Page 3 of Redeeming Captivity (Human Pets of Talin #7)

Chapter 3

Lena

This was not Lena’s first time dealing with Healer Ulnum, and she expected this experience to be as unpleasant as all the rest. At least he didn’t set out to cause pain; he was only inconsiderate and impatient. It was also a blessing he tended to keep the examinations brief, even if he did call her a “weak, sad little human.”

Despite knowing this was going to be a stressful and potentially painful visit, she remained still and let the healer get close. Tarquin had been kind to her so far, and she wanted to pay him back in a small way.

The way she had to fight her impulses meant letting the healer get close without trying to bite him was going to be a bigger deal than she first expected.

“What seems to be the problem with the human?” Ulnum asked as he marched toward her. He said the word human as if she was a lower life form.

Tarquin was quick to get between her and the healer. She didn’t move or look up but felt better with his bulk between her and Ulnum.

“Her wrists are rubbed raw,” Tarquin explained.

Ulnum made a dismissive sound. “That happens all the time. She’s gone feral. I can give you salve for her skin and medication to sedate her. Unfortunately there’s nothing to be done about her state of mind.”

He looked around Tarquin at her. He made the sharp clatter of metal-tools-being-dropped rattle of surprise, and he took a step back. “She should be bound and gagged! She’s dangerous!”

Last time he’d been called, she fought hard to keep him from touching her. She hadn’t done any damage, but her screaming must’ve left an impression. She almost smirked.

Tarquin made the light sounds of marbles-clinking-in-a-bag rumble of amusement. “Are you intimidated by such a tiny, defenseless creature?”

“I’m not afraid!” Ulnum said, sounding an angry rattle that sounded like a projectile weapon being fired rapidly. The rattle made her flinch slightly. Tarquin’s back was to her, so he couldn’t have seen the flinch, but he was still annoyed at Ulnum’s rattle.

“Don’t do that,” Tarquin reprimanded the healer. “You should have better control over yourself. We are their caregivers. How can we be responsible if we let our base emotions get the better of us?”

Two years ago she naively believed every Talin thought like Tarquin, now she knew better.

Ulnum backed away from Tarquin as if the younger Talin threatened to hurt him. “You dare lecture me?”

“Give me the salve, healer,” Tarquin said with calm aloofness. “It’s clear you can’t be trusted around a small, delicate human. I can see why you were assigned to such a remote outpost.”

Oh! That was probably one of the worst insults he could’ve said to the healer! It was true that remote outposts were where most of the worst performers were sent, but not here. Because of the importance of the Ossiso-Talin Treaty, this base was a prestigious place to be assigned. Still, there was that idea that maybe the healer wasn’t looked well upon to be sent here with basically no staff.

Ulnum opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it with a snap. Lena could tell he was trying hard to keep himself under control. It wouldn’t look good to get into a heated altercation with an envoy inspector.

“I’ll have the salve sent to you,” Ulnum bit out before turning on his heels and stomping out of the room.

The door shut behind the healer and Tarquin turned to face her with an amused rumble. “You managed to instill a lot of fear in that healer. Perhaps we should put you in warrior training.”

She didn’t answer but she did picture herself with a big gun like the Talin soldiers carried around. It was a good image.

The door display chimed and Tarquin went to answer. It was soldiers with more deliveries. What were all these things? She thought diplomats and envoys traveled light.

She watched as Tarquin got to work opening the packages and placing mats, pillows, and blankets on the floor. He was halfway done when she realized he was making her a nest. She had to blink rapidly to keep from crying at the sight.

Well, crying again. She’d done enough of that already.

By the time he was done, it was a nest large enough to fit three of her and almost as fluffy as the one she’d had before being sold to Jafinium. It looked so inviting and she was so tired from the day that she didn’t even wait for Tarquin to invite her to lay in it. The moment he was done and stepped away, she hopped off the chair and knelt next to it.

“This is yours,” he encouraged. “I can get more bedding if it isn’t soft enough.”

She didn’t look up at him. Instead she crawled into the nest and curled up on her side with a relieved sigh. She closed her eyes and pretended she was back in her old enclosure right next to her parents.

