Kringl (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

K ringl stirred, consciousness returning slowly. He was lying on something soft, which meant he was not in the ice jail. Then he remembered being rescued and Joy leading him to the village and sneaking him into the backdoor of her home. That’s right. He was in her bed.

As all these thoughts drifted through the fog of his mind, Joy's voice filtered through, her tone stern but also suffused with affection. Who was she talking to?

"You can't just waltz in here whenever you want. I was worried about you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

He didn’t hear a response, but alarm shot through him. Who else was in the house? Did she have a male suitor she’d never mentioned before? Wasn’t their presence in the house a secret? Kringl snapped his eyes open and bolted upright, giving himself a head rush.

He peered through the open doorway to the small table and had to blink a few times to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Joy wasn't speaking to a person at all. Instead, she was scolding a small, fluffy, white creature perched on its hind legs atop the table. The animal had a long, bushy tail and a tiny face with a black, button nose and delicate whiskers. It chattered back at Joy, seeming to understand her words.

Kringl gave his head a shake as if to reset his brain back to a time before Joy was talking to animals. Maybe on this world, animals spoke. The dragons on Verendella spoke, although it was more like shouts. Then again, dragons weren’t known for being even tempered.

The creature caught the movement, shifting its black eyes to Kringl. In a flash, it leapt across the room, spreading its limbs to reveal flaps of fur that acted like wings. It floated through the air and landed gracefully on the bed beside Kringl.

Startled by its speed and agility and reminding himself of the other native creatures on the planet, Kringl tensed. "Is it dangerous?"

Joy's laughter filled the room. "As huge as you are, you're scared of a snow squirrel?"

"I'm not scared," Kringl assured her quickly, his pride stung. "I'm simply. . .cautious. Why do you have a wild animal in your house?"

Joy's expression softened as she looked at the creature. "This is Snowball. He's my pet, though he used to be wild. I found him injured in the woods and nursed him back to health." She gave the animal an indulgent smile. "I've tried to release him, but he always comes back. Now he lives with me, aside from his occasional adventures outside." Her voice cracked. "He's my family now, one of the few things that makes life here bearable."

Snowball chattered and tilted his tiny head, seeming to size up Kringl. Then, to the prince's surprise, the snow squirrel scampered halfway up the quilt, curled up in his lap, and promptly fell asleep.

Joy smiled. "Looks like Snowball approves of you." She glanced toward the back window. "There's no need for you to get up yet. We should wait until nightfall to sneak back to the ship."

She picked up a bowl from the table and walked to him, handing him the bowl along with a spoon. "I made you my mother's recipe for mac and cheese. It’s perfect comfort food and what she used to make for me when I was sick."

The steam rising from the bowl was rich and fragrant, and Kringl’s stomach growled. He’d barely eaten at the banquet, and he couldn’t remember his last meal before that. “I am glad it isn’t red and gooey.”

Joy stifled a laugh. “Snow berries are definitely an elf thing.”

Kringl took a tentative bite of the dish and was immediately struck by the savory flavor and creamy texture. He almost moaned as he swallowed the bite that was the culinary equivalent of a hug. Swallowing it seemed to chase away the lingering chill in his bones. He eagerly ate another spoonful, as the food warmed him from the inside out.

"This is delicious.”

Joy’s face lit up at the compliment. “Thanks. It’s easy to make, which is why I eat a lot of it.”

Joy sat next to him on the bed with her own bowl, and they ate without talking. The only sounds were the gentle snoring of the snow squirrel and their spoons scraping their bowls. As he stole glances at Joy, Kringl couldn't help but notice how the dim light slipping through the curtains caught the gold in her hair. She was so unlike the females on his world in so many ways, yet he felt as if he’d known her for a long time.

After he finished his bowl, he slid his gaze to the animal in his lap. "Were you going to leave without Snowball?"

Joy's face fell. "I wanted to take him, but he'd run off. I was so desperate to escape that I wasn't thinking clearly. I thought if you agreed to take me, I’d be able to run back and get him before we left. Please don't tell Snowball I even considered leaving without him."

Kringl nodded solemnly, fighting back a smile at the absurdity of keeping a secret from a pet.

Joy reached out and touched the creature’s tail, stroking it while he slept. “Now that he’s come back, can I bring him with me when we leave?”

Kringl looked down at the softly snoring animal in his lap and tried not to focus on how close Joy’s hand was to him as she stroked Snowball. “When my ship leaves this planet, you are both welcome to come with us.”

“I have one more confession,” Joy said without meeting his gaze. “My entire plan was to leave the planet with you and get word to Earth so the entire village can be rescued. I figured one person might be able to escape and get help for everyone else. I wasn’t going to tell you about getting a message to Earth until we’d left the planet.”

“I understand, and your invitation to leave on my ship still stands.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, doubt nagged at him. What if something had happened to his ship? To his crew? He tried to imagine his first officer's reaction to a snow squirrel aboard their vessel, but the thought quickly morphed into concern for Zaan's safety. Had the Valorian made it back to their vessel?

Kringl’s litany of fears was banished from his mind by a series of loud bangs from outside. He and Joy jerked while Snowball stirred, chittering in his sleep.

"What was that?" Kringl whispered, his hand instinctively reaching for the blaster that was no longer at his side.

Joy stood and took both their bowls. “I don't know, but it can't be good."

Shouts were followed by rapid footfall outside the house. Something was happening in the village, and Kringl had a sinking feeling it involved them.

He met Joy's worried gaze, seeing his own concern mirrored in her eyes. Kringl gently moved Snowball aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, unable to shake the feeling that their rest was over, and the real challenge was only beginning.