A/N: thank you all for reviewing and showing these stories I write so much love. It means a lot to me. I enjoy writing them and hope they are entertaining.

T'Klaas personal log

We arrived in the sanctuary last night. Surak was agreeable to see us, but was concerned that T'Lyn was not with us. T'Hya told him that S'Vec had come to see her home, but apparently he went missing and they have not returned yet. I have failed.

Surak has not blamed me, nor given me even a downward look, but I feel as if I have failed. Perhaps I did not harm T'Hya in our…physical intimacy, but my desires once again may have claimed the life of a woman I care deeply for. In spite of my harsh treatment of her, she regarded me as friend and trusted companion, and I have fed her to the belly of the beast that is S'Vec.

We have been looking now two days, and still there is no sign of them. No struggle, which there would not be I suppose if S'Vec just rode off with her knocking her out. But there is no blood. Surak feels her presence but cannot fully contact her, nor apparently she him. She is still alive, that much we can know.

Our group is splitting up, Surak and I are going to go to the northern section. T'Hya and T'ua are taking the western quarter. I dare not raise too much alarm, for S'Vec has not shown himself to be a betrayer yet, and it logical to for them to think they became lost perhaps.

We will search, and I will speak to Surak…I need his forgiveness, and I also need his counsel.

End log.

T'Lyn held up her hand. They had been riding for 6 hours and her body needed a break. "We need to pause, S'Vec. "

S'Vec pulled at the sehlat's reigns and slid off from the back. He held out his hand to T'Lyn and this time he noted, she took his hand. He offered her a small smile as he pulled her closer, "Are you unwell, T'Sai?"

T'Lyn rubbed her legs, "I am, in need of a brief break, S'Vec that is all."

"It is late in the night, T'Sai, I will make us a small camp fire. I also have some food." He said in a voice as smooth as silk.

"That is fine S'Vec." She said blandly taking a seat on a rock and pouring some water into her mouth.

"Forgive me if this seems a bit…bold, but I wonder T'Sai, what is it about me that you do not like?" he asked as he gathered a small amount of brush to begin their fire.

T'Lyn looked at him, "What makes you think I do not like you S'Vec?"

"You behave in a very reserved manner around me, where as you do not other males." He stuck a small spark with his fire kit and began gently blowing on the fire.

"I am a bonded female, S'Vec and I hardly know you. How else would you expect me to behave around you? " She pulled her boot off of her good and cringed seeing her ankles swelling slightly, she began knocking the sand and dirt out of her boot.

S'Vec shrugged, "I suppose it could be that I have just never kept company with one so, logical, and…devoted, to her bond mate."

T'Lyn pulled off her other boot, "I suppose not." She was privately amused at the thought that she was now considered one of the more logical and constrained Vulcan on the planet. What would her father ever say to that.

"So you do find me agreeable?" S'Vec asked passively as he put a small cook pot on the fire.

"You are not…disagreeable, S'Vec. I do not know you well." She began pulling on her boots again and she looked at him, he was looking at her, "Why this line of questioning S'Vec?"

He moved to her still on his knees, and looked up at her. He could not believe the strange color of her hair and eyes, "I wish to know the teslu of my master, but only if she desires it."

T'Lyn leaned forward so her nose was nearly touching his, "To know me is fine, but I am not agreeable to you touching me, S'Vec. That honor is Surak's only, as the honor of your touch should only be T'ua's. I know this is a new concept for you, so I will excuse the fact you are now touching my ankle. "her voice was a hissing whisper.

S'Vec gasped lightly and swallowed, he removed his hand from her ankle, "Forgive me T'Sai, I saw your swelling, I only wished to help." He turned away from her; he could feel his heart pounding. She had the heart of a warrior. It was intoxicating to be near.

T'Lyn kicked back another swallow of water, never taking her eyes off the back his head. She wondered what his deal was. He always tried to come off seeming like a good guy, but there was something…wrong that sent a chill up her spine. She stood and looked into the distance, there was something wrong, she could feel it…sense it. "S'Vec do you have binoculars?"

"In my pack, T'Sai." He said warmly glancing over his shoulder. He dropped the smile when he saw her face, "Is there something wrong?"

"Hand me the binoculars." She held out her hand.

S'Vec went to his pack and handed her the glasses. He pulled out a smaller pair for himself.

"Coming this way just below the horizon, north east." T'Lyn said zeroing in on the area.

"The Raptors." S'Vec whispered, and dropped the glasses from his eyes.

"Looks to be a band of fifteen."

"Do you know of them?" He asked and considered stamping out the fire he just made.

T'Lyn looked down at him, "Not well, no. "She knew of them in her time, of course and knew they were known as the Romulans.

"They have honor, but they are ruthless." He paced back and forth, "Whatever I ask you to do, you do T'Lyn, and this is no time for your stubbornness." He turned to her and put his hands on her arms, "They will not harm you if they believe you to be my mate. If you show them fear, then you will be treated with contempt. Now, sit, and be still unless you are spoken too."

She opened her mouth and he covered it with his hand, "I am serious. I know these people and they know me by reputation, which might save us both. Now sit, and drink and eat, behave as if you have no care in the world."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Tekrik approached the pair with a gun in his hand pointing at them both. He was flanked on both sides by his men. He lifted a light and shined it on the two. The female he did not recognize, the male, did seem familiar. "Who are you and why are you here?"

S'Vec started to stand and he point the gun a little higher, "You don't need to move to speak."

S'Vec laughed openly, "Tekrik, of the Raptors, warriors for hire…You do not know who I am?"

