Author's note: First, let me thank everyone who has either sent me a message or left a comment. You've all been very supportive. I also want to let you all know there may be a delay for the next few chapters. Something has come up and I will be away for a time. I will update when I can. Never fear, I have several chapters already in draft and they will be posted. I will finish this story.
Until I return, please enjoy chapter five. I especially enjoyed writing the last conversation.
*****
The fire was burning well and Liam's improvised spit was working perfectly. He had chosen to build the fire on the dead trunk of the tree rather than down on the ground where the smoke might have drifted into the hollow trunk and choked everyone. The height of the dead trunk would also provide some protection from predators that might wander by and attack while he was focused on cooking. It had been a bit of a chore to carry enough stones up to where he wanted to roast the meat, but once done is was worth the effort. A few minutes with his knife and some branches had produced serviceable cooking implements. Now he slowly rotated the savory smelling meat, watching to be sure it did not char.
Tem'Ma'tel sat in the opening of the tree watching him tend the meat. He didn't know what to think of her. She was not so much friendly towards him as she seemed to be assessing him. He felt her eyes turn his way every few minutes, though every time he looked up she had already turned her head away. It was almost like a game.
"It's been years since I cooked anything like this," he said to her, knowing she could not understand him. "Used to hunt with my brother and a cousin. We took bighorn sheep every winter. Place I grew up was terraformed. All the wildlife came from Earth. Cold where we lived."
He glanced up and for a change she was looking his way. Her expression interested.
"You don't speak any English, do you?" he asked. She frowned in reply, but continued to look at him. He pointed to the fire and said, "Fire."
Tem'Ma'tel raised her eyebrows.
"Fire," he said again, careful in his enunciation. "Fire."
She looked away into the night and he shrugged. He was about to sprinkle more water on the meat when he heard her whisper something. He looked at her.
"Ffhhire," she said loud enough for him to hear.
"Fire," he said with a nod.
"Fire," she said, more clearly this time.
"That's right," he said with a smile. "I wish I could speak your language, but the last time I said anything in it I got engaged."
She narrowed her eyes at him as if trying to puzzle out his words. He pointed to the meat and said slowly, "Meat."
"Meeet?" she asked.
"Meat," he replied as he would say it normally.
"Meat," she said. "Fire. Meat."
"Very good," he said and sprinkled water on the roast.
"Coood," she said.
"Good," he told her. "Gu...Good."
"Cood," she said and looked at him for approval.
"I should teach you German, instead," he told her with a smile.
"Cood?" she asked.
"Your accent is too strong," he told her. "I can understand you, though."
"Cood?" she asked more insistently.
"Good," he said, hoping she would be satisfied.
"Good," she said after a long pause. Liam blinked at her and then resumed turning the spit.
Tem'Ma'tel straightened her shoulders, pleased she had impressed the Human. His language was so strange she was not sure she would ever be able to learn it, but she was determined to learn at least enough to make herself understood and to understand SarJ'ant. If they were eventually mated, it would be important in order to express herself. She must be able to tell him when she was pleased and to ask if he was pleased. Her mother had taught her that such things could make a relationship strong.
Her attention was drawn back to the Human when he drew his knife. Its edge glittered in the light of the fire and she watched curiously as he cut into the meat, examining the inside. She would have liked to test it herself, but she needed to rest and so she remained on watch. She grew even more curious when the Human sliced off a portion of the roast and popped the bit into his mouth. He seemed to be focusing on the flavor and then he smiled.
"It's not bad," Liam said and stood up, taking the spit from above the flames. "A little tough and gamey, but not bad. Want some?"
Tem'Ma'tel leaned in his direction and sniffed. The meat smelled satisfactory. It certainly was better than the rations they'd been eating. When the human cut another piece she waited for him to eat it, but he did not. He was bringing it to her! To her? They were not mated yet! What was he doing?
"Here," he said, holding the small piece of meat out to her casually. "It's hot, so be careful."
She hesitated, wondering if Klat' eil' Da would be offended if she accepted and then deciding it would be alright. It wasn't as if he'd put the meat in his teeth. This seemed more of a friendly gesture than a gifting and he had not put the meat on anything sharp. She accepted the small portion and carefully put it in her mouth. It was hot and very good, though tough. And real meat should help her leg wound heal much faster than the poor stuff they had in the rations.
"
You must give some of this to the others
," she tried to tell him and then pointed down into the darkened hollow of the tree.
He glanced the way she pointed, narrowing his eyes.
"I upset her earlier," he said. "Klat' eil' Da. I offended her. Or hurt her feelings."
