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Hruk waited until he was sure the others were all asleep. The interior of the tent was warm with the combined heat of four bodies, and the hushed susurrus of breathing filled the dark, enclosed space. There was barely enough light filtering in through the opening for Hruk to see.
The ukkur named Grodd, the big one, he was lying on his back and Serenity was sprawled atop him, her little body rising and falling with each expansion and contraction of his ribcage as he breathed. Serenity had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head had touched Grodd’s chest.
Hruk couldn’t blame her.
Serenity had been through enough in the past couple of days to break the will of a battle-hardened ukkur. Yet somehow she had persevered, and she had saved his life. For that, Hruk was grateful. More than that, however, he was impressed.
He had known all along that the little human female was beautiful. But he was coming to appreciate her other qualities. She was tough, resourceful, brave.
Had she been a warrior on her homeworld? Perhaps that was the deep connection Hruk had felt with her since the beginning.
Unfortunately, the time had come to sever that connection.
It was for her own good.
Part of him wished she and Jagga had not saved him. He would have died, and the curse would have died with him. Now he wasn’t sure. But he knew he had to leave her just to be safe.
The other ukkur, Jagga, was lying on the other side of the tent, one arm draped over the curve of Serenity’s back.
Hruk liked Jagga. Though he was young, he was clever beyond his years. His mind was sharp as the edge of a knife. Throlf would have liked him, Hruk thought. Old Throlf had been clever that way too.
Jagga was the last one to drift off, but finally his breath took on the slow steady rhythm of sleep.
Hruk knew it was time to make his move.
He would return to the canyon tonight and warn the leaders about the coming nith invasion.
He knew the others had discussed it before, and they had decided to wait until morning. That was the right decision, of course. The journey would be too treacherous at night with the human female in tow. Either Jagga or Grodd might have gone ahead by himself, but they were not known in the canyon tribe, and that could have presented further troubles.
But none of these problems applied to Hruk. Even though he remained solitary and aloof, he was known among the tribe. They would trust his word. And by reaching the canyon a few hours early, he would buy the tribe even more time to prepare their defenses.
Hruk began to move, slowly and quietly, so as not to wake the other occupants of the tent.
Before he backed out through the small opening, he paused and turned his face toward Serenity. He could barely see her in the dark, but he could hear her soft breathing and he could smell her warm and enticing scent. After her bath, she had sat by the campfire to dry her hair, and now her silky mane carried the spicy aroma of charred wood.
Gently, he pushed back the hair from her face. He bowed and pressed a soft kiss to her warm cheek.
“Thank you, beautiful human.”
Serenity made a sleepy little sound, but she did not wake.
Time to go.
Hruk lingered just one moment longer, listening to the three sleepers breathing. He smiled, knowing that he was leaving Serenity in good hands. They would make excellent mates for her. Jagga was intelligent, Grodd strong and fierce. They would protect her well.
That was the plan he had formulated earlier. He would leave Serenity with these two good ukkur who could protect her.
He had told them not to put their sap inside her, but that was only temporary. After they had arrived at the canyon and joined the tribe, then it would be safe for them to make a little ukkur in Serenity’s belly.
Images rose up in Hruk’s mind. He saw all four of them together as a pack. Him and Jagga and Grodd protecting Serenity and raising a family of little ones together. It would be a good and happy life. But it was just a foolish dream.
Time to go, fool. What are you waiting for?
Hruk backed out of the tent and closed the flap behind him. He stood up, listening to the sounds of the forest around him—the rustle of leaves in the wind, the chirping of bugs, and the rush of the river a little ways off. There were still many hours of darkness left. If he hurried, he could make it back to the canyon before sunrise.
When he arrived, he would warn the tribe of the invasion. Once that was taken care of, he would do something else that he should have done long ago. He would go up on the mesa above the canyon and put an end to his lifelong curse once and for all.
Hruk cast one last glance at the little domed tent, mouthed a silent farewell to the sleepers, and disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
