Chapter 8
Wake up, aristh!
Alloran's thought-speak awoke me from my sleep. I had agreed to return to my quarters after speaking with Zachary, but it was a long time before sleep came to me again.
I readied myself, Sir? Why are you waking me, it's not yet time for me to report to the bridge, is it?
The old Andalite shook his head, No, not yet, aristh. You still have almost two hours.
Then why wake me? I grumbled. I never would be a morning person.
You, aristh Yaolyn, are to report to the R and R area. You'll be briefed when you are there. Captain Evaren will be there to brief you, along with aristh Ajax.
I shuddered visibly. Two untrained and unready arisths alone with a violent warmonger?
Did Alloran know?
I made my gaze steady again, Yes sir, I replied. As I looked over Alloran with my stalk eyes, he betrayed nothing.
I shook myself from the thoughts and began to walk toward the grazing area.
* * *
It took moments for me to get there.
Once there I saw Evaren and Ajax. They were grazing calmly and talking privately to one another.
It took them a full minute and a half for them to notice me.
Ah, aristh Yaolyn, Evaren welcomed me. Glad you could join us. Do you need to graze for a few minutes before we begin?
Eh, no. I grunted, still sleepy.
Good, then let's begin. I'll enucleate, shall I? Evaren looked around. Recieving no answer from Ajax or myself he continued, It occurs to me that you both are still slightly undertrained.
I straightened abrubtly. I had gone through more training than Ajax.
I would like to see you both one-on-one. Just a test of strength-will-mind and tactics. Both of you, now. Go.
The old psychopath wanted us to fight each other? To what? Death?
Of course these were insubordanate thoughts. As Andalites warriors we were supposed to do our duty as soon as it was out of our captain's head. But we both hesitated.
I saw Evaren quiver.
With rage? I wondered.
Now, arisths, he ordered.
Ajax took a step forward. No doubt he thought it demeaning to fight me.
Once over again, a female.
I saw his blade rise through the air, slicing it like bread. It came closer...closer...
And suddenly I saw a flash of violet-blue, it rocketed into his tail blade's path. I saw his tail bounce off and he drew it back.
It occured to me then that the flash was my own tail! Somewhere, deep within my awed and confused mind, something was still alive and awake. That something was instinct.
Ajax struck again, this time coming at my foreleg.
FWAAPP!
I struck at his head.
He had no choice but to draw away his assult and parry mine. Our tail blades clashed and we eyed one another momentarily.
In his eyes, both main and stalks, I saw shock, steadyness, and agitation. I knew why he was agitated. But I also saw worry.
'Remember, keep your main eyes on your opponent's main eyes, and keep the stalks on their tail, sis.'
The memories of my brother flooded back. We would always wrestle-fight on our family's land. He usually won, of course, being bigger and more trained. But I did win once. I remembered that dinstinctly. A single move and I had won.
Before Ajax could strike again I turned sideways, stepped backward, and had swung my tail toward his head. His arms and tail flew up to block the way. Then, I turned my tail blade to the flat and sliced lower. The flat struck his foreleg, his knee buckled.
That was the move.
I stepped backward and looked away. With my main eyes.
My stalk eyes drifted slowly back to Ajax. My fellow aristh.
Captain-Prince Evaren was talking to him again in private. I turned my stalk eyes back to my front and took another step. I heard a soft crunch of the grass. I turned.
But it was too late.
THUD!
THUD!
Ajax's tail blade flat had slammed against my head.
Oh, I thought to myself, so that's what Evaren was telling him to do...
I fell forward and lay sprawled on the ground.
As humans would say, I was "down for the count."
My vision slowly cleared.
Now I could make out the figures of Evaren and Ajax.
Good job, aristh Ajax, Evaren said. Unlike aristh Yaolyn, you have learned not to walk away when your foe is still up and able.
Now, his eyes almost glowed, you must show you have won this fight.
How? Ajax wondered. We'd never been taught how to show we'd won. We'd been taught that when one of the parties was down, the other had won.
Evaren continued, A quick, grazing swipe. Preferrably on her shoulder.
You want me to strike her?! Ajax demanded. His tone was questioning and shrill.
Not a strike, Evaren amended, a graze.
Ajax shifted uncomfortably. Do what was right, or follow orders?
Sir, he said, I cannot do that.
Now Evaren definately quivered with rage. You will or be charged with disobediance.
In this case, Captain, you'd do best to keep it silent. No doubt the High Electorate would disagree greatly with your decision, I said. I struggled to push myself up. Ajax took my hand and helped me.
Evaren and I stared darkly at each other. A daring thing for a low officer like myself.
'You don't scare me,' I thought to myself, to Evaren. It wasn't speaking aloud, it was just normal thinking.
Ajax stared blankly from the captain to me. I saw the same worry I had seen in the battle in his eyes again.
Captain Evaren's eyes glared, I could feel his Andalite arrogance, after all, I had it, too. You, Aristh Yaolyn, female, he spat. One more outbreak from you and you will be relieved from duty.
It was a threat.
It worked, for the most part.
I calmed myself, but not even I could hide the contempt for the oaf that shown in my eyes, both stalks and main.
He saw.
Oh, he saw alright.
I made sure he saw.
