I can't say thank you enough to 0afan0, thyme2read, Tribal Graces, and njmrtl for your reviews! Glad to know people like this story so much!

Ba'el went out to see Toq. She was so happy! Soon she would be married. Even better, her parents approved of her choice. Her father was understandably concerned, but she knew he would come around. She never imagined it would be like this, but it was actually better than anything she thought she wanted before.

She spotted Toq walking toward her home. He held a dead animal over his shoulder. The warrior's face visibly brightened when he saw her.

"Good morning, Toq," she greeted him sweetly.

"Good morning, Ba'el," he responded in a deep voice as he approached her. He laid the animal at her feet and kneeled before her. Ba'el's heart skipped a beat. This was a Klingon courting ritual, she suddenly understood.

She could see the fire in Toq's eyes as he uttered the prescribed words. "I, Toq, offer you this kill, Ba'el, daughter of Tokath and Gi'ral," he said, "as a sign of my intentions, and as proof that I can provide for you."

Ba'el was slightly repulsed at the sight of the broken animal, still oozing blood all over the ground. But the Klingon part of her was both fascinated and excited. She could smell the life leaving the creature. Its blood filled and stimulated her senses.

Toq all the while stared at her in hopeful anticipation. She smiled back at him again, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do next. The young man sensed her confusion. "Do you accept?" he prompted with patient tolerance.

"Yes," she answered, perhaps a little too eagerly. "I accept your intentions, Toq, and the…kill." They weren't the specific words she should have used, but she didn't know what the correct words were.

Toq was pleased, however, as she had participated in the ceremony and had given him the answer he wanted. "Tonight, we feast then," he said, smiling savagely. "I'll take this to the cook." He picked up the animal again and turned to go.

"Oh, Toq," she called to him. He whirled back around, the game's mangled legs whipping around with him. "You might want to clean it first," she suggested with a chuckle.

He nodded understandingly. "Of course," he replied.

Ba'el watched Toq head over to a corner in the wall with satisfaction. He began to skin his kill. She was pleased with him. He had matured considerably since he left. He was undoubtedly all-Klingon now, yet he tempered his convictions with respect and consideration of others. That was something Worf never would have done, she was sure. Yes, Toq would make an excellent husband.


Anne warmed her hands over the bubbling pot of stew. She had been making it often lately, to everyone's delectation. When the weather was hot, she liked to make chilled soups. She had even perfected an osol fruit mélange. But at the moment, the thought of eating anything cold made her shiver. She was reminded of a poem from one of her books.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

Stevenson's poem certainly described some things about the season well enough, she reflected, except for the parts about the snow. If it had to be this chilly, couldn't they at least have some snow? But on this tropical planet, she knew it wasn't likely to happen. Instead of a fluffy white, everything was a muddy brown, tinged with dark green here and there.

There was a noise outside. She took a gander out the window to investigate. Her heart leaped with joy when she saw that Dhaval and the others had come back. Before long, her sweetheart appeared in the doorway.

"You took so long," she batted her lashes at him. "I had to get up to cook."

"I'm sorry," he said, taking her into his arms and kissing her. "They wanted to go hunting with Toq. I'll make it up to you tonight."

"Wait," she held him back. "They woke you in the middle of the night, without warning—for that?" she pouted. "And you left me waiting for you in bed, just like that?" She felt her blood beginning to boil. And then without warning, he playfully pushed her to the wall. "Dhaval!" she said in delighted surprise, "Somebody might come."

"We're married," he said cavalierly. That was a first. Normally, that was her line. Something was fishy, but she soon dropped her suspicions and surrendered to his passionate embrace. He blew on her neck, which sent chills went down her spine.

"You fiend!" she giggled uncontrollably.

"That's why you love me," her husband laughed mischievously.

"I like nice men," she corrected him, poking his chest.

"I am a nice man. Permit me to demonstrate to you," he said as he kissed her yet again. Soon she found she could not stay angry with him, and she completely forgot about the mishap in favor of more wistful inclinations.

But then there was a heavy, sudden thump behind them. Toq laughed loudly. Anne and Dhaval started in disgust when they saw the bloody carcass of a gazelle-like animal on the island counter.

