eat, so he did.
Then he would finish the platform so they could sleep, and tomorrow he would
carry her further into the jungle.
He worked while she finished the
nuts. When he was certain the platform would take their weight, he spread it
with leaves and held out his hand for her. She took it and climbed out to where
he was, and followed him in lying down. Again she tucked her back to him and he
offered her his arm to rest her head on. The leaves made the platform the most
comfortable thing he had slept on since he had been taken, but he still didn’t
want her to sleep away from him. He spread some of the large leaves over them
before settling.
Gron remembered how she had pressed
her lips to his face, and he copied her, pressing his lips to her shoulder. She
looked at him then, and shifted her hips slightly so that her flank brushed
into his lap, but then she moved away again, laying her head down and closing
her eyes.
“Please be patient,” he whispered to
her as he brushed the hair from her face, “Please wait.”
Chapter 15
Gron woke her the next morning when
the first thin light of dawn was stretching from the horizon. He pressed his
fingers against her lips and pointed into the forest. She couldn’t hear or see
anything, but she guessed that he could. Time to move on. The fear she’d
thought was behind her crept back. Last night she had thought they were safe,
free. She should have known they wouldn’t be let go that easily. She still
didn’t know why they had been taken but if they’d had value before, they were a
significant investment now. Ruth couldn’t imagine that it was cheap to fly
across the universe.
At least they didn’t have anything to
pack. She simply watched as Gron disassembled the platform he had made, then
climbed onto his back so he could carry her through the forest. Ruth was
distinctly aware that they had no idea where they were going or what they were
heading towards. She felt that they must hit some kind of civilisation
eventually, a native population, and she seriously doubted they would have a
friendly reception if they did. She had no idea what kind of forest they were
in, either. They could be swinging through a park in the middle of a city right
now. Or they could be on a planet completely devoid of life except for the
aliens chasing them. There might be vicious giant monsters on this planet, or
winters so harsh they couldn’t survive. She should have known better than to
think they were safe, but last night, she hadn’t even thought of returning to
Earth.
Gron moved fast to put as much
distance between them and their pursuers as possible, and they travelled for
what felt like hours. Ruth couldn’t believe that they could be caught when they
never touched the ground to leave a trace, but what if the aliens had a
tracking device? She pushed that thought away. She didn’t want to consider that
they might never be free.
Gron eventually stopped by a stream
mid-morning so they could drink. Ruth saw some berries nearby, but didn’t want
to risk it. She was so hungry even the ration-loaf seemed appetising now, but she
had no way of knowing what was poisonous and what wasn’t. It was a miracle she
wasn’t reacting to all the different plants around her, though there seemed to
be remarkably few bugs, which was a blessing. She supposed they could kill an
animal, and that might be all right. Meat was meat. As long as it wasn’t a
scorpion or something, it should be fine. The only problem with that plan was
that she hadn’t seen a single other living thing.
She looked at Gron in concern. He was
burning way more calories than she was, and had more mass to maintain too. He
didn’t seem to exactly have any fat stores either. As she watched him drink,
she saw that he also plunged his forearms into the water and held some up to
run down the fur on his chest. The day was heating up quickly, and he must be
hot, leaping around while carrying her. She waded into the water and stood
Then he would finish the platform so they could sleep, and tomorrow he would
carry her further into the jungle.
He worked while she finished the
nuts. When he was certain the platform would take their weight, he spread it
with leaves and held out his hand for her. She took it and climbed out to where
he was, and followed him in lying down. Again she tucked her back to him and he
offered her his arm to rest her head on. The leaves made the platform the most
comfortable thing he had slept on since he had been taken, but he still didn’t
want her to sleep away from him. He spread some of the large leaves over them
before settling.
Gron remembered how she had pressed
her lips to his face, and he copied her, pressing his lips to her shoulder. She
looked at him then, and shifted her hips slightly so that her flank brushed
into his lap, but then she moved away again, laying her head down and closing
her eyes.
“Please be patient,” he whispered to
her as he brushed the hair from her face, “Please wait.”
Chapter 15
Gron woke her the next morning when
the first thin light of dawn was stretching from the horizon. He pressed his
fingers against her lips and pointed into the forest. She couldn’t hear or see
anything, but she guessed that he could. Time to move on. The fear she’d
thought was behind her crept back. Last night she had thought they were safe,
free. She should have known they wouldn’t be let go that easily. She still
didn’t know why they had been taken but if they’d had value before, they were a
significant investment now. Ruth couldn’t imagine that it was cheap to fly
across the universe.
At least they didn’t have anything to
pack. She simply watched as Gron disassembled the platform he had made, then
climbed onto his back so he could carry her through the forest. Ruth was
distinctly aware that they had no idea where they were going or what they were
heading towards. She felt that they must hit some kind of civilisation
eventually, a native population, and she seriously doubted they would have a
friendly reception if they did. She had no idea what kind of forest they were
in, either. They could be swinging through a park in the middle of a city right
now. Or they could be on a planet completely devoid of life except for the
aliens chasing them. There might be vicious giant monsters on this planet, or
winters so harsh they couldn’t survive. She should have known better than to
think they were safe, but last night, she hadn’t even thought of returning to
Earth.
Gron moved fast to put as much
distance between them and their pursuers as possible, and they travelled for
what felt like hours. Ruth couldn’t believe that they could be caught when they
never touched the ground to leave a trace, but what if the aliens had a
tracking device? She pushed that thought away. She didn’t want to consider that
they might never be free.
Gron eventually stopped by a stream
mid-morning so they could drink. Ruth saw some berries nearby, but didn’t want
to risk it. She was so hungry even the ration-loaf seemed appetising now, but she
had no way of knowing what was poisonous and what wasn’t. It was a miracle she
wasn’t reacting to all the different plants around her, though there seemed to
be remarkably few bugs, which was a blessing. She supposed they could kill an
animal, and that might be all right. Meat was meat. As long as it wasn’t a
scorpion or something, it should be fine. The only problem with that plan was
that she hadn’t seen a single other living thing.
She looked at Gron in concern. He was
burning way more calories than she was, and had more mass to maintain too. He
didn’t seem to exactly have any fat stores either. As she watched him drink,
she saw that he also plunged his forearms into the water and held some up to
run down the fur on his chest. The day was heating up quickly, and he must be
hot, leaping around while carrying her. She waded into the water and stood
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