Upon a Savage Shore Ch. 11

Liam was glad for the break. He wasn't out of shape, but the long days of short hikes had lessened his stamina for road marches. He could see how tired the jZav'Etch were and he thought it was just as well that they need not light a fire to cook on. Rather than suffer through any more of the hyena-frog meat he distributed cuts of the flying creature's breast meat. It tasted far better and the cats liked it as much as he did, if not more.

While they ate, the stretchers charged. Tomorrow would be another long day and he had no idea how much sunlight would come through the trees. That was one of the key reasons he and the commander had selected this knoll. There were few trees growing from its rocky soil and the steep cliff prevented any at all growing on the western side. The afternoon sun poured down, rapidly recharging the power cells. Likely, they would have three fully charged stretchers when they set out in the morning.

Liam took the first watch, sitting behind a low boulder at the edge of the camp. He could look down the slope from there and his suit's sensors would warn him of anything moving in the shadows of the trees. Everyone was tired, Tem'Ma'tel most of all. Her leg wound had sidelined her for so long that she simply didn't have the stamina the others did. As soon as she'd eaten she had found a soft, mossy spot and curled up to sleep. The others soon followed her example and Liam was left in the quiet of the forest to watch over them.

"Isn't that what big, powerful male lions do?" he murmured with an ironic smirk. "Protect the pride? Keep everyone safe?"

And it really was. He hadn't looked at himself in that light before, but now that he did Liam rather liked the notion. He glanced at the sleeping females and smiled. jZav'Etch were not lions any more than he was, but the two dTel'Qohar could have been mistaken for them just now, especially M'pel E'kmel with her golden fur. Tem'Ma'tel's fur was more of a ruddy copper and Liam wondered if that was due to the difference in age or perhaps it was more along the lines of Human women having dark or light hair.

A warning chirp from his sensors drew his attention back to the forest below. Something large was moving around down there out of his line of sight. It was some distance off, so no immediate threat, but he monitored it just to be safe.

Hours passed and the sun slowly sank in the west. It was twilight before M'pel E'kmel came to him and settled in the grass behind the boulder.

"You should sleep now, Sergeant," she said, laying a hand on the fero-plas rifle. "I'll take this watch."

"It's only been six hours," he said.

"And a very long day before that," she replied easily. "I could not say so in front of the others, but I was as frightened as they during the incident at the pod."

He removed his helmet and set it on the boulder. With a lopsided smile he said, "Well, to tell the truth, Commander, I was a little scared, too. Never liked bugs. Didn't want to fall either."

"Then it is well that you did not," she said and moved her hand to his arm.

He couldn't feel it through the armor, but he knew her hand was there and she was so close. At that moment, with the two younger females asleep, Liam was very tempted to kiss her. M'pel E'kmel was watching his eyes and there was no sign she would object. And then her eyes went wide, flashing up to the twilit sky. Alarmed, Liam spun and looked up. A thin streak of white shone high in the atmosphere.

"Is it a ship?" she asked breathlessly.

He jammed his helmet back on and tracked the smoky streamer as it slowly flowed to the east. His scopes were good, but whatever it was, was too high for him to make much of it. As far as he could tell, though, it was not under power.

"I don't think it is," he said after a while. "It's too big to be a meteorite. Probably some of the debris from the battle. It's been a while since the fight. A lot of that stuff was drifting this way. Planet's gravity probably just pulled it in."

"Oh," she sighed, sounding relieved. "Well, Sergeant, I think it is best if you get some sleep, don't you?"

He glanced back at her. M'pel E'kmel's hand was still on his arm, but the look in her eyes had changed. She was thinking about business now, not romance. Liam smiled, a little disappointed. He removed his helmet for her to use and rose to find a spot near Clot'ilda to lay down. Soon he was asleep, dreaming of home.

A pleasurable sensation woke him. Warm lips and a deft tongue played over his manhood and he raised his head, unable to see much by only the moonlight. Clot'ilda had unfastened his leg armor and opened his fatigues to get at his crotch. Her head rose and fell slowly as she sucked on his length. Realizing he had awakened she paused with just the tip in her mouth and gave him a smile, her eyes twinkling mischievously like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She plunged down again, engulfing his full length, sending shivers of hot delight through his body.

Liam glanced to see that Tem'Ma'tel was on watch and M'pel E'kmel lay not more than a meter away, sleeping soundly.

"You are a naughty girl," he whispered to Clot'ilda. She rose off his hardness and gave him a wicked grin before plunging back down, never breaking eye contact. Her little hand gripped the base of his shaft firmly, the way she knew he liked and she sucked hard before pulling away to catch her breath. She was really good at this part and Liam lay his head back to enjoy it.

