~ Dancing The Stars ~

by

*lizzie starr

So, now what? Irisa sat, with her knees pulled up to her chin, separated from a nearly naked, purple-haired man by a small blue-white flame. She closed her eyes. At least warmth was flowing back into her numb fingers and toes, along with stinging pain. Her eyes opened to an intense, cobalt blue gaze. Warmth spread through her more quickly, tingling around her heart. Was this some strange, off-planet virus?

The alien--no, she corrected herself, this was his planet, and she was the stranger. This man, purple hair and all, was the most alluring specimen she had even seen.

After inviting her into the lean-to, he’d said nothing more, only busied himself throwing some berries into a pot simmering over the small fire. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and nodded. The rising steam did smell good, almost like hot chocolate.

He reached into a leather bag at his feet and pulled out a small square of material. Taking a second tiny pot from the edge of the fire, he poured clear water onto the cloth and tested the wet material against his thigh. "Use this to wash the wounds on your hands."

Irisa looked at her palms. Although warm and stinging, she had forgotten the bloody scrapes. With a smile of thanks, she took the wet cloth and dabbed gingerly at her palms. The man’s exasperated sigh drew her gaze back to his face. He shook his head and leaned around the fire to take the cloth. Cradling one of her hands in his, he rubbed briskly, and grasped her hand tighter when she tried to wince away.

"If you do not clean it properly, the scrapes may become infected."

"But it hurts."

He gave her hand a close look and scrubbed over one area again before letting her fingers escape his grasp. Irisa kept her hand close to her belly. The palm ached, but the back of her hand, where it had pressed against his skin, tingled. It was such a strange, incredible feeling. The tingling spread up her arm and into her chest; her breasts felt heavy.

"The other hand, please."

"What?" Startled, Irisa glanced at the dried blood streaked across her second palm. "Oh. Be careful."

The man nodded, and did seem to clean the scrapes more gently. After dropping the cloth in the water, he reached back into the bag and removed a small tube. Gentle strokes soothed a clear ointment over the scrapes. When he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers indicating he wanted to treat the other palm, Irisa bit at her lower lip. The doctoring was driving her insides crazy. Afraid of the unusual feelings, she never wanted them to stop.

Apparently satisfied with his handiwork, the man returned to his place and glanced into the steaming pot. He poured some of the liquid into a heavy mug and held it out to her. To hide her disappointment at the abrupt ending of the pleasant touch, Irisa glanced toward the leafy stem he’d pulled the berries from. "Uh, no thanks. I was told not to eat any of the local plants in case they’re poisonous."

Thick, purple eyebrows lifted. "These berries are not dangerous to your people." He gestured with the mug and lifted a second mug in salute. "Drink."

She shrugged, wrapped her fingers around the mug and took a close look at the amber liquid. If nothing else, the cup was wonderfully warm and the smell comforted her.

Irisa took a careful sip and let the hot liquid swirl around her tongue before she swallowed. The taste was even more like chocolate than the smell hinted at. "It’s very good." He drank as well, cobalt eyes sparkling as he watched her over the edge of his mug.

Lowering her mug to her lap, she touched her chest with one hand. "I’m Irisa."

He repeated the gesture with a slight bow. "Niallan."

Irisa leaned to one side to watch the tawny animal lying before the opening of the lean-to. Blowing snow drifted against its side. A compassionate shiver traveled along Irisa’s spine. "Won’t it freeze?"

The braid curved across his chest when Niallan turned his head. "No. She protects herself from the cold as she protects this shelter."

"How can she do that?" Irisa chewed on her lower lip and a thrill of discovery trembled in her chest. Had they found a world where magic was the norm? Was it possible? How much would this strange man tell her? "I wondered how it could be so warm when there are so many holes in the wall."

"It is a survival skill."

Not much of an answer. Irisa fought to curb her curiosity. Perhaps when he got to know her, he would be more likely to answer questions. Irisa relaxed, comfortable and at ease with Niallan. Normally, when near any man, either her tongue tripped over itself or she became so clumsy she wasn’t safe to be around. She sighed. It would be so easy to become accustomed to this feeling, but it wouldn’t last. Closing her eyes, Irisa vowed to enjoy it as long as possible and took another sip of the warm drink.

"You are far from the camp of your scientists."

Irisa set the mug on the ground. Her fingers cooled instantly and she rubbed them in an effort to retain some of the warmth. "I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for the snow." She pointed out the front of the lean-to. "She herded me here."

"Herded? I don’t understand."

"I mean, she led me here. Made me come in this direction. Does your planet always have such swift changes in weather?"

The tips of his ears flushed red and he ducked his head. "This is not my planet; however, the weather has been warm and pleasant. I, umm, was thinking of my home. It’s the time of our winter celebration. Often it snows at that time."

"Why would it snow here then?"

Niallan glanced at the cat-animal. "My companion sensed my wish to be home and somehow created the weather. I did not wish to face the peace of this night alone, so she brought you to me. I regret how it may have inconvenienced you."

"You must be kidding."

"I am not a child."

What was he talking about? Irisa squinted then rolled her eyes and chuckled when she realized the miscommunication. "No, I mean you must be joking."

A deep line appeared between his eyes. "I do not jest." A shy grin made one side of his mouth twitch. "Not about this. The companion and I are bonded. She provides for many of my wishes."

"Does ‘she’ have a name?"

Niallan shook his head. Fascinated by the play of light on the loose braid that slipped over his shoulder to caress a well-defined pectoral muscle, Irisa made a non-committal noise. His grin grew wider. "Not that she has told me."

Irritation grew to anger in Irisa’s chest. Just like every other man, he was toying with her. She refused to be manipulated by anybody, including nearly naked men who thought giant cats with no names changed the weather. If she was standing, she’d stomp her foot. "Well, tell her to change it back. I need to get to camp. The others will worry about me." Maybe.

His rueful shrug softened her anger. "I can’t control what desires she deems important to grant. It may well be morning before you are able to leave."

Irisa sighed. This would be a remarkable chance for her to learn about an alien culture, even if it didn’t belong on the planet she was supposed to be studying. She flashed Niallan a huge smile. "You said it’s time for your winter celebration?"

Niallan nodded. "It is a time of great joy, a celebration of family and togetherness." His voice grew strained and gruff. "It’s difficult to be away at this time."

"Then why are you here?"

A faint red tinge crept over his tanned cheeks. He stared deeply into the cup in his hands. "I failed my last mission and was detected by a planet’s natural inhabitants. I was careless. I have chosen isolation to cleanse myself of the failure."

"Are you a spy?" Visions of her favorite action movies ran through her head. She swallowed heavily. Those vid heroes had nothing on him. Tearing her gaze from the fascinating rise and fall of his wide chest, she glanced at his bowed head. He didn’t lift his eyes and Irisa was glad he couldn’t see the heat rising in her own face.

"I am a primitive survival skills instructor. Occasionally we test new planets as possible training areas. The inhabitants should never know of our presence."

Niallan rubbed the back of his neck before looking at her. Sadness pulled his lips downward and his eyes were dull with grief. "I neglected a basic procedure and was discovered."

Irisa leaned forward eagerly. "What happened?"