30

- Sophia -

We inspect the tuna can. It's totally ruined and looks more like a colander than a tin can now.

“We can't live in there anymore,” Delyah says. “It will give us no protection at all. The dactyls know where we live. I have a feeling they'll be back. And these huge carcasses will start to rot and be a major biohazard.”

“And one reason for staying here was that the kidnappers might be back,” Heidi agrees. “Now it's probably been too long for that. Even if they did come, this thing is broken and they probably can't attach it to their ship again.”

I nod. I want this tuna can to be a closed chapter in my life now. We can do better elsewhere on the planet. “How about that cave where you found me, Jax'zan?”

He's walking around now. Slowly, but still. He's recovering fast. “Tribesmen come there sometimes. Also the water isn't good to drink. I know about a better place. Further away, but safer. There are caves. Cleaner water. Trees that bear fruit. Good defensive positions.”

Yeah. Because on this planet, your life is always in danger from someone. Or something. It's the way life was for everyone on Earth too, not so long ago. But I guess we have forgotten that. At least we have Jax'zan now. That makes our chances much better.

I totally trust him do know the best way to do this, “Fine with me. But we should stay here for at least another night. Jax'zan is in no shape to walk in that jungle.”

Jax'zan shows us how to gather useful stuff from the dead dactyls, like certain parts of their skins and sharp teeth and talons. We've toughened up a lot now, and Delyah cuts huge razor-sharp teeth out of dactyls as if she's done it many times before.

It turns out to be a pretty good evening. We feel safe enough to light a big fire away from the dead not-dactyls, and we sit in a circle around it and talk and joke and laugh and enjoy ourselves.

I know we have many hard times ahead of us, but we're over the first major hurdle. The 'dip', as Delyah called it. We're over the dip, and we made it. More or less.

And some of us made out like bandits. I glance up at Jax'zan. I'm sitting as close to him as I can without stripping naked, and I enjoy the heat from him and the safety he exudes. The warm light from the fire flickers across his face and makes him look a little less alien. He's not beautiful, perhaps. But he's handsome enough. And he's super manly and has the soul of a lion. Seriously, who could ask for anything more?

- - -

We get married the next morning. Caroline is wearing her lab coat, which I know she's spent some time cleaning in the stream, using rocks and such. She's buttoned it all the way up to look all spiritual, and the girls have made a little altar and saved some of the food they had for a reception after the ceremony.

The sun is rising and it's throwing long shadows. I'm in my blue cavewoman outfit because it's all I have, and Jax'zan is wearing his kilt and nothing else, as usual. The girls have made me a little tiara of flowers, and that's my whole wedding gear.

You'd think it would be ridiculous. No one here can dress right, I don't have a scrap of lace anywhere on me, there's no best man, there are no wedding bells and no family members. But I have four bridesmaids, Delyah is my maid of honor and I have the best groom in history. And I'm happily bawling my eyes out before it's even started. So it's a real wedding, all right.

I've spent the night in Jax'zan's arms. He couldn't do much more than hold around me, but that's fine. He quietly told me about his life and his tribe and that he's now an outcast. All because of me. He's sacrificed so many things for me it's insane. And he's fine with it! Not one word of blame passed his lips, and his tone of voice was always calm and matter-of-fact, the way he always is. Joking, even.

And now he's waiting at the altar, a revelation of manliness and strength, even with the dirty improvised bandages all over him. The tall and blonde Caroline is standing there looking serious and downright regal and the girls are standing a couple of yards away, looking at me solemnly.

I walk between them and up to the altar, holding eight red flowers in my hand – one for each of us girls, one for Alesya and one for Jax'zan. I'm able to keep the tears down for this. The light from the alien sun is throwing golden rays through the bushes and branches of the jungle, and there's a little bit of mist close to the ground. And I've never felt more one with everything that is holy than right now.

Nobody's smiling at the simplicity of it all. Everyone is serious. This is my wedding. It's not quite the way I planned and dreamed about it when I was growing up. But this is real and to me it's totally wonderful.

Jax'zan takes my hand and walks me the last two steps up to Caroline. She says a few words that sound a lot like they come from a hippie wedding, because there's a lot of words like 'blossom' and 'harmony' and 'commonality'. But that's fine. And it's pretty appropriate for the situation. She does great.

I say some simple vows I've thought of, and Jax'zan says something much shorter which comes across pretty powerfully. He's not kidding about this.

Then Caroline asks us the important question.

