Lost and Sound by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online

Specialist Yllin, and that is Specialist Nearing. He is the one who found you.”
    Arka nodded. “He looks like a demon.”
    Nearing tilted his head. “No horns.”
    “A lesser demon then.” She nodded with authority that only children could master.
    “Arka, I have met demons. Well, I have met Dhemons. They have horns and are very polite. It is just that the people they warred with were not very nice and liked to talk about them behind their backs. It got written into histories and literature as them being the bad guys, and I am here to tell you that Nearing is one of the good ones.”
    Arka nibbled at another piece of ration bar, and she sat up, extending her free hand to Nearing. “Thank you, Specialist Nearing.”
    Nearing came up next to them and took her small hand with his gloved one. “It was my honour, Arbelika Yamra Twix.”
    “I would not mind if you called me Arka as well.”
    Nearing smiled, and Yllin watched a crush forming.
    “It was my honour, Arka. Relax against Yllin. She will take good care of you.”
    Yllin gave her another sip of water and reached in her pack for a compressed blanket. She flicked it out and wrapped it around Arka. The moment the girl was warm and had some food in her belly, she fell asleep.
    They rode until the moons lit their path as they made their way through the forest. There were insects, animals but nothing larger than the two beasts they were riding.
    “I can take her for a while if you need a rest.” Nearing’s beast was next to hers.
    She altered their course to take them around a lake and shook her head. “This isn’t tiring. I won’t be able to walk straight for a week after this, but being up here is fine.”
    “Where did you get the breakdown bars?”
    “The archaeologists carry them. They prepare to be locked in their sites for up to a week, and they take all of their supplies in every time they enter. I have learned a lot in two weeks.” She winked.
    “What about the blanket?”
    “We were in search of a missing child. There was every reason to bring the blanket, and it meets with the planetary specs set out by Vicorran. I read the regulations while you were in the lav.”
    He smiled and shook his head. “I told you you would be good at this.”
    She looked down at the girl in her arms. “I am very glad that I am.”
    With smooth movements, her beast took off at a faster pace. Yllin held Arka in her arms and monitored her temperature with a hand to her forehead. It was an ancient way to check on someone, but it worked.
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Six hours after arriving on Vicorran, they rode the beasts into the site from which the search had been coordinated.
    Arka was sitting up with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and when her parents rushed to her, she slid into their arms with tears and hugs for all.
    Yllin fought the tears of sympathy as she watched the family reunite. She slid off the beast she had been riding and made sure that she had all of her supplies with the exception of the blanket.
    Nearing brought his beast next to her. “We are going to need a ride to the shuttle.”
    “I know, but I made a deal with my beast. One mission and I would get off.”
    Her beast turned to her and nudged her back to the stirrup. Apparently, he was granting her one more ride.
    Her body rebelled, but she hauled herself back into the saddle.
    Arka wiggled away from her family and grabbed Yllin’s boot. “Thank you for finding me.”
    “Make sure that you bring a pack on your next adventure. I am pretty sure that given the right supplies, you could have made your way home.” She leaned down and stroked Arka’s hair. “Be good but keep adventuring. The only person you need to impress is yourself.”
    Arka nodded and clutched at Yllin’s hand before letting it go. Arka nodded to Nearing and he nodded back.
    With their mission completed, they left the search centre and headed for the shuttle pad at full speed, their beast moving gracefully beneath