The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2) (18 page)

The small girl was perhaps five or six, her slim frame undernourished as she stared blankly at the outstretched glove, glancing up into Shino’s encouraging face as the Philippine lowered her scarf, a brief smile spreading across her lips. Slowly the small hand rose, grasping the glove, Shino smirking in satisfaction as they began to walk towards the others, ‘I think you and I will become good friends…’

Riaz and Tregan led the small group, their eyes scanning the low grey buildings to either side as they walked slowly along the snow covered street. The Asian male noted the cracked and worn boards that covered the windows, the aroma of burning wood and cooking filling the air. Another smell made him grimace…a stale, seemingly tree like stench drifting across the street, his head turning to the Trevakian, ‘What’s that?’

Tregan smiled faintly, ‘
A morning brew
I think you call it, very popular with the locals. It’s the boiled bark of the firewood mixed with the thick milk of the local animals. A
soup
like mixture I think you would call it…they drink it first thing in the morning and all during the day…quite nice flavour and apparently very nourishing!’

Riaz looked aghast, ‘A rustic smoothie…yuk!’ He glanced back at the Trevakian, seeing him smile beneath his visor, his voice lowered, ‘Perhaps I will get you some for later…we provide the residents with a tin of food for each household in the evenings, some bring gifts…not much, but it shows their appreciation.’ He sighed, ‘I am not sure how long we will be able to keep giving them food now…’

The young Asian’s eyes widened, a warming smile spreading across his lips, ‘This seems like quite a community…’ His mind swept back to London life wondering if the same behaviours would be repeated if the provisions were similarly limited.

A childish shriek of laughter came from behind, Riaz glancing back and grinning widely as he saw Debra and Shino both grasping the young girl’s hands, pulling her upwards at unpredictable intervals as she giggled, the three other Trevakian marines behind with her mother.

The girl’s mother smiled, her black hair hanging loosely around a face that bore the signs of emotional and physical hardship, a scar running across her right cheek. Riaz warmed to the woman, her expression lightening as she witnessed the simple fun her beloved daughter was experiencing with new found friends. He looked to the young girls smiling face, his eyes filling up as he witnessed the childish grin, her laughter beneath an oversized jacket, the piercing brown eyes and white hair a pleasing sight. He turned back, lowered the rifle from his shoulder warily and hissing to Tregan, ‘That young girl will break hearts when she is older…’

The Trevakian glanced at him, his eyes arrowing in confusion, ‘I am not sure I understand that expression…’

Riaz grinned playfully, ‘Don’t worry…I will explain it over a
smoothie
later!’

The patrol emerged from the buildings, the freezing breeze biting further as they became more exposed, the track rising and bending towards the left as the snow billowed across them. Shino and Debra lowered the girl, slipping their rifles from their shoulders and holding them across their chests in readiness as the track climbed more steeply, passing between jagged rocks on either side.

Tregan glanced across the track ahead, the snow lying thick on the ground as he observed no footsteps. Shino turned, walking backwards and looking over the three soldiers behind, their combat uniforms inflated against the cold, her voice inquisitive, ‘Are you all from Contax Base?’

The figures nodded grimly, a female nodding thoughtfully, ‘I was at the mine when you came…we thought you humans would not be very good…’ She grinned, glancing across the rocks, ‘You are learning!’

Shino nodded her gratitude, smiling briefly, ‘Thank you…it’s quite scary, but we are with you now…’ She turned, glancing down as the girl tugged on her arm, pointing further up the track to a grouping of frozen bushes on the left, her voice concerned, ‘Sanga! Sanga! Dalka won tu…salihan!’

Shino shrugged, lowering to a crouch, her hand grasping the girl’s shoulder fondly as she shook her head, ‘I am sorry darling…I don’t understand…’

The Trevakian marines behind lunged forward, their eyes scanning the terrain as weapons raised, the female touching Shino’s shoulder as she hissed, ‘There is probably a track ahead…a short cut perhaps, she says we can go that way, but to be careful.’

Tregan ran forward, Riaz dropping to a crouch and raising his rifle, his voice a hiss, ‘Is there a path?’

