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My bags were immediately dropped and I spun the rifle from my back. "Where are you A-Hole!?" I screamed to the sky. My scope darted around to find the pterodactyl creature. It would be no warning shot this time. Momentarily my hand left the rifle to press against my jeans pocket, checking it still had a bounty of extra bullets. "You're dead."
Its shriek sounded from somewhere over the trees and I twisted a quick motion to it.
Suddenly it was flying overhead, circling something further down the bank. But it put it perfectly in my sight.
I aimed at the deadly creature. The crosshairs following its flight and when my shot lined up at its eye, I breathed out and pressed the trigger.
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But its flight took him a swerve away and only a head antenna was blown off. With a shriek of pain the creature twisted in air and instead scanned for me.
When yellowed eyes found me, I put two more bullets in its neck.
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It flapped great wings and flattened into a dive straight at me. My own scream of horror filled the area and I ran the paces back to the tree line disappearing into the forest.
The monster then released its dive, wings out wide to stop the air flow. Two more bullets were blasted into its wings. The howl it shrieked, vibrated the area. Then it clutched into the large tree I once used as a lookout.
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I took the time it situated itself, climbing over breaking branches to quickly reload, screaming a dozen profanities at the beast.
It climbed through the trees as my feet took me backwards, the last bullet being loaded into the barrel. But as my eyes flitted back to the dragon and it hopped trees closer and closer, my heel caught some root and pushed me to fall to the greenery below.
The rifle was lifted to my eye and another bullet was cut into the slim neck. Its roar sent to the heavens had my ears begging to be covered, but instead a thunderous bullet was lodged in its right eye.
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As it writhed in pain, its long neck twisting around like a ballerina, I got to my feet and aimed again. But a deep man's battle cry from behind me, stopped my finger from releasing the next shot.
I only flipped around halfway before a towering titan of a man was running past me, two daggers clenched in hands. My heart skidded in shock as my eyes followed his trajectory.
He leapt at the monster, tight muscles of his bare back flexing in ready for the collision. Another cry of battle sounded from his lips as the daggers slit down the monster's side fileting it like a steak.
My hands could not close around the trigger again. My shock too robust.
The beast's wings opened, sending the man flying back twenty feet. He hit against a tree but got right back up and raced back. Another jump sent his leap to the monster's neck and the snapping head rolled to the ground.
He straightened and tossed a dagger at blinding speeds, it disappearing and reappearing in the dragon's cheek, pinning it to the earth bellow.
The whole attack lasted only seconds.
Then he turned slowly back, dreary eyes meeting mine.
The towering man was nearly seven feet tall and all bulging muscles. His hair was dark and cut long skimming his smooth angled jaw. Brows watching me with the same intensity as I was watching him. Very lovely rich tan color. Shirtless and barefoot, but wearing simple leather pants, with a fur pack hanging to his hip. Stomach raw with some deep gash and body littered with cuts. The entire picture of him was genuinely mouthwateringly handsome, but with the dagger still held in one hand entirely too deadly.
"Stay right there Dothraki!" I called, my rifle finally having something in the crosshairs again. I'd never watched the popular show, but the random videos I saw sure had him looking like he could play one of the built characters.
The dagger dropped to the ground and he fell to a single knee after it, though he didn't bend to pick it up. He bent to ...bow? His head stayed inclined as he bent and spoke. His voice was smooth and husky, deep and baritone. Exceptionally beautiful. "Earth female safe."
The rifle eye lowered to the ground with another jolt of shock through my system. "You know I'm from Earth?" My breath heaved scared gasps.
His head lifted partly, eyes meeting mine. "Earth."
My brow came down in confusion. The rifle still pointed to the ground. "Who are you?" I looked back to the monster. "What is that? Where are we?!"
His chest lifted from the bow and I realized while I'll ogled the man, I hadn't noticed how giant the wound at the side of his stomach actually was. It was like even his muscles had torn away leaving striped canals deep into his abdomen, maybe even into organs. It was gruesome. Had the pterodactyl done that?
