Wow! You guys were nicer about the last chapter than it deserved! My only excuse was that I had been sick when I wrote it and Nyquil gel caps are a hell of a drug. Because I wasn't so happy about the last chapter, I made this one a bit longer than usual and really tried to make it as interesting a read as possible. So, I'm breaking out the alternate POVs again! :-D I got mixed reviews the last time, but hopefully you guys will like this.

Anywho, on with the story!

We stayed there on the floor for a little while longer, Lar'ja's hold on me never slacking, and I tried to stay relaxed by listening to the low rumbling in his throat. My thoughts were poking at me, though, and tension began to make its way back into my shoulders. I took a deep breath and leaned back against Lar'ja's well-muscled chest, trying to soak in the heat of him. No dice. I sighed and shook my head; having more questions than I'd started with, I decided I'd just have to break down and ask Luar'ke-de. I didn't always like to; he answered my questions in his own way and when he wanted to, which meant some questions went completely ignored. He let me get away with being independent (ok, maybe "willful" was the better word…) and, at times, outspoken (coughdisrespectfulcough), and even managed to relax enough to have a little fun now and then (albeit usually at someone else's expense), but he somehow always managed to keep me firmly in hand and remind me that he was the Master and I was the Student.

Like now.

And he hadn't even tried.

Damn, these guys were good…

Lar'ja tilted his head, aiming a curious look at me, the purring trailing off into silence, "Not happy?"

"I'm fine, I guess, but we should probably go and get our marching orders from Luar'ke-de. Plus, I want to know if Savanna's ok. She wasn't happy about the leash." I took a glance around, feeling as though something was not quite right, and then remembered with a start and an oath, "My cats! I can't believe I forgot them…!"

"Ah," he said and the sound stuttered in his throat, "Probably with Luar'ke-de. But marching orders? Do not understand this…"

"It's just a figure of speech. I want to know if he wants us to do anything today or if he intends on training me while we're here or not."

Lar'ja shook his head slowly, "No, Baby Jess. Can go anywhere now. Won't have marching orders until later. Time now is ours."

"Still, I'd like to see my sister." I tried to get up, but didn't get very far. Lar'ja's arms tightened and dragged me closer. It was an interesting experience while wearing armor and weapons, but the weapons were so compact that I doubted their presence bothered him at all, just as his weapons really didn't bother me. That he wouldn't let me go, on the other hand…

"Hey," I poked his arm and tried to ignore his snickering, "Dude, let go."

He pretended to think about that before aiming a mischievous grin at me, "No thanks!"

I scowled, trying not to laugh. Mustn't encourage these tendencies of his, you know, "It wasn't a request. I want to stand, so you need to let go."

"Why?"

"Because I want to go see my sister."

"Why?"

I gave a huff, "To see if she's alright."

"Why?"

"Lar'ja-thwei, I swear to God…!" I growled, but was unable to completely cover up the grin in my voice or the laughter threatening to escape.

He tossed his head back with a crickety bark of laughter and patted me on the head, "No worries, Baby Jess. Yin'tekai-di is fine. Luar'ke-de would not allow harm. Think it's best if we stay here for now, yes? Am enjoying spending time."

"Lar'ja, the next time you condescend to patting me on the head, I'm going to bite the offending appendage. I just want you to know that."

He grinned broadly, an anticipatory darkness in his blank eyes, "Promise?"

I frowned, "Yes."

He leaned down and purred in my ear, "Like it when Baby Jess is rough."

"Good God, Lar'ja…!"

I stepped into the twilight darkness of our temporary room and I knew right away that I was not going to have a comfortable stay on this ship. There was a large bed set in the floor in the far right corner of the room that both of Jessie's cats were curled up on. On two of the walls, there were sliding panels that hid room for storage and completely covering the left hand wall, just past the door to the bathroom, were the ass's many trophies. In the far left corner stood the stand he used for his armor and I looked around as the ass walked over to it and began removing and carefully placing each piece. In that moment, I honestly didn't know what to do with myself.

