Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Margot and Braxxos rose early, their conversation picking up where it had naturally ended the night prior as they drifted off to sleep. Margot couldn't help but liken it to the old sleepovers she used to have as a girl, staying up late and gossiping, swapping stories and talking about boys. But in this instance, the person she'd been sharing her thoughts with until the wee hours was not a girlfriend but the quite masculine opposite.

"Is it to your liking?" he asked as she ate the little spread of fresh fruits, berries, and even hand-squeezed juice he'd prepared for her.

"It's delicious. Thank you."

"I'm glad you are enjoying it," he replied with a happy grin.

She didn't have the heart to tell him just how much she was craving pancakes or maybe some oatmeal. Anything hot, really. But this was a simple life, and after their roasted Sweesik skewers the night before, a light breakfast was probably the best option anyhow.

They talked over their morning meal, the casual, slow pace a refreshing way to start the day off on the right foot. But, finally, it was time to do more than just sit around. Braxxos cleared away his homemade dishes and rinsed up then headed to the door.

"Come with me. Given your aptitude for learning what would normally be a challenge for other people, especially those starting from the disadvantage of not even being part of the Dotharian Conglomerate, I think you're ready to start learning some of the more challenging things."

"Challenging?"

"You'll see," he said with a gleam in his eye as he descended the ladder.

"Okay. Show me what you've got."

As it turned out, today's lesson really was challenging, but in an entirely novel sort of way. There was danger involved, though Braxxos made sure to keep it at a minimum as she was still just a beginner.

"There," he said, pointing to a patch of open ground between two bushes.

"Where?"

"Right there. Do you see it?"

"See what? There's nothing there, just leaves and dirt."

"Exactly."

Margot cocked her head at that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it is just leaves and dirt. But look at the base of the plants. What do you see?"

"A little bit of that purple grass. And some—oh!"

It hit her all at once. Now that she saw it, it was so obvious.

"The ground doesn't quite match. And the borders are the wrong color, though they covered it up with fallen leaves as best they could."

"Yes! Well done, Margot. You've got an eye for this after all."

Braxxos moved ahead and used the stick he'd been carrying to gently lift the edge of the camouflage mat covering the hidden pit. There weren't any spikes in this one, but it was deep, and it flared out wider underground. Whatever fell inside would have a very, very hard time getting out. But now it was exposed, allowing any hapless animal to avoid the danger.

They headed off to the left this time, veering toward the border of a grassy area along the tree line. "Let us continue."

He had been teaching her about the traps the trackers had been setting all over the area, explaining the difference between their new ones and the more primitive ones some other normal hunter types used on the rare occasions they passed through this region.

Hunters weren't an issue. They came for a few days, hunted, then left. Gromm's people, on the other hand, were excessive. They set far too many traps to be able to properly keep track of, and as a result there was no telling how many innocent animals had fallen victim, many left to starve to death or be eaten by other predators.

"Wasteful and cruel," he said with scorn as he tripped a snare hidden in some tall grass then dismantled the trap with extreme prejudice.

It was the third of this sort of trap he'd destroyed today. Margot had actually found one of them, and he proudly showed her the best way to render it harmless as quickly as possible.

"There is not always time to be as thorough as we might like," he said. "But we can at least slow their progress."

They continued on, Braxxos sprinkling in little lessons about what was edible or not as they walked. Some things smelled good but weren't used as food, she learned, but seeing as they weren't dangerous to eat, Margot collected samples of several to take back with them. A few smelled an awful lot like elements of her spice collection back home and she was very curious how they might taste. But out here exposed and in the open was not the time for experiments.

"Watch your step," he warned as they passed a particularly vine-filled section of trees. "Loolumpus vines are quite painful."

"Loolumpus vines? You mean those spiky ones clustered between those trees over there?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry. I have no intention of wandering off into those things."

"It's not about stepping into them. They are a natural trapping vine. A defensive mechanism that triggers them to whip up and inflict harm upon anything that so much as touches a tendril."

"Hey, that sounds like a Cholla cactus back home."

"You have a plant like the Loolumpus vines called Cholla ?"

