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The sky has already begun to darken when I notice his elf ears doing that twitching thing again. A tingle of alarm causes me to stumble before I remind myself that he has gone above and beyond to protect me so far and I know I can trust him.
Earlier in the afternoon, one of the pterodactyl-like things flew overhead, the dark shadow of its body just visible above the trees, but Draggar assured me we were safe from what he called an anuroi and he was right. The giant bird didn’t even notice us. This may be a dangerous planet, but his confidence and that aura of safety that follows him around makes it seem almost like a pleasant stroll.
As we round the bend of the narrow trail we’re on, I notice the vegetation on either side has become less dense and I see a large cave opening in front of me. Laedirissae is apparently dotted with more caves than Earth has McDonald’s. Or would it be McDonald’ses?
This cave looks dark and imposing and it seems to stretch further back than the other ones we have used so far. It is part of a large black wall of rock that stretches into the sky with golden veins that run through the stone and sparkle in the fading sunlight.
Draggar draws his sword and gestures to me in a way that I know by now means he wants me to stay where I am so he can make his way inside the cave to check if it’s safe. He is gone only moments, but I can feel my heart pick up its pace as I worry about him being hurt again.
I only just met him a few days ago and he’s a freaking alien, but the thought of Draggar being hurt again – or even worse, dying makes my chest ache. I don’t think I could bear it if that happened.
But it doesn’t feel as if we’ve only just met. It feels like I’ve always known Draggar. Like he’s a part of me that has always been there, but I didn’t realize it until now. Sometimes, I swear I can almost feel his emotions. Like right now, there is a steady thrum of confidence flowing through me that I’m pretty sure isn’t coming from me.
But that’s crazy.
Whatever I have with Draggar is fun and I’ve enjoyed it – and I wouldn’t mind enjoying more, a lot more – but that is all it is. Just fun. I need to concentrate on getting back to my friends as soon as possible. Nothing else.
That’s what’s important right now. Nothing else matters. This doesn’t matter.
Even as that thought leaves my mind, a voice in my head whispers that it’s a lie. He does matter. More than I’m willing to admit.
Draggar exits the darkness of the cave and waves me over, and I release a breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“It is safe, but dark inside. If you would rather wait out here, it will not take me long to gather wood for a fire.” His warm steady voice reassures me and makes me smile. He really is such a sweet guy.
I use hand gestures to let him know I would like to help him gather wood, and he shoots me an encouraging grin and nods in agreement.
We spend the next several minutes gathering short sticks and limbs from the ground until it becomes hard for me to see in the gathering twilight. Draggar points out the different types of trees around us and which ones have the best wood for burning and create the least smoke, and I make mental notes in my head of everything he says.
At one point, he makes a noise when he spies a cluster of small white flowers at the edge of the jungle. Dropping his bundle of wood down on the ground, he quickly begins to dig through the thick layer of decaying leaves and then dirt, until he pulls out four narrow roots.
Dirt covers the roots, but he acts as if they are priceless artifacts as he holds them up with a flourish for me to see. “Casae tubers. They are most delicious when roasted in a fire. We will have them with our meal tonight.”
When we’re finished, in addition to the roots, Draggar has a large bundle of wood compared to my much smaller one, but his eyes shine with pride when we lock gazes.
It doesn’t take long before Draggar has a small fire built near the entrance of the cave, and the flickering orange flames cast a golden glow on the dark stone walls. I’m glad because this cave doesn’t have the glowing moss growing inside it. I try to do what I can to help by unrolling and smoothing out the pallet to sleep on and setting out the freshly refilled waterskin.
My stomach growls loudly, and Draggar chuckles softly. “We will eat soon, Haley.”
He has already washed off the casae tubers and buried them in the fire to roast, and now he gets out the leftover meat from our meal earlier in the day and sets the strips on a rock near the fire to warm. The aroma from the meat spreads through the cave making my mouth water. When they’re done, he piles the strips on one of the big leaf plates, and I grab one and bite into it. The not-bacon is still juicy and full of flavor with a nice char on the outside that adds a hint of smokiness.
After a while, the casae tubers are soft enough on the inside that Draggar deems them ready to eat. Using his dagger, he slices two of the tubers into bite-sized pieces and places them on a thick leaf for me.
The flesh is purple and steaming hot with a ring of darker crispy skin around it. After waiting for it to cool, I carefully pick up one of the slices and place it in my mouth. Flavor explodes over my tastebuds. The texture is smoother and creamier than a potato and the taste is nutty and almost buttery. I quickly pop another slice in my mouth and hum in delight.
“Good?” Draggar’s voice is a low rumble, and he watches me with a satisfied curl to his mouth as he takes his own share of the meal.
“Delicious,” I answer, savoring the buttery warmth of the casae slices and the comfort of his presence.
It’s been a long day, and we eat in companionable silence. I wash down my last bite of smokey meat with a gulp of water, and then I sit back on the rock where I’m perched and watch as Draggar finishes his meal.
Once he’s finished, he gets out the leather hide from his satchel and begins to fiddle with it. I want to ask him so many questions about what he’s doing, but instead I decide to settle back and enjoy the view.
It’s a homey scene, one that relaxes and soothes me, and I realize I’m really lucky to have met him. My belly is full of delicious food and fresh water. He has an amazingly talented tongue that gave me the most mind-numbing orgasm I’ve ever experienced in my life. And I’m warm and safe.
With a pang of guilt, my thoughts turn to my friends, and I wonder how they’re doing. We estimated there was enough food and water for a few days before we would have to go out and look for more. Based on how many days have passed since I left the ship to go into the jungle to look for Zoe, they should be running out soon. Maybe in the next couple of days.
But since I’m not there should give them a little extra food and water, but not much. My mind shies away from acknowledging that Zoe may not be there, either. I want to believe that I was mistaken, and she didn’t go into the jungle. After all, I never did see any more signs of her. We had all warned her not to wander off, and she had promised us she wouldn’t go near the jungle.