Tregan stopped next to the bushes, his rifle extended as he leant from side to side attempting to see, ‘Yes…well concealed…’ He indicated back down the track to the others, ‘What is up there?’

The female Trevakian marine dropped to her knees next to the girl, her eyes staring into her brown eyes as she whispered reassuringly, the mother stepping forward and replying, Shino shrugging as she looked up at Debra.

The marine turned, grinning up the track, ‘She says to be careful as it will be slippery…the path is sloped! It is a short cut to the animals.’

Tregan shook his head, Riaz smiling broadly beneath his scarf, ‘I guess we are a bit jumpy!’ He indicated forward, ‘Shall we take this short cut then?’

The path was narrow, the freezing snow deep in places as it crept along the side of the high rocks. The soldiers began to regret the choice after several hundred metres, the drop to their left into a deep narrow dark ravine. Edging along, they pushed their bodies against the cold rock to the right, wary any fall would lead to a quick demise, now stepping in single file as the girl and her mother walked confidently ahead. They would turn occasionally, indicating to loose rocks or slippery ice, the increasing narrowness of the walkway causing the troops to grit their teeth in apprehension as the boots tensed around their feet on the ice.

The path turned back to the west, rising between high dark rocks on either side, dusted snow falling from above as they progressed upwards. Trudging in single file, the clouds of exhaled breath hung in the narrow passage, the soldiers shivering as their uniforms inflated to maximum strength. Iced tentacles extended from some of the overhanging rock, the moisture and ice gathering over months and years.

Tregan stared cautiously upwards, following the narrow opening as it led further, brighter grey daylight ahead in the distance as the girl and her mother moved further on before them. He glanced back, beckoning the others behind him and indicating above, ‘It seems to open up ahead…perhaps we are near the top? Stay sharp!’

Debra nodded behind him, her chest heaving in the poor quality air as Shino and Riaz leant against the cold rock, breathing heavily. The Trevakians behind grinned to each other, nodding at the three humans in fond mockery, the female whispering, ‘Our air is perhaps not ideal for you!’

Riaz glanced back smiling, his mouth gasping as the side lights on his helmet flickered into life, ‘Not enough pollution for me…London has much more…this air is too clear and clean for us.’

They struggled on, the steep climb proving extremely strenuous in the poor air between the rocks as flakes fluttered from above. Looking up, Riaz saw the girl and her mother waiting patiently at the top, their figures sitting cross legged on the snow, staring down into the shadows on the soldiers as they climbed.

As they neared the top, Shino felt the cold breeze across her lower face as she waved playfully at the girl and her mother, the air quality improving slightly. Tregan’s shadow rose up into the opening at the top first, his silhouette lowering and moving to the side as Riaz tensed, lunging forward to scramble after him.

Reaching the top of the path, he felt the freezing breeze sweep across his features as he looked across the open high ground. Shino dropped next to him gasping as Debra dropped a hand on her shoulder, the three staring wide eyed at the scene before them.

Tregan sat with his back to the cold rocks to their right, the snow bound terrain stretching into the distance with high jagged mountains rising on either side. Shino’s arm rose slowly as they stared, her eyes moist with emotion as she took in the sights before them. Dense snow covered trees and bushes stretched along the rock sides, the terrain covered in a thick white blanket as the three gasped, the Trevakian marines behind standing in awe.

The large mammoths strode majestically across the snow, several of their young calves following obediently behind their mothers as the herd stomped across the iced terrain. Some twenty animals walked before them, a couple more herds visible in the distance through the snow flurry. Their long matted coats glistened and steamed with melted snow, the matted animal hair moving slightly as the massive muscles tensed.

Long curled tusks extended before the beasts as they snorted in the cold morning air, the females glancing round fondly for their calves as the smaller animals followed on, a couple attempting to suckle for milk. Two dominant males glanced round, seeming to eye the figures with dismissive suspicion as they tramped on further, heading for the frozen bushes and trees.

