Or so she hoped.
Heydar hadn’t said anything about casual encounters, however, and judging by the glances coming her way there was always the chance one or more of them might get ideas. Fortunately, the village came into sight when they rounded the next small hillock, and the hunting party’s demeanor shifted to that of macho bravado as they returned from their task.
It was a rather quaint looking home. Rustic and old-timey. Buildings were made of branches and vines, some covered in mud to shield from heat or cold. Others were no more than large tents or yurts. The overall feel was quite tribal, though the pale green alien inhabitants were certainly not from the Wild West.
Tall trees bordered one side of the encampment, while another abutted a cluster of rocky outcroppings and small hills, their tops dotted with vegetation. There was the faint whiff of moisture in the air, which explained how everything was so lush. Darla couldn’t help but find the whole setting kind of pleasant, all things considered.
The hunting group led them into the village, weaving between the structures until they reached what was just about the center of the village. Long communal tables surrounded a dormant fire pit. Shirtless males were busy preparing wood for the evening’s fire while others scrubbed the table with buckets of water.
An old woman approached them, her body covered in fine lines and runes, many of them in an almost glowing pale ink, while other less active colors played second fiddle. She walked with the bearing of a woman who was used to getting her way. Darla took a liking to her immediately.
“We are returned, and we bring friends, Rohanna,” Adzus said.
The men carefully lowered their kills and dropped to one knee. Heydar followed suit, bowing his head in respectful greeting. Darla, however, stood tall, locking eyes with the woman. For her part, Rohanna took the human female’s insubordination quite well. In fact, after so long having others tiptoe around her, it was quite a refreshing change of pace.
“Come closer,” she directed the strange newcomer. “I would take a better look at you.”
Darla stepped forward. “So, you’re the boss around here?”
“One could say that,” she replied with a chuckle, her tattoos shifting and brightening with her mirth. “I help guide the Oraku toward a more harmonious life.”
“Oh, I get it. The whole nature thing. I suppose that explains the primitive camp. Um, no offense. It’s lovely, really.”
Rohanna let out a laugh. “Oh, you are an amusing one. I am so glad Adzus brought you to me. But I can assure you, though we live a basic lifestyle here, we are not ignorant savages as it might appear at first glance. We have chosen not to engage with the others. To live without constant competition and pursuit of more.”
“Wait, you said others.”
“There are more races than ours on this world,” Rohanna replied.
Heydar lifted his head and stood tall. “You say there are others, wise one?”
“Please, you may call me Rohanna. And yes, my Nimenni friend, I am familiar with your race, though I have not seen the likes of your kind for some time. But this one, she is something new.”
“She is called a human.”
Darla bristled slightly. “I can speak for myself, you know.”
Heydar’s tattoos darkened slightly, almost as if he was blushing through his pigment. “Apologies. Of course.”
Darla looked back at their host. “My name’s Darla, and yes, I am what’s called a human. But my people aren’t really space explorers. Not yet, anyway. That’s why you haven’t seen us before.”
The old woman raised an eyebrow, curiosity clear in her expression.
“It was the Raxxians, Rohanna,” Adzus said. “We came across pieces of debris on our hunt. One of their vessels crashing down is what we heard the other day.”
“Raxxians?” she said with a sour look on her face. “We do not approve of the Raxxians. Brutish creatures, the lot of them.”
“You can say that again,” Darla agreed. “But it wasn’t just one ship that crashed. We were held on a transport. From what Heydar said, it broke up into pieces and landed scattered all over the place. There’s a very real possibility others might have survived.”
This bit of information piqued Rohanna’s interest. She turned to Adzus. “Your opinion, hunter?”
“If there are others, they are beyond our borders. Perhaps other tribes have encountered them. Or even some of the offworlder settlements. But we cannot say for certain.”
“Hmm,” was all the old woman said as she fell into deep thought. A moment later she turned her bright eyes to her guests. “There is much to discuss, it would seem, but you have both been through a lot. Please, follow my helper, Moraki. She will guide you to the nourishing hot springs. The minerals will soothe your aches and revitalize your spirits. Once you have bathed, we will dine and discuss things further.”
Heydar gave a slight bow. “Thank you, Wise One. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated.
“Yeah, what he said,” Darla added.
Moraki, the slender, young woman who had been shadowing Rohanna, stepped forward and extended her arm to guide the duo. “Please, this way. I will show you to the springs.”
“Excellent,” Heydar said. “We could certainly use it.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The natural spring was situated in a rocky outcropping at the far edge of the village. Darla was pleased to note as they grew closer that there was no foul sulphur smell wafting through the air. She’d been to that kind of hot spring in the past, and while it had been refreshing, the lingering smell of farts and rotten eggs was less than desirable.
She and Heydar were drawing a bit of attention as they were led to the springs. With curious eyes emerging to gawk at the newcomers, Darla noted that there really was a distinct lack of women in the village. She was a guest of Rohanna, and as such none would think to offend her, but nevertheless she felt like a prize sow on display at a county fair.
It was not exactly a pleasant sensation.
“This way,” Moraki said, guiding them around a small clump of rocks. “Most of the others have returned home already. You will have much of the bathing pool to yourselves.”
Darla did a double take.
“Did you say communal?”
“Yes. All villagers share the bounty of the springs. They give us an ever-fresh bathing pool in this location, and they also provide our clean water from another nearby source.”
“So, communal,” Darla repeated just as the body of water came into sight as they rounded another bend.
It was a roughly circular pool, fifteen meters across and two deep in the middle. The water was crystal clear, a faint layer of steam drifting across the surface.
There were two older women there, submerged to their necks, soaking contentedly off to one side. Three younger men were there as well. Not from the hunting party, she noted. These must be regular villagers. Perhaps farmers or something. She hadn’t really figured out the socio-economic structure of the Oraku people just yet.
“Excellent,” Heydar said, seemingly oblivious to the others present. That, or he just didn’t care.
With a fluid motion he pulled his tattered shirt from his body and tossed it aside, stretching wide, his rippling muscles moving like coiled beasts under his skin. In full daylight Darla could truly take in just how impressive his physique was. His abs had abs, and his chest was broad and deep. His thick forearms seemed as big as her legs, making it clear his multi-jointed, elongated fingers were likely even more powerful than she’d already witnessed.