“Hi, Tumoro,” she said, feeling a little cautious. She didn’t know him very well. They had chatted a few times when she’d eaten at Nelsha’s place, but nothing more. As the youngest son of the sixth matriarch, he was one of the lower-status males in his family. That meant he was always at the restaurant at odd times. Occasionally that would be the same time she was there.
“Are you on an assignment?” he asked, stepping closer. “Is there anything I can help with? I’ll do any task!”
The desperation came out in every word. She noticed his fur looked a little unkempt and he was thinner than the last time she’d seen him. She had a sinking feeling she knew what was going on.
“Did you get shunned?” she asked gently.
He hung his head in shame. “I was shunned by association.”
“What does that mean?” Zeph asked.
Han looked up at him. “If an Ugarian family has decided you’ve acted badly, you get shunned. They basically cut you off, usually for a specific period of time. When you’re shunned by association, they decide you’re guilty because you aided someone who did something the family didn’t approve of. Different name, same result.”
She looked back at Tumoro. “What’d you do?”
“I helped Zeeva marry into a family that none of the matriarchs approve of,” he said. “They’re worried that there aren’t enough males in the family to care for her properly. I’m not allowed to come back to the family until I bring her back. But she’s so happy I know that won’t happen.”
“Oh, Tumoro! I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling bad for the young Ugarian. Helping his sister marry meant he was suffering. Ugarians didn’t own anything individually. Everything was communal, so when he was shunned Tumoro didn’t even have a spare set of clothes.
Zeph sounded a worried rumble. “Can your sister's new family take you in?”
Han shook her head. “There’s strict taboos about bringing siblings into a family. Even if they adopted him as a son, his sister would be one of his matriarchs and that’s not considered acceptable.”
He sounded so sad that Han was about to offer him way too much wealth to run some simple errands when Zeph spoke up.
“Do you want to come with us?” Zeph asked. “I can’t pay you, but I can make sure you’re safe and fed.”
Han had already come to like and lust after Zeph. It was at that moment that she fell in love with him.
Zeph
He wasn’t sure what prompted him to make the rash offer to the Ugarian, but when Han looked up at him with a joyous expression, he knew it was the right thing to have done.
“I accept the job!” Tumoro said, his ears standing straight up for the first time since they’d met.
“I can’t pay you,” he reminded Tumoro.
He stood tall. “I accept food and shelter as payment. I’ll work very hard and never take more than my share. Maybe someday you can accept me as family.”
“You probably won't need a family,” Han said. “I’m sure your sister will get you into her new lineage. Or your family will declare the shunning over.”
Tumoro deflated a little. “Doubtful.”
Han reached out to touch Tumoro’s arm. “I’m sorry. It’s a bad situation, but you’ve got us now.”
Tumoro’s eyes jumped from her to Zeph. “Yes! I can do anything.”
She told him the shops she wanted him to pick up their orders from to bring back to the ship. “You should rent a cart to carry everything for you. Have them charge it to our dock number.”
“I can carry all of it; we don’t have to pay extra for a cart,” he objected.
Han sighed but didn’t argue. Zeph could understand the youth’s eagerness to show his value to them. Despite never having anyone close to him before meeting Han, he couldn’t imagine life without her. Even if she never kissed or touched him again, he’d always long to be close to her. Losing her would make his life colorless. Pointless.
If what Tumoro was feeling was even half that, it’s amazing the young Ugarian could still function.
“At least we don’t need you to pick up anything delicate,” Han said with an indulgent smile. “I’ll put the order in for medsupplies first, then you can pick up the food pack from Filso’s shop.”
“I bet I can get a good deal from Filso,” Tumoro said, his body practically vibrating with eagerness. “What slip is your ship in?”