It was apparent now that I had been spoiled prior to this; on the ass's ship, I'd had my own room, my own bed, and the temperature and air had been tweaked and set to human standards. Here, the air was bad, it was hot, I was stuck in the same room as the ass, and all I had in the way of a bed was a fur on the floor in the corner to my right. I stood, staring down at it, and felt my throat burn and constrict. I fought to hold back the tears, but was unable to stop them. Homesickness was a hard, heavy, and cold weight in my chest. I missed Earth. I missed my home, my friends, and my fiancé. Most of all, I missed my freedom. Here, I was nothing more than some alien's pet. True, I got to keep an eye on my sister and try to keep her out of trouble (though that seemed to be a losing battle…), but it was at such a cost.

I shook, fighting to keep my crying silent, and wrapped my arms around myself. I wanted my mother. Thirty five years old and I was desperate and simply wanted that basic comfort. I'd seen the hard, cold, and calculating looks of the other Yautja on this ship. I'd seen them weigh and measure me in those gazes, and I knew that if it hadn't been for the leash and the ass's close proximity, I would likely be dead by now. I'd been told that humans were the Yautja's favorite prey; that a Hunter who truly wanted to test his mettle would hunt us and could expect prime breeding rights for having human skulls decorating his wall (assuming that they were gained honorably, of course…).

I felt sick. While I had gained a new respect for the two Yautja I knew after watching how hard they had fought to save Jessie's life, I also knew that in spite of that, the both of them had human skulls amongst their trophies. Hell, the ass even wore one on his left hip half the time! I couldn't help it, it colored the way I saw them. My captivity aside, I hated the thought of my people being murdered just so that some alien somewhere could get his rocks off. Even worse was the knowledge that my own sister had taken several trophies as well. I'd come to a semblance of peace about that; I understood where she was coming from and I didn't begrudge her the chance for revenge, but I hoped to never witness my sister like that ever again.

A sound behind me nearly made me turn back around, but it was accompanied by the ass's heavy hand on top of my head and I stilled under the contact. He made deceptively light, little crooning trills while petting my hair and I realized that I must have been crying more loudly than I had thought. The first time he'd ever started petting me, I'd seen it as a condescending gesture and had taken steps to try to be out of reach whenever possible. It hadn't always worked, but it worked well enough to give me the illusion that I had some control over my own life. That was until I came to the realization that this was his notion of "comfort", at least when it came to humans. It was as though he had no idea what to do, but doing nothing wasn't an option for him, so this is what he came up with.

I stifled a sigh and stood, tolerating having my hair petted. Really, he seemed to need to be helpful more than I needed the attention. If I were going to be honest with myself, I was really more of a pet in name only anymore. I had somehow become something like the caretaker of our small group and, though the ass still seemed to take his role as my "master" seriously, he seemed almost relieved that I was more than willing to handle my own affairs and be of some use without direction. Moments like this, when the homesickness and despair became too much for me, didn't happen quite so often anymore, though the ass never really seemed to know quite what to do anyway. It was as though comfort were a completely foreign notion (which was ridiculous after having watched Jess and Lar'ja-thwei interact) and he was uncomfortable with needing to offer it. Or, and this was probably closer to the truth, perhaps he simply didn't understand human needs.

He patted the top of my head and pulled his hand back with what appeared to be an encouraging smile. It had taken me a while to figure out their facial expressions, since I wasn't as gifted as Jessie seemed to be in that department, but this seemed genuine enough. He tilted his head and looked down at me, "Did well, Yin'tekai-di. Won't stay long and then will leave. Be brave."

He patted me on my head again, removed the leash from my collar, then returned to removing his armor and the skulls on his hip, leaving me standing there to blink at his broad back. I fought and won against the urge to sigh, having long ago given up on trying to make him understand that my name was Savanna and not Yin'tekai-di. He simply didn't care. It had made me angry at first, but I had since noticed that he never called Jess by her name, either; she was always "Mei-jadhi" to him and that was that.

Resigning myself to the inevitable, I sat on the soft fur in my little corner, my back against the wall and my knees drawn up to my chest. Maybe if I asked nicely, the ass would give me some of the pillows from his bed. I wrapped my arms around my legs and hung my head, only half-way listening to my keeper's movements. The exaggerated care he took with the human skull he wore drew my attention back to him, though. He didn't place it with the other human skulls on his wall; instead, he mounted it on a peg near his armor. There were two old-fashioned pistols mounted right above the skull, and I watched as he lightly, almost reverently, touched the top of the skull before turning his attention to the guns.

