Page 60 of Keeping Freya
“You found yourself some junglepets, Freya?”
Fr’Ya laughs and begins to talk to the females. The bond pulses as I realize how much she has changed. She seems so much more comfortable with the females.
O’Rec turns his attention to me. “What do you think about the Stenotheri?”
I shrug. “I did some eavesdropping, and they appear to be genuine. Their leader is fierce and strong and begged me to kill the High Commander. He was her mate, and she left him because his hate was poisoning their children’s hearts.”
“Ananta’s mother…” Marra joins O’Rec, and he pulls her into him. They have a silent conversation, and he wipes a tear from her cheek.
“I think I can understand,” he says. “Please lead us to them.”
Without further conversation, we make our way to the camp.
The gates are open, and every single inhabitant is standing next to their houses, lining the path that takes us tothe communal square. Right in the center stands Aneetha, waiting for us. She pales at the sight of my crew but keeps her back straight.
“Welcome, Warriors,” she says in her soft voice.
O’Rec steps forward. “I am O’Rec of Arracate, King of my people. You might know my queen, Marra.” He takes his mate by the hand and brings her next to him, his tail sliding protectively around her waist.
Aneetha gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. “Mara. I never thought I would see you again, I hope… Are you well?”
Mara takes a tentative step forward. “Hi,” she says softly.
Nobody speaks while the two females work through their issues in a wordless conversation.
Aneetha steps forward and grabs Marra’s hands, bowing her head. “I am sorry, my dear child. Your companionship was the best thing that could have happened to my daughter. I thought it would save her, but I am afraid it made you the victim of her cruelty. You did not deserve that.”
“It’s okay,” Marra whispers. “You did the best you could. Things could have been way worse, and in the end, it led me to O’Rec.” Her smile grows wide as she turns around and looks at her mate. Our king.
“Come, let us gather inside. This is no weather for an outdoor meeting.”
The villagers all move towards their homes, and Aneetha leads us into hers.
CHAPTER 36
Freya
Silently, I sit next to T’Rak while Aneetha and O’Rec speak.
“When did you form this settlement?” O’Rec asks.
Anya interrupts his question when she enters with plates filled with different foods. My stomach grumbles when she places them before us then leaves.
Aneetha gives her a smile, before turning to O’Rec and her expression turns serious. “It was right after Jatar destroyed your planet.” I barely stifle a gasp. They destroyed their planet? It’s obvious I haven’t done a whole lot of talking with T’Rak apart from the whole, I hate you, I want to go back to Earth. Shame fills me when I think about everything the others went through, and I was too angry even to care to ask about their stories.
As if he senses my distress, T’Rak slides his tail around my waist, and I lean into him. He hands me some bites from the plate and feeds me while we listen to Aneetha’s story.
The tale she tells us is a sad one. Apparently, there was ahuge space battle before this immense destruction, and many Sternotheri were injured. Also, many of them did not agree with the course taken by leadership. The amount of hate against the Arracate made Aneetha stand up for herself and form the more peaceful fraction of their race. She somehow convinced the High Commander to let them leave and build a life here. The story is filled with grief and hardships, but in the end, they managed to save as many children as they could, even though their reprieve was only temporary.
Throughout the entire time, O’Rec listens quietly, holding on to his mate. When Aneetha finishes, he sighs, suddenly appearing years older. “As it goes with war, there are no victors here. We are tired of running, of hiding. I want my children to grow up safe, and I want the Arracate race to prosper again.” He pauses before he reaches out to Aneetha. “I would like the Sternotheri to prosper again, in peace. Do you believe this is the right place for that?”
Aneetha looks baffled. “Thank you, King O’Rec.”
He scuffs. “Just O’Rec, please, it is still new.”
She laughs. “Okay, O’Rec. Thank you, I would very much like that as well. This part of the jungle is relatively safe, but there are not a lot of possibilities for the future here. I would like to let the children thrive in interaction with others and give them some perspective. We do not need much technology, but once the boys grow into men, they need more than this little corner of the world.”
O’Rec nods. “I understand. I believe relocation would be safer, because there are still a few space crews out there, and if they know your whereabouts, it can never lead to anything good.”
