Gestures, part 8
I can't think of anything to say.
Title: Gestures
Status: Part 8 of 10
Genre: science fiction, romance, slash
Rating: PG (13?)
Content: Dinner, stars, crafts, memories, destruction, a fairytale, fires, welcome, boots, a dream, clothes, washing, marks, journey, a grass parasol
Length: about 2,800 words
Summary: Colt is welcomed as a Hunter, but it’s time to leave.
Masterlist
The kiln cooled the beads slowly, so Colt went back to the village to get dinner for both of them.
They sat at the edge of the water and watched the sky fade to night.
Orion sat his bowl aside and leaned against Colt. “Those are your stars, aren’t they?”
Colt turned to him. “They are everyone’s stars.”
Orion grinned. “I was raised on a space station, remember? No sunrise or sunset, no real night or day, everything imported from far away and then all our trash exported for recycling. I lived in the inky blackness of space, but the stars were background, always present. I didn’t come to appreciate them, to love them, until the sun hid them for half the day. When I look up, I feel I am borrowing them. They aren’t mine. I am simply allowed to look. What heaven it must be to look up from a planet and know you would among them again.”
Colt wrapped his arm around Orion. “We will be out there soon.”
Orion snuggled closer. “Thanks to you.”
He pulled Colt in for a kiss. Making love at the river’s edge was slightly more complicated then the tanning clearing and much more complicated than Orion’s hut because of the hot furnace and kiln and the river itself. Colt was very happy the river had not man-eating creatures so he could concentrate on Orion.
-
With Orion’s help and Colt’s memories of his sister hobbies, Colt threaded, knotted, and wove Python an impressive necklace out of gut and leather so the beads wouldn’t bump into each other and make noise. It weighed a lot, with Orion’s beautiful beads, but Python didn’t have to wear it. Although knowing him, he probably would.
The glass beads were even more impressive cold. The colors shown brighter. They looked like baubles a god might have dropped, not something made by human hands.
Colt liked working with Orion. He loved Orion’s quick mind and quicker hands and his willingness to help without attempting to take over the project. They finished a little before dinner with enough beads left over to make Lion a bracelet.
Orion sighed as he surveyed his equipment. “All this needs to be destroyed.”
Colt could imagine the weeks and months that went into to each of these tools. “Don’t. Maybe the kiln and the furnace, but take the tools with you. And the charcoal; it’s so light. We can burn it on the way back.”
Orion grinned. “Those aren’t the first tools I made by hand. When I was very small the adult sized equipment wouldn’t fit in my hands. I complained and my tutor asked me what I was going to do about it. I told him I would make some and I spent the next several months doing just that. Later my tutor told me he’s expected me to ask someone to buy me new tools, but he was proud I’d gone my own way. Then when I outgrew those, he brought in ore and I made new tools start to finish.”
He picked up an awl. “Now I’m really glad I did.”
He carefully wrapped the tools in their leather cases and empted the jars of sand at the water’s edge. Colt moved the charcoal basket away from the water and lifted the largest rock he thought he could manage. “Ready.”
Orion nodded. “If you would…”
Colt brought the rock down on the kiln. The unfinished pottery shattered on impact.
Orion sighed. “Back to the earth from which it came.”
The furnace was made of stone and was much harder to break. They made due by dropping it in the deepest part of the stream.
Children’s voices echoed through the trees. Colt waded back to the bank and put the gifts in his pocket. He didn’t want anyone to see them until he was ready. The children spilled into the clearing and spotted him. They peppered him with questions about where he had gone and what he had done. He answered with a fairytale his father used to read to him.
He pulled on his worn out shoes and picked out the charcoal basket with most of Orion’s tool inside and told the children to lead the way. Then he took Orion’s hand and followed them.
-
The children dances and hopped and ran and sang all the way to the village. All the villagers were sat around the story fire including Python and Lion. Food warmed over the cook fire, but the women barely attended it. Colt and Orion were late. As they took their seats, Kite stood up.
