Page 6 of Redeeming Captivity (Human Pets of Talin #7)

Chapter 6

Lena

As with everything he did, Tarquin was careful and gentle with her mane. If left up to her, she would’ve cut it all off. After the last time she “misbehaved” they took all her personal items away, even her comb. She’d tried to use her fingers, but after a while she gave up. It was hard to care about her mane becoming tangled when she spent most days thirsty.

“I only have one more section to do,” Tarquin said. He’d been talking and purring the entire time. Between the warm sun on her skin, his work on her hair, and his soothing sounds, she felt calm and almost meditative. She wasn’t sleepy but she felt peaceful for the first time in a very long time.

The scent of caramel hit her nose again. It had to be coming from Tarquin. It was strange, most Talins smelled like scented soap to her, but not him. His scent was pure sweetness. It made her want to curl up against his chest and…lick him?

She shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. The last thing she needed was to upset Tarquin. Not that he was easy to upset, but there had to be a limit. At some point he’d start treating her like everyone else on this horrible planet, it was only a matter of time.

“There!” he announced with the rhythmic-clapping sound of a triumphant rattle. That shook her out of her meditative state and made her sit up a little straighter. “Your mane is free of tangles and shines in the sun as it should.”

Reaching up, she ran fingers through the strands, marveling at how soft it felt. Even more impressive was that she got her fingers all the way through it. He’d done all that and her scalp didn’t hurt at all.

“Now we have time to visit the town here,” he said.“It’s not much. It’s mostly made up of Ossiso shops for the Ossiso soldiers on their base.”

It was clear by the tone of his voice he didn’t think much of the Ossiso. That was different. The Talins on this base tended to speak highly of them and their extremely hierarchical Civilization of Souls.

She didn’t like them, but that came from personal experience and had nothing to do with any higher philosophical theories on government or treaties.

“There’s one eatery in the town where we might find something to eat,” he continued. “We can go there after visiting the tailor machine at the general store.”

Before coming here, she had three omnies, one of them with elaborate silver embroidery all over the sleeves. She’d taken all her possessions, especially the omnies, for granted.

The faux fur lining of omnie coats was imbued with nanos that automatically kept the wearer at a stable temperature. The three omnies hadn’t been needed often on Talarian, but here the omnies would’ve been invaluable.

“If you don’t want to eat there, we can at least look around,” he continued. “The Ossiso-Talin treaty means you’ll be perfectly safe.”

She wasn’t worried about the Ossiso. As a pet, she was considered beneath notice, less than even a slave because she wasn’t “useful.” At most they’d ask Tarquin to remove her from their stores, but she wanted to be outside. Outside doing anything was better than inside.

“The transport I requested should be here—”

A small, black all-terrain transit vehicle stopped in front of the guest barracks, cutting off his words. He sounded the marbles-clinking rumble of amusement.

“My timing is exemplary,” he murmured. “I didn’t realize I’d ordered the transport to arrive exactly when I finished with your mane.”

She wanted to smile at his good humor, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the transport. It was the smallest and most common transport on the rocky planet. It would barely fit Tarquin, so she’d need to sit on his lap if they were going to travel together. She was torn; she wanted to see the town but she didn’t want to have to be shut into such a tight space.

“...or we could stay here,” Tarquin said, making her realize she’d missed most of what he’d been saying. She’d been too busy estimating her chances of having a panic attack.

It was hard, but she forced herself to look away from the transport and to the open door to their room. She thought hard about speaking. She even imagined the words she wanted to get out of her mouth, but nothing came. She gave a longing look in the direction of the narrow road, then looked back at the room.

When she started to stand, Tarquin was quick to get up and crouch next to her with his arms open.

“I’d like to carry you back, you’re still not wearing slippers.”

She didn’t mind being carried, so she stepped into his arms. If he ever saw the state of her worn-thin slippers, he’d know they didn’t offer much protection anyway.

He purred as he carried her. “I think you might not like to be confined to the transport. It would be cramped inside with the two of us. It’s too bad I can’t ask for anything else. The vehicles with more room are meant to carry many more individuals across the rocks and are in high demand. Spending the day inside isn’t an option. I could carry you to the town; it’s not that far away.”

How did he seem to always know what she was thinking? She was tempted to believe he could read her mind, but, of course, that was ridiculous.

After setting her down in the nest, he stepped back and pointed to a small pile of clothing. “Your wrap is badly worn, but I cleaned it while you were bathing. You could drape one of the blankets around your shoulders for extra warmth.”

She’d forgotten she was only wearing a towel! Grabbing her clothing, she went to the cleansing room to change, excited to get to walk outside. If she was lucky, the walk would take them all day.

Tarquin

Although he tried to talk her into letting him carry her, it was clear Lena wanted to walk. At least the path was well groomed the entire way, and there was no traffic to cause dust or debris to fly up around them.

He was carrying one of the smaller blankets from Lena’s nest draped over one shoulder. It was nice and warm right now, but that could change, especially if it took them longer than he expected to make the journey to and from the town.

“I read that the winds can be unpredictable here,” he said. As was his habit with Lena, he talked constantly. “It’s not uncommon for the winds to reach velocities high enough to pick up rocks and toss them around. I read that many of the smaller boulders migrate due to the winds. It’s fascinating, although it does make for a stark planet. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a planet that had a breathable atmosphere and so little plant life. I know there is just as much biomass here as on Talarian, but all microscopic. I’m used to trees and shrubs. Much larger organisms than trillions upon trillions of tiny things. If we looked under a microscope, do you think they’d look like tiny trees? Probably not, but it’s amusing to consider.”

