AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course,” Gwen agreed easily. She stepped forward, closing half the distance between her and Sandy, where she stuck her hand out in an odd gesture and waited.
Trumble grumbled, but after a brief hesitation, Sandy stepped forward as well. The two human women clasped hands in a gesture I had never seen before.
It’s an old Earth tradition—supposedly it originated with the need for warriors to show that they were unarmed, Gwen told me silently.
“Excellent,” Gwen said aloud. “Kaio, get these two some water, would you? Then Sandy and I can check out the buildings to see if there’s anything useful while you and Trumble keep watch.
This time, I was the one holding back a smile. It amazed me how easily Gwen had slipped into a leadership role. It had been years since anyone had dared order me about, but oddly enough, taking orders from Gwen didn’t bother me.
I had chosen well when I’d announced that she would be my partner. She had sized up our strengths and weaknesses as a group quickly and assigned us to appropriate roles—in fact, I would have divided the labor similarly myself.
Keep an eye on them, I told her silently as I turned my back to fill one of our water receptacles, using the water synthesizer Dismor had slipped into my pack.
Better not to let the other pair see where the water came from—we might have a temporary treaty, but I didn’t trust them not to attempt to steal the synthesizer and leave us stranded without our own supplies.
When I’d filled two containers, I tucked away the tiny synthesizer bottle in my pack and moved to hand the newly filled containers over to the other pair.
“I take that slowly if I were you,” Gwen murmured to Sandy. “If you drink too much too fast, you might make yourself sick.”
The other woman gave Gwen a baleful stare, then upended the bottle and drank every last drop.
With a mental shrug, Gwen took the bottle back from Sandy. “Let me know if you need more later,” my partner said, handing the receptacle back to me.
“What’s in that case of yours?” Sandy asked as she gestured at Gwen’s case, her tone too casual for me to believe she didn’t have a deep interest in the answer.
Gwen brushed aside the query. “Pharmaceutical samples. Nothing all that useful, it turns out.”
I knew her words to be truth, but Sandy’s narrow-eyed stare suggested she didn’t believe what Gwen was saying. Still, she dropped the conversation as Gwen said, “Let’s go see what’s in the sheriff's office. I’m hoping for some weapons.”
Trumble was still complaining under his breath when Gwen gave us our directions. “The two of you can take opposite ends of the street—watch for anyone else who might show up.”
I gave her a salute Orendan-style, two thumps to the chest over my hearts—and it was only slightly mocking.
She would make a good commander.
Or an excellent queen, my traitorous inner voice whispered. I shoved it down, hoping Gwen hadn’t heard my thought.
The two women moved inside the building with the strange markings on top, and Trumble and I retreated to opposite ends of the street.
The minutes dragged on, and I found myself distracted. It had been far too long since I’d stood sentry. When I returned home, I would need to add it back into my duty rotation with the military—I’d grown out of the habit of remaining alert when on watch.
That fact was driven home when I glanced up and realized that the Rock Beast had disappeared.
