A piece of stone flew through the air and hit Uh'luka in the back of the head. Uh'luka growled low in his throat and twisted around to look behind him. Asha expected a towering yautja female to be the one to stand up to Uh'luka. Instead, a four-foot pup stood in the alley with another rock in his hand.

It was natural for a yautja to feel the need to fight in order to keep his mate. Uh'luka abandoned his grip on Asha. As he rose above the unblood, the child didn't waver. All the color drained from her face—she knew he was capable of killing the child. Uh'luka's muscles tensed as he stepped forward.

"You haven't changed!"

He stopped. Gradually, his shoulders dropped, but he kept his back to her.

Asha picked up the gun and stared at it in her hands, "Neither have I…"

A deep rattle came from his chest.

Even after all the classes, seminars, and training she still couldn't do what was necessary. She couldn't pull the trigger—just like she couldn't jump off that waterfall. As tears welled in her eyes, she brushed past Uh'luka and the pup. She turned the corner and started running.

She swung out of the way when a male stood in her way and then squeezed between to other yautjas. Instead of waiting for a clear path, she weaved through the traffic on a footbridge. When she bumped into a muscular female, she didn't slow. She passed up the training hall and jumped onto the next train.

Asha took the first available seat, which happened to be next to an older male. She didn't look over at him, but the boulder beside her grumbled. She tucked in her arms and legs and kept her head down. Asha was glad the ride wasn't long. The train rapidly gained speed and snaked between buildings to the edge of the city.

She heard the roaring water before she saw it. Asha stepped off the train and waited for it to pass. Then, she reluctantly pivoted around. Three waterfalls plummeted into the canyon on the other side of the tracks. Asha drew in a breath and strutted towards them.

As she stepped into the cloud of mist hanging above the falls, the sound of the water grew in her ears. Her heart began to pound. She wasn't alone. A group of yautjas were hanging around, taking turns jumping and then climbing back up the cliff face. When one of them turned to look at her, her footsteps slowed even more.

There was a pile of rocks near the shortest waterfall. Asha turned away from the group of teenagers and sat down. She kept her back to them but twisted around to watch them jump. They made it look fun and easy. One male flung himself off the edge so that he spiraled as he fell, only tucking him limbs in at the very last second before he hit the water.

The shortest male she assumed was the youngest. As he was climbing back up the cliff, his footing slipped. He wasn't strong enough to hold all his weight with his fingers. His dreads whipped in front of his face as he fell. Asha cringed as his back slapped the water.

His friends made no attempt to rescue him. Only one leaned over the falls to see if he'd surface. The young male was uninjured though. He popped his head out of the water and swam back to the rocks to try again. Asha leaned back, realizing she was at the edge of her seat.

Hours passed, and finally the group of males left. As soon as she was by herself, she let out a breath then pressed on her knees to stand. She went to the edge of the cliff beside the river. Asha peered down. The wide pool was barely visible through the spray of the water.

She swung her arms at her sides, "Ok. Just jump. Don't even think about it. You can do this."

She stared down at the rushing water.

"Maybe a running start. Yes, that will work."

Asha backed away from the edge. Her hands were shaking as she balled them into fists. She started full speed, but fear turned into muscles into drying cement. She halted near the edge. Several of her next attempts had the same result.

She paced along the cliff, rubbing her hands over her face, "Come on, don't be a coward."

"Who are you talking to?"

Her heart jumped into her throat. She went for the plasma pistol at her hip but fumbled. The gun smacked both her palms but her fingers couldn't gain purchase. It hit the ground, bounced, and went over the falls. With her mouth agape, she turned to the obtruder.

It was a younger male with smooth scales and hardly any spikes or bony protrusions. His green eyes stood out against the yellow color of his skin. She recognized him immediately, but her heart was still pounding away. Ain made a soft snort, conveying his amusement.

Her eyes narrowed, "You again!"

"I noticed you didn't return home for your midday nap."

"Thank you for your concern, but how did you find me anyway?"

"You're an ooman among yautjas. You're not easily lost…Were you going swimming?"

She frowned, "No, I guess not."

"Why not? I'll jump with you. I haven't been to this spot since I was a pup!"

Ain unbuckled his weapon holster and then slipped out of the leather harness he was wearing. He set them in a pile off to the side. Asha held her arm across her body as she turned to face the falls again. Ain went right to the edge of the cliff, close enough that his toes were dangling off.

"Let's see who can jump the furthest!"

Asha chewed on her bottom lip.

After a moment, he glanced over at her, "Are you coming?"

"No."

"Jump with me!"

Asha dropped her head.

He went right up to her and snatched her arm. Asha gave a shriek of surprise and pulled back. His nails scratched across her skin when she planted her feet. Ain didn't release her though. His grip tightened as he hauled her forward.

Her eyes widened in horror. The thirty-foot drop suddenly looked like a fall from a skyscraper. It made her sick with fear. Her heart was pounding so hard stars floated into her vision. She leaned back with all her weight but her feet slid across the rock.

"Come on! It will be fun!"

Her fist flew forward on its own accord and hit Ain in his jaw. His grip went slack and Asha landed on her back. When he growled, she scrambled to her feet and got into a fighting stance. She was trembling. Ain merely stood there dumbfounded.

"What was that for?"

"You were going to push me off a cliff!"

"Into water!"

"So? You don't do that!" She threw her arms in the air then stormed off.

Ain caught up quickly, "Ooman?"

"Leave me alone."

"Not until I've corrected the wrong I've done you."

"It's not you, it's me. Just go away."

"I should have explained that this is a common swimming spot and that there aren't any rocks. You were in no danger." She kept walking, so he swung in front of her, "Let's go back. I won't force you this time."

"I can't jump off."

"Why? Medical concern?"

"No, I just can't do it."

"I don't understand. The pool at the bottom is deep enough, the water is clear, there are no rocks, and the height is low enough for young pups…"

"I'm afraid, ok? I thought after everything that happened on that hunting preserve that I would be braver, but I'm not. You can keep telling me it's safe and that even children do it for fun, but I still can't force myself to do it."

Ain looked down at her, his head gradually tilting to the side.

Asha jerked her face away and pressed her eyes closed, fighting back tears. She couldn't possibly explain it to him. She didn't even understand it. Asha tried to move around him, but he quickly side-stepped. She went the other way, and he blocked her again.

"Let me give you a ride home."

She didn't feel like arguing.

~Yautja translations:

Pup - child