Madas turned in an elegant circle to look darkly at Star. “You need help?” She growled out menacingly. “The Kassis lord is mistreating you?”
Star released a deep sigh and shook her head. She motioned with one hand for Madas to have a sit on the long, dark burgundy couch in the center of their living area. Star sat down on a matching chair across from her. There was a small, delicately carved crystal table between them. A refreshment tray containing hot tea, dozens of small pastries and breads, and a mixture of fresh fruit had been brought in earlier.
“Not unless being kept on a pedestal is considered mistreatment,” Star reluctantly responded. She reached over and poured Madas and her some tea. “Would you like some pastries, bread, or fruit? They always bring me way too much. Plus, it isn’t much fun eating alone all the time.”
Madas reached over and gingerly took the small cup of hot liquid from Star. She then proceeded to load a plate full of each of the items. She always did like the food and drink on this planet. It was one of the few that reminded her of her home.
Madas grinned when she saw Star’s eyes widened at the size of the helping on her plate. “I am much larger than you, little warrior, and never turn down the delicious food available here. It reminds me of my home. My clan lives at the edge of the great mountains. We grow much of our own food there. Fruit hangs heavy from the trees that surround our village and the grasses along the snow ridges are used to make breads. We are careful of the amount of meat we eat. Gril’s clan comes from closer to the desert where there is not an abundance of such things. His clan survives primarily on the flesh of the animals that live in the region,” Madas explained.
Star looked at the huge, dark green, brown, and black creature closely. She could see the beauty in the way her skin formed into soft scales. Her head was delicately curved with a series of ridges along the top that flowed down like waves of hair. Her skin was very soft and dry, not hard and wet like she had expected. She wore a long-sleeved light tan shirt with a darker brown vest over it and soft, dark brown pants tucked into mid-calf length soft, brown boots. Around each wrist was a band of what looked like gold. Her claw-like fingers were slender and the nails, while very long, were carefully manicured. Her long tail wound down along her side and the tip curled around one ankle like a cape.
“You are very beautiful,” Star murmured out loud before she blushed in embarrassment.
Madas chuckled as she leaned back. “Thank you, little warrior. It is not often that other species look beyond what they want to see. Most think of the Tearnats as a savage species with little culture or capacity for caring,” Madas said, her eyes sad for a moment. “I am just as guilty. When I first saw Gril….,” her husky, warm voice faded as a small rose color filled her face.
“Oh no you don’t,” Star said in fascination. “You are so not going to start and not finish! How did you two meet?”
Madas blushed again and looked down at the plate in her lap. “He was on a training mission. The single fighter ship he was in developed engine problems and he was forced to land. He had never been to the mountainous regions of our home world before. My clan was very isolated at the time. My mother led our clan after my father died. In our clan, the females were taught to fight as well as the males. My mother believed it was important that all members of the clan be ready to defend it if necessary. There are many animals that live in the mountains that would not hesitate to attack. We were excellent hunters and trackers. I learned how to use the plants to heal from my grandmother.” Madas paused to take a small bite out of the fresh fruit on her plate. Her eyes closed briefly as the sweet juice flowed down her throat. When her eyes opened, they glittered with humor. “I saw Gril’s fighter landing in a meadow half a mountain away from our village. I rushed to see what it was as I had never seen one before. When he stepped out of it and turned, I thought I had never seen an uglier male in my life!”
“You thought Gril was ugly?” Star asked amazed.
Madas chuckled. “You have to understand, I had never seen a male like him before. He was all muscle and he was bigger and paler than the males of our clan. He gets his coloring from the desert.”
Star nodded. She had wondered why Gril was so much lighter than Madas. He also had just one ridge on his head and his teeth were longer and sharper. His coloring was more like the color of the desert camouflage outfits that the military wore back home.
“So, what happened?” Star asked impatiently. “What did he do when he saw you?”
“He didn’t…. at first,” Madas responded with a glint in her eyes. “Remember, he was in my territory. I knew how to hunt, track, and remain hidden. I was the best warrior in our clan and the daughter of the leader. But, I underestimated his ability to sense he was not alone. He is very good at trusting his instincts and he had experienced war where I had not. For two days, we played with each other. He would disappear, trying to circle around me while I would stay one step ahead of him. I grew to respect his skills as he came closer and closer to me.” Her voice grew warm as her memories flooded her. “On the third day, he caught me. He had set a trap and I walked into it.”