“No shame in tapping out now, you big furball. I already won last year!” Winters huffed as he and Antoth locked swords and struggled in close combat. Sweat dripped from the human’s brow despite the cool morning air, and he could feel Antoth’s heavy breath on his face as they pushed against one another vying for advantage. “Damn, you kiss Ratha with breath like that?”
“You’d best worry about yourself, Winters,” Antoth grunted, sweeping at his leg. Winters stepped away from the low attack but the Cauthan was too quick, relying on his species’ innate flexibility to strike at the other leg before Winters could restore his balance. The Jumper fell to the ground and groaned uncomfortably as the force of the impact temporarily wrenched the wind from his lungs. Antoth bared his teeth triumphantly, his sword at Winters’ neck. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts! Win by two was your idea.”
“And you just earned yourself two more beatings,” he shot back with a smile as Antoth helped him up and Staroth called out the score, eight to eight. It had taken a short time for Russell to explain the concept of ‘first to five, win by two’ to the Cauthan warriors, but Antoth had agreed readily to the terms. While the arrangement would leave no doubt as to the winner’s martial prowess, it had left the audience in a difficult position once the two men had reached a score of four to four. For those inclined to bet on the match it was no longer simply a question of which warrior would triumph in the end. Now they could also bet on the overall duration of the contest. Given that most matches between Cauthan were first to three or five, short bouts to allow for show but not unduly tire the combatants, the current spectacle was practically unheard of. Goods and credit changed hands after almost every round, with many growing just as weary as the participants.
“Break?” Winters suggested. “Some water maybe?”
“Agreed,” Antoth replied, holding his wooden blade point down and conveying the message to Staroth. The Guardian made the announcement to the crowd, who seemed almost as relieved as Winters and Antoth. A great dispersal of Cauthan moved from the border of the ring towards the outer edges of the square, as hungry and thirsty villagers sought out sustenance during the intermission. Winters found himself on a small bench that Veera and Asha had brought to the side of the ring with help from Zolta and Corporal Mendes. The Beta Jumpers were quite interested in the fight to say the least, and no one had questioned giving a front row seat to a couple of pregnant females, much less family.
“You guys are the best, thanks,” Russell managed between heavy breaths and large mouthfuls of water from his canteen. He glanced across the ring to where Antoth was speaking with Ratha. “Here I was thinking he’d be rusty.”
“So you’re not drawing it out for fun?” Veera asked warily, inspecting a couple of bruises on his skin. “I thought you might be.”
“Do I really seem like that sort of guy?” Russell wondered.
“Yes,” came the immediate answer from his wife, Asha, and Zolta. He smirked and shook his head.
“Can’t win with you guys today. How’s the baby, Asha?” he wondered, speaking with her for the first time that morning.
“She’s about as rowdy as the crowd,” the very rotund female replied. “And I’m quite ready for her to be out of my belly and in my arms.”
“I can only imagine,” Russell replied sympathetically. “Anyone seen Xan around? Figured he wouldn’t want to miss something like this.”
“How self-congratulatory. You haven’t won yet,” Veera reminded him, resting her paw softly on his shoulder before leaning closer. “I didn’t bet anything today. You and Antoth should have your fun, just in case.”
Russell looked across the ring, noting that his opponent was standing again and seemed to be about ready to continue. He smiled sadly at the thought that it might be his last match with the black-furred Cauthan. “Yeah, I will. Thanks dear.”
“I’m still expecting you to win though,” she told him as he gripped the training sword tightly and pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll never hear the end of it from Ratha otherwise.”
“Well we wouldn’t want that now would we?” he agreed, testing the tilled earth beneath his boots. “I’ll do what I can to put him away. Mendes, maybe you should get in there later. Just mind the claws on them if you go unarmed, yeah?”
“With all due respect Lieutenant, I’d like to finish what we started,” the Brazilian replied. Winters shrugged.
“Suit yourself. I can wipe the floor with you anytime on the way home. Only chance to go toe to toe with the locals is right now.”
“I expect you to back up those words later then,” Mendes said pleasantly as Russell waved over his shoulder and the crowds began to press back into the area directly surrounding the sparring ring. The Lance Corporal was one to take such banter in stride, but Winters’ confidence didn’t appear to sit so well with Rex or Lipper. They were the least of his concerns, however, as he prepared to go up against Antoth again.
