18. Yva

18

YVA

A ll of us are glad to be out of the colony for a day of hunting, and not only because it means fresh meat. It feels as though it has been far longer than a moon within those walls. And while life has been easier, because we don’t need to hunt and forage for every meal or worry about clothing wearing out, with that safety comes restrictions and we have all forgotten what it was like to live in a much bigger tribe where everyone had a set of responsibilities.

There are human guards with us because the colony expects their people to learn how to hunt, but I’m also sure the colony doesn’t trust us to return. Do they really think that a Honey warrior would abandon his mate?

The human guards do not like that we communicate silently, so we try not to make it obvious, which means suppressing laughter and expressions. But they cannot stop us, and they know it.

As we walk seeking bigger game, we gather edible plants. Some we will give to the researchers, some we will try to grow ourselves, and with a smaller amount, we will make our own breakfast. What we need is to trade for seeds with another tribe, because the plants here are not used to being farmed.

I’m looking forward to sleeping under the campfires of the banished warriors that came before us again. The humans call them stars, and they are distant suns, giving life to other planets. And a sun is nothing but a ball of fire…so calling them campfires is correct. Campfires of the universe, providing light and heat to all who need to stop and rest.

Despite Harper’s lack of firm commitment this morning, I am still happy. My brothers told me not to worry, even though their matings progress much quicker. She likes to be in my bed, and she likes me. And while I never considered mating a big responsibility, I understand why she does. Living in the human colony makes the differences between our cultures more apparent. Things between us are not as I expect them to be, nor as she expects them.

She wants me to fuck her…and I want to…but I respect the way she is maintaining that safe boundary until she is ready. She is doing that for both of us.

Tiril indicates he has found tracks, so we follow them, with the human guards grumbling about the walk and the pausing to gather plants and anything else that crosses their minds.

It is Edilk who asks them if they are there to learn, or to slow us down.

They make a better show of learning to look for animal tracks after that.

We eventually find a herd of animals. They are smaller than the screamers, and walk using the knuckle of their front limbs, as well as on their rear legs.

I am not familiar with this type. I tell my brothers.

The way these animals move, and graze is curious. They don’t appear to have wings of any kind, and their tails are long and whip-like. But they are eating plants, which means they will make good eating. They are also small enough that we can kill several and carry them without butchering and attracting predators.

While we watch the herd and listen to the charges of their hearts, we also watch for signs of other predators. Where there is a herd of animals, there are always predators.

So far, the only dangerous creature we have found is the screamer, and they do not seem to eat what they kill, and they kill only in defense—though they are very territorial.

My brothers confirm they are not familiar with these creatures, either.

A guard passes me one of their tools, goggles they put on their face that make it appear as though I am right next to the nearest creature. It is not a knuckle they are walking on, but a long, hooked claw.

“They are armed.” I pass Edilk the goggles so that he may see.

He makes a noise. “They may also have kam, even though they don’t look like ours.”

“The two small stalks on their head?”

“Yes.” He studies the animals for a little longer before passing them back to me.

“Now that we’ve found prey, when do we get to hunt?” The human man who handed me his goggles asks.

“You cannot hunt prey unless you understand them. We’ve never seen these animals before,” Edilk says as though he is talking to a child on his first hunt.

“Sure you can.” Another guard lifts his weapon as if to shoot.

I glare at him. “How can you tell if they will run or attack? They are armed with hooked claws on their forelimbs. Do you want to find out how deep they can penetrate flesh?”

Edilk rubs his beard. “The screamers also have a sharp claw…which makes me wonder what beast hunts them that they need to be armed?”

We all stare at Edilk. None of us want the answer to that question.

Back home, the main predator walked on four limbs, had black fur and a flat face filled with sharp teeth. They hunt in pairs. If you saw one, it was usually the last thing you saw as its mate was about to pounce. They would never take on a group of hunters, but a warrior on his own was an easy meal.

They were also immune to our charge.

“Do you want to test a charge?” Stunning an animal, or several, is the way we hunt. The herd then flees, and then we kill those that we shocked.

I assess the area, searching for places where are predator might hide, gauging where the herd might run when we attack. Because we are unfamiliar with the area, we do not have the advantage of choosing a better place to attack from.

“Do you want to send up a drone?” The third guard asks.

“Not yet,” Edilk says. “We don’t want to spook them, but once they are running, it would be good to follow them.” He asks Tiril to send a test charge to the beast nearest to us.

And we wait to see what happens.

I sense him running through different frequencies, like we are fighting and jamming. Are the beasts jamming, or are they immune?

The beast in question lifts its head as if sensing something.

The rest of the herd follows suit.

Every one of us, including the humans, freezes. We are downwind. They shouldn’t be able to smell us, but they might sense us because of the charge.

I scan the herd with the goggles. “I’m not sure if it was Tiril that caused the disturbance. There’s something moving on the other side.”

Some beasts make a noise, a wounded bellow, then they turn in our direction and run.

“Fuck.” If we don’t move, we’re going to be flattened.

I scramble out of the grass, seeking the shelter of the few small trees. Everyone does the same as we split into groups. The trees are too small for more than one man and will not be the weight of being climbed. But it’s safer than trying to outrun a panicked herd.

The guard who has done most of the complaining tries to shelter with me.

“Get your own tree,” I hiss.

The ground vibrates with the running of the beasts. I don’t know if I’m hoping that they are running from something or attacking. If they are running from something, it means that the something chasing them and will find us.

When the guard doesn’t move, I take a chance and prepare to run to another tree before the herd is upon us. He grabs my arm, knife in his other hand, then stabs me twice in the chest. “This is for trying to steal our women.”

I draw up a charge, my markings glowing bright, and he releases me with a yelp. Blood darkens the front of my shirt. I send another charge that connects with the knife and travels through him, stopping his heat. Then the herd is upon us. I fling myself at the tree and press myself to the bark. The beasts crash into my legs. I try to lift myself higher but lack the strength. Each breath becomes tight, and my grip weakens.

I’ve been stabbed by a guard for being with Harper. I’m losing blood. My brothers need to know what has happened. I hope that they have not met the same fate from the other guards.

They buzz me with concern and anger.

I can’t see you.

He will pay.

As soon as the herd passes, I will find you.

Their voices comfort me, but I am on my own. Dying, the way I always expected to die—in a hunt or a fight gone wrong.

My mind fills with Harper as I fall to the ground. The bellows of the herd surround me as they crash into me. I hold on to thoughts of her, her laughter, and the way she looked as she said she loved me.