A blanket settled on top of her. Tarquin tucked it around her and pushed a few pillows closer to make sure she was surrounded by softness.

Her eyes still burned from the crying fit in the cleansing unit and her stomach was empty and a little upset. Other than that though, it was the most comfortable she’d been in a long time.

“You’re safe now, Lena,” Tarquin said, still purring. She’d missed the sound of Talins purring. No one around here did it. “I’ll stand between you and everyone. Not a single person will touch you without permission again.”

She wasn’t sure if she made a happy hum or not, but she wanted to. She probably didn’t because Tarquin kept talking in his deep, calm, comforting voice.

“I’ll do everything in my power to give you the life you deserve. After we leave here you’ll meet…”

She fell asleep to the sound of Tarquin’s voice filling her ears with a future she thought was impossible.

“Lena? I need you to wake up now. Lena, open your eyes please.”

Disoriented by both the unfamiliar surroundings and voice, Lena jerked up and flailed her arms to ward off unwanted touching.

“Easy, Lena. It’s only me.”

She stopped moving and blinked until she could focus on Tarquin. He was kneeling on the floor outside her nest, purring loudly. He wasn’t even touching the nest, as if he wanted to make sure she knew it was part of her personal space now.

“Good,” he murmured. “I was reluctant to wake you, but the food arrived. The soldier told me that they’ve only been feeding you once a day. I don’t understand what they were thinking. Humans don’t do well with that type of feeding schedule.”

She could smell the food now, and it was making her mouth water. There was a platter on a nearby table, but she couldn’t see what was on it. Not that it mattered, she was hungry enough to eat even the tasteless mush they normally served her.

She got on her knees and thought about standing up, but she felt a little dizzy. Between the heavy emotions she’d felt today, lack of food, and the nap, she wasn’t sure she was steady enough to get to the table. That was a disappointment because she really wanted the food.

She put her hands over her eyes, hoping the dizziness would pass.

“If it’s acceptable to you, I’m going to place the platter on the edge of your nest,” Tarquin said. Instead of responding, she let herself fall backward so she was sitting. As he’d been doing since first interacting with her, he acted with swift kindness.

“I got most of what I requested,” he said, bringing over the platter full of smaller bowls and plates. He settled it on a mound of pillows that marked the rim of her nest, then he sat on the floor so the platter was between them. “I only ordered things I know you could eat and other humans I’ve met enjoy.”

There wasn’t a single item on the platter she didn’t like. Despite her hunger, she couldn’t make herself reach for a bowl. There were so many ways the Talins in charge of her care tormented her with food. Some would insist she beg for each bite and others would be incensed if she spoke at all.

None of them let her touch the food bowls or plates herself.

Tarquin never stopped his soothing rumble as he scooted back a little. “Please, brave Lena. Eat anything you want. I won’t punish you.”

Hesitantly she reached for a round of black flatbread. She kept her eyes down but watched Tarquin in her peripheral vision. He didn’t move at all, even as she scooped up some of the stew onto the flatbread and shoved it in her mouth.

By Talin standards it was a plain meal, but to her it tasted like the most exotic food she’d ever eaten. The standard human feed they’d been giving her once a rotation was both tasteless and never enough to make her feel full.

The black flatbread was served at almost every Talin meal, and having the familiar food in her mouth made tears press at the back of her eyes.

Instead of letting the tears fall, she shoved more food in her mouth. Confident Tarquin wouldn’t punish her, she kept going. She barely chewed and swallowed before cramming the next oversized bite in.

“Easy,” Tarquin urged. His soothing, purring rumble was interrupted by a worried rumble. Worried rumbles always reminded her of a hatch whooshing open and closed rapidly, which she hadn’t heard much in the last few solars. “Humans can accidentally choke on their food. I was also told you can make yourself sick by eating too fast. Please, slow down. I promise you can have as much of this as you want and you’ll get more later.”

She did as he asked only because she was worried he’d take the food away. She might believe he would get her more food, but she didn’t think he’d get her off this planet.

She knew Jafinium. He’d never give her up voluntarily. He never gave up anything of value. He had a bigger plan in play, and the end result would inevitably lead to her returning to captivity under his “care.”