"Don't mind me!" the Klingon howled, "I can roast this myself if you're otherwise engaged!"

"No, no," insisted Anne, pulling away from Dhaval's arms. "It's my job." She shot a displeased look at him. To Toq, she said, "Thanks for cleaning it for me."

"Yes, thank you, Toq," Dhaval added sarcastically. Once again, he understood that he was "in the doghouse," as his wife would say. He crossed his arms and glared at him. The Klingon held his hands up apologetically, and Dhaval surprisingly relaxed.

How odd, thought Anne. But she didn't wonder about their strange behavior for very long, however. She was still furious that her man had left her at the drop of a hat. They hadn't been married for two months yet; and already he preferred to go off hunting with the guys at all hours of the night rather than be with her?

Toq, conscious of the problem, stepped forward. "Anne, this misunderstanding is my fault," he explained. "Upon declaring his intention to become her mate, a Klingon warrior must present his intended with a beast he has killed himself while on a hunt with his friends. Tokath and I both wanted Dhaval to participate in the tradition."

It sounded true enough. Ba'el had spoken to her about the hunting ritual. But why without warning, and in the middle of the night? She glanced over at her husband. The Romulan didn't appear to understand that part, either. One never knew about Klingons and their practices, she decided at last.

"Alright," said Anne. "I'm sorry for getting all worked up like that."

Toq smiled. "You are a good woman, Anne," he said. "I'll come back later to help you skewer the beast." With that, he left the couple to work out the rest on their own.

"It's not that I don't want you to go hunting," she began patiently. "It's just, I wish you had told me. You made it sound like it was an emergency or something."

"That was the impression they gave me, too," he said, taking her into his arms again. "When I left you I honestly had no idea we were going to be spearing animals." He brushed a strand of her auburn hair out of her face. "I much rather would have stayed with you. Forgive me, my beautiful wife?"

"Yes, of course I do. I suppose I was worried that you were losing interest in me." She sadly looked down at her hands resting on his chest.

Dhaval effortlessly lifted her up and sat her on the counter so that she was at his eye level. "Never," he said quickly. "You are my entire world, my Anne. You will always captivate me."

She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

"I love you," he echoed, gently touching her lips with his fingers. "Do you know, when I look into your eyes, I see the Apnex Sea, with all of its beauty and mystery," he nuzzled his forehead to hers. "And then I know that I am at home."


"On the ship, in which she had left the prince, there were life and noise; she saw him and his beautiful bride searching for her; sorrowfully they gazed at the pearly foam, as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves. Unseen she kissed the forehead of her bride, and fanned the prince, and then mounted with the other children of the air to a rosy cloud that floated through the æther."

Anne wiped away a tear as she rotated the spit of venison over the grill. She and Ba'el were taking turns reading and turning the roast. It was nearly done.

"That was sad," agreed Ba'el as she closed the book of Anderson's Fairy Tales. "But I suppose the little mermaid got what she truly wanted in the end."

"I'm certain she did," her friend sniffed. She eyed the meat and smirked. "So Toq finally completed the hunting ritual? And he asked for your parents' permission? How exciting!" she giggled.

Ba'el blushed. "Yes," she said happily, "though I may have blundered the words a bit."

"You accepted," Anne waved her hand, "that was the most important part." Then she frowned thoughtfully. "What I still don't understand is why they wanted it to be in the middle of the night, and without planning it beforehand."

"Anne," Ba'el said softly, "I think something else is going on…"

The human looked away from the fire, slightly alarmed by her friend's tone. "What?" she asked anxiously.

"I haven't a clue," she answered, "but my parents are worried about something. They won't say what. It seems like the other elders know, too."

"And you suppose it had something to do with the hunt?"

Ba'el hesitated. "I'm not sure, but I can't help thinking that my father saw something while they were out there."

Anne felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She could well believe it. The jungle had always held a certain menace as far as she was concerned. "Really?" she asked nervously.

"I can't think of what else it could be. But don't worry," she said, "I'm sure we're safe here in the compound."