Chapter 26
{Author's Notes: Spitfire… I would have responded to your review that you left, but there are 79 other users with Spitfire as part of their name. Needless to say… I am NOT going to message every one of them in an attempt to figure out who actually left the review.}
Guan walked in to her home, followed by her three sisters and the young female she would be training, only to see disturbed expressions on almost everyone's face. The only two exceptions to that were Lilith, and Bakuub. Lilith was sitting in a chair petting and scratching the large Yaut Hound, but the others appeared to be thinking deeply.
"What's wrong?" Yeyinde demanded as soon as she saw the way everyone was looking.
"It seems that Lilith is going to be an Arbitrator." Setg'in answered glumly.
"Says who? She is far too young for that!" Guan snapped in surprised irritation.
"His name was Kwei-Sain'ja, he's an Elite Arbitrator. Apparently what frightened Lilith the other night, was meeting Cetanu in the dreamworld. He told her that she would be one of his." Setg'in stated.
Guan sucked in a sudden breath in a hiss. As one who was training to become an Arbitrator, she knew exactly what that meant. Lilith… her Lilith… had been chosen by Cetanu himself! The Arbitrators who had been called in such a way were very, very few, and had always become legends that were still spoken of! Until now, she had only heard whispered tales of such a calling, because such a thing had not happened in more than a dozen generations. Now she not only had the honor and privilege of knowing such a one, but she had that one living in her home!
Lilith looked up as Gwen walked over to the giant couch and put a large bundle down on it, then stepped over to her with a conflicted on her face. Gwen took one of her hands in each of hers, and then looked her right in the eyes. She knew that was a worried look on the Predators face.
Guan's mandibles twitched from a bewildering mix of conflicting emotions. She was ecstatic with joy that Lilith had such a promising future ahead of her. She was enraged, because she felt that Lilith was much too young to have such a future placed in front of her. She was stricken with grief because very few could complete the training to become an Arbitrator without becoming cold and nearly emotionless, and she didn't want that for Lilith. She was also saddened by the fact that Arbitrators seldom lasted very long, and as an ooman, Lilith's life would already be short enough.
"Lilith… if… if you choose to take the path of becoming an Arbitrator, I will not try to stop you. Instead, I will assist you in every way I can. I must say that though I do not want such a life for you, I would be Honored to fight at your side and call you 'Sister'." Guan said seriously.
Lilith looked at Gwen and could tell that she was being very serious, and trying to hide a lot of what she felt. Lilith knew that Gwen had some mixed up feelings right then, because her face kept twitching.
"What's an Arbitrator?" Lilith asked.
Setg'in started snickering even as the others gaped in shock at the question. "I wonder if Cetanu understands just what he's gotten himself into?"
"I don't think he does, because I don't understand." Hulij-bpe said in an almost childlike voice.
Setg'in's snicker turned into a laugh while everyone gaped at him. Looking around he spotted a young female that seemed familiar to him. It took him a moment before he recognized the serving girl from the other day. She was gaping at Lilith in total shock, and that only made him laugh harder.
Yeyinde glared over at Setg'in indignantly. "Lilith is seriously asking for information, and she deserves a proper answer, so you should not be laughing."
Yeyinde turned to face Lilith and spoke gently. "An Arbitrator is one who enforces what is right by killing those who do wrong. Arbitrators are well respected and greatly honored by most of us. Those who don't respect Arbitrators are almost always Bad Bloods who should be killed anyway. Guan is in training to become an Arbitrator so she can explain things to you in detail and answer your questions if you have them."
"That shadow thing said that one day, I would be one of his. Does that mean I have to be one of these 'Arbitrators'?" Lilith asked worriedly.
Guan pulled Lilith into an embrace and held her tightly while her mind raced. "No Lilith. You do not have to become an Arbitrator! You can even choose not to be a Blooded Warrior. What you choose to do with your life is your choice! I will not allow anyone to make that choice for you… not even Cetanu!"
Lilith nodded her head, and slowly wrapped her arms around Gwen. She had only been out of the basement for a little over a week. Two days with that Weyland bastard, and six days here, but now she had to decide what she wanted to do with her entire life! She knew that she was only about fourteen years old, and now she had to figure out her whole future. She hardly knew anything about the world she now lived on. She had already seen that things were very different here, so she had to learn everything all over again.
Thwei-de-guan gaped at the little ooman in disbelief. She knew from what she had been told that this ooman had faced the Hard Meat, and that she had cleansed a large nest of Tunnel Runners during her First Hunt. Now she learns that this ooman had been chosen by Cetanu to become an Arbitrator! Considering the natural combat skills the ooman seemed to possess, it made so much sense. She had also been told by the Huntress Guan, that she would be training with this ooman named Lilith. What she now knew, made her determined to become equal to the ooman in skill.
"Lilith… I will tell you that while I would be very honored to fight beside you as an Arbitrator, that is a decision that you need not face for some years. I will teach you what you should know, and I will train you in how to fight properly. Combat skills are something you will always need, even if you choose not to become an Arbitrator. I will make certain that you have such skills by teaching you and Thwei-de-guan at the same time. You will be able to learn from me, and from each other. The two of you will learn together." Guan said earnestly.
Lilith nodded her head and looked over at the one she'd decided to call 'May Day'. She had heard the Predator woman say that she was twenty-six years old, but that she didn't know how to fight. She could see that May Day was bigger than she was, and she was pretty sure the Predator was stronger too. Maybe, by learning how to fight alongside May Day, she would learn how to win against more than one Predator at a time so they wouldn't be able to do what her parents had. That was very important to her. In that moment, she became very determined to be the best fighter she could so that she could never be put in another basement!
"So we're going to learn how to fight at the same time, does that mean we'll be a team?" Lilith asked seriously.
"That, Lilith, will depend on whether or not you take the Chiva. Thwei-de-guan has already decided that she will do so. If you take the Chiva as well, then yes, the two of you will fight as a team." Guan answered.
Suddenly, Lilith started snickering maliciously. "Well then… since it's me and her against the whole world… we can attack at dawn!"
Everyone gaped at the little ooman in stunned disbelief. Then Setg'in started laughing.
