Free Laura Jo Phillips by The Bearens' Hope: Book Four of the Soul-Linked Saga Page B

done.
    Several hours later, Slater was fairly certain that he at least knew what the movements were, even if he couldn’t perform them all without lots of stops and starts.
    “You keep practicing that, along with the first set,” Magoa said.  “I’ll be back in a few days to see how you’re doing.”
    “Magoa, I must hunt,” Slater said.  “There is no game here.  I must go to the other side of Onddo.”
    Magoa frowned.  But there was really no help for it.  Slater had to eat.  “Very well,” Magoa replied finally.  “But make it quick.  It is most important that you practice these movements and get them down as soon as possible.”
    “I promise, I shall work hard,” Slater said. 
    “Good boy, good boy,” Magoa said.  “Good hunting then, and practice, Slater, practice.”
    Slater nodded, watching with admiration as Magoa stepped off the ledge as he transformed into his magnificent red sugea and flew away.
    Slater watched until the sugea was gone, then he sat thinking for awhile.  No matter how hard or how long he thought, he could not imagine what good making himself glow could possibly be.  After a time he shook his head in defeat, transformed into his own green sugea, and leapt into the air.  He was hungry, and it was past time to hunt.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    One month later.....

 
     
    Chapter 10
     
    Earth, Arlington, Virginia
    Due to a few lucky jump slot assignments, Hope’s journey from Jasan to Earth took only twenty-nine days, which was far less than the usual thirty-nine days.  Hope was very grateful for the speedy journey as she was more than ready to get back to her old life and leave Jasan in the past.  It wasn’t easy, since she still kept getting that same feeling that she was supposed to be there.  Only now, instead of making her feel hopeful, she was annoyed by it. 
    She had followed her feelings, spending a good chunk of her life savings in the process, and come away with nothing but a lot of wasted time and a sense of loss that she couldn’t seem to shake.  She just wanted to get home and restart her life.
    She collected her luggage and left the Dulles Interstellar Spaceport with a sense of relief.  It was nice to look up and see the familiar blue skies of Earth and the green grass lining the walkways.  Even the scent of the air was different here.  Home, she thought.  It was so nice to be home. 
    Even though she’d been certain when she left that she would not be returning to Earth, she had followed the suggestions in the Candy Bride brochures she had gotten from Bride House, and kept her home and belongings, just in case.  At the time it had felt like wasted effort, but now she was glad for it.
    She hoped that the messages she had sent before leaving Jasan had been received and acted upon.  If they had, then she should be able to go home to her apartment and find all of her belongings in place, the kitchen stocked, the utilities on, and her bed made up as though she had never left.  She was really looking forward to that as she lugged her suitcases down to the corner and boarded a train into the city.  
    A few hours later Hope was settled in her own home at last.  She’d been very pleased to find that the service had done everything promised.  It was almost as though she had never left.  She did have a few things in secure storage, mostly photographs, wall hangings, and keepsakes.  She would have to pick them up sometime in the next few days, but there was no rush.  There was nothing she really needed.  The one thing she had missed the most was her art supplies, and they were all here, set up in the extra bedroom she used as a studio. 
    She had deliberately not taken any of her supplies with her to Jasan, not even a sketch pad.  When she was drawing or painting, she tended to bury herself in the creative process to the exclusion of everything around her.  She had been on Jasan for a purpose, and she knew herself well enough to know that if