Page 9 of Ruarc
KALLEN
I try not to pay too much attention to the warm hands settled casually on my hips as Ruarc maneuvers this magical disk up a steep ravine where we see a faint line of smoke coming out of the hillside.
Ruby meets us at the cave entrance, a huge smile upon her beautiful face.
“Oh my God, this place is like Earth before humans overwhelmed it. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled fresher air or felt softer grass.
If I had a choice of where to crash land, this place would definitely make the list. I can’t believe I’m actually on an alien planet!
This shit is so cool! Slavic found a waterfall over that way somewhere that he promised we would check out better tomorrow, and man, do I miss having a camera.
This place is epic, and I’ve never seen anything that beautiful in all my days. Did you guys find anything?”
Ruarc grabs my hips, setting me off the disk before lowering it to the ground next to Slavic’s, then walks past us without saying a word. Ruby sticks her tongue out at him, and I cannot help but chuckle.
Grabbing my hand in her own, we walk inside the cave they found, and my stomach rumbles at the smell of food cooking over an open flame.
Ruarc and Slavic are talking back and forth, but their words quiet when I approach.
Slavic reaches for my hand, his meaty fingers rubbing over the signet ring of my sire’s and for a moment, I swear I hear Ruarc growl before he turns away from all of us, stomping out of the cave’s entrance.
“The sustenance will be ready shortly. While scouting the area, we found a few tubers and other edible greens to help stretch the rations we brought with us. Our first meal should be plentiful. I will say Kallen, I do agree with my Starshine. This planet is quite beautiful, to the point it makes me wonder what else it is hiding.”
“I cannot verify this as I have not seen it for myself, but the scouts have ventured far and wide looking for other signs of life and better grounds for harvesting the foods needed to sustain us through the cold seasons. Right before the Velgriddix invaded, I overheard Lurtza, one of the scouts, talking to your mam about an area several rotations walking distance away that terrified her. She said the trees appear as if they melted into the wall of the ravine they were growing in. She said that their trunks were twisted and blood red, but it was like they had living veins inside of their thin skin, as she could see something moving through them like they were alive. The rocks they lay upon seemed hollow, as if the trees had drained them of their inner life and energy. The soil, from what she could tell, was even red in color. I could tell the place spooked her.”
Ruby has been walking around the interior of the cave while Slavic and I were talking. Skipping back in our direction, she states sarcastically, “Well, let’s mark that off our next vacation spot, Ughh.”
I shake my head and smile. Ruby never fails to make me laugh, but she does not miss my eyes wandering toward the cave opening.
“Ruarc took the disk and flew off.”
I know she and Slavic are both watching me, but I shake my head and sit down with my back against the wall. Closing my eyes, I try to settle my thoughts, simply thankful to be back on familiar ground.
“Kallen honey, I know this might not be any of my business, but I understand why Slavic’s parents went with the evil fairies, mostly. But why did yours? I mean, you’re apparently royalty or something important in their world. Why did your family leave?”
“Love.”
“Well, I’m on board as that’s an awesome reason for all things, but I am also nosy, and I need more information than that.”
“My sire was the second-born son. The spare all kingdoms must have, but do not always need.
He was promised as a young boy to the daughter of our sergeant-at-arms. All of it was political and a way for the king to ensure his forces remained loyal.
Sire was supposed to bond with her on his twenty-fifth name day.
Instead, he ran off with my mam, who they did not know at the time was pregnant with me.
You see, my mam was a commoner and a maid in the castle.
She and my sire had practically grown up together but had to hide their friendship because of their different social stations.
Mam was a few lunar rotations younger than my sire, but she said she always knew he was hers, bond mark or no.
Just as sire was packing to leave, they realized this might be the last time they ever saw each other and well, being young, one thing led to another.
When they consummated … the bond, it clicked in, and they were tied together permanently.
Sire rejoiced, while mam cried, as she was sure he would abandon her, since there were rumors that bonds could be severed if they were new enough.
Instead, her new mate whisked her away from Uzrul, relocating to Viri 9 under the lies the Aynar told that he would become the sole ruler over his people who were settling there looking for a more prosperous life. ”
“Wow, so I take it your uncle didn’t take him running off well?”
“Wiped his name from the family lineage when he refused to return and honor the contract. As far as I know, they never spoke again, even though I can remember mam asking sire to contact him for help when the Aynar finally revealed their true selves and most of our people were imprisoned in one way or another. He refused, said it would make no difference, and when I was setting his funeral pyre on fire, I wondered if he was right. Mam did not last two rotations once he was gone, and I was left alone at the mercy of the Aynar.”
Ruby stands in front of me with her hands on her hips, a frown upon her face.
“I mean, how did the fairies get everyone to jump on board the crazy train? I understand the grass is rumored to be greener on the other side, but that’s seldom the truth.
Your parents weren’t dumbasses, so what was the hook that made them all bite? ”
I look over at Slavic in confusion, “Did you understand any of that?”
“I normally just agree with her. So far, it has worked out, but no, that was all confusing noise. Eat while it is still hot, Kallen. You two can continue your conversation closer to the warmth of the fire. I can already feel the temperature dropping. I have gathered enough wood to keep us warm, but I am afraid I only have one covering with me.”
“It is fine, Slavic. Discomforts no longer bother me like they used to.”
Ruby plops down on the blanket Slavic lovingly spreads out for her next to me. “Ok, let me make this simple, why? What magic words did those fairies use to get all those people to follow them so blindly, clear to another world?”
Slavic holds a small bowl out for her before handing me a larger one. After taking a few bites, I realize he is not eating with us. “Slavic, here … I am sorry, please take your bowl back. I will eat when you are finished.”
Snarling, “You will do no such thing, Kallen. You will eat, then I will. My sire would haunt me from the stars if I took a bite before the females were fed. This is not up for discussion.”
Tears well up in my eyes, and I must force the rest of the food down.
Ruby places a small hand on my leg and squeezes gently, instinctively understanding what is going through my mind.
A male who is not even my mate gave up his food and his only plate to make sure I was taken care of, while the one who should have been doing this ran off because he cannot handle being around me.
“Ruby, my beautiful Starshine, while you and Kallen finish your meals, I will try to answer your question from my family’s point of view.
My sire and mam had been struggling under the harsh rule of King Durotan.
The farmland my sire had acquired was infertile and they were in the process of losing everything.
He was desperately trying to figure out how to keep a roof over our heads, as he did not just have mam.
He had me, and unknowingly, Ruarc was on the way.
We were at the market, trying to sell the few things sire had been able to harvest, when the Aynar showed up for the first time.
I can remember my sire’s large hand on my shoulder when they approached our cart, eyeing me and all the other younglings.
I do not remember their words because I was more concerned with what some of my friends were doing in the alleyway, but I do recall sire packing the cart up and being aggravated because I had not had any time to play with the others.
The next rotation, mam and I were hanging garments out to dry when they came looking for sire once again.
This happened several times before my lifegivers sat me down to tell me that we were moving.
I can recall being devastated because I was leaving most of my friends behind.
The next thing I know, we are loading our possessions onto a large cargo ship with several other families and headed to Viri 9. ”
“Did they show their true colors right away?”
“Are you asking me if they revealed their real intentions? No, it took them a while.
In the beginning, we were happy. Sire was able to give mam many comforts she had never known before, and our bellies were full.
We were given one of the biggest dwellings upon arrival, and I can remember being excited at having the loft all to myself.
One thing you probably do not realize, Ruby my love, is that Ruk younglings do not stay small for long, and within several lunar rotations, I was large enough to start helping with more than just the basics needing to be done each rising.