Wake up, aristh!
Alloran's thought-speak awoke me from my sleep. I had agreed to return to my quarters after speaking with Zachary, but it was a long time before sleep came to me again.
I readied myself, Sir? Why are you waking me, it's not yet time for me to report to the bridge, is it?
The old Andalite shook his head, No, not yet, aristh. You still have almost two hours.
Then why wake me? I grumbled. I never would be a morning person.
You, aristh Yaolyn, are to report to the R and R area. You'll be briefed when you are there. Captain Evaren will be there to brief you, along with aristh Ajax.
I shuddered visibly. Two untrained and unready arisths alone with a violent warmonger?
Did Alloran know?
I made my gaze steady again, Yes sir, I replied. As I looked over Alloran with my stalk eyes, he betrayed nothing.
I shook myself from the thoughts and began to walk toward the grazing area.
* * *
It took moments for me to get there.
Once there I saw Evaren and Ajax. They were grazing calmly and talking privately to one another.
It took them a full minute and a half for them to notice me.
Ah, aristh Yaolyn, Evaren welcomed me. Glad you could join us. Do you need to graze for a few minutes before we begin?
Eh, no. I grunted, still sleepy.
Good, then let's begin. I'll enucleate, shall I? Evaren looked around. Recieving no answer from Ajax or myself he continued, It occurs to me that you both are still slightly undertrained.
I straightened abrubtly. I had gone through more training than Ajax.
I would like to see you both one-on-one. Just a test of strength-will-mind and tactics. Both of you, now. Go.
The old psychopath wanted us to fight each other? To what? Death?
Of course these were insubordanate thoughts. As Andalites warriors we were supposed to do our duty as soon as it was out of our captain's head. But we both hesitated.
I saw Evaren quiver.
With rage? I wondered.
Now, arisths, he ordered.
Ajax took a step forward. No doubt he thought it demeaning to fight me.
Once over again, a female.
I saw his blade rise through the air, slicing it like bread. It came closer...closer...
And suddenly I saw a flash of violet-blue, it rocketed into his tail blade's path. I saw his tail bounce off and he drew it back.
It occured to me then that the flash was my own tail! Somewhere, deep within my awed and confused mind, something was still alive and awake. That something was instinct.
Ajax struck again, this time coming at my foreleg.
FWAAPP!
I struck at his head.
He had no choice but to draw away his assult and parry mine. Our tail blades clashed and we eyed one another momentarily.
In his eyes, both main and stalks, I saw shock, steadyness, and agitation. I knew why he was agitated. But I also saw worry.
'Remember, keep your main eyes on your opponent's main eyes, and keep the stalks on their tail, sis.'
The memories of my brother flooded back. We would always wrestle-fight on our family's land. He usually won, of course, being bigger and more trained. But I did win once. I remembered that dinstinctly. A single move and I had won.
Before Ajax could strike again I turned sideways, stepped backward, and had swung my tail toward his head. His arms and tail flew up to block the way. Then, I turned my tail blade to the flat and sliced lower. The flat struck his foreleg, his knee buckled.
That was the move.
I stepped backward and looked away. With my main eyes.
My stalk eyes drifted slowly back to Ajax. My fellow aristh.
Captain-Prince Evaren was talking to him again in private. I turned my stalk eyes back to my front and took another step. I heard a soft crunch of the grass. I turned.
But it was too late.
THUD!
THUD!
Ajax's tail blade flat had slammed against my head.
Oh, I thought to myself, so that's what Evaren was telling him to do...
I fell forward and lay sprawled on the ground.
As humans would say, I was "down for the count."
My vision slowly cleared.
Now I could make out the figures of Evaren and Ajax.
Good job, aristh Ajax, Evaren said. Unlike aristh Yaolyn, you have learned not to walk away when your foe is still up and able.
Now, his eyes almost glowed, you must show you have won this fight.
How? Ajax wondered. We'd never been taught how to show we'd won. We'd been taught that when one of the parties was down, the other had won.
Evaren continued, A quick, grazing swipe. Preferrably on her shoulder.
You want me to strike her?! Ajax demanded. His tone was questioning and shrill.
Not a strike, Evaren amended, a graze.
Ajax shifted uncomfortably. Do what was right, or follow orders?
Sir, he said, I cannot do that.
Now Evaren definately quivered with rage. You will or be charged with disobediance.
In this case, Captain, you'd do best to keep it silent. No doubt the High Electorate would disagree greatly with your decision, I said. I struggled to push myself up. Ajax took my hand and helped me.
Evaren and I stared darkly at each other. A daring thing for a low officer like myself.
'You don't scare me,' I thought to myself, to Evaren. It wasn't speaking aloud, it was just normal thinking.
Ajax stared blankly from the captain to me. I saw the same worry I had seen in the battle in his eyes again.
Captain Evaren's eyes glared, I could feel his Andalite arrogance, after all, I had it, too. You, Aristh Yaolyn, female, he spat. One more outbreak from you and you will be relieved from duty.
It was a threat.
It worked, for the most part.
I calmed myself, but not even I could hide the contempt for the oaf that shown in my eyes, both stalks and main.
He saw.
Oh, he saw alright.
I made sure he saw.