fight off two college guys
determined to keep her from ratting on their prank, much less
Karik. And Torik had saved her from them too.
But there was some small hope: "Karik
is hurt."
A small smile lifted lips from sharp
teeth. "Yes. But I'm worse. He will recover soon."
She didn't want to think about what he
left out about Karik coming after her again. Her fingers fidgeted
around his until his fingers tightened on hers, drawing her from
her worries. At the least, she could keep him still while his body
mended.
She tried to smile but could only
grimace. "Thanks…for protecting me."
He let out a breath and closed his
eyes, his fingers still secure around hers. "I believe you are
sincere that you wish to help us."
"I am…but I am afraid."
"You are brave, worthy of the Karsh'nok ."
"What?"
"They were an ancient order, disbanded
by the Tah'Na."
A compliment and a regret.
"Thank you." She patted his hand, understanding the level
of compliment he had given, even if not fully knowing the
reference. "When they—the Tah'Na—are gone someday, perhaps
these Karsh'nok will be reinstated."
He let out another sigh.
Regrets pulled her hand from his, but
only so she could comfort herself by stroking his fur. He wasn't
the old cat that came around the neighborhood where she'd grown up,
but the soft fuzz soothed her. From the hint of a smile and the
easier breathing from Torik, he didn't object.
Her anxieties decreased in the minutes
of stroking his fur like a pet. Her thoughts drifted away to
incoherency, leaving only a peaceful haze of existence in the
moment.
"Would you do anything?"
She blinked from the trance, startled
by the voice from the doorway, and recognized Korr by the most
distinguishing mark she had noted to identify him—his markings and
the faint scar in what passed as a brow ridge on the Lereni. His
question sank in a second later.
"Yes," she said. "I…want to
help."
He stepped forward, and Torik shifted
on the bed. Krissa pressed her hand down on his chest. She could
deal with this, and Korr didn't seem to be coming to attack.
Rather, he wore a curious expression that she couldn't identify.
His eyes shifted from her to Torik and back and he stopped a stride
away.
"You care about us?" His eyes dropped
to Torik, the implications clear.
"Compassion is the strongest
demonstration of civility of any species for another or one of
their own," she said in English. Now to say it in their
language...
It wouldn't be the same, but she
tried: "He…was good to me. I am not…mean. I like kindness. I share
kindness. He protected me, and I owe him to protect. Torik deserves
respect." Close enough. And it seemed to satisfy him, if she
interpreted his lighter expression as a hint of approval. Either
she was learning to read their expressions, or their expressions
were more human than she expected.
"You understand what the Tah'Na
are?"
She paused to consider what he meant.
"They…conquered Leisil, made Lereni slaves."
He shrugged indifferently and turned
to Torik. "You told her?"
"Only about Leisil, the conquest, and
what they have done."
"Yeah…" she interrupted. Both looked
up at her. "About that…Why did they attack you?"
They met each other's gazes and Torik
said, "We were not the aggressors." He could have been reading her
mind.
Could she believe that? He had told
her about clan wars for resources. How did she know that hadn't
extended beyond their planet? Maybe the Lereni weren't as innocent
as her sympathies had led her to believe.
"Trust me, Krissa. We are not the first that they attacked.
They seek only to amuse themselves of us and others…but they fear
Onduun power. They cannot conquer Seres ."
"Many fear Seres ," Korr said, his eyes planted on her so that she had to
shift as if to shirk him off like a hot coat in summer.
"Why? Who are the Onduun and Seres ? Will they help?"
Torik paused, his jaw shifting, like his fingers on her
hand. Finally, he said, "You are a Seres of the
determined to keep her from ratting on their prank, much less
Karik. And Torik had saved her from them too.
But there was some small hope: "Karik
is hurt."
A small smile lifted lips from sharp
teeth. "Yes. But I'm worse. He will recover soon."
She didn't want to think about what he
left out about Karik coming after her again. Her fingers fidgeted
around his until his fingers tightened on hers, drawing her from
her worries. At the least, she could keep him still while his body
mended.
She tried to smile but could only
grimace. "Thanks…for protecting me."
He let out a breath and closed his
eyes, his fingers still secure around hers. "I believe you are
sincere that you wish to help us."
"I am…but I am afraid."
"You are brave, worthy of the Karsh'nok ."
"What?"
"They were an ancient order, disbanded
by the Tah'Na."
A compliment and a regret.
"Thank you." She patted his hand, understanding the level
of compliment he had given, even if not fully knowing the
reference. "When they—the Tah'Na—are gone someday, perhaps
these Karsh'nok will be reinstated."
He let out another sigh.
Regrets pulled her hand from his, but
only so she could comfort herself by stroking his fur. He wasn't
the old cat that came around the neighborhood where she'd grown up,
but the soft fuzz soothed her. From the hint of a smile and the
easier breathing from Torik, he didn't object.
Her anxieties decreased in the minutes
of stroking his fur like a pet. Her thoughts drifted away to
incoherency, leaving only a peaceful haze of existence in the
moment.
"Would you do anything?"
She blinked from the trance, startled
by the voice from the doorway, and recognized Korr by the most
distinguishing mark she had noted to identify him—his markings and
the faint scar in what passed as a brow ridge on the Lereni. His
question sank in a second later.
"Yes," she said. "I…want to
help."
He stepped forward, and Torik shifted
on the bed. Krissa pressed her hand down on his chest. She could
deal with this, and Korr didn't seem to be coming to attack.
Rather, he wore a curious expression that she couldn't identify.
His eyes shifted from her to Torik and back and he stopped a stride
away.
"You care about us?" His eyes dropped
to Torik, the implications clear.
"Compassion is the strongest
demonstration of civility of any species for another or one of
their own," she said in English. Now to say it in their
language...
It wouldn't be the same, but she
tried: "He…was good to me. I am not…mean. I like kindness. I share
kindness. He protected me, and I owe him to protect. Torik deserves
respect." Close enough. And it seemed to satisfy him, if she
interpreted his lighter expression as a hint of approval. Either
she was learning to read their expressions, or their expressions
were more human than she expected.
"You understand what the Tah'Na
are?"
She paused to consider what he meant.
"They…conquered Leisil, made Lereni slaves."
He shrugged indifferently and turned
to Torik. "You told her?"
"Only about Leisil, the conquest, and
what they have done."
"Yeah…" she interrupted. Both looked
up at her. "About that…Why did they attack you?"
They met each other's gazes and Torik
said, "We were not the aggressors." He could have been reading her
mind.
Could she believe that? He had told
her about clan wars for resources. How did she know that hadn't
extended beyond their planet? Maybe the Lereni weren't as innocent
as her sympathies had led her to believe.
"Trust me, Krissa. We are not the first that they attacked.
They seek only to amuse themselves of us and others…but they fear
Onduun power. They cannot conquer Seres ."
"Many fear Seres ," Korr said, his eyes planted on her so that she had to
shift as if to shirk him off like a hot coat in summer.
"Why? Who are the Onduun and Seres ? Will they help?"
Torik paused, his jaw shifting, like his fingers on her
hand. Finally, he said, "You are a Seres of the
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