"That… is the type of fearless bravado she had in the Temple! When she gets determined, not even the Hard Meat can frighten her!" Setg'in said laughing.
"While I must admire your courage Lilith, I will suggest that you save that courage for after you learn to fight." Than-guan suggested.
"Are they gonna run?" Lilith asked with a smile.
"Probably not." Than-guan answered.
"Then how are they gonna catch me?" Lilith shot back.
"Without running, they won't catch you at all!" Nihkou'te said with a wry smile. "I distinctly recall an injured little ooman readily avoiding the three of us and the Hard Meat who were all trying to catch her. Even when we were running, you weren't easily caught."
"Well, I'm not hurt now! That just means I can run faster. So… wanna try it again?" Lilith challenged with a smirk.
Nihkou'te started laughing just a bit. "No… I think I'll wait until I have a lot more combat experience before I try anything like that again."
"Pussy!" Lilith shot back.
Guan gaped in shock even as she turned the ooman to face her. "That Lilith, is not something I wish to hear you say again! You may call someone a lot of things, but that should not be one of them! A respectable female does not use such terms."
"Ordinarily, I wouldn't hesitate to accept such a blatant challenge Lilith, but I was not so fearless as to enjoy the experience the way you did." Nihkou'te replied calmly.
Lilith started laughing. "Wimp!"
"May I be told what she has said?" Thwei-de-guan asked rather formally.
"Lilith challenged me to take the Chiva all over again, because now that she is not injured, she can run faster and so avoid my brothers and I, along with the Hard Meat. When I refused she called me a 'Lou-dte Kalei'." Nihkou'te said evenly. "To my knowledge, she is the only individual who has ever enjoyed participating in a Chiva while essentially unarmed."
"She had no weapon?" Thwei-de-guan gasped.
"I did too have a weapon! I had this!" Lilith protested hotly while she pulled out her pocket knife and displayed it proudly.
"I don't know what you just said, but that isn't a weapon! I have larger blades than that among my playthings!" Thwei-de-guan exclaimed exasperatedly.
"Don't worry. I'll be taking my baseball bat next time, and if it'll kill space rats, then it'll kill those black things too!" Lilith stated confidently.
"What did she say now?" Thwei-de-guan asked irritatedly.
"She plans to use an ooman plaything as a club to kill the Hard Meat." Setg'in replied with a snicker.
Thwei-de-guan couldn't believe what she had heard, then she noticed that the female Guan was purring at the ooman!
Guan pulled Lilith deeper into her embrace and lifted the pup into her arms as she stood up.
"Since Thwei-de-guan and Lilith will now be interacting with each other, you should enable Thwei-de-guan to understand Lilith's language." Guan said to Kwei.
"That is not only an excellent suggestion, but a necessary one as well. Those two will need to be able to understand one another without requiring someone to translate." Setg'in stated with a slight grin.
Kwei nodded his head and stood up from the chair he was seated in. He reached down to his waist and retrieved his mask.
"This will program the language that Lilith speaks into your mind so that you'll be able to understand what she says." Kwei said as he stepped over to the young female and held out his mask.
"I have heard of such things and know that it's commonly done, but I haven't seen it or experienced it." Thwei-de-guan answered.
"If you're gonna do what I think you're gonna do, you better tell her that thing is gonna make her feel like she wants to puke!" Lilith warned firmly.
"Lilith says that you will most likely feel ill after the programming is complete. That is a possibility because there is usually some disorientation immediately afterwards." Than-guan stated factually.
"I understand." Thwei-de-guan replied before she turned to look over at Lilith. "Even if that does make me feel ill, it will only be for a short while, but I'll be able to understand you permanently. I would consider that a worthy exchange." She added.
Lilith nodded her head in agreement and propped her right arm across Gwen's shoulders. She watched as Old Bruce put the mask on May-day's face and frowned in remembrance of her own experience with it. She scrunched up her face while it was happening, and winced in sympathy when May-day went pale.
"That really sucks… doesn't it?" Lilith asked as she winced.
"It is not at all pleasant if that's what you mean." Thwei-de-guan replied sourly.
"I know! I thought I was gonna puke and pass out when he did it to me." Lilith stated.
"Do you really intend to face a Hard Meat with a plaything?" Thwei-de-guan asked.
"If you mean my baseball bat, then sure! It worked great to splatter those space rats, so it'll bust the head of one of those black things." Lilith answered with a grin.
"I don't know what any of those are. Can you explain?" Thwei-de-guan asked in confusion.
Thwei-de-guan was on edge and very wary. She was deliberately speaking formally and with as much respect as she could because she knew that this little ooman had more experience than she did. Not only had this little female cleansed a nest of Tunnel Runners, but had apparently enjoyed being in a Chiva while unarmed! She had also just learned that this ooman was also chosen by Cetanu himself! All of what little she knew meant that this ooman had a lot of honor and a very strong will to fight. She also understood that she had been very fortunate that Elder Guan had intervened in the confrontation in the dining hall. Without knowing anything about combat, the determination and experience of the ooman would have provided a distinct advantage. Knowing that she would now be interacting with the ooman female on a regular basis, she decided that it could only be a good thing for them to be respectful to each other, but it would be even better if they somehow became friends.
"The 'space rats' are what she calls the Tunnel Runners and 'black things' are what she calls the Hard Meat. Her 'baseball bat' is one of her playthings that she used as a club to kill the Tunnel Runners." Setg'in replied smugly.
"She actually used a plaything to complete a cleansing?" Thwei-de-guan demanded.
"Well… that, a Yaut hound, and some brilliant tactics." Setg'in answered while giving the pup in his mother's arms a grin.
Thwei-de-guan shook her head in disbelief at what she was learning. She never would have dreamed of such occurrences, yet now she was hearing about them.
Guan pulled Lilith tighter into her embrace and held her there. She would happily proclaim that she was proud of her ooman daughter. The little female had demonstrated so much honor during the short time that she'd been among them. Not that she would have cared one way or the other, but she seen Lilith face death without fear during a challenge just to prevent her from spending some money. After the way that Lilith had shown her honor, she decided that she would never doubt the pup's actions again.
