Free Neverwylde (The Rim of the World Book 4) by Linda Mooney Page B

sensed her pain. He backed up and placed a hand on her shoulder.
                “Kelen?”
                She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” She managed a weak smile and fished the last capsule from her breast pocket, popping it in her mouth.
                Kyber’s nostrils flared and he glanced over at the creatures. It was then she realized the creatures were staring in her direction, their heads bobbing as they shuffled on the ends of their appendages.
                “Do you think they smell the blood?” she whispered to where only Kyber could hear. He didn’t reply, but she could tell he was also aware of the things’ scrutiny.
                “Hey, Kyber?” Fullgrath called out to them. “Do you think they understand we want ‘em to contact Hoov?”
                “We can only hope they eventually realize that,” Kyber replied.
                “Hard to believe these things are the dominant intelligent species on this planet,” Fullgrath threw out.
                Kleesod spoke up. “It is not their intelligence which prevents us from communicating. It is the ability to converse and relay information that is hindering us.”
                “Wouldn’t it be nice if all of those things had on one of those blue stone necklaces?” Sandow remarked. “Or if we had our own translator.”
                “If we had one of our space suits we ditched at the other temple, we would,” Jules pointed out.
                “Oh, but we have the next best thing. Hey, Dox?” Mellori slowly moved to the other side of the pillar. “Dox, can you build a translator we can use?”
                “Can try.”
                “How quickly can you do it?”
                When he didn’t get a response, Mellori asked again. “Dox? How fast can you make one?”
                “He is working on it,” Kleesod informed them.
                “We’re at a standstill,” Mellori said loud enough for the others to hear. “They’re as curious and as apprehensive about us as we are about them.”
                “Which might mean they’re peace loving,” Kelen remarked, unaware she’d spoken her thoughts aloud. Mellori tossed her a confused look, so she pressed the issue. “Put yourselves in their shoes. We’re the invaders. We look nothing like them. They don’t know if we intend them any harm, or if—”
                She was interrupted when the creatures suddenly became agitated once more. Their clicking grew faster and louder, and they started milling about. Yet they remained huddled over on the far end of the area, showing neither aggression nor the willingness to make further contact. Inevitably, they parted, allowing another of their kind to push through the crowd. Kelen recognized the creature only by the glowing necklace it wore.
                Hoov stared at them for several seconds, then waved an appendage at them. “Come.” It turned to its right and started down the corridor, heading directly for Kelen, Kyber, and Mellori. The thing passed them without a glance and continued on at a casual, unhurried pace.
                Kelen noticed the other creatures remained where they stood. So did Kyber. He waved at the rest of their own group. “Let us follow.”
                Kleesod hoisted Dox into his arms as Jules and the others gathered up their bundles and hurried to catch up. Kelen noticed the little man digging through the bundle he had perched on top of his belly as he tried to concoct something that would reasonably work as a translation device.
                They kept close behind Hoov, who continued going straight down the corridor. Above their heads, the metal plates suddenly tilted all at once, and the lower chambers glowed from the influx of light pouring over