Upon a Savage Shore Ch. 18

"They frighten me," Chhal said and popped his lips. His ears flapped against his neck and he leaned on his mother's shoulder. "I do not like it here."

"We will learn their ways and you will see they are not so frightening," she said, placing her arm around him. "Think on this. The warrior could have killed many in the kraal yesterday. He chose not to. He punished those who offended him. The two who had stolen his mate. He killed only one. He is just and wise. His mate that came down to us in the morning could have slain all of us, and yet she took my hand gently. I know she smelled of death and ashes, but she was kind. Even the black pelt upon her shoulders spoke of her power, yet she restrained that power. She chose to speak and listen. This was wise and we will not be harmed by them."

"Mother, one comes!" Chhal said, taking his head from her shoulder.

Sscuha looked up and saw the small female crossing the plaza from one of the doorways. She carried a cloth in her hands filled with colorful round things. Sscuha sniffed deeply of the air and smiled.

"Fruit," she said to Chhal. "She brings fruit. Be polite. Eat even if you do not care for it."

"Yes, mother," Chhal said and straightened a little. "I will not offend."

***********

When Liam and M'pel E'kmel crossed through the scrubby growth of the plaza to the stream they found the two Fauns and Clot'ilda in the shade of one of the few fruit trees growing on the nearside of the channel. Clot'ilda was offering different fruits to the mother and child and eating one or two herself.

"Someone is making progress, at least," the commander said with a slight smile.

"She's got a good heart," Liam said.

"She is a good First," M'pel E'kmel said and gave Liam a meaningful look.

"I got lucky," Liam nodded.

"Lucky?" she smiled and there was something that flickered behind her eyes, but her smile was genuine. "Yes. Lucky."

Liam wondered about that look in the commander's eyes as they crossed the remaining space and stopped a few meters from the trio sitting in the shade. Clot'ilda paused in mid-bite and looked up to see her mate on his feet. For a heartbeat she could do nothing and then she bounced to her feet and threw herself into his arms the way she so often had. Liam caught her, stumbling back a couple of steps, wincing with the sudden pain in his side. He held her tight as she purred and wept into his shoulder.

"Liam okay," Clot'ilda whispered. "Liam okay."

"I'm alright," he assured her gently. "Are you alright, Babydoll? Where's Tem'Ma'tel? Is she alright?"

Even as he asked there came a rushing through the scrub and Tem'Ma'tel burst onto the scene, throwing her arms around both of them. She too purred and rubbed her muzzle on Liam's neck, but Tem'Ma'tel did not cry or whimper. She only held them in her arms for a moment and then let them go, resuming her usual stoic demeanor. Liam shot a warm, affectionate look at her and reached an arm out, gathering Tem'Ma'tel back into the embrace.

"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost either of you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Don't scare me like that again."

"You see how he cares for them?" Sscuha asked her son. "We will be well treated here. They are not so different from the High Grass folk."

Commander M'pel E'kmel was not merely pleased to see all three on their feet again. She was nearly joyous. Her fatigue and all her toils throughout the night in trying to save them and safeguard them as they recovered were well worth this one moment. And yet the commander felt a little left out. At least she did until Liam reached out and pulled her into the embrace as well.

When Liam could no longer support Clot'ilda's weight he somewhat reluctantly released the three females and eased his First back to the ground. He was sweating and his head felt light, but the hug had been good for his spirits.

"Commander," he said and his voice was thick with emotion again. "Thank you for saving us. Without you I don't know that any one of us would have survived the night. I owe you a big one."

"Sergeant, I am glad you all are recovering," she said in a steady tone, but her ears were laid straight back and her tail drooped to rest its tip on the ground. "You, any one of you, would have done the same for me. I know you would have. You are welcome."

"I don't know how I can repay you," Liam said, more himself than a moment before.

"I believe, on this world, you will have many opportunities," M'pel E'kmel said with a smile. "I also believe it is time you greeted our new residents and tried to learn their names, at the least."

Several frustrating minutes of failed conversation followed. Liam could make nothing of the speech of the Fauns and they could making nothing of his. Finally the female held up a hand with an expression that looked suspiciously like resignation. Liam furrowed his brow feeling much the same emotion. He listened as the Fauns exchanged a few words and then the female looked at him and waved her hand, indicating he should follow her.

Across the plaza, near the back corner where the villa butted up to the cliff, she stopped. Here were the four animals the villagers had sent with the mother and son. All the goods they had carried were sitting on the stone pavers next to the wall and the animals browsed the grass and shrubs, their short trunks tearing foliage and stuffing it in their mouths at a sedate pace. It was as though they ate out of boredom rather than hunger.

"All these things are yours," Sscuha said with a theatrical sweep of her arm.

"Any idea what she just said?" Liam asked the females behind him.

"I think she is presenting you with these goods," M'pel E'kmel said uncertainly.

"Yes," agreed Clot'ilda.

"Maybe," Liam said. "Let's make her work for it, though."

"What do you mean?" the commander asked.

"If she thinks we didn't understand, she'll try harder to get her point across," he explained. "It's what I had to do with Clot'ilda at first. When she didn't understand, I had to simplify my instructions to single words."