Shino stared across the beasts, her mouth dry beneath her scarf as Tregan indicated to the nearby herd, ‘They are protected animals under our laws…the Morgons shoot them for food.’ He pushed his back up across the rock, ‘Let’s hope they never get here!’

Debra stuttered, ‘W-we had beasts like this on earth millions of years ago…dinosaurs…how have they survived here?’

Tregan shrugged as he stepped forward, ‘They are robust and caring beasts…happily providing nourishing milk for the villagers and garrison…we had hoped to breed them across the planet, but the war has prevented us.’ He sighed deeply in the cold air, ‘There are apparently barns further along the side of the rocks storing extra food for them for just these temperatures. The military brought have brought the food up every month as a supplement to the bushes and trees, to encourage extra breeding…I feel we will be unable to continue this now…most of the young may die.’

Debra shook her head, her voice broken as she saw Shino bow her head, ‘They are so beautiful…what can we do to keep them fed?’

Tregan started to walk through the snow to the side, skirting the rock side, ‘The Morgons will use the tusks as souvenirs and turn them into trinkets to adorn their armour…the hides they will spread across their backs as souvenirs and trophies.’ He pointed to the mountain ranges around, ‘We positioned anti-air batteries above to stop them landing here…let’s hope they are still armed and able to fire. If we get time, we will check them.’ He trudged further, ‘Let’s get to the barns for some shelter…walk round the edges to avoid startling them…they may come to us if they feel comfortable.’ He stretched slowly, ‘If we can keep coming up here, then the animals will continue to be fed, but with our current numbers I am not so sure…’

They trudged after the Trevakian, staring across fondly at the large cumbersome animals, the beasts snorting in the morning cold, the condensed air forced from their nostrils as they walked. Several of the smaller calves glanced across at the group of figures, a couple bellowing across the snow as they recognised the small girl and her mother, the opportunity of the companionship and perhaps some extra food springing into their minds.

As the soldiers turned across the base of the enormous clearing, advancing up a slight incline through drifting snow as a shrill trumpeted animal call swept across the land, one of the mammoth’s signalling to the herd that humans were progressing towards the barn, the location of extra winter food and meal. The large tusked beasts turned slowly in the snow, their eyes staring between matted hair at the darkened silhouettes against the snow and bushes, a couple moving forward cautiously, their suspicions of the extra figures evident.

Shino stared at the beasts, her lips curling in a respectful smile as she looked at the mothers nurturing and gently pushing their calves behind their large haired bodies for safety. The Philippine raised her voice slightly towards Tregan ahead, ‘What of the Silaks…what will they do to these beautiful animals?’

Tregan turned his head, coughing as the freezing cold caught in his throat, ‘It’s very strange, they seem to have respected their existence across the planet. There have been even rumours of them openly defying the Morgons when the animals were killed or injured. We have never understood why…’

Debra sniffed, seeing the mammoths cautiously lumber towards them with curiosity, her voice lowered, ‘They are so majestic and stunning.’ She grinned as several of the animals snorted once more, their enormous heavily haired heads shaking against the cold air.

The group neared the top of the slope, the decrepit barn standing in the distance as wind and snow whipped around the holed wooden and resin structure, the signs of weathered deterioration clearly evident on the walls. Snowflakes swirled from the sloped roof as the wind beat against the building, a petrified wooden broken fence stretching from the sides as an old enclosure to contain animals of years past.

The girl suddenly grasped Shino’s lower arm, dragging her forward, her young excited voice shrill in the cold, ‘Keterick! Keterick!’ Her mother laughed softly, running after her daughter as Shino engaged with the youngster’s enthusiasm, jogging forward with the youngster.

The Philippine shouted over her shoulder, ‘What does it mean?’

Tregan laughed aloud, the strain falling from his eyes as he shouted back, ‘She wants you to help feed them…I think she really likes you!’

They ran towards the barn, snow rising up their shins as they pushed through the drifting flakes, Shino glancing towards the large mammoths, giggling as she heard a shrill excited roar from one of the mothers, her calves ducking out from behind her in anticipation as they observed the figures nearing the structure that housed the food.