It was beneath him to feel anything but contempt for those who would mercilessly invade. His duty was to his people, to protect them from these offworlders.
He did not look at her again as he wound his way up the foothills of the mountains. Night eventually faded, and dawn rose over the mountains, the morning light dappling the mountainside in hues of gray and black with hints of shimmering white. A plume of dust rose from the rocks ahead of him on a breeze, the tiny particles catching the morning light, momentarily making them appear as rare gleaming gems hanging in the air as the wind carried them away.
The female he carried shifted, her mouth opening in a yawn as she turned away from him. He immediately missed the feeling of her body pressing against his, but squashed the inappropriate sentiment. It was just as well.
His tail flicked as he jogged forward, venting some of his frustration and confusion as his claws scraped over the ground in his aggressive stride. Once he got to a patch of level ground, he set her on her feet and turned his back to allow what small measure of privacy he could offer while she tended to her body’s needs. He frowned as he heard the gurgling sounds of hunger come from her belly when she stood once more in front of him, her body tensing in preparation to be snatched up roughly from the ground once more.
He grimaced. He should jerk her up into his arms. He was not there to make things more comfortable for her. Yet he could not help remembering how she had laid the coverings down over the bedding of wild grasses in a gesture of kindness to ease his discomfort. An impatient grunt burst from him and he picked her up—this time far more carefully. Her belly complained again, and worry filled him. How often did offworlders eat, and what did they eat? In all his time observing them as they worked, he never saw them eat. He could hunt for her, but would it make her sick?
He patted her with one hand and looked down at her with concern when he managed to catch her attention. A redness crept into her cheeks when he pointed at her belly.
“Do you hunger?” His voice came out more of an impatient growl than he intended.
He knew immediately that she caught on to his tone despite not knowing his words. She stilled at the sound and dropped her head before she shook it. Her lips were pressed together in contemplation of her response before she gave it.
“I’ll be fine,” she responded. “I’ve gone without a meal or two before.”
For some reason, that bothered him more than he liked. Did she not have a male relative to look out for her and care for her needs? Females in his san’mordan never went hungry. In families, they were first to eat to ensure that they got all they needed. This was an agreement that was tradition in every Tak’sinii mating. The female never wanted for anything. He doubted she had a mate since he never caught the scent of a male on her, but he wondered where her male relatives were. Not once did anyone approach her that was not clearly employed by his jailers.
It wasn’t his responsibility to feed her, and yet, despite the objections he made mentally, he found himself scouring the ground as he walked, looking for any sign of the wild edible plants abundant on the planet. It was the best he could do for now. It was not an optimal time to try to hunt, but they still had many days of journeying before they would arrive among his san’mordan, where they would have plenty of food at hand from the bounty of crops and the beasts of their herds. The wild plants were trickier to find, but it would help curb the bite of hunger if she would accept it.
He grunted with satisfaction when his eyes fell upon a wild ta’grini. The plant was slightly bitter, but highly nutritious. Leaning over and ignoring her outraged shout, he dug out the root with his claws and handed it to her.
“Here, shake off the dirt and remove your helmet. The root will satisfy your hunger and much of your thirst.”
She stared at the yellow root wide-eyed. She immediately withdrew her hands when he attempted to press her to take it, and she shook her head rapidly.