Page 17 of Scarred

“If they turn out to be a witch, we cannot fight them.” Gar said.

Suni growled. “We are the defense of our home and as such, we do not run. We will follow these tracks. Gar, you are in the lead.” The young male looked uneasy, but nodded assent.

Suni waited for the twins to start moving before falling into step behind them. The closer they came to the origin of the scent, the harder Suni’s heart beat. He knew with every fiber of his being that they would find a female when they reached their goal. A female his soul knew was his.

Chapter 7

Amma

Amma was tired. She had always prided herself on staying in shape. Every day she ran two miles around her family estate. She had weights in her bedroom she used almost every night, and she ate properly to keep her body in prime condition. None of that mattered in the alien forest. Her body dripped sweat and vines left welts on her uncovered skin. She had tried wearing the sleeping pants her mother had packed, but they were too thick and added to the heat. Instead, she put on shorts with a tank top. Amma growled as she waved her hand in front of her face. Some tiny fruit flies followed her motion. She wished she could control insect minds. These were just too small and had no spirit to latch onto, unlike the caterpillar.

The sore spot on her left heel shot pain up her leg. Amma knew the shoes she was wearing when she’d run out of the house were not meant for daily hiking. Or maybe daily hiking was fine, but they weren’t good for hiking in a hot humid climate. She was constantly sweating. She had been slogging through the new world for three days and was losing hope of ever finding her way out of the forest. Traveling at night to avoid the more dangerous animals made her more prone to other hazards. Few of the animals she met were both willing and able to talk to her. Many didn’t have the ability to think above their primal needs.

However, Amma found steady entertainment in listening to her three fuzzy little friends, who kept trying to outdo each other with stories about their lives. Amma tried not to giggle when Mike and Sam told far-fetched lies. Sam especially looked proud of himself as his stories started to become things of myth. The animals were also great at finding water sources and food. Astro, even as a kit, could find and kill animals twice his size, and Mike and Sam found fruits and nuts to supplement the meat.

On the fourth day, Amma almost shouted for joy when they came across a fresh river next to a cave large enough to house all of them comfortably. Hand-sized fish that tasted delicious, cooked or raw, swam in schools. She found having sushi so far from home was a comfort. Small, delicious berries grew on a few vines that hung over the river. They tasted like strawberries, but looked like tangerines. Amma sent a thanks to her mother and aunties for teaching her how to survive in any wilderness, even a wilderness not on Earth.

She spent the next few days learning about the area she found herself in. While empty of any large animals, it had enough food for her to eat three hearty meals, plus snacks, daily. She even found that the water was not only clean enough to drink without a purifier, but it did wonders on her skin. Slowly, the cave started to look like a home as she set up a bed using large leaves that when used together could rival any mattress. Even though she knew she would have to venture out further into the world, one day, Amma knew that she needed to learn a little more about what she would be facing. It wouldn’t do her any good to find her family and not have a way to protect them.

We need to hide. Mike came running into the cave with Sam on his tail. Hurry. They ducked behind her.

Amma tensed. She was used to Mike and Sam getting scared over every little change to their environment, but this time they sounded different. “What happened? Where’s Astro?” She reached down and picked the brothers up. “You’re trembling.”

We smell something different, Sam said. The wind is blowing the scent this way.

“Where’s Astro?” she demanded.

Outside, Sam answered.

“You know that wasn’t an answer,” Amma said. “Since he’s not here, he must be outside. Can you be more specific?”

We don’t know, Mike answered.

“You guys stay in here.” Amma placed them on the ground and stood. “And next time, don’t leave Astro all alone.”

Amma stepped just outside the cave opening and scanned the clearing. While big enough for her to be comfortable, the space was surrounded by dense forest that she couldn’t see through. Usually, when the moons rose, she would stay inside where her fire chased the loneliness away. Her boys, on the other hand, loved to play in the trees at night since most of the tree dwelling animals were sleeping.

“Astro,” she whispered. “Astro, get over here right now. Astro!” She turned in a slow half circle waiting to see the young male run from the forest. “Astro!”

A vibration, lower and softer than a sound, warned her she was no longer alone. Every hair on her body stood to attention and her prey drive caused her muscles to lock in fear. Her ears strained as they tried to pick up any sound as the forest dropped into an eerie silence. There was something dangerous lurking in the darkness and Amma felt a heavy stare boring into her chest.

“Who’s out there?” Amma took a step back towards the cave doorway. She didn’t want to leave Astro outside, alone, but she also didn’t want to end up food. “I’m armed.”

The shadows shifted and a massive figure stepped into the moonlight. Amma’s mouth dropped in shock. Of all the things she expected to encounter in the world she found herself in, a ruggedly handsome minotaur was not one. He had to be well over nine feet, including his thick proud horn sweeping up to the sky. His face was more bovine than human, partially because of his elongated muzzle. His bottom lip was plumper than the top and he had a ring through the septum of his nose to emphasize it more. He was a warrior, battle-scarred and proud. He wore nothing over his impressive chest and tight pants that hid nothing low on his hips. Over his shoulder she could just make out a long stick and she wondered what type of weapon it was.

He held up his hands in the universal sign of peace. “Female, are you out here without a protector?” The monster’s voice was deep and rolled around the air, tickling her eardrums.

Some of her goodwill faded at his words. She had practiced enough times with Jo to be able to hold her own, maybe. “I don’t need a protector. I am not defenseless.”

“She looks like Mia.” A younger, shorter, male stumbled into the clearing. “Does she also have a calf?”

“Why are you on our tribal land?” The larger of the two demanded before Amma could ask any questions. “Where did you come from?”

“I’m a long way from home.” She tried to lighten the mood. She hadn’t meant to settle on anyone’s tribal land and could understand the hostility. “I didn’t know anyone owned this area of the woods. If you give me a day, I will move on.”

The large male huffed out a breath. “My dam would have my ears if I chased a defenseless female away. My name is Suni.”

“I’m Gar and my brother is Rown,” Gar waved behind him. “He is coming.” It was like Rown was waiting to be introduced. He stepped into the clearing and smiled.

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