“Last chance to surrender, Winters!” the Cauthan taunted.
“I’m already mated, Antoth. Do your worst!” he answered happily, drawing his right leg back and assuming a ready position, point of his blade directed at his opponent.
“Glad you see it my way,” the sun priest replied, holding his sword with both hands, the edge towards the human. “We’re ready, Staroth.”
“If you hog the arena all day it’s on your heads, not mine!” the Guardian made sure to clarify before raising his hand in the air. “The score is eight to eight. Begin!”
“Finish him already, you big lunk!” Ratha demanded from the sidelines, a leather pouch of buns and meat in her lap.
“Trying, my dear,” Antoth yelled back.
“What was that earlier?” Winters jested, parrying, thrusting, and sidestepping in equal measure as Antoth came after him with strong, practiced swings. Though the Cauthan was on the offensive, the flow of his movement left little room for a counterattack before the next strike. “Didn’t you say to worry about myself?”
“Unless you plan on bedding her tonight instead,” Antoth grunted, slapping away a thrust with the flat of his blade before shouldering into Winters and knocking him to the ground. The Jumper managed to roll away before a finishing blow could be struck but such a disadvantage was not easily overcome. Antoth did not let off the attack and eventually rolled or pushed Winters to the edge of the ring, earning himself a point and a rather pleased and haughty expression on Ratha’s face.
“I’ll pass on your wife, no offense. Pressure’s on now,” Russell informed him. “Everyone’s waiting for you to close it out!”
“Enough projecting, Winters. Come if you dare!” the sun priest challenged eagerly. Away they went again in their brutal but amicable dance made of swordwork and footwork in equal parts. An absence of shields meant far more dodging than blocking, and the crowd cheered loudly as each blow was struck, wondering which strike or parry would open the golden opportunity. The first came for Winters, who blocked overhead before stepping forward and under to elbow Antoth in the stomach. Ratha and many others groaned or booed as Antoth took the loss and guaranteed another two rounds at minimum, but Io and Veera cheered loudly, along with Natori who clapped politely at each turn of the match in an effort to remain diplomatically neutral.
“Well, that’s nine to nine. Get on with it,” Staroth suggested with a hint of boredom. Though he had a front row seat to the action, there was little for him to do given Antoth and Winters’ innate sense of honor and unwillingness to ‘fight dirty’ to achieve victory. By the time they reached thirteen victories apiece, Staroth found himself of approximately the same mind as the majority of the spectators. They were no less invested in the eventual victor, given an ever escalating spiral of betting round after round, but both the human and Cauthan were showing fatigue to the point of danger. Watching a trainwreck was not quite an apt analogy, but as movement slowed, swordsmanship became sloppier, and shoulders began heaving with exertion even during the time between rounds, it became more a question of who would outlast the other, not who would strike two consecutive blows.
“So, are those two still butting heads like chesko in mating season?” Xan asked, approaching his friends with a shy, dark-skinned human woman in tow. Veera turned and waved politely.
“Hello there Anita, did you just arrive?” she asked in English. The botanical engineer smiled quickly and nodded, gasping as Antoth wrestled Winters to the ground to end yet another round of combat that saw both men panting in the dirt for a moment. “Those boys, I swear. To think they’re high priest and hero of legend respectively.”
“Legend? He’s still alive,” Xan pointed out as though such a thing should be obvious.
“And his stories will live on long after his death,” Veera replied just as confidently. “If they don’t, I will haunt your descendents for generations.”
Xan clicked his tongue and glanced away from her for a moment. “Fine fine, I guess you’re right. But I’d need to have descendants for that little plan to work, Veera. Eris is with Gael, probably, and I don’t think any of the females are desperate enough to take on someone like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you…” Anita murmured after listening to a translation of the conversation. It wasn’t loud enough for her own translator to pick up but Veera was able to understand the meaning and reply to her in her native tongue.
“They may not this year, but next year he will have much better chances,” she told her before turning back to the ring and shaking her head in resignation as her husband and Antoth seemed to be trying to decide whether to keep fighting or call their match a draw and be done with it. “And there they go again. They’re only going to hurt themselves at this rate.”
