Chain Read online

  "Who's watching her today?"

  "Moracha. She needs some practice considering her little bundle of joy will be with us in the next two months." Neeva waited until Steel had tried everything and then she gave the nod for the mass meal to begin.

  Hska slid into her chair next to Steel and arched the scales over her eyes. "How is it? I tried that new herb that was brought in."

  Steel paused with her wooden spoon an inch from her lips. "The minty one or the diuretic?"

  "Um. Mint I think. I gave the other one to Neeva for her medical use."

  She sighed and relaxed slightly, tasting cautiously. "Good. That was a scary few hours I don't want to relive."

  Getting sanitation working had been made easier with the rain collectors and lavs that were part of the emergency shelters. Composting toilets were the most common of the new construction, but on the day that the herb came in, Steel had gotten up close and personal with one of them for several hours.

  When the feeding frenzy had settled into a lull, Neeva returned to her clinic and Hska supervised the washing of dishes, after she made sure that the babysitter had a meal selection put aside. Hska's attention to the food requirements of each person was enabling them to cook very close to the edge of the consumption level. Little to no leftovers had started appearing since Hska took over the kitchen.

  Bread and cold meat were always available, now that they had ready sources of both. And many of the pairs and families preferred to do their own breakfasts, but everyone came together for dinner.

  With the spaces on both sides of her cleared off and Steel herself in a mellow and relaxed mood, the disputes began.

  Life still had its petty disappointments here and as soon as there was some time to work up a good mad, people did it.

  Tonight was light. A query to the millers for a finer or a rolled grain so that the children could have a softer cereal. Finailiac was agreeable and he swore to get Steel to design a rolling millstone the following day. Preparing for children was everyone's concern.

  The babies that had been carried onto Barkesh were in developmental stages now. Some were even starting to walk. S'sran had taken to weaving baby snuggies and with the rate of pregnancy in the primarily female population, she was busy.

  There was a domestic issue to settle and that one was easy. "Plant decorative flowers, Nalu. Martrush will feel feminine again and you will be allowed back into the bedroom. Won't he, Martrush?"

  At the mention of flowers, Martrush's face softened. "That would work. I know I can lift more than he does, but I want to feel like a female now and then."

  Steel smiled and wished them good luck.

  No one else had any questions or concerns, so she called it a night, walking to the door and lifting a crystal in a sliding case. She leaned down, exhaled rapidly onto it and walked to the clinic by the light of the carbon-reactive crystal. It would glow for hours, but she would return it to the longhouse when she popped in for breakfast the next day.

  Back in the clinic in her private room with her baby, she read the last of Cinderella by the light of the dwindling lamp. When it went out, she said her goodnights to Junior and Neeva, then waited for morning to bring Wyanic back.

  Chapter Eight

  Soft lips and cool hair were trailing over her face. She squirmed and reached up to press her lips more firmly to the ones over hers.

  "Steel, brush your teeth."

  She groaned and opened lids that were weighted with sleep. Wyanic was inches above her, grinning like a madman. "Good morning, now get up, brush your teeth and have a shower. We have much to negotiate."

  He helped her sit up and gave the tank a kiss.

  She glared at him through the tumble of hair that had come undone from her customary braid. "Your morning greeting leaves something to be desired."

  "I know, but it seemed the best way to cool us both down, now go and take a shower. I will be here when you get back."

  Grimacing, she flipped the bedding back and reached under the bed for her bag. A set of clean clothing in her hands, she walked to the clinic's main bathroom and showers. She unravelled the rest of her braid, stepping under the shower to get her thoughts together. No matter how she tried to work out what might happen today, nothing came together in her mind. Wyanic was an unknown element in her world and she needed to find out what he had planned as quickly as she could.

  Her hair squeaked from the soap she was using and Steel made a mental note to see how the development team was doing on conditioners and body creams. If the winter on this world was dry, her skin was going to flake.

  When she had dried her skin and put on fresh leathers, it was time to face her demons. The demon in question was lounging in her unmade bed and reading to their daughter. Cinderella.

  His low tone rumbled across her skin and she leaned in the doorway, just listening. When the princess danced with the handsome prince and ran away at midnight, she smiled, meeting Wyanic's gaze as he closed the book.

  "These are wonderful. They are all handwritten."

  "It was a personal project. We needed to work on writing materials, so I learned to cook and drain wood pulp to make the paper. The ink will probably fade with time. It's the by-product of certain crushed flowers. You let the juice oxidize and it darkens to a deep purple." She swallowed as he put the book away and stood in front of her.

  "Your hair is wet." He took a hank of her waist-length hair and lifted it to his face, rubbing his cheek against it. His chain tattoo almost throbbed on his arm, his eyes glowed a hot bronze and she was suddenly a lot less sure of her ability to figure him out.

  Steel swallowed heavily. "Side effect of taking a shower. It will dry fast enough as we walk around."

  "I have not had breakfast yet. I was hoping we could eat together." He released her hair slowly and she edged around him to straighten her bedding.

  "That sounds nice. You behave for Neeva, Junior." She stroked the cylinder with her fingers and quickly tugged on her boots.

