Barbarian Alien(40)

This…might work.

I glance over the edge of the ledge, desperate for a way down. I have to get to Raahosh. Have to. In my head, if I can get to him, I can save him. Let him know that I don’t really hate him, that I’m just confused and unhappy, but that his smiles make the world not so bad…

I pace against the edge, watching the other metlak-things as I creep around the cliff, looking for the way down. I spy something that looks like a footpath and head toward it, my hostage squirming and clawing in my scratch-covered arms. I look at the others, to see if they’re staying back. They hunch in the snow, watching me with predatory eyes. “Raahosh,” I call out, hoping he’ll answer and is fine, and my eyes are just mistaking things. But there’s nothing but silence.

I call his name desperately again as I slide down the steep path. “Raahosh! Please! Answer me!”

The ‘path’ gives out a short distance from the bottom and both I and my captive tumble the last few feet to the ground, only to land in thick snow. The breath is knocked from my lungs and I pant, flat on my back. Next to me, my captive gets up and darts away, heading away from the cliff instead of back toward its parents. It disappears over another snowbank and I consider going after it, but pick myself up and grab my lone arrow and then rush to Raahosh’s side.

“Raahosh?” I press my hand to his chest. There’s blood tingeing his mouth and his eyes are closed. There’s a small puddle of blood where his head was and a sob escapes me at the sight of it. I press against the armored skin over his heart and hear it beating, slow and steady.

Oh, thank God. For a moment, I want to fling my arms around his big blue neck and cry my brains out, but I look up the cliff, my arrow clutched in hand, waiting to see if the others are coming down after me and the child.

But there’s nothing. For several minutes, there’s nothing and I sit alert at Raahosh’s side, waiting. I can keep waiting, or I can help him. I focus on the fallen man at my side. I run my hands over him, trembling, trying to assess the damage. His leg is at an odd angle, and his breathing is shallow, but I can’t tell if he’s broken ribs or worse. I try not to think about that. His cootie starts up at my touch, and I hope that’s a good sign. “I’m going to get you out of here,” I whisper to his unconscious body. “You can count on me. It’s going to be all right.”

I wish he’d wake up and smile at me. Or frown. Or something. But he’s so still.

One of the metlaks twitches and makes a wounded sound. I gasp and turn to it, my hands scrambling to find a weapon. The only thing I have is my last arrow, and my bow was left atop the ridge.

But it’s not getting up. It makes a pitiful cry and jerks on the ground, as if trying to get itself up but can’t. Its hips are at an odd angle, and as I look around, I see another metlak is moving, just a little. I look at the top of the ridge to see if the others are going to return, but there’s no sign of them.

I think these wounded ones have been left for dead.

My heart gives an uncomfortable little squeeze. Even I wouldn’t wish this kind of pain on our attackers. The sounds they’re making are horrible, and I glance around and spy Raahosh’s bone blade a short distance away. I grab it and stand over one of the wounded creatures. There are five of them in total, but only two are moving. I don’t know that it was a big enough fall to kill them, and I don’t know what I’ll do if they wake up and attack again.

I’m low on options. So I kneel beside the first one. “I’m sorry,” I say, and cut its throat. I remind myself that it’s a mercy killing. That it’s kill or be killed out here, and that it’s wounded beyond its ability to get up and limp home. It still doesn’t make me feel any better. It was easier to do this when they were attacking and there was no time to think or process. I move to the next creature. It’s unmoving, but I cut its throat anyhow, just to be sure. By the time I finish the last one, I’m spattered in blood and crying.

I move to Raahosh’s side and touch my fingers to his cheek. Does he feel cool? Oh God. I don’t know what to do. “Please don’t die on me, Raahosh. Please, please.” I lean over him and give in to girly tears for a bit longer, sobbing. Then, I sit up and wipe my eyes, because tears won’t make it magically better.

I have to get him home to our cave.

“Okay, think, Liz,” I tell myself, and glance around, sniffing. “You have a big honking alien you can’t carry and can’t walk, and you need to get him home.”

I look over at Raahosh and wonder if my cootie has made me stronger. Can I drag him? Our home cave is up the cliff and a few miles away, but there’s got to be a way back up that doesn’t involve the shitty footpath I came down. There has to be another way around. I just have to find it. I stand up and examine Raahosh, then grab his arm and tentatively tug on it.