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

Chapter 7

Lena

It was no surprise to Lena that Tarquin noticed the sad state of her shoes. He was the most observant Talin she’d ever met. The cobbler machine wasn’t set up to make the slipper-style shoes that all human pets wore, but it could make a boot in her size. She was a bit thrilled to have a sturdy pair of shoes after spending a lifetime in slippers. The sheer novelty of it was exciting.

After they’d finished with the cobbler machine, they started exploring the shop. It was large and carried a lot of items. Everything from rehydrator packs to spare parts for the all-terrain transport everyone used.

As they looked at items, it got harder and harder to keep her hands to herself. She wanted to touch everything. She itched to feel textures and fiddle with every item on every shelf.

“This is one of my favorite types of field warmers,” Tarquin commented, pulling a metal box off a shelf. She’d never seen it before and wanted to feel the weight of it. Lowering it to her eye level, he put pressure on opposite sides at the same time and the top popped open. “This emits harmless red radiation that warms the air. It can last for several nights without needing to replace the charge pack.”

Tarquin had done this same thing with every product he picked up. Unlike the previous items, he moved the field warmer lower so it was right next to her fisted hand.

“Would you hold this for me? I want to look for an extra charge pack for it.”

She took the field warmer, marveling at how light it was. She expected it to be much heavier. She lifted it a little to watch the metal sides gleam blue and green in the light. It was meant to be practical, but it was pretty too. She pushed the top closed, then pressed the sides with both palms to pop it open again. It made a satisfying ching sound, so she did it again.

After opening and closing it several times, she stopped to see what Tarquin was doing. He’d found the charger packs he was looking for and set them on the basket bot following them. She tried to hand the device back to him, but he gestured to the bot. “Please put it there for me.”

She did and then moved on to the next set of shelves. Instead of putting things in the basket bot himself, he handed them to her and asked her to put them in.

It took her several items before she realized he was doing it so she could hold and examine them before they went into the basket. It was a clever and sweet way for Tarquin to let her hold things without her having to pick them up herself.

When he handed her a native rock carved in the shape of an animal, she didn’t want to put it in the basket. She didn’t recognize the animal but it was cute, with big eyes, a small mouth, and little human-like hands. She could imagine those big eyes blinking with curiosity and jumping around on little stubby legs.

“It’s a nulmi. They’re a small tree dwelling animal from the Ossiso homeworld,” Tarquin explained. “They’re symbols of good luck. We might want to buy several of them.”

Had he made a joke? Talins never joked! She looked up at him with lifted eyebrows.

“One can never have too much good luck, can they?” he asked, picking up another one of the animals that was mounted on a delicate chain so it could be worn as a necklace. “This one is better. It has more detail.”

He held it toward her and she set the stone carving down to accept the necklace. Instead of dropping it into her hand, he lifted it over her head. She remained still as it settled around her neck, the slight weight resting on her chest and the chain clinking against her collar.

“There, perfect,” Tarquin declared.

She touched the necklace. It was impractical and useless, something Talins tended to abhor. It almost made her want to talk so she could thank him, not just for the necklace but for everything.

“What are you doing?” a harsh voice asked. Startled, she looked over to see the clerk striding toward them, the fur on his head and back standing straight up with agitation.

The sound of a projectiles-firing rattle came out of Tarquin as he moved between her and the clerk. It was a rattle of aggression and a warning to the Ossiso.

“Stop,” he commanded.

The clerk was average sized for an Ossiso, making him much larger than Lena but not as big as Tarquin. The Talin was intimidating enough to make the clerk skid to a stop.

“What is the problem?” Tarquin asked, his voice deep with barely contained anger.

Clearly intimidated, the clerk backed up a step and cleared his throat. “You’re letting that thing touch the items. It devalues them.”

“Thing?” Tarquin repeated, taking a menacing step forward. Lena wanted to run and hide, but at the same time she wanted to pull Tarquin back. Fights between Talins and Ossiso on Wulnum were punished harshly, and she didn’t want Tarquin to get in trouble.

