Page 66 of Caveman Alien's Touch

In that case, someone should warn them. And that someone will have to be?—

“Oh, this is almost too much.”

I bolt before the outcast has finished his sentence. He must be the seventh or eighth to pass me, and I was hoping none of them would spot me. But it only takes one.

I can’t help but notice that he has vivid, orange stripes. Has the Borok tribe cast out someone recently? If so, they haven’t told me about it.

Branches and bushes whip my ankles and face as I sprint, the fear making me faster than ever. But the caveman is crashing through the foliage behind me, and he chuckles.

“Yes, run and make yourself nice and warm for me, little woman.”

I draw my knife and round a tree, stopping short. I’ve heard about girls being cornered by outcasts, and I’m determined to do as much damage to this one as I can. On Xren, there’s no such thing as giving someone a fair chance. Someone hunts you, you try to kill them. It’s that simple.

I wait for two seconds, and when the caveman is so close I can smell him, I storm out from my hiding place.

I scream at the top of my voice and hack at the pursuer with the knife.

It connects, but he manages to push me away enough that the blade doesn’t sink deep into his chest, the way I aimed for.

After a short scuffle, strong hands grab my wrists and hold them firmly, forcing me to drop the knife.

Blue eyes gaze into mine, and I catch a whiff of a sour smell.

“It’s good to run,” the outcasts grunts. “But I agree that this was far enough. You pretended to resist, and that is proper.”

I recognize him. It’s the Borok man who competed against Noker in the game of penk, the one who tried to kill him during the obstacle course. What was his name?

Unin’iz.

“I’m not your enemy, Warrior Unin’iz,” I begin, trying to pull my wrists out of his firm grip. “I’m just going to the Borok tribe. To your tribe. Help me get there, and Chief Korr’ax will thank you.”

Only now does he realize that I’ve cut him pretty badly. Black blood is running down his chest. He frowns and touches it with one finger. “Did you justcutme?”

“You will get the healing you need in the village,” I try. But I don’t have much confidence in it. He has clearly joined the outcasts, after everyone in the tribe thought he had been killed by the swarm.

In response, he slaps my face so hard I see stars. “I will have to deal with you harsher than I thought. But it’s fine. Come, you can watch us kill the Foundlings and destroy their camp. And then you and I shall have a great deal of fun! Just you and I together.” He pulls me with him.

“Noker will kill you,” I tell him, my voice brittle.

“Not if I kill him first. Do you know, I think I shall? My new friends will enjoy throwing rocks at him, where he is now. And as he dies, he will hear your cries of ecstasy as I Mate with you.”

Damn. What’s happened to Noker?

I want to break down in tears, but I pull myself together. I have to do what I can. Before we get close to the Foundling camp, I will start yelling and screaming so that they will be forewarned. Sprisk is awake, and he may have time to order all the platforms hoisted up to the treetops where they’ll be hard to spot and nearly impossible to attack.

Unin’iz pulls me with him, and I don’t resist much. I don’t want him to tie me up or gag me. I must be able to warn the clan.

I’m about to draw breath to scream when Unin’iz yanks me to him. Two other outcasts are staring at me.

“This is the one we need,” Unin’iz says as he rips a strip of leather off his dirty loincloth and gags me with it. “She’s Noker’s love, and she will be our reward after this is done.”

The outcasts grin with bad teeth. “You know how to lead us, Unin’iz! Our men will be eager to win now.”

“It’s good that the Foundlings moved their camp to the place that Korr’ax gave them,” Unin’iz grins. “I didn’t know where they were before. But now we can kill them all.”

“And eat them?” a scrawny outcast asks.

“If you want,” Unin’iz says with obvious distaste. “But the important thing is that we win. I must show them that we are the power now, woman. We must win something so my men gain confidence. We must show the Borok tribe that now,we’rein charge. We must destroy Korr’ax’s beloved Foundlings. Then, my friends in the tribe will see how weak the Borok are, leave the village, and come to us.”

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