“I think it’s hilarious,” Xan opined, standing next to Zolta. “What are they at now?”
“Fifteen I think? I honestly don’t know. I’m just waiting to see how it ends,” the smith replied. His pregnant mate leaned her head back against his stomach.
“Aren’t you happy you don’t have to deal with that anymore?” she asked sweetly, her face relaxing as he gently scratched at the back of her ears.
“I don’t know, those two look like they’re having quite a bit of fun,” Zolta observed. Antoth had taken a knee out of sheer exhaustion, but still had the strength to push Winters away when the Jumper approached for a lazy ‘killing blow’. Staroth appeared to plead to the heavens before walking over to the two of them.
“I don’t care if it’s not over. I think you two have had enough,” he declared. “Go jump in the river.”
“No wait, I’ve got this!” Winters insisted from flat on his back in the dirt, tossing his blade so that it landed square on Antoth’s chest. “See? Got him.”
“Look, I know you two probably need to let off some steam now and again but no one is going to tell either of you to get out of here because you’re too damn important. So instead, they’re going to complain to me all festival about how I let the ring be occupied for half of the first morning by two mated males just goofing around. So with all due respect high priest and Winters, get out.”
“I believe we’ve worn out our welcome, Winters,” Antoth panted.
“What tipped you off, wise guy?” the human chuckled in reply. “Just think about how pissed off the crowd is going to be when they realize nobody won.”
“I look forward to it,” the sun priest said, pushing himself up against his own knee before extending a hand to Winters and pulling him upright. “Either one or both of us has gotten sloppy.”
“Or we both got better,” Russell provided a second option. “Good fight, man.”
“And you, Winters. Go tend to your mate now,” Antoth insisted as they crossed forearms in front of a confused, quiet crowd.
“The match remains undecided!” Staroth shouted as the two warriors parted ways amicably and the spectators began chattering like a swarm of aquila. “Rest of you, square away your bets. Next pair of combatants get in here and no more of this gods damned win by two nonsense!”
-----
“That’s so like him,” Alice shook her head with a familiar smile on her face as Lachlan filled her in on the details of her brother’s sparring match against Antoth.
“I figured ye wouldn’t miss somethin’ like that,” the Marine said. Alice shrugged her shoulders as the two of them shared a fire near Alyra’s stalls.
“Alyra asked that I pretty up a few of her acolytes who are of age. I guess a lot of the young men died last year, or enough to make it a competition among the women this year around. I could hardly say no to a request like that. Even if I wanted to, Natori would probably be upset about it. Either way, it’s not like I haven’t watched my brother get into scrapes for most of his life or anything. Glad he’s finally found an equal.”
“Ye could certainly say that. Those two lads probably had most o’ the village watchin’ em. The little tyke was no exception,” Lachlan reported.
“And you let him ride on your shoulders, of course,” Alice guessed with a knowing smile.
“What else was I supposed ta do? Was standin’ room only, lassie!”
“I’m sure you cut quite the fatherly figure. Why are you acting like I don’t approve, Mac?” she wondered casually, holding her hands out towards the small blaze that was keeping their shins and uncovered faces warm while Seil did the rest. “You know, come to think of it, you have looked a bit stressed out lately. You wanna talk about it? Pretty anonymous here in this crowd. Isn’t it incredible? All this tradition, culture, and ritual?”
“I think ye might have more perspective than me, lassie. But it’s definitely a once in a lifetime sorta thing, ain’t it?”
“Hopefully not! I’d love to come back for another festival sometime. Who knows, maybe I could do some post-doctoral work around that? It’s not that long of a trip here, relatively speaking of course,” Alice reasoned, bending at the waist to brush a bit of dust from the hem of her jeans. Mara had not been kind to her clothing, but she was doing her best to maintain the denim pants.
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“I suppose yer right,” MacGregor agreed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and rubbing at his beard.
“Look Mac, I know that you can’t talk to me about everything and if I kept nagging you I’d be annoying, but talk to someone would you?” Alice insisted. “There’s always Doctor Lamont. He was really good with me when I was having nervous breakdowns over my brother.”
