TirzahsAllure Read Online Free Page B

riverbank. She didn’t stop, not for hours, not until she came to a fork in the river and had to decide which one to choose, which way to run. Follow the river—that was her goal. She turned toward the direction she judged, took the right fork, and ran for a while. Beside her, the river became wider.
    The sounds of the forest didn’t scare her. She was used to them. She ran into one of the black animals that resembled her only once. It was half her size and afraid of the big white cat. The black cat growled at her, wrinkled its nose and hissed, then slunk into the forest. She continued her journey until dawn broke.
    It was time to take to the forest and hide in case the savages were on the hunt. It was also time to rest. She was sure she was far beyond the boundary now. If they sent a search party out looking for her, they’d just be leaving. That was if anyone even noticed she was gone. It could take all day before her mother realized she was absent. She made herself comfortable on a branch, took on its color, and closed her eyes.
    Where will this lead me? What will I find at the end of the river? She dozed off, but was awakened constantly by the small furry creatures swinging through the trees and had human-like behavior, but they weren’t human. She’d seen some much larger ones, a different species, and had studied their behavior many times. They all had hands and feet like humans although shaped slightly differently, with one less finger on each hand, and they used their toes as if they were hands. They often walked upright, had breasts to feed their young and used their fingers to pluck insects off each other’s bodies. The very small ones were quite friendly and playful. Right then she wished they’d leave her alone and give their curiosity a break. Surely, they slept sometimes. She sorely needed rest. Finally, she snarled at them. It caused them to scatter and scurry to wherever they called refuge. She could doze off at last, but her keen ears were always on the alert, even while she slept.
    * * * *
    The river seemed endless. Each day it got a little wider, and she had to choose a direction at several forks. Tirzah had traveled for five nights before she came upon a village. It was near the river’s edge and consisted of several small houses built from what looked like dried mud, tree trunks, and branches. The houses were high off the ground. Dawn hadn’t broken yet, so she hid in the thick shrubbery surrounding the village and waited. When daylight broke, she saw more bronze colored villagers, but these looked more civilized than the ones they’d observed at home.
    They wore some form of garments, their hair was cut short and they went about in an orderly manner. Before long, children came running out of a couple of dwellings. They played in the shade beneath the houses. Some ran to the water’s edge where Tirzah saw boats . I was right . There are more advanced humans. Why didn’t my people ever explore further? Should I approach these people or continue? They didn’t look savage but were far from technologically advanced. They were still what she would call primitives.
    She decided not to make contact but to observe them for the day and continue her journey that night. She climbed the tree behind her and lay on a branch. While she studied the villagers, her mind wandered off. If only she could find people who could help them. Wouldn’t it be something if she came home with news that there was an advanced settlement on this planet with inhabitants who could take them into space—people who could help them get back to their home planet? No, she recalled sadly, their planet had been destroyed. But their people had surely found a nearby planet to settle on?
    A mate.
    She really needed a mate. The hunger within her grew every day and she desperately needed satisfaction, both as cat and as a human. She’d seen the love her parents bore each other, their loving caresses and deep caring, and she wanted just