Chapter 2

"Kantra, Dachande, get your lazy butts out of those hammocks before I tip them out!" Guan yelled as she tried to stir her sister and friend.

"Urgh."

"Five more minuets sis."

"No more minuets, up-and-at-em now!" Guan kicked the wooden post holding the end of Dachande's hammock, and the top of Kantra's up. This made the hammocks twist and dumped them both on the floor.

"Ouch…" Kantra groaned, but Dachande resorted to her usual act in a morning. Whining.

"But Guan that isn't fair! You can't just."

"I think you'll find I just did and get your robes on. We need to get a shower before everyone else does.

"Grrrr!"

"I love you to." Guan smirked as her sister pouted, but did as she was told. "You too Kantra, up and robed."

"Already ready." Kantra tied the robe and had her towel over her shoulder. Why whine, when it's quicker to just get on with it?

All three girls tip toed down the corridor, as to not wake the others and took a shower in the shower room. They were quick and tied their hair or dreadlocks back. Guan tied hers in a plat, Dachande a low pony tail and Kantra had her hair in a bun. They returned to their rooms, pulled on their uniform (which was the blue halter neck bikini top and hanging cloth set from the day before), and waited outside the office. About an hour later, all the other servants, or as Paya liked to call them, staff, were all waiting outside the office. Paya walked down to the hall, unlocked her office and entered it. When she came back, she had a list in her hands.

"Good Morning Staff."

"Morning Mistress." They all groaned, still groggy from sleep.

"Well now, let's get right down to business. I have the schedule for the day right here. Boys from wings A to B are on cooking as usual, C to D are on training ground supervision and activities." The males from C and D groaned. That meant they had to 'entertain' the little pups for hours until they ran out of energy. Which would be all day. Whoopee… "And E and F will scrub the floors 1 through 6, and then swap duties with wings C and D after eating hours." Even louder groans came from that one. "Now for my girls. A to B will assist in the Kitchens, as usual, and C to D will clean the 5 living levels, or room service, during active hours. Until then, clean the floors on those levels. And wings E and F will clean the Baths and saunas, steam rooms and massage rooms. Hop to it and have fun." Paya entered her office to get through the accounts. The Hunter's rest was a business after all. And all businesses had to have their finance in order.

"Great. We are on tub duty. Yuk!" Dachande cringed as she followed the rest of her wing to the Heat and Sooth levels. Once there, they would flip a coin to see which wing got which level. "Please don't let us get the tubs. Not the tubs!" the baths were always filled with the dirt and grime from too many hunts, and smelt rank.

"We will get the tubs now, just you wait and see, just because you've asked for us not to have them, we will. You've jinxed it." Guan teased her sister, like only an older sister could, and followed Kantra. Once on the Heat level, they all stood at the stairs to the Sooth level, just encase.

"Alright, time to flip for it." one of the more butch girls from the other wing, pulled out a fair coin and flipped it. She immediately covered it and looked to Kantra, as always. "Queen, or Arbitrator?"

"…Arbitrator…"

"Ha! It's a Queen. We win and you get the tubs." Guan scowled playfully at her sister.

"Told you so."

"Don't start that again."

"Start what?"

"Start that."

"Start what?"

"Start that."

"What?"

"That."

"What?"

"THAT!"

"Please, please. Calm down." Kantra had to step between them to stop Dachande from scratching Guan's eyes out. "Come on you two. If the guests wake up because of your shouting, at 3 o'clock in the morning, again, then you know Paya will not be all too pleased."

"Your right." Dachande stuck her tongue out.

"But she started it!"

"Just get a bucket and pick a tub will you?"

"Sure, why not. Not like we're going to do anything else today." Guan took a bucket from the cupboard and walked into a tub room. Dachande another and Kantra the next. They filled the bath with boiling water and scrubbed with brushes, sponges and soap. Hours later, after the first layer of grime came off, Guan was out of soap. She came out and peeped into Kantra's tub room. "Kantra, I'm out of soup and this stuff isn't coming off. I think I got the momma and papa of all sweat collectors, not a tub."