The Marine glanced upward and shook his head. “I guess it’s pretty bad if ye of all people is tellin’ me ta pay a visit to the shrink.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Alice asked indignantly, pushing at his upper arm and moving herself more than him. He smiled weakly.
“Nothin’! Nothin’, lassie. Just that ye’ve been focusin’ on all these Cauthan, as ye should. Guess it couldn’t hurt ta fill you in. Ye probably have more insight than most,” he reasoned.
“I’m all ears, Lachlan. Alyra said she would come find me later and give me a tour of the grounds,” Alice explained. The Scotsman shrugged and gave her a quick nod before running Alice through the various conversations that he and Sentaura had had over the prior days. If she was surprised about any of it, she kept it well hidden.
“Have ye ever been on a date and not known if ye were actually on a date or not?” he concluded with understandable frustration. Alice laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
“Yes I have in fact, but never with a kid involved. I guess there’s something about human men that Cauthan women find attractive, with my gigantic sample set of two. I’m sorry Lachlan. I don’t know what to say about Ursol. Guess it’s a good thing Ketra can’t speak yet, you know? I was starting to get attached to that little girl.”
“Like walkin’ teddy bears they are,” Lachlan agreed, empathizing with how easily one could become attached to a bumbling, baby Cauthan. “Ursol already lost his pop. Don’t think I’m strong enough ta tell him to his face that I’m goin’ away too.”
“I’m sorry Lachlan. I wish I knew more but I don’t. Natori hasn’t said anything to anyone from what I can tell. I even called up Io a couple nights ago to ask her about it and she told me to mind my own business to my face! When I told her it is my business she just disconnected! Can you believe that?”
“I don’t think I’ll be sayin’ anything cross about the baby AI today,” he replied prudently. “But it makes sense. I doubt the Admiral has any control over it at this point.”
“Then maybe you should try and give the little guy one last happy memory?” Alice suggested, though her typically upbeat tone was missing. “I think by now it’s pretty clear that the Cauthan are intellectually on par with us, you know? They have religion, tradition, science, industry, education, government, critical thinking, you name it. They’re just a few dozen generations behind us. I’m sure that when Ursol grows up he’ll understand why you had to go home, as well as what happened to his father. As for Sentaura, on the off chance that you don’t want to give any of the locals the wrong impression I’m always available for a dance later.”
“Now ye sound more like the wee lassie I know!” Lachlan chuckled, giving her the courtesy of considering her offer. “Things with me an’ the mum are a bit touch and go but I might take ye up on that offer later. If not, ye can always swing by the cafeteria?”
“Oh, how very romantic,” Alice teased, nevertheless leaning close and resting against his shoulder for a minute. “I’m not sure I’d want to be in your shoes though, trying to manage a single parent’s expectations during a time like this. So tell you what, you do what you think is best and if I don’t get any time with you over the next couple of days you and I can have a little floating date in one of the hangars on the way home. Sound good?”
Lachlan moved his arm so that his right hand rested on her right shoulder. “That’s mighty agreeable of ye, lassie. Thanks fer hearing me out. It’s good advice, I’m thinkin’.”
Alice tapped her fingernails against the side pocket of his pants, a smile on her face. “Geez Lachlan, no need to be so formal! You were there for me when I was blowing up at Natori or just generally feeling like garbage. This is the least I could do. My dad always had this way of taking difficult or morally gray situations and decomposing them into right and wrong, good and bad. There were always priorities, you know? Must come with being a soldier. Anyway, I just told you what I thought he’d say.”
“Well no matter who’s sayin’ it, I appreciate it Alice.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s rather self-serving to be frank. I want to focus on the Cauthan for the next couple of days too, to say nothing of getting you alone in a hangar where you can call me lassie with that incredibly sexy accent of yours. Win win, right?”
“Are ye sure it’s wise ta be tellin’ me yer weaknesses, lassie?” Lachlan asked with interest, looking down at her and cocking a brow playfully.
“Keep that up and I’ll jump you right here in the middle of the festival,” Alice promised in a lowered tone.
“And then yer brother would kill me,” MacGregor concluded, sending them both into a fit of laughter.
“He might kill me too, so maybe let’s not!” Alice agreed, wiping a tear from her eyes. “Seriously though Mac, I’m glad that we can talk like this. I hope everything goes well with Sentaura, in either case.”
