“Do you have parents?” she asked.
He shook his head, and she patted his chest. “I’m sorry.”
He gave a half-shrug that she couldn’t interpret. “Yoo?” he asked.
“Not anymore. My father died when I was young. I barely remember him. After he died, my mother turned into this very… restricted person. She was always worrying about doing the right thing and what people thought of her, and of me.” She sighed, looking up at the stars. “I don’t know. Maybe she was always like that, but in my head it was because of my father dying. I think that’s why I never really wanted a serious relationship.”
She looked up and found him studying her intently. How much of what she said had he recognized, she wondered.
“Ie uhn-duh-stand,” he said softly. “Mie pair-uhnts too klohz.”
“Too close? Is that why they are both gone?”
He nodded, and she shook her head. “Aren’t we a pair? Running away from happiness because we’re afraid.”
He growled and she nudged his ribs with her elbow. “You know what I mean. Brave in… battle, but not in love.”
Not that she actually knew if he had been in battle, but she suspected he had fought before. He looked startled, but then he kissed her and that was the end of questions for the night.
The next morning, Jane woke up alone. At some point during the night Tarax must have carried her into the shelter, but he had already slipped away, leaving her to sleep. Looking at the sun through the gaps in the leaves, she realized that it was much later than usual. Mr. Tiddles poked his head through the opening of the shelter, and she smiled at him. He jumped into her arms, chattering excitedly.
“What’s got you all excited?” she asked. “Have you and Tarax been having fun without me?”
An odd, dragging noise from outside seemed to answer her question. She pulled on her fur outfit and went to investigate.
His muscles rippling impressively with the effort, Tarax was pulling logs out of the jungle and lining them up next to each other on the beach. Mr. Tiddles immediately went to investigate the latest arrival, digging into the dead wood searching for his favorite insects. She shuddered. No wonder he had been so excited.
She followed him over to the beach, inspecting Tarax’s work. Once she was close enough, she could see that he was using lengths of vine to lash the logs together. They made a somewhat uneven platform, but it would keep them up and out of the water.
“Oh, I see. You’re making a raft.”
“Raft,” he repeated, nodding. “Laik?”
“Yes, I do like it.” She looked from the unwieldy vessel to the water rushing by. “Do you think you’ll be able to steer it?”
He frowned at her, and she used her hand to mimic a rudder. His face relaxed and he nodded, showing her yet another branch, this one with leaves lashed to it. Instead of the soft leaves they used for bedding, these were dark and stiff. The whole apparatus seemed rather flimsy to her, but she nodded approvingly.
“Do you think you’ll finish it today?”
That odd expression crossed his face again, then he shook his head. Relief swept over her. They had more time together. She smiled at him and went to prepare breakfast.
The day passed peacefully. Tarax continued to work on the raft, several times discarding logs and replacing them with others that were more uniform. By the time the sun began to set, the platform looked surprisingly sturdy.
After dinner, they watched the stars again, but she didn’t ask any more questions about his past. She wanted to think only of the present and enjoy every minute of their time together.
Taraxan woke before the sun came up and thought about the day ahead. His raft was as sturdy as he could make it—it was time to face the river. He usually enjoyed pitting his skills against nature, but he found he was not looking forward to this trial. It wasn’t just the thought of exposing Jayn to danger. Once they reached the other side of the river, they would be that much closer to their destination, and that much closer to being parted.
As he slipped quietly out of bed and began gathering their few supplies, he returned to the possibility of persuading her to accompany him. While he was working the previous day, he had considered and discarded a number of options for his future career. He had finally decided that a homesteading planet might be the most suitable. It would take a great deal of work, of course, but he was not afraid of hard work, and he liked the idea that they could build a new life together.
Or would she prefer a city? He could probably make a decent living teaching martial arts in one of the larger systems. In the worst case scenario, he could become a gladiator. He had the skills and it paid well, but he was no fan of fighting for the sake of fighting. Still, if that was what it took to provide her, then he would not hesitate.
Misstuh Tiduhlz joined him as Taraxan finished lashing their supplies to the raft. After devouring one of the shiny, pink beetles he favored, he leapt up into Taraxan’s arms and climbed onto his shoulder.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” Taraxan murmured. Misstuh Tiduhlz hadn’t even joined them in the jungle pool. Taraxan suspected he was not going to enjoy the river crossing, but he didn’t even consider leaving the small animal behind. He was part of their… family.
The thought made him smile, and he was still smiling when Jayn emerged from their shelter. Her hair was tousled, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and she looked adorable. How could he ever let her go? Whatever job he had to take in order to provide for her, it would be worth it.
She wandered over and snuggled against his side, yawning sleepily.
