Page 148 of Return of the Nine

Chapter Two

The next morning, Daphne brought in another dress; this time, it had a little more room in the bustline, but it was still rather tight.

The housekeeper triumphantly produced her pack and everything was in clean and new condition. She certainly knew her job.

“Thank you, miss.”

The woman ducked her head, smiled and retreated.

Daphne smiled. “She is a woman of few words and your look on arrival scared the hell out of her.”

Ianka chuckled. “It has been a few years since I have seen a mirror. The few folk I have run into haven’t bothered commenting. They were too busy thanking me for fishing them out of the wilderness.”

“Is that what you have been doing?”

“I have been tracking animals, finding Gaians and building my own little retreat away from the city. It is primitive but it is mine.”

“I have heard of a wild thing in the North Country, but I hadn’t realised it was you.” Daphne wrinkled her nose in amusement.

Ianka laughed. “They told me that there were rumours of a creature rescuing hikers and botanists in that area. It took them a while to realise that they were in her clutches.”

They went downstairs for breakfast, and the pilot who would be taking her was sitting at one end of the table with Apolan at the other. It seemed that there were only two remaining seats on either side.

Ianka faced Daphne across the table. “Your housekeeper did a wonderful job on the leathers. They are as clean as could be. They will be a delight to wear now.”

“She does enjoy natural fibres, and skins are just some of them. The pants seem an odd fit.”

Ianka laughed as she followed Apolan’s lead and started helping herself to breakfast. “They were rather urgent. My original clothing had shredded away by that point. Dressing myself became rather important. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a pattern to work from.”

Daphne laughed. “So, you improvised.”

“Yup. The shirt was easier. I used the shreds of my last blouse to make the pattern and it fits like a dream. The bra bands were hit and miss.”

“How did you cure the leather?”

Ianka smiled. “Lua pods. They dissolved the hair and the oil softened the skin. They are easy to use if you wrap your hands. Soak the skin in water the moment you have the result you want.”

“Nice. Your boots are lovely.”

She beamed. “Thank you.”

The pilot, who was so deep red he was nearly black, chuckled and spoke in careful Gaian. “It figures. Put two women together no matter their species and they will talk about shoes.”

Ianka looked squarely at him and he grinned, showing deadly teeth. She stated in clipped tones. “It was not a conversation that you chose to enter in its infancy so critiquing it shows bad manners.”

He blinked and leaned back slightly. “You are correct. I am unfamiliar with the object in question and therefore my comment was unwarranted. I apologise.”

She inclined her head. “Apology accepted.”

Daphne and Apolan were looking at each other withamusement. Apolan cleared his throat. “How long were you living on your own in the wild, Ianka?”

“I saw four winters out there, but I am not focussed on the exact dates. I lived in the moment.” She shrugged.

The pilot cleared his throat. “You lived here on Underhill without companions or shelter for four years?”

She shrugged. “Yes. I found a few hunting parties and helped them back to the city, but I did not return myself.”

“You fed and sheltered yourself for four years?” He raised his brows.

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