"Very funny. And I can't lend you any. I'm running out myself."

"Never mind. I'll just have to get some from the supply cupboard downstairs."

"You could just ask Dachande."

"Not after the way I bugged her this morning. See ya."

"You will learn." Kantra chuckled and went back to her work.

Guan however, made her way into the lobby, after dowsing herself down. You couldn't just walk into the main welcoming hall, covered in dirt and muck. After she was clean, she walked past reception and towards the cupboard. But a man waiting at reception grabbed her arm and made her look at him.

"Excuse me. But where is the Grand Mistress? I told her I would be returning soon, but she appears to be busy."

"I beg your pardon, but the Grand mistress handles guests. I don't."

"Never mind I just need to see her. It is important. You see, I need to instruct her in certain protocols. If she can meet them, then we can consider coming here. If not, then not." Guan gasped as she saw the meanest looking dagger on his waist belt. It had a leather black handle and an acid proof, silver flame like blade.

"You're a Cor'ja…" He pulled on her arm tighter and made her look at him again.

"Yes I am, and I need to see you're mistress."

"I am here Thwei. Leave her alone." Paya got a good impression from this lad the day before, but now he was giving her, alternate thoughts.

"At last. And you wait there." He ordered her and turned back to Paya. "I have a list here. If you can meet these then please, tell me now so that I may inform my Elders."

"You mean Cetanu."

"My My. You certainly have a lot of guts there." He turned to Guan and took her wrist. "To speak his name so willingly, and without fear of punishment." She gasped and tried to pull her wrist back, to no avail. "Not very strong are you. Or smart. I am not a push over; after all, I am a Cor'ja."

"And if you will show me reason good sir." She placed her hand over his wrist and took just as tight a hold on him. "I may surprise you. Now release my wrist, before I break yours." Guan whispered into his ear, and didn't expect to see a grin.

"You're gutsy." He clattered.

"I'm Guan."

"Night. I am Thwei, my name means Blood."

"Fitting as it appears that too much of your own name is going to your head."

"What a tongue you have on you Miss Night."

"Don't give me a pet name, or I will give you one. And it will have the word blood in it." Guan spat and Thwei simply clattered loudly. At first Paya was worried about how Thwei was treating Guan, but now it was just obvious. Thwei liked Guan, he was, in his own way, flirting with her. Guan only thought he was being rude.

"I hope you will personally be taking care of me while I stay here."

"With your best state at heart, I hope not. Now release my hand." Thwei chuckled and threw the paper at Paya. She read it and saw only one condition. Everyone else had to leave. She had guessed at much.

"I can meet these terms."

"Good. And I will be staying too…does this place do massages?"

"Well they."

"No mistress, I was asking Guan." He smirked at her, loving the vicious scowl she gave him.

"Yes, sire." She seethed, her lower mandibles twitching.

"Do you give massages?"

"…yes."

"Then I look forward to seeing you, as I will ask for you, personally." He chuckled and finally released her arm. "My Elders will have a good review of this place. If they agree, this place needs to be empty before the end of the week." He looked Guan up and down again, who was still scowling. "I look forward to seeing you again, Guan. Miss Lady of the Night." She hissed and raised her hand to hit him, but Paya shuck her head. They both watched as he left, smug with himself and with an excellent review in mind.

"If I ever see that man again!" Guan seethed and clenched her fists.

"Then you will treat him with respect." Paya corrected and placed her hand on Guan's shoulder. "Now my child, why are you not on the upper levels?"

"I came down for some soap…and got abuse…"

"Think not of him. You may never see him again."

"True. I hope not. And as I said, I ran out of soap."

"Here, I have a tray of soap behind reception. Take it and return to your chores young one."