He spoke of the cat and hearing the news that a village had been wiped clear of people. The few who survived refused to return. Jaguar and the other four Hunters went out to kill it before it killed again. But once the beast was cornered, some of the Hunters turned tail and ran, leaving Jaguar and Bark to die.
He lifted two necklaces, one of small stone beads and one that shone in the light of the dying sun. He tossed them in the fire.
Colt held his breath. All Orion’s handiwork.
Orion squeezed his hand and whispered, “That fire isn’t hot enough to melt them.”
But he blinked away tears.
Kite looked around at the gathered. He told of searching for the cat alone, being wounded and Python dropping from a tree and killing the ferocious beast.
Python grinned.
Then Kite told of the care Python, Lion, and Colt gave him.
He nodded to them. They nodded back.
Kite said that with the loss of two great Hunters to death and three more to cowardice, the village needed more Hunters. None would be better than Python, Lion, and Colt.
Colt was humbled. He hadn’t expected recognition. He couldn’t live in this little village on this primitive planet, but he thanked Kite warmly.
Python stood proud like he was receiving an honor he had expected, but Lion frowned and looked at the ground.
The villagers agreed with Kite and Python, Lion, and Colt were offered presents. Colt tried not to accept them, but Python touched his shoulder and explained that being a Hunter did not mean Colt had to be a Hunter here. So Colt stood still as thick ink lines were drawn across his cheeks.
The children laughed and danced around them. Several brought Colt bracelets that they had made for him. He clinked each time he moved his hand.
Food was served. Colt and Orion took their bowls and ate leaning against Orion’s hut. As the hubbub died down, Python stood up and looked straight at Colt. “Horse. Horse smart. Horse brave. Horse of the fire land. Horse from stars. Horse go. Horse come back. Shoes lead Horse, Python.”
He presented Colt with a beautiful pair of deerskin boots.
Colt glanced at Orion. He really wanted these beautiful shoes, but he wasn’t going to hurt the man he was with.
Orion nodded and touched Colt’s satchel with the necklace inside.
Colt got to his feet. “Horse happy. Horse wear. Horse remember.”
He made a show of taking off his old shoes and putting on his soft, beautiful, new ones.
Then he stood again. “Python brave. Python true. Python quiet. Python strong. Python… Python is not someone I expected to ever like, but he’s gown on me and now I wonder how I survived without him.
Python grinned as if he’d understood every word.
Colt lifted the necklace from his pocket and held it up so the firelight sparkled off the beads. “Python wear. Python remember Horse.”
Lion came over as Python allowed Colt to put the necklace on him.
Lion admired it. Colt held out the bracelet he’d made. “Lion. Lion remember.”
Lion took it. “Lion not forget Horse.”
And while Python showed off his necklace to the admiration of the villagers, Lion quietly looked at each of his beads in the fire light as if they meant the world to him.
Colt couldn’t watch.
Orion put a hand on his back. “We leave in the morning. Maybe we should make an early night.”
Colt crawled into Orion’s bed and let Orion make the whole universe and everyone in it disappear. He woke in full dark to movement in the hut. He was too tired to deal with Lion’s broken heart. But then a warm, strong chest settled against his cold back and a matching arm lay cross him and onto Orion. Python’s smaller hand slid down his side from behind Lion and settled on Colt’s belly.
And Colt dreamed a sweet, wonderful dream of a life he could never lead.
-
Colt woke to someone moving away from him. He rolled over to his other side and warm arms surrounded him. He snuggled closer and slept.
When he woke again, Orion sat beside him, fully dressed. The arms around him were Lion’s. Python grinned and handed Colt a bowl of stew. Colt sat up to take it, but as he did, he became very aware he was nude.
He held a hand out to Orion. “My clothes.”
“Sorry.” Orion shot Python a glace. “Python said they needed to be washed and they were getting rather whiffy.”
