Page 21 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)
Chapter Twenty-One
EINAR
As quickly as he had revealed himself moments ago when I requested entry, Ruarc hid his snarling face behind the sliding door of his private quarters. Having a door metaphorically slammed in your face while being told to frack off isn’t something that has happened to me in some time. I would have gone to check on Kallen regardless of what Slavic ordered me to do, but I was not expecting this sort of reaction from Ruarc at all.
There are questions that we need answers to and Kallen is the only one that can give them to us. Not to mention her physical condition is almost as bad as my mate’s and the other humans we found on the Velgriddix ship. I can only surmise that she lasted far longer than various other species due to the sturdiness of being a Rukuhk . We are notoriously difficult to kill and that was before the Aynar and their … improvements .
Shaking my head at his stupidity, I turn and make my way back to the med bay. If he is going to refuse my help, I can at least bring some basic care items and leave them outside the door. My brother is acting a fool, but he is not truly lacking in intelligence. He will use what I bring to help his mate. Fate will allow nothing less, regardless of his feelings on the matter.
Slavic is not going to be happy about this at all…
Two risings later.
“ Einar , how much longer do you think?”
I have to bite back a sigh when Slavic asks me the same question he has been asking me on repeat for the last two risings. My answer is borderline exasperated, but I cannot truly be annoyed with my oldest brother. He asks only because he cares so very much and does not have the medical training that I do. So , he only sees his mate convalescing with little to no change in her outward condition.
“ Slavic , she is healing, and that takes time. You should enjoy the peace and quiet while you can because I have no doubt that when she awakens, things are going to get complicated quickly. Especially since Bikar can’t seem to replicate the translators. We are lucky that Kallen can understand them and has talked to the others…otherwise, this would have been a real shet show.”
“ Has she revealed anything yet?”
Frustration wells within me at his question. Ruarc has still not let me assess Kallen’s condition, and it is beginning to vex me deeply. She needs medical care, and the fracker is being exceptionally narrowminded about everything when it comes to “ Princess Kallen .” The dumbard is constantly spouting drivel that we are not worthy of being in her presence, let alone touching her. Not even as a medic. Seems like cutting one’s tusk off to spite their face if you ask me.
“ No , and Ruarc won’t let anyone get close enough to her to ask any more questions. He is fighting his bond with her and no matter what I say, he refuses to change his mind on the subject. I could hear them arguing about her talking to the humans all the way in the dining chamber.”
“ Who would have thought Einar , that our brother’s mate was our Princess and the female we all watched grow up? It is sad all the time they have missed together.”
Nodding my head, I agree with Slavic .
“ At least now they have a chance at fulfilling that bond. That is, if Ruarc can get his head out of his backside before he ruins it. If we had remained on Viri 9, they would never have interacted with each other. Our status was …”
Slavic’s head snaps up to look at me when my voice trails off. I must stop speaking as the words feel like broken shards of metal in my throat. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to continue. “ They would not have ever crossed paths, and I think that is even sadder. I think that is why Ruarc is fighting the bond. He feels like he is not good enough for her, which breaks my hearts. So many pray and hunt for their mates, never realizing they may have walked right past them at some point in their lives. Personally , I am glad this is his fate and burden to bear and not mine. I cannot say I would be behaving any differently in his situation.”
“ Ruarc should not doubt the gods. A bond cannot be forced or mimicked. He is not only hurting Kallen but angering the gods that gave her to him. Complete foolishness.”
I meant what I said… if my mate were to be one that was in a station far above mine, I would be of a somewhat similar mindset to Ruarc . The caste system we were raised in is something very difficult to overcome. We haven’t been part of our society for many cycles, but the lessons of our youth are still present in our minds. The dinging of my med bay computer pulls my attention to the results on the screen. Skimming through them, I analyze the data and relief fills me when I reach the end of the report. Looking over at Slavic , I happily relay the news.
“ Good news, Slavic . It appears your mate no longer needs the hydration meds. I will start unhooking her, which means she should wake up in the next half a rising.”
“ You are just trying to get rid of us.”
His teasing words make me smile, but my humor does not last long as reality begins to set in.
“ Possibly , but I have a feeling my mate will not be as receptive as yours.”
“ Einar , at least yours is no longer multiple colors, and you even managed to get that torture device off her. I can hardly imagine the purpose of something like that unless it was humiliation or a show of ownership. All our lives, we prayed for our world’s females to be protected, while others openly abused theirs.”
“ Your words are true Slavic . However , the one thing I have learned as a medic is that the body normally heals quicker than the mind. A good example is Murgul . If you simply glanced at him as you walked by, you would see a male in his prime. No one truly knows the power of our minds until they are crushed from within. Have you decided what you are going to do about the translators?”
That is a question that has been at the forefront of my mind. My mate has obviously been abused for many cycles. Ending up in the hands of the Velgriddix was just the culmination of what she appears to have suffered in her young life. It would be a far smoother introduction if she could understand what I am saying when I speak to her. The thought of causing her any undue stress at all fills me with dismay.
“ After much thought, I told Bikar to head to Navale . We should be able to pick up something there. My biggest worry is when the vendor asks why we need them, what do I say? The fact that we have females on board cannot be known. The Zenith has substantial fire power, and she can hold her own easily against most others. But if word gets out once we are on Navale , she would not survive a direct shot from a destroyer, or a swarm ship. I am going to send Falon out to obtain them while the Zenith refuels. He informed me that he knows of a dealer on the lower level of Navale that won’t ask questions if the credits are enough. We really have no credits to spare, but I gave him what remained, anyway. Bikar and Murgul are going to supervise the sale of the cargo while I oversee the refueling. That leaves you and Ruarc to watch over the females.
