Star Rider and Bonds of Love: A Sci-Fi Space Opera with a Touch of Fantasy Heidi Skarie (fox in socks read aloud .TXT) 📖

“He does and she’s very goodwith him.” Toemeka’s heart wrenched. “Better than I am.”

“No nursemaid is better than ababy’s own mother.” A dreamy look entered Najetta’s eyes.“Imagine, Erling a prince and his future child royalty. God grantthat my family makes it to Alandra.”

Toemeka’s chest tightened.“You’ll make it there,” she said with conviction as an ideabegan to form.

Once Najetta was settled for thenight, Toemeka entered her tent and began checking the gear in herbackpack. She had a compass, map, full water bottle and four foodpackets. It would have to do. She zipped the side pocket shut asMichio reentered the tent, carrying two bowls of soup. He handed hera bowl, then began eating. Toemeka ate slowly. The freeze-dried soupwasn’t good, but warmed her empty stomach.

“I’m going to stand guard,”Michio said. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

She hugged and kissed him,infusing in her kiss all she felt for him. “I love you, Michio,”she said, pained that what she’d decided to do would distress him.

“Don’t worry. Our scouts arewatching Rochambeau’s camp. They have communicators and willcontact us if there’s trouble.” He held her close, then left thetent.

Toemeka listened to the rainbeating against the tent and to the reoccuring booms of thunder,knowing the only way to help Erling’s family was by separating fromthem. She wanted to explain her actions to Michio in a note, but hadnothing to write on.

Toemeka dozed off only to awakena few hours later when Michio came in and settled down for thenight.. When his breathing grew deep and regular, she cautiously satup. Michio continued to sleep soundly.

She hunted around in the dark forher things. The air in the tent was cold as she put on her robe, wetslippers and rain poncho. She rolled up her sleeping bag and foammat. Opening the tent flap, she peered through the heavy rain untilshe spotted Sharma’s dark form, keeping guard. She quickly shut theflap as Sharma started walking in her direction. After waiting a fewminutes, she opened it again and looked out. Sharma stood across thecamp, scanning the terrain.

Toemeka carried her sleeping bagand foam mat outside, tied them to her backpack, then slipped intothe dark woods. Once she was a safe distance from camp, she pulledout a small flashlight.

She traveled the rest of thenight in drizzling rain, climbing up into the mountains, stoppingonly briefly to rest. Her stamina had greatly improved from hikingdaily and for this one small thing, she was grateful.

19

Unexpected Complications

When Michio awoke he immediatelysensed something was wrong and glanced over to Toemeka’s side ofthe tent. She was gone along with her sleeping bag and foam mat. Itwasn’t surprising that she was up already. He had guard duty thenight before and she’d gone to bed hours before he had. She couldbe getting breakfast. He was being overly jumpy — he hoped.Crawling out of his sleeping bag, he rolled it up and put on hispancho. He was already dressed as he’d slept in his clothes in casethey had to make a fast departure with Commander Rochambeau and hismen so close.

Michio’s uneasiness increasedwhen he left the tent and saw that Toemeka’s backpack wasn’tleaning on a nearby tree next to his. He glanced around the camp,noting that almost everyone was up and preparing to move on. Toemekawas worried about her presence endangering the whole camp. Had shestruck off on her own to lead Rochambeau and his men away so Erling’sfamily could escape?

After collapsing the tent, Michiotied the gear to his backpack and swung it on. If she took off as hesuspected, he needed to leave immediately in order to catch up withher.

Sharma stood guard as he crossedover to her. “Have you seen Toemeka?” he asked

“No, I haven’t seen her allmorning.”

Michio spotted Jake emerging fromhis tent and headed over to him. “I can’t find Toemeka and herbackpack’s gone.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “Hell,this is all we need. It’s too dangerous for her to be out therealone. If Rochambeau doesn’t get her, a bashe will. Into the mikeon his watch communicator he said, “Call Toemeka.”

Nosignal. Out of range. Itreplied.

Jakefrowned. “Thesethings are worthless in the Bvundo Mountains.”

“I’m going after her,”Michio said. “She probably took the more direct mountain route.”

“I’ll go with. We need totrack her down and make her rejoin the group. Benray, come here.”

Benray got up from where he saton a log, eating rations, and walked over. “What’s wrong?”

“Toemeka took off during thenight after Michio’s shift was over. She can’t have more than afour-or-five-hour head start on us. You’re in charge while I’mgone. We’ll try to rejoin the group by tonight.”

Breezy approached them, her facelined with worry. “Jake, Mother’s too sick to hike today.”

“I was afraid this mighthappen. The men will have to take turns carrying her on a makeshiftstretcher. Benray, do you know how to make a litter from two treelimbs and a blanket?”

“Sure, I’ll get to it.”Benray looked at Michio. “There are some clothes in Lizet’sbackpack you can take for Toemeka. It rained last night, so she’llneed dry clothes.”

Michio tensed, remembering Lizetwas killed in a scrimmage the day before. When Benray walked away,Michio said, “Jake, you need to lead the group. I’ll trackToemeka alone. Maybe it’s better if she and I lead the soldiersaway from the group.”

Jake shook his head. “It’seasy to get lost in these mountains and you don’t know the area.Beside we have a better chance of finding her quickly if we bothtrack her. We don’t want to risk her falling back into Rochambeau’shands.”

While Jake got his gear together,Michio packed some of Lizet’s clothes in his backpack, thensearched for tracks. The rain had obliterated them so the two menheaded toward the Bvundo Mountains, hoping they were going in theright direction. Jake kept a fast pace, which suited Michio. Hecouldn’t help but feel this was his fault. He should’ve realizedToemeka would set out on her own when he’d refused to go with her.

They’d covered several mileswhen Erling and Zac emerged from the trees from scouting detail.“What are you two doing so far from camp?” Erling asked.

“Michio