Sam's Secret (Icehome)

"Did Niri send you?" Sessah asks. "Mar-dok's friend?"

"Of course," Kvasaht says. "Good ol' Niri."

He's full of shit. I stroke Sessah's braid, and for the first time, I wish Sessah and his people were more worldly. They're absolute innocents, all of them. They don't know what the rest of the universe is like. They don't know not to trust people. I should have known better, and now we've got this cat-guy examining everything with a critical eye and worrying me. We need to get our story down, and we need to make sure we keep him away from the others until we know it's safe.

It has to be a secret for now. Our secret.

18

SESSAH

Sam does not like the newcomer with the tongue-tangling name. I can tell that from her actions. She smiles and says polite things to him, but her movements are stiff, her replies short, and she remains close to my side at all times. The strange-looking male seems friendly enough. He is confused, and Sam does not want to answer his questions. If she does answer him, she tells him lies. She says we live in this cave permanently, and that it is only her and I on this planet. She says we have been here for years and set up the fruit cave.

And she has not mentioned the khui. When he asks about the glow of our eyes, she tells him it is simply a side effect of living here and his will eventually glow, too.

"I don't plan on staying that long," Kvasaht comments, smiling at Sam.

His smile is…odd. It makes me feel strange, because I do not like that he is smiling at my female. It is resonance that makes me possessive, I decide. Resonance that makes everything the male says seem as if it is a threat. I cannot trust my reactions, because if O'jek were smiling at Sam, I would want to tear the nose off of his face, too. I am simply being possessive because she is mine and I have yet to claim her. It is another painful side effect of resonance, one that makes me question my thoughts.

The male drinks our water and eats many of the fruit we have gathered around the cave. He is too tired to go outside, but he stares at the snow thoughtfully through the entrance to the cave, and it makes me wonder what he is thinking. We talk to him, but conversation is stilted, because he does not seem to wish to answer us, and Sam does not wish to give him answers. I let her do all the talking, because I am not entirely certain what is happening. Tonight we will talk, when we are under the furs alone. Right now, we have no privacy. Kvasaht watches us constantly, seated atop the pile of furs.

I do not know what to do…so I pick fruit.

If there are three mouths to feed, we will need to supplement our meat. We have some dried jerky left, but Sam only brought enough for herself, and I did not bring anything at all when I came after her. I thought only to follow her and catch up before it was too late. Normally I would go and find a cache of meat in the snow, but I do not want to leave the cave. Not right now. I will talk it over with Sam and see what she thinks.

I watch Sam as she gets to her feet, moving across the cave to the small nook with the baskets we use for waste. She moves past me, brushing my arm as she does, and my khui begins to sing loudly in response. So beautiful, my mate. I stare at her as she saunters away, dressed in her leathers again. She has to be warm, but she has opted to cover herself from head to toe, and I know it is because of the newcomer.

"What's the story there?"

The voice of the stranger makes me turn. "Story?" I ask, plucking another ripe fruit and adding it to the basket in my hands. Kvasaht stretches his legs out in front of him, grimacing as he does, and I wonder if he is sore from his time in the pod. If so, perhaps some leaves would make him feel better. J'shel introduced me to chakk-leaf, which the islanders like to chew or smoke to make their thoughts foggy. I do not like the taste, so I avoid it, but maybe Kvasaht needs medication. "Do you feel well? Can I offer you anything?"

He lifts his furry chin, indicating Sam. "You can tell me about that pretty piece."

Pride for my lovely mate wars with my possessiveness. "Her name is Sam. I can get you some chakk-leaf if you do not feel well. It eases the muscles. Do you want some? Or water?"