I'm apologizing in advance for spelling errors and improper punctuation. I had a day off from work/school because I have the flu and typed this up in a fever dream. On another note, the plot is really kicking in here and expect some action to take place within this next chapter-arc. I have some wonderful Gur'rung-Camilla interaction for all you fans. Plus, A'chide is keeping a secret? Mysteries abound.

You all are so wonderful for reading this. I really love this story and I love the people who love my story. If I'm making little sense, it's due to my flu medicine. As I have mentioned before, my muse for Camilla is the wonderful model Carolina Thaler. I found this fascinating photo of her with these other-worldly braid. Here's the link just remove the (dots) and replace with periods: .

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Several weeks seemed to pass before Camilla realized it.

Her days were spent following A'chide around. The unblooded had dubbed her "pet", though she suspected that Gur'rung had fed them that nickname. Begrudgingly, Camilla had to admit that it was true. All she did was following A'chide around, preparing his sleeping pallet, polishing his weapons, and cooking his food. The last task had not been assigned to her. Camilla had insisted on performing it – she was an expert at cleaning and harvesting her master's kills.

The past few days had her doing double the work. They, the Yautjas, were preparing for something.

Most of the meat was being dried out into jerky for travel. It had something to do with the mountain-like rock structure that loomed over them. There had been some rain in the past few days; light showers of cool water that pooled in the canopy of trees above them. Whatever the unblooded were hunting liked rain. She listened to the unblooded titter excitedly during a rain shower when she was trying to fall asleep on her pallet.

The unblooded would be leaving soon for their first hunt. Camilla had figured as much. This entire mission was to hone the unblooded as warriors.

It was to her benefit to avoid the unblooded whenever it was possible. They were a boisterous group; snarling and clawing at one another in spirited brawls. It was hard to keep so many young Yautjas in-line. There were four blooded soldiers under Gur'rung's command, yet even they had a hard time breaking up the brawls. No wonder there was medical staff needed on-hand. Camilla could tell the Yautja medics despised the unblooded. There was a precarious hierarchy of the campsite that went as followed – A'chide was their leader, followed by Gur'rung as second-in-command, the blooded soldiers, the Yautja medics, the unblooded pups, and finally the human medics.

Somewhere, Camilla was in the middle of all that. Where exactly, she couldn't say.

She longed to be analogous and was jealous of Mitchell and his anonymity. If only she had some use other than trailing after A'chide. Mitchell was growing to be a source of comfort, and they had only spoken a handful of times in the past few weeks. It was nice having another human at the camp that she could communicate with. The doctor was teaching her simple survival skills that he deemed important for her to know; applying stitches, mixing salves, and creating splints from tree branches. Their interactions were usually supervised by Gur'rung. The second-in-command would follow them like a shadow. A'chide, on the other hand, didn't mind her contact with Mitchell because of how much she was learning.

Her training with A'chide continued, as well. Usually in the early morning they would practice one-on-one combat, away from the campsite. Unlike her survival training, her expertise of the 'combat stick' was falling short. Though, her master seemed content with her slow progress.

They had two years to practice, he reminded her.

It was midday and a rain shower had rolled in. Camilla remained under the coverings of a large tree branch watching as the unblooded continued with their daily exercises. A'chide was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared on some sort of excursion for the day leaving Gur'rung in charge.

With the second-in-command distracted, the young woman snuck over to the medics' tents.

The water felt nice hitting her face, a welcome change from the stifling heat. Her suit was waterproof which she was fortunate for. She wouldn't be quick to admit it, but the woman missed the luxury of her master's home, of the training base, of anywhere that wasn't this planet. Bathing was improbable except for the occasional rain shower. P'oshka had provided her serums and cloths for hygienic purposes, but there was only so much they could do.

Camilla found Mitchell standing with the other men. The men that accompanied Mitchell were all older and apparently had all been doctors of some sort before being taken by the Yautja. She didn't ask how or why they were taken. For the most part, they avoided her, watching her with evident curiosity like the unblooded did. They were speaking in hushed tones and broke apart when she approached them.

"Hello Camilla, ready for your next survival lesson?"

The doctor was attempting to act nonchalant, nonetheless Camilla was able to see through his deceptive act.

She probed, "What were you all talking about?"

There was silence.