Guan's attention was drawn to the sound of the chime that indicated someone was at the door. She went to the door and let it slide open. She was greeted by the sight of an unknown female who was clearly angry and a pair of Unbloods. One of the Unbloods was badly injured, with his face heavily damaged and unrecognizable.
The female looked at her appraisingly for a moment before she spoke. "I am Da'dtou-de, (Little Knife) and I have come here to discover why a Blooded Warrior would deliver such an injury to one who is not Blooded yet." She said calmly while gesturing at the wounded Yautja.
As soon as they saw who was at the door, both Setg'in and Nihkou'te started growling. Guan could smell the burst of anger emanating from Lilith, and she knew that something had happened, but she didn't know what that might be.
"Enter." Guan said as she stepped back. She then heard a slight growl come from Lilith, and that surprised her because she rarely heard Lilith growl.
"Who is the Warrior named Hulij-bpe Thwei?" Da'dtou-de asked seriously.
"I am." Hulij-bpe answered as he stood up.
"Why did you strike my son when he has yet to be Blooded?" Da'dtou-de demanded.
"Because he tried to attack Lilith with his wrist-blades." Hulij-bpe answered angrily.
"What is a 'Lilith'?" Mar'cte demanded indignantly. "My brother only defended his honor against one who insulted him!"
"That shit raping chunk of slime said something bad about Celtic first! I only pointed it out!" Lilith shouted as she got pissed!
Guan now knew that something was very wrong! She had rarely scented this much anger from Lilith, and from that alone, she knew the little female was more than ready to kill. The question remained… why?
Suddenly Guan realized what Lilith had said and she turned her head to look at the pup while her mandibles spread in stark disbelief. That was when she noticed that all of her family was gaping at the ooman in shock, and that was how she knew that she had indeed heard the unusual insult correctly.
Da'dtou-de too had understood what the ooman had shouted in rage. She could clearly smell the intense anger coming from the ooman in the female's arms, but she didn't understand why the ooman would be so easily enraged by what appeared to be an insult to another.
"I do not know who this 'Celtic' is, but you say you illustrated the fact of an insult?" Da'dtou-de asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah! I can't tell you exactly what that jack-ass said because it was all garbled or something. I don't know… but I know what it meant!" Lilith seethed.
"You understood the meaning of the insult but not the exact words? That would imply that you don't know those words in your own tongue." Da'dtou-de said suspiciously.
"What was it that you understood Lilith?" Guan asked calmly while keeping a sharp watch on the guests.
"He said that Celtic is as dumb as he is big!" Lilith snapped. "It pissed me off too, because he's not mean to anybody!"
"I wish there had been a recording made, because I would like to know exactly what happened." Da'dtou-de growled.
"I recorded it. I always record everything when I leave this home. I do that so that someone can show me if I did something wrong." Hulij-bpe said softly.
"May I view this recording?" Da'dtou-de asked in a much calmer tone now that she knew she would discover exactly what had happened.
Hulij-bpe nodded his head, donned his mask to load the recording, and handed the mask to the strange female.
Da'dtou-de accepted the proffered mask and placed it on her head to view the recording. Then, even as her left hand was removing the mask, her right fist lashed out and caught her son in his already damaged face.
"You dare to insult a Blooded Warrior to his face? To make matters worse, you tried to use a weapon against an unarmed opponent! You should count yourself as extremely fortunate that he didn't kill you for such dishonor!" Da'dtou-de raged.
"I thought they were my friends because they always say that to me, but Lilith says that they aren't my friends because they say that." Hulij-bpe said sadly.
"Hulij-bpe Thwei does have a fairly low degree of intelligence, but his loyalty and skill can not be questioned. My son has few that he calls friends because most choose to insult his low intelligence." Guan said firmly.
"Next time I hear someone call him stupid or something, I'm just gonna punch 'em in the nuts a whole lot of times! That jack-ass from this morning will think what I did to him felt good compared to what I'm gonna do!" Lilith snapped with a frown.
"Lilith… it might be more merciful for you to castrate them." Setg'in grinned.
"If they're dumb enough to call Celtic stupid, then I will not be nice about it!" Lilith said maliciously.
"It would seem that your sister plans to defend you as much as you intend to defend her." Guan told Hulij-bpe with a smile.
"Sister?" Da'dtou-de exclaimed as she looked back and forth between the two. "How did that happen?"
"We all Blood Bonded with Lilith two nights ago and I foresee no reason to regret this Bond." Guan replied casually.
"Neither do I or my two sisters." Than-guan added sincerely.
"It is well then that she does not fear speaking truth." Da'dtou-de replied with a nod as she handed the mask back to Hulij-bpe. She looked down at her youngest son, and saw that he was remaining silent in spite of the obvious pain he was in. It was clear that he needed to learn more about respecting his betters.
"I wish oomans had never evolved!" Yeyin Sain'ja slurred through his broken mouth.
Guan gaped at the Unblood as did every Yautja present because of the insult against Lilith and her entire species.
"Well I wish you had taste buds in your asshole, but it looks like neither one of us is getting what we want, so live with it." Lilith snapped in quick reply.
A stunned silence reigned while everyone who had understood the ooman struggled with the magnitude of what the ooman had said.
"I'm not sure which fate would be worse… that or being pursued by the Dark Hunter forever." Setg'in said awe.
"What do you mean?" Thwei-de-guan asked in confusion.
"Simple. If he had taste buds in his rectum, then he would be forced to experience that flavor every time he needed to evacuate his bowels. Before, during, and for quite a while after… the taste would always be there. It would be a very disgusting fate to endure." Setg'in explained.
All of the Yautja shuddered at that thought, and several turned their heads to look at Lilith who was glaring at Yeyin Sain'ja.
As angry as Guan was over the insult that had been directed against Lilith, she would readily claim that the insult Lilith had returned was far worse! There could be no doubts that Lilith had prevailed in the exchange.
Da'dtou-de shook her head. She would admit that her son had thoroughly dishonored himself by insulting a Blooded Warrior to his face. For him to have compounded his transgression by attacking the unarmed ooman pup who had exposed his disrespect was not a good sign at all. The insult he had just uttered was also dishonorable, but the one the pup had returned with? That was an insult the likes of which she had never heard before!
