Page 10 of Claimed By the Krijese

“Benham spoke of you joining him and the kits. He said you returned to your village with several good kills, including ones taken down by Sorin. Both your and his skills are growing well.” Zander claps my shoulder with a grin. The words mean much coming from him.

“We continue to learn with each attempt. Soon, perhaps my kit and I will be as good of hunters as the Tavikhi.” I cannot perform the smiling the humans and Tavikhi do, but I hope he can hear the humor in my statement.

He must, because he expels a laugh. “Perhaps. Come, though, and have a drink with the elders and me. We are still celebrating the birth of Sage and Jodah’s kit. It is a joyous occasion.”

Together, we walk through the village, weaving between the growing number of tents, until we reach the area where the elders live, their dwellings surrounding their own fire. They sit on newly constructed benches that circle the unlit pit.

“Greetings, Shefir. Kala,” several call out at our arrival.

I incline my head and wait until Zander gestures to a place for me to sit before I lower myself down. Once he is seated as well, one of the elders passes me the vessel containing the spirit they craft. Behind the burning sensation that travels down to my stomach to settle into a nice warm sensation, there is a hint offruit. I savor it for a moment longer before returning the vessel so it can be passed to the next person.

“Benham and you spoke briefly regarding the new human arrivals,” Zander doesn’t phrase it as a question, but I answer anyway.

“Yes. I watched its descent. All went well, then?”

“Aye. Remi, Zydon, Abby, and Rojtar were among the mated pairs to greet them. The rest were a mix of mated and unmated warriors who assisted them with unloading the ship of its supplies and placing them in storage.” Zander is given the special brew and takes a long drink. He finishes with a sound of satisfaction. “With the addition of the newest group, their numbers are now well over several hundred. Each one as equally shocked as every group prior to find what awaited them here.”

It has been explained often how the humans arrive expecting their own home and land, but instead they receive a tent within an unroofed enclosure that offers little protection.

“From what I have learned from Healer Sage and Zara their planet’s leaders are less than truthful with them about most things.” My people might know almost nothing but killing, but we do not tell falsehoods.

“It is a shameful thing their leaders do, giving them hope for one thing, only for it to not be true,” one of the elders points out.

Murmured agreements travel around the circle where we all sit. Yet again, I am given the vessel of brew and take a second drink before passing it along.

“London has shared many things with me about her former planet. For some of the humans, coming to Tavikh isan improvement over their previous life, regardless of the conditions in which they now live. The place she came from did not even give its citizens proper food.” Zander’s disgust is clear in the way his lip curls.

I do not blame him for the anger on behalf of hiskeeshla. London is a kind and generous shefira who has welcomed us into her tribe.“Your goddess has looked upon your tribe with favor.”

The shefir gazes in the direction where his and London’s dwelling lies and slowly nods. “Yes, Deeka has blessed us with great fortune by bringing the humans here, but especially mykeeshla. In fact, one of the new females accepted our invitation to leave the settlement and join our tribe. The unmated warriors are hopeful that perhaps she might be a mate to one of them.”

This news surprises me. Not that the warriors want her to be one of their mates, but that a female would come here alone. To my knowledge, there are no longer any unmated females residing with the Tavikhi. It is now only mated pairs and families.

“I wish good favor upon one of your males then, that perhaps she is hiskeeshla.”

“Whatever path Deeka has laid out for us is where we will be led.”

The elders nod in agreement and continue passing around the brew.

Chapter 6

Iris

It’s taken me less than two days to become obsessed with the adorable Tavikhi children. Back on Earth I was never around kids, although not for lack of trying. Any time I approached them or their families, they were quickly ushered away like I was diseased. After a while, I stopped trying.

“Iris, Iris,” Talek calls out from halfway down the hill, his hand waving madly like I can’t hear him and he wants to make sure he has my attention.

I wave back and pause briefly at the child running down with him. A child who is most definitely not Tavikhi. As someone who has been harshly judged by her appearance my entire life, I don’t judge anyone else’s because I know how hurtful and damaging it is. But even I’m slightly taken aback by the…alienness of what I’m guessing is a little boy.

The two of them come to a skidding halt in front of me and Talek lays his arm over the shoulder of the other child taking care to avoid the sharp-looking blade of the axe strapped to his back.

“Iris, this is Sorin. He is going to teach us how to throw his war axe.”

At least I was right about his gender. I stick my hand out in greeting—not even thinking. He probably has no idea what I’m doing. “Hi, Sorin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Iris.”

To my surprise, he slips his small hand in mine—his tiny claws gently prick my skin—but he doesn’t shake it. He just holds it while he stares up at me with black eyes that contain the tiniest silver spark in the center that shines like it’s been freshly polished. He studies me for so long in silence, the self-consciousness I haven’t experienced since the first day in the village returns and I brace myself for the mocking.

“You are even more beautiful than Healer Sage,” Sorin finally rasps.

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