Page 101 of Sohut's Protection

After that first night in the Torian camp, one of the lookouts had notified Sohut that they’d seen some Tasqal guards on the outskirts of the jungle.

It had caused quite a stir in the camp and because of that Sohut had thought it was best they stayed put for a while.

And so they had.

It wasn’t a bad idea. Life in the camp was refreshing.

The Torians woke early and went to bed late but most days were spent singing and dancing at the center of the camp.

When they weren’t dragging her towards huts to do crafts, they were meditating in the sun. Sometimes they even did a strange form of stretching that resembled yoga…only they were alarmed at her trying to do it with her lack of limbs.

It was like living in an ethnic enclave and Cleo slowly grew to appreciate and even enjoy the company of some of the aliens that lived there.

They were all still wary of Wawa and kept their distance whenever he was around. Still, they tried to make her comfortable by constantly offering her woogli smoke and more of the salt and vinegar rice cakes whenever they saw her alone in the camp—which was hardly ever.

Sohut stayed by her side, only leaving now and then to scout the perimeter.

When she wasn’t caught in his arms or doing some activities with the Torians, she would head into the nearby jungle to catch mogs for dinner.

Today was one of those days. The camp was running low on food.

Sohut was just coming out of Senrit’s hut when he noticed her heading into the jungle. He jogged up to her and caught her around the waist.

“Going hunting again?”

Cleo smiled and leaned into him. “They’ve been so nice to me, to us, it’s the one way I can contribute.”

Sohut glanced back at Senrit’s hut before eyeing the jungle beyond the clearing.

“Where’s Wawa?”

“He ran off into the woods some hours ago,” she replied.

“I’m coming with you then.”

Cleo nodded as they started to move toward the growth of trees.

It was usual.

If Wawa wasn’t around, Sohut didn’t let her enter the jungle alone.

They were her two bodyguards.

An unlikely pair, but she treasured them both anyway.

“Is Senrit still wary?”

“Yes, but there’s been no sight of the Tasqal’s Hedgerud fighters. I don’t know why they’d been in Koznia anyway.”

Cleo nodded.

If the aliens were wary, she was too.

As they made their way into the jungle, away from the camp, she kept her eyes and ears peeled.

With Sohut around, he could just whistle and the jungle-penguins would come but she knew they still had to be alert.

They were walking in silence and the undergrowth was becoming thick.

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