"You are injured!" I pointed to his wound.
He looked to his obliques, still wet with blood and nodded. "Hurt."
My head tilted the question, gun now soft at my side. "Do you need help? I've got a little bit left in my first aid kit if you don't have anything." Like a bandaide would fix this, Eleanor. Maybe Jia could have helped if she had been on Earth in some grand hospital.
Then it hurt to even think about Jia, but I didn't get to feel the sorrow for long.
He stood to his full height and my breath caught in fright watching him rise tall.
"Hello. My name is Thann." He held his hand out to shake. The gesture surprised me with how utterly gentlemanly it was. Like he had watched a thousand Victorian romance movies and copied the action perfectly.
And holy heaven that voice was every girl's fantasy.
A hard swallow moved my neck like I drank a rock.
"Uh..." I stumbled in nervousness and then I put my hand in his. "I'm Eleanor."
His hand was feverishly hot as he wrapped his fingers around mine and shook. He mimicked my words. "Uh Ium Eleanuere."
My hand was kept in tight in his and I grinned up at his butcher of my name. "No."
His eyes watched my lips and a bright grin beamed over his tanned face. "No."
"I'm Eleanor."
"Eiam Elaneorea."
A slight laugh at the fumbling word breathed out of me.
He tried again, a palm on his own chest. "Hello. My name is Yena Wothanndo. Thann."
Yeena Woahthandew? Heck. There's a mouthful. Yeah Thann was much better there, dude. Let's see, a nickname. I could do that. "Okay. How about, El?" I tried. "Eleanora Kay Stevans. El."
He grinned wide, face a sunshine of joy. "El." His tone was rich over the word.
"Nice to meet you Thann." I tried pulling my hand away and his warm hand released me when he felt my tug. "Now, did you need medical attention for your stomach? I don't know if I can do much, but maybe I could help." I pointed to the torn chunk of meat.
"Hurt." He looked at it.
"Do you want to go back to my camp? I've got a few suppl....." But I stopped speaking realizing what I was saying. Oh gosh. I just asked killer Dothraki boy to go back with me? What was I doing! I tried to backtrack. "But I'm sure you have some place to be, so don't let me get in your way! So, see ya!"
His large hand came down on my shoulder, stopping my rant and escape. "Earth female safe."
I glanced back to the headless flying monster, blue blood oozing down over the dirt. He had a point. I guess he did just save me. "Uh, right. Yeah, I guess I do owe you one. But try anything and I'm pepper spraying your ass." I warned.
When he didn't respond I just sighed and motioned the way. "Come on." With that horrible of a wound, I wasn't sure he'd survive the night anyway. Ah man. How was I going to bury the giant? Shoot. I'd just have to hope he'd live.
I stepped from his grasp and went to grab my discarded bags. "This way." I gestured for him to follow and he grabbed the bags all out from my hands.
"Cha! Kwiplanethi yami abesifazane abathwali!"
I turned back in shock to his gibberish. "Whoa dude, I thought you spoke English?"
"No, Earth Female. Ngikhombise lapho uya khona." He pointed in front of us.
I stared flabbergasted at his nonsense.
After too long to be polite he asked, "El?"
I shook myself back to life. "Uh... this way. I guess." I started hiking up the mountain.
We didn't speak the rest of the hour, and even though I could tell he was hurting from his injury he seemed to be keeping up just fine with my pace.
Who's the strong farmer now, Eleanor?
When we came upon the truck clearing his face rounded in awe and he looked over the hunk of metal for a few silent moments. Then he turned back to me, that brilliant smile again on his face. He pointed. "Car! Car! Car!"
I laughed at his excitement. "Yes. That's a car. Do you have cars here?"
He stepped toward the truck; eyes childlike as he looked it over.
"Oh wait!" I tried to call, but it was too late.
