Page 33 of Scarred

“Thanks.” Amma stepped over a protruding root.

Can we get down? Mike asked. Climb the trees?

“Suni, Mike wants to know if they can follow us through the trees and be safe.”

Suni stopped and his ears swiveled in every direction. “There is nothing in the trees that can harm them. Just make sure they do not come down without asking. They are small enough to be a meal to some of the ground animals.”

Okay. Sam practically yelled as he jumped onto a branch and took off with Mike and Astro right behind him.

“Is Astro a tree dwelling animal?” Amma asked. “We found him on the ground.”

“No, the adults are too large. They burrow under large tree root systems. If we come by one, I will show you.”

“How do you spot their burrows?”

“Look for clusters of thick roots. They have damp earth where grubs thrive, and Astro’s kind survives mostly on these grubs. They are salty, and when roasted, crunchy.”

“Like a trail snack? I would like to try them.” she laughed at his snort. “I may be a woman, but I know that food comes in all types. When I was in my world, I ate grubs all the time. They tasted like peanuts.”

“What is a peanut?” he asked.

“A nut.” Amma’s mouth watered at the thought of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “I know you must have nuts here. A peanut comes from a tree and is rushed to make a paste that tastes amazing on bread.”

“We do have nuts, but we do not call them what you do.” Suni said. “I have also never heard of a paste made from them. Maybe it is something you can teach my tribe.”

“I would love that.”

They dropped into a comfortable silence as they continued forward. Occasionally, Amma would catch sight of Mike, Sam, and Astro in the trees. They seemed to be playing a game of catch, or maybe keep-away, with a berry. The feelings they were sending her were happiness and contentment. She liked to see Mike and Sam starting to fit into the world they had fallen into. She would have been worried if they had been left back on Earth. They may have been wild, but they didn’t know how to survive without her around. She doubted they would have lasted more than a few weeks.

Something flew out of the trees and hit her on the head. “Ouch!” She glanced up to see Mike staring down at her. “Hey, no throwing things.”

It fell. Mike flicked his tail. Sam threw it.

“What happened?” Suni asked.

“One of their fruits got away from them and ended up knocking me in the head.”

Suni stopped and glared up at the brothers and Astro. “Watch what you hit.” The animals’ eyes widened before they disappeared into the leaves.

“Stop trying to scare my friends,” she teased. “They are harmless, and I’m sure it was an accident. They would have never hurt me on purpose.”

“They are males and should not harm a female – ever,” Suni said. “We have walked enough tonight. There should be a hunter hut ahead that we can spend the day in.”

“A hut? Like a real hut or another cave?” Amma asked.

“Not a cave. There are small huts built into the surrounding forest for hunters and warriors to rest in on long journeys. They are kept stocked with furs and medical supplies.”

“While it sounds nice, I can keep going.”

“This is the last stop before we leave my tribe's territory. I think we should rest and be fresh before we court danger.”

“You have a point.” Amma secretly thought she could use a rest. Her body wasn’t used to the amount of walking they had done. “What about the male you scented earlier? What if he is using the hut?”

“He would not dare,” Suni snarled.

“What if he’s just passing through?” Amma asked. “Or got lost?”

“He knows these lands as well as I do. By marking, he is insulting my chief. I will kill him if he dares to show his face.”

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