Ark - Survivors Lost In Time Book 2- Time of Thieves

Day Nineteen

The next morning I slipped from the sheets and into the privy, I did not want to wake Mejo. I was tightening my tunic as I stepped out the door. Mejo was laying in bed watching me, his green eyes piercing through me.

"Were you even going to say good bye?" He asked, I gave him a half smiled, but did not answer. "I will come visit you soon." He whispered as I came to his side of the bed, I leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"Or send a bird when you want to start building, I'll come back and stay with you then." I whispered. I gave him one last fleeting glance and left.

I went through the back hallway and into the aviary, Firewing perked up when she saw me walk in. I was caught from the side a moment later from the side, a strong hand gripped my shoulder and spun me to face him. Dull blue eyes were inches from my face, his mouth screwed up in a grimace.

Ruin's rasping voice growled in my ear. "Where is my brother whore," I shoved him back.

"I already told you near the beaver ponds, go find him yourself if you are so worried about him." I snapped, he put a hand around my throat, he was not as strong as his brother, he could not lift me off the ground though he tried. I grinned at him, "What can't get it up?" I laughed, he gripped my neck harder. I flung my wrists into his elbows, collapsing his grip with a gasp he let me go, I slapped my shoulder into his chest bowling him over. I jumped into Firewing's saddle, he tried to grab me back off. Firewing reared, beating her wings into his face and slashing her claws across his chest leaving three jagged lines in his flesh. He fell back with a scream. "Your lord will hear of this," I snapped, "As will your brother." I called as Firewing took to the air and out the opening in the aviary roof, leaving Ruin clinging to his tattered flesh.

I steered Firewing home. It was a long couple of hours flight back to the island the Nomads called home. I wanted to make a stop on the way, I angled Firewing to the plateau that formed most of the Jungles South, I wanted to see if I could find Cradix in the daylight. We arrived around sun high, I let Firewing scoop up a dilo from the ground and rip into as I landed her. I climbed for the saddle and stepped to the edge of the rock, the largest beaver pond was below me. I could see the silhouettes of the castoroides swimming back and forth through the water, taking fresh wood to their dams on the shores. I almost did not see the small hovel built in the tree line, a man stood cloaked and leaning on a staff, that was him, I knew it was. I saw him turn his head, even from my vantage point I could feel his eyes on me.

"What are you doing here?" His voice whispered in my ear, I flinched away from the edge in surprise.

"What you think because I'm not trapped in your beacon anymore that I still don't know everything that happens with you?" I blushed, and turned back to Firewing.

"When are you coming home?" I asked.

"When I am ready," He stated, I climbed into Firewing's saddle and we took to the air, I circled once over Cradix before we headed home.

The sun was getting low over the ocean when we circled above the base complex, the others had pushed out the gates and expanded the main structure. As Firewing began her landing circle, three men came rushing out of the structures, one from the greenhouse and the other two from the main house, they all had rifles aiming up at me. I threw my hands up in the air.

"Hey hold your fire!" I yelled. Squirrel at the greenhouse door lowered his rifle and signaled for the others to do the same.

Firewing touched down on the grass and the three men surrounded me as I jumped from the saddle. "You have been gone over a week," Squirrel snapped, "We thought you'd died or left the tribe," He stated.

"Leave the Nomads?" I laughed, "Never, I was out looking for Cradix, remember?" I gasped, as Steven grabbed me in a tight hug, swinging me off my feet. He set me back down, a huge grin on his face. "I found him," I shouted, they all looked at me in surprise, "I found Cradix,"