Page 25 of Alien's Challenge
She rolled to face him, snuggling closer. He stiffened, quills up, unsure how to respond. She did not wake but continued to sleep.
He relaxed; his quills lowered.
He would see her safely back to Earth, no matter how it made his hearts hurt to let her go.
Chapter 7
Faris
When morning arrived, Faris found himself reluctant to leave the bed. His tail tangled with her legs. Her face had a vulnerable expression while she slept. When she woke, she would be confused. He wanted to be there to calm her.
Foolishness.
Alice would sleep for half the day. When the stimulant wore off, she crashed hard. Her body required rest. Lurking over her made no difference.
He needed to do damage control. The heist, a simple smash and grab, had spun wildly out of control, and his actions after the fact made it worse.
Falsespire? The nearest town to where they departed the train? What had he been thinking?
Faris studied the figure in the bed. He knew what he had been thinking. Alice had nothing. No clothes. No shoes. She did not even have her words. Exposed to the elements, she would not have survived a lengthier journey. As it was, he kept her in the cold for too long and then dragged her into the busiest gambling den in the town. He practically sent Rand their coordinates.
That did not matter. Rand, for all his faults, was not unintelligent. He would have calculated the train’s location when they departed and deduced his destination.
Hard -pressed to find a way he could have handled yesterday better, the feeling he had made a serious error lingered.
The storm continued, isolating the mountain village from the outside world. The sky was a bitter gray with no hint of the sun. He made the trek to retrieve his hovercycle while the streets remained empty. He caught himself sniffing the collar of his coat, which smelled of Alice.
Foolish old male.
“Won’t be going anywhere today. The ferry won’t run in weather like this,” the innkeeper informed him when he returned.
“Then you can help me. My companion requires garments for the cold, including a good coat, and I’d like to avoid the market.”
He sat at a table, stomach rumbling and ready for the morning meal. The fever burned calories at an alarming rate and hunger constantly chased him.
The innkeeper, a female of similar stature to Alice, said, “I’m too busy to run your errands all day.”
Faris set a credit chip on the table and said nothing, waiting. Silence, he discovered, was often more effective to get what he wanted than threats or bargaining. Alice required proper garments today. If they had to leave suddenly, he wanted her to be dressed for the cold.
“I don’t want any trouble,” the innkeeper said.
“None intended.” Faris set down another credit chip.
The innkeeper grabbed the chips and set down a bowl with a bit too much force. Watery porridge sloshed over the side. “You can have my castoffs.”
“I am much obliged. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You paid me.”
He admired the innkeeper’s entrepreneurial spirit and added another credit chip for the bundle of garments she delivered.
Communications were slow, if they worked at all. That both helped and hindered him. Rand would be slow to receive reports about Faris arriving in town with a human female and the ensuing brawl.
Rand would understand what that meant. He may have believed that Faris took Alice on the principle that no person should own another, and under normal circumstances, he would. The brawl pointed to another motivation: the fever.
Faris sent a message to Perrigaul alerting him to an incoming delivery from Kamron. He avoided mentioning Alice, in case the message was intercepted. When the comm network was operational, the message would be delivered.
Hopefully, that would be good enough.
