Free Ice Planet Holiday by Ruby Dixon Page A

several hunters leave to go hunt the sa-kohtsk for the three babies. They will be gone for a few days, and our ‘holiday’ has already gone on for a while. It’s decided that while they’re gone, we’re to finish the celebration with a feast and gift-giving, and Harlow will work on using her stone-cutter since the newborns won’t be home.
    I’ll be sad when the holiday celebration ends for a variety of reasons. It’s been fun, and I’ve enjoyed the daily soccer matches between the big, hulking sa-khui hunters who seem to think it’s a full-contact sport. They’re beautiful to watch, though, because they’re utterly graceful as they move. And okay, they’re also nearly naked and muscular. It’s not exactly a chore, and Tiffany, Josie, and I spend a lot of time outside snacking on cooked hraku seeds and watching on the sidelines.
    There’s been a joyous spirit in the caves recently, thanks to the holiday celebration. People are laughing more, playing more, and little Esha and Sessah - the only small children - have been receiving daily presents that make both squeal with glee. Farli’s older than them, but she gets presents from her parents, and she’s equally pleased (if quieter about it).
    Today is official ‘celebration and feast’ day, and then the day after tomorrow, the tribe will split again and everyone in Aehako’s cave will begin the journey home. I’m not looking forward to that. My stuff’s still in Bek’s cave, but I could care less about a few furs and some woven baskets. I can move back into the bachelorette cave with Tiffany and Josie. When we get home, there won’t be any excuses for me to avoid talking to Bek, though. There will be no soccer games to watch, no Christmas carol sing alongs, no root-cakes made like latkes to include Nora. Things will go back to their normal quiet. Even if Harlow manages to open up several caves, there will be lots of rock to clear out, and no one will be ready to move in for a few months.
    Worst of all? Ereven lives in Vektal’s cave and I don’t.
    It’s weird how we’ve only been here for about a week and I already am dreading leaving him behind. Fact is, I love being around him. Ereven’s thoughtful and witty. He makes clever comments that tell me there’s a lot going on underneath that calm expression. He sometimes skips playing soccer and lounges near me while I hang out with Tiffany and Josie, and his hand goes around my leg, casually possessive. Just that small touch makes me feel all flushed and excited.
    He hasn’t tried to kiss me again. Or nuzzle me. Or anything. I find myself praying for a few stolen moments where we might find each other alone and I can fling my arms around him and see if he wants to kiss me back. But I’m not quite that brave, and we never seem to be alone. Someone’s always nearby.
    Like right now. Stacy, our cook, has made herself in charge of the latkes for our feast, even though Nora is with the sa-kohtsk hunt. Ereven has brought in a few plump scythe-beaks to act as our ‘turkeys’ and Megan and I have been working on plucking and then stuffing them with some of the endless piles of herbs that have appeared in the caves the last few days. Ereven lingered for a few minutes, but when it was obvious we’d get no alone time, he headed off to join into the day’s soccer match.
    I try to hide my disappointment. It’s too early for me to be in another relationship. Then I remember that it’s not a real relationship, and I feel even worse. I have a crush on a guy that’s just pretending to like me. I’m such a sad sack. I should be all happy and independent, but all I can think about is Ereven and how nice he is, and how good he looks when he smiles.
    “So are you giving any presents out?” Josie asks me as she yanks a handful of feathers from the fat dead bird-thing on her lap. Scythe-beaks aren’t exactly birds like we think of them on Earth, but they’re close enough and have feathers, so they’re birds in