“When I was young, this was my favorite,” Tarquin said, pointing to one of the dishes. “For almost fourteen rotations, I refused to eat anything else. I ate so much that I ended up hating the food, so now I never eat it.” He finished the story with another marbles-clinking rumble of amusement, then he launched into another story from his youth. He kept talking until she’d eaten about half the tray and finally sat back, feeling full for the first time in two years. It was an amazing sensation.

She almost smiled.

“You did very well,” Tarquin praised as if she’d done something exceptional. “You ate some of everything. When you wake in the morning, I’ll order the same meal. You can also refuse to eat anything you don’t like.”

Even though she’d taken a nap, the food was making her sleepy again. It felt strange to feel so comfortable.

The door display chimed, reminding Lena that she wasn’t having a problem with being indoors. She’d vowed that if she ever got outside again she’d never let them drag her back into a building. But Tarquin’s gentle kindness had convinced her to walk into his room and even had her feeling comfortable here.

“I’m going to set this on the table,” he said, moving the tray before going to the door. A familiar face was standing there, and all the happy, fuzzy feelings vanished.

“Healer Ulnum sent me,” Gaklum said, holding out a package marked with the healer's symbol. Gaklum had been in charge of her several times and each left her with bruises.

Dropping her gaze, she moved backward until her back was against the wall at the edge of her nest. Out of everyone who’d been in charge of her, he’d been the most systemically and deliberately cruel. Jafinium was neglectful and strict, but she’d at least been able to mostly avoid discipline. With Gaklum she’d always been punished.

Tarquin said something she couldn’t hear, but Gaklum responded loudly so she could easily hear him.

“He says to apply it twice a rotation for two rotations,” Gaklum explained. “He also included several medications to deal with her if she becomes unmanageable. You’re probably going to need them. I can tell by what you’ve done to this room that you don’t know the proper way to keep a human obedient. They are prone to willfulness. If you need, I can come back after I’m finished with my tasks and show you the proper way to interact with her.”

His words made her shudder despite her best efforts to remain visibly unaffected. His duties had changed a while back and he was no longer in the rotation to care for her. The thought of him coming anywhere near her made her want to run out of the room and keep running, even if it meant certain death.

Thankfully Tarquin remained steadfast in her defense.

“Everything I’ve done here is not only approved but highly suggested by the Committee of Pet Welfare’s guides to keeping and caring for a pet,” Tarquin answered. He never raised his voice or rattled aggressively, but he stood tall and strong between Gaklum and herself. “I can tell by your words that you should never be allowed near a human again.”

Gaklum sounded an angry rattle that made her jump. “We stand between the empire and invasion, Envoy Inspector Tarquin. We don’t have time to be soft, even with useless and helpless things like pets.”

It wasn’t as if they let her do anything! She would’ve helped if she could. But no, they shoved her in a room and told her everything she did was wrong.

“This useless and helpless thing is a being with thoughts and feelings,” Tarquin growled, advancing on Gaklum. “There are hundreds of thousands of you, Gaklum. A soldier with mid level marks in all skills tests and only advanced due to favoritism instead of diligence or prowess.”

“How dare you—” Gaklum started to protest but Tarquin cut him off.

“Leave now before I report you to your command for inappropriate behavior and reduce the favoritism you so rely on.”

“I’m sorry for my forward behavior, Inspector Envoy Tarquin,” Gaklum said. It sounded like each word was being dragged out of him by a rope encrusted with glass shards. “I’ll make sure someone else is assigned to bring any other requested items.”

Lena looked up in time to see Gaklum turn and stride away without the formal goodbye. Tarquin wasn’t winning any friends here, but he was starting to earn her trust.

She expected Tarquin to turn his bad temper on her, but the moment Gaklum was gone, Tarquin relaxed.

“I think I’ll be picking up our food from now on,” Tarquin commented with an amused rumble. He walked back to her with the bag. “My growing unpopularity makes me concerned. There’s potential for our food to be tampered with.”

She could tell he was only half teasing. It was good he was at least a little aware of the danger this place presented to him. That meant he might survive his stay here.