“Thank ye kindly, Alice,” he replied with gratitude as Ursol finally managed to track them down after going on a quest with his mother for some herb rubbed chesko jerky.
“Uncle Lach, let’s go shoot! Momma says I’m old enough this year!” the little tyke insisted happily, tugging at the Marine’s pants. Though it earned him an affectionate coo from Alice, Ursol’s behavior did not endear him to his mother one bit. She took him by the feathers again, but more gently than that morning.
“Ursol, Lachlan is enjoying the festival and he is in the middle of a conversation. You should greet them both first, then you can request that Lachlan go to the archery range with you,” she explained, giving a look of apology to Alice. Ursol grabbed at her hand to free himself, ruffling his feathers before speaking to the female human.
“Hi there Alice,” he said quickly, still hoping to grab Lachlan and do everything he could think of at the festival as quickly as possible. She waved back animatedly.
“Good morning, Ursol. Are you enjoying the festival?”
“Uh huh, momma says I’m five so I can shoot the bow now!” he declared proudly. Alice poked her friend.
“Well then maybe you can teach Lachlan here a thing or two about it! Go ahead Mac, I’ll catch up with you later,” she urged, waving goodbye as the small Cauthan boy grabbed Lachlan by the hand and dragged him off towards the archery range. Sentaura watched them for a moment before looking at Alice.
“I apologize for my son’s excitability. I’ll be sure to return Lachlan to you shortly,” she promised.
“It’s no problem!” Alice replied kindly. “Besides, it’s not like I own Lachlan or anything. We’re not together.”
“I see. My thanks all the same,” Sentaura concluded with a courteous nod and display of her feathers. “I must follow and make sure neither of them poke each other in the eye. Selah Alice. I hope you enjoy the festival.”
“Selah, thank you!” Alice bid her goodbye, visibly deflating after she was sure all three were gone. “Man, now I understand where she gets that look. I don’t know how Lachlan handles that little furball.”
“I must say my dear, letting him run off with some other woman’s child is not the best path to enjoying wine and cheese with that strapping Scottish man,” Gerard Dupuis declared as he and his wife practically swooped down upon either side of Alice.
“Is that some sort of sex joke I’m not French enough to understand?” Alice deadpanned with a smile on her face. “Hey Gerard, Yvonne. Are you two enjoying the festivities? It’s really quite amazing, isn’t it?”
“We just got done finding ourselves some food after that impressive show your brother and the village chieftain put on,” Yvonne explained, crossing her legs one over the other. “And don’t worry yourself about my dear husband, Alice. He doesn’t understand that one must be careful when children are involved, especially another woman’s.”
Alice groaned into her hands. “I thought I left my mom and dad behind on Earth.”
“Mission accomplished, ma chatounette!” Gerard declared proudly with a twirl of his moustache.
“Yes you are quite the jokester, mon loup,” Yvonne complimented him, batting her lashes.
“Yeah, it’s not like I’m actually out to get into Lachlan’s bed or anything,” Alice interjected, only to have both doctors look at her quite judgmentally.
“Alice, we are happy to joke and jest but there’s no sense in lying about it,” Yvonne insisted. “Your body language around him is clear enough.”
“And how long were the two of you watching then?” the young xenoanthropologist demanded.
“Long enough to know,” Gerard replied proudly. “But I will defer to my wife on this matter. Perhaps once that little tyke has run himself ragged you and the man can have some quality time together.”
“If the two of you are going to spend your day trying to play around with my non-existent love life, I think I’ll go do what I was brought this far to do and continue to observe and take notes on the festival,” Alice declared, standing up and stretching her arms. “You’re welcome to the bench though. They seem to be a hot commodity.”
“Gladly. Thank you my dear. We’ll be here if you want any advice. Have a good time!” Yvonne waved her on with a smile that seemed to catch Alice off guard.
“What, just like that?”
“Of course! Maybe you are just deceiving us with the young Marine and you actually fancy taking a page out of your brother’s book, getting a bit more familiar with male Cauthan anatomy hmm?” Gerard stated. Alice turned her head to the sky and groaned loudly.
“Alright! I’m out. See you two later!” she said. Yvonne slapped Gerard on the knee.
