Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
And I sigh wistfully because I am envious of their happiness. “Where is your mate today?”
“Off spear-fishing with Hassen,” Jo-see says, smiling. “It’s a nice day and they said that means that the kas-fish will be emerging from the mud to warm themselves.” Joden bends over and picks up a stick, his little tail swishing, and then offers it to his mother. She takes it without a glance, and her son scampers off to collect more things while his mother talks. Jo-see nods at me. “Going hunting yourself?”
I nod cheerily, watching Joden as he races over to Chahm-pee’s side to pet him. The dvisti is huge full-grown, and while Joden is not afraid, he is still small in comparison and Chahm-pee has big feet. “This fat one needs to be fed, and I am filling that cache we emptied over the brutal season.”
“Mm, well, be careful,” Jo-see says as she shifts Joha in her arms. “Haeden said he saw tracks and to look out for metlaks. You know how dangerous they are.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Jo-see means well, but ever since Joden was born, she has tried to mother me—and everyone else in the tribe. No one has seen metlaks in this area for seasons, and I am as good a hunter as any. “I will.”
“You taking Taushen with you? Or Sessah?”
I shake my head, trying to slide away from the conversation without being obvious. Jo-see loves to talk, and if given the chance, she will hold me here all morning without realizing it. “I did not ask them.”
“Oh, you should,” Stay-see says as she approaches. She holds Pacy’s hand in hers and her second little son, Tash, is strapped in his carrier on her back. Pacy watches me with a curious look on his face. He is unlike Joden in that he is a quiet, thoughtful boy, whereas Joden is currently trying to pull Chahm-pee’s tail.
I pry the little hands away from my pet and shake my head at Stay-see. “I have not seen them and do not want to wait around—”
“Sessah will be sad to miss you,” Stay-see says in a sing-song voice, and Jo-see giggles.
I snort. Time to go, before they start matchmaking. “We must be going,” I say firmly. “And these little hunters must be off to do their learning.” I give Joden a conspiratorial wink and a pat, directing him back toward his waiting mother.
“Yeah, we’re going to be late,” Jo-see says, glancing over at Stay-see. “You feel like making breakfast this morning?”
“Don’t I always?” Stay-see grins. “Harlow wanted us to stop by and get Rukhar along to class, too. You know he’s a handful in the mornings.”
Jo-see’s flexible human brow creases. “She’s still not feeling well?” When Stay-see shakes her head, I feel a bit of worry tug at me. All of the humans do well here despite the cold, except Har-loh. She has always been a bit fragile, but ever since resonating a second time to her mate, her pregnancy seems to be sucking the strength out of her. Every day she looks a little thinner, a little more faded as her belly grows. I know her mate is worried. I worry, too.
When I return, I will bring something special for Har-loh to make her smile, then. Maybe snowcat or the hraku roots the humans love so much. Perhaps that will help her spirits.
“I must be going,” I tell them, but the two humans are barely paying attention, their minds focused on Har-loh or kits…or finding Sessah and foisting him off on me. I wave goodbye to the group and then grab Chahm-pee’s harness and hurry him along before someone else can stop and talk to me. I like chatting with the human females, but I am more worried that Sessah is going to show up and ask to join me. We hurry along, and I am relieved that my dvisti is no longer dragging his hooves and trots after me eagerly. We make it out of the village and into the gorge alone, and once there, I can breathe a sigh of relief.
Sessah is…a problem, and one I do not know how to handle. He is just coming into his adulthood and has decided that since we are closest in age, we should be pleasure-mates. I…do not share this sentiment. Sessah is nice, but he is also still gangly and young, and his adoring attentions make me uncomfortable. The tribe finds his devotion amusing, but I do not. I have taken no pleasure-mate since coming into my adulthood, and do not plan on it.
I am waiting for resonance.
Perhaps I am a dreamer, but I am waiting for a hunter that looks at me with fire in his belly and stars in his eyes. I want him to gaze at me the way Haeden gazes at Jo-see, or Pashov devours his Stay-see with his eyes. I want him to have that same intense look on his face like Hassen does when he watches Mah-dee, or Rukh when he cares for Har-loh. I want what Vektal and Shorshie have—to be his partner and equal in all ways, and to finish his thoughts for him, and to occasionally sneak away to do the mouth-matings when we think no one is looking.