Page 32 of Rhaz's Redemption
“Fine,” I huffed. “Thank you.” I was truly grateful for his help. I would never have been able to make this trip on my own.
I followed Zander to a nearby cave where he started a small fire to keep us warm throughout the night.
“Here lift up your furs,” Zander requested as he pushed a large stone from the fire with a stick. “It’ll keep your blankets warm,” he commented when I gave him a puzzled look.
“Oh, that’s smart,” I lifted my blanket and was surprised by how the hot rock pleasantly warmed my bed of furs without burning me.
“A good sirret hunter knows how to stay warm in the winter,” he nodded his head then glanced over at me as if he wanted to ask a question but was too embarrassed to do so.
“Uh, yeah, I guess you're right,” I commented, not really knowing what else to say.
“I can do many things well,” he continued and I bit back a sigh of exhaustion. I was tired. I wanted to go to sleep, and here he was trying to brag about his hunting skills.
“I’m sure you can,” I said as I laid down and turned my back to the big blue alien with long black hair.
“What, uh,” he continued. “What will you say…no that’s not what I want to ask,” Zander mumbled. “When you do getback to the mountain,” he tried again. “Do you think you’ll tell Fatima about your trip?”
So that’s what this was about. He was bragging to me in hopes that I would sing his praises to my best friend.
“Maybe,” I teased.
Silence. The crackle of the fire echoed across the cave and for a long moment neither of us spoke. It wasn’t until I was just about to fall asleep that Zander asked, “What is an an-throw-pol-ee-gist?” He forced the word out slowly. “Is that a special kind of hunter or weaver?”
I might have been tired, but his question was both funny and endearing. I chuckled under my breath and replied, “No, it’s a person who studies the past. They try to figure out what humans were like thousands of years ago, how their cultures were structured, what gods they worshipped, stuff like that.”
“Hmm,” he replied. “So she’s smartandbossy.”
That made me bark out a laugh. “You picked up on that, huh?”
“Indeed, she is…everything,” he sighed like a lovesick teenager.
“Have you felt this kind of affection for anyone before?”
I knew Zander had luminesced for another. It sounded like it happened a long time ago, but still I had to ask.
There was another long silence before he answered. “No. I… I tried to feel this way for another, but things just never worked out for us. Perhaps with time…” he cut himself off and shifted on his furs.
“Goodnight Beatrice. Thank you for answering my questions.”
“Goodnight Zander.”
Silence filled the cave once again, and the soft crackling of the fire lulled me to sleep.
THE NEXT DAY
That morning we got up as the sun began to rise and packed our things.
“We have a half day’s walk from here to the valley,” Zander informed me.
“Half a day. Got it,” I nodded my head, and let my determination show through in my voice. Half a day until I’ll lay eyes on Rhaz and confirm that he’s alright. Then I can move on with my life. I’ll have done my due diligence as his…what? Friend? That wasn’t right.
Whatever we were, I couldn’t ignore the anxious feeling I had in my chest every time I closed my eyes. It was as if our connection were warning me of something and I just had to see for myself.
Zander and I walked through the thick brush of the forest. He admitted that he didn’t like walking the main trails.
“It’s easier to keep an eye on the bullies in my dekes if I stay hidden while they walk by. They often speak of their plans while walking which has helped me keep my sister and I out of their way.”
“Why go through all that trouble?” I asked. “Why not come live with us?”