"Yeah. It's not a vine, though. It's a cactus. A pretty durable desert plant that is covered in spikes. Normally they're just pretty plants you should know better than to go and touch. Hell, some even provide water, fruit, and can even be fermented. But Cholla are little bastards of the cactus world. Like your vines here, they react to touch and whip out and totally skewer whatever they hit with dozens of nasty spines. Oh, and they're barbed, by the way. Don't pull out clean. And when you try, they tend to break off."

"This Cholla sounds like a formidable plant. I admire its survival adaptation."

"That's one way of looking at it. It hurts like a bitch, but at least it's not toxic."

"Nor is the Loolumpus vine. But with that said, there are some very deadly plants here, and I will do my best to teach you how to avoid them."

"Greatly appreciated," she replied, that warm feeling tugging in her chest once again. "You know, you're good at this. The whole nature instructor thing."

"I've had a long time to hone my skills."

"Yeah, about that. How come you live out here all alone?"

His countenance shifted, darkening slightly. "I would rather not talk about that. Not now, at least."

She realized she'd overstepped at once. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad feelings or anything. Just curious is all. Forget I asked, okay? How about you show me some more trap disarming?"

Braxxos let it go and did just that, quickly resuming his previously cheerful demeanor. And it was that pleasantness that remained in place as they chatted about pretty much anything but the circumstances that had led him to be on his own. That was the one topic Margot now knew to steer well clear of.

At the end of the day they returned to his treehouse to enjoy yet another nice evening of food, drink, and excellent conversation. Margot tucked away the little samples of aromatics she'd collected in what was now pretty much her corner of the place, though nothing had been declared in any official capacity.

Regardless, she had her space, and he had his, and even in this relatively close environment the two managed to find quite a comfortable rhythm. It was akin to taking a vacation with someone for the first time. The make-or-break situation that could solidify a relationship or send it spiraling over the edge with endless bickering and fights.

For these two it was the former, and they spent the next several days enjoying one another's company. They walked the woods and fields, picked fruit and foraged for other edible items, and even caught some of this world's version of fish for dinner one night. And all along the way their conversation grew even more fluid, the pair even evolving a sort of shorthand between them.

This was comfortable. This was easy. And most importantly, this was safe.

Something beyond comfort was brewing, however. Something Margot would have been shocked to feel not so long ago. But since she'd been on this world, not one but two alien men had treated her magnificently. And while she had enjoyed her brief time getting to know alien ways with Rylinn, the connection she now felt with Braxxos was just so much more . She couldn't explain it even if she had to, but on a visceral level he just clicked.

It was that, along with a bit of culinary curiosity, that led to her finally getting him to agree to put his caregiving nature aside and let his guest prepare dinner for a change. It wasn't a dominance thing. Far from it. Braxxos simply believed to his core that it was a man's responsibility to care for a woman. For someone who lived utterly devoid of female companionship, it was a bit of a surprise.

"Let me know what you think. And be honest," Margot said as she slid a series of small plates in front of her host.

"This…" His words trailed off as he took the first bite, his eyes going almost comically wide as he processed the flavors.

She'd not only been experimenting with her aromatics and native spices, but she'd also rigged up a cooking system that allowed her to alter the flavor profiles of even familiar items. She'd explained the Maillard reaction to him, but it just wasn't the same as first-hand experience. And oh what an experience it was turning out to be.

Braxxos ate in silence for a while, tasting each dish then rinsing his mouth with fresh water before moving to try the next. Finally, he paused, having sampled them all.

"This is absolutely amazing."

"Thank you."

"I mean it. It has been so long since I've had someone prepare a meal for me, I had forgotten that food can be more than just sustenance."

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun playing around with those spices. A lot of them are kind of similar to what we have back home."

"You cook on your world?"

"Oh, yeah. I actually love it. It's like being a food witch."

"Food witch? I don't think my rune is translating that right."

She laughed brightly. "It is. I just mean that cooking is like magic for hungry people, you know? You take one thing and with heat, spice, and time, transform it into something entirely different. Magic, get it?"

"I think I understand."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you. Once you get the hang of it, cooking is really pretty simple."

"I look forward to it. And thank you."

"You're the one showing all the hospitality here. I only cooked one meal."

He looked at her oddly, as though uncomfortable at the thoughts running through his mind. Finally, he spoke.

"It's not just the offer," he said, searching for the right words. "It's–it's just that I've been alone for a very, very long time. This has been magical, what you've given me. Your companionship. Your curiosity. You've brightened my world, Margot, and for that I am forever in your debt."