"Mitchell! What were you all talking about?" Her voice was louder partially from frustration and also due to the increase in rain fall.

The man frowned, pulling at his scruff-covered mouth. Rubbing the bridge of his nose that wasn't covered by the breathing mask, he spoke, "We've heard rumor that your master is hiding something. The medics sense it, but they are told nothing because medics are just support staff and go along with the head Yautja's orders."

Almost instantly, Camilla objected, "A'chide would not hide anything!"

She didn't mean to sound vehement. Mitchell was implying that her master was a liar. Taking a calming breath, the woman continued, "I meant to say that A'chide would not hide anything that would put anybody in harm's way. I'm a living example of that."

Mitchell smiled softly. If he didn't believe her completely, he made no signs of it.

"They just sense that something is not right, but the medics are probably paranoid."

Camilla couldn't help but pry, "What would he be hiding? His duty is to train the unblooded for two years."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about this world, Camilla. I don't know everything and that's because I've been living with the Yautja for nearly a decade. I'm just saying that because you've lived with your master since you were a child, doesn't mean you know everything about him. "

The truth in Mitchell's statement made Camilla's heart sink. She liked to pretend that she knew here master. Honestly, there were probably a thousand things that she didn't know about A'chide. If there was something he was hiding from them, she was probably as clueless as everyone else. But, she had better means of finding out was her master was hiding.

Placing a hand on Mitchell's shoulder, Camilla smiled through her mask, "I'll see if I can find out anything."

Mitchell returned the gesture, his freckled brow furrowing, "Don't get into any trouble. Also, I think someone is looking for you."

She glanced over her soldier to see Gur'rung coming towards the medics' suite. With a quick good bye, she left Mitchell and rushed over to the dark grey Yautja. Gur'rung was wearing his armor adding to his imposing presence. He chuffed in annoyance when Camilla greeted him.

"What were you doing with the Ooman medic?"

He appeared to be in a foul mood. Thinking it best not to upset him, the young woman simply said, "I was just checking if they had any more of my medicines. I like to keep it in stock."

Gur'rung seemed to accept her answer. They had grown accustom to each other's presence over the past week. The two still preferred to ignore the other's existence instead of communicate civilly. It was a choice Camilla happily made, since she was only ever scolded by the second-in-command.

"Retrieve your weapon, A'chide instructed me to practice with you today, pet."

The young woman objected but was silenced by a low hiss. Great, Gur'rung was in a bad mood and her master had instructed him to train her. This would not end well.

Grabbing her weapon from her trunk, Camilla followed Gur'rung into the tree line. There was little doubt he would mock her which always led to a verbal sparring match between them.

They came to the clearing where Camilla and A'chide practiced. The rain had dissipated finally, though the sky still remained dark. She readied her weapon facing Gur'rung. The young woman was uncomfortable making the first move; her uneasiness was only heightened by her new opponent. Her brain reminded her that her master would be upset if she was harmed, nevertheless this did little to squash her fear. Impatient, Gur'rung attacked first swinging at her legs. She dodged it, meeting his pole-axe in the air. This was a basic movement that she had practiced many times with A'chide.

Harnessing the momentum, the young woman swung around mimicking a move she had seen one of the unblooded use during a brawl. Her combat stick was aimed to hit the Yautja on the shoulder. Gur'rung growled and blocked it; throwing Camilla to the side. Finding her footing, the woman swung again. Her mind yelled at her to swing for his stomach, but her muscles moved on their own accord. She aimed for the same shoulder with a sneaking suspicion that it would be an unsuspecting move.

For once, Camilla was correct. The blunt end of her combat stick connected with Gur'rung's shoulder plate. The metal on metal clashed, and the second-in-command actually chuffed happily. Her triumph was short lived as his weapon connected with her ankles, knocking her over.

She landed rear first into the damp soil. Gur'rung was laughing as Camilla remained stuck in the mud. A claw was offered and the young woman was pulled up like a rag doll to her feet. She wiped off as much of the wet soil as she could; heat pooling in her cheeks due to her careless move.

"You observed the unblooded yesterday during their brawl and you followed them. That shows a cleverness that will serve you well, pet," Gur'rung barked.

It was a compliment that she would take. The Yautja commander came forward tapping his weapon against Camilla's. She had seen the unblooded tap their weapons together during practices as a way of showing respect for the other opponent. He motioned for her to take a stance again. This time she did not let her guard down.

