Page 45 of Scarred

Suni licked his lips and grinned down at her. “I would not allow you to fall, but we cannot stay here. We are already packed.”

Amma couldn’t really blame him for wanting to move on. It was nice being away from everyone, but she had always been around her large family. She was starting to miss the sounds people made as they went about their lives. She pulled on her clothes and swung her backpack back on. “Mike, Sam, Astro, we’re leaving.”

Are you sure? Astro burst from the underbrush. You were making a lot of noise again.

She always makes that noise. Sam followed close on his heels.

“I don’t need a commentary on my mating habits,” Amma said. She picked Sam up and placed him on her shoulder. “Where’s Mike?”

Here. Mike climbed her leg to it on her other shoulder. I found delicious grubs.

“Do not lick me,” Amma warned. “Suni, want to carry Mike? He ate grubs and thinks it would be funny to lick me with a grubby tongue.”

“I will pass.” Suni took a step back. “The only one I want to lick me is you.”

“Even if I have grubby breath?” she teased.

“Even if.”

“You are the best.” Amma waited for Astro to climb onto her backpack. “We are ready to go.”

“Are you rested enough to walk through the night?” Suni asked. “I want to get halfway to our destination before stopping again. I am hoping we run into a hunting party before we rest.”

“Why?”

“It would be better than them coming upon us while we sleep,” Suni answered. “I cannot say what I might do.”

“Yeah, I don’t want you beating up people who protect my cousin. She might take offense to that,” she smiled. “You also have nothing to worry about, no one is going to steal me away from you. I’m good to walk for a while, especially in these new shoes.” During one of the rare moments they hadn’t been exploring each other, Suni had made shoes for her out of leaves, fur, and clay. They were the softest she had ever worn.

“You will let me know if you get tired. No trying to hide it.”

“I promise to complain when I get tired. Stop worrying about me. I am going to be alright. Shall we get going?”

“Yes.” He placed a hand on her back and led the way into the forest.

“Do you think we will see more lurkers?”

“Not likely. They have mated and are protecting their nests high in the trees.”

“That’s too bad.” Amma wondered if she would ever run into the offspring of the lurker she had spoken to. It would be cool to see if they really did pass down memory. “I can hardly wait to see more amazing sights.”

“I will point out everything that might be interesting,” Suni said. “Most animals are nesting now, so we will have to be careful to avoid areas where there are young.”

While she had told Suni that she needed to wash her clothes, he had made her a soft pair of shoes that made it easier for her to follow him quietly, and a knee length skirt with a tube top. It was empowering to see lust and satisfaction fill Suni’s eyes whenever he looked her way. If she had it her way, she would wear the same style in different colors for the rest of her life. Her clothes from home weren’t really made for the world she was in and when in Rome, right?

They had been walking long enough that the boys had escaped into the trees when Suni held up his hand for her to stop. Amma peeked around him but didn’t see anything. “What’s up?”

“We are in another tribe’s territory,” Suni whispered. “There is a hunting party nearby, and I have scented them. Surely, they have scented us.”

“Why don’t we just introduce ourselves?” Amma asked. “It would make things easier, right?”

Suni snarled and reached for his weapon a second before they were surrounded. Amma saw five males with their weapons drawn and pointed at them. They were all well over seven feet tall with enough muscles to make five more warriors with a lot of muscles. Two held massive broadswords that looked nearly eight feet. She thought the blades alone must have weighed over a hundred pounds. Another held two long, slim swords as long as the broadswords. Of the last two, one wielded a bow and arrow, and the other a mace. All the males’ lips were peeled back in matching snarls that sent fear skidding down Amma’s spine. If she had seen them before Suni, she would have peed herself and run as fast and as far as she could.

“Warrior, you are in our territory without permission,” the largest of the warriors snarled. “Why?”

Suni grabbed Amma and plastered her against his back with one hand. He held the other up to show he had no weapon. “My name is Suni, and my mate is Amma. I am a warrior of Lnuuk. We are seeking Qunic so she may visit with her family.”

The warrior’s eyes landed on Amma. “I have seen one such as her. She is mated to our chief, but you are rotations away from Qunic. This territory now belongs to Chief Ru, who has named it Ykot.”

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