The Test
	The wind whistled through the trees as the clop, clop, clop of the horse’s hooves echoed through the woods. Only the horse’s hooves and the bird song pierced the silence of the forest. Enjoying the peace, Sandra sat upon her steed with a confidence that belayed her youth. Her blond hair laid across her white t-shirt like a river of gold that tapered down to brush the leather belt on her blue jeans. Tying her long hair back, she urged the beast on and quickened the pace toward the small, lonely cabin she called home.
	As she rode closer to the edge of the forest, the birds quieted and silence reigned. Wary of the sudden lack of noise and the nervous movements of the horse beneath her, she reached into the long holster attached to the saddle and pulled out a rifle. As she was all by herself, she took no chances. It could just be a wolf or a bobcat, but it also could be something far more dangerous. A cougar, or worse, a poacher. Again urging her steed on, she carefully entered the small clearing not far from her cabin.
	At first, nothing seemed amiss, then, out of the corner of her eye, movement caught her attention. Quickly, she turned. There, in the shadows, was a man. She raised her rifle. “Okay, you! Come out of there!” She shouted. The man stumbled out of the shadows. Looking up, his violet eyes met her brown ones. He stumbled forward and fell bonelessly to the ground.
	Startled both by the color of his eyes and by his sudden collapse, Sandra leapt off her horse and ran to his side. Face down, he seemed uninjured, though undernourished. She tried to turn him over, not expecting much of a response from her weak shoves. Instead of the massive effort she expected it would take to turn him, a small shove flipped him over completely. Startled once again, but concerned for his health, she tried to ascertain the reason for his collapse. His face was untouched except for a shadow of pain. She brushed his long black hair back to check for head injuries. She gasped. He had no ears. 
Shocked and unnerved, she looked closer. There, where ears would be, were just small holes, almost invisible. Shuddering, she continued her examination. Lifting the long sleeves of his simple brown tunic, she hissed in pain and horror. His wrists were mangled and bleeding. At least, she guessed that the orange liquid was blood. She leapt up and grabbed the first aid kit out of the horses pack. She snatched out the antibiotic ointment and gauze. Sandra glanced at the pain medication, but decided it could do more harm than good. Gently she applied the ointment and wrapped his wrists. The damage seemed recent, but the man’s collapse was evidence of massive blood loss. Continuing her search for wounds, she lifted his shirt. No damage was evident, but a glimpse of dark orange caught her eye. Gently, she turned him on his side and examined his back. Ragged orange stripes oozed dark orange blood down the unmarked parts of his torso. She hissed in pain and patched up the cuts as best she could. As she was finishing, she noticed a burn mark on the back of his neck. Perfectly circular, it contrasted oddly with the pale orange of his skin. 
	Sandra laid him back down and began to think out loud. “I can’t leave him out here.” She said. “In his condition he wouldn’t last the night. I’ll have to take him home.” Sandra turned and led the horse over to the man’s side. Docilely, the horse ate the grass around his head. “How am I going to get a six foot man on to this horse?” She asked incredulously. Never one to give up, she decided to try the impossible. She bent down, slid one arm under his neck, slid the other arm under his knees, and stood up. Amazed, she looked down at the impossibly light man. He was at least six feet tall, but he felt no heaver than sixty pounds. She positioned him across the horse’s back and held him steady. Sandra swung her leg over and guided the horse, at a gentle pace, toward home. Orange eyes watched as the horse, the girl, and the alien disappeared into the forest.
	Carrying him into the house was no small effort, but somehow she heaved him onto the tiny cot that served as her bed. She filled a pot with water and set it on the stove. Soon the warming aroma of noodle soup permeated the cabin. Sandra dished out a small bowl and grabbed a spoon. As she waved smelling salts under his nose, his eyes fluttered open. Sandra stood over him and smiled gently. “Are you okay?” She asked. The man just stared. She offered him a spoon full of soup. The man sniffed suspiciously. Sandra gestured towards her lips. He took a sip. After he had eaten his fill, he laid back down. “My name is Sandra.” She said. “What’s your name?” He just stared. She pointed to herself. “Sandra.” She said. She pointed at him. The man frowned and whistled “Braoin.” Sandra smiled. “Hello, Braoin. It’s nice to meet you.” She said calmly. Braoin smiled at the tone, obviously not understanding a word she said.
	Silence stretched and was broken by an unusual sound. Like the humming of a hive of bees and the vibrations of a harp, the sound wavered and faded. Curious, Sandra moved toward the window. Glancing back to check on Braoin, she stopped short. Fear, dread, and the memory of pain mixed in a palette of orange and purple on his expressive face. The fear was palatable, and Sandra rushed to his side. She grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. Hopelessness radiated from Braoin and sucked the warmth from her hands. Pounding at the door startled her. Once, twice, three times. The door flew open, hinges warped. Three men sauntered in. Their cold orange eyes scanned the room and came to rest on Braoin and the girl. “Skyralik tiauk!” The tallest purple man shouted. Quaking with despair, Braoin rose to stand beside Sandra. Waving his gun, the tall alien gestured toward the door. Reluctantly, Braoin shuffled towards it. “No!” Sandra shouted. “You can’t have him!” She shoved Braoin behind her. Frowning, the tallest alien aimed his gun at Sandra and commanded “Skynax.” Braoin tried to move past Sandra, but she shoved him back again. Surprised, the tall purple man smirked and fired.
	“Unusual species.” The tall purple alien said. “Didn’t even speak her language, and still she stood up for him. She even attempted to heal him. Very spirited and overly protective. This one would take too many resources. Onto the next planet!”