Page 19 of The Warrior's Oath
CHAPTERNINE
“A day’s trek, no more than that,” Korvin called down from the tree he had scaled when they finally reached the peak of a rocky hill.
It had already been a pretty serious hike since morning, ascending and descending numerous smaller hills to scan for signs of wreckage from the crash, as well as crossing multiple streams and one actual river. Fortunately, Korvin was well-versed in all manner of outdoorsmanship and easily guided her on the lesser traverses.
For the river, however, he needed to do more than give direction. As a result, Nyota had found herself riding on his shoulders as he waded deep in the flowing water, a long pole he had fashioned from a fallen branch acting as an anchor point in the sandy bottom for leverage.
Korvin would swim a bit, then pull the pole free and jam it in further ahead, giving him a pivot point to push off from against the current, keeping them from being swept downstream.
The water was fresh and only a little cold at first, but with his exertion the muscular alien was positively exuding heat. Heat that Nyota felt radiating between her legs, clamped around his shoulders, spreading into her body as she rode him to the other side.
Once they finally reached the shore and resumed their trek, the pleasantly warm air dried them in short order, though after the heat and rubbing from Korvin’s neck and shoulders as he carried her across, Nyota remained wet in one place the sunlight would not dry.
Korvin, however, remained focused. Stoic. A single-minded man with one task. Namely, find his general. That he was also honor-bound to protect this human woman was simply an inconvenient factor he now had to factor into his plans.
By the time they reached the highest hilltop in the immediate area, it was closing in on midday. And from high up in the tree, Korvin had finally spotted what he’d been searching for.
“Are you sure?” Nyota called up to him.
“I am.” He descended from his perch with speed and agility, landing softly on the loamy soil beside her. “Just that way.” He pointed in the distance. “You can make out the indentation where a section of Raxxian ship came to rest. The trees are snapped in a very telltale manner.”
Nyota squinted, scanning in the direction he pointed. “I don’t see anything.”
Korvin shook his head. “Of course. I forget you lack the runes.”
“How do tattoos make a difference? My eyes are my eyes.”
“True, but as I have explained, the pigment used possesses qualities far beyond simple ink. This rune, for example,” he said, tapping a small marking on his temple just inside his hairline, “is to enhance one’s vision. The basic pattern channels the power contained in the pigment, directing it to sharpen one’s eyesight. If you possessed this, you would see.”
“All the way out there? It’s too far.”
“But not with the proper rune. Admittedly, my rune is a bit more robust than most possess.”
“Because you’re a soldier?”
“Something like that.”
Nyota looked up at him, her eyes tracing the fine lines of the pattern that gave him superhuman—or superalienvision. Korvin bent down so she could better see the design.
“May I?” she asked, reaching out toward him. She hesitated a moment, her fingers hovering.
“You may.”
She didn’t know what she expected of the ink. Some magical zap, or at least a sensation of some sort, but as her fingertip grazed across the design, she felt no such effect. Whatever it was he had going on in there, it was entirely self-contained.
“Did it hurt? Getting it, I mean.”
“No. There is a slight pinching sensation, but most of the pigments used also prevent pain. At least, mostly. It is part of the symbiotic relationship between the living organisms. As I have explained, we host the pigment and keep it vital, while it in turn absorbs energy from the stars and provides us its own benefits.”
“Like super vision.”
“Among other things, yes,” he replied, standing up tall once more. “Now, follow close. We have a long trek ahead of us if we are to reach the landing site before nightfall.”
With that, he set off, clearing the way for the much smaller woman following in his path simply by allowing his size to push aside the brush rather than using his hands to break it. A few moments after they passed, the foliage slowly settled back into place, leaving almost no sign anyone had passed.
They walked in silence much of the day. Idle chit chat may have been acceptable on a leisure hike, but on a strange and possibly hostile world, remaining quiet and alert could mean the difference between freedom, recapture, or worse. They had already encountered smaller animals, and as Korvin pointed out, where there was small game, larger predators typically followed.
So on they moved, a stealthy duo on an alien world. Nyota found herself able to keep pace now that she was better rested and well fed, though she had to wonder if perhaps he was slowing his pace just a little in deference to her shorter strides. Annoyed as he seemed at having a somewhat helpless tag-along, Korvin was, nevertheless, keeping her safe. And that meant keeping her close.
