Page 16 of Planet Zero
There was a pause, and Addie held her breath.
“No,” came Qalae’s final answer.
“Release her,” Net’ok ordered, and someone took the rope off her waist. “Leave us, Addie.”
She couldn’t bring herself to look at any of them as she turned to the door. The flap was still folded open, and the passage was free. No one was blocking her exit. They simply watched her go, and it was somehow worse than being forcibly thrown out.
Addie took a step toward the door, then another. Lips pressed together, head held high even though the effort cost her, she made it across the floor to the door.
She would find another tribe. Maybe there were For who would look past the strangeness of her appearance and lack of acceptable skills, and see the person beneath. She would be loyal to them.
But now, she’d hobble home and nurse her injured feet. And then she’d pack her meager belongings and walk again, aiming for the mountains.
Her thoughts ground to an abrupt halt.
“Ah.” She turned. Looked around helplessly. “I don’t know how to get back to my tent. I… haven’t kept track of directions.”
She felt downright stupid admitting it, but the truth was, she had no idea how to find her little home.
Zoark translated. Chief Net’ok’s handsome feral face showed annoyance.
“Take her home.”
Zoark’s head jerked up, and an incredulous expression crossed his impassive feature.
“Chief?” he asked as if he hadn’t heard him right the first time.
“Take her to the sands,” the chief amended. “From there, point her to her camp.”
They were both dismissed.
Chapter 6
Addie stepped out of the chief’s teepee. Melmie and Oh’na were hanging out nearby, and upon seeing her they came closer, both with open and eager expressions on their faces.
“We will come to you again, Addie. Make us some more red string,” little Oh’na said in a stage whisper. They had clearly been listening at the door.
Despite the graveness of what had just transpired, Addie couldn't stop a smile from stretching her lips.
“I will, Oh’na,” she whispered back.
Oh’na, suddenly overcome by a bout of shyness, ducked behind Melmie’s back.
Addie sensed a presence behind her.
Melmie looked like she was going to say something, but her expression blanked, and whatever she meant to say remained unsaid.
“Follow me,” Zoark said from up close.
Lame or not, he approached so quietly she never heard a single step of his. She could feel his animal breath reach the back of her head.
He ignored the girls and motioned for her to follow, surprisingly agile for someone with a bum knee. Addie practically panted as she labored to keep pace with him, hopping over the larger rocks and ignoring the pain in her feet out of fear that he might abandon her if she was too slow. She had to find her camp. There were things she couldn't obtain on her own, like skins and tools. Her axe was there, and her stone knife. Her slingshot.
Keeping his back in her sights, she ground her teeth and endured, hurrying after him in a light jog.
He was a strange one, and she didn’t mean strange because of his For-ness. He stood out among his own people.
Out in the sunlight, she realized his hair was not a typical For brown but rusty-red, a couple of shades darker and redder than her mild auburn. They were both redheads. The small similarity, a connection of sorts, should've pleased Addie but it didn’t. She felt more connection with the Yellow Robes old priestly dude back there than with this Zoark.