“Yes, the thing you brought in with you,” the clerk said, his tone almost quiet and pleading instead of angry and disgusted. “Normally I’d refuse it entry, but you Talins are particular about your possessions so I didn’t request you leave it outside. Now you’re letting it touch things. It will devalue them!”

That last sentence was delivered in a whiny tone, and Lena let out a relieved breath. The clerk was clearly too fearful of Tarquin to end up in a physical altercation.

“She is not an it,” Tarquin said, spitting out each word. Concern made her step up and press fingers to his back. She could see his back plates slowly rising and falling without making a sound, a sign of a Talin holding back his rage.

He put his hand behind his back, and for a moment she thought he was trying to gesture her away, but no, he was offering her his hand. She gripped his two fingers and held tight even as she stayed hidden behind his bulk.

“Her name is Lena,” Tarquin continued. “And she will touch anything in this place that she wants to.”

“Owned creatures don’t have names,” the clerk argued, sounding confused. “They are without souls. To be owned is to be nothing more than a tool.”

The way he talked about slaves hit Lena hard. Jafinium never said those words but the way he’d treated her had equaled the same thing.

Tarquin sounded the two-pieces-of-rotten-fruit-hitting-each-other rumble of disgust. “Lena is a human female with a soul and mind. Turn around and walk away before I tear your legs off and make it impossible for you to do either ever again.”

The threat was spoken in such an even tone it took both Lena and the clerk a moment to realize the severity of it.

Without another word, the clerk turned and jogged away, not stopping until he disappeared into a back room. Tarquin turned to face her, purring loudly. She was still holding onto his fingers, and he kept his hand between them so she didn’t have to let go. He sank to one knee and spoke softly.

“I see you, Lena,” he said. “I know you’re as intelligent as I am. The moment you want to speak, you can trust me with all your words. I’ll always want to know your thoughts and I’d never reprimand you for any of them.”

The scent of caramel perfumed the air and his cheeks looked shiny. His beautiful bright, burgundy eyes were intense and focused completely on her.

Wait, she was looking him in the eyes and she didn’t feel scared at all!

Reaching up, she placed the palm of her hand on his cheek. A warm, viscous liquid coated the inside of her hand. Tarquin went perfectly still, his purring dipping into a pitch she’d never heard before.

They stood like that for several submarks, talking with touch instead of tongues. Lena had never felt so connected to anyone in her life. Not even the boy she snuck away with when she was a teenager.

It would kill her when she was taken away from Tarquin.

The door of the shop opened and several Talins walked in, talking about the boots they needed to purchase. She dropped her hand from Tarquin’s face and shied back. One of them had a familiar voice.

Tarquin didn’t stand up right away, and his rumble moved back to the purr she was used to.

“You’ll always be safe with me, Lena,” he reminded her. “None of them can hurt you. I’ll make sure of it.”

She only wished that was true.

Tarquin

It was obvious Lena couldn’t relax with the other Talins in the shop. With reluctance, he stood up and led her to a far corner of the shop, away from where the three soldiers were discussing various boot designs offered by the cobbler machine.

The basket bot followed them to the corner, full of items Lena would probably never need but she’d enjoyed touching. His scent glands ached from her boldly meeting his gaze and then touching his face.

That unexpected movement was amazing. She’d done it because she found it soothing. She found him soothing.

She trusted him.

He was overjoyed and humbled.

“I’m sure they’ll leave soon,” he murmured, leaning over to reach into the basket. The number of items inside meant he’d need to purchase a bag to carry all of this, not just for the trip back to the barracks but also when they left the planet.

Lena was still grasping two of his fingers, so she leaned over the basket with him. When he lifted a folded up square of dormin cloth, Lena reached out for it. She touched one corner. The moment she grasped it he let go, happy to see her reach for something.

She brought it to her face, rubbing the soft fabric against her cheek. It was the same shade of gray, like most of the items offered in the store, but she was delighted by the feel. Moving slowly, he tugged at a loose end. Her brows furrowed a little but she let go.