“A bit much, mon loup?”
“I think not, ma chatounette,” he responded, lacing his fingers with hers and closing the distance vacated by Alice on the bench so that they could rest against one another. “She should play the field!”
“I think you just miss throwing judgmental stares at our children’s dates.”
“Guilty as charged!” Gerard chortled. “Ah, such wonderful tales we will have to share with them upon our return. What of your fluffy patient, Yvonne? Did you wish to visit with her before we depart?”
“Of course, Gerard. But now is clearly not the time. If we see her I will simply let her know I am around if she needs me. By their midwives’ statements and her own recollections she is not due for several weeks. Such a shame…” the older woman lamented, drawing the collar of her jacket up around her neck.
“I understand, my dear,” Gerard said quietly, bringing his arm around her shoulder. “But you have done very well.”
“That is easy for you to say, Gerard. Your work here will be finished aboard the ship, sooner or later,” Yvonne pointed out. He hummed in agreement.
“Oui, c’est vrai.”
“I wanted very much to meet that little girl,” she continued, speaking of Asha’s cub. Gerard rubbed her shoulder and placed a light kiss on her hair.
“I know she is a special patient of yours, Yvonne. There is always Alice’s sister in law though.”
“Yes, yes you’re right,” she agreed. “There is just something special about Asha. Veera was surprised and happy to be a mother. Asha seems born for it. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my old age or longing for our own children.”
“Don’t tell me you are having regrets now!” Gerard gasped dramatically.
“Oh shush, you! Of course I do not regret it. If we had died that would be a different story, but we promised each other a grand adventure when the children left the house. And now here we are,” Yvonne remarked happily, thinking back on many years of building a family.
“Not exactly what I’d anticipated,” Gerard responded, looking at the merrymaking that surrounded them as hundreds of Cauthan unleashed almost a year’s worth of pent up stress and exuberance. “But it is indeed grand.”
-----
“I won’t be offended if you want to go take a look around yourself. I know I’m bound to slow you down like this,” Xan told Anita as he did his best to manage both food and his cane. The flask of tea slung at his waist definitely improved the situation, one of many little tips and tricks he’d picked up under Thantis’ tutelage over the prior year. Anita shook her head and took another bite of a fresh kina that he’d offered her with assurances that it was both healthy and safe to eat.
“I’m just fine this way,” she replied, chewing and swallowing in the time afforded her by her personal device’s translation program. “This reminds me of home actually in a certain way, all this hustle and bustle. Only where I come from it’s like this all the time, not just once a year.”
“All the time? Geez, how do you live?!” Xan exclaimed. After a pause he reconsidered his statement. “I mean, I just feel like it would be hard to hear yourself think, you know? And what happens if you want privacy?”
Anita smiled. “We don’t, really. Even in the cities of America, where I studied, things felt so much more open. Even if my room was small it was still all mine. And now I have an entire section of a starship to myself. Well, almost all to myself. Io stops by every now and again either in person or virtually to talk about your plants. I guess I’m not a very good Indian girl.”
Xan nodded briefly. Her tone of voice was relatively upbeat so he didn’t think she had any problems with considering herself a ‘poor Indian’. “Well if this gets to be too much for you the fields are pretty empty this time of year, to say nothing of the forest or the river. Do you like the kina?”
“Yes!” Anita replied with genuine delight in her eyes. “It reminds me of home in a very good way. We love spicy food of all kinds. I’m sure my mother would find at least ten different ways to prepare kina given the chance.”
“Heh, she and my mom could swap recipes,” Xan laughed, enjoying himself some simple chesko and bread. “But spice doesn’t really sit well with us, at least most of us. Eating kina skin is just unpleasant. Not to mention on the way out. Feels like your tail is on fire.”
Anita coughed violently for a couple of seconds, her eyes wide as Xan’s crass language was translated. But she began laughing shortly after. “That reminds me of this one time that my brother and father decided they would see who could eat the most peppers. They are smaller than kina, usually red or orange in color. And they are many times more spicy. My mother and I had to deal with both of them running to the bathroom over and over again for a day.”