Da'dtou-de grabbed each of her son's by the shoulder and herded them out the door. She decided that it was best to leave before one of them did or said something so dishonorable that it would get them killed.
"Sorry Celtic. I know you thought they were your friends and you liked them, but friends aren't like that." Lilith said softly as she looked over at the large male.
"Lilith is right brother." Setg'in said seriously. "Those who are your friends will not care about your intelligence or anything else. They will want to be around you because they like who you are."
"They're right. Take Chi'ytei-de-thei as an example. He likes you, but he does not wish to be around those who insult you. Yes, he's older than we are, but that means nothing to him… neither does your intelligence or lack of it." Nihkou'te stated.
Setg'in watched his brother nod in understanding. He had known for a long time that it would be very difficult, if not impossible to reason with Hulij-bpe about those two. Hulij-bpe had considered them to be his friends and explaining otherwise had proven to a futile effort.
Then Setg'in turned to look at Lilith. "Force breed a pile of c'jit, and taste buds in the rectum? Lilith… those are the most disgusting insults I've ever heard!"
"Well that would explain why she is so fast with those finger gestures." Nihkou'te snickered ruefully.
"Compared to what she said not very long ago, those gestures are compliments!" Setg'in exclaimed.
"I would have to agree. Those two insults that Lilith used so quickly are much more demeaning than the insults we normally use. If Lilith didn't have to think about coming up with them, then it means that she may well be familiar with other insults that are far more demeaning than what we use. On the other claw… if Lilith did think up those insults that fast, then it shows that not only is she a very fast thinker, but also that she thinks in a way that is much different from us." Kwei said slowly as he thought about it.
"Lilith? Have you heard insults like that before?" Yeyinde asked in more than a bit of dread.
"Probably." Lilith admitted with a frown as she thought about it. "Me and my friends used to 'talk smack' all the time."
"What is that?" Guan asked interestedly.
"That's where you try to come up with a put down that either makes the other person mad or bust out laughing. I lost a lot at that game because most of the stuff I heard was a riot, so I was always laughing." Lilith answered.
"You did this often?" Setg'in asked.
"Sure! We played all the time. It was fun. I usually ended up laughing and losing though. You raff, you ruse, as the Japanese would say, we always said it too." Lilith answered with a shrug.
"She's had training in giving insults!" Thwei-de-guan exclaimed in shock.
Guan started laughing. "Such a skill would serve an Arbitrator very well. Insults of that nature would only enrage the Bad Blood they are delivered to, and cause them to fight poorly. They will make mistakes which will provide an advantage."
"Well… if you want we can play some times." Lilith suggested.
"I would greatly appreciate that Lilith. Being able to anger someone enough that they are unable to fight properly would give me enough of an edge to survive against a skilled opponent." Guan answered seriously.
Guan knew that the types of insults that Lilith had so readily given were far more serious than anything she was familiar with. She was considering this when the pup in her arms began laughing.
"You teach me how to fight, and I'll teach you how to cut someone down." Lilith cackled.
"You cut someone down with a blade." Guan said confidently.
"Nope!" Lilith proclaimed with a smile. "You tell them that you would cut them down, but diarrhea doesn't slice… it drips!"
"That is disgusting!" Thwei-de-guan complained with a frown.
"Yes… it is! I think that would be far more effective in angering someone than saying that they are an insect or unworthy opponent. Calling them a puddle of c'jit is not something to be considered nice." Setg'in chuckled.
"You call those put downs?" Lilith demanded in shock. "That's sad Scar. Calling someone a bug is nothing! Even little kids will tell someone to go suck their momma's titty!"
Everyone turned to gape at the human girl in Guan's arms. Lilith had just casually uttered the most serious insult that any of them had ever heard.
"Lilith… you should know that an insult of that magnitude should never be used unless you plan to fight! For those who are Blooded, you are telling them that they do not deserve to be Blooded, that they should never have taken their Chiva, that they do not deserve what skills they possess, and that they have even less worth than a mere suckling, so they should also feed like one." Yeyinde said in a horrified warning.
"Well, I don't know what being blooded is and I don't know what taking a Shiva is… but the rest of that? Yep, that's about what it means." Lilith stated smugly.
"I think I should leave now." Thwei-de-guan said softly as she shook her head. "I would probably get mad enough to say something like that, and without knowing how to fight, I would be killed… very easily." She added softly before she turned and left.
Everyone watched as the young female left quickly. Setg'in turned to face Lilith so that he could be sure that he had her full attention.
"Aunt Yeyinde is correct Lilith. I have heard many insults before… but I have never heard anything that serious before!" Setg'in firmly.
"That's one of the first things I ever learned." Lilith replied honestly. "So if that is serious, then telling some jackass to go fuck his mother is even worse isn't it?"
Around the room every mandible drooped and every jaw dropped as they all stared at the little ooman. All but one stared in shocked disbelief, but Hulij-bpe stared in awe at his little sister. It was no wonder that she had so quickly recognized the insult which had become a common greeting for the past few years… because she knew insults that were far more devastating in nature!
"Please tell me that you don't know the meaning of what you just said!" Guan gasped in horror as she grasped Lilith's head and turned it to face her.
"Not really… no. "Lilith admitted softly. "I just know that it's bad."
"Yes it is. It's a very bad thing to say. Anyone you say that to, will try to kill you for it. You saw your ooman father do that to your ooman mother several times after they finished beating you." Setg'in said softly.
Guan hadn't known that Setg'in would say that or she would certainly have told him to remain silent. Lilith didn't know what the sex act consisted of, and she would prefer that it stay that way for a while.
"Well why did she seem to like it if it hurts so much?" Lilith demanded suspiciously as she began to get angry.
"Why would you think it hurts?" Nihkou'te asked.
"Because it hurt like hell when my mother held me down so he could do it to me!" Lilith shouted in a rage.
Guan had tried to place her hand over Lilith's mouth before she could speak, but was far too horrified to make it in time.
"They… they forced her to breed?" Nihkou'te whispered in shock as he stared at his mother.
"Yes… they did. That's why Guan needed her mask returned after you three Youngbloods viewed the recording. She made sure that you would not see that particular memory." Yeyinde said softly.
A very strange series of sounds made everyone turn to look at Hulij-bpe. His head hung against his chest while a sort of gasping whine left his throat.