"I will. Thank you Mistress." She bowed her head respectively and reached behind the front table. With the tray in both hands, she bowed again, before leaving to the sooth level. Guan found Kantra just leaving her tub room. "Got some more soap. Need any?"

"Yes, but I have finished this tub."

"What!" Guan almost dropped the tray. "But that was a super tub. It took me hours to scrub the first layer of muck from a single bath. Yours was built for 3! How did you finish it so quickly?"

"She always finishes her work before everyone else." Dachande chirped and took a bar of soap from the tray. "She is super Kantra, master, of the mop! Speaking of which…" a mischievous twinkle grew in her eyes and she ushered the entire wing closer. "C and A have nominated their reps for the games next week. And F and B are on for tomorrow."

"You'll be playing for us again right?" Guan looked to Kantra, along with every other member of the F wing.

"Well…I did it the last 3 times." Kantra raised her hands and looked to the next tub in need of her TLC.

"Oh no you don't. We never win unless you play. Please Kantra, please!" Dachande dropped to her knees and begged.

"Yeah Kantra."

"Come on, we need you to be our rep."

"Come on Kantra!"

"Come on Kantra!" the entire F wing started chanting 'come on Kantra' until she couldn't take anymore of their puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, fine ok. I will do it. but just this once."

"Twice."

"Fine. But then I get a break." She chuckled and spotted a jumbo tub with at least 6 layers of grit stuck to the bottom.

"Let's hear it for Kantra! Master of the mop!"

"Quiet you guys! Before we get in trouble!" Kantra laughed and entered the jumbo bath room, a new bar of soap and sponge in one hand, and a brush in the other. Guan and Dachande waited until they were sure she was well on with her cleaning, before gathering the F wing again.

"50 coins says that Kantra wins in the game tomorrow." Guan folded her arms and faced Vikta, one of the older girls.

"I say, 60 coins that she wins. And I will scrum the floors for winners for a week."

"Are you sure about that sis?"

"Relax D. I know what I am doing. This is Kantra we are betting on. She isn't called, 'the safe bet' for nothing. Watch and learn little sister, watch and learn." Vikta whispered to another girl and clattered.

"I say, we all bet all our coins against the other wings. We are a team, rooting for the same rep. we should gather more together, than less apart."

"Good idea. But I say, she crosses the finish line before Wing F and B, with time to spare."

"No, she has never won with time to spare. She always cuts it close."

"Then why don't we have ourselves a little wager."

"Alright Guan, its your coins on the line. I know I will win. I say she does it with barely a minuet gap in front of the others."

"I say she does it with…" Guan looked to Dachande who held up a full hand. "…over five minuets to spare."

"60 coins?"

"6o coins. Done."

"Done." They shuck hands and got back to work.

Kantra chuckled to herself as she scrubbed the bottom of the tub. I'm not deaf. She chuckled again. She had heard everything from her being the mop master, to Guan making a little wager with another F girl. They always bet on her, and always won. Guan used to be the rep for the F wing, but after she fell ill, Kantra filled in and has been pressured into doing it ever since, whenever she can that is. And for the last 3 times, she had given in and played. In actual fact, she loved it. she loved the feeling of victory and the opportunity to prove that she was more than capable of holding her own against anyone. Even though she was Ooman, she could beat any Yautja at any game. And whenever Paya had a doctor's appointment, they gathered in the halls and held their own 'staff tournament'. They would choose the game for the next meeting, as they gathered. So tomorrow, they would decide the game for next week, and so on and so forth. Tomorrow, was the Fakir game. This was where three wings gathered, picked a rep, with a mop each and a bar of soap between them. The aim of the game was to steal the soap from the other opponents and get from the sooth level to the staff level. It was like hockey, but with a mop as a hockey stick and the soap as the puck.