“Thanks.” Colt grimaced and set to work eating. He couldn’t find a comfortable modest way to set his legs. “If my clothes are getting clean, shouldn’t I bath?”
“Part of the ritual, when someone goes on a journey is a bath and then having your marks renewed. So I think we are all going down to the stream before they send us off.
Colt looked down at himself. “And I’m not getting anything to wear?”
“None of us will when we get to the water. We will keep the leather dry to prevent chaffing, I believe.”
Colt didn’t even want to think about a chaffing loincloth.
Once the food was finished, Python took the bowls out. Lion removed the belt Colt had made him. “Colt wear.”
Lion and Orion fashioned a temporary loincloth out of the belt and two pelts. One was the one Python had given Lion.
Python came back and frowned for a moment before grinning brightly. Colt had no idea what he was thinking.
The villagers were all still at the village, but luckily they did not follow them to the river. At the bank, Python stripped and carefully sat his necklace on top of his clothes and gear.
Lion did the same.
Colt slowly took off his boots.
Orion dropped his clothing and waded in with something in each hand. When he was waist deep he turned. “I have soap. I wasn’t going to live on a primitive planet without it when I had all the ingredients at my fingertips.”
Colt could hardly wait. He stood up and reached for the fastener on Lion’s borrowed belt and felt all three sets of eyes. He really should have hurried. He turned around and set the borrowed things on a rock, but then he had to turn back around and the water wasn’t deep enough to dive in. He sighed, straightened his shoulders and pretended he was wearing swim shorts. But that was hard to maintain with three sets of eyes on that area of his anatomy.
He got hip deep and put out his hand. “Soap?”
Orion grinned. “Let me.”
He lathered up and ran his hands over Colt’s body. More hands joined his.
This wasn’t an orgy, but Colt was glad no children watched from the banks. None he could see anyway.
After they dried out in the sun, they dressed again. Colt’s clothes were by Python’s. Had Colt not noticed them or had someone come down to the stream when they were otherwise occupied?
Colt didn’t want to know.
At the village, each man including Orion was given face stripes and wished well on their journey. Python and Lion each lifted an end of the rolled up cat pelt and led the way out of the village. Colt picked up the heavier of Orion’s bags of tools, smiled at Orion, and followed them.
The villagers followed them laughing and singing. Colt’s cheeks itched from the drying ink. Would he offend someone if he scratched?
Orion grabbed his wrist. “Bad idea. That dye lasts for weeks. One of my duties was to paint Jaguar before he left to hunt. My fingers never lost the color no matter how much I scrubbed.” He showed off the first two fingers of his right hand, which were indeed a darker tan. “No sense in having a semi permanent smudge. But not scratching an itch makes it worse. I’ll keep your hand occupied until it dries.”
Colt felt it was only fair to keep Orion occupied in return, so he told as much as he remembered about the story of the painted jaguar.
The village children followed them longer than the adults, but eventually the four were alone on their journey.
That night they slept huddled together with one person sitting up as watch. The next day they passed through the previously silent village, but this time they were welcomed with food and drink and a hut to sleep in. Lion told their story. People grew scared when he spoke of the cat and they only believed Python had brought it down after he showed off the pelt.
The four left the next day before dawn and were across the river and through the empty village before the sun made its appearance. Several times Python called a halt, set down the pelt, and disappeared into the trees only to reappear a few minutes later just as silently. This pelt was really hampering Python’s preferred method of travel.
Colt’s spirits lifted as they walked. Every step got him closer to home. But Orion did not travel well. He was all right in the jungle, but once they climbed the low hills his skin turned pink and his stride shortened. Six years on the planet and his skin still couldn’t take hours in the sun.
Colt called for a halt early that night. “Do we have anything to keep the sun off your head?”
“I’m all right.”
“No. You’re not. You are still my responsibility until we reach headquarters. Can’t you make a parasol or something?”
Orion gave Colt a tired smile. “I wish I’d thought of that before we left the trees.”
