Page 88 of Tharn's Hunt
Almost there.
I crest the dune, my eyes fixed on the distant ridge beyond which I pray the clan caves lie. Just a little further. Just a little?—
Movement on the ridge catches my eye. A figure, tall and golden-skinned like Tharn and Rok, but with distinct differences. This alien's skin is a richer bronze-amber color. His hair a dark slash against the yellow sky.
And he is alone. Utterly alone. There is no sign of a hunting party, no sense that he belongs here. He is just… an unknown male, appearing on the ridge as if from nowhere, and that uncertainty alone sends a skitter of fear down my spine.
Another hunter. Not from Tharn's clan?
For a moment, I falter. The rival clan member from yesterday flashes through my mind. His threat. What if this is one of his people?
But there's no time for fear. No time for caution. Tharn is buried alive, and Justine is bleeding out in the sand.
I wave my arms frantically, screaming at the top of my lungs. "HELP! HEEEELP!"
The figure on the ridge goes still, gaze snapping in my direction. Fear skitters down my spine again when, one moment he’s frozen still and the next he’s running toward me with inhuman speed, covering ground so quickly it seems like he's flying over the sand and rocks.
As he gets closer, I can see more details. The intricate shield-like patterns on his skin that are so like Tharn's patterns but different. The way his crimson eyes seem to glow as they fasten on me. Something about the way he moves tells me he’s even more dangerous than he seems.
My hands tremble as I raise them halfway, a pathetic attempt at a truce. “P-please, I mean no harm. I only need your help.”
He slows as I speak again, his posture cautious. But unlike when I first met Tharn, this hunter doesn't wince when I speak, which strikes me as odd. Unless…unless he’s been around humans! Hope flares in my chest.
"Please," I gasp, pointing back the way I came. "A sand creature attacked us. Tharn is buried. And my sister is hurt."
He stares at me, his crimson eyes unblinking, and I realize with a sinking heart that he can't understand me any more than Tharn could at first. We have no mindspace connection, no translator calibrated to his language.
But I don't need words. Action will speak for itself.
I grab his wrist, ignoring the way he jolts at the contact, and tug urgently in the direction I came from. "Please," I say again, pouring every ounce of desperation into my voice. "Youhaveto follow me."
For a terrifying moment, I think he's going to refuse. But then he tilts his head in a way that seems like affirmation, a sharp, decisive movement, and gestures for me to lead the way.
Relief floods me so completely my legs nearly buckle. But the sand is already flying beneath my boots as I spin and sprint back toward the others, the bronze hunter shadowing my every step.
The dune fights us. Every stride feels like wading through water. Twice I nearly fall, catching myself on hands already raw from digging. Beside me, the hunter clicks something—whether encouragement or impatience, I can’t tell.
The world tilts as we finally crest the rise. Below, Rok’s massive form is half-buried in the shifting sand, still clawing desperately at the ground. Justine kneels nearby, her injured leg stretched out as she digs with bare hands.
"HURRY!" I scream, but my voice is lost in the expanse.
The hunter takes in the scene with one swift glance, and something like recognition flashes in his crimson eyes. Without hesitation, he leaves me behind as he sprints toward Rok.
Rok doesn’t even look up as he arrives, and I realize they’re probably communicating in the mindspace. The newcomer drops to his knees, then they’re both digging furiously, their powerful arms throwing sand aside with renewed purpose.
I stagger down the dune, my legs shaking with exhaustion, and drop to my knees beside Justine. Her face is grey with pain, her makeshift poultice soaked through with blood.
"You made it," she whispers, her voice weak. "And apparently…you found…” She glances at the male, her gaze zoning out in that way that tells me they’re communicating. “Sarven."
I swallow hard. “Friend?”
Justine nods, deep breaths coming from her chest. “Friend.”
The sand shifts violently beneath us, another of those vibrating hisses reaching us through the ground. Both aliens dig faster, their movements becoming frantic.
Suddenly, the bronze hunter lunges forward, plunging his entire upper body into the sand. His legs brace against the ground as he strains, pulling at something beneath the surface.
Rok grabs the hunter around the waist, adding his strength to the effort. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a spray of sand and another ear-rending hiss, they heave backward.
