to do that? You know it would chain you to Pardor.”
“Don’t you understand? I’m already tied to it because I’m tied to you. I love you, Aidon, and where you go, I go. You’ll have to return, and I will return with you. I don’t want to have to worry about what I can eat.”
He stirred restlessly, and she could tell he wanted to get up and pace, but she snuggled firmly against his chest.
“I don’t want to tie you to this place,” he said at last.
“Aren’t I tied to you?”
He growled, and his arms tightened around her. “Of course you are.”
“You see? Ties aren’t necessarily bad. I love you, and I’m learning to love Pardor. I think you already love it.”
He shook his head, but he didn’t argue any longer. The next morning when she sat down to breakfast, there was a bowl of fruit at her place.
“You know that you don’t have to do this,” he told her. “I love you no matter what.”
“I want to do it.” She picked up a piece of jinsar and popped it in her mouth. The sweet taste exploded across her tongue, and she sighed happily as she quickly consumed the rest of the bowl. After she was finished, she stared at her hand, willing the skin to change colors.
“What are you doing, saachi?”
“I was trying to see if I could change my form.”
“It’s a little soon,” he laughed. “And there is no guarantee that it will ever happen. It makes no difference to me.”
“I suppose it doesn’t really matter to me either. I just thought maybe I wouldn’t feel so helpless.”
“I have been considering that as well. I don’t think knowledge is enough—you need to be trained to defend yourself.”
She eyed him doubtfully. “I don’t think I’m much of a fighter.”
“You don’t need to be. But you should at least know enough to have a chance of escaping.” She must not have looked convinced because he added, “And I intend to teach you how to use weapons as well.”
“That might be kind of interesting,” she admitted.
“Then we will begin this morning.”
Trouble made a funny little bleating noise and pawed at her leg. She laughed as she picked him up. “It looks like Trouble agrees with you.”
A week later, Hanna gave a triumphant cry as one of her darts embedded in a target she had been aiming at. Aidon’s attempt to teach her to use weapons had not been entirely successful, but she had displayed a surprising aptitude for the small, heavy darts he had created from the thorns of a vicious-looking bush. The darts might not be fatal on their own, but their ends were dipped in a poisonous fluid that she had extracted from pitchat plants. So far the only victim of her darts had been one of the little red mice, but it had been horrifyingly effective. The little body had given a single spasm before collapsing. Even knowing that they were predatory scavengers, she had felt sick to her stomach. Aidon had gathered her close.
“I don’t want to kill anything,” she had whispered.
“I know, saachi. If the gods are willing, you will never need to do so. But if you are called upon to defend yourself, I want you to be ready.”
So the lessons had continued, although she confined herself to stationary targets.
“You did very well, my mate,” Aidon said.
Trouble made a soft bleat of agreement. He had been sitting at her feet, seeming to watch as she practiced, and now he gave her a pleading look. She laughed and picked him up, snuggling his warm little body against her as he licked her cheek enthusiastically.
“Sometimes I think he gets more of your kisses than I do,” Aidon complained.
“Since you won’t let him on the bed with us, I’m sure that’s not true. Didn’t I kiss you enough last night?”
“It’s never enough.” His eyes heated, and he leaned toward her, then froze.
“What—” Hanna started to speak, but Aidon put his hand over her mouth and pulled her close as he listened.
Her eyes were wide and startled, but she remained still as he extended his senses, scenting the air. A harsh odor, not part of the jungle, drifted past. Offworlders. And although he hoped he was wrong, the fact that they were so close to his home made him suspect that he was the target.
“There’s someone here,” he whispered in her ear. “Strangers.”
She gave a quick nod, but he felt her trembling. Trouble started to squirm in her arms,