Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

DOCTOR HALABY REVAZI

T he fish of Earth were quite a bit smaller than those in the oceans on Nor, but just as tasty. If I was going to be forced down to the surface on a vacation I didn't need to take by a captain who couldn't mind his own business, I was going to enjoy myself. Herding schools of silver fishes into the dormant nets of a human who floated in the harbor seemed both necessary—they weren't going to catch any fish without assistance—as well as a fun thing to do. I was certainly getting a great deal of exercise.

Plus, I'd heard that male singing and, though I hadn't understand that language, I'd felt the longing in his every note. I'd wanted to help him. Reward him. And I'd ended up knocking his female companion into the frigid water instead.

I might be well insulated to the cold temperatures of Svalnorland and its waters, but I was certain skinny, nearly hairless humans were not. It had been an absolute nightmare watching her fall, splash into the water, and fail to get herself to the surface quickly. Everything she'd been wearing had held her down, her small frame possibly not strong enough to save her.

I had been planning to herd the fish into their net anonymously and go about my day, but I could never have left her on her own. That she'd panicked over having dropped something instead of her own welfare had surprised me, but what did I know of guitars? They could be precious to humans somehow. Leaving her to cling to the side of the boat while I retrieved it had seemed like a good thing in the moment.

As I swam toward shore now, though, I could see that it had been the entirely wrong move to make. I should've seen to her complete safety before ever going in search of an inanimate object, regardless of how valuable it was to her. Or how relieved it had seemed to make her male companion when he saw it.

He'd been an interesting one. The wind had been against me, preventing me from catching his scent, but he'd been quite handsome with tousled blond hair and keen blue eyes. The whiskers on his cheeks had been a hundred shades of gold. He'd been covered by bulky clothing, so I hadn't been able to see his form, but I'd hovered nearby as he'd brought the net in on his own and had to assume he was incredibly fit.

If I hadn't been so embarrassed by my actions, I might've stayed longer to talk with him.

I walked out of the surf onto the beach and shook myself, sending water droplets flying to sparkle in the morning sunlight. The sand beneath my feet was black due to, I'd been told, the island's now-dormant volcano. The volcanos on Nor were responsible for a deep blue sand, so black felt almost like home to me. And since my people, the Beku, tended to live in the northern areas of Nor, I was very happy with the temperatures here on Svalnorland.

Administrator Ghosha Progoni Rijal clearly wasn't happy since he stood high up on the beach wearing a huge coat that covered him from head to toe. The fake fur ringing his hood nearly hid his face, but enough of his snout stuck out for me to see his frown. "How can you stand to be in that water?" he asked. "It's positively frigid."

Not all Khess loved the cold despite seeming built to withstand it. I didn't know for sure, but I could guess that Rijal was from far south of Nor's equator where there was a tropical heat. My nurse, Mima, who was also a Khess, was loving her time off and being somewhere as cold as this. I believed she'd said she would be spending her days up in the mountains where there was still snow on the ground.

"I'm from Daemont, remember? I like the cold." I picked up the towel I'd left on the sand, shook it out, and began drying myself more thoroughly.

"Insane," he muttered. "The lot of you Northerners."

From behind Ghosha, Squire Landry, his mate, stepped into view. He wore a thick brown coat, but his hood was off and his hands bare. "Good morning, Doctor Revazi. We're going into town for breakfast. Want to join us?"

"Oh, um, have you been there before?" I had yet to go into the nearby town of Kleifar. A vague worry and hesitation kept me from exploring places where the humans were. As a member of the delegation's leadership, I'd seen quite a lot of the responses humans had to us being on their planet. Though Svalnorland's queen had declared her country a safe haven for us, did all of her people agree with her?

"Yeah," Squire said. "Why?"

"I haven't been yet."

"Oh!" he said with a bright smile. "It's a really cool place. Kind of touristy, but that's fun. Lots of little shops selling handmade stuff from blankets to vases, you know? And a whole lot of restaurants with awesome menus."

I glanced at Ghosha. Squire might not notice the glares of unhappy humans, but I had to believe Ghosha would. Even if he didn't worry for himself, he would protect his delicate mate from every danger.

"Come," Ghosha said and started for the road. "It's too cold to stand around out here. "

I wrapped my towel around my waist. "Actually, I'll need to go to my cottage and change first. I didn't bring clothes down."

Ghosha didn't stop walking. "Send him coordinates, won't you, dear?"

Squire rolled his eyes and got out his tablet. "Sent," he said after tapping on several items. "We'll see you there!" He gave me a wave and trotted after his fleeing mate.

My tablet was in my cottage, but no doubt it had received Squire's message. Commander Seiwa Heremod, the head of engineering, had told us that there was now a satellite in a stationary orbit above Svalnorland to ensure smooth communications between all of our tablets here on the surface and the ship. I wouldn't be able to say I never got Squire's message, so it looked as though I would be going into Kleifar today.

I walked up the path to the cottages, greeting my fellow Norlons as I saw them. Some I knew, though many others I didn't. We had been selected for this mission from all across Nor, but I had been primarily and myopically concerned with the medical staff. I could look at this forced temporary leave as an opportunity to get to know others outside my area of expertise. Make new friends. Perhaps even find a lover. Goddess, that would be wonderful. I'd been without for far too long.