He gave the fabric a little shake so it unfurled completely and then draped it loosely around her neck. The corners of her mouth tipped up as she brought up her free hand to stroke the cloth. Normally Ossiso used the fabric to tie the long fur on their chests back while eating, but it worked well as a scarf for her.

“That looks nice,” he said. “When we can, I’ll replace it with something more colorful.”

He liked to remind her that there would be more things to buy. He knew exactly where he’d take her to shop. There was a large shop on Umlinum Station full of items specifically for humans. He couldn’t wait to see the thrilled look on her face when he showed her all the delightful and colorful shops there.

The soldiers finished with the cobbler machine and left at the same time he heard the tailor machine chime that it was finished.

“You have new clothes,” Tarquin announced, leading her back to the tailor machine. They were halfway there when one of the soldiers returned and spotted them.

“Lena, what are you doing out of your cage?” he asked with a surprised rattle. Lena let go of Tarquin’s fingers and ducked behind him with a little squeak of fear.

“Lena is under my care now,” Tarquin announced as the soldier strode to them. The insignia on his belt noted his rank as a member of a rear squad.

“You must be Envoy Inspector Tarquin,” he said. “I’m Rear Squad Second Higmun. If Standing General Jafinium hadn’t given her to Commandant Holian, I would’ve been in charge of her care for three rotations starting tomorrow.”

Higmun stepped a little to the side in an attempt to see Lena. “She’s known for being willful. I can help you with boundaries and discipline if you need it.”

“As you mentioned, she’s going to Commandant Holian,” Tarquin reminded him. “He’s the most well-known owner of humans and my adoptive father. Do you think I don’t know how to treat Lena?”

Higmun sounded an irritated rattle. “Holian has a reputation for being too lenient.”

“ Commandant Holian has a thriving human population living on Kalor,” Tarquin said, emphasizing Holian’s title. Commandant was only awarded to the most revered military leaders who were asked to consult by the emperor after they retired.

Lena was pressing herself against his back, her small body shaking. It made Tarquin want to do something foolish, like drag Higmun outside and beat him unconscious. It was only knowing that Lena would be left helpless if he was arrested and incarcerated that stopped him.

“The way I interact with Lena is none of your concern, Rear Squad Second Higmun,” Tarquin said. “This concludes our interaction.”

Higmun couldn’t ignore the dismissal without being insubordinate. He struck his fist to his chest, the formal gesture. Tarquin didn’t return it.

“I don’t think your future will be as you expect,” he stated, then turned on his heels and left. It was clear the man was angry.

Tarquin couldn’t ignore the implied threat of Higmun’s words.

Between Higmun, Gaklum, and his increasing sense of foreboding, he decided to give up on the pretend inspection.

Reaching behind him, he touched Lena’s arm with his hand. “He’s gone.”

She didn’t move, but the shaking stopped. He unclipped his Ident and sent a coded message to Holian.

Standing General Jafinium is doing an exemplary job on Wulnum. Request permission to submit him for a Distinguished Readiness Award.

That was one of several phrases they’d agreed on. This one meant that both he and Lena needed to be retrieved immediately. It would take at least a rotation for the message to get to the Commandant. Once he received the coded phrase, Holian would send whoever was closest.

It would ruin Tarquin’s mission as an envoy inspector, but the commandant would understand that Lena’s safety superseded the ruse of his inspection. Until then, he needed to play nice but be prepared for the worst. He looked at the basket and realized there were only a few more things he wanted in case they needed to evade capture on the planet.

“Your clothing is finished and your boots will probably be done shortly. It won’t be long before we can leave here and walk back to the barracks,” he said as he grabbed a few more things within reach and tossed them in the basket bot. “Soon we’ll be outside with a clear sky above us and no one around. Won’t that be nice?”

The image he created seemed to help. She seemed to relax slightly and stepped back so he could turn to face her. But she wouldn't look up to meet his eyes.

Higmun had set back some of their progress.

He was determined to regain Lena’s beautiful gaze again.