:What IS that?: The voice in his head was his closest friend, another youngling almost the same age as he and the "that" was a strange metal cylinder with outcroppings from each side and one end. Zah-Hane was unsure WHAT it was, but he was curious about the sounds coming from the interior. Shrugging in his leather coat, his white hair falling about his face and blowing in his amber eyes…eyes with a pupil up and down. For Zah-Hane was not a human…indeed, he and his kind, called the Wraith, FED on those creatures who deemed themselves humans.

:I do not know what it is…but do you hear that?: like his companion, he sent the thought telepathically, in the manner of his kind.

:Who could NOT hear it? It sounds like an animal dying….even the Queen could hear it, if she wasn't so lost in her own grief: Both minds were flooded by pain as they remembered the loss of the little She-Wraith their Queen had brought forth only a few weeks before. Huffing, Zah-Hane moved aside some of the metal that was obvious wreckage to find the source for the sounds, just as Toh-Poar said,

:Leave it….whatever is in there is dead…can't you smell it?:

:I smell the death but there is SOMETHING in there and it's not dead: Huffing in impatience, Toh-Poar turned and stalked a bit away, sitting on a tree trunk to wait for him, as Zah-Hane worked his way deeper into the wreckage. Whatever this machine was, it was obviously a sky flying machine, and he remembered some of the humans in the village near the Hive talking about a flying machine coming through the Ring. Could this be what they had seen? Finally making his way to the interior, Zah-Hane wrinkled his nose, huffing in disgust at the smell of decomposing remains. His senses, thousands of times more sensitive than any humans, were severely aggravated by it. Just as he was deciding to give up and leave, he heard that sound again. Casting his eyes around, he saw something move next to the body of what was once a human female what a plastic box in which lay a small human child. He could smell, over the decomposition, the smell of human waste as well as the weakness of the child, and he considered leaving, when he felt the mental touch. Casting his mind around, he knew this was NOT one of his brothers or another Wraith…it was weak, but firm as it touched his shields, and breached them. Shocked, Zah-Hane moved to the plastic box and gazed at the child who, at such a young age, had enough mental ability to actually breach his mental shields. He drew his knife, not sure if he was going to kill the child or cut her, for it WAS a female, there was no doubt to that, loose. Eventually, he cut her free and picked her up, blankets, book and all. Keeping her firmly against his chest, despite the stench from her, he carefully made his way out of the wreckage.

:Finally…can we return to the…what is THAT?: Toh-Poar glared at the child in his friends arms and said, verbally, "You can't mean to keep it? It's weak, I can smell death on it already…" Glaring at him, Zah-Hane said, telepathically,

:She has a powerful mind and I believe that the First Commander should make the decision as to what to do with her…:

:She's HUMAN….for….: at that point the child obviously turned her attention to him and Toh-Poar was rendered speechless as this tiny, smelly infant moved PAST his shields as though they were not there and entered his mind. Staring at her in shock, Toh-Poar said nothing as Zah-Hane said,

:You see? We will bring her to the first commander…if the humans are developing telepathy, then we need to let the Commander and Queen know…:

:Can we at least CLEAN it first? It REEKS!: Zah-Hare glared at Toh-Poar,

:It is very young, and has soiled itself….do you have an extra covering for it? I thought not….we will have the worshipper clean it while we inform the First Commander about it….her. About her.:

:You're carrying it…her.: Zah-Hare shook his head and huffed in annoyance, with a low growl, then paused, because the infant gave him a nearly toothless smile and coo'd. Cocking his head to one side, he began to make the rhythmic thrumming sound that was usually reserved for moments of intense relaxation, or calming times. The infant coo'd again and snuggled her head up against his throat.

Once back at the Hive, Zah-Hare prepared to hand the child over to a worshipper, but before he could, he was surprised by the verbal voice of his Queen as she said,

"What is THAT?:

Both Zah-Hare and Toh-Poar dropped to one knee and bowed their heads, showing deference and respect. A Wraith Queen at the best of times was unpredictable and dangerous…a Wraith Queen mourning her child had the potential to be deadly.