Clot'ilda had been practicing her technique for a couple of weeks now and she knew just how to bring her mate to the edge before letting him down again. She began by drawing his full length into her mouth and throat and slowly pulling away, her lips pressed tight to his shaft. She felt him shudder the way he always did. Her next move was to take only the rounded head between her lips, playing her tongue over it and around the sensitive rim. When she tasted the salty tang of his fluid she knew it was time to swallow him again.

Over and over she repeated the technique, bringing him to the edge and sending him gently back, prolonging his pleasure. Finally, when she felt he could hold back no more she began running her hand up and down the shaft, enjoying the contrast of the soft skin and the surprising hardness. Her mate had to better than any jZav'Etch could hope to be.

Her hand moved faster, up and down, and her lips closed over the head. She heard his breath coming in faster gasps and just for one more teasing moment before he climaxed she brushed the sensitive head with her teeth. Instantly her mouth filled with the hot, sharp tang of his seed. Salty and wonderful it washed over her tongue and she swallowed, delighted she had brought pleasure to her mate. She knew he would not be able to pleasure her this night, but she had gotten her reward. More of his seed sprayed into her mouth and she pumped his shaft, wanting to capture every last drop. When his shudders ended and there was no more seed for her swallow, Clot'ilda kissed the head then settled in to lick the shaft clean. Her mate was satisfied.

+>0<+

Laying in the grass near Sergeant Carter, M'pel E'kmel heard Clot'ilda rise quietly and go to him. She heard the little Pah'Tht work the fastenings loose and the rustle of cloth when his trousers were pulled aside. M'pel E'kmel smiled at the scent in the air. She knew what the little devil was doing.

The first sounds of Clot'ilda's ministrations were pleased purrs and those were soon followed by the snort of the sergeant waking. She had done it right, then. M'pel E'kmel pictured the look on his face and remembered his naked body before the attack at the stream. The heat in her loins grew, but she did not reach down to satisfy herself. That might disturb the pleasures of the lovers. She instead listened to every sound, every gasp and purr and every noise of tongue on flesh.

One day, Sergeant, it will be my tongue you will gasp at, she thought. One day I will come to you alone in the night and make you howl with pleasure the like of which is told only in stories of ancient lovers.

M'pel E'kmel sighed and listened, enjoying the sounds and scents until she fell back to sleep.

+>0<+

Tem'Ma'tel, sitting behind the boulder, also heard the lovers as Clot'ilda pleasured her mate. She was not as philosophical as the commander, but she enjoyed the sounds and scents all the same. Out here in this wilderness the scent of SarJ'ant seemed perfectly natural. His ancestors were creatures of the forest and he was at home in a sense. It was right that he should be hear with his mate, doing what they were doing.

I will give you your chance to proclaim Ka' chasck, SarJ'ant, she thought. And when you do I will accept and then we shall see who can make you cry out with pleasure the loudest. And we shall see who will take the most pleasure from you.

Tem'Ma'tel's smile was not broad but her eyes smoldered as she looked into the night-shrouded forest below. She wanted to be the one who brought SarJ'ant to his knees, shuddering in the throes of pleasure. And she wanted to be the one he brought to her knees gasping with desire and wanting more.

"And his scars are so handsome," she murmured softly to the night.

+>0<+

Before dawn they reloaded all of the supplies and made ready to continue their march. It would be another long day and likely they would still not reach the place Liam and M'pel E'kmel has selected for their new home. Even when they got there their trek would not be complete. The area would need to be searched and properly scouted. They couldn't just drop their gear and put up a tent. They wanted the best situation they could get, so another temporary camp would be established while they searched and surveyed. More days of work were ahead of them, but at the end, if they did everything right, they would have a home they would not need to abandon.

As the sun rose over the horizon the castaways descended the rocky knoll and trekked north and east. Tem'Ma'tel had to hack a path through vines and thorn bushes several times until they could pick up another game trail that would take them more or less where they wanted to go. Time and again they paused to consult the survey map and reorient their route.

By mid-morning they were all tired and glad to stop by another stream, this one with a fast current and deep bottom. M'pel E'kmel and Clot'ilda knelt upon rocks at the edge of the water and snatched half a dozen fish for their morning meal. Liam declined to eat the things raw and made do with a couple slices of hyena-frog, still not caring much for the flavor.

"How do you know you do not like something if you do not try it?" M'pel E'kmel asked with a smile.

"I've eaten sushi," he said. "No thank you."

The females laughed at the face he made and enjoyed their meal. Later, as they were getting their packs on, the sensors chimed an alert. Liam checked his scope and found several large animals about a hundred meters down their back trail.

"What do you think, Sergeant?" the commander asked softly.

"I think one of these things was near our camp last night," he replied feathering the gain on his active sensors. "And I think they are blade-beasts. They got way closer than they should have with the passive sensors. It was an active sweep that picked them up."

