Read Online Guardian of the Storm by Kaitlyn O'Connor - Free Book Online
Authors: Kaitlyn O'Connor
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or it was almost out of fuel. Except for the rags she was wearing and her memories, it was all that she had left of the colony. Before long, she would have nothing but memories, and even those were fading.
Try though she might, she couldn’t summon the image of those she’d loved, not clearly anyway. When she thought about her parents, her younger brother, her best friend, Georgia, she could remember things they’d done together, things they’d said, but she couldn’t really visualize their features, couldn’t remember what their voices had sounded like.
She wondered if anything remained of the colony or if it had been plundered by the natives of Niah, or destroyed by the windstorms and the endless dust. She was torn between a yearning to return, to find something familiar, and a fear of the same—fear that the disease might still linger and strike her down—fear that she would find nothing at all remained and would have to accept that, not only everyone, but everything that was familiar to her was lost forever.
Chapter Six
Kirry landed beside her so abruptly it startled a squeak of fright from her. It was several moments before she even realized it was the little grat, for it was carrying the carcass of a dead animal in its jaws and looked like something out of her worst nightmares. A rumbling sound that reminded her of incessant snoring issued from the small animal’s chest as it dropped the limp carcass at her feet, sauntered over to a rock and leapt up on it, then sat and began to lathe its forefeet with its tongue.
Tempest stared at the animal in puzzlement for several moments, then looked down at the carcass. A faint smile curled her lips as it occurred to her that it was an offering. “You brought me food?”
Kirry, naturally enough, only stared at her. Finally, she blinked and returned her attention to her grooming.
Tempest chuckled, but reached for the carcass cautiously. When Kirry continued to ignore her, she got up and looked around until she found a chip of stone with a sharp edge and went to work cleaning it.
Kiran had thought it best not to make their campsite too close to the pool of water, and he’d taken the skins to fill them, so she had no water either to clean the food, or her hands. When she’d finished, she laid the meat carefully on a stone and shoved it into the edge of the fire, then cleaned her hands the best she could by scooping up sand and rubbing it between her hands.
To her relief, Kiran returned shortly, carrying the skins and a small animal. “We will not have much from this, but it is late. The animals had already come to drink and scattered.”
Tempest smiled. “Kirry brought something, too.”
Kiran gave her a curious look, then glanced at the grat before moving toward the fire to place his own kill on a stone to cook. When he saw there was already meat cooking, he turned to look at Tempest, who was busy washing her hands. “There is meat here.”
Tempest let out a gurgle of laughter, so pleased that Kirry had proven herself useful that she felt almost dizzy with it. So much for his disapproval! “You didn’t believe me?”
Kiran frowned, glanced from Tempest to the grat and back again. Tempest could tell from his expression that he thought it was some sort of trick she was playing on him.
“The grat killed this? Then brought it to you?”
Tempest chuckled. “She did! Dropped it right at my feet.” She glanced at the grat. “She’s such a clever girl. Aren’t you, Kirry?”
Kiran didn’t look at all pleased when she glanced at him again and Tempest frowned. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head slowly, still frowning, but finally dismissed it. “The Mordune were here. I do not believe they will come back, but I think it best if we kill the fire once we’ve eaten.”
Tempest felt a shiver of dread. “What will happen if we meet up with them?”
“We will not meet them if we are careful.”
That wasn’t terribly
Try though she might, she couldn’t summon the image of those she’d loved, not clearly anyway. When she thought about her parents, her younger brother, her best friend, Georgia, she could remember things they’d done together, things they’d said, but she couldn’t really visualize their features, couldn’t remember what their voices had sounded like.
She wondered if anything remained of the colony or if it had been plundered by the natives of Niah, or destroyed by the windstorms and the endless dust. She was torn between a yearning to return, to find something familiar, and a fear of the same—fear that the disease might still linger and strike her down—fear that she would find nothing at all remained and would have to accept that, not only everyone, but everything that was familiar to her was lost forever.
Chapter Six
Kirry landed beside her so abruptly it startled a squeak of fright from her. It was several moments before she even realized it was the little grat, for it was carrying the carcass of a dead animal in its jaws and looked like something out of her worst nightmares. A rumbling sound that reminded her of incessant snoring issued from the small animal’s chest as it dropped the limp carcass at her feet, sauntered over to a rock and leapt up on it, then sat and began to lathe its forefeet with its tongue.
Tempest stared at the animal in puzzlement for several moments, then looked down at the carcass. A faint smile curled her lips as it occurred to her that it was an offering. “You brought me food?”
Kirry, naturally enough, only stared at her. Finally, she blinked and returned her attention to her grooming.
Tempest chuckled, but reached for the carcass cautiously. When Kirry continued to ignore her, she got up and looked around until she found a chip of stone with a sharp edge and went to work cleaning it.
Kiran had thought it best not to make their campsite too close to the pool of water, and he’d taken the skins to fill them, so she had no water either to clean the food, or her hands. When she’d finished, she laid the meat carefully on a stone and shoved it into the edge of the fire, then cleaned her hands the best she could by scooping up sand and rubbing it between her hands.
To her relief, Kiran returned shortly, carrying the skins and a small animal. “We will not have much from this, but it is late. The animals had already come to drink and scattered.”
Tempest smiled. “Kirry brought something, too.”
Kiran gave her a curious look, then glanced at the grat before moving toward the fire to place his own kill on a stone to cook. When he saw there was already meat cooking, he turned to look at Tempest, who was busy washing her hands. “There is meat here.”
Tempest let out a gurgle of laughter, so pleased that Kirry had proven herself useful that she felt almost dizzy with it. So much for his disapproval! “You didn’t believe me?”
Kiran frowned, glanced from Tempest to the grat and back again. Tempest could tell from his expression that he thought it was some sort of trick she was playing on him.
“The grat killed this? Then brought it to you?”
Tempest chuckled. “She did! Dropped it right at my feet.” She glanced at the grat. “She’s such a clever girl. Aren’t you, Kirry?”
Kiran didn’t look at all pleased when she glanced at him again and Tempest frowned. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head slowly, still frowning, but finally dismissed it. “The Mordune were here. I do not believe they will come back, but I think it best if we kill the fire once we’ve eaten.”
Tempest felt a shiver of dread. “What will happen if we meet up with them?”
“We will not meet them if we are careful.”
That wasn’t terribly
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