"I would go back to the ooman world and hunt those two down if they weren't already dead! I'm glad Cetanu is hunting them forever!" Hulij-bpe snarled morosely.
Guan had been nearly certain that Hulij-bpe would live up to his name in a berserk rage after learning one thing that Lilith had endured. Instead, the large male was devastated. She could see that the poor male wanted so badly to do… something, but she had no idea what he might do.
Lilith had looked over at Celtic sitting in a chair when he started making that strange noise. He looked like he was about to start crying because of what had been done to her. That was something she really didn't understand, because he had only known her for just a few days… so why would he care about her so much? She moved to get down out of Gwen's arms and walked over to the big Predator.
"I'm sorry Celtic." Lilith said softly.
Hulij-bpe pulled his little ooman sister into his lap where he started running his claws through her hair as he held her close. "You don't need to be sorry about anything. They are the ones who should be sorry! They are the ones who kept hurting you! You don't have to worry anymore. They're dead now. They can't ever do anything to you again."
Lilith turned her blue eyes so that they were looking into the pain filled orbs of the large Predator who was holding her. She just knew that he truly meant what he had just told her, but she wasn't surprised by that even though she wouldn't really believe it, had it come from anyone else.
"They may be dead, but they still scare the crap out of me." Lilith muttered sourly.
"That may be Lilith, but I think Cetanu is scaring them even more!" Setg'in said firmly.
"I will tell you now, that I hope Cetanu enjoys striking fear into their hearts! It is a fitting justice that they deserve after what they did to you!" Yeyinde said in a loud and fervent tone.
There was a chorus of agreement from all but one of the Yautja present. Hulij-bpe hadn't said anything because he was thinking a lot.
'I know Lilith is a lot smarter than I am. She knew they were insulting me when I didn't. I thought they were my friends but she knew they weren't. She didn't even know what the words were, but Lilith is smart enough that she still knew it was an insult. She's done a lot of things to prove how smart she is. She has honor too.' Hulij-bpe thought sadly.
Suddenly the large Warrior pulled Lilith tighter into his lap as something occurred to him. 'Cetanu chose Lilith to be one of his Arbitrators! That means she has to have a lot of honor! She's got to have more honor than anyone I know, because Cetanu chose her instead of anyone else!'
Yeyinde watched quietly as Hulij-bpe held Lilith. She knew the little ooman had endured some of the worst that life had to offer. Strangely though, it seemed that after all Lilith had been put through by her ooman parents, the pup seemed to care about them in some way. She pointed this out to her sister Guan, who agreed that it was a very good sign, and was obviously pleased to see it.
Than-guan Thwei wasn't saying anything, but she was certainly thinking a lot. Just a few short hours earlier she had watched Lilith endure a lethal amount of pain. Yet there she was, ignoring the physical pain that she still had to endure in order to assuage the emotional pain of another. It said a lot about what type of individual Lilith was.
Lilith stayed sitting in Celtic's lap for a while, until she remembered that her cup of mango juice was still sitting on the coffee table. She patted Celtic on the shoulder to let him know that he wasn't the only one who felt bad about things. Then she slid down out of his lap and went over to the coffee table to get her cup. It wasn't as cold as it had been, but it was still cool enough to be very satisfying.
Lilith had just finished drinking what was left in her cup and was about to ask if she could have more, when she gasped and nearly dropped the cup because of a spike of incredible pain in her back. She put the cup on the table before leaning on it while trying to catch her breath. She didn't really know why her back had suddenly started hurting like this, all she knew was that it felt like she was getting burned by a bazillion cigarettes all at once.
"Lilith… what's wrong?" Kwei demanded in concern as he stood up.
Lilith couldn't answer him. It was only through an act of sheer stubborn determination that she took in a very ragged breath. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream it hurt so much, but she couldn't do anything except struggle to simply breathe.
"She's having a reaction of pain from the procedure this morning!" Than-guan Thwei said loudly as she realized what was happening.
Than-guan immediately pulled out an injector that was already loaded with a dose of pain blocker, stepped over to Lilith and injected it into her shoulder. She knew at once that Lilith must be in absolute agony, because there was no resistance at all. She then put the injector away and carefully lifted the pup into her arms.
"Come Lilith. We'll see if a topical application will help any." Than-guan told the little female as she moved hurriedly to carry the little one to her room followed by the other three females and Bakuub.
Than-guan quickly stripped off Lilith's shirt and began drenching the pup's back in pain blocking serum. She moved as swiftly as she could without making things worse for Lilith. She had seen Lilith vehemently refuse an injection of pain blocker earlier, but this time, there had been no resistance to it at all. That fact alone alarmed her. It told the noted Healer that whatever pain Lilith was currently experiencing, was actually worse than levels that had already proven fatal!
"Breathe Lilith. Just concentrate on breathing right now. The pain should recede to tolerable levels shortly." Than-guan voiced in serious concern as she continued to spread the serum around.
Lilith nodded her head and tried to catch her breath. She had no idea what that was, but it had been a lot worse than anything that had ever happened to her. It had come out of nowhere just like her father's fist when he would hit her. But Thing One… Thing One was working very hard and fast to actually try to make her back stop hurting.
It took Lilith a few minutes to catch her breath. She looked around and saw all three of the Thing sisters, and Gwen watching her closely. Even Slobber was watching her like a hawk. Her back still hurt, but the pain was rapidly going away because of what Thing One had done.
"Are you feeling any better now?" Than-guan Thwei asked softly.
"Yeah. I don't know what happened. It was like someone set my back on fire or something." Lilith answered honestly.
"That burst of pain is a result of the procedure this morning. You may have to endure further bouts of pain like that over the next couple of days." Than-guan said to Lilith.
"So just cause the surgery is over, doesn't mean every thing is done with… does it?" Lilith asked sourly.
Guan picked up the discarded shirt and offered it back to Lilith. "That Lilith, is unfortunately the way it is. If your back starts hurting you again, I want you to tell one of us."
"If the pain is too intense for you to speak, just point to your back. I know you couldn't speak to us a short time ago, but we will not allow you to go through that if we can do something about it." Yeyinde said in a gentle but still firm tone.