She simultaneously felt her heart swell and her stomach drop.

"How long, exactly, have you been out here by yourself?" she asked, gently broaching the subject only because he had been the one to bring it up.

"I don't know, exactly. I've been on my own since I was twelve."

Margot couldn't hide the shock on her face. " Twelve ? You've been out here all alone all that time?"

"Yes."

"Just you. Alone."

"Yes."

"I mean, literally no one else?"

"I told you, yes."

Her head was spinning from the revelation. "But how? Why?"

"It's a long story, and one I'd rather not get into."

She took a deep breath and forced her curiosity down, at least somewhat. "I understand. But, if you don't mind my asking, how is it you're so clever? So articulate. You're far more intelligent than you have any right to be."

At that he actually chuckled, lightening the mood, even if only a little.

"I had many books stored on my reading devices. And I was provided countless lessons as well. More than enough to keep me busy for a very long time. And believe me, I have had a lot of time to fill."

"Are you talking about digital books?"

"Yes."

"How did you get those when you're stuck out here all alone?"

He hesitated, looking at her with uncertain eyes. Finally, he made a decision. "My parents," he replied.

"They sent them with you?"

"Yes. A final gift to their only son."

"But I don't get it. Where are they now?"

He took a deep breath, his lips quivering slightly. "They are dead."

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"They perished after I was gone. Let us please leave it at that."

"Of course. I'm sorry, Braxxos. I truly am. Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it couldn't have been easy."

" Life isn't easy."

"I suppose not. But at least you had something to occupy your time. Your mind."

"That I did."

"And these lessons of yours. I assume they're digital as well?"

"Yes. Interactive programs designed to educate even in the absence of a live tutor. They are some of my most treasured possessions, and I do not know who I would have become without them. They are why I left you the other night. I had to move them to an alternate hiding place farther from possible detection."

"What's with that, anyway? Why spread your things out like that?"

"It's just the nature of my life. I do not need much, as you have seen, but I cannot afford to lose the few possessions I do have, and it would be far too risky to keep them all together in one place."

Margot nodded. "Not keeping all your eggs in one basket. Smart."

"Eggs and baskets? I don't follow."

"It's another saying from back home. Don't put everything in one place, just in case something should go wrong, and you lose it all at once. Kind of akin to what we call a bus number." She saw the confusion on his face. "Okay, a bus is kind of like a ship, okay? But on land."

"All right."

"And the idea is that you don't ever want to have all of the important people who run things in the same ship at the same time for pretty much the same reason as not putting all your eggs in one basket. If something bad happens, you lose all leadership at once and that would be catastrophic."

"A wise saying. Many leaders would do well to heed that warning." He smiled at her, an almost adoring grin plastered to his face. "You truly are a remarkable woman, Margot, and, despite the unfortunate manner in which we met, I am glad to have made your acquaintance."

She slid closer to him, resting her hand on his. "The feeling's mutual."

The way he looked at her, the flush in his cheeks, the shiny wetness of his eyes as his emotions surged in ways he didn't know how to process, it all made her heart break for him with such force she wished she could do something, anything, to make it better. For now, all she could do was hold him close and comfort him. And, perhaps, a little more.

She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, her heart beating hard just as his was thundering in his chest at her touch. Margot pressed her face to his neck, savoring his warmth and the thumping artery under her lips. She gently kissed that spot, his heart leaping at the contact.

Braxxos pushed back, leaping to his feet in such a rush he banged his head on the ceiling, confusion and a little fear in his eyes.

"I—" he started to say, then turned and bolted out the door, closing it behind him firmly, leaving a very confused woman in his wake.

"Well, that was interesting," Margot said with a sigh. "Just my luck. Of all the men in all the world, this one's scared of girls."

She shook it off quickly, gathering up the dishes and cleaning up. She didn't bother going to look for him. He would come back when he was ready, and he was more than capable of taking care of himself out there.

Margot checked the door. He'd bolted it from the outside in his hasty overreaction, it seemed.

"He'll be okay. He's just freaked out is all," she mused, then crossed the room, settled into a comfy cushion and relaxed, eventually drifting off to sleep, thoughts of this remarkable, unusual man dancing in her mind and invading her dreams until morning's light.