“I only imagine. Do you miss home?” Xan asked, meeting her dark eyes for the first time in a while. He hadn’t felt the need to before, the conversation flowing relatively freely. He supposed even the reclusive Anita could be swayed out of her shell slightly by the jubilation of festival season. She pursed her lips in thought.
“Would you think poorly of me if I said no?” she wondered.
“Well no, it’s not like you just admitted to murdering your family or anything,” Xan tossed out as an example of something that might sway his opinion. “But I’m curious. I mean, it’s your home.”
“That’s… rather extreme, don’t you think?” Anita murmured hesitantly. The young priest in training shrugged.
“Hasn’t happened in my lifetime but Thantis has scrolls that document something like that. One of the city guard killed his mother and father. I guess enough people showed up to stop him from turning the spear on his younger sister. That was probably the shortest judgment in the history of the village I’d wager. He was beheaded and then buried,” Xan explained. “I was reading about it the other night, helping Thantis make recordings of all of his scrolls on that tablet thing that your leader gave him. Definitely more interesting than mixing teas to help with indigestion.”
“I… your job sounds rather interesting,” Anita eventually replied. “I guess I’m just surprised that you would do such a thing for a murderer like that, give him a burial.”
Xan tilted his head her way. “What do you mean? For us, burial is one of the highest dishonors you could possibly experience. Your soul remains trapped in the earth forever. Bastard got what he deserved if you ask me. Sorry, guess we’re a little off topic?”
Anita smiled slightly his way. “It’s alright. Your people are very curious, if you don’t mind my saying. As for my own home, of course I miss my mother and father, and even my brother at times. I’ve seen pictures of my homeland too, marvelous jungles, temples, and cities, but I knew none of that. The only reason that I’m anything is because I left. Maybe one day I’ll feel like somewhere else is my home. That would be nice.”
Xan’s jowls drooped in mild shock, and he scratched at his wounded leg. “Don’t you want to be a mother someday though?”
“Someday, perhaps,” Anita agreed, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. “But I want that to be my choice.”
“Oh, I see,” Xan responded, taking a moment to look around at the grand cultural affair that was many things to many Cauthan but truly existed for one purpose, turning young females and males into mothers and fathers. He only realized he’d been silent for so long when Anita waved gently to get his attention.
“Did I say something offensive?” she asked nervously. He shook his head, wondering how humans could stand the feeling of their brains being pushed back and forth all for the simple task of saying ‘no’.
“Nothing like that, sorry. Your words made me think, is all. I don’t think I’ll get anywhere though. Human society is too different from ours. Anyway, is there anything you’d like to do or see while you’re here? I feel like I have so much free time all of a sudden, now that I’m not competing in the ring or the other trials.”
“It’s alright,” Anita assured him. “You’re of age, aren’t you? You don’t need to spend your day helping me around. I’m sure Alice won’t mind letting me tag along with her.”
Xan tapped his cane agitatedly against the ground. “Look, I’m not first on anyone’s list right now. If some female is desperate enough to want to mate with me by the end of the festival, she’ll tell me. I’d rather not think about it though.”
A slight sensation of guilt settled on Anita’s shoulders thanks to the subject of reproductive choice, and so she felt compelled to try to move them on to something less dour. “In that case, maybe we could go to the river that you mentioned? The sun is starting to get warm and I’ve not had the chance to see anywhere outside of your village. It’s safe, right?”
Xan laughed at her sudden question. “Yeah, course it is. We keep the way clear for the most part. My leg’s been itching anyway, so some walking sounds good to me. It never seems capable of settling on whether it wants to move or be still. Are you done with your lunch?”
“Yes, I am. Thanks again for helping me with the vendors,” Anita said as they both stood and brushed their laps free of bread crumbs. “Which way?”
“Eastern gate,” Xan pointed down one of the major arteries of the village. Anita nodded, adjusting her pace so that she could walk comfortably at his side while they moved through the milling crowd. The young woman spoke quietly, her hands in her pockets and her eyes lowered.
“I just wanted to say you’ve been very kind to me while I’ve been here. I’ll miss you.”
Xan’s ears twitched, and he made to clear one out with a finger for a moment. “What did you say? Sorry, it’s kind of loud here and my left ear hasn’t been as good since I got cut up.”
“O-oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing,” she assured him. “Let’s go see the river.”