She scratched his chin. “Thank you, my friend. It will be good to have company.”
Ghostly blue vapors billowed across an indigo sky and the turquoise light of two of the planet’s moons strobed across the sea, the beach, and the forest beyond. Sand skidded against Acorna’s ankles and calves. Out here she could still feel the captive Khieevi’s pain, but distance helped attenuate it. It also helped knowing that none of her crewmates was inflicting the terrible torture; they were only taking advantage of the monster’s agony to obtain answers that might save her people, and any other creatures whose path the Khieevi crossed.
She breathed deeply of the night air. The fragrance of the sweet and spicy grasses and the fernlike trees, exotic and cit^sy, filled her nostrils. She realized she hadn’t grazed yet that ^y, and was hungry. She didn’t worry about venturing beyond “e dunes. Her Linyaari navigational instincts gave her an excelent sense of direction, and the light of the two moons above her was sufficient to see her -way to the grasses between beach and forest.
She was relieved to put some distance between her and the Condor now. When she had eaten, she would return, see what progress her friends had made, and, if they -were finished, ask them to let her examine the prisoner and tend to its wounds. She had not offered to tend to it so far out of fear that once she healed the thing, one of her friends would then have to reinjure it, in all likelihood, to obtain the vital information they needed. This could well be one of the very same Khieevi who had caused the death of her parents, but it was against her nature to cause or endure the suffering of another living creature. It -was against Aari’s nature, too. Despite what the Khieevi had done to him, she could not help but feel that participating in actual torment of another creature, even one of the species who had all but destroyed him, would impede his inner healing, perhaps even prevent it altogether. He, more than she, was born and bred to the Linyaari way, which was nonviolent.
Back on the beach, Aari had brandished his Khieevi weapon with authority and deadly intent, however. She didn’t blame him or judge him for that, but it worried her that he had undergone such a tremendous change, one that -was completely contrary to his upbringing.
She tested the grass with her horn-it was suitable for her to eat. So she took a mouthful of grass. It was peppery, not quite what she had in mind. She searched for another plant and found, growing sparsely among the peppery sort, a little reed with nodes on the stem. The nodes had a pleasant sour tang that offset the sweetness of the reed. They, too, were edible, and much tastier. She searched selectively for these, while RK slithered through the grassland as though he were a large jungle cat stalking prey.
She visualized Maati, who had been practically her only friend from narhiiVhiliinyar. The child was just approaching puberty-funny, enthusiastic, lively, hard-working, inquisitive. She pictured Maati’s soft pale brown skin and white and black spotted mane and feathers, her brilliant smile, short nose, and wide golden eyes below her little spiraled horn. She thought of Maati’s immediate acceptance of Aari and her unquestioning love of her long-lost brother. The child’s sadness and disbelief at being left behind by the ConSor when it had taken both her newly found brother and her friend away. They could have brought her along, even though Liriili had objected violently when the subject came up. If they had done so, Maati wouldn’t now be lost, maybe dead, along with poor Thariinye, who, although he -was about the same age as Acorna, had not had as much experience or adventure in his life as she had, and so was still rather callow. Irritating, conceited, and arrogant, but not a bad fellow, really.
Her thoughts were anguished and regretful. She especially worried about her little friend, so sensible and knowledgeable about Linyaari ways but more willing than any to help a stranger. (Oh, Maati, Maati, I am so sorry, youngling. I thought you should stay with Grandam. I should have listened to your own thoughts more and not tried to decide for you… .)