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The building was a hive of activity. Borraq soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms bustled back and forth, speaking in so quickly that Elian didn't understand. Rael made his way to a desk, where a tired-looking Borraq woman sat surrounded by stacks of paperwork. She eyed Elian's cloaked form with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm here to see the outpost's military representative," Rael said.
The woman sighed. "He's left on short notice. Some emergency in Yattara, I don't know the details."
Rael's jaw clenched. "When is he expected to return?"
"I don't know that either. You'll have to go to Yattara and ask him yourself."
Yattara? Was this good, or bad? Elian eyed Rael from the depths of his cloak, trying to work it out.
Rael's shoulders tensed. "Fine."
The woman eyed Elian's much smaller form. "You're welcome to spend the night here. I recognize your clan, alpha. Your territory is far away. We have rooms for travelers, and your young friend must need a rest after such a journey."
Eager relief flooded through Elian. The thought of a soft bed, of sleeping without the constant ache of his feet and the hard ground beneath him, was almost too much to bear.
But Rael's response was a stiff, "No. We have our own accommodations."
Then, without another word, he ushered Elian outside.
Despite the busy crowds, Rael kept Elian closer to his side than ever, his grip on Elian's arm almost painful. Rael's shoulders were tense, his body coiled like a predator about to strike.
Elian was familiar enough with Rael to realize that something was very, very wrong.
They made it outside of the outpost's gate without incident. "What's wrong?" Elian asked in a hushed whisper.
Rael's eyes scanned the environment, his gaze sharp. "I'm not sure," he said. "But my instincts are never wrong."
He didn't relax until they had put a good distance between themselves and the outpost, and he'd found a new camp for them to settle in. This time, he set up their defensive position first, and only then allowed Elian to help him with the rest of the tasks.
Outpost Zekara loomed in the distance, its towering spires a shiny blur against the setting sun. "Is Yattara far?" Elian asked. "Is that a place, or a person?"
"A city." A muscle twitched in Rael's jaw. "Two weeks of good travel."
"I thought you didn't mind a long walk."
"I don't. It's not that." Rael turned to look back towards the outpost. From their new camp, they could look through the trees and see its main gate, but were hidden themselves. "Something was wrong. Military representatives don't often up and leave like that without replacement. And offering you a bed…" He shook his head. "Uncommon hospitality."
Elian's heart beat harder. "What does that mean?"
"Everything. Or nothing." Rael rolled his shoulders, his gaze never leaving the outpost's main gate. "Perhaps I'm jumping at shadows."
"I thought your instincts were never wrong."
That earned Elian a quick flash of a wry smile. "They aren't. Sleep lightly tonight."
Rael tied Elian up for the night as usual, the thick alien rope wrapping around his wrists and keeping him secured. But this time, with the firelight flickering across Rael's face, Elian saw a new glint of something in the alien's eyes.
Two weeks. Two more weeks of travel before his eventual disposal. Elian should have been overjoyed — and yet, a deep tension settled inside him, making his nerves ache.
Two more weeks with Rael.
Despite the weariness that dragged at Elian's bones, sleep was a long time in coming.
As he drifted off, the sound of Rael settling in beside him was both a comfort and a torment.
Chapter nine
