Page 23 of Feast

There was no question about the world that Gunnar could not answer.

Until now.

They had found this creature bound and caged by the nith. As a matter of fact, the pack leader Thusar had caught the animal’s cage as it was flung out of the wrecked nith vehicle.

Gunnar and his pack brothers had made short work of the few nith survivors, slitting the bastard’s throats with their stone knives. They had rummaged through the remains of the vehicle, though there had been little of value there.

After that, they had departed the scene of the wreck. Slaine and Muk carried the cage between them as they ran. They returned to their campsite long enough to gather their goods, and then they had made a quick hike to this cave, which they had spotted on the previous day.

It was the perfect place to inspect their prize without interruptions.

By the time they reached the cave, the naked creature had been shivering violently from the cold, so they had built a fire and placed the cage nearby to warm the freezing animal.

“Gunnar?” Thusar repeated. “What is this thing?”

Gunnar shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he reluctantly admitted.

In fact, he had never seen anything quite like it in his life. It was similar to an ukkur in some respects. But in others it was totally different. Whatever it was, however, the nith had clearly taken an interest in it.

“It’s still shivering,” Muk pointed out. He was the youngest of the pack. “It must still be cold. Should we put it closer to the fire?”

Gunnar grunted. He stepped forward and started to insert one finger through the metal mesh of the cramped cage.

“Careful,” Thusar growled. “That thing could be dangerous. You saw the bandages on some of those nith back there.”

Yes. Gunnar had seen.

Whatever this creature was, its small size and helpless appearance belied its ferocious nature. It had taken some chunks out of those nith bastards, and that fact endeared him to the creature instantly. Anything that was opposed to the nith was alright in his mind.

“It’s bound pretty tightly,” Gunnar said with a shrug. “I believe it’s safe.”

He reached through the metal grating of the cage and petted the creature’s skin with one finger. It was so smooth and so warm.

“Doesn’t feel cold anymore,” Gunnar said. “I think it’s shivering because it’s afraid.”

He looked around at his pack brothers. Muk, the youngest, was looking on in curious anticipation. Then there was Slaine, the silent one. He was unreadable as ever. If anything, Slaine was staring at the caged creature like he wanted to eat it. Last, Gunnar looked at Thusar, his oldest friend and the leader of the pack. He seemed to be deep in thought about something.

“I’m going to inspect the creature further,” Gunnar said.

Thusar nodded his assent.

Gunnar crouched and circled the cage, letting his eyes travel over the creature’s flesh. His nostrils flared as he drank in the fragrant scents that were wafting from every nook and recess of its shivering body.

Gods, those scents excited him in ways that he could not explain.

He moved around to the front of the cage. The creature was not entirely hairless. A mane of long, dark fur grew from its head and spilled over its face. One pretty brown eye gazed out at Gunnar through that curtain of hair.

Though the creature seemed afraid, it made no sound. That was probably because the lower part of its face was covered by a mask which the nith had probably put there to keep it from biting.

“Do you think it’s a sick ukkur?” Muk blurted.

Gunnar had considered that. But there was one major detail that made him doubt. He circled around to the rear of the cage where the animal’s backside was on full display, including the strange anatomy between its legs.

“Can’t be an ukkur,” Gunnar said. “It’s got no balls. No piss stick either.”

“Maybe the nith cut them off.”