Page 23 of Valka

“Everything on this island is so damned impatient!” she complained as she finally exited the cave and started climbing down the rough hewn footholds Valka had carved into the side of his cliff. It was slow-going, climbing down carefully because the stairs, if you could even call them that were so far apart, it was not possible to walk them, she had to climb them, either up or down, dependent on the direction she was going. He’d obviously never considered that someone smaller than he was might need to use them. Or perhaps he had, and that was exactly why they were so widely spaced. They were difficult for her to maneuver, but not impossible.

Finally reaching the bottom, she jumped from the last one that sat about six feet off the ground. Landing, then falling on her ass, she hurriedly got up and glanced around to be sure she wasn’t noticed by those far to the left in the actual village. Thankful that no one seemed to have noticed her yet, she moved toward the skaevin, who far too easily sat up and waited for her.

The skaevin made soft, trilling noises, welcoming her as she approached.

Delia smiled and shook her head. “I think that maybe you’re not as hopeless as you like me to think. You’ve figured out how toget a free meal,” she said, laughing as she laid out the fish she’d brought for the creature.

The skaevin eagerly ate up all the fish, then cautiously moved its head closer to inspect her clothing and hands for more.

“That’s it. That’s all I brought. When Valka comes back, I’ll find out where a bowl or something is and I’ll bring you water. Maybe he’ll have a bucket,” she said with a shrug.

The bird rubbed his head against her hand.

She petted it very slowly, careful not to make any fast moves and startle it, then it stood, spread its wings and flew away.

Delia stood there, shocked for a moment, before she laughed heartily. She’d been completely taken in by the huge creature. He had indeed found a way to get a free meal.

Still chuckling she started back for the footholds to return to Valka’s cave. The sound of soft voices murmuring, and some snickering let her know that she wasn’t as completely unnoticed as she thought she was. She glanced at them only briefly before she focused on the first step she needed to make it up so she could return to the shelter of Valka’s cave. She tried a few times to jump high enough to grip the top of the bottom step, but just couldn’t get high enough to grab it.

Still, she heard some of the villagers laughing and whispering about her. With her back to them she hesitated only for a second to look down at herself. She was far more covered in her under-clothes than anyone else she’d seen in this group so far. She straightened her back, lifted her chin and tried to get up the stairs again. She’d not considered how she’d get back up without Valka there to help her when she’d decided to tend to the skaevin.

The steady increase in volume of the voices and laughter, let her know their owners were moving her way. The last thing she wanted was to deal with any type of trouble without Valka, butif she had to, she would. She gathered her courage, straightened her back, and lifted her chin in preparation of turning to face those intending to give her any kind of grief. But before she could turn to look at them, the tone of their words turned from amused to urgent.

She turned quickly to look their way and realized she was in serious danger. The women among them were calling to her, telling her to run. And the reason? Skala. Skala had just breached their group and was running toward her, a steady snarl pouring from his chest.

Knowing she couldn’t make it back up to the cave, she turned and broke into a run toward the beach. She had no idea what she’d do when she got there, but she couldn’t just stand there and wait for him to reach her, so she ran as quickly as she could. But the sound of heavy, hurried footfalls, coupled with angry snarls began to bear down on her, she knew she was about to be attacked. “Valka!” she screamed, just as Skala reached out and wrapped a hand in her hair, yanking her off her feet and smashing her onto the ground.

Delia screamed, trying to turn over to defend herself, all the while demanding that Skala get off of her.

He grabbed her head from behind again and slammed her face into the ground, and thankfully somewhat soft sand with one hand while she felt his other grab the back of her pantaloons and rip them from her body, exposing her to the air and any who might want to see.

Delia became enraged, panic taking over as she screamed threats at him, trying to kick her legs, turn her head, anything at all to gain a little more edge so she could try to buck him off.

But it didn’t matter, Skala kept holding her down, only snarls and growls pouring from him as he manhandled her.

He shoved his knee between her legs, slamming it against her pubic bone painfully, then forced his hips between her thighs.

She cried out as she fought him, trying to force her legs back together.

He let go of her head to try to hold her still so he could finish what he intended to do, but she took that opportunity to scurry forward, trying to get away from him.

He grabbed her by the ankle, yanking her back to where she’d been and punched her in the ribs to knock the wind out of her so she’d stop fighting, then twice more once to the side of her head, the other in the back of the head to stun her.

She felt him still behind her as he spread her legs further and his body settled on top of hers again as he loomed over her. She felt his hips as he pressed himself against her, then… she felt nothing. His weight was suddenly gone from atop her, and the roaring above and behind her was not even noticed as she let the darkness take her. She welcomed the respite as she lost consciousness, glad at least that she wouldn’t have to witness all that he planned to do to her body.

~~~

Valka approached the village with a leather pouch filled with eggs. He held his head up proudly as he always did, but this morning even more so. He’d awakened early and gone in search of food other than the dried fishes he’d offered his female the previous night. It was clear to him that she did not enjoy them. To fatten her up and keep her healthy, he needed to find foods she would willingly eat. And he’d been successful. Not only had he found the eggs he’d searched for, he’d trapped one of the small creatures that traversed the island using small tunnels tomove about to keep from being seen. He’d caught, killed and skinned the animal. He’d already pierced it with a sharp stick to roast it over the fire. It would provide meat for her to eat. The pride he felt this day was from providing for one that needed him. He’d never had such a feeling.

As he reached the edge of the village he heard shouting, laughter, and jeering. He scowled at those few gathered to watch whatever it was that had brought them out of their homes at so early an hour. He could hear angry snarls and growls beyond the other end of the village, beyond his cave even, where the cliffs narrowed to a slender walk through leading out to the beach. Just as worry had him quickening his step, one of the village elders shuffled over to him, her crooked hand reaching out to touch his arm.

Valka snatched away from her touch at the same time he turned to look down at her.

“It is your female, Valka. Skala…” she said, as she pointed toward the ruckus he could hear up ahead.

Dropping all he carried, including his battle-axe in his haste, he started running not hearing the end of her sentence. He shoved people out of his way carelessly as he raced to get Delia. The scene he ran up on enraged him. Delia lay on the sand, her clothing ripped from her body, Skala punching her to subdue her as she struggled against him while he tried to mount her. Valka lost all sense of reason. He grabbed Skala by the hair and neck, and in one single motion lifted him off Delia, tossing him through the air to slam against the closest cliff wall.

In slow motion it seemed, Skala slid down the cliff wall and to his knees in the sand. Valka didn’t wait to see if Skala was alive, grabbing him as soon as his knees hit the sand and pounding him repeatedly face first against the cliff wall. He didn’t stop until what was once Skala was barely recognizable asa body. And even then he dropped Skala’s body to the sand and began to stomp and kick what remained.

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