Colt moved Orion into Lion’s shadow. “I wish I’d thought of it too.”
They were still two days from reaching the grasslands. Going back to the trees would be faster, but Orion refused. Lion loaned him the use of the small pelt Python had given him to hold over his head and shoulders. Instead of the three days, the hills took them four.
The days under the trees were a nice respite, but Lion had to carry Orion over the jagged rocks near where the river began. He just wasn’t physically up to the exertion under the hot sun. Colt found the route back much easier than the route there. He was either getting fitter or Python lead them an easier way. Or both.
When they reached the grasslands they stopped for a few days. Python filled their stomachs with the spoils of his hunts and allowed his cat pelt to be used as a tent. Lion made keeping Orion out of the sun and entertained his job, while Colt searched for and found whatever Orion thought he might need. Whenever he returned from a trip, one or both were laughing. They seemed to have gotten around their lack of a mutual language. When the parasol was complete, Colt carried it because enough straw to block the sun’s rays was heavy.
When the grasslands gave way to the forest, they burned the unwieldy thing on the fire. That should have been a time to celebrate but Lion sulked. Colt touched his arm and made the question sound. Lion shook his head.
Well if he wasn’t going to talk, Colt couldn’t make him. He moved away. Python sat down beside him and put Colt’s hand on his arm. “Horse ask Python.”
Colt made the question noise.
“Lion home soon. Grandfather home.”
Lion’s grandfather was in for a big surprise if he thought that Colt’s leaving was going to turn Lion straight. Python patted his thigh. Colt laid his head on it. Python stroked his hair and told a story or legend of a strong man sent on an impossible quest.
Orion lay down in Colt’s arms. Colt watched the fire over his head. Colt’s eyes grew heavy. Python spoke to Lion, but Colt’s tired brain couldn’t make sense of the words. Something about a cave and a home and food and Lion and Python and Colt and Stars.
Colt could see his paradise behind his eyelids. “Lion.”
And Lion was behind him, holding him close. He fell asleep in utter contentment.
Title: Gestures
Status: Part 8 of 10
Genre: science fiction, romance, slash
Rating: PG (13?)
Content: Dinner, stars, crafts, memories, destruction, a fairytale, fires, welcome, boots, a dream, clothes, washing, marks, journey, a grass parasol
Length: about 2,800 words
Summary: Colt is welcomed as a Hunter, but it’s time to leave.
Masterlist
The kiln cooled the beads slowly, so Colt went back to the village to get dinner for both of them.
They sat at the edge of the water and watched the sky fade to night.
Orion sat his bowl aside and leaned against Colt. “Those are your stars, aren’t they?”
Colt turned to him. “They are everyone’s stars.”
Orion grinned. “I was raised on a space station, remember? No sunrise or sunset, no real night or day, everything imported from far away and then all our trash exported for recycling. I lived in the inky blackness of space, but the stars were background, always present. I didn’t come to appreciate them, to love them, until the sun hid them for half the day. When I look up, I feel I am borrowing them. They aren’t mine. I am simply allowed to look. What heaven it must be to look up from a planet and know you would among them again.”
Colt wrapped his arm around Orion. “We will be out there soon.”
Orion snuggled closer. “Thanks to you.”
He pulled Colt in for a kiss. Making love at the river’s edge was slightly more complicated then the tanning clearing and much more complicated than Orion’s hut because of the hot furnace and kiln and the river itself. Colt was very happy the river had not man-eating creatures so he could concentrate on Orion.
-
With Orion’s help and Colt’s memories of his sister hobbies, Colt threaded, knotted, and wove Python an impressive necklace out of gut and leather so the beads wouldn’t bump into each other and make noise. It weighed a lot, with Orion’s beautiful beads, but Python didn’t have to wear it. Although knowing him, he probably would.
The glass beads were even more impressive cold. The colors shown brighter. They looked like baubles a god might have dropped, not something made by human hands.
