Page 22

Kala

My steps are rushed, but I am still cautious as always, as I make my way back to the village.

Back to Iris. It has been a surprisingly successful turn of hunting considering much of it was spent thinking of my mate.

It has also been a lonely one without the company of Sorin.

I did not realize how much I appreciated him at my side until he was absent.

Hung from the rope at my waist are several leburin.

Behind me is a sled that carries the weight of several dreri as well as three dhibani.

Our god must be watching out for me, because this is the largest number of kills I have returned with to the village.

Perhaps I will break out the vessel of special Tavikhi brew I had been gifted by one of their elders to celebrate.

At last the village appears within a break in the trees. The scent of the main fire had reached me a bit ago, but the scent is even stronger now and mixed with the odor of cooked meat. I had packed some dried dreri sticks to eat throughout the day, but the hunger pains grow the closer I approach.

I walk into the clearing and am finally spotted by one of the other warlords who calls out a guttural greeting.

I glance in the direction of where my tent lies and several beats later, Iris and Sorin appear.

My mate offers me the largest smile and runs toward me with our kit straight on her heels.

I release the rope I attached to pull the sled just as she jumps into my embrace.

She wraps her arms and legs around me and drops kisses all over my face.

I hold Iris tightly against me and my hearts soar with an emotion I cannot name. It is nothing I have ever felt before.

Neither of us releases the other, but she draws back to look at me. “Welcome home. “

“If this is the greeting I will receive when I return from hunting, perhaps I will leave more often.”

She twists her expression. “Very funny.”

“Greetings, Gogo,” Sorin says. “Your hunt looks very successful.”

I finally lower Iris to her feet, but do not let her get far from me. “We will have much to add to our food stores to prepare for cold season.”

“Speaking of cold season,” Iris says. “Sorin and I spent part of the day going through the storage tent. After the evening meal, I’d like to talk to you about a few things.”

“We will speak then.” I turn to our kit and unwrap the leburin from the rope at my waist. “Will you help me take these to the tent so we can clean and skin them?”

He reaches for them and hurries off. Iris walks beside me as I drag the sled there.

“Did you have a good turn?”

“We did, although Sorin and I missed you.”

Has anyone ever missed me before? “It was hard being away from you.”

In such a short time, Iris has come to mean much to me. Perhaps nearly as much as she has come to mean to our kit. Is that what this feeling that swells inside me is?

“Good.” She jerks her head in a single nod. “That means the next time you’re gone, you’ll hurry back. But safely, though. Don’t get careless in a rush to get to the village.”

“Being aware of our surroundings and potential dangers is in a Krijese’s blood. It has had to be for us to have survived this long.”

Iris bumps me with her elbow. “Let’s make sure you keep it that way.”

We arrive at the tent where Sorin has already deposited the leburin on the ground outside of it Both he and my mate help remove my kills from the sled and places them with the smaller creatures.

Like the previous turn, we will gather after the evening meal and prepare them for drying and storing, especially as more warlords return and add their kills to the total numbers.

It would appear we all had a successful hunt.

Perhaps this coming cold season will be better than the last.

“Let me wash up and we will see about helping those who have prepared the evening meal.”

“We’ll meet you at the main fire.” Iris rises up and kisses my cheek.

I wish I could offer her the same sign of affection. Since I cannot—at least not in the human way—I must come up with my own way to show the care I have for her. I will think on it and perhaps when we are in our pallet this night I will practice some of them.

Not wanting to be separated from her any longer than necessary, I quickly head to the water source and rinse my upper body, arms, and face off.

On the next turn, I will bring Iris here with a cleansing bar so we can both wash thoroughly.

My cock hardens at the thought of assisting her.

The memory of the peaked tips of her chest mounds is vivid in my mind, as well as the way they felt beneath my fingers.

While I have not seen her fully unclothed, I caught unwanted glimpses of the stolen human females.

None of them aroused me though and not because they were human.

Seeing them being abused rid me of any desire I might have felt and only left me with a heavy weight in my belly.

Yet, I cannot help but imagine what Iris will look like fully bare.

Will it bring back the images of those other females? I hope that is not the case.

I finish rinsing off any blood and dirt and make my way to the fire where Sorin and Iris wait.

Tending to it and preparing the meal are two of the three Krijese females, both elders that managed to survive the sickness that swept through our people.

