Read Online Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K. Tyler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Pavarti K. Tyler
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my attention to my immediate surroundings.
Tor’s bright eyes followed my every movement, and standing
so close, I spied strands of green running through his blue irises, which made
them shimmer in the sun.
“What did you hear?” he whispered when my gaze refocused on
him.
“He’s out of breath, but I can’t hear whoever he’s with.”
He nodded and shrugged the bag over his shoulder, and we
hurried back to the cave mouth. Tor was stealthy. He moved through the forest
like an animal—easy and confident. I, however, was used to running on the open
shore, sand beneath my feet, not the hard landscape of the mountains, so I had
to took care not to step on anything that would snap or crack
Tor stopped and held his hand out, blocking the way. “What
do you hear now?” he asked, gesturing toward the cave.
I reached out again, the process coming easier this time. I
was beginning to notice the similarities between the molecules of the air and
the denser water of the sea.
“Lock... Lock, where are you?” a woman called, but she wasn’t
yelling. Her voice was strained, like she was trying to both be heard and not.
My ears explored the area, spreading my senses, circling in
slow, lazy motions, and found the familiar thrum of Elgon’s growl.
“It’s Elgon,” I said. “He’s trapped someone by the cave.”
I ran toward the voice, ignoring Tor’s warning.
10
“Elgon!” I burst through the tree line and screamed as the
animal crouched and prepared to pounce. “Don’t!”
He whipped his attention toward me, a snarl distorting his
features into something monstrous. Hair stuck out at sharp and menacing angles.
“Elgon, you know me,” I soothed in Erdlander, taking a step
toward him. “Calm down.”
“Sera!” Tor entered the clearing by the cave and skidded to
a halt. Elgon’s body quivered when he saw Tor, his eyes jumping from me, to
Tor, to his captive.
Whoever she was, she appeared about my age and height, but
her muscles were far more defined than mine. Light-colored hair gathered behind
her head, and her short-sleeved shirt and long pants were littered with
pockets.
Tor sank to one knee and held out a hand. “Huh.”
“What the jikmae ?” the cornered woman said.
Another growl vibrated through Elgon, but he didn’t attack
her. Instead, his body tensed and he glanced from me to Tor before lowering his
head. Sharp eyes trained on the woman until he eased down next to Tor and
snorted.
“Lace!” a wheezing man called from the woods behind us. “Are
you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. Her eyes were dilated and her
hands shook.
“It’s all right now. He won’t attack.” Tor placed a hand on
Elgon’s head before standing, and the animal’s fur flattened.
“How do you know that?” Her voice trembled when she spoke,
giving her the sound of someone much older.
“He’s our friend,” I said.
“You can’t be friends with a mountain hound,” she snapped.
“Lace?”
A heavyset man strode into the clearing. His clothes were
similar to the woman’s, but his hair was dark.
“Lace, are you okay?” he wheezed, his breath ragged.
The woman pointed behind him to Tor, Elgon, and me.
He jumped back, joining the woman against the cliff wall.
We all waited for someone else to speak first. Elgon grunted
and lay down, bored with our dramas.
“Are you all right?” I asked the woman—Lace.
“I’m... I don’t know.” She backed away from me and I stopped
moving.
“Did you get scratched or anything?”
“No.”
“Then calm down. You aren’t in any danger.”
Tor shifted, relaxing his stance. The woman straightened and
studied me before turning her scrutiny on Tor. While she studied us, the man
with her sat down, breathing hard.
“Are you injured?” I asked, hoping he was just out of breath
so they could go away. Then Tor and I could find somewhere else to hunt. The
excitement of the moment was dying down, and the gravity of having met two
Erdlanders
Tor’s bright eyes followed my every movement, and standing
so close, I spied strands of green running through his blue irises, which made
them shimmer in the sun.
“What did you hear?” he whispered when my gaze refocused on
him.
“He’s out of breath, but I can’t hear whoever he’s with.”
He nodded and shrugged the bag over his shoulder, and we
hurried back to the cave mouth. Tor was stealthy. He moved through the forest
like an animal—easy and confident. I, however, was used to running on the open
shore, sand beneath my feet, not the hard landscape of the mountains, so I had
to took care not to step on anything that would snap or crack
Tor stopped and held his hand out, blocking the way. “What
do you hear now?” he asked, gesturing toward the cave.
I reached out again, the process coming easier this time. I
was beginning to notice the similarities between the molecules of the air and
the denser water of the sea.
“Lock... Lock, where are you?” a woman called, but she wasn’t
yelling. Her voice was strained, like she was trying to both be heard and not.
My ears explored the area, spreading my senses, circling in
slow, lazy motions, and found the familiar thrum of Elgon’s growl.
“It’s Elgon,” I said. “He’s trapped someone by the cave.”
I ran toward the voice, ignoring Tor’s warning.
10
“Elgon!” I burst through the tree line and screamed as the
animal crouched and prepared to pounce. “Don’t!”
He whipped his attention toward me, a snarl distorting his
features into something monstrous. Hair stuck out at sharp and menacing angles.
“Elgon, you know me,” I soothed in Erdlander, taking a step
toward him. “Calm down.”
“Sera!” Tor entered the clearing by the cave and skidded to
a halt. Elgon’s body quivered when he saw Tor, his eyes jumping from me, to
Tor, to his captive.
Whoever she was, she appeared about my age and height, but
her muscles were far more defined than mine. Light-colored hair gathered behind
her head, and her short-sleeved shirt and long pants were littered with
pockets.
Tor sank to one knee and held out a hand. “Huh.”
“What the jikmae ?” the cornered woman said.
Another growl vibrated through Elgon, but he didn’t attack
her. Instead, his body tensed and he glanced from me to Tor before lowering his
head. Sharp eyes trained on the woman until he eased down next to Tor and
snorted.
“Lace!” a wheezing man called from the woods behind us. “Are
you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. Her eyes were dilated and her
hands shook.
“It’s all right now. He won’t attack.” Tor placed a hand on
Elgon’s head before standing, and the animal’s fur flattened.
“How do you know that?” Her voice trembled when she spoke,
giving her the sound of someone much older.
“He’s our friend,” I said.
“You can’t be friends with a mountain hound,” she snapped.
“Lace?”
A heavyset man strode into the clearing. His clothes were
similar to the woman’s, but his hair was dark.
“Lace, are you okay?” he wheezed, his breath ragged.
The woman pointed behind him to Tor, Elgon, and me.
He jumped back, joining the woman against the cliff wall.
We all waited for someone else to speak first. Elgon grunted
and lay down, bored with our dramas.
“Are you all right?” I asked the woman—Lace.
“I’m... I don’t know.” She backed away from me and I stopped
moving.
“Did you get scratched or anything?”
“No.”
“Then calm down. You aren’t in any danger.”
Tor shifted, relaxing his stance. The woman straightened and
studied me before turning her scrutiny on Tor. While she studied us, the man
with her sat down, breathing hard.
“Are you injured?” I asked, hoping he was just out of breath
so they could go away. Then Tor and I could find somewhere else to hunt. The
excitement of the moment was dying down, and the gravity of having met two
Erdlanders
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