Free Hunting (The Nine) by Viola Grace

 
     
     
    Chapter One
     
     
    Niika looked around and waited. The grass in the meadow was ruffling lightly and the trees bent and swayed as wind moved them in rhythm.
    Niika crouched down and held her breath as the hoof beats of one of Gaia’s rarest creatures brought it close to her.
    The beast broke free of the forest and its thudding feet brought it into the open. Niika couldn’t stop the grin on her lips as it lifted its head, shook out its mane and horn and its nostrils flared.
    Niika held perfectly still as the beast came toward her. Her heartbeat was slow and steady, but he sought her out with alarming accuracy.
    The horn speared through the brush and stopped an inch from her chest before it eased in to touch her. She held perfectly still until the horn retreated and the lovely equine head nudged her. “Hello, love.”
    She felt the warmth of his mind in hers, and she laughed. It had taken her years of running through the Archives with Daphne, but she had found an obscure reference to a mythical beast. A unicorn was here on Gaia, and it made for an excellent companion.
    Niika came out of cover and wrapped her arms around his neck.
    He rubbed her back with his chin and snorted.
    “Who’s a good boy?”
    He made a peculiar chortling sound and stepped back into the centre of the meadow. He bounced up and down on his hooves, waving the deadly blade of his horn around.
    To Niika’s surprise, another one of his kind slowly came out of the green shadows and moved to stand at his side. She was lovely, a silvery black to his blue and ivory. He rubbed his head along her neck, and Niika smiled. She sent him warm wishes, and he trotted back over to her, placing his muzzle against her palm.
    His mate looked at her with shy curiosity. She came up and carefully extended her muzzle to Niika.
    Moving carefully, Niika held her other palm out and let the female touch her. When the light contact was made, Niika curled her fingers and stroked the underside of the female’s jaw slowly. The unicorn’s lids lowered in enjoyment, and she leaned forward in silent demand.
    A sound in the distance brought her head around, and she stared with the two beasts at her side. “I am sorry. It seems my survival group has woken up. I look forward to seeing you again when I am in your territory.”
    The male shook his long, glossy mane out and steered his female back into the cover of the trees.
    With the last look at their swishing tails, she turned and walked back to the campsite. Time to take her city folk back home again.
     
    They were scuffed, they were grubby and they were ragged, but her group of survival-training enthusiasts were alive and very glad to return to their homes.
    Niika dropped them off at the outfitting station and headed for the com station to get her messages.
    Her eyes widened as she heard, “Sorry you missed it, Niika, but I was sort of in a hurry.”
    Emharo was framed in the screen and smiling brightly. “Yes, Nik, I have gotten married to a member of the Nine. Rivvin is one of the Water Folk, and he is as crazy about the ocean as I am. Come by the habitat, and Mom and Dad will fill you in. I knew you would be gone a while and you wouldn’t begrudge me this, but I want you to meet him as soon as you can get some free time. Love you, Nik.”
    Niika sat through the notices from her aunt and uncle, as well as a greeting from a male with a decidedly green tint.
    “Greetings, Niika Baker. I am Rivvin Sequelar, and your cousin Emharo and I have become mates. Know that I will take good care of her when she needs it and get the hell out of her way when she doesn’t.” His smile said that he had already experienced that particular phenomenon at least once.
    Niika chuckled.
    “I look forward to meeting you. My wife says that you do on the land what she does in the ocean, and those are skills that are in desperate need at the moment. Ambassador Leoraki is assembling a gathering of those who wish to learn more of the wild,