To whom it may concern. Yes, we're back. Tentatively. I personally trust about as far as I can throw a Volvo, but fans of these fics have asked that I continue to update here on However, this will not be the main place to find our fics. We will always update our Message Board waay before we even think about And if deletes any more of our fics without due cause and without explaination, we're gone. Lashana Inferno
Bright sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees around her, playing dappled beams of warm light around her as she sat amongst the ferns, staring out across a small pond at the heron that was stalking it's prey. Behind her, hidden by the thick canopy of trees, sat Ash'eld'uir's ship, the sleek yet oddly shaped vessel silent and dark, mirroring her current thoughts.
After managing to leave the compound, she and the others had taken a few moments to raid one of the supply rooms and armories, then followed Ash'eld'uir back to his ship, where they had proceeded to put a distance between themselves and the people who were less than pleased with them. They were waiting now, for other yautja to join them, and Chaos was glad for the brief respite, wanting some time to herself to get her thoughts in order.
Seeing her father again had brought up old angers, old disappointments that she had thought she had put behind her. A part of her had truly hoped that his view of her would have changed, and it was still reeling from the sharp slap of harsh reality it had received.
She shifted and pulled her knees up against her chest, resting her chin on her arms as she gazed at the glistening pool of water nearby. Was there something wrong with her? Something that she couldn't see? Was that why her father wasn't content to have her as she was? The questions joined her turmoiled emotions, bringing a frown to her face as she sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she buried her face against her arms.
The snap of a breaking twig made her snap her head up and around, rising into an instinctive crouch before she recognized the one who had joined her. "Don't sneak up on me like that," she muttered, turning away as she resumed her previous position.
Ash'eld'uir frowned down at her for a moment before crouching, settling himself back on his heels as he rose his hands to disconnect his mask from the filter that kept his air supply clean of impurities and at the needed levels that allowed him to breathe with ease. While he could survive on the air of the planet for a sufficient period of time, he still preferred the more normal mixture he was accustomed to.
A cool breeze washed over his face as he relieved himself of the facemask, clipping it to his belt before turning his attention back to Sakaen'i, watching her for a moment before speaking, wanting to get to the source of the sorrow that stained her scent and her eyes. "You promised me an explanation, young one."
A sigh left her at that, and she glanced over at him, wondering if perhaps she could manage to change the subject away from herself. At one time, she might have been frightened of his appearance. The vicious fanged mouth covered by two tusks and two mandibles alone would cause any new acquaintance to be wary, for it was difficult to read their facial expression if you didn't know what signs to look for, and she imagined that the reactions of her friends would be quite entertaining when the time came.
She met his gaze quietly, still inwardly surprised at how easy it was to read any yautja's moods or thoughts simply by watching the emotions in their eyes. After a moment, she turned away and resumed her quiet study of the pond, frowning when she heard him click his mandibles in impatience. "Ash'eld'uir... is there something wrong with me?"
He frowned, the question catching him by surprise, confusing him. "Your body heat is normal."
"Not physically. With me. With who I am..." Chaos sighed again and ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes in a weak attempt to hold back her own emotions. "I don't understand why he doesn't want me."
This
was certainly not something he had been prepared to deal with. "Sakaen'i, truthfully, there is still much about ooman's that I do not understand. You are a cunning, intelligent, warrior. You have proven yourself numerous times, against the Hard Meat drones and in training--""Then why can't he see that?" she cried, inadvertently cutting him off as she picked up a stone and flung it into the pond, startling the heron into taking flight. "Nothing I do is ever good enough, and he sent me away as if he was ashamed of me. I was happy here..."
Silence fell over them as he shifted and lowered himself to the ground, sitting next to her as she hid her face in her arms, the scent of her tears and her turmoil thick in the air. He let her be for a moment, letting her regain her composure in her own time, remembering when he had seen her cry for the first time, years ago, after a fight she had with her father about her Blooding rite, and his aversion to it. She was trapped between two worlds it seemed, accepted and yet alienated by both sides.
It was almost ten minutes later when she rose her head and wiped at her eyes, sniffling softly. "You must think me such a coward."
