will be easier. And I will absolutely press the exit button the first chance I get.
That jungle scares me too much to want to stay here. And even if we have an army of cavemen to protect us against the dragons, there have been too many close calls by now.
My gaze glides over to the other fence. The one that separates the caveman army from the rest of us. Because even they can't be trusted—
I freeze. There's a huge caveman on the other side of the fence, staring right at me with eyes as dark as night.
Even from fifty yards away, it feels like he stares right into my soul.
I have to look away. Those bright, pink stripes are unmistakable. He is the most darkly brooding caveman of them all. Brank'ox is his name, a quiet and intense kind of guy who never rests, who is always awake and doing something to make the village more secure. If he's not on active guard duty, he's fixing the fence or building it higher or making weapons or sharpening the edges of blades that have already been made. He's a high-ranking warrior in our caveman army, clearly an officer of some kind.
From the corner of my eye, I see him slowly turning around and walking away, giant muscles flexing with each step.
I let my breath out. I guess I can't blame him for wanting to look closer at us Earth girls. He had never seen women before he came to our village. And he's obviously very serious about our safety.
I rinse out my pots like a good chemist, so the lab gear is ready for tomorrow's work. I'll start with a new batch of lye. I'll burn a few hundred pounds of the right kind of wood to get maybe ten pounds of the best type of ash to boil into lye. That should fill my days just fine for a week.
I throw a glance over my shoulder. Brank'ox attracts my eyes for some reason. It could be the vivid pink stripes that should look ridiculous on any man, but which he makes look as manly and dangerous as the stripes on a tiger. Or it could be the relaxed but alert walk. Or the way his massive shoulders roll with each step. Or even the way other men look at him.
That guy radiates authority and endless confidence. He can set a girl’s heart racing, even from a distance.
2
- Brank'ox -
I catch her eye for a heartbeat. Then she looks away and gets up, walking away from her work area, tossing a small yellow rock into the air and catching it again without a care in the world. Her hips swivel in the most attractive way; her calves flex with youth and strength. Her round shape is unheard of in the jungle.
She has long hair that she arranges in a ball on the top of her head, and she wears one long, green garment that covers her from shoulders to knees. The mere sight of her makes me ache deep inside.
Vera’zan approaches me. “Shall we get ready, Brank’ox?”
I look at him, at first not remembering. “For… ah yes. Get ready for the patrol, Vera’zan. Us two and six more. Sharp blades and strong legs.”
“Very well, Swordmaster.” He turns and goes to assemble the men.
I lean on the spear and find her again.
Her name is Dolly, I know that. And while there are several other women in this strange tribe, she stands out. She often has a little smile on her lips, and her friends seem to seek her out when they have a chance. Often they laugh together. When she’s alone and busy with her mysterious tasks, I’ve heard her hum and sing softly to herself.
But when she lifts her gaze and looks at the jungle, the singing stops and her face loses its glow. Sometimes she visibly shudders. She’s afraid of the jungle.
She should be, of course. Especially now that the dragons are here, roaming around and trying to find valuable things for their hoards. But there are many degrees of fear. And while the jungle demands caution, it seems to scare her stiff just by being there.
I follow her with my eyes until she disappears between the houses. It is dinner time for the women now, and for her. I want her to be well-filled and comfortable and safe.
As usual, I feel a strong longing to go over there, to smile at her and wish her a good meal. Nothing