In his room on his ship, this skull had preferential treatment as well. The peg it was normally mounted on had a small shelf attached to it so that the guns could be displayed beneath it. The ass also cleaned and maintenanced the guns at least once a week. I had no doubt that even though they were old, they probably still worked perfectly. Now, he looked them over as though making sure that they hadn't been damaged in the move from his ship to here, meticulously taking them apart and reassembling them before placing them back on the wall.

I'd never asked about any of his trophies and he'd never offered any details, but I couldn't help but be curious, "He must have put up one hell of a fight…"

The ass paused, then gave a huff and answered without turning around, "'She', and yes. Fought well. Was very brave."

"I've seen you and Jess fight. Was she better than Jess? How long did she hold out against you?"

He tossed a frown at me over his shoulder, "Should not be asking, Yin'tekai-di. Inappropriate."

I frowned back, confused, "I was just curious. Sorry…"

I heard him grumble something in his own language that was punctuated with a resigned sigh, "If I tell, you keep silent, yes? Tell no one."

"If you don't want me to, I promise."

He glared at me beadily before giving a firm nod. Not for the first time did I suspect that he didn't quite have all of his marbles, but that was a thought for another time. He turned to face me, arms crossed over his chest, "Did not fight her. Fought with her. Was a friend, Hunt Sister. Was good, but did not have the training that Mei-jadhi has had. Didn't think she would need."

He shook his head, not looking at me now, but I could still see his face. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd have said he looked regretful. I was silent for a moment, then asked him quietly how she died. His golden eyes shifted back to me, seemed to regard me indecisively before coming to a decision with the barest of nods, "Came with to hunt two Bad Bloods. Killed one, but died as well. Keep skull and guns out of respect."

And there it was. She had died doing what was supposedly a task almost exclusively set aside for Arbitrators and had killed one of the targets in the process. According to these guys, she had earned the right to honor and respect, but Luar'ke-de had invited her along on his hunt without making sure that she was prepared for such a thing. I knew him well enough by now to know that he would have probably seen that as a personal failure. He was an ass, but my heart hurt a little for him. It was one thing to know that a well-trained comrade could die any time during a hunt, but it was obvious that this was distinctly different.

I nodded, "I'm sure she was more than worthy of that respect."

He said nothing as he turned back to his trophy wall. It was then that the com by the door buzzed, making me jump. The ass grumbled again, clicking away in his throat, but made his way to the door, pressing one of the red glyphs on the control pad under the com, and the door opened with a mechanical hiss.

Luar'ke-de stood there, glowering down at me, his scent a cocktail of different emotions. I blinked and had to fight the urge to ask him if he was ok. He wouldn't have appreciated the question, though, especially with a line of Eta submissively standing along the wall behind me, and with that look in his eyes, I wouldn't put it past him to do something I would regret. Lar'ja stood next to me, not happy that I had insisted on leaving our room in order to find some kind of work to do when, according to him, we had this time to ourselves. Tough luck; I needed to check on my sister and I was hoping to earn points for being willing to work when I didn't have to.

Doing my best to ignore the fact that I was literally surrounded by unhappy people, I grinned up at the Arbitrator, "Hi! May I see Savanna, please? Also, do you have my cats? And is there anything you need me to do right now?"

He blinked his golden eyes down at me and his brow ridge lowered in irritation. Lar'ja shook his head, "Told her 'no need', but did not listen."

I rolled my eyes, but refused to dignify that with a response. Instead, I looked up at Luar'ke-de and tried to will him to read between the lines a bit. I needed to talk to him and preferably without anyone else around. He stared down at me for a moment before giving a huff of wry amusement, "Go and bring food. Later, we will talk. Lar'ja-thwei, you will stay here."

He said "talk" as though it were a threat, but the look in his eyes gave me hope. An unhappy rumble rose in Lar'ja's throat, however, "You don't mean to send her by herself, do you? Her first time on a Clan ship? She doesn't even know our language yet."

