Page 75 of The Explorer
“Stop talking, you two. Focus on the testing so we can get out of here,” Banni ordered and scanned the area with concern before he continued working. “There’s a river nearby that we need to get samples from. Follow me.”
We were finishing up when Val made a sudden warning sound.
Banni was quick to react, “Something is coming, go go go,” he shouted and directed the robot to return to the drone.
“Aubri, stay with me,” I ordered as I pulled Britany’s arm and began running. But my young grasshopper wasn’t listening to me. With her knife out, she was sprinting back to the drone.
Britany was in a sheer panic and whimpered as Banni and I urged her to run faster.
“Do you see one or more?” I shouted to him.
“I see four large bodies approaching from northwest. They’re moving in the direction of the drone.”
“Wolves?”
Britany was slowing us down and it worried me that Aubri was too far ahead. I should be by her side in case she was attacked.
Aubri was almost by the drone when she came to a full stop.
“Keep going,” Banni shouted to her, but she held up her hand and turned her head in our direction. “It’s elk.”
“Elk?” I didn’t stop running until I was by her side.
“There.” She muttered low and nodded to four majestic elks about fifty feet away. “Banni, should we shoot one and bring it back as a sample?”
“No. All we need is to collect animal droppings and I already did that. We don’t have orders to bring back animals this time.”
Banni’s nerves were still on edge when we went to the river for water samples. No one said a word while we worked fast and focused. He was visibly relieved when we were done and could finally return to the drone.
While he and Val loaded the robot intoMerle Noirand got onboard with Britany, I pulled Aubri aside.
“Next time there’s a threat, don’t pull shit like that on me. I told you to stay close, and instead you sprinted ahead.”
She pushed her tongue against her cheek and met my eyes with an angry stare. “It’s not my fault you didn’t keep up.”
“We have a recruit who was scared and unable to protect herself. You know I was raised better than to leave a woman who’s in danger.”
Aubri pushed past me with a grunt.
“Don’t give me that attitude, young grasshopper.”
She stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “Or what? Are you gonna punish me?” With an eye roll she got into the drone.
Rather than sitting between Britany and Aubri, I chose to squeeze in with Val and Banni in the front.
I’d had such high hopes for today. Aubri and I were supposed to have made love for the first time and declare our love for each other. None of that had happened. Instead a teenager’s question had made Aubri spiral into some kind of existential crisis about her role as a female in the Northlands. She was supposed to realize that she was in love with me, but instead I was getting the feeling that she was starting to see me as an oppressor.
Twilight was setting in as we flew south to a nearby lake where we set up camp for the night.
With Aubri hardly looking at me, I focused on setting up the tent while Val got a fire going.
“This is exciting,” Britany purred and came to look inside the tent when it was done.
“Go help the others with dinner,” I told her.
Britany complied but as she walked away, she slid her hand over my shoulder and biceps and whispered. “Just make sure that I sleep next to you tonight.”
I wanted to say something, but my brain was temporarily stunned as Britany walked off with her hips swaying from side to side. It took a second for me to gather myself, but when I did, I saw Aubri watching me with something close to disgust on her face.
