Page 25 of Corvak's Challenge

Corvak snarls and lunges forward.

A startled scream erupts from my throat as the creatures begin to hoot in response, shaking their clawed hands, and I'm reminded oddly enough of pompoms. Then my gaze is drawn to Corvak, and I can't look away, heart in throat, as he fights the biggest one. I hold my breath, watching as he swings in fast, sharp, precise motions, the knife slashing through the air. He doesn't hit the filthy yeti-like creature—it ducks and maneuvers, avoiding the blade.

It only makes Corvak move faster. He slashes at the creature, only for it to slam its arm into Corvak's hand, and the knife goes flying. I want to rush for it and grab it before the others do, but I don't dare move forward. All I can do is clutch our supply pack and watch as my protector lunges for his enemy again and again. It's a good fight, but it's clear that Corvak is going to win. They circle and move, and the yeti keeps dancing away, but he's slowing down. Each time he avoids one of Corvak's swings, it's evident that he's growing more and more winded.

Corvak ducks a wild slash, and then maneuvers, fast as lightning, to leg-sweep his opponent. The creature crashes to the ground and the hooting escalates to wild levels as Corvak puts his foot on the creature's chest, pinning him in place. He glances over at me, panting, and shoots a victorious grin in my direction. "You all right?"

I manage a nod. "You?"

"A few scratches." He eyes the creature underfoot, and the others. The moment he looks in their direction, they all hunch and cower, even as the hooting grows more alarmed. The one under his foot flicks his hand, and again, I could swear he's gesturing. If he is, it's such a small movement that it's near impossible to interpret, unlike the more animated motions of American Sign Language.

I'm tempted to echo their movements for some absurd reason.

Corvak leans over the defeated creature, baring his teeth in a fierce expression. "Yield?"

The thing hoots again and shows his neck, as if this is his answer. He's given up.

Corvak grunts and lifts his foot off the thing, then moves and retrieves his knife. The creatures scurry backward, huddling in a hunch-shouldered cluster together as they watch us. The one on the ground remains on the ground, but his gaze is on Corvak the entire time.

I eye Corvak, uncertain. "That's it? You're just going to let him go?"

"You want me to kill him?" His brows go up in surprise.

"No! Of course not! I just…is it safe?" I clutch the pack against my chest.

He shrugs at me, dabbing at a thin streak of blood that has appeared over the bridge of his nose. "There is no score for killing a local, so I do not see the point. He is not a competitor."

That makes sense in a strange sort of way. Still, I don't know what that means for us, because we're vulnerable at the top of this hill and they're not moving. I hold his cloak out to him and Corvak takes it, flinging it back over his shoulders.

The strangers are fascinated by Corvak's movements. The one on the ground gets up and then the others encircle him, their eyes wide. The hooting changes tones, and there's more footshuffling and hand-twitching. Then, to a one, they turn and stare at us with those strange, unnatural blue eyes.

"Uh oh," I whisper.

Corvak pulls me behind him as the defeated one takes a brave step forward, and then another. Then, he drops to his knees and prostrates himself on the ground in front of us. At the base of the hill, the cluster of others do the same.

Everyone's bowing to Corvak.

This baffles him. He turns and looks at me, his demeanor full of confusion. "What are they doing?"

"I think you're their leader now," I tell him.

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

AIDY

All that shitI said about being brave and independent? Things are different now. With the pack on Corvak's back once more, I hold on to his arm as we descend down the hill, the yeti people keeping a close watch on us. It's so strange. This planet has felt deserted for days on end. Even the wildlife hasn't been teeming and abundant (though our humming might be scaring everything away). Having a crowd around us as we try to leave is awkward.

Having a smelly, adoring crowd? It's an experience, that's for sure.

The yeti people aren't going anywhere. We take a few steps and they fall in behind us, their hooting now gentle and less insistent. We abandon the valley and head toward the meteorite, and they continue to follow us.

"We should check there is nothing else around it," Corvak tells me. "Just in case. I promise we will not get close if it is merely a stone."

We cautiously approach to check out the rock. When we're about a hundred feet away, I get nervous and stop Corvak beforehe gets closer. There's an impact crater, a small, shallow one, and the rock itself is about the size of a football, maybe more. It's surprising that something so small has caused so much damage, and I marvel at the melted snow and the churned earth.

"Not supplies. Just a rock." Corvak glances behind us in frustration. "The snow-people are still with us."

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