"Hey, I know a few words!" I was ignored.

"She will be fine. She is Blooded and is clever when she puts her mind to it-"

"Hey!"

"She will do well, I'm sure."

Lar'ja aimed a glare up at his brother, "And if she is challenged?"

Luar'ke-de looked at him as though he'd lost his mind, "Then she will meet that challenge as she has before. Do you believe that your being there will change anything? As though you would be permitted to interfere? This is the Path, Lar'ja-thwei. She may be your mate, but she is also your Hunt Sister and should be treated accordingly."

I had the distinct impression that there were things being left unsaid, but I didn't really have the patience to wait around, "Hey, I'm gonna see my sister while you two hash this out, ok? Stop me if you don't want me in your room…"

Sure, it was presumptuous, but I didn't let that stop me. I almost half expected the big Yautja to snap at me, but he moved out of the doorway without taking his eyes off of Lar'ja. Stepping into the dimly lit room, I noticed the cats first, their eyes watching the door. Pouncer's tail was puffed up, but they both looked all right in spite of the transition. I heard a sniffle to my right that automatically drew my attention. My sister sat on a single fur in the corner, her arms wrapped around her knees, and looked both forlorn and shaken. She seemed to be trembling and when her eyes rose to meet mine, I could tell she'd been crying.

"Oh, Anna…" I went to her, kneeling and pulling her close. She clung to me and shook, her face buried in my shoulder. My left hand made soothing circles on her back while she wept quietly. I had toyed with the idea of telling her what the one Elder had said, but decided against it. I didn't think she could handle any more right now, "Anna, what are you doing sitting in the corner like this? Come on…"

I tried to gently pull her to her feet, but she clung harder and shook her head, "Jessie… This is my bed here."

Her voice sounded rough behind her mask, as though her throat were tight. I frowned, "That's ridiculous! Luar'ke-de!"

I turned and called out to my Teacher. The sound of quiet talking broke off and I heard the Arbitrator give an annoyed huff just before he stuck his head in to glare at me, "What, Mei-jadhi?"

"Is this really Savanna's bed? Seriously? Come on!"

So much for remembering that I was the Student…

He strode in and in three of his large steps, had me lifted into the air with his clawed hand around my throat. I gave an undignified squeak of surprise and tried to keep from being strangled by grabbing onto his forearm, my legs kicking to find purchase where there was none. He growled in my face and gave me a shake that rattled the teeth in my head, "Do you challenge me, Mei-jadhi? You will remember your place. We are not on my ship; you will behave accordingly! Is this understood?"

I gasped out a startled, "Yes!" and he dropped me. I managed to keep to my feet, but my hand went to my throat and I coughed, choking on air. I was vaguely aware of Savanna pressing herself back into the corner, watching with wide eyes, but I was more focused on breathing and maintaining a proper, submissive stance with my head and eyes lowered. Lar'ja stood in the doorway, eyebrow ridge lowered and his mandibles closed tightly. Luar'ke-de ignored them both and crossed his arms, glaring sternly down at me, his scent conveying his anger and disapproval.

There was a roll of displeased clicks firing away in his throat and he shook his dreads out in irritation, "Yin'tekai-di may sleep where she wishes, just as your pets do. The bed is big enough that this will not be a problem. This spot is for your pets and was never meant for Yin'tekai-di, but she chose to sit there. Even so, in the future, Mei-jadhi, especially when among other Yautja, you will remember your place whether you agree with me or not."

Or else…

It was left unsaid, but hung in the air like the calm before a storm; a dangerous promise of things to come if one chose not to take heed. I kept my head and eyes down, but gave him a nod and two of the few words of theirs that I knew, "Sei, N'yaka-de."

My translator picked it up and spit the English version back at me as I spoke, almost as if mocking me, "Yes, Master."

Glancing up at him through my eyelashes, I saw his eyes warm slightly and his stance ease. Giving me a firm nod, he tilted his head and considered me for a long moment, "You have seen your sister. Do you not have something you should be doing now?"

Something I should be-? Oh yeah…

"How will I pay for the food, Master?" He seemed more on edge here on the clan ship and I didn't really want to test his patience. If toeing the line was what it would take to keep me in one piece, so be it.

