Free Hearts of Ishira (Hearts of Ishira Saga) by Bethany Aan Page A

soft smile. Accompanying the smile, she stroked his back, showing that she didn’t mind the fur. She inserted an image of her beloved gray tabby cat back home, which she’d only recently lost, and how much enjoyment she’d taken simply in petting him. Hunter’s eyes softened. He grinned, holding her a bit more securely, and clicked to his mount.
    The beast started moving again and she closed her eyes against the jolts of discomfort that each step caused. Hunter sensed her distress and made a soothing, concerned noise then clicked to his ‘horse’ in a pattern. The rider started moving faster, but with a smoother gait. He quickly made up time and within moments, they were at the head of the line of men and beasts.
    As they rode past, Ri noticed that there were a number of the beasts riding slightly apart, with two or three of the stretchers between them. The men on the riders held onto the stretchers carefully, their eyes on the girls being transported. Arianna sensed their genuine concern and her heart warmed. These men truly wanted nothing but safety for the women who’d literally fallen from the sky into their world.
    Hunter sent her a complex thought that she translated to mean, “We must get to the compound. You will all be safe there. I know you are hurting, but it will not be long before we can see to your injuries.”
    “Thank you,” Arianna breathed against his chest. Even the feeble light filtering down through the clouds and trees was hurting her head. She closed her eyes against it, hoping to alleviate at least a little bit of the agony. She sensed when Hunter shifted some of his energy her way again, when he attempted to take a bit of her pain from her. She opened herself and allowed him to take as much as he could and still remain vigilant. Murmuring into her hair as he nuzzled the top of her head, he sent her waves of compassion and sympathy.
    For what seemed like half an hour, they rode in silence, the beasts’ feet and the occasional sniffle of one of the injured and scared girls the only noises the group made. Arianna did her best to send out reassurance to her women, but her head was aching too much for her to release much energy. She wasn’t sure how effective she’d been, but she sensed Hunter’s approval of her efforts. His stronger mental energy joined hers, strengthening her, and more of the girls calmed down. Having his energy melded with hers made her head hurt less. His arm tightened the tiniest bit around her when he sensed that. He allowed more of his power to flow into her. It was enough to keep her going for a bit longer.
    Almost against her will, she closed her eyes. She wanted, more than anything else, to take in everything about this new planet she was on. She’d always dreamed of traveling to another world, but had been realistic enough to know it would never happen. But somehow, it had happened. She was here, in a completely different star system on an unknown planet, and ironically, she was too weary to try to look at her new world as they rode through the forest. The steady rhythm of the rider beast, the comforting warmth and the strong beat of Hunter’s heart lulled Ri and she dozed as they rode.
     
    A short time later, Arianna sensed that they had reached a settlement of sorts. She could feel many more minds in this place, all of them male and alien, with the unique ‘taste’ of energy that the doctor and the other men possessed. She also sensed the renewed fear of the women, curiosity from the men in the compound who hadn’t been with the rescue party, and a growing personal interest in Ri from the man holding her.
    He called out something in his tongue. The mount slowed and she opened her eyes enough to see tall walls of wood and stone above her. It was the exact building she’d seen from Hunter’s mind, which reassured her that he was what he claimed to be, merely a compassionate responder to the accident that had brought her group to this world.
    People crowded