Page 56 of Keeping Freya
“I understand,” Aneetha says before she pushes past the screen that’s covering the door and leaves the hut.
The other female is still there, and she steps forward now. “Do not worry about Aneetha, she is strong. She will always do the right thing.” I look up to give her a smile, but the smile dies on my face. The poor female’s face is terribly deformed.
“I… I’m sorry!” I blurt out, but she keeps a serene smile plastered on her face.
“It is okay, I know my face can be a shock, but it seldom hurts anymore.”
“What happened?” The question flies out of my mouth, and I feel a blush creeping up when I realize the insensitivity of the question. “No, sorry, you don’t have to answer.”
She sits down in the chair Aneetha just vacated. “Once upon a time, we were all living aboard ships, condemned to go where the whims of our leaders took us. We were all just scared and did what leadership told us to do. We lost a lot of good people in the battle against the Arracate. I do not blame them. We were the aggressors. But we paid a high price in casualties and injuries. The ship I was working on took hostile fire, and the screen in front of me exploded. I was still badly injured when Aneetha revolted and got the ones who wanted out. I was glad to join her.”
Tears are now streaming down my face. Every conflict has two sides, and I know I haven’t been listening to what happened with the Arracate, but her story breaks my heart.
“T’Rak is going to kill him.” The words leave my mouth in a whisper.
“Good.”
We sit in silence before she smiles at me again. “Where are my manners? My name is Anya.”
I smile right back at her. “Freya.”
CHAPTER 34
T’Rak
Hidden in the bush, I watch the settlement. Evening turns into night, and night turns into day. I am tired, but my Calm keeps me alert, and in the depths of the night, I have figured out a plan. The females do not appear to be hostile. Everything Sternotheri raises my hackles; my honor is engraved in my bones, and it would not be very honorable if I were to go to battle with relatively harmless females and children.
There are other ways to find out where they keep my mate, so I will be ready to infiltrate their camp when the sun rises.
I move towards the furthest side of the fence, where fog is coming in from the cliff. The settlement is protected at the edge by a wall of stone—almost like it is man-made. This is truly the strangest village I have ever seen.
After quickly scanning my surroundings, I easily hoist myself up on the fenceposts and climb across. It may be adeterrent against predators, but it does not truly keep enemies out.
The village is still very much asleep. Closing my eyes, I focus on the bond between me and Fr’Ya and let it guide me towards her. I end up at a small hut in the middle of the settlement, in front of some sort of communal square. Soft murmurs and hushed words are spoken inside, making me halt before I enter. My mate’s voice is among them, and I take a minute to listen.
What I hear has me baffled beyond words. Is this female Sternotheri caring for my mate? I hear movement, and I hide behind a little shed at the side of the building. As I watch the female walk away, I hear more talking inside. The walls are paper-thin so that I can understand every word.
A Sternotheri female tells my mate her story. It is a story of a side I have never heard, and it ends with sobbing. I can tell it is Fr’Ya who cries, and I hate that I cannot comfort her right now. I should make myself known. These females will not be any trouble to me.
A deep voice booms through the camp before I can move a muscle.
“WHERE IS THE FEMALE?” The High Commander comes rushing from a corner and halts in front of the square.
The tall female, who exited the hut where my Zarra is, steps forward.
“What do you want with the female, Jatar?”
“You will call me High Commander! Show me some respect.”
“Where is your crew?” she sighs and folds her arms in front of her body.
The High Commander walks up close to her and yells in her face. “THAT DOES NOT MATTER. I WILL MAKE A NEW ONE.”
A crowd has formed behind the female, and he pushes heraside. He grabs one of the older children and roughly pulls him with him.
“This one will do. Who else will come with me? We will make the Sternotheri great again. Those Arracate will be sorry they ever destroyed us.”
This is my moment, I realize, and I step forward.
