Page 90 of Feast

Ika’s four ukkur mates nodded and grunted in affirmation, and Ika blushed, because Rolf was standing right there listening.

“And you spilled your white sap inside of her, yes?”

“Yes,” Thusar said almost proudly. “All four of us have filled her with sap many times now.”

Ika’s blush intensified until the tips of her ears practically sizzled with the heat of her embarrassment.

But when she glanced at Rolf, he did not seem to be angry. Instead, he simply seemed more concerned about her.

Gunnar combed his beard thoughtfully.

“So the rumors are true?” he asked. “You really have discovered a way to create new ukkur.”

Krogg nodded. “Yes. That is why human women are so valuable to us.”

“But how do we get the little ukkur out of her?” Thusar asked.

“Don’t worry about that,” Krogg told them. “Tomorrow we will reach our main encampment in the south. There I will take you to meet the First Woman. She will know what to do. She is very good at helping the little ukkur come out when it is ready.”

They spoke about it a little more, and Krogg reassured them there was no need to worry. This set Ika at ease. Thusar and his pack brothers relaxed as well.

But Rolf continued to be concerned, and whenever Ika caught him looking at her swollen belly, she got that feeling again that his eyes were looking back into the distant past.

CHAPTER 29

Just before sundown on the following day their long journey finally reached its end. Their cave tunnel opened onto a secluded box canyon with high red stone walls rising up on every side. The air was not so cold in this region, and the canyon was even lush with vegetation.

Even more impressive, the place was inhabited. There were many cone-shaped animal-hide tents scattered all around the canyon, and some were even perched high up on the cliff walls. The very upper rim of the canyon was lined with trees whose limbs shaded the encampment from the sky, and Ika realized it was an ideal location because it was well hidden from the nith.

Ika had thought her traveling group was large, consisting of the ukkur army and the rescued humans. But there were perhaps ten times as many people in this place, both ukkur and humans.

And there was another kind of creature here.

Tiny creatures who had both human and ukkur traits. Some of them ran about giggling and shouting, and they reminded Ika of when she had been little. Then there were other even tinier creatures who had to be carried. These littlest ones just blinked and stared in astonishment at the new arrivals. A warm feeling filled Ika’s heart, and she couldn’t help but smile at the adorable beings.

Were these the little ukkur that the army leader Krogg had spoken of?

Is that what was growing inside Ika’s belly?

The human refugees were led into the camp, and other humans who were already living there came forward to greet them. These humans were able to speak both languages, and they served as translators for the newcomers.

Many of these newcomer women were now experiencing the same swelling of their bellies that Ika was undergoing. But none of them were as far along as she was.

Ika’s belly was now as big and round as a melon, and her ukkur mates insisted on carrying her everywhere, which Ika was not going to complain about. As they entered the canyon, Slaine was the one carrying her. Her other mates were nearby, as was Rolf and his new human companion Kate.

Krogg the army leader was barking orders at the other ukkur, giving directions for the accommodation of the new arrivals when his eyes landed on Ika and her group. He quickly came striding over.

“There you are,” he said. “Please follow me. The First Woman will be eager to see you.”

Ika was curious about this First Woman, and so were her companions, but they trusted that Krogg would not lead them astray, so they followed him across the campsite in the settling dusk.

After a short walk, they arrived at one of the conical tents. It looked like all the other tents in the canyon. There was nothing to signal that it was special. But when they stopped in front, Krogg informed them, “This is my home. Please wait here for a moment.”

He entered through the flap of the tent, and there was a sound of voices conversing inside. After about a minute, the tent flap pulled back. Krogg came out followed by a small woman and a trail of about a dozen little ukkur at various stages of development. There was even a very tiny little one cradled in the woman’s arms, and it was suckling on her exposed breast.

The woman herself was older than Ika, and the edges of her eyes bore creases that spoke to a hard life. But she was still very pretty, with lustrous blond hair, a healthy glow to her tanned skin, and a pleasant twinkle in her eyes. She was dressed in a long tunic made of animal hide. One strap of the garment had been unfastened to give her littlest child access to her breast, and Ika suddenly realized that the little one was feeding.

That idea was shocking at first, but after a moment Ika’s own breasts seemed to warm and her nipples tingled slightly with envy. She liked the idea of nurturing a tiny life with food provided by her own body.