“Not your female, hmm? Then why is your scent all over her?”
“It’s a long story,” Merrick growled, feeling a bit less delighted to see his kin. Tongs always had been one to speak his mind.
“And one which should be saved for another time, I’m certain.” Shuura took Elise’s hand and made the same formal greeting. Then he smiled at her. “I hope you’re hungry, my dear. Tongs and I have spent the day cooking and we have a feast fit for a starving yager laid out back at our dwelling.”
“That sounds delightful.” Elise gave him a faint smile. “As a matter of fact, I am rather hungry.”
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Tongs stepped forward and bowed from the waist, offering his hand.
Elise took it and then gasped in surprise when he immediately swung her up to sit on one of his broad shoulders. “Oh my!” She looked back at Merrick uncertainly. “Um…is this…is he supposed to…”
“Be at ease, my dear,” Shuura said, nodding at her gravely. “Tongs is merely showing you respect.”
“Shuura’s right,” Merrick said, even though the sight of Elise touching another male—even his own kin, in a completely harmless way—made his jaw clench and his stomach tight. “It’s the way they treat honored female guests here on Rageron. Your feet won’t be allowed to touch the ground until we reach their dwelling.”
“Well…” Elise looked down at Tongs who was grinning up at her. “If you don’t think I’m too heavy…”
He laughed. “Too heavy? Of course not—why, you’re tiny.”
Merrick saw the sudden blush that colored Elise’s cheeks and felt his heart clench like a fist. Those had been almost his exact words to her the night before, when he’d invited her to climb up and lie on him. For a moment their eyes met and he knew she was remembering too, was reliving that warm, intimate moment when their bodies and souls had touched and held, when their hearts had been perfectly aligned…
Then she turned quickly and settled herself more firmly on Tongs’ shoulder and the moment was gone. Merrick sighed as they tramped through the blue-green grass at the edge of the landing field back in the direction of town. Gods, what a mess…
Irritated with himself for his misery, he tried to forget about his conflict with Elise and renew his acquaintance with the planet he had once called home. Everything looked the same as when he’d left it—wild and untamed. The people of Rageron weren’t great builders—they believed in changing the natural environment as little as possible. Which was why the path to the town zigzagged around trees and boulders rather than running in a straight line. And why several of the houses had trees growing out through the middle of their roofs.
This was a time-honored Rageron tradition. If a sapling took root in the floor of a dwelling, it wasn’t pulled up and killed. Instead, it was watered and, when it grew tall enough, a hole was cut in the roof to accommodate it. Such a house was considered to be blessed by the Goddess and also the lesser jungle gods, and was much envied by others.
The town was surrounded by all three sides by the jungle and on the fourth it was edged by a wide, murmuring purple-blue river. The vegetation was mostly dusky gray-blue or pale sky-blue with a few lavender and light green flowers. Even the dirt underfoot had a bluish cast to it as did the sunlight flooding down from Rageron’s sun which was a blue dwarf star.
Merrick heard Elise and Tongs murmuring together and saw the brother of his father pointing out the houses with trees growing out of them. No doubt he was acquainting her with the local culture and explaining Rageron customs. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. I should be doing that. She ought to be riding on my shoulder. But by disavowing her as his female, he had automatically relinquished that right. There was nothing he could do but walk silently behind and try not to listen.
“So,” Shuura murmured, breaking the silence. “Do you want to tell me why you’re actually here, Merrick? I’m guessing it isn’t because you missed this place—you were always restless on Rageron.”
Merrick sighed. “I’m restless everywhere because I don’t fucking belong anywhere. As to why we’re here…” He took a deep breath. It would have been nice to be able to keep his purpose from his kin but he would need their help if the mission was to succeed. “As to why I’m here with Elise, it’s because we need to go into the Deep Blue and bring back a skrillix branch.”
“What?” Shuura gave him a look that plainly said he must have lost his mind. “You want to take an unmated female into the Deep Blue and try to rob the Ancient Ones of their most sacred plant?”