Ancient cities and the need to hunt give Nik a few clients who are out of this world.

Niika has a love for the land that goes bone deep. Even damaged by an old injury, she seeks out prey in the form of plants, animals and missing persons. Nik’s life revolves around her taking groups on tours of the wild and teaching them to live off the land that offers so much. Taking a group of aliens is a definite first.

The Nine need fresh supplies if they are to remain as a defense and an assisting partner to the people of Gaia. They also wish to know where their own people used to live and how. Cavos is a historian in search of the city of the Stone Folk, and he is quite surprised to find his mind turning from the past to the future when he meets the Gaian huntress who is leading him to his heart’s desire.

Excerpt:

They were scuffed, they were grubby and they were ragged, but her group of survival-training enthusiasts were alive and very glad to return to their homes.

Niika dropped them off at the outfitting station and headed for the com station to get her messages.

Her eyes widened as she heard, “Sorry you missed it, Niika, but I was sort of in a hurry.”

Emharo was framed in the screen and smiling brightly. “Yes, Nik, I have gotten married to a member of the Nine. Rivvin is one of the Water Folk, and he is as crazy about the ocean as I am. Come by the habitat, and Mom and Dad will fill you in. I knew you would be gone a while and you wouldn’t begrudge me this, but I want you to meet him as soon as you can get some free time. Love you, Nik.”

Niika sat through the notices from her aunt and uncle, as well as a greeting from a male with a decidedly green tint.

“Greetings, Niika Baker. I am Rivvin Sequelar, and your cousin Emharo and I have become mates. Know that I will take good care of her when she needs it and get the hell out of her way when she doesn’t.” His smile said that he had already experienced that particular phenomenon at least once.

Niika chuckled.

“I look forward to meeting you. My wife says that you do on the land what she does in the ocean, and those are skills that are in desperate need at the moment. Ambassador Leoraki is assembling a gathering of those who wish to learn more of the wild, and he will be requesting that you lead them in their education. From what Emharo has said about you, there is no one better on all of Gaia.”

She blushed and looked from side to side to see if anyone was paying attention to the praise she was getting from her cousin’s new alien husband.

“Contact the ambassador or his wife when you are able, and they will have your next course ready to go. Again, I look forward to meeting you. Emharo speaks of you every day. She misses you.”

Niika swallowed. She missed Em as well. It was part and parcel of the residue of the Tokkel attacks that kept her moving through the woods, learning and seeking out whatever random idea sprang through her mind. She had sought out minerals, rare plants, animals that no Gaian had imagined, and she had done it all for the sheer joy of movement and life.

After all, she had almost lost everything with that one blast to the spine.