Chapter 6

Adrik

That female. She had stood there with her face to the sky and a look of peace on her face and all I wanted to do was stride over to her and yank her into my arms. Like she belonged there. Like she was mine. It was the most unnerving urge. I would not be indulging it.

Lise had given me no indication that she wanted any more from me than permission to live here for six months. She’d probably want an interview, which I would grant her. But seeing her like that had made something tighten in my chest and my loins. I’d resisted everything I felt and left, leaving her gazing after me with an expression I couldn’t clearly read. Her surprise was easy to see, but the rest was not.

My feet felt heavy as I continued along the path to the ugris’ paddock, but my head cleared as I looked forward to grooming Besi, my favorite. She was more than an animal to me. Having carried me through many hunts and travels over the plains, Besi was a friend. The ugris herd lived in a large penned-in area to the south of the Thrail’s buildings. It was kept clean and well-tended, as the great beasts liked it. The stone and plastoid fencing kept pests out, but was useless in keeping the ugris in. The only thing that could hold them in would be massive steel walls, which we would never build to contain them. No, the great pride of our herd was that they chose to live with us. We earned their trust and help.

“Ho there, Besi,” I said fondly to the large beast that lumbered toward me. She blinked four of her six eyes as a familiar greeting. I reached out and she lowered her head. My hands moved over the knobby plates that I knew so well. She let out a low vibration through huge nostrils.

After removing my weapon, I set to work cleaning her, climbing up her massive body and scrubbing her thick segments, following up with oils that soothed her. It took hours, but it was always what we did after a successful hunt. She enjoyed the attention and I enjoyed the ritual. Especially now, as Besi’s belly was full with her first calf.

I was finishing oiling her legs when Sakka, the guard who delivered end-of-day reports, jogged up to me. “There you are, Pal-Adrik.”

I paused, arms sore from the work but feeling good. “Yes, Sakka. Go ahead.”

“Dessicans were spotted on the ridge this morning. They were unarmed. Appeared to be a simple scouting exercise.”

“How many?” Dessicans shared Mitra with us, but they were not our allies. On the contrary, they wanted our lands, and although attacks were infrequent these days, there had been many bitter wars between my people and theirs over the millennia.

“Six,” Sakka replied before continuing on with his report. “Twenty-four cases of refined deccin powder were shipped out to the Hoakat diplomat who ordered it. He paid in full.” Sakka went on with the full list of imports and exports of the Thrail. We produced numerous products from plants and fungi that only grew here in this valley and that were of great medicinal use to other species. This was the pleasant part of the report. At last, Sakka paused. He took a breath and got to the part I was dreading.

“Noryan’s female, Maryan, is in the infirmary with heavy bleeding,” he said solemnly. “It is expected that she will lose her child.”

My hands curled into fists. The Thrail grew rich from the valuable products we shipped out, but we had no babies. The heartbreak wore on every Mitran in the Thrail. I couldn’t imagine how it weighed on the females who suffered these losses. “Send a message to the Itakkian fertility experts. Tell them to move up their arrival. We need to know what’s going on, now.”

“I took the liberty of doing that earlier today, after learning of Maryan’s state. We have not yet received a reply, but I will alert you when we do.”

“Thank you, Sakka.” I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut. “You may leave.”

“Yes, Pal-Adrik.”

I finished tending Besi with a heavy heart, taking care to oil her heavy belly and feeling the movements of her young—healthy and thriving—inside. Ugris, at least, had no problem reproducing, unlike our females. This was not happening in any other Thrail but mine, and that made me feel responsible. I needed to find out what was going on or risk the complete fall of Thrail Tyvor.