Page 63 of HaL

“We seem to have gained several new additions. They must have been moving because of the frost and then decided they were safer in a bigger herd, but most of these are mine.”

He lets out a sharp whistle.

The matriarch turns toward the calf and Dawn, and to my own horror, she reaches out and gently grabs Dawn around the waist with her trunk before sitting her on top of the calf. I cannot see or hear Dawn’s reaction because of the suit that is protecting her from the elements. Before I even realize what is happening, the entire herd starts moving toward the compound. Dawn does exactly what I expect, she waves at me before clutching the thick fur on her new ride’s back.

“Will they hurt her?”

“She is the safest person on this planet at the moment.”

Grunting under Gelid’s massive weight, I make my way toward the cruiser. It takes me a moment to get him inside as he is cussing me with every breath. I retract the canopy so Jeton can sit on the side of the sled, then quickly maneuver us behind the herd, which is moving at a faster pace than I originally thought.

“Where are they headed, Gelid?”

“Juno, the lead female, is trying to get them to shelter before the frost hits. She and the others broke out of the enclosure when the little one went missing. We were on our way back when that avalanche hit. I thought I was out of the way when that stray boulder caught my leg. The second she realized I was no longer behind them, she turned back for me. She is the one who pushed the rock that broke my leg off me. I owe that old female my life.”

He pauses, grimacing as I adjust his position. “She may be just a beast, but she is loyal.”

The trip takes about half a rising, and the longer Dawn remains exposed, the more worried I become. I should have asked her before I set her down if she was still warm, but in the chaos I forgot. Thankfully, I can see her clearly, still sitting atop the young calf as though she has been riding him all her life.

Juno walks toward the enclosure and steps aside. One by one, the others follow her. When the calf finally heads in with Dawn still on his back, Juno once again lifts her gently with her trunk before lowering her carefully to the ground.

Dawn actually pets her.

I hear Gelid suck in a startled breath. “I have never seen Juno take to one so quickly.”

I am out of the cruiser and beside Dawn before she can take two steps toward me. My hands move over her, checking every inch for injuries.

“Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

“Not at all. Tundra was a little sweetheart.” She grins. “Although I’m probably going to walk bow-legged for the rest of the day. Was that not the coolest thing EVER?!”

I stare at her.

“You named the calf Tundra?”

“Yeah.” She shrugs as though this is perfectly reasonable. “You have a polar bear for a pet. Why can’t I have a baby furball?”

“Lord of Light, help me.”

I close my eyes and pray as her laughter surrounds me.

“Come on, growly. Let’s get your friends to Troza. I’m ready to get out of this space suit, even though I must admit, I stayed nice and warm the entire time.”

Hugging her gently, I reluctantly let her go only long enough to climb back into the cruiser. I settle her onto my lap before pushing the throttle forward. The cruiser groans in protest, clearly not designed to carry this much weight, but thankfully, we only need to make it to the shuttle bay. Dawn turns toward Gelid, and despite the constant growl rumbling from my throat, it does not stop her from being herself.

“Hi! I’m Dawn. It’s great to meet you guys. So, you’re the one who trains the mammoths?” Her eyes light up with excitement. “Can I come watch one day?”

“I see no reason why not. Especially since the calf will mourn if you do not play with him regularly. I do not believe you understand the significance of what happened this rising or how rare it is for a mother mammoth to allow her calf to interact with someone in such a way.”

“Tundra is a sweetie. He just wanted to play.” She grins. “He made the cutest little noises the entire time he was hauling me. I can only imagine the conversation we could have had if I spoke fur ball.”

Both males laugh at her response.

I growl softly and pull her closer, earning a glance from Dawn that tells me she knows exactly why I did it. Thankfully, before I can become a raging monster, the shuttle bay comes into view, and I see Troza waiting there with a hover stretcher.

“She is still just as stunning. Age has not taken anything from her.”

Dawn and I both turn toward Jeton.