Page 50 of The Warrior's Oath
She popped it into her mouth and bit down. A flavor explosion the likes of which she’d never tasted before washed over her tongue. It was like all of her favorite berries combined in one.
“More!” she said hungrily, plucking several berries and shoving them in her mouth with glee.
“Slowly. There are plenty. No need to rush,” Korvin chuckled, picking a few for himself.
They picked and ate as they moved along the snaking vines. Unlike so many berries back on Earth, this plant lacked nasty thorns at every turn, and that lack of prickly pain made the impromptu feast all the more delightful.
Korvin moved just downhill from Nyota, picking some of the less ripe, and thus less likely to gosmoosh, berries to carry with them in their supplies for later. Better to eat fresh than tap into what they’d brought from Molok if they could.
Nyota, on the other hand, was simply reveling in the moment, flitting about the hillside with a belly full of wonderful, sweet nutrition, her legs re-energized for it. At least, until the ground at her feet broke loose, sending her airborne.
“Shit!” she blurted as she fell.
Korvin moved in a flash on pure instinct, covering the distance faster than she thought possible, wrapping her up in his arms, absorbing the impact. It was a chivalrous move, and it set free the butterflies in her stomach. Unfortunately, it also collapsed the loose soil beneath him, sending them both tumbling down the hill.
Nyota and Korvin rolled for several seconds before coming to a stop. They had managed to avoid any rocks or stumps, but they had seemed to land on every last fallen berry on their descent. As a result, they were quite a mess.
Nyota sat up, her arms held out in disgust as she looked at the dripping, purple mush she’d managed to coat her body with. Korvin just lay there laughing.
“It’s not funny!”
“It is at least alittlefunny,” he countered, likewise smeared with sticky goo.
Nyota hesitated a moment before the absurdity of the situation sank in. A chuckle rose from her belly, then another, until she was laughing along with him. They lay there, their mirth slowly diminishing until the laughter faded, tears of amusement in their eyes.
Nyota felt wonderful. It was a release of a different kind she hadn’t even realized she needed. But this? It was absurd, but also so intimately comfortable and safe. She looked over at Korvin with a happy gaze.
“So, it looks like we’re going to be purple from now on.”
“Do not worry. The juice does not stain.”
She reached for her water container.
“Wait,” he cautioned. “The map shows a water source not far from here. And as the day is winding down, and we are in need of a wash, perhaps it will make a good site to bed down for the night.”
She put down the container. “Okay, but how far is it?”
“Not too far. A good hike, yes, but nothing you cannot handle. So, do not wash. Conserve your water for drinking.”
“But this stuff—” she started to say when he abruptly scooped up a handful of dirt and rubbed it on her arm. “Hey!”
“The dirt will bind with the juice.”
“Great. Now I’m purpleandmuddy,” she griped.
“It will cover the scent, which we most certainly need to do. It will also diminish the sticky sensation while keeping bugs at bay. Trust me, this will make the rest of the journey easier.”
“Ugh, okay,” she grumbled, rubbing more dirt onto her body.
Korvin rose and reached down. She accepted his assistance, helping her to her feet. “Look at us,” she said with a reluctantly amused grin.
“Yes. Look at us, indeed,” he agreed.
Something new was in his eyes. Interest? A degree of care beyond mere duty? She couldn’t quite tell. But as quickly as it had appeared it vanished, forced down by his efficiency and drive. He began their renewed trek.
“This way.”
They walked for hours, far longer than she’d anticipated, and both worked up a good sweat in the process, the muddy juice forming rivulets on their bodies. By the time they reached the stream he had spotted on the map it was nearly dusk.
