another yelp of pain.
“Stop! Stop!” he yelled. “I do not wish to fight!”
Hoku scrambled back, out of the Human’s reach. Something bulged and squirmed under his shirt. He reached in and pulled out a fuzzy gray-and-black creature, no bigger than a lobster. It had four legs ending in tiny, delicate paws, a long, poofy striped tail, and a black band of fur over both its eyes that made it look like a masked bandit. Hoku held it by the scruff of its neck and glared at it.
“Hoku, get back,” Aluna said. He was already more focused on the creature than on his assailant. What was wrong with that boy?
She walked toward their fallen foe, careful to keep Spirit’s chain taut. One hint of a fight, and she could yank on the man’s broken arm again.
Only he wasn’t a man. He was a boy. His skin was brown. Not as dark as hers, but far more tan and sun worn than Hoku’s. His long black hair was gathered by a cord at the nape of his neck. She snorted. Long hair still seemed like too much trouble, even out of the ocean’s currents. She couldn’t tell how old he was, but she guessed a few years older than she was, if he was older at all.
He watched her stalk closer with brown, unblinking eyes. She gave him credit for his lack of whining or crying. The talon was still wrapped tightly around his arm, but he didn’t struggle against it. He wasn’t just a trapped animal; he was smart. And that made him all the more dangerous.
“What are your intentions?” the boy asked. His accent was thick and unfamiliar. His tongue seemed to linger over the words, giving them more flavor than she was used to hearing. “I do not wish to harm you, but I will defend myself if I must.”
“Why were you trying to kill my friend?” she asked.
He looked confused. Maybe her accent was as strange to him.
“I am not after the boy,” her prisoner said finally. “I am after the creature. The little novsh stole my food.”
She looked over at Hoku. He had the furry thing cradled against his chest and was scratching it behind its oversized furry ears. It looked up at him with big eyes. Then she saw the pale-red apple in its paws, nibbled on one side. She’d grown fond of the fruit during their stay with the Aviars. She imagined taking a big, crisp bite out of its side, and her mouth watered.
“Hoku, make it give the apple back,” Aluna said.
“And how am I supposed to do that?” Hoku said. He tried to pull the fruit from the animal’s paws, but it held on tightly, then rubbed its cheek against Hoku’s chin. He gave up and resumed petting it.
She turned back to her prisoner and shrugged. He didn’t seem nearly so threatening now that he was flat on his back with a broken arm. And if that animal had stolen her last scrap of food, she’d probably hunt it down and cook it up for dinner. Hard to fault someone for trying to survive.
“If I let you go, are you going to attack us?” she asked the stranger.
He thought a moment. “I will not attack you or the boy, but I must eat,” he said finally. “I don’t care if it is the apple or the animal.”
Aluna couldn’t help herself. She laughed.
“I am serious,” the boy said, clearly offended. He pushed himself up into a sitting position with his good hand.
“Oh, she would have said the same thing,” Hoku said. “That’s probably what she finds so funny.”
“I’m Aluna. He’s Hoku,” she said, and began to unwind her talons from the stranger’s limbs. “We have some food we can share.”
“Dashiyn,” he said, “but I am also known as Dash.”
She freed his leg first, then started to work on his wrist. She tried not to move it any more than she had to.
“Dash is good,” she said, “because I’m not sure I can pronounce Dasheeyan anyway.”
His chuckle was cut off with a hiss as she finished unwinding Spirit.
“Sorry,” she said, surprised that she actually meant it. “I thought you were going to kill Hoku.”
“I understand,” Dash said simply. “Sometimes we must act before all the facts can be examined. Unfortunately, I am going to need a splint.”
She nodded. “I saw a piece of plastic that might work. If I hear any fighting while I’m gone, I’ll be back to break your other arm.” She said