Page 49 of Valka

Valka woke to a soft hand stroking across his abdomen. He opened his eyes and looked down to find Delia’s silver hair spread out across his chest. He smiled to himself, still surprised every day that he woke to find her still with him and not just a dream he’d had.

He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through her hair. “Like silver,” he said, his voice more gruff than usual from sleep.

“In my world it’s called gray, and it’s a sign of getting old.”

“Delia world stupid.”

Delia laughed.

Valka smiled to himself, loving that he made her laugh. “Rib hurt?” he asked, dropping her hair from his fingers and running them over her side instead.

“Not like before. I’m feeling much better.”

Valka’s chest rumbled in irritation. “Valka kill Skala more.”

“I don’t think you can. Once you kill someone, they’re dead. You can’t do it again. But I like that you wish you could.”

Valka very gently pulled her closer for a hug. “Delia safe.”

“I know. Thank you for that.”

“Delia hungry?!” he asked, completely changing his tone.

“Yes, are you?”

“Valka always hungry,” he said.

Delia sat up slowly, so that Valka could get up, which he did as soon as she was clear of him.

“Valka get egg.”

Delia’s skaevin trilled at him.

“Skaevin hunt eat!” he shouted at the skaevin as he pointed toward the entrance of the cave and away from them.

“He’s hurt,” Delia said, “he can’t hunt.”

“Not hurt,” Valka said.

“Well, he was, and now he’s used to us feeding him.”

Valka grumbled under his breath, but still grabbed a few fish already smoked over the fire and walked nearer to the cave’s entrance, tossing them to the skaevin who caught them before taking flight and leaving them as he did most mornings.

“Bye, George!” Delia called.

“Who George?” Valka asked.

“The skaevin. That’s what I’ve named him.”

“Why?”

“Because when my people exclaim, “By George!” it means, oh my goodness, will you look at that?!, or at least something along those lines. And when anyone sees a skaevin for the first time, they’re certainly shocked and will exclaim at least that. So, I named him ‘Bye George’ so I’m telling him goodbye each time he flies away, but also exclaiming ‘By George!’.”

Valka stood there looking at her as she giggled.

He had no clue what she was talking about, but she seemed delighted with whatever she’d just tried to make him understand, so he forced a laugh. “Ha. Ha.”

Delia really started laughing harder. “Oh, oh, no, don’t make me laugh that hard. My ribs aren’t ready yet,” she said, still laughing and holding her side.