Read Online Alien Chronicles 2 - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Deborah Chester
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leash.
She glanced around freely now, her nostrils quivering at the foreign scents on the cold air—scents of wood and Viis, scents of the forest beyond the walls of the compound, scents of growing things, and tiny animals burrowing for food in the fallen leaves. Prey. She swallowed and slowed down, looking into the distance with her head high and her gaze intent.
Ruar jerked on her leash impatiently. “You cannot run away,” he said, his voice low and grouchy. “Climb the wall at any point, and the transponders of the shields will activate your restraint collar at twice the normal intensity. If you ever speak again, you will be lucky.”
Ampris looked at him, this bowed, stumpy, elderly creature, with his too-intelligent eyes and the constant stink of fear on him. Only then did she notice that he wore a restraint collar too, a very narrow, very unobtrusive one mostly concealed in the hair around his throat. “What has made you so unhappy?” she asked him softly. “What has made you so afraid?”
Ruar’s eyes widened. For a moment he stared at her in astonishment, then anger flashed across his face and he jerked on her leash again. “You come. Hurry!”
He led her into the ring almost at a run, halting in front of Halehl and bowing low. “The new one is brought, master.”
Halehl’s yellow eyes took them both in, as though he believed they had been somewhere they shouldn’t have, talking about things they shouldn’t have. “You are late.”
Ampris glanced at the horizon, where the sky was now lit in shades of turquoise, lavender, and gold. But the sun had not yet appeared. If Elrabin had spoken the truth, they were not late.
She backed her ears, but she knew to say nothing.
Ruar bowed even lower this time. “As the master says. Forgive me.”
“It is a poor start to your first day, Ampris,” Halehl said, his tone as courteous and gentle as always. “You will have to work twice as hard.”
She kept her gaze down. “Yes, Master Halehl.”
Ruar struck her with his end of the leash. “That is no way to address the master! You are not Viis, to address him by name or—”
“Ruar!” Halehl said sharply, making him freeze in midsentence. “Enough. Go and check the security shields. Make sure we’re not under outside surveillance. The security scans have been showing blips since midnight. I want to be certain our countermeasures are working.”
Bowing, Ruar started to unsnap Ampris’s leash, but Halehl gave him an impatient wave.
“Go,” he said. “I’ll deal with her.”
The old Myal bowed and shuffled away, mumbling to himself.
“Ruar!” Halehl called after him. Now Ampris could hear a note of exasperation in his melodic voice. “You have forgotten something.”
Ruar wheeled around and returned to him, holding out the transmitter that controlled Ampris’s restraint collar. Cringing as though he expected to be beaten, he handed it to Halehl without a word, then scuttled away.
Halehl pocketed the transmitter and unsnapped Ampris’s leash. His gaze watched her constantly. “Is the gravity a problem?”
She shrugged. “I feel heavy.”
“Good. That’s the point of training on Fariance. You are moving differently today. The suit?”
Ampris flexed her arms, hating the tight constriction of the suit. “It’s binding my arms and legs too much. It makes my fur itch.”
Halehl flicked out his tongue. “Most satisfactory. You will learn to move in the suit as though it is a second skin.”
“But it will hamper—”
“You will overcome that. Do one lap to warm up, then start your leaps.”
She could not continue the argument. Sighing to herself and feeling already that this was going to be a long day, Ampris headed at a slow jog around the large ring. Normally she would have run, for she loved to dig in and push herself, but she’d been confined too long in spaceflight—a journey spent mostly waiting, docked in line for the few working jump gates. Her muscles were tight and
She glanced around freely now, her nostrils quivering at the foreign scents on the cold air—scents of wood and Viis, scents of the forest beyond the walls of the compound, scents of growing things, and tiny animals burrowing for food in the fallen leaves. Prey. She swallowed and slowed down, looking into the distance with her head high and her gaze intent.
Ruar jerked on her leash impatiently. “You cannot run away,” he said, his voice low and grouchy. “Climb the wall at any point, and the transponders of the shields will activate your restraint collar at twice the normal intensity. If you ever speak again, you will be lucky.”
Ampris looked at him, this bowed, stumpy, elderly creature, with his too-intelligent eyes and the constant stink of fear on him. Only then did she notice that he wore a restraint collar too, a very narrow, very unobtrusive one mostly concealed in the hair around his throat. “What has made you so unhappy?” she asked him softly. “What has made you so afraid?”
Ruar’s eyes widened. For a moment he stared at her in astonishment, then anger flashed across his face and he jerked on her leash again. “You come. Hurry!”
He led her into the ring almost at a run, halting in front of Halehl and bowing low. “The new one is brought, master.”
Halehl’s yellow eyes took them both in, as though he believed they had been somewhere they shouldn’t have, talking about things they shouldn’t have. “You are late.”
Ampris glanced at the horizon, where the sky was now lit in shades of turquoise, lavender, and gold. But the sun had not yet appeared. If Elrabin had spoken the truth, they were not late.
She backed her ears, but she knew to say nothing.
Ruar bowed even lower this time. “As the master says. Forgive me.”
“It is a poor start to your first day, Ampris,” Halehl said, his tone as courteous and gentle as always. “You will have to work twice as hard.”
She kept her gaze down. “Yes, Master Halehl.”
Ruar struck her with his end of the leash. “That is no way to address the master! You are not Viis, to address him by name or—”
“Ruar!” Halehl said sharply, making him freeze in midsentence. “Enough. Go and check the security shields. Make sure we’re not under outside surveillance. The security scans have been showing blips since midnight. I want to be certain our countermeasures are working.”
Bowing, Ruar started to unsnap Ampris’s leash, but Halehl gave him an impatient wave.
“Go,” he said. “I’ll deal with her.”
The old Myal bowed and shuffled away, mumbling to himself.
“Ruar!” Halehl called after him. Now Ampris could hear a note of exasperation in his melodic voice. “You have forgotten something.”
Ruar wheeled around and returned to him, holding out the transmitter that controlled Ampris’s restraint collar. Cringing as though he expected to be beaten, he handed it to Halehl without a word, then scuttled away.
Halehl pocketed the transmitter and unsnapped Ampris’s leash. His gaze watched her constantly. “Is the gravity a problem?”
She shrugged. “I feel heavy.”
“Good. That’s the point of training on Fariance. You are moving differently today. The suit?”
Ampris flexed her arms, hating the tight constriction of the suit. “It’s binding my arms and legs too much. It makes my fur itch.”
Halehl flicked out his tongue. “Most satisfactory. You will learn to move in the suit as though it is a second skin.”
“But it will hamper—”
“You will overcome that. Do one lap to warm up, then start your leaps.”
She could not continue the argument. Sighing to herself and feeling already that this was going to be a long day, Ampris headed at a slow jog around the large ring. Normally she would have run, for she loved to dig in and push herself, but she’d been confined too long in spaceflight—a journey spent mostly waiting, docked in line for the few working jump gates. Her muscles were tight and
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