Between The Crystals

Ch 60 Seeking Out the Fighter

Since Merryl was about to take the water cart for its nightly trip, I couldn't risk going to Orange Flower. Visiting the fighter was my next best option, so I played with Cleo as I bided my time. If I went now, a group might still be there, trying to collect whatever they could. When there was only about an hour until sunset, I stood up and dusted off my pants. If anyone had been at the Orange Grove crystal, they should have left by now.

I gave Cleo a few final pets and went to the crystal. I stared at the spires as they reflected the lingering light, second-guessing my decision. My internal debate came to the same conclusion as earlier, and I was out of time to burn off my excess energy.

I was really about to go looking for a Saursune... It was utter madness, yet it seemed like the best way forward. Taking a deep breath, I ported to the Orange Grove crystal. The air hazed over, and as it cleared, I looked around furtively. No one else was here. Good.

My heart was racing at the audacity of my latest decision as I quickly skittered down the path to the orange trees, halfway hoping some cone flowers might have regrown. It would be a good excuse in case someone checked Golden Oak and discovered I wasn't visiting the cat.

I was halfway tempted to tell Grant I was visiting a second cat, and just leave out that it was bigger than a deer and wore armor. I bit my lip to suppress a nervous snicker.

A faint rustle in the bushes had me spinning around, the mild amusement completely forgotten. Predators were a possibility this close to sunset, although I could climb a tree to avoid most.

When a dark blue head rose above the shrubs farther back, I both relaxed at the sight of the fighter I'd seen here last time and tensed as my nerves buzzed with old fears. The Saursune bounded closer on all fours—still wearing his armor and belt—only slowing to a trot when I took an uneasy step away from his rapid approach.

Humming enthusiastically, he sniffed me from head to toe, apparently delighted that I had returned. I couldn't see any hint of aggression in his body language and slowly released the breath I'd inadvertently been holding.

The fighter rubbed his cheek against my arm in a greeting similar to the village cats. His deep hum was so loud it practically vibrated the air and definitely made it clear that my presence was welcomed.

The resemblance to the village felines relaxed me a fraction, even though it left me wondering why an intelligent race was imitating animals. Was it because it let them approach without terrifying us? Surely that couldn't be the only reason, but I couldn't think of anything else.

Tentatively, I raised my hand to his neck, just above the armor on his shoulders. He was still wearing his belt and armband, and I didn't want my fingers anywhere near those objects in case he took exception to it.

His scales were only mildly warm. If he was siphoning any energy yet, I couldn't detect it. My time was very limited after spending so long with Cleo. There was only one way to speed up this process.

It was a bit easier to figure out how to push my energy through my hand this time. Controlling the flow rate was as hard as ever, almost like I was trying to balance a tipsy jar with one hand. I struggled to steady the energy that poured from me into him. How much I had left was still a mystery.

The restlessness faded as if by magic, and since my legs felt fine, I kept going. I really wanted a good night's sleep, and I knew I'd be fully recovered by morning. If my group had a deer delivered tomorrow, even better.

As best as I could tell, the Saursunes were more than eager for these trades, but I was also getting a lot out of it. More than I would have by just porting around aimlessly. Even if it just built goodwill, the safety of my hunters was worth more than a dozen deer.

The moment my legs started to feel like they'd rather be sitting, I lowered my hand. As I kind of expected, the draining aftereffects took a bit to catch up. I took a deep breath as my head spun slightly. My hand reached for the Saursune's shoulder again, steadying me as the fighter nudged his nose against my arm, his hum shifting to a more concerned tone.

"I just need a moment," I mumbled absently, not realizing until I'd said the words that he wouldn't be able to understand me anymore than I could make sense of his language.

The dizziness swiftly passed, and with a shake of my head, I removed my hand again. Apparently it took my body some time to adjust to losing that much energy in mere seconds. I'd have to keep that in mind in the future. Still, my legs were steady.

I bowed my head. "Thank you."

The restlessness was gone, and that alone made me feel much better. The fighter tilted his head as he examined me. Sitting on his haunches, he reached for his belt, and I took a step back. Had it not been for the recent draining slowing my reactions and leaving my balance somewhat dubious, I probably would have run.

As it was, it took all my will to remain standing there. My heart raced in my chest as my survival instincts ignored the fact that I didn't stand a chance of outrunning the powerful predator.

In a fashion that was almost tentative, he held up a braided leather bracelet with several black stones that looked suspiciously like tracker beads. It didn't escape my notice that such a bracelet wouldn't fit around his wrists.

I eased back a step with a wary glance at the bracelet. Braided or not, I wasn't about to trust those stones. He lowered it without resistance and put it back on his belt, almost like he'd expected such a response.

Once more on all fours, he ambled past me, heading to the crystal. I trailed behind him. He paused and looked back, waiting for me to catch up. Twisting his neck around, he used his nose to lift my hand and shifted his shoulder under it.

With my hand lightly resting on the faintly textured armor, I walked beside him as he slowed his pace to a speed I'd easily manage. About ten paces from the crystal, he stepped to the side and out from under my hand. He watched expectantly, as if he knew I wasn't going to linger. From this angle, I saw a reflective glint in the leaf litter by the crystal, and I leaned over for a closer look.

The Saursune's jaw clack made me freeze as a clawed hand swiped it out of the pile of leaves and sent it rolling away. I skittered back in alarm, although the Saursune was focused on the heavy hunting knife on the ground. It wasn't just a regular pottery or flint blade—it was made from old world metal.

The Saursune's hand reached for his belt, and I took several steps back, terrified that my inadvertent attention to the weapon had angered the fighter. He pointed a grey device at it, and a flickering red dot appeared on the front edge, pointing to the knife.

The device was a scanner. Not quite like the one at the Guard Station, but the shape and light bar were similar enough for me to identify it. The fighter glanced at me, then gave the red light a pointed look. He put the device back on his belt and turned his gaze to me.

I nodded slowly. "Thank you." Had he not warned me, I would have come back later to pick up the valuable object. I knew of at least a dozen hunters with such knives, although only two were in our village.

With a faint snort and a hum, he stepped closer to rub his head almost affectionately against my arm before walking a few paces away to sit and watch. I silently ported to Sunrise Village to retrieve the empty bucket from the cat's dinner. I picked it up and stared at it absently.

If the Saursune had warned me about the knife having a tracker, were the beads on the bracelet actually tracking beads? The scanner only pointed to the knife, not his belt, so maybe not? Or maybe they were intermittent trackers? And what would it mean if they discovered where my village was? Or did they already know?

I shook my head. I might be feeling kind of guilty for not taking the gift—if it actually was a gift—but it was too risky to accept the trinket.

I headed home before someone started worrying. As the cliffs appeared around me, Reynold met my gaze, then looked away, as if my presence only reminded him of his wife and was too painful to bear. It lanced through my heart, but I had no words for him.

The braided circle I'd seen on the stretcher was the only thing keeping my hope alive right now.