it’s not how I grew up. Even
when I was terrible to my parents, they never deserted me, never
stopped loving me. I always knew they would be there for me that
they would keep me safe… and then they were gone.”
“What happened to them , Kim?” Wray asked and felt her tense in his arms.
“They died,” she whispered, “in a car
accident… transport accident.” She corrected. “They’d gone away for
the weekend and on the way back another transport hit them and they
died instantly.”
“I’m sorry , Kim.”
“Me too… things had just started to get
better again, I was finally getting over losing Warrior and then they were gone.”
“Warrior?” Wray questioned tensing at the
affection he heard in her voice for another male. “You said you had
no male.”
“I don’t. I didn’t.” Kim frowned at him.
“Warrior was my dog , Wray.”
“Dog?” he questioned.
“Yes. A pet.” When he still looked at her
confused, she tried again. “An animal that lived with me?”
“A haiwan?” Wray asked and Kim searched her
mind and found that was the Tornian word for pet.
“Yes , a haiwan. I
got him for my tenth birthday and named him Warrior because he had
survived so much.”
“I do not understand.” Wray thought of the
haiwans he had known. Most were very small and timid and only
survived when carefully cared for. They weren’t like Warriors.
“The people that had Warrior before me, used
him as a fighting dog.”
“Fight dog…”
“Yes. They would make him fight other dogs,
so they could bet on which one would win. Warrior always won. So
they also used him as a sire, hoping his offspring would do the
same.”
“We have such animals t o o, but they would never be used as a haiwan, they are
too large and deadly.”
“That was Warrior. He was massive, strong and
deadly and that’s all anyone ever saw when they looked at him, what
was on the outside. I saw what was on the inside; saw how gentle he
could be, how caring. All he wanted was for someone to love and
accept him for who he was and I did.”
“Your manno allowed such a creature near
you?” Wray couldn’t hide his shock.
“He really didn’t have a choice. I knew
Warrior was mined the minute I saw him and I wasn’t giving him up.”
She gave him a slight smile. “I can be stubborn sometimes.”
“Really?” Wray found himself smiling down at
her. “I hadn’t noticed that.”
“Yeah , right, so
anyway Warrior came home with us and life was great…” the smile
left her lips as she continued, “until he died.”
“I am sorry , Kim.”
“So am I. He died in my arms… after he saved
my life.” Devastated eyes looked at him as she remembered the day.
“I was crossing the street, almost home when a… transport going
t o o fast came down the street. I froze. I
just stood there in the middle of the street watching it bear down
on me and then Warrior was there.” She could see it all happening
again in her mind. “He knocked me out of the way and it hit him
instead of me. The force of the hit knocked him halfway down the
block. I can still hear it. The sound he made when he hit... I
crawled to him on my hands and knees, screaming the entire way.
When I got to him… he just looked up at me, his eyes full of so
much love, even though his body was broken
and he licked my face. He licked away my tears as if he couldn’t
bear to see them… then he died.”
Wray gently wiped away the tears that had
flowed down Kim’s cheeks as she told him about her pet and found he
didn’t like them any more than Warrior had. They didn’t belong on
her. She should never be sad, should never experience loss and he
would make it his mission to be sure it never happened again.
“He was truly worthy of the title ‘Warrior.'”
He told her.
“Yes. He was.” She whispered and sunk into
the comfort of Wray’s embrace.
Chapter Eight
Wray’s knuckles were white as he gripped the
top of the cave’s entrance, staring out at the raging
when I was terrible to my parents, they never deserted me, never
stopped loving me. I always knew they would be there for me that
they would keep me safe… and then they were gone.”
“What happened to them , Kim?” Wray asked and felt her tense in his arms.
“They died,” she whispered, “in a car
accident… transport accident.” She corrected. “They’d gone away for
the weekend and on the way back another transport hit them and they
died instantly.”
“I’m sorry , Kim.”
“Me too… things had just started to get
better again, I was finally getting over losing Warrior and then they were gone.”
“Warrior?” Wray questioned tensing at the
affection he heard in her voice for another male. “You said you had
no male.”
“I don’t. I didn’t.” Kim frowned at him.
“Warrior was my dog , Wray.”
“Dog?” he questioned.
“Yes. A pet.” When he still looked at her
confused, she tried again. “An animal that lived with me?”
“A haiwan?” Wray asked and Kim searched her
mind and found that was the Tornian word for pet.
“Yes , a haiwan. I
got him for my tenth birthday and named him Warrior because he had
survived so much.”
“I do not understand.” Wray thought of the
haiwans he had known. Most were very small and timid and only
survived when carefully cared for. They weren’t like Warriors.
“The people that had Warrior before me, used
him as a fighting dog.”
“Fight dog…”
“Yes. They would make him fight other dogs,
so they could bet on which one would win. Warrior always won. So
they also used him as a sire, hoping his offspring would do the
same.”
“We have such animals t o o, but they would never be used as a haiwan, they are
too large and deadly.”
“That was Warrior. He was massive, strong and
deadly and that’s all anyone ever saw when they looked at him, what
was on the outside. I saw what was on the inside; saw how gentle he
could be, how caring. All he wanted was for someone to love and
accept him for who he was and I did.”
“Your manno allowed such a creature near
you?” Wray couldn’t hide his shock.
“He really didn’t have a choice. I knew
Warrior was mined the minute I saw him and I wasn’t giving him up.”
She gave him a slight smile. “I can be stubborn sometimes.”
“Really?” Wray found himself smiling down at
her. “I hadn’t noticed that.”
“Yeah , right, so
anyway Warrior came home with us and life was great…” the smile
left her lips as she continued, “until he died.”
“I am sorry , Kim.”
“So am I. He died in my arms… after he saved
my life.” Devastated eyes looked at him as she remembered the day.
“I was crossing the street, almost home when a… transport going
t o o fast came down the street. I froze. I
just stood there in the middle of the street watching it bear down
on me and then Warrior was there.” She could see it all happening
again in her mind. “He knocked me out of the way and it hit him
instead of me. The force of the hit knocked him halfway down the
block. I can still hear it. The sound he made when he hit... I
crawled to him on my hands and knees, screaming the entire way.
When I got to him… he just looked up at me, his eyes full of so
much love, even though his body was broken
and he licked my face. He licked away my tears as if he couldn’t
bear to see them… then he died.”
Wray gently wiped away the tears that had
flowed down Kim’s cheeks as she told him about her pet and found he
didn’t like them any more than Warrior had. They didn’t belong on
her. She should never be sad, should never experience loss and he
would make it his mission to be sure it never happened again.
“He was truly worthy of the title ‘Warrior.'”
He told her.
“Yes. He was.” She whispered and sunk into
the comfort of Wray’s embrace.
Chapter Eight
Wray’s knuckles were white as he gripped the
top of the cave’s entrance, staring out at the raging
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