Tekrik sneered, "I do not keep tabs on every new bandit who thinks he is worth more than he is."

S'Vec stood suddenly, "I am S'Vec of Raal." His voice was a smooth hiss, "Now does that mean something to you?"

His gun lowered and then raised, "S'Vec would not travel with less than a hundred men with him. Show me your signet and crest."

S'Vec pulled his necklace from under his tunic and walked carefully toward him with his signet ring flashing. Tekrick looked him over. An astonished frown hit his lips, "So it seems you are. " he looked S'Vec over, "Where is your army?"

"There are some things best done without an audience, Tekrick." He smirked and looked over his shoulder, "I found this one, and decided to take some leave." He gave the man a wicked grin, snapping his fingers he motioned T'Lyn forward.

T'Lyn stood and moved to S'Vec's side. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in, "A little enthusiasm would you teslu." He rubbed his cheek against hers and chuckled, "She's still a bit shy, but I'm…Working on that." He nuzzled against her cheek.

Tekrick looked between the two of them, He glanced at his men, "Take them." He said and turned away. Two shots were fired, "And someone kill that sehlat. Disgusting creatures."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Surak checked the cave and then entered when he saw it was empty. "Come on T'Klaas, the sun is coming up and we have not rested in hours, we will help nothing if we collapse form exhaustion."

T'Klaas entered the cave behind Surak. He gaped.

"Yes, this is." Surak said simply pointing to the fire ring T'Lyn had made the first night they all three had met.

"I did not recognize it."

"I knew immediately. I think I can almost still smell her here." He sat on the rock she had sat on and looked at him for the first time. He held up his hand for the water T'Klaas was carrying.

"Surak.." he said looking at the ground as he handed the water to his teacher. "This is…"

"Not your fault, T'Klaas." Surak said taking the water, "This is not your fault, and the blame you seek to lay on yourself is illogical."

"Teacher, I know of S'Vec's nature, I know he betrays you. I set your bond mate into his hands." T'Klaas moved forward.

Anger flickered behinds his eyes for just a moment and then cooled, "And it is not your fault. We will speak no more of this; you have no need of my forgiveness for you have done nothing wrong. Speak of other things." He leaned against the rocks, trying to pull at his bond, and getting nothing in return. His own inner beast was rattling it's cage, fearfully whimpering as it beat against his resolve not to fly into the rage carried through is people's blood.

"Teacher, I would speak to you on another matter."

"Please do." Surak said looking at the spot where he woke up for the first time to see green compassionate eyes on him.

"I am, when T'Hya's baby is born, our child, I am going to Gol to speak with the adepts there walking the path of Kolinahr. T'Hya wishes to walk the path with me."

Surak turned to T'Klaas, "And your child?"

"T'Hya has a mind to ask T'Lyn and you, if you would raise the child until it is of an age it can return to her clan." T'Klaas sat down by the mouth of the cave looking out for some kind of sign.

"I would know she who is my wife's thoughts on this, but I am agreeable to this. I know it is a path you must walk and if T'Hya will walk the path too, and then it would be an honor to serve you and her in this manner." He saw the sun rising, "T'Klaas we both should rest, we need to find T'Lyn to make this happen for both of us. "

"Yes, Teacher." T'Klaas pulled his over cloak over his head and leaned against the rock. He closed his eyes and began to meditate away the feelings of guilt that were burbling in his mind.

Surak stood and laid down in the spot where he first lay the night that saved his life. He tugged against the bond, "Adun'a, be well my beloved."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_OO_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

T'Lyn opened her eyes, her sight was blurred, an a pain stabbed at the backs of her eyes. She blinked several times trying to clear her vision, and she saw S'Vec over her. "What happened?"

"Don't move too quickly you'll be ill, I know from experience." He said helping her sit up.

"What is the pain?" she asked rubbing her neck.

"Keep rubbing your neck you'll feel it. It's a psionic dampener. It's stapled into the skin. How very thoughtful of them don't you think." S'Vec turned his head to show her what looked to T'Lyn like a computer chip tick insect. "I imagine it is also a tracker. I believe Tekrick intends on ransoming me to my clan, apparently he and his people took a great deal of loss in their last skirmish, with of all people Surak's father's army. They need funding."

She sat up, her stomach churned slightly. "That is not good," she whispered mostly to herself, "So they don't know you are not…"

S'Vec shook his head, "No. We have a few days perhaps before they discover it, and then…"he threw up his hands slightly,

"Do we have a plan?" T'Lyn asked softly.

"Not yet," S'Vec replied looking out the parting of the tent.

A man entered the tent and placed a small plate of food and two cups of water down. He backed out and disappeared.

"How many guards?" T'Lyn asked pulling the food closer to them.

"Two in the front, two in the back. " he pulled some of the bread off the plate, he handed some to T'Lyn and put some in his mouth. He eyed the meat, "I think that is my sehlat." He poked it with his finger.

"I'll pass."

"Can you call for Surak?" he whispered into her ear appearing to feed her some bread.

"No, I tugged but all I got was pain in my eyes. "

S'Vec frowned, "Well isn't this humiliating. On the bright side I am pretending to be your bond mate." He grinned at her.

"Is that an attempt at humor?"

"It was, but I tell you T'Lyn you are a delight, it was only humor though, as I try to think on a way to get us out of here."

T'Lyn took a sip of water, she considered S'vec and then looked out the tent. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her head, and center. She was a Star Fleet officer, that has to be worth something. She would think of something, even if S'Vec could not.