Colt liked working with Orion. He loved Orion’s quick mind and quicker hands and his willingness to help without attempting to take over the project. They finished a little before dinner with enough beads left over to make Lion a bracelet.
Orion sighed as he surveyed his equipment. “All this needs to be destroyed.”
Colt could imagine the weeks and months that went into to each of these tools. “Don’t. Maybe the kiln and the furnace, but take the tools with you. And the charcoal; it’s so light. We can burn it on the way back.”
Orion grinned. “Those aren’t the first tools I made by hand. When I was very small the adult sized equipment wouldn’t fit in my hands. I complained and my tutor asked me what I was going to do about it. I told him I would make some and I spent the next several months doing just that. Later my tutor told me he’s expected me to ask someone to buy me new tools, but he was proud I’d gone my own way. Then when I outgrew those, he brought in ore and I made new tools start to finish.”
He picked up an awl. “Now I’m really glad I did.”
He carefully wrapped the tools in their leather cases and empted the jars of sand at the water’s edge. Colt moved the charcoal basket away from the water and lifted the largest rock he thought he could manage. “Ready.”
Orion nodded. “If you would…”
Colt brought the rock down on the kiln. The unfinished pottery shattered on impact.
Orion sighed. “Back to the earth from which it came.”
The furnace was made of stone and was much harder to break. They made due by dropping it in the deepest part of the stream.
Children’s voices echoed through the trees. Colt waded back to the bank and put the gifts in his pocket. He didn’t want anyone to see them until he was ready. The children spilled into the clearing and spotted him. They peppered him with questions about where he had gone and what he had done. He answered with a fairytale his father used to read to him.
He pulled on his worn out shoes and picked out the charcoal basket with most of Orion’s tool inside and told the children to lead the way. Then he took Orion’s hand and followed them.
-
The children dances and hopped and ran and sang all the way to the village. All the villagers were sat around the story fire including Python and Lion. Food warmed over the cook fire, but the women barely attended it. Colt and Orion were late. As they took their seats, Kite stood up.
He spoke of the cat and hearing the news that a village had been wiped clear of people. The few who survived refused to return. Jaguar and the other four Hunters went out to kill it before it killed again. But once the beast was cornered, some of the Hunters turned tail and ran, leaving Jaguar and Bark to die.
He lifted two necklaces, one of small stone beads and one that shone in the light of the dying sun. He tossed them in the fire.
Colt held his breath. All Orion’s handiwork.
Orion squeezed his hand and whispered, “That fire isn’t hot enough to melt them.”
But he blinked away tears.
Kite looked around at the gathered. He told of searching for the cat alone, being wounded and Python dropping from a tree and killing the ferocious beast.
Python grinned.
Then Kite told of the care Python, Lion, and Colt gave him.
He nodded to them. They nodded back.
Kite said that with the loss of two great Hunters to death and three more to cowardice, the village needed more Hunters. None would be better than Python, Lion, and Colt.
Colt was humbled. He hadn’t expected recognition. He couldn’t live in this little village on this primitive planet, but he thanked Kite warmly.
Python stood proud like he was receiving an honor he had expected, but Lion frowned and looked at the ground.
The villagers agreed with Kite and Python, Lion, and Colt were offered presents. Colt tried not to accept them, but Python touched his shoulder and explained that being a Hunter did not mean Colt had to be a Hunter here. So Colt stood still as thick ink lines were drawn across his cheeks.
The children laughed and danced around them. Several brought Colt bracelets that they had made for him. He clinked each time he moved his hand.
Food was served. Colt and Orion took their bowls and ate leaning against Orion’s hut. As the hubbub died down, Python stood up and looked straight at Colt. “Horse. Horse smart. Horse brave. Horse of the fire land. Horse from stars. Horse go. Horse come back. Shoes lead Horse, Python.”
He presented Colt with a beautiful pair of deerskin boots.
Colt glanced at Orion. He really wanted these beautiful shoes, but he wasn’t going to hurt the man he was with.