  "You have named her?" He followed her out the door and into the sloping meadow in front of the clinic.

  "No. I just needed something to call her. Junior simply means the next generation with the same name or daughter."

  "What is your full name by the way?"

  "Estelle Vargas, Volunteer of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra." She lifted her hair to catch the breeze and led the way to the bakery. "I was supposed to be assigned to Barkesh as a logistics specialist, to help you get your colony up and running. Plans change."

  "You. That was you?" He seemed more rueful and less surprised, as if she could not shock him anymore.

  "It still is, but with the restriction between our people, I can't really help you with your town. If I recall, we can trade but not exchange personnel."

  "That is why I am here today. I called an emergency session yesterday and we discussed a number of possibilities. After communicating with our home world, our surplus males agreed that they would like the opportunity to pursue a female if she was amenable. With our shifter abilities, no species is out of our range." He smiled impishly.

  "Does our village have any say in this?"

  "I say we put it to the question. If they want additional manpower in exchange for instruction in their craft, we have those who are interested in apprenticing here at Steel's Rest. Why are you called Steel by the way?" His words were casual, but he was determined. Everyone in her village would be asked a question today.

  "Hska named me. Vargas is the Pishin word for steel. You are serious? Your people want to learn what we have learned?"

  "They do. I have another proposal, but it will have to wait until later. Now, I want to begin by asking your bakers what they think and then we will go to the longhouse and discuss a few details."

  She shook her head but merely requested two of the sweet morning loaves when they faced the flour-encrusted bakers. The bakery was busy. Over a dozen of the three hundred residents were there getting morning loaves for them and their spous
es.

  Vullo nodded to her as she waited for Wyanic to finish asking the bakers if they were willing to take on additional help of the Oefric persuasion. The four frazzled people dealing with the morning rush agreed quickly and dismissed him.

  "That is two of my people placed. Only forty-eight left to go."

  He dusted his hands with satisfaction and she shoved the loaves at him. "Carry these. I am going to grab some of the glow lights to return to the longhouse. Come along."

  "Yes, dear."

  He pattered along after her and they took their seats in the sparsely populated longhouse. "Why are there so few people here?"

  "Most prefer to eat in their private houses."

  "Then why the line for the loaves?"

  "The bakery has the only bread oven we have built so far. Bread has to be baked hot and fast. Bricks were hard to make, but in the end, we got them made so that they don't explode when you heat them."

  "How many exploded?"

  "Over the first three months, around one hundred and thirty-four. We did small batches and test fired them. They exploded." She shrugged and sipped at the tea that Hska brought. "How was your sleep, Hska?"

  "The little one is giving me trouble. Squirming constantly." She sat with them and rubbed her stomach.

  "Is the oil helping?"

  "With the skin pain, yes. But the stretching is distracting."

  Her point was proved when an elbow pressed from within and skidded along the width of her belly.

  "I am sorry, Hska. I would take it on if I could."

  "I know. Don't worry, Steel, I enjoy it even though I complain. At least the child is healthy and alive. I have no idea what happened to the father." She shrugged.

  "There was only one Pishin in the gladiatorial quarters and he died four days before the escape and rescue." Wyanic was looking concerned.

  "Don't worry, he wasn't particularly kind. It has simply been traditional to name our children after their father to denote parentage. This baby will simply take on a version of my name. Hskeel has a good ring to it."

  "Hskeel? Really? That is simply fascinating." Steel was looking at her lizardy friend through narrowed eyes.

  "It's a good name. Shows a solid background and influence. Ah, Steel, can you rub my belly for me?"

  Steel looked to her food for a moment, cracked off a corner and wedged it into her mouth, chewing as she headed to the spice cupboard to get the heavy oil that Hska needed rubbed into her skin.

  "Pivot and hand me some more of that loaf." With Wyanic watching in amusement, Steel slicked up her hands and started rubbing Hska's belly.

  "Now, be nice to your mum, Hskeel. She has gone through quite a bit of difficulty to get you here safely and she needs her sleep." She could feel the motion, the sliding, slipping of the baby beneath her hands. The child fluttered in response to her voice as it always did. Steel knew that she was the father that the baby had been named after, but she and Hska took care of each other.

  Even with Wyanic there, there was no reason not to continue to keep an eye on Hska and her child in the future. The skin between the scales relaxed as she rubbed and the baby's movements became slower and less frenzied. "You have to keep on with the rubbing, Hska. You were squashing the little fellow."

  "I forget. I would far rather do something else with my time. Plus, you are better at it than I am." The grin was disturbing but endearing.

  "Stop smiling, I am rather cross with you." Steel covered the small pottery jar with its waxed-fabric cover and returned it to the spice shelf. She washed her hands in the bucket provided for that purpose and returned to her breakfast.

  "I did make you tea."

  "You did. But rubbing your abdomen when you hike your tunic is worth a few tea deliveries."

  Wyanic wasn't silent for her sake. While she had been giving Hska a rub down, he was off asking the other villagers if they would accept apprentices.

  "You are right. Why are you still living at the clinic?"