"Klat' iel' Da?" Tem'Ma'tel said. "Her?"
"I know you don't understand," he grumbled, still looking into the darkened interior of the tree. "It's just... Hell. It's not like I even know her. She was just being a smart-mouthed kid."
"Gid?" Tem'Ma'tel asked.
"Look, I'll cut you some meat and then take the rest down to the other two," he said, standing up and pulling his knife out again. "I'll come back up here and relieve you. I bet you want some sleep after sitting up here this whole time."
She was amazed when the Human tried to give her a slice of the meat as big as her hand. She shook her head violently and pointed down into the tree. The Human looked confused again and tried to hand it to her, but she held up her palm in refusal.
"Klat' eil' Da!" she said softly but urgently. "Klat' eil' Da!"
He seemed to understand and nodded.
Clot'ilda sat in the dimness of the tree, still sorting through the supplies they had hauled back from the shelter. She was also sorting through her feelings. It had pleased her greatly to have been mated with the Human, but his strange ways worried her. And she had to admit her ways must be strange to him. She had completed only two of the required cultural classes for her specialty before this mission to map this system had come up. Nothing she had learned in them had addressed Human interpersonal relations in depth. She did not know what they might consider offensive or how they might react.
She looked up when she heard soft, rotted wood crunch under a boot heel. There he was coming straight to her, and he was carrying something that smelled wonderful! It was the meat they had taken from the predator. Her mouth began to water and she wondered if he would let her have any of it.
Liam went to one knee a pace away from Clotilda and drew his knife. In the dimness, illuminated by a single hand lamp, he could make out that her eyes were on him and her posture suggested she was paying attention. With his knife he cut a sliver of meat as long as his finger and placed it between his teeth then carefully leaned closer to her.
Clot'ilda hesitated, hardly believing her new mate was doing what he was doing. She had only ever seen older mates, mates that had been together for years and years, perform this ceremony. And yet, this Human was very strange. Clot'ilda's heart practically melted at the understanding that her mate valued her and wanted her to be happy. She leaned into him, opening her jaws and carefully took the meat from between his teeth. She sat back on her haunches and chewed, tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm sorry I upset you," Liam said and placed his hand on her shoulder. He was startled when she grabbed his hand and began rubbing her face on it the way she had done earlier. After a very long moment of that she subsided and he placed the rest of the meat in her little palm.
"Meat?" she asked, sounding confused.
"That's right," he said. "That's yours. There's plenty for everyone and we need to eat it before it goes bad."
"Your meat!" she said and thrust it back into his hands. "I... I cut meat. My meat. I cut meat. M'pel E'kmel meat. I cut meat. Tem'Ma'tel meat."
"You're going to serve both of them?" he asked, thinking he understood. "Okay, here's the knife."
She took the blade, still finding the handle oddly shaped but serviceable. Before she left to tend to the meat she leaned in and gave him a hug the way he had hugged her after the animal attack. He heard the purring she could not suppress and was glad for it.
Clotilda was gone for only a few minutes before she trotted past him on her way to deliver the fresh cut roast to her commander. They exchanged a few friendly words and then Clotilda was back and gone up the tunnel once more. Again she was gone for only a few minutes and then she was sitting in front of him offering Liam his knife back.
"I guess you meant what you said," Liam said as she sat down. "M'pel E'kmel gets the first serving and then Tem'Ma'tel."
Clotilda made happy chewing noises, but said nothing. Liam had to work to tear mouthfuls from the roasted flesh, but it tasted better than any rations he'd had recently except for the one Clotilda had fed to him before they made love. He smiled at that memory and then chuckled at the happy sounds she was making. In some ways she was like a kid and in others she was like a boozed up prom queen. And then there were some ways she was like a deadly killer. The meat was proof enough for that.
"I need to take over watch for Tem'Ma'tel," he said finishing his last bite of meat. "When you're done you should go down and relieve Commander M'pel E'kmel. They've both had a long day. And you should have this stuff back."
He fished in his pocket and came out with her study guide and the other things he'd taken from her when they'd first met. She accepted them with a smile, purring happily. As Liam stood Clotilda suddenly surged into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Take later," she breathed into his ear and hunched her hips on his belly. A little off balanced he clutched her around her slim waist and held her close for a moment before leaning his head down and kissing her lips. She purred and returned the kiss. When he let her go Liam was expecting some reluctance, but there was none. She allowed him to set her down.
"Later," he said softly. "Work first. We have to stand watch so they can sleep."
