Petrichor

Sätare

They flew for a little bit, with no words passing between them. After the inital excitement was over, Ilhia had found herself exhausted, and was sitting on Toruk instead of crouching, her arms wrapped around Jake's waist and her head on his back. 

"Hey, babygirl, you gotta remember I don't actually know where we're going," Jake said softly, laughter traced in his voice. 

"Gah, you are Toruk Macto, I am sure you will figure it out, ma Jake." 

He just chuckled, placing a hand on top of her interlinked ones. "I'll follow Tsu'tey." 

"Of course." 

"Are you mocking me?" Ilhia recognised the fake annoyance and decided to play along. 

"No. You are just stupid." 

"Ouch." His thumb rubbed the back of her hand. "I'm sorry about your dad, Ilhia. I didn't mean for this to happen." 

Grief clawed at her throat as she let the words settle in the air. "I know, Jake." 

It was a while before she spoke again, Jake seemingly not wanting to push his luck. His hand remained on hers, and she took hold of it in her own. 

"You are Toruk Macto. You are leader of this war against the Sky People. I am sorry I did not trust you before." 

"You had no reason to trust me, babygirl. I lied to you and to your people." 

She poked him in the stomach with her thumb. His desperation was practically leeching from his very pores. "When we win this war, it shall be forgotten. I trust you now." He tensed, and she pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Enough. We are almost there." 

The Olangi clan of the plains were closest to the Omatikaya. Akwey was the leader, and although Ilhia had never met him, her father bore great respect for him. She couldn't help but admire their ways of living. They used pa'li religiously to cover a lot of ground.

Ilhia didn't think she could imagine living without her Txi'a. 

Toruk roared as Jake maneouvered the creature to land near the Olangi's hometree. Calls could be heard as riders began to land, and pa'li thundered across the ground to meet the strangers. 

Jake hopped down from Toruk and held out a hand to Ilhia, who took it. Tsu'tey joined them just as Akwey made a path through his people. 

"Will you translate, Ilhia?" Jake asked, his eyes sliding from the clan leader to her. She nodded, a small smile on her lips. 

"Akwey, we come from the Omatikaya," Ilhia began. 

"Oel ngati kameie," Akwey said, gesturing to the three of them. "What brings you so far from home?" 

"There is a great evil upon us," Ilhia replied, and then snaked her hand into Jake's. "My mate, Toruk Macto, will speak now, and I will translate." 

Akwey bowed his head, and shifted his attention from her to her mate. Ilhia squeezed Jake's hand. 

"Akwey, my mate is right. A great evil is upon us, the Sky People." He paused, allowing Ilhia to repeat. "We've come to ask for help. They've destroyed our home, killed our people, and we have to stop them. For our children, for our children's children, these demons can't stay here any more. They'll destroy the way of life, if we don't stop them." 

Ilhia squeezed Jake's hand again as she spoke in the same tone as him, low and urgent and scared. 

Tsu'tey stepped forward, and gripped Akwey's forearm. "Toruk Macto calls to you, brother. The Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya clan calls to you. Will you answer?"