Page 187 of Mates for the Raskarrans #1-6

There’s only one more thing a girl like me could ask for, really.

And just maybe, he’s waiting for you back at Gregar’s village.

Rachel and Vantos had the shorter journey, after all. They should have arrived back with Darran’s tribe before we do.

We don’t pause for a lunch break, eating as we walk instead. I help pass round the meal bars - dense, chewy bars of meat and grains mulched together and dried so they store well. They aren’t exactly delicious, but they’re easy to eat on the go, and they keep you feeling full for a long time.

When night starts to fall, we keep going until we find a clearing sufficient to hold all our things.

Walset’s warriors immediately set up a watch, heading out into the trees to scout round for any signs of trouble, while the hunters set about putting up tents.

I try to help, but being short as I am, I’m more of a liability than any assistance, and the raskarrans laugh, patting my head teasingly, before gesturing for me to sit down and rest.

I don’t think I’m that tired, but as soon as I take the weight off my feet, they start to throb.

I’m not unused to standing on my feet for long stretches, but my job in the kitchens back home was a lot of short bursts of walking between stations, standing up to stir pots or reach for cooking implements, before sitting on a stool to chop, dice, grate, peel.

The furthest I ever walked was between work and home, and they kept everything in the bottom tier district compact.

More efficient that way - the better for getting more work out of us.

Until arriving on this planet, I never had to walk for a whole day, and though I’ve done it plenty now, it seems I’m still not quite used to it.

I pull off my boots, running my thumbs along my soles, trying to work the ache out of them.

“Hurt?” Maldek says, dropping down to sit beside me.

He learned maybe five or six human words from Sally before we left, and, thoughtful sweetie that he is, he made sure he had a way of asking me if I’m struggling.

“A little bit,” I say, holding my thumb and forefinger close together.

Maldek nods, then reaches for his canteen, passing it to me.

I don’t need to sniff at it to know that the water inside is laced with the gross berries that help heal injuries.

Maldek grins at my hesitation - he knows I hate the taste - then reaches into his pocket.

When he draws out his hand, it’s closed around something.

He holds it out towards me, nodding at the canteen as he does, his grin growing wider with every passing moment.

“Bribery,” I say. “What do you think I am? A child?”

Okay, maybe I’ve made a bit of a fuss about the taste of the berry water on our way to Walset’s tribe. But I’m not stupid. I always take my medicine.

I raise the canteen to my lips and take a long swig.

The bitter berry flavour washes over my tongue, and I swallow through it, grimacing, before opening my mouth to show Maldek that it’s empty.

He laughs, then takes his canteen back, holding out his closed fist to me and uncurling his fingers with a flourish.

In his palm is a stone.

It’s a game we played as we travelled towards Walset.

On the first day, as we stopped to make our camp, I noticed all the pretty stones in the shallows of the river.

While I was washing up our dishes, I found a white one with sparkling blue veins so lovely I just had to have it.

Maldek absolutely could not understand my excitement over it, or why I wanted to take it with me, but it became a game between us.

Every night we would go to the river. I’d choose a stone and he’d choose another, and then we’d decide which one was the prettiest. That would be the one I’d keep.

My plan is to use them as decoration in my hut back at the village.

There’s so much beauty out here, but not much of it that can be tamed, brought home.

The stones are something I can take with me, and when they’re all lined up on one of my cabinets back home, they’ll give me a little something extra to smile at each day.

I take the stone from him. It’s a soft grey colour, not particularly striking, but flecked all over its surface are bits of silver that glitter when I turn the stone from side to side. I can’t help but grin in delight.

“Thank you,” I say, tucking it safe in a pocket in my bag with the rest of them. “Maha shun.”

Maldek inclines his head, then he gestures to himself and out to the trees.

“You’re taking a watch. Okay.”

He nods, pointing out our tent for me. I pull my boots back on, heading for it, placing my little pack inside before turning back to him.

“Goodnight, Maldek.”

“Goodnight, Sam,” he replies, tugging on a lock of my unruly hair before heading out to the edge of the camp and disappearing into the night.

I go into the tent, changing out of my travel clothes and into a nightgown, before pulling out my furs and wrapping them around me.

It’s not long before my eyes grow heavy, the comforting warmth of the furs relaxing my body.

I wonder how close I’ll have to be to the village before I come in range of Darran’s tribe.

Before there’s a chance I might form a dreamspace.

Not for a few days yet, I think as I snuggle down, closing my eyes.

Soon, I tell myself. My mate is out there, and I will find him soon.