Read Online Tor (Women of Earth Book 2) by Jacqueline Rhoades - Free Book Online
Authors: Jacqueline Rhoades
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cold, and had the flavor and consistency of wallpaper paste. "The kids like it."
"They're kids. What do they know?" They only liked it because Mohawk did and it had the added and amusing bonus of making poor Mira gag.
"I never thought it was that bad."
Both Wynne and Mohawk stared at Tor.
"You served time?" Mohawk asked.
He meant military, not prison time, though after hearing some of his stories, Wynne wasn't sure there was much difference.
"Four tours."
Wynne made a quick conversion from galactic to earth time. It equaled approximately ten years.
"Enlisted? How much action did you see?"
"Not enlisted. Sky pilot. I did the driving."
Mohawk looked suspicious until Tor began to rattle off the strange sounding names of the campaigns in which he served.
"How about that?" Mohawk's stubby finger rose to prevent the younger man from saying more. "I was there, too. Hated that place. Flies as big as your fist." He gave the dates.
"You must have been in the thick of it down below. Brought those flies with you," Tor responded. "We were cleanup. Spent most of our time chasing rebels out of the mountains or sealing them in. No flies up there. The winds were too high."
"I'd rather fight those prickless bugs on the ground. At least with the Hahnshin you can tell who the enemy is. I heard Pleikos was the same..."
They were so involved in the war story exchange, Wynne didn't think either would notice when she quietly rose and strolled away to take care of some private business behind the rock. The silence behind her told her she was wrong.
"Don't go too far," Tor warned like she was six years old and might wander off.
"Don't worry," she told him.
"Don't worry, she says," Mohawk grumbled. "That's all I've been doing since we left the damn planet."
"Troubleseeker?"
"No, worse, she's a cloud walker," Mohawk grumbled.
Cloud walker was a term Wynne hadn't heard. Tor's snorted laugh made her wonder what it was, but she was already past their line of sight and to ask would be an admission of eavesdropping.
"She told me you were her companion."
There was a silent pause and then Mohawk's roar of laughter was joined by Tor's more subdued version. Wynne didn't see what was so funny.
She did what she had to do, but didn't immediately go back to the two men at the fire. She returned to her place just out of sight, and listened.
~*~
Tor knew the old man's game, but didn't let on. He didn't blame Mohawk for being cautious. He was the princess's guardian, after all, paid to keep the girl safe. He was suspicious of Tor's motives, as well he should be, but being an old soldier, he also knew that circumstance could make allies of enemies. It was a matter of trust and how much of it you could place in a truce formed by necessity. So far, negotiations were going well.
Fortunately, Tor didn't have to lie about that part of his life and he'd passed all Mohawk's not so subtle tests. Flies on Marabento? Really? There were no flying insects in a place where the winds were so strong they'd knock a man off his feet if he wasn't prepared. He had to admire the old man, though. Not once did Mohawk let on that he'd been caught when Tor made a correction.
"So tell me about these maggots you saw." He kept his voice low, not quite a whisper, and hoped the girl couldn't hear.
The old man caught on fast. After a glance in the direction Wynne had gone, he lowered his voice to a rumbling growl.
"It was right after me and Junior here had our disagreement." He nodded to his kill. "His Mama was wounded and looking mean."
They always looked mean to Tor, but this wasn't the story he needed to hear. Once again, Mohawk seemed to understand.
"She was circling me like she was looking for an opening when I hear voices. She lets out a roar and takes off. I follow because I think maybe it's you and Wynne, and maybe you're with friends."
"I have no friends here."
"I figured that, too, since you don't seem too eager to run off and find 'em. Like I said,
"They're kids. What do they know?" They only liked it because Mohawk did and it had the added and amusing bonus of making poor Mira gag.
"I never thought it was that bad."
Both Wynne and Mohawk stared at Tor.
"You served time?" Mohawk asked.
He meant military, not prison time, though after hearing some of his stories, Wynne wasn't sure there was much difference.
"Four tours."
Wynne made a quick conversion from galactic to earth time. It equaled approximately ten years.
"Enlisted? How much action did you see?"
"Not enlisted. Sky pilot. I did the driving."
Mohawk looked suspicious until Tor began to rattle off the strange sounding names of the campaigns in which he served.
"How about that?" Mohawk's stubby finger rose to prevent the younger man from saying more. "I was there, too. Hated that place. Flies as big as your fist." He gave the dates.
"You must have been in the thick of it down below. Brought those flies with you," Tor responded. "We were cleanup. Spent most of our time chasing rebels out of the mountains or sealing them in. No flies up there. The winds were too high."
"I'd rather fight those prickless bugs on the ground. At least with the Hahnshin you can tell who the enemy is. I heard Pleikos was the same..."
They were so involved in the war story exchange, Wynne didn't think either would notice when she quietly rose and strolled away to take care of some private business behind the rock. The silence behind her told her she was wrong.
"Don't go too far," Tor warned like she was six years old and might wander off.
"Don't worry," she told him.
"Don't worry, she says," Mohawk grumbled. "That's all I've been doing since we left the damn planet."
"Troubleseeker?"
"No, worse, she's a cloud walker," Mohawk grumbled.
Cloud walker was a term Wynne hadn't heard. Tor's snorted laugh made her wonder what it was, but she was already past their line of sight and to ask would be an admission of eavesdropping.
"She told me you were her companion."
There was a silent pause and then Mohawk's roar of laughter was joined by Tor's more subdued version. Wynne didn't see what was so funny.
She did what she had to do, but didn't immediately go back to the two men at the fire. She returned to her place just out of sight, and listened.
~*~
Tor knew the old man's game, but didn't let on. He didn't blame Mohawk for being cautious. He was the princess's guardian, after all, paid to keep the girl safe. He was suspicious of Tor's motives, as well he should be, but being an old soldier, he also knew that circumstance could make allies of enemies. It was a matter of trust and how much of it you could place in a truce formed by necessity. So far, negotiations were going well.
Fortunately, Tor didn't have to lie about that part of his life and he'd passed all Mohawk's not so subtle tests. Flies on Marabento? Really? There were no flying insects in a place where the winds were so strong they'd knock a man off his feet if he wasn't prepared. He had to admire the old man, though. Not once did Mohawk let on that he'd been caught when Tor made a correction.
"So tell me about these maggots you saw." He kept his voice low, not quite a whisper, and hoped the girl couldn't hear.
The old man caught on fast. After a glance in the direction Wynne had gone, he lowered his voice to a rumbling growl.
"It was right after me and Junior here had our disagreement." He nodded to his kill. "His Mama was wounded and looking mean."
They always looked mean to Tor, but this wasn't the story he needed to hear. Once again, Mohawk seemed to understand.
"She was circling me like she was looking for an opening when I hear voices. She lets out a roar and takes off. I follow because I think maybe it's you and Wynne, and maybe you're with friends."
"I have no friends here."
"I figured that, too, since you don't seem too eager to run off and find 'em. Like I said,
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