Kantra panted as her aching arms moved back and forth on the aged sponge. The soap got the grime off, but only with a lot of elbow grease. It was hard work and she did it gladly. Paya had saved her life, she knew that. She gave her such friends, family and a loving roof over her head. So she didn't mind working hard. Besides, it kept her in good shape to do her chores, and her friends were always fun to be around. Dachande always seemed to get some sort of goo in her hair, even in the basement (boiler room), she always became filthy. Kantra chuckled. She remembered the day in the boiler two years ago. They had to restock the boiler with wood from the forest and Guan was busy painting the walls in the welcome hall with the other wings. Dachande had stayed with Kantra and both carried more than their share of wood. They stocked the wood pile and filled the actual boiler. As Dachande put her wood down, it kicked up a large fog of black soot and covered her from head to foot. Kantra didn't stop laughing for hours and neither did Guan when she found out. Just the memory of Dachande's fuming temper as she scrubbed herself down in the showers kept her smiling all day. When every bath in the sooth level was spotless, Wing F had the afternoon off and dragged themselves downstairs to the staff level. Guan had red marks on her shins form getting down on the floor, Dachande had friction burns on her knees and Kantra had sore hands.

"Ouch."

"Ow."

"Arrrr." All three girls moaned as they slummed into their room. Guan collapsed on her hammock and Dachande simply curled up on the floor, in too much pain to bend her knees. "This bites, again."

"It always does D." Guan groaned and put her hands under her head. "Better than 'activities'." She clattered. Dachande joined in and even Kantra smiled.

"Actually, I agree with you. I can imagine it now, tens of pups running amuck over the gardens, and the boys trying to catch them." D chuckled and pulled herself into her hammock. "Ow."

"That is us tomorrow you know."

"What?" Guan whined. D pretended to cry and looked to Kantra.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw Paya's schedule for tomorrow under the one for today. F are on activities with E tomorrow."

"Oh Gods! And Bakkub is here this week!" Guan whimpered and screwed her face in her hands. "That means all 20 of his little brats to watch for at least 8 hours while he and his mate relax. Al boys too."

"No, that's next week."

"Really?"

"Yep.

"Thank the Gods. Who is here this week then?"

"Bayla, and her 6 daughters."

"Even worse! The boys were brats, those girls are spoilt brats!"

"I call the youngest 2." Kantra chuckled at the frowns on her friends' faces.

"No fair, they are the least brat like."

"And that's why I called them." Kantra opened the window and looked out to the Sky with her arms resting on the windowsill. Only the boiler room was underground. The staff level was actually the ground level, but the front steps led up to the next floor, the welcoming hall. She closed her eyes and sniffed deeply. A smile traced her lips and she turned to the two occupied hammocks. "It's going to rain tonight. I love it when it rains." She returned to gaze at the cloudless pink and yellow sky. Guan and Dachande dragged themselves from their hammocks and walked over to her.

"Hay. It's time to eat. You remember that don't you? Food, we need it to live."

"I'll be there later. You two go on without me."

"Time to think again?"

"Yeah…" she became lost in the sky and didn't even hear Guan pull her sister out the room, and close the door.

It's beautiful tonight.

Kantra had been staring at the sky, just watching it slowly grow darker and counting every new star as it shone through the clouds. She took hold of the window ledge, and pulled herself up to sit on it. she swung her legs round and reached over to the huge drain pipe. When she had a tight hold on it, she reached across the wooden wall with one, bare foot until it came to rest on a thick bolt. With many years of practice, she pulled away from the sill and placed her other hand on the pipe, and her other foot on the bolt next to the one her left foot rested on. Slowly, she scaled the pipe upwards, making sure to duck away from the windows. After 15 minuets, she was at the very top of the mansion like guest house and sat on the flat roof, watching the moon replace the dazzling suns. Bringing night's chill instead of day's heat. I love this place. She looked to the right and saw the now empty gardens. Soon the mated couples will walk those paths, reliving old battles and first meetings. She looked to the left and saw an outside restaurant. At night, the white canopy would glow from the moonlight and littered night lights. Candles would illuminate the tables with a romantic lull and the finest wines would be consumed there. Lovers will love and woo each other there soon…

True, she had everything she ever wanted at the Hunter's rest. A job, a loving mother, trusting, honest friends, fond memories and a safe place to sleep at night. She was fed, looked after and looked out for. But there was one thing she wanted more than anything.

