Steph's Outcast

Juth studies me, his arms full. He sets Pak down and touches his son's cheek. "Can you walk?"

Pak nods bravely, and Juth smiles down at him, brushing a tender hand over his son's face. He puts the heavy basket on his hip and then holds his other hand out to me. Oh.

"Come," he says, his voice strong and authoritative. "I have you."

I blink, because it seems an absurd thing. I should be the one taking care of them. I should be helping Juth comfort Pak, not the two of them comforting me. I'm a settled, logical, educated adult. I should be in control…even if I want to cry.

But the hand extended outward is…nice. I reach out to take it, getting to my feet—

—or I try to. The moment I put pressure on my bad ankle, white-hot fire shoots up my leg and I nearly black out from the suddenness of it. I topple over into the sand again, my lungs heaving, and it takes everything I have not to puke from the pain. I'm very conscious of them waiting on me, and when one of the creatures makes an angry sound, I know I can't stay. I know I can't remain on this beach. I have to go. I raise a finger in the air, lungs heaving. "Just…moment…"

You can do this, Steph, I pep talk myself. You can rest your ankle when you're safe. You've got to get away from here with Pak and Juth. You can't stay. What if those creatures get hungry? I roll onto my hands and knees, careful not to put pressure on my foot, and manage—somehow—to get upright.

The moment I do, Juth puts an arm around my waist, tugging me against his side. "Lean on me."

I don't need to be told twice. I slide my arm around his hip and do my best to keep the pressure off my foot. Oh god. Just putting any sort of weight on it makes me break out in a cold sweat and pain scale up my leg. Later, I tell myself. You can have a sprained ankle later. I take a hesitant, hopping step forward and nearly pull Juth down to the ground with me, but he keeps us upright. I manage another step. And then another.

"To the cave, Pak," Juth tells his son. "Do you know the way?"

"I remember," the boy sing-songs.

A cave? They have a cave?

I want to ask so many questions, but when I take another step, it requires everything I have not to puke from the agony. I can ask about the cave later, I decide, and sweat rolls down my face.

11

JUTH

The female is stronger and braver than I thought.

She is obviously terrified and in pain. But she does not complain, and even though she puts no pressure on her foot, she walk-hobbles at my side up through the rocky paths along the cliffs toward the small cave that Pak and I like to use on the days when the wind is too cold against bare skin. It is tricky for me to walk with Steff tugging against me all the time, and I wish we could go faster, but I know she does the best she can. I would hand the food to Pak and let him carry it, but it is too heavy for his small arms and he has had to endure enough this day.

He is doing well, my son. He is not frightened, or screaming. He is calm, looking to me for guidance. I could not be prouder of him. I wish I could carry him as a father should, but my arms are full.

Pak looks up at me, all wide eyes. "Papa, are the big creatures going to eat us?"

I shake my head. "They are not here to eat. Watch how they move." I pause and we turn to look at the creatures piling up on the shore. Each one is enormously huge, tearing up the sand and pushing aside rocks in their haste to get onto the beach. "They do not snap at each other or attack the wounded." I point at one that has an old, scabbed over graze on its shell that looks as if it has healed badly. It is surrounded by the others, and I am reminded of herds that protect the weak by moving them toward the middle of the group. "And you saw how they reacted when I approached, did you not? They did not like my nearness, but they did not attack otherwise. They are territorial, like kaari, but they do not eat us. We are still leaving, though. They are so big they will crush us without a second thought, and so we must be very careful."

Pak looks fascinated. He touches my hip. "Do you think I can ride one when I get older? Like the one female rides the golden bird?"