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She sighed again, not wanting to hurt his feelings more than she had. “Sarus, I … Ilikeyou and Horas, but Ihatehow I was tricked and coerced into coming here. I would have appreciated being informed and given the choice.”
“If you had been informed and given the choice, would you have come?”
She looked away from him and replied in a sad tone, “I don’t know.”
Chapter20
While Evangeline waited for delivery of the seeds, fertilizer, and livestock, as such a large order required considerable negotiation and figuring out the logistics of safe transportation, she tackled her impatience by filling the hours with additional research of vegetables. Luckily, she had access to small quantities of seeds for a wide variety of vegetables. She began her horticultural trials with container plantings.
Days passed into weeks. Horas and Sarus escorted her twice more into town before they agreed the leash was unnecessary and left it behind. Her fourth trip into town without the leash felt like a major step in freedom and progress.Strike a blow for women’s liberation!
The lack of inappropriate attention from the town’s cosmopolitan populace relaxed the males’ vigilance so that they agreed she would be well-protected with just one of them in attendance. Until Evangeline disappeared.
“Evangeline!” Horas roared, startling the other shoppers and several pedestrians on the sidewalk outside.
She peered from around a block of shelving and rolled her eyes. “Right here.”
Horas grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. “Do not wander off again.”
“Really, Horas?” She wrenched her arm from his loose grip as another female peered around the corner. “I’m not in any danger. Can’t you get that through your head?”
“Lady Evangeline?” a soft voice inquired, quivering in fear. “Are you all right? Shall I call for assistance?”
Evangeline threw a hard glare at Horas before taking a breath and clearing her expression. “Lady Masey, thank you. I’m fine. This big oaf—” she gestured with a thumb toward the big warrior looming behind her “—is just being overprotective.” She turned toward Horas and added, “This is Lady Masey, mate to Captain Ush’gol mek Karrok. The captain—”
“I know the captain,” Horas interrupted. He bowed toward the other female. “Do you not have an appropriate escort, my lady?”
“An escort here? In Alz’keminee?” the female echoed with a puzzled glance, then chuckled. The sound drew a frown from the hulking warrior. She quieted and looked at Evangeline who shrugged. She murmured, “I see what you mean. He’s very traditional, is he not?”
“Oppressively so,” Evangeline replied.
Horas stretched out a hand as though to take the other female by the arm, but stopped short of touching her. “Come along, my lady. I shall escort you back to your mate.”
The female sighed and bowed her head in immediate acquiescence. “Yes, Colonel.”
“You know who he is?” Evangeline murmured in surprise as her mate drew her aside and began walking out of the shop.
“Why, all in the valley know of Colonel Horas and Commander Sarus!” Lady Masey said as she fell into step alongside Evangeline who hissed at her mate, “I wasn’t finished shopping.”
“Yes, you are,” he said in a cool, dispassionate tone. “Come along, Lady Masey. I shall speak with the captain about ensuring your protection.”
“He really does not mind,” Lady Masey whispered, looking fearful.
“Are you afraid of Horas?” Evangeline cast him another fulminating glare that he ignored. “He won’t hurt you.”
Lady Masey shook her head and said no more. Horas herded the two females to an open-air land skiff. The skipper’s short crest pricked at the sight of the small party, but he made no comment other than to ascertain their destination. Evangeline lifted her face to the hot, dry wind as the skiff skimmed over the arid landscape and drifted to a halt at the gate of the military compound.
“Colonel Horas!” the two guards manning the gate acknowledged and thumped their fists against their chests.
Evangeline looked them over. The earth-toned scales of their hides blended well into the landscape. Their short crests, narrow build, and lean musculature made them look more like reptilian greyhounds than burly crocodiles. Their tails lashed in anxiety. She missed the conversation and allowed Horas to draw her through the gate without protest.Besides, I’m curious to see where Horas and Sarus work.
Whoever designed the military compound had obviously prized the concept of form following function, for there was nothing in the way of decoration or embellishment to soften the hard surfaces and sharp lines. Her ears caught echoes of barked commands followed by the shouted chorus of response as Horas led her and Lady Masey past long, low buildings that she thought might be barracks.
A ululating cry pierced the air. The trio looked toward the sound.
“Get behind me,” Horas commanded, his voice a low grunt.
The two females obeyed, placing themselves between a hard masonry wall and the big warrior who looked even harder. Horas turned to face a pair of young warrior males who stalked closer, their eyes turning red with uncontrolled lust. One paused and inhaled deeply. He snorted, then bared his pointed teeth. Evangeline noticed neither of those two males had a tail, at least not that she could see.
