Page 16

Nell plucked the Klagan version of a strawberry out of the bowl and dropped it into her mouth. A trickle of red juice dribbled over her lower lip. Her tongue darted out to catch the errant drop. She ate the berries first, letting the porridge cool before placing two heaping spoonfuls into her mouth. She moaned in appreciation. “Thank you. You’re an excellent cook,” she said, her voice low. “I’ve eaten a lot of cold hospital food. Military rations aren’t much better. Either I learned to cook, or went hungry.”

Nell chuckled. She rose to clean both bowls. When she finished, she turned to walk back to the bedroom.

“Did you have plans for today?” Maklr asked. “If not, would you like to go for a walk?” Nell hesitated. “It’s safe. I will let no harm come to you.”

Nell glanced at the floor, then back to Maklr. She pointed to her clothes and then the room.

“I understand. Go change. I’ll finish cleaning the pot before the porridge turns into glue and it is impossible to get out.” Nell stepped forward to take the cooking vessel. “No, go change. It’s no big deal. I made the mess. I’ll clean it.”

Maklr finished cleaning, put on a pair of hiking boots and waited for Nell to emerge from the room. He kept glancing at the tablet, watching time pass, while Nell remained behind closed doors.

Worried because she took longer than he expected, he knocked on her door. She opened it wide, showing a perfectly made bed with a plush purple animal he’d recognize anywhere. “Acaton?” he asked, pointing at the stuffed animal. “For protection.” Nell nodded. “And you’re worried about them? There are no caton on Ashuk.”

Nell looked back at the room and sighed.

“If you don’t want to come, it’s alright. I understand. After how happy you looked yesterday when we landed, I thought you might like to explore a bit more.”

“I want to,” Nell whispered, her voice shaking. “I don’t want to live my life scared of everything, including my shadow.”

A wide grin broke across Maklr’s face. “Excellent. I packed some sandwiches in case we get hungry.”

Nell gestured at the front door. “Lead on MacDuff.”

Maklr’s forehead scrunched in confusion. “Did you hit your head recently?”

Nell shook her head. “Nevermind. After you, Maklr.”

They walked in silence next to each other down the path, passing more bungalows, each made in a prefabricated style. The cabins were almost identical, but the decorations outside were unique to each. “Gingerbread houses,” Nell mumbled.

“What did you say? I couldn’t quite catch it,” Maklr asked.

“The cabins remind me of gingerbread houses.”

Maklr’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Those cookies with icing and candy we made at the winter celebration.”

Nell slowed to a stop, pausing and stepping back. She pointed at a string of lights hanging from the edge of one of the cabin’s drainage pipes at the end of the roof. Maklr followed her finger to the different colored shutters against the windows. Maklr nodded. “I see what you mean. Now it makes sense, especially with the orange-brown color of the wood.”

Ahead of them, a couple opened their door. Nell instinctively stepped into Maklr’s personal space. He slowed his steps so he didn’t trip Nell or step on her shoes. “It’s okay. They’re far enough away. We’re not going to come into contact with them unless you want to,” he reassured her.

Taking a different path from the one they walked yesterday, Maklr and Nell saw a sign written in Klagan script. “Do youknow what that says?” he asked. “I’m not sure if your translator works with written language or only spoken.”

Nell’s fingers traced the circular cursive of the word. “No.”

“It means waterfall.” Nell looked up at Maklr, her eyes shiny with excitement. “Would you like to see it? It’s not too far of a walk if you’d want to go.” He pointed. “We have to turn here and follow the path. See how worn it is?”

They followed the well-traveled path down a tree lined slope, before coming to a bend. The sound of rushing water and light splashes filled the air. Rounding the corner, a waterfall about three stories high filled their view. Nell rustled in her bag, removed her tablet, and recorded a short video before taking a few still pictures.

“Would you like to go down and dip your feet in the pool?”

Nell bit her lower lip. “Yes.”

“Careful, it’s rocky. I’ll go first and I’ll help you. I promise I won’t go too far in front of you. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Maklr climbed a foot or two down. He turned, holding his hands out for Nell. She sucked in a breath, placed her hands in his, and stepped down. A fist size stone came loose, setting Nell off balance. “I’ve got you,” Maklr said. He picked her up and carried her the remainder of the way to the outcropping of rocks that formed a pool.

Nell’s face broke into a wide smile. Her joy at seeing the waterfall palpable, Maklr grinned. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Is it safe?” Nell asked.

“The water?” Maklr asked. Nell nodded. “Of course. It might be cold to the touch. I don’t know, haven’t touched it yet.” He tilted his head, inspecting her features. “Or do you mean, are there animals in the water that can hurt you? If that’s your question, then no. Nothing in there will hurt you.”