He hit the perimeter fence like a trip wire and yelled at the jolt as he tumbled down taking two guide poles out with him. He shouted something in his language, scrambling away and I ran to his side and grabbed a pole, pulling the wire away from him. He stared up at me wide eyed, from crumpled down on his backside, bags scattered around him.
I giggled at his expression. "Sorry. This is my electric fence. It's supposed to keep predators out." I shoved the two poles back in the ground as he just gaped. "See? This hurts. No animals will come through." I tapped the wire and flinched back as the shock rang through my body.
"Hurt?" He asked and then eyes went on the wire, studying the small length. His hand came from under it and let the wire rest on his palm. He pulled back eyes wide at the shock. "Hurt!"
I tried to clear a snicker away. "No animals." I let my hand pantomime an animal crawling over the ground, up to the wire, pretend to get shocked and run away. "See? Just be careful. It goes all the way around camp." I pointed to show the line of wire all the way around.
His face then turned into a wide appreciative smile, like I pleased him. "Kugcina izilwane zingasondeli. Ngiyamthanda lo wesifazane."
I gave myself a mental pat on the back and then stood up. "Should we get some wrappings for your stomach?" He still stared at me, and I pointed to his obliques trying for the word I knew he understood. "Hurt?"
"Yes." He stood, leaving bags scattered over the ground.
I stepped over the wire and hopped up into the truck bed grabbing the first aid kit, some of Jia's cut rags, and a bottle of water. "Sit here." I pointed to the open tailgate and signed sit like he was my toddler niece I watch on the weekends. Oh! Sign language! I wondered if I could teach him some. He knew some English words, but the language barrier was already getting in the way. I only knew a three year old's vocabulary of signs after watching baby sign videos with her, but I was guessing with how he spoke my name, gestures would be much easier for both of us.
I said and signed sit again and then sat on the tailgate like I wanted him to. When he stared uncomprehending, I patted the side next to me. "El sit. Now Thann sit."
He didn't mimic my words, but he did take delicate steps and sat next to me, the truck dipping considerably under his muscled weight.
I jumped off the gate and grabbed for some rags and my water. I washed over his arms and shoulders, all the many smaller slices into his skin, avoiding his stomach gash. But I knew I had to woman up and help him, so I took a breath and began to clean the massive wound out, dumping the water over him and holding a rag to catch it so it wouldn't go into his belt-pouch thing. His face showed no grimace, just a still stoicness as he watched my work. I grabbed the end of the gauze and stretched it out in front of us, ready to cut a piece, but suddenly his stone expression lifted and his head darted around between us, his nose pulling in some scent again and again.
"Owesifazane ufakwe ushevu yimbali yempisi! Cha! Kuphi!?"
His hands clutched over my wrist and pulled my forearm to him in a jagged movement. He was inhaling frantically. When his nose hovered just over the wrap at my arm he bellowed. "NO! Ubuthi! Hhayi mkami!" and yanked the fabric down over the boils.
"Ow! Frick that hurts. Jerk! You could have just untied it!" I yelled back.
But his eyes widened at the sight of the disgusting bubbled flesh and he growled like some primal animal and threw my hand away from him. My lips moved to yell annoyance, but he grabbed my face with rough fingers at my cheeks. He pressed my mouth open and swiftly shifted my face side to side checking inside my mouth. "Izithelo ukufa. No eat!"
Oh. I spoke muffled with his hold on my jaw. "Da ethburries? I yiddn't eat."
Convinced about what he was looking for, he released my jaw and stood from the truck. He stomped into the forest shouting some rant in his own language.
"Where are you going? Is it that bad? It's not that gross. Don't you want me to put a cover on your wound?!" I hollered at the forest.
His rant continued, so I could tell he was wandering in zig zags, sometimes many yards away. He then yelled back. "El! Hurt! Thann no safe Earth female! NO safe!"
What?
No safe? What did he mean no safe? My arm? The thought actually made me sputter a giggle. Was he annoyed that he didn't keep me from getting burned? "Like you could have stopped it a week ago Thann. We just met. Get back here and I'll try to fix your stomach."
