The protrusions from the trees that slid over her were distracting, more so when one of them gripped at her hair and tugged slightly before releasing her, but she kept moving over the wall. Her concentration couldn’t be spared for anyone other than her mate as she placed her hands and feet in every spot she noted that Veral touched. Keeping his advice in mind, she moved swiftly, putting as little of her weight as possible on her hand and foot holds, until at last she arrived at the side of the ledge.
Veral didn’t even wait for her cross onto the wide stretch of rock. His claws dug into the ravine wall as he stretched forward and plucked her from the thick mass of vines she clung to. With one sure movement, he lifted her to the safety of the ledge. The moment her feet cleared, his other arm curled around her until she was wrapped fully in his arms. He didn’t set her down, but carried her to the back wall of the ledge, where he dropped down with her held firmly against him.
They sat like that, with Terri sitting between his splayed legs and her back resting on his abdomen and chest, as they watched Azan clear the remaining distance. The female’s face was drained of her normal vibrant color, her expression pinched.
Despite how shaky her legs appeared as she landed on the ledge, she didn’t crumple with relief or exhaustion. Instead she straightened and walked steadily until she reached their side. Only then did she gently untangle Garswal’s death grip from around her. Even after his feet touched the ledge, one of his hands continued to cling to Azan. He didn’t even turn to acknowledge Egbor when he dropped heavily to the ledge.
Egbor’s strides were almost cocky, his guard trailing behind him like a lost pet, until he stood before them. His eyes immediately fell on Garswal, and he gestured for him to rejoin him. The boy’s grip on Azan tightened, his face set in a stony silence as he refused his father’s order. Azan stood protectively over him, a small smile on her face.
The message was clear. The boy rejected his father’s protection for that of the Blaithari female.
The male’s brow furrowed in puzzlement before his expression turned angry. When Garswal still didn’t move, the captain shrugged nonchalantly and finally dropped his extended hand as two of his hands fisted at his hips. He proceeded from there to ignore the boy as he looked around, his lips pursing.
“Well done, Argurma, though we could have easily traveled for another hour or more. The sun has not even begun to sink into the horizon. I do not enjoy wasting light.”
“The sun drops fast, as you ought to have noticed. The odds that we would find another ledge to rest upon before it became dark are extremely low. Although that would not impede me, it would be reckless for your crew to attempt to climb in the dark. Without suitable shelter, that is exactly what you would do throughout the night, hoping that you were not plucked off the wall by a predator, or falling to your death from a misplaced hand or foot. If that is an acceptable risk to you, then we can most certainly continue. I would not be able to guarantee the safety of any but my mate, however.”
The captain grumbled as he squinted out over the vista. If he wasn’t convinced, it didn’t appear to bother Veral. Her mate’s hand stroked her hair as he held her more firmly against him. The captain’s posturing became unimportant as she turned her cheek against his to soak in his warmth and comfort.
“Ah, this must be one of those advantages of mated bliss,” Azan mused. “I guess there had to be something—some benefit to tying one’s life to a male.”
Terri cracked an eye to look at the other female. She would have shot her the finger if the pirate would have had any idea what that meant. Since the effort would have been wasted, she smirked and cuddled farther into Veral’s embrace. Egbor’s complaints were harder to ignore until a sharp cry and the sound of falling rocks and breaking branches rose over the captain’s voice, silencing him. The screams grew fainter as the unfortunate pirate plummeted until he was lost.
“I suppose it is a good plan to rest here,” the captain finally conceded.
Azan’s derisive snort filled the silence before the crew began milling around to claim a safe place along the ledge. There was a sort of somber sobriety that fell over the males as the stress of losing yet another crewmate began to show.
The tension didn’t appear to let up, even in sleep. It was palpable in the air. Everyone seemed to know that the planet had more in store for them, waiting to kill every offworlder who ventured onto its surface. Terri felt it too, and so wasn’t surprised when a horrific clatter of numerous shrieking voices descended over the ledge. Terri activated one of the few remaining illumination discs attached to Veral’s armor and swallowed back her fear.
From every direction, mouths filled with sharp, needle-like teeth snapped down at them from narrow reptilian heads edged with hard bony beaks at the end of their muzzles. Their long, scaled necks jerked at every effort as enormous claws grappled for purchase. All the while, wide wings filled with glossy feathers beat around them as the animals attempted to pluck prey from among the crew. The disc didn’t provide enough light in the open, and they only saw the reptilian birds when they dropped down close. Otherwise, it was just a mass of confusion everywhere in the dark surrounding them.
The strained shouts of pirates filled the night as everyone leaped to their feet, blasters firing blindly into the dark. Only one bird ventured close enough to Terri that, when she brought up her arms defensively, the bio-tech extended a metal band around her wrist from which long barbed whips extended out, snapping at the creature. Although Terri didn’t know if any of the blasts landed amid the chaos, she knew that her whips landed, as hot blood splattered on her skin.
Veral’s claws were extended, and he slashed out at the creatures whenever they dared to get close. His frustrated snarl at lacking a weapon was all the more obvious when heavy blaster fire from Azan filled the air beside them.
It seemed to last forever, but the assault ended as the birds fled with angry hisses and shrieks. When the last of the calls faded into the distance, the captain rounded on Veral, his face a mask of fury in the glow of the disc.
“Thisis what you call safe?” he shouted.
“When compared to the odds of attempting to travel through the night or camping at the edge of the ravine, it was an acceptable risk. The birds were an inconvenience, and minimal danger.”
“How do you figure a minimal danger? They would have killed us all!”
“No one died. The attack lasted only five point three standard minutes, and the lifeforms were relatively easy to frighten away, as I estimated. This is acceptable and normal for salvaging.”
The males faced each other, both rigid as they exchanged glares.
“Captain,” Egbor’s remaining guard called quietly. “I believe that the crew requires your guidance.”
“Yes, of course,” Egbor muttered as he stalked away, his tone cajoling as he addressed the males. Terri didn’t bother to listen to him. She knew it would be appropriately convincing. This was confirmed by Azan’s laughter.
“That would be code for ‘the crew needs to be talked back into this suicidal mission before everyone revolts,’” Azan said, once the captain was out of earshot.
“Foolishness,” Veral growled. He drew a hand down his face. “One more day.”
Terri prayed that it wasn’t portending something bad coming their way.
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