Spears of Uu'kata

Chapter 18 - Intuition

Charlotte's shoulders were sore. She'd spared a bit with Tasha, had her writing lesson with Shodara, played music with Godrar, and now she followed behind Shodara, carrying a basket of clothes.

Before being captured, she'd never experienced a planet's atmosphere without her suit. She'd never felt the wind or smelled trees. So, she wasn't sure if it was normal for the temperature to drop. She'd heard of seasons before, but they were a myth to someone who was born and lived their life on space stations and ships.

Everyone dreamed of going to Earth and living on the home world, but everyone knew it would never happen. Earth was overpopulated as it was and many of those who lived there had no idea that their own race had extended into the stars.

Vasquez was a homeworlder. He told her once that he'd always dreamed of going to space and living on a ship because Earth was so crowded and polluted and had no idea it was even possible until he joined the military and was recruited for the bio-mech program. It turned out his commander had put his name in because he wanted to get rid of him. Vasquez always liked to stir shit up.

She missed him. Had he survived?

Charlotte could hear the sound of the river before she saw it and the sound always made her nervous. Where was all that water going anyways, and why did it have to get there so fast? Shodara insisted it was a slow river, but if this was slow, what the hell did a fast one look like?

Females and children always lined the river bank, talking, playing, and washing clothes or dishes. There was always a warrior or two as well, just watching.

Personally, she thought they were crazy to let the little ones play in the water. She'd felt the pull of that river once and never wanted to feel it again.

She followed Shodara right to the water's edge and set down her basket. Only four females other than Shodara washed clothes in the river today and three children. Two boys and one girl.

Charlotte frowned. Now that she was being let out of the tent more often she was noticing things. Like how few females there were and how closely the males watched and protected them. She hoped it was because this camp was temporary and the rest of them were just... somewhere else.

The area looked well used enough to be permanent, but the camp had a feel of movement.

Charlotte had never washed her own clothes before and so she watched Shodara closely as she scrubbed the material on a rock, then squeezed it.

The water was cool, but not exactly cold, and if she wasn't mistaken, the river looked a little higher than it had the other day. That was alarming. She might not have noticed but there was a trail of eight large boulders out in the water that one could use to leap across to get to the other side. If they were insane, that is. Those boulders looked smaller today. It made sense it was because the water was deeper.

Charlotte felt a tickle on her neck and she looked up, eyes darting, looking for a threat. She glanced behind her and saw only trees and one warrior leaning against a tree, sneaking berries from his pocket so the children didn't see them.

Standing, Charlotte gazed across the river. Trees, bushes, tall grasses.

Someone was over there, watching. She narrowed her eyes, searching.

"What, Charlotte?" Shodara asked, standing and looking across the river.

"I feel eyes," Charlotte said.

Shodara raised an eyebrow.

"Eyes see, Charlotte. Hands feel," Shodara said, believing Charlotte was getting words confused.