Sscuha frowned at the strange beings as they spoke. Could they really not understand what she was saying? Well, she didn't understand them, so it was likely. She went to the stacked goods and took the two bows and a pair of spears then returned to the group. Stepping up to the big male with a respectful ducking of her head, Sscuha held out one of the bows to him.

"Yours," she said. She moved to the older female with the streaks of soot on her face and repeated the gesture. She gave a spear to each of the others saying, "Yours." with every gift.

"Now we're getting somewhere," said Liam with a smile.

"I feel so much more enlightened," M'pel E'kmel said dryly.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," he quoted.

"Where did you hear that?" M'pel E'kmel asked. "It's a rough translation of one of our ancient Teachers."

"It's a rough translation of one of ours, too," Liam said absently. He squatted down so as not to loom over the little Faun. He pointed to the bow and said, "Bow."

"It is yours," Sccuha said, pushing the bow gently towards him.

"Bow," Liam repeated and turned his head as if listening carefully.

"Mother," Chhal said, stepping up next to her. "He wishes to know what it is called."

Sccuha frowned and popped her lips in frustration.

"Bow," Liam said again. "What do you call it?"

"Bow," Chhal said, before his mother could speak.

Liam went back and forth with the boy a couple of times until he was pretty sure he could remember the whistle and pop that translated to bow. Then he turned to M'pel E'kmel and held out his hand. She passed him her bow and he held it in front of the boy.

"Bow," Chhal said with a pleased flap of his ears.

"Well, Sergeant, it's a start," M'pel E'kmel said. He could hear the smile in her voice. "I think this would be a good occupation for you while you rest."

"Yeah, but we all need to learn as much as we can," he said, rising a little creakily to his full height. "And they'll need to learn as much English as possible. This only works if both sides of the conversation can be understood."

"Of course," the commander agreed.

Liam suddenly felt a soft hand on his arm and he looked to find Tem'Ma'tel standing close to him. She handed the spear to the young Faun and then said, "SarJ'ant, come."

Liam frowned, confused.

"SarJ'ant come," she said again. "I wash. Come."

"Do I smell that bad?" he asked, following as she pulled him gently towards the stream. Her only answer was a flick of her tail and a sly smile. She led him over the stones that crossed the stream to the orchard, and then to a cluster of bushes on the paved bank. Here she pulled him up short and turned him to face her. They were close enough for Liam to smell her feral scent.

"Take off," she whispered in a husky voice, taking the waistband of his trousers between fingers and thumbs. "I wash."

Liam smiled and let her open the clasp and undo his fly.

"As much as I appreciate this, I don't think I'm up to much," he said softly, feeling aroused in spite of his injuries.

Tem'Ma'tel ignored him and slid his trousers down to his knees before unclasping his boots and helping him out of them. It took some small effort, but in a minute Liam was standing in the bushes naked and wondering exactly what his mate had in mind. She dragged one of the hyena-frog hides from under a bush and helped him to sit down on it. Then she produced a bundle of food wrapped in plastic packing material from one of the survival packs and his canteen.

"Eat, SarJ'ant. Drink," she said. "Make SarJ'ant strong. Eat."

Liam frowned, opening the bundle. In it was a couple of antelope steaks, some of the potato-roots and one of the red spotted green fruits he liked. Apparently she wasn't thinking what he had thought she was thinking. Or maybe she was.

Tem'Ma'tel began undressing as he sorted through the contents of the bundle. Liam lost interest in the food immediately and watched as she slowly removed her jacket, letting it fall to the ground with a little shake of her shoulders that caused her small breasts to jiggle enticingly behind the fabric of her undershirt. Her nipples rose at the light friction of the cloth. Her eyes gleamed wickedly and her whiskers vibrated as she watched her mate watching her.

"Come here," he whispered, reaching out a hand, his wounds forgotten.

Tem'Ma'tel took his hand and knelt in front of him, purring softly. She eased close to his face, her whiskers touching his cheeks just before she kissed him. He was already reaching to pull her into an embrace when she jerked away. Liam's eyes snapped open in his confusion, but he saw the satisfied smile on her face.

"SarJ'ant, eat," she purred. "SarJ'ant grow strong. I wash."

With those words she pushed him gently back and rose to her feet again. Liam narrowed his eyes on her, being reminded of a time he and his platoon went to a strip club in Athena, back on Provence. Tem'Ma'tel swished her tail lazily, her hips swayed and she slowly peeled out of her trousers, running them down her shapely legs and then daintily stepping out of them. She flicked her trousers aside and gathered up his bloodied clothes, casting a sly glance at him before slipping into the stream up to her waist.

"Um..." Liam began. He forgot what he was going to ask as soon as she plunged the fatigues into the stream, splashing water on herself, soaking her undershirt. The cold water made her nipples stand out like bullets under the gray cloth now plastered to her breasts. As she sloshed the trousers around in the stream her breasts swayed, now pressed together between her arms, now swaying free. Her shirt plastered itself over her figure and then peeled away loosely to hide her delights once more.

Tem'Ma'tel smiled at her mate, pleased to see him aroused even if he were not yet strong enough to lay with her. She had other plans for later. He would need all his strength for that. For now, though, she was taking M'pel E'kmel's advice about teasing. And the commander's advice had been good.