I hated to admit it even to myself, but… Maybe Captain Langarus had been right to send me down here.

Unlocking my cottage door using the biometric scanner, I stepped inside and appreciated the coziness of the space. I had to duck a bit to get through the door, but I didn't mind that so much since the rest of the space was open. These cottages had been originally built for potential human tourists to rent, but offered to us instead. I was just cynical enough to wonder if the humans hadn't come fast enough to satisfy the tourist board, and so they'd offered them to us instead. To my knowledge, Prince Ye Lena, who was leading the entire delegation of Norlons to Earth, had received a fair deal on the properties. This cottage was mine while I was here, but could be someone else's in a couple weeks.

I selected a variegated golden tunic and matching pants to wear. The clothiers on the ship had increased the thickness of every clothing item we would wear down here in addition to creating sturdier boots and a variety of coats and cloaks. It had been so long since I'd worn anything other than my white medical tunic that I felt compelled to check my reflection. Reassured that gold was still a good color against my dark brown fur, I headed back out, not bothering with a coat at all.

The walk into Kleifar was brief and I only met fellow Norlons on the way. It was reassuring to see that each of those returning to the cottages seemed pleased and unbothered. Perhaps I was worrying too much. We might have gotten an alarming amount of pushback from various other places, but maybe Svalnorland was different. I did know that they were a united people whose ancestors had come from a variety of countries, so perhaps they were used to accepting strangers. Even those from other planets.

Following the map on my tablet, I found the restaurant Squire had sent to me. The main signage of the building was all in Icelandic as, I believed, they had once been an Icelandic territory. Signage in the windows, though, was hand-written in English. That, too, reassured me since they'd made an effort to help foreigners. I wondered if I might be able to learn some simple greetings and other pleasantries in Icelandic as a way to thank them. We had all learned English for the mission, and I knew some French and German as well. Perhaps learning a new language would be a pleasant way to pass the time in the evenings.

"Hello and welcome," said a woman with a big smile. "Are you dining alone?"

"No, I'm meeting others." I looked around and spotted Ghosha and Squire sitting at a table with Sergeant Rampon Molwynog, head of the prince's security, and his new mate Quincy Boone. "There they are."

She nodded and gestured for me to go ahead. I wove through the large, sturdy tables with plush seats, appreciating the muted sunlight through the wall of windows and the crackling fireplace. I could smell an abundance of fish dishes and had to wonder how they got their fish if they weren't allowed to leave the harbor to catch them. Remembering my mistakes this morning had me frowning as I arrived at the table, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" Ghosha asked as he gestured to the open seat at the end of the table.

I sat down and tried to wave his concerns away. "Nothing. Just an unfortunate series of events while I was out swimming."

"Did someone protest you swimming in the harbor?" Rampon asked. "I'll need a description and?—"

"No, no," I said, heading him off. "I…did something I shouldn't have."

I should have known I couldn't get away with saying nothing more. Four sets of eyes stared expectantly at me. I groaned and put my head in my hands, elbows on the table. "There were boats in the harbor with their nets just dangling, traps empty, and very obviously not going to catch a single fish. Of course they wouldn't since the fish don't come into the harbor in any great number. I'd heard a man singing while a woman played an instrument to accompany him, and I was moved by the song."

I sat up and shrugged, waving my hands because I'd clearly lost my mind. "I swam into deeper water, found a school of fish, and herded them into the net of his boat. Except I didn't realize that would cause the boat to pitch, which then had the woman falling into the water."

"Oh my gosh," Squire said, "is she okay?"

"She is. I helped her out. Well, partway out." I scratched at my ear, hating to admit my mistake. "She was frantic about her lost instrument. A guitar. She wanted to dive down to retrieve it. "

"Oh, no," Quincy said with a wince.

"I didn't let her, but I did… Well, I left her clinging to the side of the boat and retrieved it myself." Embarrassment swamped me and I stared at the tabletop. "When I resurfaced, I found she wasn't there anymore, but I could hear voices inside the boat. I got onto the boat and was leaving the guitar when the man strode out."

"Was he angry?" Squire asked.

I looked back at them and shook my head. "Oh, no, he wasn't upset. He said the woman would be glad to have her guitar back."

"Did you give fish to the other boats?" Ghosha asked with a smirk.

"No. After what happened, I didn't want to risk anyone else."

"So you only brought fish to the one man? The one who sang a song that moved you?"

I blinked at him a few times, wondering if he meant to make it sound like I'd been flirting. "Yes, just him. If you're implying something, I was simply trying to be kind."

"How did he smell?" Rampon asked. Beside him, Quincy chuckled.

I frowned at all of them because even Squire was looking a bit giddy. "I don't know. The wind was at my back."

"You should return tomorrow," Rampon said with a nod. "Just to make sure."

Exasperation had me snapping, "Make sure of what?"

Ghosha grinned so widely his eyes disappeared. "Whether or not he's your mate."