Getting Acquainted
Chapter Six
Like every other day in Xingasa, whether on the East or West, was warm and sunny with the sounds of giggling children and chirping bids lurking in the air for all to hear, once in awhile there would be a cool breeze that would awaken the trees making their branches brush against each other. Da'tou first had to persuade and tempt Gr'it-in into staying in East Xingasa, then, when she was sure he would stay, she grabbed some clean clothes and walked to the bath house that was on the edge of East Xingasa, just at the edge of the trees.
It was a little, public place made of ply board and sheet metal, like a cardboard box with a tin roof, that only had two shower heads. The water line that was connected to the well was fed from the Puru River that went to an old water heater that didn't stay working half the time. The shower heads were connected together, one head placed on metal piping with the second head roughly placed a foot and half higher, the lower head was for Da'tou's human friends and family, the second was for Da'tou herself.
Da'tou had finished her shower and was now sitting on her heels on the old porch of her Foster family's house watching Gr'it-in clean his armor, or as their species pronounced it, 'a'wu-asa. Plenty of dirt and dried blood was caked onto the armor and it's crevices, and it all had to be cleaned off, that's if he wanted it to function properly. Like her, he too was sitting on his heels, but on the bank of the Puru River.
Gr'it-in had only been in East Xingasa for about four hours, and she already was starting to take a liking to him, with seeing a familiar face and all the information he had to offer on her species. Besides, he was a much more better conversationalist now then when he was unconscious. The quarrel they had earlier had been made clear and Gr'it-in quickly found out "Da'tou" was her real name and that she really was an adult, but what had surprised them both was her size. Da'tou had no idea yautja women were roughly eight feet tall, which had also led to the conclusion that Da'tou's small size was a birth defect.
"Da'tou." The soft voice of her Foster Mother said from behind her, and Da'tou turned her head to her. Her Foster Mother was becoming very old and looked more like she would be her Foster Grandmother, this was of the fact that Da'tou's genetic makeup made her age much slower and longer then a human's genetic makeup, by the time she had grown from her childhood stages everyone was old, had already been parents for years or was a child. Her Foster Mother's long hair was thinning and turning from black to a mixture of white and gray, she was small in size, so small that she only came to Da'tou's stomach area and was easily able to be picked one handed by her giant adopted daughter. Her skin tone when she was younger was tanned, but now that she was becoming older was turning pale, her purple veins beginning to show under her thinning skin. "I think someone at school would be very happy if you picked her up."
Da'tou smiled, the person who would be happy was her little, five year old Foster Sister, Chimidyue, pushing herself up with a groan, "All right, Usi-diu, I'll be back in a little while." Then turned around walking to, Gr'it-in, he was just a few feet away. "Gr'it-in." Da'tou said calmly, he stopped cleaning and turned around looking at her. "I am leaving. I have to pick up someone from school. Do you want to come with me?" He turned back around to his armor, "If you like," She said, "You can leave your armor in my room."
He just looked at the armor, "Yes, leaving my armor in your room does sound like a good idea."
They had both picked up two armfuls then walked into the little three bedroom house that was housing ten people and walked to the back headed to the left corner.
Gr'it-in looked around at the many bed mats made of dried leaves, pillows and blankets that laid across the floor, all of which were made, then looked at the big one in the corner Da'tou was standing beside. "This is your room?" He asked coming to a stop beside Da'tou looking at the floor laid bed.
"Well..." Kneeling down placing the armor on her bed, "The room isn't mine but this spot is, you don't have to worry about anyone taking your armor from here."
Gr'it-in then looked up gazing in 'aww' at the various bones that dangled from the ceiling and skulls of different size that was hung from the wall, his site eventually drifted back down to the make shift bed that was placed with furs as blankets. "This spot is very similar to Hunter's and Huntress's room." Kneeling down laying the rest of his armor onto the bed.
Da'tou looked up at her skull collection, "I always liked having them hung on the walls and ceiling."
He got up again and asked, "Where are we going again?"
"To the school, I'm going to pick up my Foster Sister." Both turning around walking to the door.
"Another Foster Sister?" He said, "How many Foster Brothers and Sisters do you have?" They had just got outside and were now walking to the trail that would lead them to the school.
"A lot, seven, three sisters and four brothers."
"Well," He said, "Seven is not many, it is only many to be raising at once."
Da'tou chuckled, "How many siblings do you have?" They had past the entrance of the trail and was walking further in.
"Thirty Brothers, not sure how many sisters."
Da'tou came to a stop and looked at him with a short laugh, "Are you serious?" She heart fully asked.
He too stopped walking and looked at her in a cold stare, "Yes I am, it is nothing to joke about and it is not funny."
Da'tou slightly lowered her eyes and head, "I am sorry Gr'it-in, I didn't mean to laugh..." Starting back off on their walk again, "I am only surprised you would have so many brothers."
Gr'it-in had quickly paced up his speed and was soon walking beside her, "Can I ask you something, something personal?" He asked.
"Sure." Da'tou quickly replied with little thought.
"Do you remember your Mother?"
Da'tou lowered her head even more but had still kept her pace, "A little, I only remember bits and pieces of her, before she died."
"She died when you were a child?" He said keeping an eye on her and the ground in front of him.
"Yes."
"Were you born here?"
Da'tou couldn't help but chuckle. It was just one question after another. "Yes."
"Then that explains how you can breathe oxygen."
This time Da'tou stopped, "What do you mean?"
Gr'it-in looked at her and began to explain his theory on how she was able to breathe oxygen, human air. "A yautja cannot breathe oxygen for a long period of time without dying, but if one were lucky, like your Mother, that person might be able to adapt to the surrounding breathing environment and live longer, but within time, the yautja will die. Which is what happened to your Mother, am I correct?" Da'tou slowly shook her head up and down then Gr'it-in went on. "If a female were impregnated while doing this, she just might be able to make her unborn immune, but yet, the unborn will have defects in appearance, genetics or both.
"So," Da'tou said, "This means something might be wrong with me, on the inside?"
Gr'it-in sighed, "I doubt it being you have survived this long, but there might be flaws in your unborn children."
Da'tou's eyes and face filled with sorrow, she felt like crying, "That's even worse, not being able to have children."
Gr'it-in laid a hand on her shoulder, "We will be able to find out, but that is only if you accompany me to my home planet."
"Well I..." But their conversation was broken by a harsh shrill that broke through the air, the sound making them come attention and spin around ready for battle, the shrill quickly died and was followed by a little voice calling Da'tou's name. Da'tou let out a smile when she saw Chimidyue running for her with her arms wide open, Kneeling down so she would be at a better height with her little Foster Sister and scoop her up in her arms with a big hug. Almost a minute went by of the two talking then they started back down the trail headed to East Xingasa. The giant warrior, Gr'it-in, silently following them.