Fourteen

The humans we had saved continued to be wary of the fey and tended to stay as far away from them as they could.  That meant the group was spread out in its plodding pace with the humans in the center.  Caden and Connor, the young teenaged boys, dragged their feet against the ground in exhaustion.  The girls walked in a group, leaning on each other.  Jessie struggled to hold her daughter, changing her from hip to hip in an effort to find relief.  And, Mary and James had fallen behind the rest.

We’d already walked for a couple of miles when we came up to a large lake.  The water looked murky, but I didn’t think the men would mind.  The humans needed the rest, and the fey needed to bathe in order to continue carrying them. 

“This is a good place to wash up,” I said to Drav.

He grunted in acknowledgement and set me down.

“Are we going to rest for a bit?” Ollie, one of the older men with tired eyes and grey at his temples, asked.

“Yeah, we can rest while they wash up.”

The fey who walked at the front dropped their pants without warning and went into the lake.  The trio of girls gasped.  Hannah’s eyes went wide, but she didn’t glance away.  Taylor just gawked.  Emily squeaked and turned away.  Then she squeaked again.

I turned around to see more of the fey men pull the strings to their pants and drop them where they stood.  Those standing near Mary looked at her before confidently and slowly walking past.

“Oh my!” Mary exclaimed as she got an eyeful.  Most of the fey smiled proudly at her examination.

“Mama!” James called.

“Oh hush it, Pa.  This is good for the blood.”  She winked and continued staring at the men who walked passed her.

Drav growled behind me.

“What?” I asked, turning around to him.  He stood, watching the others walking naked to the lake.

“I do not like you looking at the others.”

I smiled slightly and stepped close.

“Drav,” I framed his face with my hands. “I only want you.”  I pressed a quick, chaste kiss to his lips.  “And, as I recall, you had no problem with me seeing their bathing when we were in Ernisi.”

He grunted, and water splashed as more fey made their way into the water.

“So stop worrying about what I’m not even remotely interested in and give me something I do want to look at.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Join me?”

I glanced over at the brown water and the steam rising from the men already washing.  I was no fool.  That lake had to be as freezing as their underground river.

“I think I will pass.”

Drav grunted then stepped back to pull off his shirt and drop his pants.  I shook my head at his shameless walk into the water.

“You’re a lucky woman,” Mary said, ogling Drav’s firm butt as he walked away.

“I am.”

Mary’s eyes went big as one of the fey left the lake.  The afternoon light caught on his wet, chiseled chest.

“Mary,” the fey said acknowledging her.

“New rule.  No flirting with married women,” I called.

“Oh, hush,” Mary said.

“What is married?” a fey called.

“It’s when two people are committed to each other and no one else.”

“How do we know if a woman is married?” another fey asked.

“Married women usually wear a ring on the third finger of their left hand.  If in doubt, politely ask if she’s married.”

A few of the freshly bathed men strode past the girls.  Taylor nodded to them, taking their bath in stride.  Jessie, who sat near Byllo, Timmy, and Savvy, kept turning her daughter back to her coloring book instead of the parade of naked fey.

The human men stood off to the side, talking quietly and ignoring the fey who had stripped down and washed off.

I walked toward them, curious about what they were so quietly discussing.

“We need food.  The women haven’t eaten in days.  I know Jessie gave all of her rations to Savvy,” Finley said.

Aaron hushed him and stared at me.  I moved away from their conversation and went to the water’s edge to wait for Drav.  He, Molev, and I needed to talk.  There wasn’t enough food in my bag to feed everyone.  We only had enough small portions to last Timmy and me a day.  Just enough time for us to reach Whiteman, according to the map that the commander had given us.

Drav saw me, dipped underneath the water, then started toward shore.  He emerged, water trickling down his body as steam rose from his skin.  My mouth dropped open a little as I stared.  He’d definitely given me something to look at.  He was mine.  All mine.  My chest tightened as my eyes dipped lower.  When I looked back up, Drav’s eyes locked onto mine, and he smiled.

I tried to suppress my own smile and shook my head at him.  I had to keep my thoughts on the humans who needed us, not the delicious expanse of Drav on display.

Unable to resist, I peeked one more time as he walked toward me.  I licked my lips in appreciation, and he rumbled in satisfaction at my response.

“We need to focus,” I said, stepping back as Drav stalked toward me.

“I am.”

He stepped closer, his body brushing against mine.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, leaning in to kiss the side of my neck.

I shivered at the feel of his cool lips on my skin.

“Mya.”

“Huh?”  I was too distracted by his lips to remember his question.

Drav laughed quietly as his lips continued to blaze a path to my mouth. When he reached my lips, I made a sound of agreement and tugged my fingers through his hair, bringing him closer.  His tongue traced the seam of my lips then delved inside, making me forget time and place.  Only the two of us existed, and one of us had too many clothes on.

He pulled away, and when I finally opened my eyes, he wore a proud grin on his face.

“That was some kiss,” I breathed.

“Did it help ease whatever worry filled your mind.”

“Huh?”

“You came over with that look in your eye.  What was troubling you?”

I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts that had fled with his kiss.

“The humans haven’t had anything to eat for days.  We need to feed them.”

Drav looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see Molev standing dressed behind us.

“Small groups can go out and scout for houses with food,” he said.

I considered all the potential problems with that plan.  The fey knew cans had food in them.  But, they wouldn’t know what kind of food because the fey couldn’t read.  While we didn’t really have any right to be picky, I wanted to at least try to avoid feeding our new friends dog food.

“It would be best if each group took a human or two with them while gathering the food.  Someone able to read the labels.”

“We will take the human men.”

