Buroudei’s tail thrashed.

“They will not come with us?”

The scarred alien who’d come with the other Gahn, Taliok, stepped up next to Buroudei, jaw working, eyes ablaze.

“I refuse to leave my mate with Gahn Fallo’s men.”

Excuse me? His mate? That was new information. Taliok was staring into our huddle with a look of pained hunger. But I couldn’t tell who he was looking at.

Great. One more complication.

“Guys, let’s hurry this up. I don’t think he’s going to last long.” Chapman was speaking, looking down at the alien at her feet. He was still on his knees, but now slumped forward on his elbows. I recognized Buroudei’s axe sunk deep, in above his shoulder. I swallowed. This was exactly what I’d wanted to avoid. This bloodshed. But this was their culture. And I wasn’t going to change generations of their ways by batting my human eyelashes.

I moved out of the huddle, standing next to Buroudei.

“I want to remain with Buroudei. You want to remain with your group. But I don’t think we should be separated.”

My mind worked, playing scenario after scenario in my head.

“What if,” I started slowly, a plan unfurling, “we set up a human camp in a central area. Between all the tribes. So that no one is cut off from anyone else, and all the humans can be together.”

Nobody looked impressed with my plan. Taliok snarled, and Buroudei’s tail thrashed. The other women stepped back, alarmed.

Charming, fellas. Really.

“OK, look, I’m going to be straight with you guys because you need to understand the situation. These people have this alien being, this spirit... I don’t know what to call it. It’s like a dragon with no arms or legs or wings. Anyway, it summons men and then shows them the face of their future mate. This is, like, soulmate level stuff. It means everything to them. Buroudei saw my face before we ever even got here.”

Gasps and looks of confusion met my words, but I kept going.

“I have a feeling that more and more warriors are going to get assigned human mates and are going to want to split us off from the group. There are three alien tribes represented here right now, and there are others out there, maybe looking for some of you even now.”

“Well, that’s terrifying,” somebody said.

“Look, it all seems really weird right now. And it is. But if we want to head this off, and head off future battles like what just happened, we need to come together on this right now. If we all live together in a central location, not tied to any one tribe, we can avoid a lot of bloodshed.”

I turned to Buroudei, pleading.

“And you.” Then I looked at Taliok, and the other warriors, speaking to them in their language. “If you all agreed to move closer together, to move into neutral territory, you could all be near the humans. And no more blood would have to be spilled over who will take us home.”

We had to do this. If we didn’t stake out our territory now, and force the tribes to come together for us, we’d be screwed. Just because Buroudei had said women could refuse their mate didn’t mean that every alien man out there would feel the same. There were tribes I hadn’t even encountered yet, and who knew what they’d be like.

Jeers and complaints ran through the crowd of watching aliens. Buroudei drew me into his side, growling. Taliok turned to the watching men, stepping forward to speak.

“Gahn Irokai is dead. As he died he named me Gahn. It was witnessed by Oxriel.”

A warrior nearby thrashed his tail in agreement.

“In my first act as reigning Gahn, I decree that our people will leave the mountains to reside in neutral territory near the new women.”

Silence fell. I stared, slack-jawed. Out of everyone, this scarred, moody alien was the last one I would have expected to agree to my idea. Buroudei’s arm tightened around my waist.

“I, Gahn Buroudei, I will follow my Gahnala wherever she goes. I decree that we, too, shall stay near them in neutral territory.” Then he turned to the alien with the axe in his neck. “What say you, Gahn Fallo?”

“What’s he saying?” Chapman asked, her eyes never straying from Buroudei.

“They’re agreeing to my idea. They’re agreeing to have us all live together in a neutral place, near to all of them. They’re saying they’ll relocate to live near wherever we are.” Chapman pursed her lips, eyes narrowed.

I took a breath, looking down at the injured Gahn Fallo, then added, “I have a feeling it’s either he agrees, or he dies.”

She spoke immediately. “Tell your boyfriend he agrees.”

I swallowed an exclamation of surprise at the way she spoke so easily for the Gahn at her feet. I wonder what happened while I was gone.

The other women were starting to nod, muttering about how staying together did sound like the best plan.

“We’re all agreed,” I said breathlessly, looking up at Buroudei, not really believing that this was happening. That I’d get to be together with my friends, and my mate, without further battles and bloodshed. There were a lot of details that would need to be worked out, of course, and I had a lot more explaining to do to get the humans up to speed. But this could work. This could really work.

“Where will we settle?” Taliok asked. Buroudei thought for a moment, then spoke with decisive authority.

“The Cliffs of Uruzai. They are neutral territory. They cliffs and valleys offer some shelter from predators, and no one will want to shed blood at such a sacred place.”

Taliok’s tail thumped.

“Then it is done. We will ride back and collect our people. To be clear, our territory will remain ours for hunting, and for any other purposes we see fit. But we will live in the neutral territory to remain near the new women.”

“Yes, it will be the same for our tribe.”

I relayed this information to Chapman, and she nodded impatiently.

“Yes, yes, that’s fine. All good. Are we done here?”

“I guess we are,” I said.

Some of the next details were worked out quickly. It was determined that the other women would stay here for now and help prepare for the move down to the Cliffs of Uruzai. I could tell Taliok did not like this.

I spoke to him in the alien language. “Taliok, you won’t win over your new mate by forcing her from her people tonight. Let us work this out at our pace, and then see what happens. We’ll all be together soon.” I still wasn’t sure who he’d been staring at. But he seemed to take my words to heart, turning and stalking from us without another word, calling orders to his men as they prepared to leave. They collected their fallen Gahn’s body, along with the others, and Buroudei’s men did the same. Gahn Fallo was helped to his limp feet by some of his men, dragged towards what I could only assume was their healers’ tent. I hugged my friends. Knowing I’d be seeing them again so soon was more than I could have hoped for.

I released the other women, returning to Buroudei’s side as he watched Gahn Fallo get pulled away.

“I should tell him I expect that axe back when I see him next,” he muttered. I gripped his hand, rolling my eyes.

“Come on. We need to get back. You need to see Rika.”

He looked down at the wound on his chest, then smiled broadly.

“My mate, this is nothing for a Gahn.”

I hoped he wasn’t exaggerating, but I was still anxious. I pulled at his arm.

“Let’s go.”

We took my saddle from Galok’s irkdu and secured it to Buroudei’s. It felt so good to settle in and lean back against him. At first I didn’t, not wanting to put any weight on his wound, but he’d growled and yanked me to him anyway. When everyone was ready, we began to disperse, heading back the way we’d come.

“You know, your plan helped me tonight,” he said as we headed back.

“Oh?”

“Yes. Gahn Irokai and I never agreed upon what would happen after the battle with Gahn Fallo. I worried that, after that battle, I would face another with his men. I knew about Taliok. I knew he would not let the women go with us easily.”