Defending Hippotigris Smith, T.L. (classic books to read txt) 📖

turned back around. “I need to let them know I’m back and see how they react.”

Remy’s eyebrows did their furrowing trick when he knew he was facing Kazan and not Batista. It didn’t stop him from being concerned. “If they’re agitated, is it safe to go out there?”

“I’m sure it is. I’ve got something of a relationship with them.” I let Batista out enough to cross the few feet between us, stretching up to kiss him. “I’ll be back.”

CHAPTER TEN

My first time across this field, the wild grasses came up higher than my waist. Now a narrow path cut down to the soil. I was glad to see no one had ventured too far off it, leaving the meadow pristine.

I reached my rock. The area around it cleared by frequent visits, though I could see the last few weeks of disuse had allowed some of the grasses to recover. I climbed onto the rock and stood still, listening.

I’d only heard little sounds from them, of pleasure, excitement, and curiosity. Never the keening. Never this sound. I listened, trying to decipher it.

“Ara. They’re calling you Ara.”

I nearly fell off the rock, turning around to see Lizzy behind me. “You were supposed to stay in the camp. You need to go back or they might not come out.”

Lizzy ducked down a little, nodding ahead of us. “I couldn’t resist and it’s too late now.”

The grasses were moving, swaying, though I still couldn’t see the LR. They didn’t travel in straight lines, but wove their way towards their center of focus. I saw at least ten different disturbances. “Get behind me then. They might be aggressive.”

Just as I issued a warning, several heads popped over the grass, the tops of the heads only. Between pointy ears cocked in our direction were thick v-shaped black tufts of fur that stood straight up. The bottom of the V was still hidden by the grasses, but not the eyes. Huge golden, intense eyes stared at me.

Seeing Lizzy with me, I thought they’d dart back towards the woods, but they kept coming. I held my breath as the grass stopped waving and slowly one head eased into the clearing. A muscular body stealthfully followed on powerful thick legs.

The tuft that crowned its head continued down the spine to the hindquarters. Black stripes flowed down over the torso, into fur as golden as its eyes. The tufting reappeared down the back of each leg. The bottom of the v-tufted head ended in a broad nose, over a large mouth showing sharp protruding teeth. We still didn’t know whether to call it a feline, canine or primate.

I leaned towards primate because of its eyes. Large and golden, they reminded me of a giant tarsier. Especially as it sat back and folded its front legs across a broad chest, displaying long fingers instead of paws. It let out a cooing sound and another creature exited the grass from the same path, this one slightly smaller with no tufts.

I recognized both of them, the pair that visited me almost daily. She wasn’t as cautious as her mate, coming up to me boldly. She stood and nuzzled my cheek, much more vigorously than usual, nearly toppling me off the rock.

Several more pairs entered the circle, the females giving me the same greeting. Their strange song rose higher and louder.

The first female stayed in front of me, her head tipped from side to side, her eyes almost seemed to be asking me something. “Arrrraaaa. Arrrraaaa.” The male came to stand beside her, giving me the same forlorn look.

Shara. Ara. Maybe Lizzy was right. Their first word, after so many attempts to communicate, made me somewhat embarrassed. I pressed my hand to my chest. “Shara.” I reached out slowly towards the male’s chest.

He backed away and the female’s long digits wrapped around my hand, touching it to her chest. “Yinet.” She pushed my hand back to my chest. “Ara.” Her chest. “Yinet.”

“Told ya. Ara, Shara, oops!” Lizzy grabbed my leg as the female shot her head around me. Her neck extended, sniffing at Lizzy, pulling back quickly, then sniffing again.

In a movement I still found disturbing, her head rotated around completely, like the Tarsier. The other females surrounded Lizzy, sniffing at her. Lizzy’s eyes started to look like theirs, huge and bulging. The female swung her head back, nearly nose to nose with Lizzy. “Yinet.”

“Ahhhh…Shara, what does she want?”

“Your name, silly. Do what I did.” I had to practically pry Lizzy’s fingers out of my thigh. I turned around to face Yinet. Maybe the pack theory was right.

“Oookay.” Lizzy pointed to herself. “Lizzy. I’m Lizzy.”

“Litty. Litty.” Yinet jabbed at Lizzy’s chest, then popped back up to me. “Litty.” The other LR picked it up, bouncing around the circle.

“Shara, why are they so excited? I’m not real thrilled about being on tonight’s menu.” Lizzy’s fingers dug into my leg again.

“Stay calm, I think they recognize your name from the picture stories I told them.” Now that I’d been greeted, I sat down on the rock, Lizzy crowding up next to me. The male sat down too, so I pointed to myself again. “Shara.” I pointed at him, but he cocked his head at me, chirping in a quizzical tone.

I started to point at him again, but Yinet stepped between us, spouting out a string of chirps and guttural noises. She leaned her head out, doing that sniffing thing again, up and down my body.

This time it seemed so specific, I considered taking a whiff too. Did I smell offensive? Suddenly she stood up on her hind legs. Her nose twitched vigorously as she looked back towards the camp.

Her head spun around towards her mate and she chattered at him. He approached and started the same snorting. While not as intrusive, I was getting offended. Suddenly he darted back into the grasses.

I stood up on the rock again and saw the sway of the stalks. He wasn’t heading towards the forest. No, he was