:It is a human child, My Queen…we found her in the wreckage of a human aircraft.: Perhaps things might have ended there, with the Queen allowing herself to sink back into her mourning, but for one action of the small child. She reached out and attempted to breach the Queen's shields as she had the males. Both males froze, as the Queen frowned and said, almost to herself,

"I have never seen that much mental ability in such a small child….", the child, meanwhile, apparently not used to being rebuffed, scrunched up her tiny face and began to howl. The males winced, though tiny, the child's lungs were very well developed and she was making good use of them, in a place where the inhabitants senses were much higher than any humans. Zah-Hare glanced up at the Queen's face, expecting her to be as irritated as he was, but instead, there was a half smile on the Queen's face as she observed the small child who was making such a loud noise,

:She is remarkably strong…though obviously in need of a cleaning. Give her to me….", Zah-Hare hesitated for a fraction of a moment, almost no one would have noticed it was such a slight hesitation, but the Queen was not a typical male Wraith. She narrowed her eyes at Zah-Hare and frowned as she held her hands out, demanding his unquestioning obedience. Zah-Hare handed the child over, expecting his Queen to kill the howling child. Instead, she reached held the child, gazing into her red face and smiled. The child stopped howling, and the change was nothing short of miraculous, from face screwed, eyes shut, fury in every line of her face and body, the child relaxed, eyes open and following the Queen's face as she gave an open mouthed smile. Wordlessly, the Queen reached up and released a catch at her shoulder, allowing her to place the child at her breast. Without hesitation the child latched on and began nursing hungrily, and the expression on the Queen's face was something that Zah-Hane had never seen before. Indescribably, but incredibly moving, despite the danger, the young Wraith was unable to turn from the expression on his Queen's face. Zah-Hane knew he would spend the long millennia of his life seeking to see that expression once more.

:Look down, before she realizes you're watching her, young Wraith. She is at this moment happy, but her moods are never less stable…and anger is close to the surface:, Zah-Hane looked past his Queen at the First Commander, her mate on this Hive. Quickly lowering his eyes, he sent waves of apology to the First Commander, who responded with amused acceptance and the final words, :Experience is a wondrous teacher, young one….if it doesn't kill you.:

The First Commander stepped up to his Queen and spoke to her, mind to mind,

:I see you've found something…what do you mean to do with he….: his words were shut off as he felt his mind violated by the irritated thoughts of the feeding child, who obviously wished to NOT be disturbed. Eyes wide, he hesitated, unable to know what to say. The Queen smiled, and said,

:Feel how powerful she is , Toh-Mas…have you ever felt such power in one so young?: Toh-Mas shook his head,

:Never, My Queen…not even in a wraith child of a similar age….or an adult human. What is the cause of this?: The Queen shrugged and turned, obviously having forgotten about the two Wraith who had found the child. As she walked slowly toward the Queen's Chambers, smiling at the child who nursed at her breast she said,

:I have no idea, Toh-Mas…nor does it matter. I intend to keep this child as my own…: She raised her eyes from the child to glare at her First Commander, as though daring him to argue. He never even considered it, instead, he allowed his joy over her happiness to shine through as he said,

:Of course My Queen….she is a powerful child, and I am glad to see you are interested in her.:

The Queen entered her quarters and lowered her gaze to the child again and noticed that the child's green eyes were wide opened and the child was gazing at her, she reached for the child's mind and felt the connection forming between them. Soothing the child, the Queen thought to her,

:Hush little one….I am here now. You are safe and will never want for anything ever again. My little foundling….I shall call you Kelia, after a great warrior of the Wraith. Someday I will tell you the story of the first Kelia….but for now, I believe a bath and a some fresh clothes are in order.: She slid a finger into the infant's mouth, breaking the suction and removed her from her breast. Kelia was not happy about this situation and screwed up her face, preparing once more to verbalize her displeasure. Laughing, the Queen used the connection to interrupt Kelia's concentration and brought her attention to her face. Kelia found the Queen's hair and began grasping it in her tiny hands as the Queen summoned the worshippers to draw a bath for the child.

Bathed, in clean clothes and with a fresh diaper on, as well as the small injuries that were found treated, the Queen once more gathered the child up to her and moved to sit on her throne. Undoing the other side of her dress she raised the child to her breast and smiled as the child latched on and began to nurse once more. As the Queen and the child gazed into each other's eyes, the First Commander watched, quietly. The bond that had started once the child had begun to feed, was being cemented by the continued contact, both physically, mentally and through the eye contact as they were lost in each other's eyes. He had some concerns with his Queen adopting this human child but the child's strength of mind made him wonder. He never doubted his Queen's ability to be cunning and manipulative, even in the face of her almost overwhelming grief at the loss of their child. His own grief welled up, but he fought it down. Losing a child was not unknown among his kind, nor even to himself. He's lost children before, and most likely would again. He wasn't ready to accept this human child as his own, no matter how powerful she was; but if this child brought a smile to the face of his mate and made his Hive a better place, then he was willing to see it through.