Page 38 of Serpents of the Night

“That would not happen. It is a great dishonor and highly punishable by our laws. She would have to take back a token from you as proof to demonstrate that you have given up unless you exceed the allotted time; then, she can return without it. Any suspicion at all is unfavorable. It is not something any maiden at hand would do.”

Lori nodded with relief. That at least settled one worry.

“Rest while you can, Lori, and do not worry needlessly about these things,” Jathella murmured. “We will be arriving at our drop point soon enough.”

“Sounds good to me,” Lori whispered. She would just pretend like the blindfold was a sleep mask at a luxury resort. She hadn’t slept particularly well the night before, anyway. “I could sleep.”

Jathella hummed approvingly but then her song dipped and became more melodic into a soothing crooning that sent waves of drowsy comfort through Lori. Her head slowly grew heavier where it was pillowed against the female. It rolled through her, sinking her deeper and deeper into a sweet oblivion those rose up within her with soft, dark arms drawing her into sleep as her body swayed to the rhythmic movement of the Seshanamitesh’s wings.

She slept peacefully in a dreamless void until the commander fell silent as she suddenly dipped and dropped, dragging Lori abruptly awake as the cool night air whipped across her face. Sand sprayed up in a fine cloud as first Jathella landed, followed by Payeri and lastly Buosoa. Their tails whipped and wings snapped the air rapidly twice as they found their balance. Lori coughed from beneath the gathered material of the TRS pulled up over her mouth and nose as it was designed to do. She blinked rapidly, her tears washing away the grit of sand crusting her eyes and squinted against the early morning light at the females surrounding her.

Releasing her, Jathella set her on her feet and pushed back over the sand with her tail, her head dipping low as Buosoa drew back with her, leaving Lori alone at Payeri’s side.

“This is where we part. We can accompany you no longer, Lori,” Jathella explained. “We will keep watch while you set up your camp and then depart. You are to remain here until the sun sinks down again before you are permitted to begin your return.” The corners of her mouth downturned with concern. “Remain within your tent during the day as much as you can. Even with the protection of your human technology, the suns are an unkind foe. But do not relax your guard at night, for it is full of its own kind of dangers—especially during the wet season when the desert comes alive. It is breeding season for many of Seshana’s creatures, and they will be exceptionally hungry.”

Buosoa snapped her gavo grimly but dug something out of a small bag she carried across her chest and handed what appeared to be a small container to Lori. “Take this. The ointment will keep away the insects that emerge from the ground so that they will not bite you. Also, cover your face with it during the day to protect yourself from the suns.” Her frown grew as she peered thoughtfully at Lori. “Your skin is far more fragile than our scales. The Uralial Nashee asked me to pass along these instructions when she heard of your maiden trial.”

Tucking the small container into her bag, Lori murmured her thanks and set the bag on the ground between her feet as she inspected the sand around them. It was flat enough so that she didn’t have to worry too much about sand blown over her as she would in some parts of the desert where there was nothing but rolling sand dunes for as far as the eye could see. She glanced in Payeri’s direction beneath her lashes, noting that the female had quickly dug out a bowl-like impression in the sand and was reclined comfortably within it, her eyes closed as if Lori didn’t have to set up camp. Perhaps Seshanamitesh didn’t set up camp like humans did, though she had seen her mates do far more than simply carve out a comfortable place to sleep. Regardless, she definitely wasn’t going to expect any help from that quarter.

Lori shrugged and bent down to open her back. It didn’t take her more than a moment to find the small compartment that the light tent was stored in. Packed in a small container about the size of her hand, once initiated it would expand and solidify until deactivated when she was ready to pack up and move on. Holding it away from her body, she headed several feet away from her bag, cognizant of the fact that Jathella’s eyes followed curiously. Once she was certain that she had found a good spot, she pressed the initialize button that began the countdown and set it on the ground before beating a hasty retreat to a safe distance.

Jathella’s head turned as she watched with wide eyes as Lori ran from the box but whirled back around in the next moment with her velkat raised threateningly as a loud whirling sound and shrill pop filled the air. Jathella and Buosoa moved on it with their weapons raised and even Payeri jerked up from her scooped-out bed to stare in horror as Lori’s tent constructed itself. Lori couldn’t help but watch in admiration as it was the first time she’d actually seen the tent in action before, though she’d heard of it often enough. The box didn’t move so much as it seemed to puke out the tent that rapidly seemed to knit itself together and expand as the material was viciously expelled into the air.

She looked over at the other three females with a smile. “That was something else, wasn’t it? Now, who wants to check out the inside with me?”