Orion nodded and touched Colt’s satchel with the necklace inside.
Colt got to his feet. “Horse happy. Horse wear. Horse remember.”
He made a show of taking off his old shoes and putting on his soft, beautiful, new ones.
Then he stood again. “Python brave. Python true. Python quiet. Python strong. Python… Python is not someone I expected to ever like, but he’s gown on me and now I wonder how I survived without him.
Python grinned as if he’d understood every word.
Colt lifted the necklace from his pocket and held it up so the firelight sparkled off the beads. “Python wear. Python remember Horse.”
Lion came over as Python allowed Colt to put the necklace on him.
Lion admired it. Colt held out the bracelet he’d made. “Lion. Lion remember.”
Lion took it. “Lion not forget Horse.”
And while Python showed off his necklace to the admiration of the villagers, Lion quietly looked at each of his beads in the fire light as if they meant the world to him.
Colt couldn’t watch.
Orion put a hand on his back. “We leave in the morning. Maybe we should make an early night.”
Colt crawled into Orion’s bed and let Orion make the whole universe and everyone in it disappear. He woke in full dark to movement in the hut. He was too tired to deal with Lion’s broken heart. But then a warm, strong chest settled against his cold back and a matching arm lay cross him and onto Orion. Python’s smaller hand slid down his side from behind Lion and settled on Colt’s belly.
And Colt dreamed a sweet, wonderful dream of a life he could never lead.
-
Colt woke to someone moving away from him. He rolled over to his other side and warm arms surrounded him. He snuggled closer and slept.
When he woke again, Orion sat beside him, fully dressed. The arms around him were Lion’s. Python grinned and handed Colt a bowl of stew. Colt sat up to take it, but as he did, he became very aware he was nude.
He held a hand out to Orion. “My clothes.”
“Sorry.” Orion shot Python a glace. “Python said they needed to be washed and they were getting rather whiffy.”
“Thanks.” Colt grimaced and set to work eating. He couldn’t find a comfortable modest way to set his legs. “If my clothes are getting clean, shouldn’t I bath?”
“Part of the ritual, when someone goes on a journey is a bath and then having your marks renewed. So I think we are all going down to the stream before they send us off.
Colt looked down at himself. “And I’m not getting anything to wear?”
“None of us will when we get to the water. We will keep the leather dry to prevent chaffing, I believe.”
Colt didn’t even want to think about a chaffing loincloth.
Once the food was finished, Python took the bowls out. Lion removed the belt Colt had made him. “Colt wear.”
Lion and Orion fashioned a temporary loincloth out of the belt and two pelts. One was the one Python had given Lion.
Python came back and frowned for a moment before grinning brightly. Colt had no idea what he was thinking.
The villagers were all still at the village, but luckily they did not follow them to the river. At the bank, Python stripped and carefully sat his necklace on top of his clothes and gear.
Lion did the same.
Colt slowly took off his boots.
Orion dropped his clothing and waded in with something in each hand. When he was waist deep he turned. “I have soap. I wasn’t going to live on a primitive planet without it when I had all the ingredients at my fingertips.”
Colt could hardly wait. He stood up and reached for the fastener on Lion’s borrowed belt and felt all three sets of eyes. He really should have hurried. He turned around and set the borrowed things on a rock, but then he had to turn back around and the water wasn’t deep enough to dive in. He sighed, straightened his shoulders and pretended he was wearing swim shorts. But that was hard to maintain with three sets of eyes on that area of his anatomy.
He got hip deep and put out his hand. “Soap?”
Orion grinned. “Let me.”
He lathered up and ran his hands over Colt’s body. More hands joined his.
This wasn’t an orgy, but Colt was glad no children watched from the banks. None he could see anyway.
After they dried out in the sun, they dressed again. Colt’s clothes were by Python’s. Had Colt not noticed them or had someone come down to the stream when they were otherwise occupied?
Colt didn’t want to know.