Lilith took a deep breath before she nodded her head. She had to admit that she was really surprised at just how fast Thing One had been to do something about her back. It was starting to seem like these Predators cared about her even more than her parents ever had, and she couldn't understand why that was.
"Lilith… I know you aren't going to like this, because you don't seem to like injections of pain blocker, but I am going to make sure that everyone has an injector already loaded with pain blocker for you in case this happens again." Than-guan said firmly. "I will not allow you to die because of pain that could have been alleviated… do you understand?"
"Yeah." Lilith answered as she nodded. "Getting stuck by that telephone pole didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as my back just did." She added before swallowing hard.
"I regret to hear you say that Lilith, because there isn't any of us who want to see you in pain." Than-guan Thwei said quietly.
Lilith could see that all of the Predators agreed with that, but she couldn't be sure that they would always feel that way. What she did see was that Slobber was right there beside her, whining softly. She reached up and started scratching around Slobber's ears.
"I'm okay now Slobber." Lilith said softly before she looked back at the Predator women who were standing around her and nodded to them. She put her shirt back on and could feel it sticking to the stuff that had been smeared all over her back. She noticed that Gwen was keeping a sharp eye on her as she went back to the living room. That was when she spotted the bundle on the couch.
When she saw Lilith frown in apparent confusion at the fairly large bundle of coverings on the couch, Guan knew that the little female was curious about it.
"Lilith I want you to examine the coverings that were made for you. Dachande spent a large amount of time making them, and I want to make sure that you are pleased with the swimming coverings that have been made for you. The other items are like those you are wearing." Guan instructed.
Lilith stepped over to the couch as Gwen opened the bundle of clothes. There was lot of shirts and pants there, all folded neatly. She wasn't too happy to see more of those G-string panties, but the tube top style bras she had no problem with. The three more pair of boots put a smile on her face. Then her hands started shaking because she saw the belt. It just had to be solid silver just like the first one! This would make two belts of solid silver that Gwen had gotten her!
Not only could Lilith not understand how the Predator could do this, but she couldn't understand why the Predator would do something like this! She knew that Gwen had to be rich because of how expensive the surgery on her arms had been. Still, Gwen had done that before even finding out about her. Clothes on the very first day, the surgery on her arms the second day, and a bunch of toys and furniture on the third day she'd been on this world. She hadn't even been here for a week yet and Gwen was already spending a lot of money on her!
Lilith laid the silver belt back down with hands that shook from the emotions she felt. That was when she saw the six swimsuits. Two were solid black; two were a sort of medium grey, while the other two were pure white. They were all exactly alike except for the color. They were slightly thicker cloth than she expected, but then it also didn't feel the same as she remembered the cloth of a regular swimsuit being. She figured that since it was a different world, that maybe they made things different, so nothing would be the same, not even the cloth.
Hope filled her mind as Lilith held one of the white swimsuits up to see if it might fit. She couldn't be sure without actually trying it on, but it sure looked like it would fit.
"Dachande used the covering you chose as a pattern to make those according to your measurements. He said that the cloth of the original is made to stretch as much as five percent, and that there are two layers of cloth everywhere except the genital area which has a third layer of thicker cloth that doesn't stretch. Is that normal?" Guan asked curiously as she watched Lilith go through the coverings.
"Yeah. There's more than one layer to make sure no one can see anything." Lilith answered without taking her eyes off the clothes.
"That would make sense. Young females would then be properly covered while around males and still able to enjoy themselves in the water. I'm guessing that the males also have a covering that they wear as well, don't they?" Kwei mused aloud.
"Yeah… the guys have some kind of shorts that they wear." Lilith answered.
"Do you think there might be one of those male swimsuits in the same place you found the one that was used as a pattern for yours?" Guan asked with interest.
"I think there was one there. I wasn't looking for swimming trunks, but I think I remember seeing a pair. They'd be too small to fit me or anyone else though." Lilith replied in confusion.
"Whether it fits or not won't matter, it can still be used as a pattern to make something that will fit properly." Yeyinde stated.
"I for one am very interested in seeing what difference this covering will make once I'm in the water." Than-guan said with a grin.
Lilith's eyes got wide. "You got a swimsuit too?"
"All four of us have them. We each have two, so once we get swim coverings for the males, we can all enjoy spending time in the water together." Yeyinde said rather proudly.
It was a thought that made Lilith smile. She hadn't considered the possibility of everyone getting in that big pool Gwen called a tub. Now that she thought about it though, she realized that the beach balls and other things would be great!
"Put your coverings in your room Lilith. I am going to show you where food will be placed so that you can get to it whenever you want." Guan said seriously.
While Lilith was putting her coverings away, Guan walked into the food preparation room and began slicing up various kinds of cooked meats that she knew Lilith liked. After that she got out the Naxa fruit that Lilith had obtained by killing the tunnel runner that had it. She quickly peeled it and began to slice it up. Those slices were placed on a fairly large platter that filled up rather quickly because of the size of the fruit.
Lilith walked into the kitchen to see Gwen with a nice sized plate of meat, and a really big plate or tray that was filled with slices of giant mango. She couldn't help it when her stomach rumbled loudly.
"Good. You're hungry. That means you can eat the rest of the Naxa fruit that wouldn't fit on the platter." Guan said when Lilith entered the room as she lifted a large plate of food.
"This is called a stasis unit. It uses a powerful electromagnetic field that completely immobilizes the molecules of any object placed inside. Because everything is completely immobile while in such a field, it is essentially reduced to a temperature of absolute zero. That is as cold as it is possible to get. Once the influence of that field is removed, the molecules are able to resume their normal vibration again. What that means Lilith, is that if you put a piece of heated meat inside, it will be just as hot when you take it out later. You can leave something inside for years, or even a lifetime and it will not rot or spoil. The field deactivates when you open the door, and activates once you close it. The plates and trays on the bottom shelf are yours. I will check each morning and evening to make certain there is always something there for you to eat. If you like I can also add a pitcher of broth or juice." Guan told the little ooman as she opened the unit and placed the meats inside.
