. They slashed through the beasts’ throat and the gush of black blood flooded the flattened purple grass, filling the air with an iron stench and Lucia lost it. She turned her head and heaved and heaved again. Her empty stomach only gave up bile until she was dry retching and with every heave, the pain in her backside flared to life. The water in her eyes leaked until her vision swam with nothing but blurred colors.

“Oh god,” she gurgled, wiping at the thick saliva and bile on her lips and blinking her eyes to try and see clearly.

“Loo-Sha?” Soren’s husky, questioning tone accompanied his bloodied hands as they slid along her naked feet and ankles. She moaned when he carefully picked her up and gingerly held her to his chest. His hand brushed along her backside and the wounds sung pain through every nerve ending. The sensation caused her peripheral vision to cloud and the world turned black.

****

Soren felt
misery
. It weighed every ounce of his body down as he carried Lucia to where the healer directed. His lungs, filled with the scent of her fear and blood, made him tremble. Her screams had been so painful to his ears; he was shocked they had not bled. The smell of her fear, the sound of her screams, they had made him crazed with
need
.

The
need
to protect.

The
need
to render flesh from bone.

The
need
to keep her safe.

Soren had failed though, that is why he felt misery. Lucia might be alive while the beast was dead, but she was
hurt
. He had failed.

****

Lucia’s eyes slid back and forth behind her eyelids before she cracked them open. Her cheek was squished against a hard surface as she lay on her stomach. Soren’s face was level with hers while he crouched next to the table she was atop and his pupils were taking up most of his orbs, only leaving slivers of warm gold near the corners of his eyes. This time, his trouble with
the bubble
didn’t bother her. She sighed, glad he was unharmed.

“What am I doing here?” she moaned, wincing at the pain in her flank as she tried to move. Soren laid his hands along the base of her spine, holding her in place.

“Keep still, Lucia,” Re’Len said softly and Lu could feel something cool being dabbed into her thigh. “You fell into the
rashaq
bush. Its thorns are toxic and can cause a bad fever. We bathed you to keep away infection. I am nearly finished applying the healing salve.”

I can’t catch a break.

This is why you should sell all five tomes. Retire.

Don’t start with me.

“Soren did a great deed,” Re’Len continued. The pride and gratitude in her voice could be plainly detected. “His defense of you and others is very admirable; a true warrior. The beast will feed many families and will be enjoyed at the celebration tonight.”

Lucia stared at Soren, who stared back at her. Hesitantly, he brushed a stray curl from Lu’s forehead and she noticed the darkening blue of his pronounced cheekbones. It was the only indication the praise from Re’Len made him feel sheepish.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you too, Re’Len, for your care. I am in your debt.”

“Think nothing of it. Your help in the harvest was payment enough.” Re’Len carried on dabbing the salve and the pain continued to slowly ebb away.

The music of drums, laughter and a buzz of multiple conversations drifted in through the open window. Lu could see the sky was a hunter green and lit with stars when the curtain floated in on a cool breeze. “How long was I out?”