The Swords of Gregara - Jenala, a sci-fi romance (5 page)

They went back inside the shack.
 
It was covered in blood, but it was out of the storm.
 
It had some wood for the stove, a small table with two chairs and many games on a shelf.
 
There was also a bed.
 
A small bed with barely room enough for two people, but Jenala knew that they would have to use it together to keep warm.
 
The firewood was not enough to last the night and would have to be used sparingly.

Santro caught her staring at the bed.
 
“I promise I won’t bite,” he said with a smile.

She blushed.
 
“Of course, you don’t.
 
I’m just…just…,” she stammered.

He came forward and lifted her chin with his knuckle until she looked at him.
 
“Look at it this way, you’ve already been in my arms, this will be no different.
 
I’ll hold you so we can both stay warm.
 
On my honor, I will not take advantage of you.”

She looked up into his face and saw the truth.
 
He would keep her safe.
 

He changed the subject.
 
“Tell me about Zlaten.
 
Why do you think he murdered your father?
 
Don’t misunderstand, I believe you.
 
I want to know the why and the how.”

“Father was home alone.
 
I’d gone to town on Lottie to get more lumber and other supplies.
 
He’d hit a particularly large crack of kalcion.
 
Not the major vein by any means, but larger than any we’d found in a quite awhile.
 
It yielded enough for us to stock up on things we needed.
 
We hadn’t been able to do that for a long time.
 

“Zlaten Vandalar was at the ore exchange when I cashed it in.
 
I saw him in there and only one tankipa was outside the exchange, so it had to be his.
 
It is a black and white paint.
 
Very unusual for this area.

“When I got home I found my father dead in Lottie’s barn and that same paint colored tankipa racing out of the valley.
 
There was no one else around.
 
As you’ll see, the view from the front of the dome covers the entire valley.”

“Did you know Zlaten?”

“No.
 
I’d never met him.”

“How did he find you?”

Rubbing the cold from her arms she answered him. “He asked at the exchange for my father.
 
They gave him directions.
 
My father was a well known sword master.
 
It was not unusual for people to seek him out for instruction.
 
It was how he supported us most of the time.”

“But you don’t think that Zlaten came for lessons?” he asked while stoking the fire.
 
He wanted to pull her into his arms, give his warmth to her and kiss her senseless but he couldn’t,
 
Not yet.
 
He would earn her trust before he learned her body and tasted her essence.
 
Before he made her his.

“No.
 
He saw me exchange my ore for beras and thought he could threaten my father into selling the mine for nothing.
 
When Father would not sell the Delasa mine Zlaten killed him.”
 
Tears flowed freely down her face.
 
“I found Father with his own sword in his back.”
 
She pounded the table with her fist.
 
“He killed him and I can’t prove it.
 
He attacked me and still roams free because there is no law to apprehend him.”

Santro took her in his arms, his hatred for Zlaten Vandalar grew as did his feelings for Jenala.
 
“I’m sorry for your loss.
 
It’s never easy losing a parent, no matter the circumstances of their death.”

She sniffled.
 
“Being an only child, I cannot imagine losing a sibling.
 
It must be difficult.
 
Were you close to your brother?”

“Kreston was my best friend.
 
Zlaten will pay for his murder.”

A short while later, Jenala could barely keep her eyes open.
 
She got into bed and moved over to the wall, as far as she could.
 
Santro joined her, took her into his arms and held her close.
 
She slept warm in his arms, safe from the world, all night.

They started down the mountain toward Jenala’s home.
 
About half way down, there was an overlook where you could see the entire valley.
 
Santro whistled.
 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Jenala, proud of her valley.

“Amazing.
 
It’s got to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet.”

“I think so.”
 
And it was all hers.
 
From the verdant green fields where she grew vegetables in the summer, to the high pastures and low meadows where Lottie ran free, to the river with large tequati ripe for catching.
 
It was hers.
 
There were wild emul in the forest.
 
She killed and cured the meat for eating in winter when game was scarce.

What did Santro see?
 
Did he only see the beauty or did he see the hard work involved in keeping the valley safe as well as beautiful?
 

“Tell me about this valley of yours.
 
Start with the river.
 
Where does it lead?”

“The river leaves the valley through a canyon with sheer cliff walls.
 
It’s full of killer rapids and is unnavigable because of them.
 
As you can see the valley is surrounded on the other three sides by mountains.
 
This pass is the only way into or out of the valley.
 
The other two mountains are too steep and too rocky to have a pass through them.”
 
She let out a sigh.
 
“You’re probably wondering why I don’t just hire someone to guard the pass.
 