  "Because I want to be close to her."

  "What will you do when she is here?"

  "I hope to have a plan by then. You know how I love a plan." She picked her loaf apart and dipped it into her tea. It was lightly sweet, very grainy and reminded her of oatmeal crossed with whole wheat and honey in a bread form.

  "Why do I have a feeling that the Oefric will throw a twist into your plans?"

  Wyanic was standing behind Hska when she spoke. When he replied, she jumped. "Because he plans to."

  The Pishin didn't do more than rapidly blink her eyes before she asked him bluntly, "When are you going to build her a house? She won't build one for herself."

  He tilted his head and looked over at Steel.

  She blushed under his regard. "That isn't true. I have a house."

  "Really? Where?"

  She blushed harder. "It is being used as the carpentry workshop."

  "So, you have nowhere to stay except the clinic." He scowled down at her.

  "I can stay with Hska if need be, but I like being close to Junior." She was a little defensive, but the last was true.

  "I may be able to help there. I will find you for lunch. For now, Davol and I are running around to find the folks in the industries that we are interested in."

  "So, you roust me from a sound sleep only to leave me?"

  He came around the table, threaded his hand in her hair and tugged her head back until her throat was exposed. A very vulnerable position that he took advantage of, using his lips, tongue and teeth, working his way from the base of her neck to leave a scorching kiss on her lips.

  "I have my methods. Now prepare to have Davol find you for lunch."

  She was still getting her breath back and her pulse to return to its undisturbed state when his well-shaped backside left the longhouse.

  "This is going to be one very long day." She crossed her arms on the table and very slowly banged her head on the wood. Hska's laughter did not help at all.

  Chapter Nine

  "Today feels a little weird, S'sran. Too quiet." Steel had wandered over to the farm and helped the l'nal with her chores. Feeding and raking the paddocks had a certain quiet harmony that she enjoyed. Currently, she was working on sketching out a farm expansion that wouldn't hamper the hunting paths.

  I like quiet. Do you think that design has enough room for all the little ones?

  "Pretty sure. If not, the farm may have to be moved back into the heart of the meadow."

  They won't like moving. It took some getting used to, but S'sran's clicking eventually took on a soothing tone.

  "I know. But we want to settle in for future expansion. How is the loom design?"

  It is getting closer. Can you take a look at it and make some adjustments today?

  "It's why I brought my tool belt. Come on, I don't want to scare the goats out of their daily milk." The goats in question had adapted easily to the frightening aspect of their keeper, but two-legged predators still freaked them out.

  Excellent. Let me get the milk and I will meet you in the shelter.

  S'sran shared her shelter with her charges. It seemed counter-intuitive that the goats would find a meat-eating, acid-squirting predator comforting. Maybe it was a body-hair thing.

  Steel hiked along with her satchel of tools banging against her leg. The interior of the emergency structure was lined with skeins of wool that S'sran had already prepped for weaving. The only hold up was the loom.

  It was the most complicated piece of machinery that Steel had ever tried to assemble. L'nal weaving was normally done on the most technologically advanced looms to accommodate their six weaving limbs.

  "What needs to be done?"

  S'sran began to outline the lifting and angling of levers and Steel got to work. When there was a heavy beam that had to be held, she called the l'nal over and within two hours, they had the majority of the alterations to the confusing wooden structure completed. "You are going to have to tell me if this works, it's your design."

&
nbsp; It should be enough for me to test it later today. Thank you for your help on the feeding and cleaning. It frees me up to set the warp into the loom.

  "Fantastic. I hope it works for you. Those small handlooms you designed are working well and several folks are weaving belts."

  Excellent. I have designs for larger looms that you two handers can use.

  "I look forward to discussing them."

  And I look forward to seeing you soon. Funnily enough, not many of our village come by to visit. S'sran perked up and held perfectly still for a moment. I spoke too soon. There is someone at the gate.

  Steel didn't have a chance to speak. S'sran was out the door in a flash of black and brown fur.

  She packed up her tools as she waited. The saws, files and hammers fitting into their proper places within her kit.

  The low rumbling tone of a masculine voice was familiar. Wyanic was here and he was talking earnestly to S'sran.

  He doesn't understand me. Does he have any Oefric who speak l'nal?

  "Hello, Wyanic. Do any of your people speak l'nal? If you have any, she will teach them whatever you want them to know."

  "Steel, I had no idea you were here."

  "It was a quiet day and I like to spend those with S'sran, working on her loom."

  He eyed the mammoth creation with admiration. "I have not seen one of those made of wood. I have to ask, how have you been able to cut so much wood in so little time."

  She nodded her head to S'sran who was picking up spindles to rig her loom. "Like most l'nal, she spits acid. During our first sweeps, S'sran was at the head of the logging community. Not only could she weaken a tree to the pushing point, she could haul the largest of trees with very little difficulty."

  "Does she mind being here alone?"

  "She was bound up and sold by her husbands. She has very little urge to put herself in a vulnerable position like that again. I believe that her maternal urges are satisfied by the goats and their breeding, as well as maintenance."