Lilith frowned as she thought about it. On one hand, she really liked the broth that she always got in the mornings, but then she also liked the juice from the giant mangos they had here. Then she realized that if she was able to have that juice all the time that it wouldn't be special anymore. Besides, if she did need to get something to munch on she could always have some of her pink lemonade. That thought made her smile, before something occurred to her.
"Are you talking about that broth we drink every morning?" Lilith asked.
"Yes, do you want me to place a pitcher of that so you can reach it?" Guan replied while placing the platter of Naxa fruit inside.
"Yeah! That would be great! I can always get some cold water from a sink if I want to make some lemonade." Lilith answered happily.
"What is that?" Guan asked thought not sure she wanted to know.
"Lemonade is that stuff I mix up that nobody likes. You don't even like the smell of it." Lilith answered readily.
"Oh… that's the stuff that smells like sleeping draught… isn't it?"
Lilith nodded her head in answer.
Guan turned her head and glanced at her daughter sharply. She wasn't happy about the reversion to not speaking, until she realized something.
'She was forced to refrain from speaking for several years, so now using gestures and other motions for communication has become natural to her. That is something I will simply need to accept until she becomes accustomed to being encouraged to speak again.' Guan thought as she moved a pitcher of broth much lower so that Lilith could easily reach it.
Guan closed up the stasis unit, and turned back to the counter where she began putting slices of Naxa fruit on a plate for Lilith. The knowledge of what had been done to the young ooman ensured that she placed plenty of fruit on the plate because she knew that Lilith would be very apprehensive about asking for more… if she did so at all.
"Here Lilith. You do not have to eat all of it if you can't comfortably do so. What you don't eat can be saved for later. Now go eat." Guan instructed as she handed Lilith the plate of fruit.
Lilith went to the dining room and placed her plate on the table, then she ran back to the living room and grabbed her cup and filled it with more Naxa juice. Then she went back to the table and put her cup on it while she climbed up in the chair with the booster seat.
Setg'in stood in the doorway quietly while watching Lilith eat. When the rest of his family moved to stand beside him, he motioned for silence. He was quick to note one fact that he considered very important. Setg'in flexed his mandibles in a light smile before he signaled the others to follow him back in to the main hall.
"Just leave her alone and let her eat." Setg'in stated softly in response to the inquiring looks he'd received.
A piece of meat followed by two slices of mango and a sip of mango juice made Lilith feel like she was in Heaven. The only thing that could possibly make this any better, would be some jalapeños and maybe some ketchup or steak sauce to go with the meats. With that slight exception, everything was great. She ate quietly and really enjoyed her food. When she was finished, she took her empty plate to the kitchen and placed it in the sink, before going back to the living room.
She didn't say anything as she climbed up on the couch to sit between Gwen and Thingy, but Lilith didn't want to be in her bean bag in case her back went crazy with pain again. She sat and watched the fire, and saw that everyone was sharpening a knife or sword looking thing. Slobber was laying down near the couch, and no one was bothering her of saying anything, so she didn't bother them.
Yeyinde looked to her left to see that Lilith was leaning against her while sleeping. Between the two large injections of pain blocking serum that Lilith had received this day, she knew that it would be normal for Lilith to sleep at random times until the sun rose the next morning. Looking over at her Blood Bonded Sister, she nodded towards Lilith's sleeping form. When Guan only nodded, Yeyinde that she was to care for Lilith at this time. Her mandibles flexed into a smile of pleasure, as she set her equipment to the side and slowly gathered Lilith into her arms. She was slow and careful so as not to wake the sleeping pup. Once Lilith was safely in her arms, she stood up and made her way towards Lilith's room, only to be quickly and quietly followed by that ever faithful Yaut Hound Bakuub.
Yeyinde removed Lilith's boots and her belt, before she laid the little ooman down in her sleeping nest. The ooman immediately rolled on to her left side and Yeyinde laid right behind her, where Lilith scooted back so that the two were nestled together. She was watching Lilith when the pup opened her eyes for a brief instant before sticking out her right hand and grabbing a large creature that had been stuffed. Lilith pulled it closer to her, and hugged it tightly to her body before nestling herself more firmly against Yeyinde. She then saw Bakuub lay down in the nest right in front of Lilith as if watching over her, and she was certain that was exactly the case.
Yeyinde was quite pleased to be in such close contact with the little female. She still remembered with many deep regrets the incident that had happened that first day she'd met the little ooman. She truly hadn't intended to do anything so dangerous to Lilith, and she could only thank Lilka and Cetanu both and her sister had acted so fast to save Lilith's life. Upon thinking about it, Yeyinde couldn't help a small smile at how Lilith had given a slight indication of her honor that day. So frightened that she absolutely reeked of fear, and barely given a chance to catch her breath, Lilith had still signaled that she was willing to accept an apology.
That willingness to accept the apology was something that really surprised Yeyinde. Now that she knew what Lilith had been made to endure, she couldn't be certain that her own honor would have allowed her to accept such an apology had she been in Lilith's place. Lilith had accepted that apology though! In spite of everything the pup had endured from her ooman parents for several years, Lilith had somehow managed to retain her sense of honor. Yeyinde knew that she owed her life to that honor, and she fully intended to live up to that debt in full by providing Lilith with as much happiness and protection as she could manage.
Yeyinde was a bit surprised when the still sleeping pup grabbed her right hand and pulled it over so that she now had her arm draped across the pup's body. Given how tightly the stuffed creature was being clutched, Yeyinde pulled Lilith a little tighter to her. She nearly started purring in delight when Lilith's only response was to snuggle up to her as tightly and firmly as possible.
Yeyinde immediately understood that Lilith wasn't acting consciously. After years of horrible abuse, the subconscious mind of the pup craved a comforting touch from someone that had no intention of causing any type of pain. Knowing that Lilith needed it, Yeyinde began to purr softly. She made sure that it wasn't loud enough to wake the pup, but she also ensured that it was very powerful. She couldn't resist a smile of satisfaction when Lilith nestled herself into a more comfortable position and descended into a deeper sleep.
Lilith woke to a very strange feeling that she wasn't all that familiar with. It was the feeling of being completely safe and secure. Opening her eyes, she saw that Slobber wasn't very far from her, and she knew that Slobber would protect her without hesitating, but she also knew that somehow Slobber had nothing to do with this feeling. That was when she realized that she was hearing and feeling that purring sound the Predator women would always make. She twisted a bit to look behind her and saw Thingy laying right there watching her… and purring. Lilith was holding the huge white Teddy bear that Gwen had gotten her tightly to her chest, and Thingy had her arm over her and hugging her close.
