AARYN

He heaved a sigh of relief as he entered the cave and scented both Gar and Hannah.

There were still many of the disformed in the cave—more than usual after the morning's dramatics, they all obviously wanted to be together and to talk to Hannah and Marryk.

The couple would become famous among the disformed, especially if the traverse was closed for a long time. Not only had Marryk achieved what so many of the trainees hoped for in finding an unprejudiced mate, but Hannah was beautiful. And physically weak.

They would be fascinated.

What surprised Aaryn as he moved through the cave and the people began to notice him, bowing or submitting, saluting if they were in his pack, was how closely Gar was seated to the two. He'd squeezed himself in to sit on the small table in front of the couch where the pair sat, leaning, elbows on his knees and speaking earnestly with them—like a big brother who was worried.

Hannah was still staring, wide-eyed, not just at Gar, but mostly at him. She clung to Marryk's hand so hard her knuckles turned white. He kept stroking her arm with his free hand in a gesture Aaryn used with Elreth when he knew she was tense. If no one was watching. She was touchy about having attention drawn to her moments of weakness.

In any case, obviously Gar was having a very serious conversation with the two—but others were listening as well. Aaryn's ears pricked when he heard his mate's name.

"…She's a good female, she won't hurt you. But she has to balance her decisions with the rest of the Anima, too. She's not keeping you here to trap you. Others will be able to scent you if you're walking around. So we keep you out of sight and out of the winds to keep you safe from some of the others, who might not be so balanced."

"Then… then it wouldn't be safe to stay, right?" she asked hesitantly, looking at Marryk.

Marry launched into all the reasons they should stay if they could—that she'd be safe if the Queen declared it—but Aaryn sighed. He didn't understand these males who were drawn to the weak and timid. Female or male, he didn't care. While he would protect them, he had little interest in aligning himself with Anima—or humans—who showed so little certainty about themselves.

Praise the Creator for his mate and her courage.

"Gar," Aaryn said quietly.

Gar obviously had either heard or scented him coming, because he didn't look surprised when he turned. But his brows pinched when he caught the expression on Aaryn's face. "What's going on?"

"We have a significant problem, and we need you. Elreth and I both need you." Gar was already getting to his feet when Aaryn added, "And the Security Council does as well."

Marryk sucked in a breath and Gar froze.

"They don't know," Aaryn growled. "At least, not everything. But they know you've been across and we have something we don't understand. You're presence is… requested by your Queen. And your sister said to tell you she needs you."

Gar blinked and stared at Aaryn for a second, then brushed his hands on his thighs. "Well, then I guess we better go, right?"

Aaryn almost fell over. He'd been braced for an argument—looking for leverage to force Gar to give in. He hadn't expected the male to just roll over and submit.

"Right," he spluttered. "Right now, if you don't mind."

Gar sighed, but shuffled across between the table and the couch, then came to join Aaryn, who was doing his best to soothe Marryk.

"At least for now," he reassured them, "they aren't aware of Hannah, but there is going to be increased security, I imagine. So Elreth will be quick to make a decision about you, I suspect. Please just stay here until you've heard from us. Are you comfortable, Hannah?"

She nodded. "Just tired."

"There's a tunnel with sleeping platforms deeper down," he said, tipping his head towards the darker end of the cave. "Marryk, don't hesitate to give her a chance to rest if she needs it. Especially if you two might end up travelling tonight. You should both rest."

Marryk looked at his mate, who gave a small smile and her cheeks pinked.

Aaryn turned away and pretended he had no clue what was going on between them. Instead he clapped Gar on the shoulder as he passed, heading for the cave mouth.

"C'mon, brother, your sister needs you," he muttered.

Gar bellowed a farewell to everyone in the cave, then started after him, the echoes of their calls and cries chasing the two of them out of the cave and down the mountainside trail.

"What's going on?" Gar asked quietly as soon as they were moving.

"Wait until we're out of earshot," Aaryn muttered. They walked on until Aaryn couldn't hear the voices behind them anymore. As the trail widened and he and Gar walked side by side, he quickly and quietly explained what they'd been called to see.

"They don't know about Hannah and Marryk. As far as I know, they don't know about the disformed. They know you've been across, more than once. They think it's a rebellion. But we need to know if there's anything you know about bullets and how they're used. Because someone is in Anima with bullets—they've been here at least a few days. Possible longer. And—"

"It's not the bullets you need to be worried about," Gar said suddenly. "It's the guns."

"—they're… what?"

Gar sighed and looked around as they stepped into the forest, listening to make sure there was no one nearby. "The bullets are only a threat when they're put in guns. I've handled bullets. On their own they're just little pieces of metal. But put them in a gun and shoot it…"

"What is a gun?"

Gar frowned. "It's kind of like a metal tube with a handle. It's a technology we don't have. But it serves the same purpose as a bow. Aim it, shoot it, and whatever's at the other end doesn't fare well if it gets hit."

"Yes, we've just observed that with this Pricklepig."

Gar shook his head. "Who'd be here and killing animals with guns?"

"That's what we have to figure out. And how the fuck they found us. No matter what the Security Council know, you've got some answering to do, Gar," Aaryn growled.

*****

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