- Heidi -

The dinosaur stands there for a second, swaying back and forth as the movement dissipates. The rumbling sound of its breathing resonates back from the trees around us, and I can see steam rising from its flanks.

I sit stiffly and make sure not to turn around. He'd see liquid on my cheeks, and right now I don't want that.

Dar'ax takes two of his various bags over his shoulder and climbs down with quick and limber movements. He hangs the sacks on branches on a nearby tree, and then he climbs back up.

“Let's go down now,” he says with a voice that's softer than I've heard from him so far, as he extends one large, scarred and callused hand to me. “Dar'ax support Heidi.”

Well, there's no reason for me to stay up here, so I take his hand and he helps me get down much faster and safer than I would have managed on my own.

Dar'ax then does the same thing he did before, and signals the rex that it's on its own and free to roam around. Again I'm astounded to see the control he has over the giant beast. I mean, airline captains and truck drivers control huge things. But this is a living apex predator, on the very top of the food chain, so lethal that my blood freezes if I happen to gaze on its razor-sharp teeth the size of traffic cones. It's easy to forget what it is when I'm perched on top if it, traveling in total comfort. Dar'ax's casual control of the dino is the most impressive thing I've ever seen.

He spreads a thick fur out on the ground and sits me down on it, and then he opens one bag, gets out a pouch and pours a full hollowed-out rock of some kind of fluid for me.

It smells of fruit juice, and I wouldn't be surprised if it contained a small amount of alcohol. Works for me.

I gulp it down and help myself to more of it while Dar'ax busies himself with his various sacks. One of them in particular intrigues me. It's large and round, and it seems to contain something big and heavy. He treats it very carefully without doing anything other than just peering inside before he hangs it back on its branch.

He moves with quick and practiced movements, and within ten minutes he's erected a large, furry tent and built a fire beside it. This time he lights it himself, which is just as well. The sun is setting, and I don't know how effective my glasses would be for lighting fires right now.

As he works I glance at him and can't help admiring his movements and his obvious strength. He's totally in his element here, confident and fast. I notice that he does the same thing I've seen Jax'zan and Ar'ox do: looking around at short intervals, just to check for danger in this very deadly jungle. It reassures me, somehow. He doesn't need the dino to be competent, like a weak guy who's only tough safely behind the steering wheel of his SUV. No, this guy is strong anywhere in this jungle.

He's very serious, though. The two other cavemen I've met will behave much like Earth men when they do things like this, chatting and joking and even humming tunelessly. But Dar'ax doesn't do any of those things.

I take a deep breath and relax, knowing that I'm safe. Watching the caveman do his thing takes my mind off the sad thoughts I just had, and I wonder if that was his intention.

I take another sip of the brew and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. No, he can't possibly know what I was thinking. He's never had a family. This is a planet with only males. Their children come from strange plants called Lifegivers, and they don't have siblings or mothers. Only a biological father, who usually doesn't have a strong relationship with the boy he's sired and who is pretty much his clone.

Our camp made, Dar'ax finally sits down and dives into his bag that contains food. Again he hands me a leaf with a selection of the foods he's got.

And this time I give him a little smile when I accept it. “Thank you.”

His yellow eyes flicker, but his serious expression doesn't change. Somehow that reassures me. He's his own man, reserved and withdrawn. He won't burst out in song and dance just because a chick smiles at him. But still, I'd like to break through that shell.

We munch on the food, and now I can feel a familiar buzz spreading. Yep, that fruit juice of his definitely contains booze. I know some girls back on Bune who'd love to get a sip of that.

As usual, it makes me chatty. “Where Dar'ax come from?”

He raises his hand and points across the river. “Four days in that direction.”

“Is far. Tribe is there?”

He looks away. “Deh.”

Ah. There was some soreness in that 'no'. Maybe ... “Dar'ax is outcast?”

After all, both Jax'zan and Ar'ox were cast out of their tribes when they chose their mates over their tribes.

“Deh!” His eyes flash in anger and I reflexively pull my legs closer. I suppose suggesting someone is an outcast could be seen as an insult. After all, the cavemen consider it one of the worst things that can happen to them, and it's probably connected to pretty serious shame. Damn his booze!

“Okay. Okay. Fine. I see. Didn't mean to ... sorry.”

He won't understand the words, but my apologetic tone shouldn't need any translation.

He takes another bite of his breadfruit and looks away again. “There is no tribe.”

Ah. Well, I'm not going to pursue that line of questioning right now. It's plainly a sensitive topic for him, and I'm supposed to be miffed that he kidnapped me. I don't want to get too personal just yet.

And still, I long to know more about him. There has to be something behind that stony face.

No tribe, huh. “Where you take Heidi?”

He stares into the fire and doesn't reply.

Doesn't he have a plan? Or does he think he can roam around this jungle planet on his dino with me as a starry-eyed groupie forever? Sure, that does have some appeal, like permanent RV-ing. But it seems like it would be a rootless and difficult life, despite the cool ride he has.

I decide to try something else. “Dar'ax take Heidi to Bune and friends. Be Dar'ax tribe. Very nice tribe and have women and food. Also make swords.” I have no idea what 'smithy' or 'forge' is in cavemanese, but Ar'ox and Jax'zan enjoy making iron weapons and tools, so I can only assume that it's attractive to any caveman.

But not to this one, I guess. “Dar'ax has no tribe.”

“Dar'ax not want tribe, Heidi think.”

He just shrugs. But I'm not done.

“Dar'ax has no tribe. Where Dar'ax take Heidi?”