That was when she knew. Lilith knew that purring noise always made her feel better somehow, so if Thingy had been making that purr while she was asleep, then that would explain why she felt pretty good… wouldn't it? She pushed the giant Teddy bear away from her and rolled over to face the predator.
"Were you doing that the whole time I was sleeping?" Lilith asked with a frown of confusion.
Yeyinde lifted her right arm and reached up to stroke Lilith's hair. "Not quite the whole time. You fell asleep in the main hall and leaned against me while on the couch. I brought you in here, removed your boots, and belt to lay you down so that you'd be comfortable. You were still asleep when you pulled my arm over you. That told me that you wanted to be held. That's when I started purring. I did that because I want you to feel safe here Lilith. I know you aren't convinced of it yet Lilith, but you need to feel safe, because you are safe in this house!"
"How can you be so sure?" Lilith asked softly.
"I can be absolutely certain of that because I know the honor of those in this home. I am not the one who needs to be sure though… it is you who needs to be sure that you are safe. Remember the first day you were here and I pushed you into the pool? I had no intention of doing so, but still… my own sisters were ready to kill me because of what I had done. It didn't matter that you were only frightened and choked for a few moments. What mattered was that I had placed you in a dangerous situation. That is not something we tolerate. Now that I know more about you Lilith, I am very surprised that you were willing to accept my apology that day. Accepting my apology like that speaks very well of your honor. That you are willing to be around me after such an incident shows that you are someone who is really worth knowing… most would have avoided me after such an occurrence, but you didn't." Yeyinde said in a soft sincere voice.
"I knew something serious would happen if I didn't accept that apology. I didn't know what it was, but I knew I wouldn't like it." Lilith said just as softly.
"You had done nothing wrong and were not at fault. Even if you had not accepted my apology, you still could not have been blamed for the result, because I was the one who placed your life in danger. I meant what I said that day Lilith. If I had known that you are unable to swim, I would have pulled you away from the water. I meant what I said then, just as I meant what I said to you yesterday morning. I am very glad to know you and very honored to claim you as my niece. Because of you Lilith, two separate families have been joined together to become one larger family… and you Lilith, are a valuable addition to this family!" Yeyinde finished firmly.
It was something Lilith simply could not understand. For some reason that she hadn't grasped, these Predators seemed to think she was worth something… the question was why? Why would these Predators think she was worth something after her own mother and father had proven just how worthless she really was? They were questions that she desperately needed answers to.
"Why do you and the others say things like that? I didn't… I wasn't trying to… I have to live here now, so I'm just doing the best I know how." Lilith finished lamely, having been unable to state exactly what she meant.
"Lilith… we say that you are honorable, because we have each seen your honor! I saw the quality of your honor that first day that you were here. Yes, you accepted my apology because you thought something bad might happen. That had nothing to do with holding my hand afterwards, or allowing me to carry you as you did. Many would have had a difficult time placing that much trust in someone who had nearly killed them a short time earlier. To speak truthfully, I don't know that I would have been able to do what you did. So you haven't been trying to prove anything to anyone. You don't need to. You act as you think best..." Yeyinde said before she smiled. "and you act with honor."
"I never even thought about that honor stuff." Lilith protested.
"That only makes you more worthy and valuable to us. Your honor is strong enough and runs deep enough that you don't have to think about your actions. There are many who must think about what they do before they do it, so that they can proceed with honor, but not you. That is what true honor is Lilith. Your honor is so strong that even a God has taken notice. That is no small feat Lilith. Guan wishes to become an Arbitrator because she also has a strong sense of honor. However… I know that as strong as it is, her sense of honor can not be as strong as yours because Cetanu has never spoken to her." Yeyinde explained.
"She's mad about that… isn't she?" Lilith asked uncertainly.
"The word you mean is jealous, and no, Guan is not jealous of you. She is very angry right now because she feels that you should not have your life decided for you. If it were left up to her, I think she would continue to keep you by her side for a long time to come. You have been on our world for such a short time, but none the less, I think Guan is starting to love you. I know she feels deeply indebted to you for saving Al Nihkou'te's life. Providing you with a proper home and a life where you can feel safe is part of how she originally intended to pay that debt. Claiming you as her daughter is something she has done because she has come to care about you Lilith. We all have!" Yeyinde said softly as she stroked Lilith's hair with her right hand.
Lilith nodded her head slightly. Thingy had just given her a lot to think about. She was pretty sure that they meant the things they'd said to her, because they kept saying it. Suddenly a strange thought seemed to come from nowhere, but it was something serious enough that she just had to ask about it.
"Gwen's mad at me for stabbing her yesterday morning… isn't she?" Lilith asked with a wince because she knew she wasn't going to like the answer.
"Actually… I don't think she is Lilith. If anything, I think she's just very glad that she was able to prevent you from being hurt." Yeyinde replied honestly.
"I wasn't trying to stab her. I really wasn't… I… I don't know how it happened though." Lilith said softly.
"Everything happened so fast that there wasn't any time for anyone to think. I could hardly smell your anger and despair because those scents were nearly overwhelmed by the fear that you felt. I know you were… and still are, afraid of what we might do to you, and I understand that. I know why you feel that way Lilith. It pains me to admit that you do have a good reason to be frightened of us. That reason is the way your ooman parents tortured you. Because we are stronger and faster than they were, it would be physically easy for us to do such things. None of us would even consider doing such things to you Lilith. Not only would it be dishonorable, but cowardly as well. They hurt you. They hurt you heart, your mind, and your soul just as much as they hurt your body. My sisters and I have healed your body… now we want to do the same thing for the rest of you. We are not them Lilith… we could never be like them either! They didn't deserve to have a pup like you… there might even be those who will say we aren't worthy of you either, but as the Gods will see, we will certainly try to be!" Yeyinde stated fervently but in a quiet tone.
"Come Lilith. It's time for the evening meal." Yeyinde said with a light smile.
Th'syra-thwei