My mate speaks with them and I am glad to see they are treating her well enough.

Of course, I would not tolerate anything less.

For a moment, I observe them as it appears one instructs Iris on the task she performs. A few more beats pass when my mate switches place with the female and takes over.

I approach the fire and they all glance up.

The two Krijese nod and the first attempts to return to the task she passed onto Iris as if she fears I will be angry for it, but she is rejected.

“Let me do this, please. I need to pitch in just like everyone else. Sit. Rest,” she instructs the Krijese female. “In fact, both of you take a break. Either Kala or Sorin and I will finish preparing the meal and serving it, won’t we?”

My mate raises one of the furry lines over her eye as she glances between our kit and me. I incline my head.

“I am happy to assist you.”

Iris turns her gaze to the two elders and smiles brightly. “See?”

The females hesitate, but at last they do as she says.

“Thank you, sivalla.” Adihma clasps her hands in front of her chest and they join a few other elders who have taken a seat near the fire.

Iris turns to me with a questioning glance. “What is sivalla?”

“It is a name given to those held in the highest regard. There is no direct translation, but it is nearest to meaning a gift from our god.”

Her eyes shimmer with wetness. She swallows and sniffs, then returns to her task.

Sorin glances at me with concern in his gaze, but I wave him off and join Iris at the fire.

Together, we finish preparing the meal and serve our people as they walk through the line.

Ortak and Gannen are the last to come through.

The older Krijese studies Iris for a moment before glancing down at his adopted kit.

I cannot read the expression on Ortak’s face, but there is something lurking in his gaze.

He has never had a mate before and I often wonder why he chose to raise Gannen, but I have never questioned him about his decision.

The kit is much quieter than Sorin, but they get along and Ortak treats him well.

“Thank you Sorin’s momo,” Gannen says softly after Iris adds a little extra to his platter.

Her face softens when she looks at him. “You are welcome, and please, call me Iris.”

The kit nods and continues moving on. Ortak inclines his head and sits beside his adopted kit not far from the fire.

Now that everyone has been served, we get our own food and take a seat as well.

There is little to no conversation while we eat other than from Sorin.

Although Iris does add in her own words here and there.

“Tell me more about this luani.”

“It is a ferocious beast that has teeth this long.” Our kit stretches his arms an exaggerated distance apart.

“Its claws can strike through a male with a single swipe and cut him into many pieces. They are the biggest beast you will ever see. Not even Gogo can bring one down on his own. Benham has seen several of them in his lifetime, including the one who gave him the scar across his face. Healer Sage’s mate was nearly killed by one as well.

Jodah has a scar that runs from beneath one shoulder to the opposite hip. ”

Iris appears appropriately terrified. “I hope I never come across one.”

Sorin shakes his head. “Benham says they are slowly becoming extinct and that soon one of these turns they will no longer exist.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” she says.

“I think it is a little sad to know that these once plentiful animals will disappear from Tavikh like the Krijese will. It is difficult to imagine that a turn will come and both of our species will be gone. The Tavikhi and perhaps the Njeri and the Trivari will continue on and stories of their ancestors will be told. Who will be told of our ancestors? We will be forgotten, as though we never existed.”

A heaviness lands in my chest at our kit’s words. He should not be thinking of the time when we are no longer. His is only a kit and should be sparring, playing, and laughing with other kits. Iris must believe the same, because she draws him into her side and holds him tightly.

“You’re right. It is sad to think of and I’m sorry for saying otherwise. Thank you for reminding me of that, but I also don’t want you to worry about things that may never happen.” She kisses the top of his head. “Remember what I said earlier about keeping your heart and mind open.”

Sorin glances up at her. “I will keep both my hearts and my mind open.”

Iris widens her eyes and glances between him and me. “You have two hearts?”

I nod. “All Krijese do.”

“Huh, interesting. I had no idea, but that’s kind of cool.”

“You may feel.” Sorin leans away, takes her platter and sets it on the ground, and takes her hand to place it on his chest.

She cants her head and I can tell she concentrates. I can also tell when she must feel both of his hearts beating because she laughs softly.

“Oh wow, that is so fascinating.” Iris lowers her hand. “I’m kind of jealous, actually, that you have two and I just have my one.”

The rough sound comes from Sorin’s throat, and my own hearts feel true peace.