There were some feminine products and garments in one of the crates we procured from the Velgriddix . I told Murgul to take the entire thing to the females, but depending on his mood, who knows if he did or not? Once we dock, I have decided to engage the locks on Falon and Murgul’s rooms so that they must remain inside. The last thing we need is for them to suddenly get brave and exit the ship. We would have to fight every pirate in this sector to get them back. I hate that the females are scared when there is no reason for them to be. Bikar has been delivering their meals to the rooms, leaving them at the door, then retrieving them later. The others have tried everything to interact with them, but they simply huddle together every time the door is opened. It would help if Kallen could speak to them more.
However , Ruarc won’t let Kallen out of his room, stating that she is too weak, and I blame him not. Frack , I would react the same way, if not possibly worse. Shet , I already am. Even now I am changing things to protect our mates at all costs. This whole experience is new to me and now I am doubting every decision, something I have never done in the past. One of the things rolling through my mind is the fact that the Zenith is not big enough for all of us. If we remain on the same path, we will be forced to start making some serious modifications or possibly need to trade her for something larger. Then the next issue is, how are we going to continue to fund this little adventure if we are all too scared to put our mates at risk?”
Frowning , I realize that we are in a predicament. I’ve been so busy with trying to save our mates that I have not had time to think ahead like Slavic obviously has. This is a specific example of why he is our captain. It is not just because he is the oldest, it is because he looks at a problem from many different angles before making a decision on how to proceed. If we knew where Kallen was taken from, several of the issues we are facing would be solved.
“ Has Kallen told Ruarc where she was taken?”
“ No , and he has been such an ass she has withdrawn and is now refusing to speak to him. Even though that is frustrating, it does not really matter in the scheme of things. I am not going to take her back to a planet that has been invaded, just to have her recaptured. Going back to see if we can find any survivors is agreeable, but Kallen will not be returning permanently. We either need to find a home planet to call our own or obtain another ship. Although right now, both of those options seem unattainable.”
“ This is a path new to both of us Slavic . Leave it to the gods and all will be answered in time. Let us go find some sustenance because my innards are rumbling.”
“ You go on Einar I will stay and watch over them.”
We’ve been in the med-bay long enough and both of us need a break. Our mates are not going anywhere, and we cannot afford to let our bodies weaken, so I immediately reject Slavic’s offer.
“ No , you are going to come with me. The moment either of them awaken the problems you think you have now are going to be laughable in comparison. Take a tic to quiet your mind, because you are going to need your wits about you sooner rather than later, my brother.”
“ This would be much easier with translators.”
“ Possibly Slavic , but then maybe not. Either way, they will wake terrified and confused. Words alone will simply not make those emotions disappear, only our actions will.”
“ What has made you so wise all of a sudden, brother?”
“ Dealing with Murgul has taught me to look inside a problem. It has given me insight into things I never wanted to know.”
Slavic nods and glances away from me. I can tell he is fighting with his anger and self-loathing over what was done to our younger brother. He reluctantly follows me out the door, his smaller frame trailing behind me. My inability to heal Murgul is a burden that weighs just as heavily on me now as it did when we first found him as a broken mound of flesh. Even with all the knowledge the Aynar shoved into my brain, I am not a deity. There are things that I cannot repair, mend or correct. Flesh can only take so much abuse before it is beyond the help a medic can provide.
As Slavic and I turn the corner, we meet Bikar just as he is about to enter the dining hall. His large arms are full of trays empty of food. A slight smile creases Slavic’s face as he calls out to Bikar . “ I see the females are eating. That is a good sign.”
“ They were more receptive this rising, and I even managed to get a few words from the one with twirly hair. We will be docking this rotation with the Navale , and I wanted to make sure that they were fed before we lock the ship down.”
Slavic nods at Bikar as we both walk into the dining hall. Moving over to the replicator, I wait for Slavic to make his selection and move away before entering the code for my favorite comfort meal. The smell of roasted meat makes my mouth water a bit as I pull a chair out at the table across from Slavic and Bikar . Slavic is absently shoveling an unappetizing-looking gruel into his mouth in giant bites, as if he does not taste what he is eating.
Shuddering at what he is cramming into his mouth, I cut into my meal and begin eating. The flavorful food is satisfying at least one of my needs. Reaching down, I adjust my semi-hard pivy. I have been erect or partially erect since I caught my mate’s scent, and it is not the most comfortable state to be in. Grabbing my privates, I have to bite back a groan as I finally find a comfortable position before focusing back on my food.
Motion across the table catches my attention and I see Slavic is rubbing at the mating collar around his neck as if it itches. That’s odd. Mine burned like a plasma bolt the second my skin first met my mate’s more delicate skin, but I have not had any other sensations in the darkened flesh since. Bikar tries to engage us in conversation a few times, but when he cannot get a rise out of either one of us, he finally falls quiet.
Suddenly , Slavic bolts out of the dining hall without warning. Knowing there is only one thing that could inspire that sort of reaction, I rush to my feet and follow him out the door and back down the hall to the med bay. My longer legs allow me to catch up to him just as he slides to a stop in front of the door and slams his hand down on the security control panel. Following him into the room, I almost crash into his back when he abruptly stops, his body frozen as he stares at the sight before us.