Love…

She would come here to watch the mated couples walk together and hold hands, be intimate when no one lese was looking and watch the stars. She envied them for the peace and fulfilment they had found in each other. Kantra dreamt like any young girl would, of a skilled hunter coming in through the window at night and sweeping her off her feet. Of finding love, having pups. That was all she wanted. Love. But this was also the thing she would never have. Kantra held herself and looked to the full moon. Its light made her soft skin glow and the light wind made her red locks wave in the breeze. A single tear fell down her cheek and fell to the wind. Her only companion.

"That's it damn it! we are going to get her and now!" Dachande and Guan could see through the skylight on the top floor. There, they could see Kantra holding her knees to her chest and crying softly.

"No D. she needs this. She needs her time alone to think. she can't be happy all the time, she needs this."

"But we're her friends." D huffed. "We shouldn't let her just do this, cry to the stars. We should be the ones she tells her wows to, not the wind…"

"When she is ready she will talk to us about it. But until then, leave her be. She just isn't ready to talk about it yet. She just isn't ready."

"She hardly even eats anymore…she fainted last week."

"I got a doggy bag for her. Don't worry, I thought of her."

"I thought of her too. I got her a flask of water."

"Good. Now let's wait for her to come home. Then we will force feed her if we have to."

"Alright…I just worry about her."

"So do I D, so do I." she led her younger sister to the stairs and back to the staff level. They waited there for her all night. But she didn't come back.

"And what did you think of the 'Hunter's rest and bath house Thwei?" Thwei bowed low to the Elder Jafna. He was the second in command and the voice of the Clan. The ready room was dark, all the lights were turned out and the main chair was turned away from everyone, so the Leader couldn't be seen by the long table of higher raking hunters. There was 12 in total, not including the Elder and the leader, and all were looking to Thwei now, other than the Leader. Thwei stood and bowed to the table, then the Elder and the Leader.

"I found the Hunter's rest to be everything they say they are and much more. They are organised, punctual, have training grounds and places of relaxation. Lots of them. The rest house takes up Acers and Acers of land, with Acers to spare for its gardens and training grounds. They even have their own tournament ring behind the house. The Grand Mistress Paya is very respectful and willing to meet our only request. That the entire rest house be vacant by the time we arrive, and stay that way during our stay. The rooms are of an excellent quality and have small trophy walls for any skulls we wish to polish while we are there. They all have individual washrooms and have three places to eat. The banquet level, a full level, the living level where we can all interact and drink our fill, and there is an outside eating area for night time use. They have baths, saunas, steam rooms, massage rooms and planned events on certain days. I fell, personally, that I would be more than willing to stay there. But it is the choice of the Leader of course." Thwei bowed again and returned to his seat. The table all clicked about the famous rest house, all with positive thoughts on the matter. But when a black hand raised from the chair, silence was immediate. A long skeletal tail slinked over the arm rest and was only seen from the shadows. Even Elder Jafna became rigid. He took his seat next to the Leader and addressed him with a bowed head.

"Lord Cetanu? What are your orders sire?" The dark spectre stood from his chair and looked over his men. His furious ruby eyes scanned the room and the souls of ever warrior there. He sniffed at the raising musk and knew that smell. It was fear. Some called it respect, but he new that meant fear. A low hissing sound softly flowed from his mandibles and his tail whipped behind him. he folded his muscular arms over his mighty chest and rose his head high.

"We will go to the rest house. And pray that they please us, or they will all, die."

The entire room erupted in cheers and roars as their leader took his seat again. Their leader had spoken. They would set their mother ship down on home world for the first time since it left her, all those hundreds of years ago, and stay at the Hunter's rest and bath house. They were ready, but was the rest house ready for them?