CHAPTER 4

Camp setup consisted of the leader, Kenahi, giving orders to the five others. Four left the clearing, scouting for god knew what. Food? Trouble? Mia was too tired to care. She waited, wearily, next to the little hut. When he had finished speaking with the others, Kenahi turned to the women. His armor morphed back into the vest he had initially worn, the blade liquifying and flowing up his arm to join it.

Armor that shifted and changed and provided weapons when needed…she wondered if she could get her hands on a set. Failing that, maybe she could swipe one of the light tools they carried.

She studied him. Everything about these men screamed predator. It was so easy to compare them to the big cats of Earth, especially given the nature of their markings, and yet they were incredibly human looking, as well. She remembered his explanation that they shared ancestors with those of Earth. It seemed so very unreal that she was on some alien planet with actual aliens.

The sisters shrunk back, making themselves small against the wooden walls of the hut.

“You have all done well,” he encouraged them, ensuring he included each woman in his assessment. There was really nothing to say to that. Were they supposed to be grateful for the praise?

“There will be a meal shortly and then you must rest. Tomorrow's journey begins at dawn.”

The blond woman hid a muffled groan and buried her face in her hands.

“Is the water safe?” Mia asked. She was sweaty and exhausted. Since they entered the area with the waterfall and pool, the only thing she could think about was jumping in and washing away the grit and grime that covered her skin. She wanted to, but dare she risk the implications? So far, the men had required nothing from them other than the grueling journey, but she hadn't forgotten that it was only women they had kidnapped. That left true bathing out of the question.

Kenahi inclined his head.

She sighed, debating with herself. Eventually her need to be clean overcame her caution and she approached the water. The basin in which it sat was stone covered, leaving the water with a crystal clarity usually reserved for mountain streams. She removed her shoes and socks, revealing them to the evening air before dipping them tentatively into the water. Cool, sweet relief caressed the sore appendages and, before long, she had rolled up her pant legs as far as they would go and waded deeper. She scooped at the water and rubbed her arms and face, cleansing them as best she could. It was hard not to groan with relief and pleasure at the simple motions, but she was determined to remain as unnoticed as possible. Unfortunately, Kenahi, and the cheetah marked man, Morkuth, watched unabashedly. Mia ignored them as best she could and leaned forward to dip her head into the water, wetting the mop of chestnut curls and scratching them and her scalp.

The other women must have gauged the risk worth it, as well. Soon, all but Becky joined her in the pool, sighing softly at the privilege of cleansing after a long hard day.

Mia had climbed from the water and wrung out her hair, ignoring the gross feeling of the damp strands soaking the back of her t-shirt, when the first of the scouts returned. He popped out of the bushes on the far side of the little open space, his cat-like amber eyes glancing over the women, brows raised in surprise before striding directly to his leader. They spoke in low, serious tones.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not make out what they were saying. She gave up after a moment and took time to rinse her socks out and lay them across a large flat slab of a rock. By the time she had finished, the other women had emerged from the pool.

She studied them. Large circles clung to their eyes and they had an almost sickly pallor to them; shock and trauma would do that, but they seemed alright for the circumstances. Except Becky. The woman hadn't risked the water. She sat, curled into the same ball Mia had first seen her in, her chestnut bob stringy with sweat and clinging against her neck.

Mia hesitated, wondering if it was worth coercing the woman to clean herself. Her posture clearly said she wished to be left alone.

Gorth appeared from behind the water pool, large flat leaves strewn across his right arm and a collection of round fruits. Within moments, all of the men had returned and a central fire had been lit. The women were ushered toward it's warmth as dusk cooled the air and brought with it the first hint of rain. This time when the meal was offered, Mia took it gratefully, nearly unable to keep herself from grabbing at the food and shoving as much in her mouth as she could handle. Her fingers shook with the effort it took to control herself. The offering was simple: a bread, dry and cracker like, fruits and some form of white cube that Mia had thought was cheese, but turned out to be sweet and silky, with almost a jello like consistency. Gorth threw a few of the broad leaves on the fire. They burned slowly, the sap within them boiling and burning, letting out a sweet-smelling smoke.

“For the biting bugs,” Morkuth caught her curious glance. “The smoke of the Binia sap keeps them at bay.”

Now that he mentioned it, there were less insects around the fire. It was nothing like the swarms of long black fliers that had harassed them during their trek through the forest.

“Huh.” She was too tired to be enthusiastic about conversation with her kidnappers. How was it that any of this was even real? She had been kidnapped by cat-men aliens. Why? What had she ever done wrong to the gods of fate? And speaking of cats...

“Hey! What about Kiki?” she looked at Morkuth. When he gave her nothing but a blank confused stare in return, she looked at Kenahi. His brows crashed together over those intense green eyes.

“Kiki?”

“Yeah,” the panic she had been so good at holding off threatened to break through her calm demeanor. “My cat, she's still in the city. Alone. She'll die because you took me and there's no one to look after her.”

“A cat,” Kenahi frowned as if unsure this was some sort of joke, or maybe her words didn't translate well. She rubbed the lump on her temple.

“Yes, a pet. Small, helpless. It's beyond cruel to leave her without even a way to even fend for herself.”

A corner of Kenahi's lip curled in a good approximation of disgust. “The small feline of your domicile. It is not worthy of the title, more like a rodent with a bad attitude.”

Mia frowned. “What did you do with Kiki?”

“Relax, woman. The...pet...,” he sounded the word out, “would have been released when your domicile was cleared.”

Released. Well, she guessed that was better than being trapped in the apartment until she starved. Poor Kiki.

“What do you mean cleared?”

Kenahi disinclined to answer.

Exhaustion claimed her, the little surge of panic ebbing and taking with it all semblance of energy or ability to care. Mia rose without a word and made her way to the hut, claiming one of the beds that had been rolled out on the ground. A thin blanket lay on each, but they were clean. Yes, they had been well prepared for.