I looked over at the younger boys, Connor and Caleb.  I had already explained to Molev and Drav that they hadn’t come into their manhood.  Although I didn’t want the kids out there, sending the older men worried me.  It took most men time to warm up to the fey, and I didn’t want anyone doing anything stupid while out scavenging.

“Maybe it would be better if I went out with a single group.  If we don’t collect enough in one trip, we could go out again.”

“No, Mya.  That would take too long.  We will take Connor, Caleb, Aaron, and Finley.  We will protect them.”

“Okay.  But, be careful. And, no challenges while you’re gone.”

“They will not be gone long, Mya.”

I nodded.  While Molev went to speak to a few of the fey, Drav quickly dressed.  By the time he finished, four groups of five fey had split off to speak to their assigned humans.

Connor and Caleb enthusiastically listened to the fey who explained the boys’ roles in the hunt for supplies.  When two of the fey turned around so the boys could climb up their backs, neither boy hesitated.

Not everyone in the group was as excited as Connor and Caleb, though.  With a worried frown, Jessie watched the boys leave. Byllo reached over, set his hand on her arm, and spoke quietly to her.  She nodded and rubbed her daughter’s back as the girl colored with Timmy.

Finley and Aaron didn’t get the same consideration the younger boys had.  The fey told them they needed their help then threw the men over their shoulders and took off.

Some swearing trailed in the group’s wake.

“Where are they going?” Hannah asked, stepping over to where I stood with Drav.  Shax joined us, studying Hannah avidly.  Interest sparked in his gaze.

“They’re going to gather food,” I said.

“It’s not that we aren’t hungry, but it’s getting later.  Are we going to be traveling at night?”

“No.  We’ll probably need to make camp somewhere.”

Shax moved closer to Hannah, inhaling deeply through his nose.  Her eyes cut over to him.

“What are you doing?” she asked warily.

“Smelling you.  You smell different from Mya.  But still good.”

“Excuse me?” Hannah said, taking a step back.

Shax shadowed her move.

I smothered a grin at her expression.

“Think of it as their way of flirting,” I said, trying to ease her worry.

Hannah’s eyes went big as her gaze darted between me and Shax.

“Sniffing is flirting to them?”

“I am Shax,” he said before I could answer.

He stood inches from Hannah.  His hair, wet from bathing, stuck close to his neck, its length just brushing his shoulders.  Hannah’s hair was about the same length but in tight ringlets.  Shax lifted his hand as if to run his fingers through the curls.

Hannah took a quick step back.

He tilted his head to study her, not at all bothered by her retreat.

“You have no penis,” he said.

Hannah made a pained sound and glanced at me for help.

“Shax, that’s not something we like having pointed out.  We’re very aware we’re not made the same as you.”

Hannah quickly retreated, and Shax stared after her.

“Did I say something wrong?” Shax asked, still watching her.

Hannah joined the other human women, who were moving closer to Jessie.

“You might have come off a little strong,” I said.

“What does that mean?”

I patted his arm.

“It means no more penis talk.”

Shax’s gaze swung back over to Hannah.  Determination lit his eyes.  I cringed, wondering what he would do next.

Drav, who’d quietly watched the exchange with me, laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

“The men will not stop,” he said.

“I know.  Just trying to give them some pointers.”

While we waited for the raiding parties to return, the rest of the fey spent the afternoon attempting to converse with the women.  Mary willingly talked to each fey who spoke with her.  She seemed to understand their curiosity about females and didn’t appear to fear them like the other girls.  Any time one of the fey approached one of the younger girls, they only responded with short, quiet phrases.

Drav and I remained nearby, ready to keep the fey in check.  However, none of the fey pushed too hard with their flirting. Their attempts ranged from the obvious, “you have boobs” to the men challenging each other to brawls in front of the women.

Byllo ended up taking Timmy, Jessie, and Savvy to the edge of the lake, away from the commotion.  The remaining human men stood back and watched the fey as well.

As the afternoon dragged on, I began to wonder what was taking the fey so long to scout for food.  I tried to see the positive in the delay.  With so much time together, the other women gradually grew more relaxed with the fey’s presence.  However, the fact that none of the groups had returned by the time the sun touched the horizon worried me.

James and Ollie, the oldest of the men, began walking the edge of the area.  They picked up small branches and made a pile of them near the center of our gathering.  It made sense that we’d want a fire once the sun set and the night turned cold.  We humans would need the warmth.  That thought just made me worry more.  Would the fey know that Caden and Connor would need extra warmth?

“The sun’s almost down.  Where are they?” I said to Drav.

“Do not worry, Mya.  They will return soon,” Drav said.  “I can hear the young ones.”

I followed the direction of his gaze.  The group was walking the road in the distance, with Ghua at the front.  Caleb sat upon the shoulder of one of the fey. 

When the group reached us, the fey pulled Caleb from his shoulder and set him to the ground.  The boy beamed with happiness and pride as he raced toward his friends.  He barely reached the others before he started telling his story.

“Zoihm went first into the house we found and just chucked out a zombie’s head.  Then Hanno ran in to help, but Zoihm had taken care of all the zombies waiting inside.  Once it was clear, we all went in.  The guys let me pick out the food.  Said I was the only one who could.”  Caleb spoke fast, pointing to the fey.  “Hanno said they aren’t hungry.  That means there’s enough for all of us to eat.”

The other groups slowly began to return, too.  Although the food they brought back wasn’t abundant enough to feed the whole group, it would feed the people the fey had saved until we reached Whiteman.  The humans lit the fire and started warming cans of food over the low flames as night descended.

The fey spread out in a protective circle surrounding us.  Those who’d gone out to scout for the food lay down to sleep while those who’d remained behind stayed awake and vigilant.  Both sets quietly watched the humans eat, listening and learning, and likely thinking of their possible futures with one of the girls.

The fey were finally living, not just existing.