She wasn’t entirely shocked that no one was eager to take her up on her offer. Sighing, she picked up her pack and warily crept inside with her things, half expecting it to try and eat her the moment it had her. Of course, nothing happened, but Lori figured it would make a good story to tell her children in the future if she ever made it out of the desert.

Not if, when, she chided herself. She wasn’t going to start doubting herself now.

Chapter 32

Lori thought the sun would never sink. Although Jathella and Buosoa left early in the morning while she was setting up her makeshift bed in the tent, the day had stretched on forever with their absence. It was strange to be so alone. Ever since falling into the depths of the Aglatha cave system, Lori always had someone nearby, whether it was Slengral or, later, Daskh and Kehtal. Hell, even before that, Eddie and Vi were around to keep her company if she didn’t want to spend her time in her quarters. Now, suddenly, she was entirely alone. Even Payeri remained coiled in her hole the entire time, only moving just enough to shift the sand over her so that she could sleep comfortably while the sun moved overhead.

Groaning, she sat up on her pallet and drew her legs up in front of her.

She missed her mates. She missed Hashal’s sweet little face. And she missed Vi. Even if Lori had been separated from her mates and nestling, her friend would have joined her in misery, being camped out in the small tent in the sweltering desert. She would have even made some crass jokes when the rain came later in the morning, making the entire tent grow humid and steamy like a sauna. Lori’s lips twitched as she imagined her friend’s reaction to the shinara and now the maiden’s trial. Vi was tough and easily a match for any female in the Aglatha shinara. She probably would never have ended up being forced to endure the trial.

She sagged against her knees as she wearily scraped a hand over her eyes. Even with the bedding supplies, she was pretty much sitting on the ground with minimal give in the sand and tent beneath her or padding of her improvised sleeping pallet. She rubbed her eyes with her fisted hand. There was no putting it off. She could hear movement outside of the tent, indicating that Payeri was already up and about.

Lori pulled a face. She wasn’t looking forward to being alone with the other female. What would they have in common to talk about? Would Payeri even deign to speak to her at all? Most of the Seshanamitesh either seemed to be inclined to ignore her or eye her like an unusual bug. Although Payeri had been polite enough before, Lori was still anticipating several uncomfortable days ahead of her.

Sighing, she nervously brushed her palms against the legs of her pants covering her TRS and stood. The tent was small enough that it only took a few steps to get to the entrance before she threw it open and stepped out into the early evening air. The heat smacked Lori in the face, searing her lungs with each deep breath. She tugged the protective fold over her mouth and nose again and scanned the campsite.

Payeri had vacated her dug hole but was waiting not too far from it, her wings stretching widely as she peered distractedly down at the sand, her tail curling and collecting it before releasing it in a fine stream as she lifted it a short distance in the air. Her gavo twitched and rose slightly, and her ears fanned mere seconds before her yellow gaze swung to Lori.

Lori gave her a tentative smile as she deactivated the tent and packed it inside the case. Payeri watched her every move, but Lori did her best to ignore it as she packed it back into her bag and shouldered it. Her bedding was going to be a mess to straighten out once she unpacked it again, but it was simply quicker to deal with everything this way. Plastering a more enthusiastic smile on her face as if camping was something she actually went out of her way to do and enjoyed, and as if hiking across the desert was her idea of an adventure, she headed for the female.

“Did you rest well?” she called in greeting.

Payeri’s gavo snapped down and smoothed as the corners of her mouth lifted. “It was tolerable enough. Sand is annoying against my scales, but I might as well become accustomed to it if we are going to be stuck on the ground.”

Lori grimaced guiltily. “You don’t have to remain on the ground for my sake,” she offered, but the other female chin bobbed in the negative as she cast Lori a speculative look.

“And do you imagine that your human limbs can keep up with my flying? How will I look after you if you cannot keep up.” She sighed, the air expelling in a soft hiss. “No. I must remain on the ground with you. A maiden at hand does not leave during the maiden trial until their duty to the trial is completed. I will simply have to abide the sand.”

“Oh. Right,” Lor murmured as her cheeks burned hotter, suddenly feeling a little foolish.

As much as she would rather not have a witness while she was panting and slowly wishing she was dead while she dragged her carcass across the desert, Payeri had a point. Payeri was there to keep her in one piece for as long as she was undergoing the trial. She wouldn’t be able to do that with miles separating them. She squinted across the sand as she slowly turned. The mountains were immediately to her west and larger than life, letting her know just how close she was abandoned near them. Upon closer scrutiny appeared to extend slightly northward. That was at least helpful for orientation so long as they were visible.

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