"Are they hunting us?"

"Might be," he said and drew one of his EP 12s. "The three of you move on up the valley about a hundred meters. I'm going to wait here and give them something to think about."

"We should all stay," the commander argued.

"I stay," said Clot'ilda firmly, taking her deq'istle from her shoulder.

"Tem'Ma'tel stay," said the jZav'Etch Marine, closing ranks with the little Pah'Tht.

Liam considered them, seeing he would not be able to dissuade the females from backing him up. Finally he gave a nod.

"Alright," he said. "Get the gear down the trail, out of sight. I don't want them knowing we're here until it's too late."

Tem'Ma'tel and Clot'ilda moved the stretcher as he instructed and returned looking anxious.

"You all can climb a lot better than I can," Liam said. "Can you get up those trees and work your way back in this direction without touching the ground?"

The cats looked to where he pointed. Several large trees grew near the bank of the stream, their bows overhanging other trees that were progressively smaller as they grew farther from the water. M'pel E'kmel nodded in answer.

"Good," Liam said. "I'm going to hide in that brush. You will overlook the trail. When I pop up and start shooting, take out the ones in the rear first and work your way through the pack towards me. I'll bottleneck them on the trail."

"Should we not simply try to run them off?" M'pel E'kmel asked.

"I don't want these fuckers coming after us again, Commander," he said in a hard voice.

They dispersed, getting into their positions. Liam figured he had done as much as he could to protect the women since they were adamant about protecting him. He settled in behind the roots of a tree and set his sensors to active sweeps. Gradually, the hunting pack crept up to the area of the stream their noses low to the ground and eyes wary. Liam focused on calming himself the way he always did before a fight.

The leader of the pack was no more than ten meters from him when he rolled up to a knee and put a wadcutter round through its forehead. The beast didn't even have a chance to call a warning to its pack mates before Liam shot the next one. Then all hell broke loose as the jZav'Etch rained fired down from above.

The blade-beasts screamed and bellowed their confusion as their pack was annihilated. Blasts of livid purple struck their backs, blowing holes through them and the deathly specter in charcoal and black that spat pain held its ground, blocking their path. There was no escape and fear drove them desperately on.

The jZav'Etch, fearing for the life of their Human male, had no mercy. Liam found himself grinning grimly as he put shot after lethal shot into sleek, black-feathered bodies. He felt nothing but satisfaction at the destruction of the creatures as the females' fire advanced towards him like a rolling barrage. The last of the creatures died two meters in front him with a four millimeter hole in its forehead and a gapping crater at the back of its skull. Wadcutter ammunition didn't leave a margin for flesh wounds.

The females swarmed down from their perches in the trees with hunting cries bursting from their throats. They charged Liam and smothered him in hugs, nips and kisses, each cheering and making the offer of 'Take!', even M'pel E'kmel.

Laughing and glad the ambush had worked so well, Liam hugged them back. He stopped Tem'Ma'tel from dropping her trousers and had to restrain the affectionate Clot'ilda from trying to do more, but he was gratified nonetheless.

"Alright, ladies!" he said through his laughter. "Well done! Very well done. We need to get on our..."

Liam was cut off by a thunderous bellow from the far side of the deep stream and suddenly his sensors shrieked a warning of an active search. He checked his scope instantly and found a massive animal coming their way fast. No time to hide. No time to run. They all turned their weapons on the new threat, their victory forgotten.

On the far bank a stand of saplings thrashed and toppled as a giant animal smashed through them and charged to the edge of the stream, scattering debris into the water. It had multiple eyes and a heavy, fur covered hide. The beast stamped and bellowed again, triggering Liam's sensors into another alert. The great beast swung its massive head from side to side, slamming ivory tusks into thick trees, gouging chunks from their bark and snapping branches. Its feet tore at the stream's bank like trench diggers and its bellow deafened the four of them. When it finally calmed, its dark eyes glared a warning at the puny interlopers.

"Did anyone piss themselves?" Liam asked, chuckling nervously.

"I thought about it," M'pel E'kmel breathed.

"Felt tickle, SarJ'ant," Tem'Ma'tel said quietly. "Tickle. Head, arms, chest all tickle."

"Yeah," he said, giving her a pat on the arm without taking his eyes from the elephantine creature. "It triggered my sensors when it roared."

The beast swayed from side to side and pawed the ground at its feet again. Very slowly it turned back into the forest, sending another wave of whatever it was at them, triggering the sensors again.

"Tickle," said Clot'ilda.

"Presumably, this creature explains the nature of the blade-beast's coats," M'pel E'kmel said. "We should leave before we do something that might bring it back."

"I'm with you on that one, Commander," Liam agreed emphatically and they gathered up their gear and marched on.