The reason is I have no money.
 
Hence my arrangement with you.
 
I’m desperate, Santro.
 
I need your help.”

He tightened his arms around her waist.
 
“And you have it.
 
Let’s go see this house of yours.”

The house sat on a bluff on the north side overlooking the valley.
 
From the front door Jenala saw the river to the east flowing south.
 
Light green meadow dotted with wildflowers covered the valley floor and the pass they’d just come through was on the west side.
 
The mountain sides were dark green with forest followed by brown, rocky slopes up to the summits, all of which were covered with a light dusting of snow. By this time he thought he’d gotten use to Lottie’s odd gait but when she took off down the mountainside headed for home it was all he could do to hold on to Jenala and not fall off the running beast.
 
Jenala was used to this and laughed, the wind blowing through her flaming red hair.
 
She looked like some ancient warrior princess leading her troops through the pass to their next battle.

When they reached the house, Jenala scrambled down, underneath Lottie and unsaddled her.
 
When she’d finished she patted her and said, “There you go girl.
 
That feels better doesn’t it?”
 
The snarlot headed for the river where she caught her supper.
 
Lottie always provided for herself when at home.
 
When they traveled, Jenala fed her raw emul meat that she froze just for that purpose.
 
Occasionally, she would give her some as a treat when they were home.

Santro helped her take the supplies into the house.
 
“This is much bigger than it appears from the outside.”

“You noticed we came down stairs as soon as we entered.
 
The entire house is built down into the bluff.”
 
She pointed to the ceiling.
 
“The only part showing above ground is the glass dome.
 
It allows the sunlight which in turn heats the house.
 
All the rooms are open to it.”

“I guess that means no sleeping late around here.”

“Not if you leave the ceiling shade open.”
 
She smiled proud of her home, the home her father had built for them.
 
“Each room has its own privacy shade.
 
It keeps out the light
and
prying eyes.
 
It also helps keep the room cool in summer.
 
We won’t have need of it this time of year, except for the light filtering.”

She showed him to her old bedroom.
 
“This is it.
 
I hope you’ll be comfortable.
 
The entrance to the mine is in my bedroom, which was my father’s and is on the opposite side of the house.
 
He sometimes worked long into the night and thoughtfully,” she smiled at the memory, “didn’t want to subject his teenage daughter to the noise of late night drilling.”

Jenala showed Santro the mine entrance at the back of her closet.
 
It opened when a button, hidden on the floor, was depressed.
 
The mine itself was well lit, down to the latest drill site.
 
The floor was dirt and the walls were braced with wood planks.
 

Impressed, Santro asked, “How much of this have you completed since your father’s death?”

“Only the last ten meters.
 
Even with Lottie’s help it’s hard getting the wood braces to the house much less into the mine.
 
You noticed that it’s a straight shot from the front door through the house to Dad’s room and into the mine.
 
Now you know why.
 
It’s for the braces.
 
We had to be able to bring in long pieces of wood to reinforce the sides and ceiling of the mine.”

“Ten meters is a long way to dig and brace.
 
I’m amazed you’ve been able to do that much.
 
It would be difficult for a man alone much less a woman.”

She cocked an eyebrow.
 
“You must not know many strong women.”

“You’re right, I don’t.
 
The women of my tribe do not wield swords nor do they work in the mines.”

“Don’t you know any women that use swords?
 
I can’t be the only one out there.”

“I personally know only one.
 
Her name is Kitari Dolana.
 
She is Sunev’s daughter and only recently started her sword training.
 
She is fanatical about it though.
 
Remind me to tell you the full story during one of our long winter nights.”
 
He thought of a few other things he’d like for them to do on those long nights but talking would do.
 
For a start.
 
By the end of summer he meant for Jenala to be his.
 
The attraction he felt for her intensified with each moment he spent with her.
 
His heart raced and whenever he touched her, even in passing, she was burned more deeply into his consciousness.

“I will.
 
She sounds fascinating.
 
So what do the women of your tribe do?”

“They cook, clean, care for the children.
 
The men do all the mining and the fighting.”

“The fighting must keep you busy.
 
I’m surprised you have time for anything else.”

Santro didn’t miss the sarcasm.
 
“I suppose to you our females seem oppressed.
 
I assure you they are not.
 
All careers are open to both sexes, it is a conscious choice by the women when they decide not to learn the sword or work in the mines.
 
But enough of this talk.
 
It’s time to rest and eat some of the tasty tequati that I’m going to catch for our dinner.
 
Why don’t you prepare some tingo root to go with it?
 
I’ll return shortly.”