But he didn't. His words, sometimes even like an intent to cuss came around the woods for another ten minutes. Every so often I would give my apologies and ask him to come back, but nothing worked. He was still somehow angry with himself for me not being safe.
I had to admit, his intergalactic tantrum was kind of cute.
Somewhere far off he made a two note holler of a happy exclamation and then he was back at the camp, stepping over the perimeter fence, with a large leaf in each hand. I had seen them before, one of my first days here. A wide cup-like leaf filled with a white creamy liquid.
"Hurt!" He commanded, showing me the leaves.
"Huh?"
His head bobbed at my arm. "Hurt! Hurt!"
"Oh, my burn?" I held it up to show the boils.
He poured the white substance over the burns and my face rounded in pleasure like I just O'd. Oh. My. Gosh. The relief was exquisite. The white sap ran like honey over my burn and took the pain with it. My arm had been battling the fire for a week now and the respite was instantaneous.
"More, please! Oh heavens, thank you!" I cried, not even sure what I was asking. Tears dotted my eyes as the burn evaporated. I held out my hand showing the tiny blisters on my fingers. They hadn't been hurting as badly, but there was still plenty of discomfort.
He nodded, pouring the last of the leaf on my arm and then turning back to the same path, seconds later emerging with two more leaves.
I held my arms both out and he poured the next leaf over my fingers. "Thank you." I closed my eyes and praised heaven while he poured the last leaf against the rest of my arm.
I sat for a moment, my arms still open to the sky and let the peace wash over me I hadn't felt in days.
Thann broke the silence. "Hurt. Yes-No."
My head shook a peaceful no. "No hurt. Thank you."
He nodded a bobbed head and walked for a different trail of the forest. His footsteps meaningful, but silent in the undergrowth. Disappearing for a few moments he reappeared chewing something and hands full of green leaves.
He put the leaves beside me and spit a mouthful of chewed green mash into his hand.
"Eww."
He then squished the masticated mess into my arm.
"What are you doing!"
I moved to stop him, but he caught my wrist and looked me eye to eye. "El No hurt."
My eyes moved back to the mash, my arm slowing the strain against him. "That is healing?"
He set my hand to my side and grabbed more leaves, chewing and pressing them into my boils and even some at my fingertips. With more chewing, I tried to complain that I had enough spit leaves on me, but he then pressed a coating over his wound instead.
I watched him work curiously. "Well. Guess I didn't help you much. Sorry I don't know more about the freaky healing plants on your planet." I looked over to the strips of fabric and pulled one between my fingers. "I could at least cover it, so the mash doesn't come off?" I held the fabric up near his abs, asking my question through my eyes.
He nodded once and I started wrapping fabric bits over the coating. Then I took another length and wrapped my arm the best I could one handed and with mash still on my fingers.
He gave a breath of a laugh and finished for me.
I looked up with a genuine smile now and said and signed. "Thank you."
He watched my gesture curiously. Then spoke his strong word, "Night."
"Night?" I asked. I looked up to the position of the sun. There were still hours left until night.
"Night. No hurt." He closed his eyes and mimed sleeping.
He wanted me to go to bed? I didn't exactly understand what he wanted, but I guess a nap really couldn't hurt. Especially now that my arm wasn't burning anymore. Unless he meant...
"Night for just me? You're not inviting me into your bed, right?"
"Night."
"Okay. I guess. I could sleep." I agreed and then went and climbed in the truck cab. "Don't you dare try anything though."
He followed and looked over the truck. "Car. Night. Yes-No."
"Yes. Sleep in the car." I slid down over the seat and stretched out, leaving the door open for airflow on the hot day.
Then the truck dipped as he jumped in the back.
I bent around and looked at him through the window. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and staring down at me. He nodded once and then looked over the perimeter. I guess he was going to keep watch.
He better stay on his little lookout anyway. I pinched over my jeans pocket to make sure my pepper spray was still available, then I situated my head on a pillow of Jia's scrubs and closed my eyes.