Jax'zan goes “Toh!” in a powerful voice with a hint of impatience, and then I say “I do” as firmly as I can, which is not very. Because I'm tearing up again.

We kiss and that's it. There's no aisle to walk down and no organ to play the recessional. The girls come in to hug me and congratulate me and now I'm married.

I hold Jax'zan's hand while we all munch on fruit and berries and even some meat from Jax'zan's bag, chatting lightly like at a real reception. Then I catch myself. This is a real reception. And it's the best one ever.

- - -

Then it's time to leave the tuna can. We pick up the objects we want to bring with us, I check that the translator is still in my pocket and that I have the empty gun.

We walk over to Alesya's little stone grave. There are fresh flowers there again. Red flowers, eight of them.

Emilia quietly explains to Jax'zan what happened. We stand there for a little while and I wipe some tears from my cheeks. I wish she was here. And I sorely wish I hadn't tried to hijack the saucer.

I'm sorry, I think to myself, like I always do when I stand right here. So sorry, Alesya.

Delyah puts a hand lightly on my arm. “I know you still blame yourself for this,” she says softly right into my thoughts. “I keep seeing you look over at this grave and you take some crazy risks because you feel guilty. I know you're the one who's been placing flowers here every morning. But you didn't kill Alesya. That was all them. The aliens. Not you. Not even a little bit. You can let it go.”

The words have all the more weight because they come from her. Delyah rarely speaks. But when she does, it's always a game changer.

She's observant, too. I thought I was being super stealthy about the flowers.

“Thank you,” I sob and wipe my eyes.

The other girls agree and pat my back and shoulder. “Damn right. If anything, you probably saved us all from a much worse fate.”

“The Plood,” a deep voice says. Jax'zan is behind me, pondering the grave. “It is known that they take women and kill them. Use for terrible things. Our women went the same way. Taken from us. They deposited you here as a way to damage us and instigate confusion. They would have done that anyway. Nothing any of you did had any impact on that. They are evil.”

I feel his heavy hand on my shoulder and I reach up to squeeze it. It does make me feel better that maybe getting us stranded here wasn't my fault after all. It's been a constant source of piercing guilt at the back of my mind, and it's gotten me to do some brave or stupid things that I'm not sure I would have done otherwise.

“All right,” Delyah says. “Let's go.” She starts walking in the direction where Jax'zan has said that there are caves we can live in.

One after the other, the girls take a last look at the tuna can and our little colony and then walk after her with their meagre possessions in coarse fabric bags on their shoulders. I carry Jax'zan's bag, because he's still wounded and I don't think he's up to much more than walking today. He's not pale anymore, at least.

The girls are gone and we're alone at the tuna can. We're newlyweds. We need and deserve a couple of minutes alone.

I look up at him. “How does it feel to be a husband?”

He bends down to kiss me. “It feels like an end and a beginning. The old Jax'zan has become the new. The world has changed. It is better. Brighter. Full of promise. But also harder. That is the way it should be for a warrior. But now life will be easier for Sophia. My wife. I will see to it.”

I go up on tiptoes to kiss him. I don't need to say anything. I'm pretty sure he can see the happiness in my face.

I look down at the translator. It works much better than anyone had ever thought it would. That super advanced chip inside it is probably much closer to actual AI than even its makers suspected. It's pretty much taught itself Jax'zan's language all by itself. If we were still back on Earth, it would be a total sensation and it would be world famous. So would Professor Wilkins, probably. And maybe even I. But I don't feel it. It's too distant, too unreal. It almost feels like it never happened. I've got other things on my mind now.

Like the fact that its battery won't last forever. It's kept up sensationally well so far, but it's a crutch. I have to learn his language now. I'm supposed to be a linguist, after all. Well, I do know a good few words already.

I flick the switch and the little LED dies. I place the translator back in its pocket and look up at Jax'zan.

“I don't think I'll need that anymore.”

He gets the meaning and nods seriously. Then he takes me into his arms and sniffs my hair.

“Kra tun kateh,” he growls into my ear, sending delighted shivers down my spine and tingles to my girly bits. And I know those words. I've practiced in secret with the translator.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes and smile happily as I squeeze my husband hard. It's my wedding day. It's going to be a good one, whether this planet agrees or not.

“I love you too.”

We stand like that for a long time. Then he takes my hand and we start walking.

- - -

© Calista Skye 2017

- - -

Make sure to catch the Epilogue at the back of the book!

- - -

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading my book!

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Calista