In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 44

***

"Aaron, Sorin, can you hear me? ANSWER ME!"

"Yes?"

"Who the hell dares to address me this w..."

"It's Jena, shut up! We have warhogs inbound from the right. Swerve the entire convoy left and get warriors ready to block the enemy!"

"How do you know this before we do?"

"Because I was in the patrol that found them. We are still on our way back."

"I'm not going to ask but we are going to talk about this later."

"How many?"

"One hundred and fifty?"

"Verified?"

"As much as we could safely."

"So, how do you want this handled?" Aaron asks.

"Why are you asking her?"

"Aaron handles the convoy, Sorin is leading the warriors. I'll join him as soon as I get there."

"Fine!"

I can't believe I'm taking orders from that woman again. But any chance to kill some more warhogs... Sorin thinks to himself.

***

"Hey Uma! You mind letting me have E for a while? You could take a break or something, maybe?"

"Of course! Are you sure you can handle her weight?"

"I've already started doing some recovery exercises with weights a lot heavier than she is. I have a condition related to the gravity here on Calla and... but I'm sure you don't care too much about that. Anyway, it won't be a problem."

"Let me know when you need me again."

"Here you go, come to daddy! Want to ride on my shoulders?" he asks as he takes her and starts walking around.

"Mhm."

"So how do you feel up there? You like it?"

"Too high."

"Oh. I see. Should I lower you then?"

"No. Get shorter. You're too tall."

"I really don't understand your baby talk. I mean don't get me wrong, you are very articulate. It's just that what you are saying makes no sense."

"It will. Eventually."

"Come to think of it, even with all the time that has passed since we got on this planet, you're still not even two years old.

And you were unnaturally understanding of what I was linking and what it meant the other day as well.

Not only that but when I'm recalling... even back with the wolf and the warhogs... you didn't seem scared at all.

And before that... hmm... the more I think about it, the more I realize I can't remember a time I saw you crying, like with actual tears.

I'm probably not making any sense. 

Why am I talking to a toddler anyway?"

"You feel oddly lonely, even though you are surrounded by people who obviously care about you."

"OK, that was scary! Who are you? Doctor Phil?" he asks trying to look up and around at her, though obviously unable to do so.

"You're silly."

"Hey, E? Do you miss mommy?"

"You want 'yes' so you can feel guilty some more or 'no' so you can shift your focus on me and wonder if I am in some kind of emotional shock after the situation we just went through and then feel guilty about it?"

"OK, who said that?" Al'Aeen asks loudly, earning a few looks from the people close enough to hear him.

"Silly man."

Giving up on making sense about things, he decides to just change the subject.

"Sooo... do you like it here?"

"Uma is a warm soul, Jena is beautiful, Umani is funny and everyone is nice. You are too tall though."

"I'm beginning to think you've got something against my body proportions."

"Because they're wrong."

"I know it's not... I mean I'm not exactly the same as I was on Earth but... well I really can't explain that. None of this should be possible."

"Play a game?"

"Huh? Yeah, OK. What do you want to play?"

"Hear-say."

"Hearsay?"

"No. Hear, then say."

"Is that a game you learned from Uma?"

"Yes."

"How does it go? How do you play it?"

"I hear what you tell me, then say the first thing that comes to mind."

"So if I say sky, you..."

"Blue."

"He-he! Cute!"

"Wolf-pup!"

"Nice!"

"Everyone is!"

"So warm?"

"Uma."

"And funny?"

"BeCe."

"BC?"

"Black Coyote."

"Oh. Then Daddy..."

"Too tall."

"I get it already!" Al'Aeen says with a smile.

"My turn. Say it quick. No thinking!" E demands.

"OK, I promise! You can start!"