As she walked, Lena was actively looking around at everything. There were a few times she slowed to stare at something but didn’t stop to examine whatever she saw further. He made note of the locations so he could bring her back to the spots in the following days. Moderate exercise was good for humans, and Lena was obviously enjoying the walk.

He hated that he was supposed to be here for another nine rotations. He’d have to work hard to shorten that time or find an excuse to leave early.

It took several marks, but eventually they made it to one of only two towns on the entire planet. According to the treaty, the small inhabitable area of the planet was divided in half between the Talins and Ossiso, even though the Ossiso had established a base and town many solars before the treaty. The fact that they’d been here more years meant they had civilians living on the planet where the Talins didn’t.

“This is nothing like Moravi,” he commented as they drew to a halt just outside the town. “I’m not sure it should even be called a town. Is village a better term? Cluster of buildings? We should develop a new word for places like this.”

Lena was watching the town with an expression he thought might be mostly interest with a little anxiety thrown in. Was she worried about crowds? There weren't enough people in this place to form a crowd.

Then it struck him that the lack of people wasn’t the issue. Some of the Talins shopping in the town would be the same soldiers who’d taken care of her.

Moving in front of her, he dropped to one knee so they could see eye to eye. Of course she kept her gaze downcast, but eventually she looked up.

“If you ever want me to seek vengeance, simply point to a Talin. I’ll make them hurt,” he told her. “You’re not helpless, and you’re not alone. Do you believe me?”

She tilted her head and stared at him for almost a full submark. She was weighing his words, trying to judge if he was sincere.

To his utter shock, she gave one little nod of her head, then dropped her gaze back down to the ground.

Daring to push her a little further, he held out a hand. “Would you like to grip my thumb or fingers?”

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grasped two of his fingers.

“You hold on tight,” he said, standing up. “If you want to see something, simply tug on my hand. I’ll let you lead me. If you feel threatened, step behind me.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than she was tugging on his hand to head into town. He let out an amused rumble before returning to a comforting rumble.

“We’re going to a shop called Nulmun first,” he explained. It was the only shop with a tailor machine, and his first priority was getting her clothing.

It only took a quick consult with his Ident to figure out where the shop was. There were very few Talins or Ossiso on the street. It was a relief to Tarquin. Humans were so rare and prized it was common for Talins to want to get close to a pet when they saw one. The Talins in town were moving fast, probably because the joint defensive drill going on in Ossiso space made the base shorthanded.

The Ossiso refused to even look at Lena. If the circumstances were different he’d be offended on her behalf, but for now it was better they ignore her.

Nulmun was empty except for one bored looking Ossiso clerk standing in the very back watching something on a small information square. He briefly looked up, then returned his attention to his square. Almost everything in the shop was automated, so they shouldn't need the clerk’s help.

He headed straight to the tailor machine but walked slowly so Lena could look around at all the items filling the shelves and bins. He kept half an eye on her expression, ready to snatch up any item she looked at with any degree of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, she seemed only mildly curious about everything.

The tailor machine was an older model with a limited catalog and even fewer fabric choices.

“Stand here please,” he instructed, pointing at the measuring pad at the side of the machine. Lena looked down at their joined hands. “You’re going to have to let go, but only for a few submarks while the machine takes your measurements.”

It was only with obvious reluctance that she released his fingers and stepped onto the pad. The machine covered her in light for less than a submark. When it was done, the display flashed with choices. Tarquin swiped through until he found the wrap pattern and ordered three.

“They only have dull colors available,” he said, choosing one in each color. After those were ordered, he moved to the coat menu. The styles were bland, but at least Lena would be warm.

“Here are the patterns that the machine could make to your measurements,” he said, stepping aside so Lena could look at the display. “I’m afraid they only come in one color, a dull gray.”

Lena stared hard at the display. At first he thought she might be having a hard time deciding between the patterns. When he looked down and saw her hands held tightly into fists, he realized there was something more going on.

“You had to let go to be measured, but you can take my hand again,” he offered casually, holding out a hand. With surprising speed, she grabbed his two fingers and held on tight without looking up from the display. Once she was holding his hand, she tapped one of the choices on the display with trembling fingers.

“That’s a good choice,” he said with an encouraging rumble. “The bottom of the coat should end just under your knee, so it will help to keep your core warm. Not as long as an omni, but it’ll be heavier, so it’s better that it’s a little shorter.”

She relaxed a little at his words. She might’ve been punished for wanting things so she learned not to ask or even reach for anything. Like trying to talk, picking something out probably caused her anxiety. He’d need to tread carefully and not push her too hard.

The tailor machine’s display flashed, asking for payment. Unclipping his Ident with his free hand, he sent credits to the machine, and soon it started humming.

“This will take two marks,” he said, reading off the display. “We can look through this shop and see if there’s anything else of interest or wander the town.”

Lena looked around the shop, then to the windows making up the front of the shop. Several Talin soldiers hurried by and, although they weren’t even looking her way, she half ducked behind him.

Perhaps staying inside was a wiser choice. The shop was large, with high ceilings, so it must not feel enclosed to her. There were also a few food dispensers so they could purchase snacks here. It wasn’t a bad option.

“I’d like to look at the cobbler machine,” he said, turning to face a machine several strides away. “I should probably invest in boots that can handle the rocky terrain and maybe we can get you new slippers too.”

Lena followed him with eagerness, telling him he’d made the right decision.