"No. I..." He growled and looked away from her, unaccustomed to dealing with such delicate emotional matters. "You are one of my best students, Sakaen'i. Had I known of your father's intentions ahead of time, I would have prevented him from sending you away. Unfortunately, when the information finally reached me, it was far too late for any action to be taken. As for your question... I do not believe that there is anything wrong with you, but my opinion does not matter. What matters, young Sakaen'i, is whether or not you believe that there is something wrong with you."
"I didn't use to think so," she whispered. "But now I don't know anymore."
Ash'eld'uir turned to frown at her. "His opinion is his own, it does not mean that it is the truth. Truthfully, do you believe there is something wrong with you?"
"I..."
"Sakaen'i."
She sighed at his stern growl. "No. But--"
"You must learn to trust in yourself. His opinion is just that, an opinion. That he is your father is... disappointing, but it does not mean that his beliefs are the truth. Were he anyone else, such an opinion would hold no sway over you. As his child, he expects you to follow 'in his footsteps', as it were. But in the end, Sakaen'i, you must find your own Path." He let her think about that for a few breaths, turning his gaze back to the landscape before them. "Were you my child... I would be very proud of you."
She looked at him in badly veiled shock, stunned at the high compliment, though she could tell by his posture that he didn't want her to pursue the topic, obviously uncertain of how to handle the change in conversation his admission had paved the way for.
Hiding a smile, she followed his gaze to the pond again, seeing him glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "When all this is over, I think I'd like to join you and your Pack on a Hunt. If that's alright with you. I need to replace the trophy skulls that I lost."
"Lost?" He was relieved that she had changed the subject, but troubled by what she had just admitted. A Hunter did not lose his trophies.
"Dad... had them destroyed before I left. I barely managed to save these." She gestured to the gauntlets she still wore, then looked over at the yautja next to her when he snarled, mandibles bristling. "What?"
"He had them destroyed?" Anger swept through him before he realized that she had no idea what he was speaking of, and he took a brief moment to struggle to calm himself before turning back to her. "Sakaen'i, one who takes and destroys the trophies of another warrior... it is the foulest display of dishonor! Normally, one would be killed for such an offence, his skull shattered as a show of his disgrace and as a message to the Gods to damn his spirit for all eternity."
She didn't know what to say to that, so she settled for a meek, "...oh."
He growled and nodded, knowing that he couldn't very well kill Ned, and yet outraged that a fellow Leader whom he trusted had done such a thing.
"Well," Chaos murmured after she had judged that he was calm again, "I can't very well kill him. I'm fairly certain that I'm well on my way to hating him, but I don't want him dead. He's important to the continued well being of this planet. I'll just settle for making his life completely miserable. It's deeply satisfying on a petty level, you know."
A slight chuckle of amusement left him at that, well aware of her almost sadistic sense of humor and revenge when it came to such matters. "I must admit, you were missed. It is good to have you back."
"Believe me, it's good to be back. Gilnor was a hellhole on an axis. Gods it was boring. If it wasn't for Rakur'a's monthly messages we'd have gone daft with boredom. And speaking of Rakur'a..." she trailed off and looked at him in askance.
"Yes, he is among the other Hunters who are joining us. Did you think otherwise? He has been awaiting your return since the day you left! I had begun to think that you, Katric'ta and he were attached in some manner, seeing as neither of you were rarely seen without the other two." He grinned, mandibles going wide. "Out of us all, he is the one who has been the most influenced by oomans, thanks to you two. Though, I have yet to decide if that is a good trait or a bad one, considering the nature of the most powerful influences involved."
Chaos smirked at the teasing barb and playfully elbowed him. "Ah, but you like us anyway," she grinned, hearing his laughter as he returned the nudge, making her brace herself to avoid being knocked over. "Ash'eld'uir?"
"Hrrm?"
"Thanks. For... y'know."
He smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder, nodding in understanding before he rose and headed back to his ship, leaving a considerably lighter-hearted Sakaen'i to her thoughts.
TBC