"That is already taken care of. Come."

He turned and strode purposefully toward the door and Lar'ja gave way. Giving my sister a regretful look, I followed him out to where he was commanding one of the Eta to guide me to the mess hall and help me carry the food back. That was an excellent idea; this way, I could accept any challenges and not have to worry about the food being ruined. Fantastic. I stifled a sigh.

In all truth, I was less concerned about Baby Jess being challenged as I was that there might be a hunter who would not mind that she was ooman and would see only a ready female. Because I am her mate, any male who might wish to mate with her would have to go through me first, but I would not be there; I would be here, following my Leader's orders. There were males who would see that as an open invitation and, as my small mate walked into my Leader's quarters to see her sister, I told him as much.

The sensor I wore relayed to me an audible picture of my surroundings in a way that I had long since grown accustomed to and it told me what I could readily pick up in my brother's musk; that he was not pleased with being questioned. I couldn't truly blame him; though we were welcome on this ship, it did not belong to the clan that we had come from. Though this clan was allied with our own former clan, there had once been a time when that had not been so and tensions could flare at any moment. However, as her mate, I had a right to my concerns (concerns that were valid) and Luar'ke-de knew it.

He clicked low in his throat, underscoring his irritation with the matter, "Lar'ja-thwei, think for a moment. She is an ooman hybrid, Blooded and possessing of impressive trophies for one so young and inexperienced. Having been challenged earlier by the Matron's mate, K'koa, and incidentally winning that challenge, there will be those who will challenge her simply as a matter of course. Rivals or Young Bloods who wish to prove their prowess and those who will try to take K'koa's place come next mating season; they will all see her as an obstacle standing in the way of proving that they are better than he is."

I gave a disgruntled huff, "This I can believe. However, what would stop any of them from trying to also take a worthy trophy to impress the Honorable Matron High Priestess?"

He seemed to hesitate, then shook out his ari'nii'ede (what Baby Jess calls "dreads"), "I told you, that is the Path. This is why love is bad for the Yautja; it makes a Hunter foolish. You are too attached to her-"

"And you are not?" I interrupted, frowning toward him, "You fought hard to keep her alive during her change. That is the Path?"

His scent became acrid and a warning growl rose in his throat, "It is one thing to watch one fall during a hunt or after being challenged, but I cannot, will not, stand idly by while my only Student dies unnaturally and dishonored. Not if I can prevent it."

Dishonored? I didn't know what he meant. I had been there to witness her taking back her honor and she had ooman trophies on her wall to prove it. I wanted to ask what he meant, but it was then that my mate called out to him and issued her challenge from within his quarters. I suppressed a sigh; her timing couldn't have been worse.

There was some truth to some of Luar'ke-de's words; perhaps I did love too much and was too attached. Yet, she had saved my life, taken me into her home, and became a greater friend than I could ever have had the right to expect. Certainly no Yautja would have done as she had. They would have believed as I had; that my hunting days were over. I had had visions of being forced to become an Eta, of giving up my honor and freedom, haunting my mind before she showed me the truth of my situation. I would always owe her a debt that would be impossible to pay back, though I try. I saw no dishonor in her, unless it was her penchant to speak too freely at the worst possible times.

But, Paya help me, my attraction to the small female was not purely emotional. In spite of any and all rational thought, I also desired her greatly on a physical level. It had been extremely shocking to me when I had first realized; she was small, scrawny, misshapen, and very much a typical ooman… She did not smell right, lacking the sweet musk of the female Yautja, and she was no warrior, preferring to spend her time writing her stories. Yet, I came to regard her as soft, sweet, and delicate; traits I would have never believed that I could find attractive until meeting her. Perhaps it was her attitude, her spirit, the fire that had prompted her to grab a Hunter's mandibles and snarl back or face the kainde amedha with weapons she had not known would even work. She somehow managed to make me feel both like a powerful Hunter and a besotted pup. She spun my head and I never knew what she would do next.

