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One day, however, a particularly cruel nith had been whipping Jagga. The young ukkur was beaten within an inch of his life. The sight was too much for Grodd to bear. He flew into a berserker rage, broke the chains that bound him, and ripped the offending nith in half. The other nith guards had attacked, but Grodd was too fast for them. He scooped up Jagga’s wounded body, smashed his way through the barriers surrounding the farm, and fled into the wilderness.
They were free.
There was just one problem. Neither one of them knew how to survive in the wild. Although their lives at the ksh farm had been miserable, the nith had kept them fed. Out here they were on their own. Sometimes they might manage to run down an injured finnik or rob a nest of gollan bird eggs, but most of the time they went hungry.
Then they met the old ukkur. The old timer with his shaggy gray mane and long beard to match.
They were caught in one of his traps. Just like what had happened to Serenity. They had been lured in by the temptation. The old timer had been quite surprised when he found out what he had caught.
The old timer was an escaped slave too, but he had escaped much earlier, long before Jagga or Grodd had even come out of the birthing vats. He had roamed and hunted with a pack for many years, but now he was on his own.
The old ukkur was glad to have companionship after such a long time by himself. He took Jagga and Grodd in and taught them how to survive in the wilds. Young Jagga soaked up all of the old timer’s knowledge. He learned how to fashion tools and traps, how to hunt, how to make medicine from herbs and roots.
Jagga learned so well, eventually he was able to improve on the old timer’s designs and recipes.
The old timer was proud of Jagga and Grodd. He made them promise to stick together after he was gone. They had to look out for each other always.
As Serenity listened to Jagga’s story, she finished her food. It replenished her strength and gave her energy, but at the same time she had that comfortable, sleepy feeling that follows a big meal. More and more, she found herself leaning back into Grodd’s warm body, and the ukkur wrapped one arm around her protectively.
Serenity liked that, but she knew she had to be careful. Those hot, ticklish sensations were returning to her lower belly. The same feelings she had felt with Hruk last night. The feelings were not as urgent or intense as before, but they were there. Serenity wondered if the food had somehow renewed the effects of the nith drug. Or perhaps it was just the presence of the ukkur themselves.
She could not deny her attraction to them.
Both of them.
Every now and then, Serenity turned her eyes to the tent where Hruk lay snoring. Was she betraying him by getting so comfortable with Jagga and Grodd? She didn’t think so. For one thing, she still hardly knew Hruk at all, even after everything they had been through together, and everything they had done together last night, sweating and moaning in the shadows of their hideout. And for another thing, there was the way that Hruk had turned cold on her, always keeping her at a distance emotionally.
But more than anything, something about the whole situation just felt…right.
Back in the canyon, many of the human women had multiple ukkur mates. Once, Serenity had thought that seemed strange, but now she was starting to understand.
When she had finished her food, she set the tray aside and looked at Jagga across the fire.
“What happen old ukkur?” Serenity asked.
“He died.”
Serenity hesitated.
“How?”
“Old age, that’s all. He was old when Grodd and I first met him. But it’s not a sad thing. He lived a good life, and he died a free ukkur. That’s the best one can hope for in this world.
Serenity nodded. She supposed she had to agree with that.
For a little while, they were all quiet. Around them the forest was alive with the sounds of hooting animals and chittering insects. Farther off, Serenity could hear the river running.
Jagga stood up.
“Now, Serenity, I have a question foryou…”
There was something dark and hungry in the ukkur’s voice that made her shiver.
“What?” she breathed, butchering the pronunciation of the ukkur word.
Jagga did not answer right away. He just stood there looking at her hungrily, his lean muscles accentuated by the orange firelight, his wolfish eyes glinting and flickering with the dancing flames.
Silently, the young ukkur walked around the fire. Serenity experienced an impulse to flee, but Grodd was still behind her, and his big arms held her gently but firmly in place.
