The boughs of the massive tree swayed in the stiff breeze. The sun was warm, even towards the end of the day. The beautiful song of the Swiveal, something that could only be described as a bird-like creature, rang through the treetops.
Andar bent at the roots of the huge tree. The massive structure had housed him for seventy years of his life. He had planted the seed as a youth, nurturing it, caring for it, and had watched it grow to tower over eighty feet tall. The tree was at least twenty feet in diameter and provided the perfect housing. Andar planned on treating it well. The symbiotic relationship between Klaskians and their environment was what made their planet thrive.
If only their species could be so lucky.
The move, years ago, of Klaskar had cost the species dearly. They’d prepared for the entrance into a new solar system with a new, life giving sun, after their old star died. They had developed the technology for the move long before they had ever attempted it. They all knew that many of them would die, and many of them had. Females and young had suffered. Oddly enough, none of the other species, which humans would term birds and animals, had experienced such losses.
All of their tree homes, their gardens and their machines had also survived.
The familiar stirrings of grief welled up in Andar. He had lost his sister and mother in the move. His best friend had lost his new mate, what the humans would consider a wife.
With the population so depleted, the Leaders had come together and determined that the best plan of action would be to look for another species which had females who could carry their offspring in a shorter amount of time than their own females could. Because bearing a child was hard on any female and took years out of her life, most Klaskian females agreed readily to the plan. The Klaskians were used to living in grief. Many had lost their young. No one was unaffected by sorrow. As such, the human females were welcomed. They carried the precious gift of their young, and birthed them in only three months. Hearing the cries and laughter of new youth went a long way in mending the many broken hearts.
Andar heard the heavy footfalls of his friend, Maslar, as he approached. He whirled around from where he had been inspecting the bark and foliage of his tree, determining if it needed another round of fertilization. He had been planning on picking a type of fungus, like a mushroom, from the trees upper branches for his dinner.
“What is it?” Andar asked, noting the sparkle in Maslar’s eyes. He thought he knew the answer before Maslar spoke and his heart leapt. “Have we been chosen? Are we to get a human woman?”
“We have! It is finally our turn! They are sending the pods for the next batch as soon as day breaks the sky. The pods will take a week to arrive on Earth and another week to return. We should have a woman within two Earth weeks!”
Andar could no longer contain his excitement. His face broke into a broad grin as he ran forward and gripped his friend’s arm. He slapped him on the back and Maslar mirrored the familiar gesture, used to express happiness.
“We will treat her like a… What do the humans call them?”
“Princess or queen I think?” Maslar nodded. “We will revere her. She is going to have one of our young.”
“The idea the Leaders had for two or more males to share the female ensures she will conceive much faster.” Andar stared into his friend’s deep purple eyes and Maslar nodded, still smiling.
“Yes. Since we have started mating one human woman among more than one male, the instances of more than one young conceived have been higher as well. It’s unheard of in our own females. The human women are indeed a very special species.”
Andar nodded. “If only they took better care of their own beautiful home. It breaks my heart to go there and see the destruction. Imagine – they eat their own animals!”
Maslar wrinkled his nose. The ridged skin on his forehead and cheekbones moved as his expression turned to one of disgust. “The humans have strange practices. I’ll not say they are wrong, but I do agree, their planet is bleeding.”
“It’s horribly sad.” Andar lowered his voice and leaned in so only Maslar could hear him. “We both know that our own planet is broken. I wonder how many more years we have here before we are forced to leave.” He rested his palm on the warm, ridged whirls of the bark that made up his tree. “Klaskar is not the planet it once was. The move took a toll on her, as it did on our females. I feel her tremble at times, deep in her core.”
“I have felt it as well.” Maslar confirmed, his eyes reflecting his worry though his face remained impassive. “I wonder if there is any point in having young should we have limited time.”
“We have to hope that we will be able to find somewhere else, should the need arise. Somewhere that will accept us.”
“Earth?”
“I don’t know. Even if humanity welcomed us, I don’t know if I could stand to live on a planet so poisoned with waste and overuse.”
“We’ve helped them turn it around. Perhaps our species could live in peace. Perhaps we would make their planet a better one. Heal it.”
Andar nodded slowly. Beneath his palm the bark of his tree trembled slightly, the tree’s own life force joining with his vitality. They had always been connected. He’d birthed the tree from seed and soil just as if he’d birthed his own young. The thought of leaving Klaskar and leaving it behind wounded him deeply.
He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing instead on Maslar’s exciting news. In two weeks, the human woman would come.
“Andar?” Maslar asked questioningly. He reached out and touched the bark of the tree as well and Andar felt his friend’s energy mingle with his.
“I’m sorry, friend. Your news is most welcome. I will leave the rest to the Leaders to decide.” Andar smiled. “Come. I was going to pick mushrooms. Stay for dinner. My house will soon be shared by you and our human woman as we prepare for and welcome her.”
“Let us hope she conceives soon. And with my young. May whatever deities exist out there help the young if it should be born of you and have your features.”
“Ha! We both know that I am the better looking of us by far. I always have been, that’s why all the females wanted me. They used to chase me, even as a boy.” Andar watched Maslar’s face grow somber. There were no flocks of young, giggling females now.
Maslar’s hand shifted on the tree, covering Andar’s and squeezing firmly. “Soon my friend. Soon it will be so again, and we shall be part of it.”