At the village, each man including Orion was given face stripes and wished well on their journey. Python and Lion each lifted an end of the rolled up cat pelt and led the way out of the village. Colt picked up the heavier of Orion’s bags of tools, smiled at Orion, and followed them.
The villagers followed them laughing and singing. Colt’s cheeks itched from the drying ink. Would he offend someone if he scratched?
Orion grabbed his wrist. “Bad idea. That dye lasts for weeks. One of my duties was to paint Jaguar before he left to hunt. My fingers never lost the color no matter how much I scrubbed.” He showed off the first two fingers of his right hand, which were indeed a darker tan. “No sense in having a semi permanent smudge. But not scratching an itch makes it worse. I’ll keep your hand occupied until it dries.”
Colt felt it was only fair to keep Orion occupied in return, so he told as much as he remembered about the story of the painted jaguar.
The village children followed them longer than the adults, but eventually the four were alone on their journey.
That night they slept huddled together with one person sitting up as watch. The next day they passed through the previously silent village, but this time they were welcomed with food and drink and a hut to sleep in. Lion told their story. People grew scared when he spoke of the cat and they only believed Python had brought it down after he showed off the pelt.
The four left the next day before dawn and were across the river and through the empty village before the sun made its appearance. Several times Python called a halt, set down the pelt, and disappeared into the trees only to reappear a few minutes later just as silently. This pelt was really hampering Python’s preferred method of travel.
Colt’s spirits lifted as they walked. Every step got him closer to home. But Orion did not travel well. He was all right in the jungle, but once they climbed the low hills his skin turned pink and his stride shortened. Six years on the planet and his skin still couldn’t take hours in the sun.
Colt called for a halt early that night. “Do we have anything to keep the sun off your head?”
“I’m all right.”
“No. You’re not. You are still my responsibility until we reach headquarters. Can’t you make a parasol or something?”
Orion gave Colt a tired smile. “I wish I’d thought of that before we left the trees.”
Colt moved Orion into Lion’s shadow. “I wish I’d thought of it too.”
They were still two days from reaching the grasslands. Going back to the trees would be faster, but Orion refused. Lion loaned him the use of the small pelt Python had given him to hold over his head and shoulders. Instead of the three days, the hills took them four.
The days under the trees were a nice respite, but Lion had to carry Orion over the jagged rocks near where the river began. He just wasn’t physically up to the exertion under the hot sun. Colt found the route back much easier than the route there. He was either getting fitter or Python lead them an easier way. Or both.
When they reached the grasslands they stopped for a few days. Python filled their stomachs with the spoils of his hunts and allowed his cat pelt to be used as a tent. Lion made keeping Orion out of the sun and entertained his job, while Colt searched for and found whatever Orion thought he might need. Whenever he returned from a trip, one or both were laughing. They seemed to have gotten around their lack of a mutual language. When the parasol was complete, Colt carried it because enough straw to block the sun’s rays was heavy.
When the grasslands gave way to the forest, they burned the unwieldy thing on the fire. That should have been a time to celebrate but Lion sulked. Colt touched his arm and made the question sound. Lion shook his head.
Well if he wasn’t going to talk, Colt couldn’t make him. He moved away. Python sat down beside him and put Colt’s hand on his arm. “Horse ask Python.”
Colt made the question noise.
“Lion home soon. Grandfather home.”
Lion’s grandfather was in for a big surprise if he thought that Colt’s leaving was going to turn Lion straight. Python patted his thigh. Colt laid his head on it. Python stroked his hair and told a story or legend of a strong man sent on an impossible quest.
Orion lay down in Colt’s arms. Colt watched the fire over his head. Colt’s eyes grew heavy. Python spoke to Lion, but Colt’s tired brain couldn’t make sense of the words. Something about a cave and a home and food and Lion and Python and Colt and Stars.
Colt could see his paradise behind his eyelids. “Lion.”
And Lion was behind him, holding him close. He fell asleep in utter contentment.