Page 30 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
It’s in my dreams that I beg Taccit. I plead with him to stay with me, to not leave me like everyone else has.
* * *
Walter towers above me.I plead for more time to repay my loan. Just a bit more time. He laughs and shoves me to the ground. His hands roughly bind my wrists with a coarse rope. I cry out as the bindings dig into my flesh. And then he strolls away, leaving me as a sacrifice for the circling wolves.
I jolt awake, my heart pounding in my chest.
I shove the fur blankets off my legs, feeling clammy and overheated. Visions and faces flit in my half-lucid state, just out of reach, dissipating as I transition from dreams to reality.
I groan and rub my face. How many times do I have to wake up to nightmares? I’m getting really tired of it. I’m so tired just in general. I need more sleep than I used to.
Just to make matters worse, each time I wake up screaming, Taccit is by my side in an instant. He gathers me in his arms, just holding me until my fears subside. Then he tucks me in as if I were made of glass before retreating back to his own makeshift bed.
And I lie there, left wanting to ask him to join me.
Only this time when I wake up, he doesn’t come.
“Taccit?” I call out for the alien. All I receive is silence.
I slip off the bed and search our lodgings, even poking my head out of the cave, but he’s nowhere to be found. A twinge of disappointment claws at my heart.
I am, however, thankful that he took the wolf creatures—the drolvden—with him.
They seemed friendly enough once he introduced us, but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy at the way they stealthily trailed us yesterday. It triggered memories of being stalked in the forest. I appreciate their company, but the thought of being left alone with them unnerves me.
A small bowl of fruit sits on the table, carefully sliced and arranged in an artful display on a wooden platter. I nibble on it half-heartedly, my appetite faltering after the onslaught of nightmares.
I glance around my new home, trying to figure out what I can do. Only... there’s nothing for me to do here. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I’m not one for sitting around twiddling my thumbs, so I quickly fall victim to a raging case of cabin fever.
Taccit must have gone on a cleaning spree while I slept—the place is spotless! Every item has been meticulously organized. Even his bedding is neatly folded and stowed against a wall near the entrance. I feel a pang of guilt at the sight of the extra blankets.
Taccit and me? We’re like two magnets. Insanely attracted to each other, sure, but also a bit clueless about the other one. I didn’t know my late husband very well when we got hitched, and I’m not eager to repeat that history. Not if I can help it. Luck was on my side last time. Though Taccit’s rugged good looks are tantalizing, I know that attraction alone isn’t the key to a healthy relationship. I pace around the confines of the room, unable to contain my energy. Everything I lay eyes on reminds me of him. Heck, even taking a breath floods my nostrils with his spicy scent. It seeps into me, making it feel like my blood is fizzing beneath the surface.
I need to do something.
I need to get out of here.
I’m halfway to the door when I remember Taccit’s dire warnings about venturing out of the cave without him. He mentioned monsters lurking about—most of which wouldn’t hesitate to attack and eat a small human. At first, I scoff at his words, but then concede—the one time I left the safety of the colony, I found trouble.
Maybe a visit to the garden would be okay, though. Right? If anything gets too sketchy, I can always retreat back to the cave and wait for Taccit to come home. Run and hide is an effective strategy, I tell myself.
I scan the room. Taccit hung my bow on the wall with care, not realizing it could also be folded up and tucked away. In its own way, it’s kinda sweet seeing it displayed like a treasured piece alongside his axe.
My gaze lingers on the metal ring attached to the rock wall just above the bed. I grimace at the memory, teeth clenched tight.
Yeah, not staying here any longer than I need to.
Swiftly, I grab the bow and my last arrow off the wall and fling open the wooden door to the cave. A crisp gust of wind batters me. The temperature has plummeted quite a bit in recent days. I shiver involuntarily, sensing that winter will soon blanket the land.
Taccit calls it the bitter season. It makes me wonder what he calls summer. Sweaty season? Even before leaving Earth, we were warned that the planet had polarized weather—too hot and too cold. I didn’t think it would matter. The chance at a better life was more important to me. Now that I’m here... I’m going to need warmer clothes.
And more clothes if I want to actually work in the soil and do gardening. I’m not exactly neat.
I can’t help but rub at the ache in my chest, longing to assuage it. My heart was set on planting something before the first snowfall this year—I even labored tirelessly for it in the mines—but it all amounted to nothing in the end.
Following the sound of rushing water, I stumble upon a small clearing. It can’t be that far from the garden. I’m sure I’ll be fine here. There is a modest waterfall tumbling over a rocky ledge. Though the water flows relentlessly, the chilly mist it produces leads me to back away from its icy reach.
I’m simply gobsmacked at the sheer beauty of this place. If you catch the angle just right, the rays from our twin suns create rainbows so mesmerizing, you’d think a unicorn had galloped by. Water droplets gather on leaves, looking like nature’s own collection of dazzling diamonds. I’ve been living on this planet for a while now, but only just realized that stopping to smell the roses—or, you know, observe a leaf—might actually be worth my time. In fleeting moments like this, I don’t really mind that I left Earth, and my family, behind. The grime and looming threat of poverty had weighed heavily on me, so it’s nice to feel hope poking its head up now that I’m surrounded by beauty. Life here isn’t quite what I imagined, but it’s not too bad either. I reckon even the highest tier members would never get their eyes on a view this stunning, and here I am, about to enjoy it for the rest of my days.