Her progress was minimal, but at least it was there. By the end of their training session, Camilla was panting heavily and Gur'rung seemed somewhat pleased; his sour mood having lifted over the course of their sparring practice.

Camilla, in between breaths, joked, "By the end of this hunt, I will be able to beat you."

It was a remark that pushed the social boundary, but Gur'rung chuffed. His mandibles clicked together in amusement.

They had trained for a while, the sun waning in the sky. Camilla leaned against a rock for support. When was the last time that she had eaten? She thought about the measly piece of fruit she had consumed in the morning before A'chide's departure. Her stomach growled for nourishment and her throat was painfully dry.

Gur'rung came to her side, "Are you injured?"

Shaking her head, she motioned for water, "No, not injured. Just thirsty, I need water."

The Yautja nodded in understanding. They grabbed their combat sticks and made their way back to the camp.

Camilla remained by Gur'rung. Her head was fuzzy from exhaustion and hunger. She needed to remember to eat more and to hydrate. It wouldn't do for her to be passing out because of her lack of sustenance. In the silence of their travels, Camilla thought about Mitchell and what he had warned her of.

Before she could think, she asked, "Where is A'chide?"

Instead of brushing off her question, the Yautja actually answered her, "He is surveying the hunting grounds we go to tomorrow. We are taking the unblooded for their first chiva."

Chiva meant trial. So, Camilla had been right in her assumptions. They had been preparing all that food for the chiva.

Yelling was coming from the general direction of the camp. Gur'rung moved faster leaving Camilla in his wake. She struggled to keep up, her energy drained enough from practice. As they made their way into the camp they saw the unblooded surrounding something. One of the blooded guards came forward to Gur'rung. She caught the tail-end of his report.

"-he has returned with a kiande amedha carcass."

She could only assume the blooded guard was referring to A'chide. Eagerly, the young woman ran forward to be near her master. Gur'rung was now the one to follow behind her through the crowd.

Threading her way through the unblooded pups, Camilla saw A'chide standing over a heap of black flesh. Whatever the creature had been, it reminded her of an insect, the way its body was arranged. It was roughly her size in length with spindly black arms and a huge oblong head. It was covered in a faint green goo and thick black skin like a shell.

A'chide saw Camilla and motioned for her to stand beside him. She came forward inspecting the kiande amedha. There had been a creature like this one pictured in some of the books in A'chide's study. If she were correct, there had been skulls too of this creature lining A'chide's trophy room. They had been from beasts larger than this one lying dead at her master's feet. She imagined this one was just a baby because at this size they didn't seem to pose that big of a threat to the Yautja.

"This is what the unblooded will hunt?"

It was a question Camilla directed at A'chide. He bobbed his head.

Setting aside her combat stick, the woman went to poke at the flesh with her hand. Gur'rung, who had come up beside A'chide, objected before she could touch the dead alien, "I wouldn't do that, pet. The blood of the hard meat is toxic."

The unblooded standing around them chuffed in mutual understanding. Camilla quickly pulled away her hand. Kiande amedha roughly translated into "hard meat", probably referring to the creature's shell. A'chide called out to the assembled unblooded, "Tomorrow we will bring a group to the mountain base where a group of hatchling have been spotted. Your overseers have advised me of who is worthy for such a trip."

Gur'rung added, "You will sleep early tonight after you have prepared your supply packs. We will be departing before dawn."

With the crowd dispersing, Camilla was left with her master and his second-in-command. She remained fascinated by the carcass, poking the thing with her combat stick. The metal was impervious to the blood which made her feel a little safer. As she was examining the alien's body, she heard Gur'rung probe her master in a low voice, "Were we correct in locating their coordinates? Have they made landfall on the planet?"

Alien forgotten, Camilla listened intently to their conversation. Maybe this is what Mitchell spoke of?

Her master growled, "There are signs of their base on the other side of the mountain pass. I do not expect them to encroach on our territory. They know the consequences."

So, A'chide was not only surveying the hunting grounds; he was looking for something else, too.

"And if they should make their presence known?"

Begrudgingly, her master answered, "We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Camilla was afraid to know who "they" were. From the sound of A'chide's tone, they had bigger concerns than these aliens.