Page 47 of Feast

And worse than that, perhaps, there were the nith. A predator of a different order. Just thinking of her encounter the day before made Ika’s skin crawl and her stomach churn with repulsion.

Ika needed a weapon.

She selected a spear from the ukkur’s collection. Just like the cloaks, it was far too big for her. Long and unwieldy. But she would have to make do.

A pilfered flint hunting knife completed her armament.

She was ready to go.

But before she departed from the cave, Ika hesitated on the threshold.

She turned back, stealing one final look at the four ukkur who lay snoring by the remains of the fire. She inhaled their scent, musky and mixed with the charred wood aroma of the embers.

Should she hate them?

They had saved her life. If not for them, Ika would be nith food by now. Yet at the same time, hadn’t they kidnapped her, and held her captive against her will? Yes, they fed her and protected her, but they had also punished her in the most humiliating ways imaginable. And later they had used her body in ways that were too shameful to even think about.

The ukkur had given her pleasure, but that didn’t matter.

All that mattered now was getting back to Rolf.

Getting back to the simple life without this aching desire that clenched at her deepest core.

Ika’s skin prickled with goosebumps beneath her heavy cloak. Her nipples were hard and sensitive. She told herself it was the cold winter air that was having that effect on her, but she knew that was a lie.

Part of her longed to stay with these ukkur.

She felt a bond with them.

But her bond with Rolf was older and stronger.

Ika turned away and trudged out into the snow-filled forest.

Soon, the sounds of running water reached her ears. A river was only a few dozen paces away. Just a few days ago, that river would have been frozen solid, but now its waters drifted lazily past, carrying huge white chunks of ice downstream.

But what river was it? Ika was unsure.

Gradually, however, the sky was brightening in the predawn light. Pale gold limned the snow-covered mountain crags that cast their shadow over the forest below. After a moment, Ika began to get her bearings.

She knew those mountains. She knew where she was.

Gods, she was farther from Rolf than she had realized.

But she knew that the river flowing past must be the River Ur that snaked across this territory like a great, dark serpent. She could follow its banks downstream, and it would guide her home to Rolf.

Dear Rolf. Her heart panged as she thought of how worried he must be about her now.

There was no time to waste.

Every moment she hesitated was another moment closer to the ukkur waking up from the oneirix-induced slumber. Once they realized she was gone, they would track her down. She needed to put a lot of distance between herself and them before that happened.

Ika started to walk.

Her crudely shod feet crunched softly in the snow.

Her heart dropped.

That snow would make her far too easy for the ukkur to follow. Her tracks would be unmistakable. And even if she traveled as fast as she possibly could, there was still a good chance that the ukkur would catch up to her and drag her back.