However, I feared that her bravery was going to get her killed unless she learned discipline, so I stood back and listened to Luar'ke-de teach the small female once again to respect her Leader. She needed to learn caution or she would not live long. True, she was still quite young yet and would make mistakes, it was normal; if she survived, she would become a great Huntress. Already her trophies were impressive, but they would mean very little if she died poorly or, Paya forbid, did something foolish and was branded a Bad Blood. Because my soul belonged to her, I had to let her learn the only way anyone truly learned anything, the hard way.

I followed the Eta, receiving openly curious or calculating looks from the Yautja I passed. Several even followed for a while, trying to catch my scent and my shoulders tightened with irritation after the fifth attempt. Trying to put it out of my mind, I studied my guide; he was tall, as tall as Luar'ke-de, with dark mottling over forest-green skin and nut-brown points at his face and torso. His jet black hair was unbound and flowed freely to the middle of his back, held out of his way by a simple, silvery clip. I had to make a conscious effort not to reach out and discover what their hair felt like when not in the dreads I was used to seeing.

He looked fit and appeared stockier than even Luar'ke-de and I was certain that he would have likely made an admirable Hunter if it weren't for the fact that his left arm was missing. It didn't appear to be a new injury and my Teacher had assured me that this guy would be perfectly capable of carrying the food, so I wondered why he wasn't a Hunter. If he could manage carrying out the many tasks of a servant, surely he could do more?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sounds and smells of what appeared to be the mess hall. The room was quite big, much like that of the bazaar, and was filled with rows of massive tables and simple, but equally massive, benches that were filled with Hunters (most of which were male, but there were a surprising number of female as well). The noise of their conversations and the occasional fights was a nearly solid wall that my presence didn't seem to diminish at all in spite of the many eyes that found and followed me as my guide and I slowly made our way through the crowd toward the far side of the room. There were lines of Yautja that snaked along to several different windows where it appeared that more Eta served the food.

The crowd seemed to pull back then and my guide tensed and submissively made way. Confused, I looked around and a female Hunter stepped out of the thinning crowd to stand staring down at me from behind a silver mask shaped like a small, Queen skull that was heavily etched on the crown. The edges of the mask were lined in the same gold-colored metal that capped a good three or four inches on the ends of the Huntress's heavily beaded and decorated dreads. She stood at about 10' and was mostly a dark cream color with a dark rust-colored mottling along her torso and over her shoulders and, from what I could see, hips. Her loincloth and top (which looked more like a sports bra with only one strap) were pitch black underneath her full armor. The frilled top of Yautja skulls covered her knees, articulating with her silvery shin guards. Articulated armor covered the sides of her torso but left her middle exposed except for the fish netting of her shift suit and some dark metallic thread holding the armor together. Strings of bone, claws, and fangs covered her throat including what appeared to be the full skeleton of a snake. She had a Yautja skull on each shoulder as well as one on her right hip and was bristling with more weapons than Luar'ke-de.

I wasn't certain what she wanted, but I didn't have a great feeling about this. We stared at each other and I had to force myself not to back up to make it easier to look up at her. I'd know what I was doing, but she would probably think I was backing down and I wasn't. I wanted to, sure; there was no way I wanted to get into a fight with this chick, but it wouldn't be looked upon favorably by anyone, least of all my Teacher.

A low rumble of clicks fired away in her throat and she somehow seemed to get bigger. I managed to keep from reacting and I was proud of myself for that. I had to swallow a squeak, though, when she reached forward with a very large, taloned, hand and gave my shoulder a shove that nearly knocked me off my feet.

Regaining my balance, I glared up at her and growled.

Fuck.

So, how was it? Better or worse than the last time I used different POVs? I'd love to hear your thoughts (:insert subtle hint to review. wink nudge:)

Also, for those of you who are worried about Savanna, I promise this won't last forever. She has cool stuff coming her way, never you fear.

Review! I need to know how I'm doing. I know my updates are super slow, but I do get chapters out eventually and it helps me to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions. Heck, I'll even take a flame if you're so inclined (they're pretty funny and I could use the laugh ;-D LOL). So review and help a hard-working author out. ^.^

I own nothing! (But I totally wanna see the movie Prometheus when it comes out!)

Happy Reading! ^.^

P.s. Preds dancing the Caramelldansen. You're welcome. LOL