No one should be here.
“Is she in uniform?”
“No,” Thia said breathlessly. “She’s unconscious. Just over that rise. Barely breathing.”
“It looks like a tourah got her and tried to eat her. It’s really gross, but totally awesome.”
He ignored Darice’s commentary. “Is she human or Andarion?” Each species had colonies set up here on separate continents in the south.
They both shrugged.
Thia tugged at his arm. “She has black hair and is really tall, so she could be either. But does it matter? She’s hurt and needs help.”
“All right. Both of you take Illyse back to camp, and wait for me.”
“But —”
“No buts,” Hauk said sharply, cutting off Thia’s protest. “Get the blaster your father gave you, and wait for me in my tent. If I don’t come back, you two are to return to our meeting spot, and wait until your comm comes back on, and you can signal Chayden for retrieval, understood?”
Still, she hesitated.
“C’mon, Thee.” Darice pulled her toward the camp. “He’ll never let us go with him. You know that.”
Reluctantly, she grabbed Illyse’s collar and followed after Darice.
Taking inventory of his weapons and their charge levels, Hauk waited until they were halfway to his tent. If this was a trap, he didn’t want the kids anywhere near it.
He prepared for the worst, and strapped his short Andarion battle sword across his back. While it wasn’t his primary weapon, which was why it was worn over the back and not at the waist with his blasters, it was the one that wouldn’t run out of ammunition.
Extremely wary, he made his way toward the rise Thia had mentioned. A rise that would make a great spot for a sniper to set up surveillance…
His senses on high alert, he saw the body as soon as he came up the slight hill. She lay on her side, facing the opposite direction. He skimmed the horizon in all directions, but detected no obvious threats. Even her rifle was several feet away, out of her reach.
Not that it mattered. He knew the tricks his kind implemented. He hadn’t lived this long by being a total idiot.
That being said, partial ones apparently lived to fight another day.
Crouched and ready, he secured her weapon first. A standard laser rifle, it had no markings of any kind. Military or civ. Nothing he could use to ID her with. However, these were the weapon of choice for many assassins, since they made very little sound when they were fired.
It appeared she’d squeezed off two shots at whatever had attacked her. Other than that, it didn’t tell him much. Still unsure if it was a trick or not, he made his way over to her.
She didn’t move.
Looking around again for any friends she might have, he carefully rolled her to her back. There was a gash above her right brow and another along her ribs. Something had tried to rip out her throat, but she must have fought it off.
Thia had been right, the woman was dressed as a civ, in dark brown desert clothes and a dirty poncho. She might be a native or raider.
She might yet be an assassin after him. Given the rifle and the specialized scope on it, that was definitely not off the table.
He hesitated as he took in her exotic features. Not classically beautiful by any means – he knew that face well. For one full minute, he couldn’t breathe as old memories surged. Except for the black hair and height, she was a dead ringer for Fain’s ex-wife.
But that wasn’t possible. Omira would be older than this woman. And as Thia had noted, with the short black hair, light caramel skin, and height, she might not be human at all. Andarion was still a possibility.
Even so, the similarity in looks was striking and unnerving.
As gently as he could, he parted her lips to check her species. Her teeth were small and well shaped. Clean and white. Given that, and the rest of her appearance, it was doubtful she lived in this hellhole full time. Way too much attention to personal hygiene for a desert raider who scavenged for sustenance. Though why she’d be out here alone, unless she was hunting him, he couldn’t fathom.
“Okay, you’re human.” And she was definitely not faking her injuries, otherwise she’d bite him for his rude intrusion of personal space. He holstered his blaster and slung her rifle over his back.
Gathering her into his arms, he rose with her. As he did so, her hair caught against the thorny bush under her and the black wig was pulled free to expose a flesh-colored skullcap. Curious, he removed it to find a wealth of long blond hair that was almost as pale as Nykyrian’s.
Damn. She really favored Omira. Thank the gods Fain wasn’t here. His brother would have a stroke.
And probably cut her throat.
Hauk cradled her against his chest, amazed at how little she weighed. Especially given her height. She was a lot taller than the average human woman. Andarion females were normally well muscled and stout. They had a nice heft when you picked them up, and like the other males of his species, Hauk preferred a female he didn’t fear crushing. One who would be physically able to enjoy and return the fierce passions of an Andarion male. Underneath her poncho and loose pants, she must be as scrawny as Kiara or Thia.
Careful not to hurt her more, he carried her back to camp, where the kids were waiting.
And fighting.
While it was the Andarion way to argue over any little thing, he’d spent enough time among humans or alone that he now craved a modicum of peace once in a while.
Silence would be even better.
As soon as he entered his tent, Thia opened his pallet so that he could lay the woman down. “I already got the medical pack and water.”
“I told her not to waste supplies on someone so pathetic they couldn’t protect themselves. But she didn’t listen.”
Thia shoved at Darice.
He shoved back.
“Stop it!” Hauk snapped at them.
The scent of blood, combined with that of their anger, had the lorina growling and unsettled. Hauk held Illyse off the woman by her red collar. “Take her outside and tie her up.”
Thia immediately obeyed.
Hauk pulled the medical pack to him so that he could go through it, and see if they had something that could help their unknown “guest.” How he wished Syn was here. His friend and ally was a doctor well versed in human medicine. Him, not so much. What little he knew about human anatomy was how to apply tourniquets to those injured in battle until a medic could relieve him.
And what vital organs he needed to disable or puncture to kill them.
“She’s human?” Darice curled his lip at the sight of her blond hair.
“Don’t start, D. Like Thia said, she needs our help.”
Darice scoffed. “She’s human,” he repeated. “She wouldn’t help us if we were the ones hurt.”
“You don’t know that.” Hauk pulled out an antiseptic cloth. “Go start lunch.”
Sheepish, Darice glanced away.
Dread consumed Hauk over that look. “What?”
“We didn’t catch anything, after we dressed. In case the woman wasn’t alone, Thia wouldn’t let me keep hunting while she came back here for you.”
“Good for her.”
Darice curled his lip in defiance. “What could humans do to me?”
Oh to be that naive and stupid again.
He cupped the back of his nephew’s head and forced him to meet his gaze so that he could see how serious he was. “They could make you wish you were dead. Never underestimate an enemy. No matter who or what they are. That is a special kind of stupid arrogance no one can afford.”
Darice inclined his head.
“Now, go. I have emergency rations in my pack near the water. You can rehydrate it and warm it.”