As Riddick and Hellhound walked through the Basilica back to the Necropolis the creature snapped at passing Necro's and when they jumped back in fear Riddick could swear he saw a smile on its face. They managed to get back to his chambers and he knew that soon the whispers and rumors would start buzzing around the ship like a swarm of angry hornets. The moment Riddick let go of the leash it bound off and he chased after it.
Riddick stood in the doorway of his room and laughed, it had found its way in there and was lying on his bed.
"That's my bed." He said and it looked at him as if saying 'and?'. "Fine, you can sleep there until I get you your own bed, but not a moment later." He went into the bathroom to start to clean up the three, neat gashes on his arm from the Hellhound's claws when it had pounced on him. Well, they won't need stitches at least.
He knew for a fact that the beast had just been playing with him, that it had recognized him from Crematoria, for it was the very Hellhound that he had formed a bond with the short while he had been in there. The signifying tag that had been on its ear had seemed to have been ripped off, for its ear was ragged. He heard it climb off the bed and come into the bathroom, bumping against his legs and making him smile. Turning to it and dropping to one knee, he started to scratch behind its ear and it licked his cheek. Standing, he finished cleaning his arm and wrapped a length of gauze around it, putting a clip on the end to keep it in place. Leaving the bathroom, Hellhound at his heels, he went to the comm system and punching in Sharah's number.
"My Lady, where are you going?" Erin asked and Sharah looked at her while putting on her boots.
"I've been summoned to the Lord Marshal's chambers." She said and Erin looked excited.
"You think he might claim you now?" she asked hopefully and Sharah tried not to laugh.
"He also asked me to bring Sonya and Talyn, so probably not." She said and went over to her, patting her cheek lightly. "Sorry." Talyn and Sonya jumped around her ankles and she had Erin go get their carriers. She put them in the carriers; they went rather reluctantly, but without hassle. After many debates, Erin convinced Sharah to let her carry them.
Sharah never really understood why the Necro's needed servants when they were perfectly capable of doing everything on their own, she knew that Riddick had gotten rid of all his servants and that just proved her point. She couldn't bear to cast Erin out, they were too good of friends the only friend she had. Like her, Erin's conversion wasn't 100 and she still maintained who she was mentally, not becoming one of the brainwashed drones that are rampant the ship. They left the rooms and made their way to the Lord Marshal chambers, stopped outside and Sharah knocked on the door. It was opened a short time later and Riddick appeared.
"Sharah, thanks for coming on short notice." He said, the corner of his mouth perked in a small smile.
"Oh no problem Riddick." She said bowing her head at him shortly. She took the carriers from Erin and Erin left, going back the way they came.
"Come in." he said and stepped aside so she could enter.
"May I let Sonya and Talyn out the carriers?"
"Yes of course." He said and she set them down, she undid the latches and the young Hellhounds leapt out of the carriers. The adult came into the room casually and the pups stood in front of Sharah, their scales turning bright red and growls escaping them. It looked up at Riddick, its eyes saying 'what are you kidding me?' and Riddick shrugged.
"That's..." Sharah began backing up with wide eyes, bumping into Riddick's chest.
"Yes, that's the adult from the brig. He and I are good friends." Riddick said, concentrating on the Hellhound in front of him and not the feeling of her back against his chest, her butt against his groin. The tan dress she was wearing fitted tightly to her curves and dear lord did she have curves. She looked up at him in question and he gave her a soft smile. "It's an animal thing." He wanted to grasp her hips in his large hands and pull her tighter against him but resisted, knowing that it would make her uncomfortable.
"He won't hurt me or Sonya and Talyn?"
"No, not unless I tell him to and why would I do that?" Riddick said and lightly, very lightly, put his hands on her hips. She reached out her hand cautiously and the hound came closer, he began to smell her fingers and soon was butting his head into her hand, its eyes closed, a deep purr escaping it. "Well he has good taste." Riddick said and she laughed, dropping her hand to her side. The hound lowered its head and started to smell the pups, touching noses with them, and then licking them, starting to clean them in turn. "And his paternal instincts just kicked in."
"Well its nature for an adult of a species to look after, protect, and care for the young of the same species. But when Sonya is mature and goes into heat he better not try to mount her, if he does I'll castrate him myself." The hound looked up at her in horror and they laughed.
"I think he understood you." Riddick said.
"No doubt of it, they are very intelligent creatures."
"Sharah, I had a disturbing conversation with Lord Vaako about you today and why I haven't 'claimed' you yet."
"It's strange."
"What is?"
"That's exactly what Erin thought you were calling me down for, to claim me." Sharah said and moved away from him and out of his hands. "Now if you wish to, tell me about this conversation between you and Vaako."
"He told me that because I have yet to claim you, a few of the Lady-less Lords might try, and they won't care if you consent or not." He said and she looked at him in fear.
"You mean they'll..." her voice trailed off and he nodded slowly. "Dear lord."
"Exactly. So either I claim you right now, or you come and live in here with me so I can keep an eye on you."
"I don't think I'm ready to...you know."
