Barbarian Mine (Ice Planet Barbarians #4)(20)

I’m just…really scared at the thought of being a mother. A wilderness mom, no less, with no one around me but Rukh. Yeah, that’s the part that scares me.

As I chew the bitter leaves, Rukh grabs my cloak and tucks it around my shoulders, fussing over me. He leads me back to the spot I’ve claimed as my bed and doesn’t relax until I lie my head down and feign sleep.

I may not want to be a mother, but do I have any other choice?




RUKH



We’re here.

I grab my tired female’s hand and lead her forward, excited. I want her to love the new place I’ve taken her to live. It’s safe here. The bad ones rarely come to the salty waters because they’re so far away, which makes it perfect for us. There are several large caves nearby, and I know the perfect one for my fragile woman.

I touch her cheek and she smiles at me, though her face is still troubled. Whatever happened in her sleep last night has taken some of the spark out of her today. She is quiet, less talkative than usual. Normally I listen to her babble and try to pick out words, but today she is silent, and I find that I miss our game. I miss the cheery sound of her voice.

I want things to go back to how they were, but I don’t know how to ask. It’s endlessly frustrating.

I point at the distant cliffs. There is a valley that cuts through the hills. On one side, there are many caves, shielded from the worst of the winds by the high walls. A short walk away, there is the endless salty waters that roll and ripple all day long. Here, there are many things to eat. Much of the water cannot be drank, but there are streams that taste good and are pure. The caves here are bigger.

The caves here are safe.

I want her to be pleased. So I gesture at the cliffs and then search my small collection of words to find the right one for ‘home’. “Here,” I decide on. I know that one.

Her flat brow wrinkles. “Here? Weerhere?” She puts a hand to her forehead and tries to peer into the distance. “Where?”

She seems excited, so I take her hand in mine and lead her forward. I want her to see the caves, and to be impressed by them. I want to please my…my mate. Memory bursts in my mind. I remember the word ‘mate’ and what it means. It means she belongs to me and I belong to her. Har-loh is my mate. Together we will be a family. And I know – I remember – that the song humming in my chest along with hers? It declares that we are mates.

I turn to her and press her hand to my breastbone. I have ridges in this spot to cover and protect my vulnerable parts, but she is only softness. I press my hand to my chest, and then my other hand to hers. “Mate. Yes?”

Har-loh’s eyes widen. “Righteer?” She points at the ground and says again. “Here?”

Now I am confused. “Har-loh Rukh mate. Har-loh mate. Rukh mate Har-loh.”

Recognition dawns in her eyes. “Ohhh.Younodeword ‘mate’?”

“Mate,” I tell her happily. I am singing with joy inside. A mate is a wonderful thing. It means I will never be alone again.

“Mate,” she agrees, her expression shy. “Still rappinmahbrain round datwun.” But her smile is bright. “Show me here.”

I lead her forward. It’s a short walk into the valley, and here the snows are so light that we no longer need the snowshoes. I toss them over my shoulder and carry both mine and hers, so she can be free to explore. I want her to be pleased here. I want her to delight in this new place I’ve taken her. There are so many things to show her – where we will drink, where we will sleep, the game that crawls along the beach, the shells just inside the water full of tasty things to eat, and the icy islands that float past in the salty waters. It is a new world here, very different from the snowy mountains we just left. It has been a while since I have been here, but I want to show her everything. To share my world with her.

And I want to show her my father’s resting spot.




HARLOW



There’s a distant gentle roar that takes me a few minutes to realize is the beach. Rukh’s brought me to the ocean. A sense of wonder takes over. I’ve never lived near the ocean. It’s warmer here, the winds less biting, and the snow isn’t as deep, which makes moving around easier.

Rukh holds my hand tight in his as we walk, and it’s clear that he’s anxious about something. Does he want me to be pleased with this place? Right now, I’m just pleased that we’re no longer traveling. I’m ready to put down roots. I don’t know why Rukh felt the need to leave at the sight of the other hunter, but I’m with him. My cootie vibrates in my chest, agreeing with me. It fills me with a weird ache, as if reminding me what I need to do soon.

Yeah, I know, stupid cootie. It’s not like I can forget with the thing going off like an alarm clock every time I turn around. I rub my chest as Rukh leads me forward.

The rolling hills curve into a steep valley, and I notice a cave mouth set off into the rock.

“Here,” Rukh says again, and gives my hand a squeeze.

I have to admit, the cave looks promising. The entrance is nice and big, taller than myself and Rukh combined. It looks like there’s a bit of a twist once you walk in, which is also good – that means the wind won’t whistle through the cave all night and chill my sorry human butt. Rukh motions for me to wait outside while he goes in, knife in hand, to ensure nothing’s living inside. I hear a scuffle a few moments later, and then Rukh appears with a pair of fat quill beasts hanging from his hand. He’s got a few quills sticking out of his arm, but seems pleased.