"I understand." Riddick said trying not to look and sound too downfallen. Her bright orange hair was bound tightly but the tail was left loose. The adult hound came over to her and looked up at her in question. She dropped to a crouch and it started to smell her neck, licking her cheek. Using both hands she scratched behind his ears and he started to purr, the scales on his chest vibrating. Riddick stood behind her and reached out, touching her hair lightly, feeling the silken strands under his fingertips. She stood and turned, bumping into his chest; he caught her with an arm around her waist that pulled her tight against his chest. A low growl threatened to form at the feeling of her body against his.
"Riddick what happened to your arm?" she asked, touching the bandage.
"He was just playing."
"The hound?"
"Yes."
"Well here's hoping that he never gets it into his head to 'play' with me." She said and he chuckled, the movement of his chest shaking her body slightly. His arm around her waist loosened and he put his hands on her hips lightly. After a little his hands moved up slowly and he dragged his fingertips down her sides through the thin material. She giggled and he grinned evilly.
He did it again, his fingertips moving over her waist and across her stomach and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. She started to laugh as he continued to tickle her and when he stopped her head was lying on his chest, her arms around his waist for support. She looked up at him, laughter still dancing in her eyes. A sudden flush came to her cheeks and she took her arms from around him, stepping back.
"I should probably go now. It was a nice seeing you again Lord Marshal." She has fallen into the 'submissive subject' pose, her head bowed respectfully and her hands clasped in front of her.
"Thank you for coming." He said backing up a little, giving her space. He helped her gather up Sonya and Talyn, who had fallen asleep on Riddick's bed, pressed against his Hellhound. She left the rooms, a carrier in each hand and when she was gone he laid on his bed, his knees dangling off the end. He looked over at the Hound, whom he had affectionately named Aries. "What am I gonna do about her Aries?" the Hound was of course silent. "Yeah I didn't really expect you to answer either."
Sharah was down in the weapons hangar, field stripping a pulse rifle. She took it apart, did a diagnostics scan and put it back together again in under 30 seconds.
(A/N: Hehe, my mom can do that with an assault rifle. That's part of the reason why I'm enlisting in the Air Force after I graduate High School.)
Bucha had taught her how to do this shortly after they had gotten married. He said he wanted a wife that could take care of herself, he loved that she could spill blood by just talking, figuratively speaking of course, and wanted her to be able to defend herself physically as well.
She went onto a pulse pistol and did the same, she found the core cracked and she repaired it, putting it back together. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dame Vaako come into the hangar and walk over to her just as she was getting onto her favorite weapons. Old-fashioned bullet guns, she picked up the 9mm Beretta and ejected the clip, checked it and put it back, locking it with a solid click!
"Can I help you with something Dame Vaako?" she said as she pulled back the slide and let go, loading one into the chamber. The Dame perked an eyebrow at her.
"Strange to find you here Sharah." She said with feigned curiosity.
"Even more peculiar to find you here Dame Vaako. I must say that I can't see you as the kind of person who is interested in weaponry."
"I'm not. I was looking for you."
"Figured as much."
"I wanted to ask you about the Lord Marshal. Why he has yet to claim you."
"I don't know why. Now if you don't mind I'm rather busy."
"I never understood your fascination with weapons. It's so...unseemly for a woman. Especially for one such as yourself."
"Excuse me?"
"The Lord Marshal's intended mistress."
"Excuse me?" Sharah asked again, this time setting the gun down and facing her, crossing her arms under her breasts.
"I only meant..."
"Sharah!" they both looked over to see Riddick in the doorway of the weapons hangar. "I've been looking all over for you." He said walking over to her. "Dame Vaako." he said, nodding to the other woman.
"Lord Marshal." She said bowing her head at him.
"I believe your husband is looking for you." Riddick said and she shrugged gracefully.
"He can wait."
"I suggest you go to your husband Dame Vaako, he's looking for you." His voice was hard and she nodded again, leaving the hangar.
"I really don't like her." Sharah said and he looked at her.
"Yeah she is a bitch. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I was looking for you."
"Vaguely yes."
"Aries was missing you."
"Aries?" she asked and he grinned, turning to the door and whistling loudly through his teeth. There was a loud bark and she turned in time to see the grown Hellhound running full out towards her. It pounced, tackling her to the ground and sitting on her stomach. She breathed deeply to regain the air that had been knocked out of her and looked up at the hound. "Oh," She wheezed, "Aries."
"He likes you." Riddick said smiling and Aries laid down on her, pinning her to the floor and laying his head on her dress between her breasts, gazing at her. "Contrary to popular belief, he's just a big puppy."
"A very big puppy." She said, petting him.
"All right big guy. Time to let Sharah up." Riddick crouched down and wrapped his arms around the hounds' middle, picking him up. He set him down and extended his hand downward to her. She took it and he picked her up from the floor, but almost fell again when Aries bumped affectionately against her legs. "You're the only Necro he seems to like."
"That's because I haven't tried to hurt him." Sharah said and he shrugged. "I should be getting back and so should you. Your Commanders will be wanted conference with you since you've decided the next planet."
"True, and I need to prepare my whole conversion speech thing."
"But I thought you weren't going to continue the Necro faith."
"I'm not, I'm going to give the people a choice."
"Convert or die?"
"No."
"Oh, okay. Well it was nice talking with you Riddick." She said and he nodded turning and walking away with Aries at his heels.