As the special mission team made their preparations, Orrin led Saché, Yané, and Melni Bibble away to help care for the riding animals, and Peskis gathered the rest of humans together for their first lessons. First he showed them how to dig a pit in the ground and line it with flat stones; the displaced dirt and plants were laid to one side. ("Wesa putt'n dem bekk after wesa done," he explained.) Selecting four sticks from the surrounding forest, he showed the humans how to lash them together to form a holder. The Gungan produced a set of braided grass ropes and a leather hide square; once the square hide was stretched out, each side was as long as his arm. Then he led the way to the stream.

"Now, yousa watch close," Peskis instructed. He tied one end of one rope around one corner of the hide, and then tied the other end to the opposite corner. He repeated the procedure with the second rope; the hide now resembled a pouch with two handles. Peskis dipped the hide in the stream, then drew it out again, full of water. He carried it to the clearing and draped the ropes over the stick holder. The hide hung just over the pit they had dug in the soil.

The Gungan laid the pyrus in the pit and drew what looked like a bone knife from the back of his belt. "Stand bekk, pleece." He leaned back himself as he thrust the tip of the knife into the pyrus. The top of the ball "popped" into a burst of light and a wave of heat. The humans gasped; the Gungan reflexively closed his eyes. A moment later the blue light from the pyrus had crept partway up the hide pouch.

"That's amazing!" Brandes exclaimed.

"Iss chust controlled h'energy," Peskis remarked. "When iss all gone, deysa not even any waste. Now, yousa all watch diss'n. Mekk sure the water in da pouch stays higher than the light, h'okay? Otherwise, yoursan boiling hide's gonna get ruin't." He solemnly held the knife hilt out to Nalla. "Yousa wanna cut up all'n dose roots an' meat an' put dem in once the water is boilin'." Several of the children grimaced; one of the Gungans had managed to bring down some sort of animal, and strips of the meat had been brought to the humans.

"All right." The girl grasped the knife, but the Gungan did not let go.

"Fust, needs'a teach yousa some-att else. When yousa passin' some-att sharp liken dis, yousa wanna mekk sure no one's gettin' hu'tt. Allus pass dis with the handle towards th'other puh-son, an' the blade up liken dis, so yousa don' cut yoursa hand. Th'other puh-son, shesa say, 'T'anka yous' when shesa gott'n hold of the handle an' isn't goin' to drop it. Unnerstand?"

"Yes," said Nalla. Her finger tightened on the hilt. "Thank you." This time, Peskis let go.

"Now, wesa practice dat a bit. Pass dat to Irric."

Nalla repeated Peskis's handling of the knife, received the correct response from her brother, and let go. "Good. Pass dat to Arlan." The knife continued on around the circle of humans, to Brandes, then Edvic, then to Zanté. The dark-haired girl hesitated, then carefully took the knife hilt and opened her mouth -- but no sound emerged.

"Go on, Zanté," Brandes urged. The girl tried again, with the same results. Then she turned away, eyes filling with tears.

Brandes reached over to stroke her hair. "Zanté, it's all right--"

"Wait." Peskis moved to crouch beside the girl. His four-fingered hand cupped the human's chin and lifted. "Deysa times when wesa can't or shouldn't talk, when wesa huntin' an' don' want to mekk noise, or when someone's too far 'way to hear ussan. Times liken dat, wesa use chesna-recorr; mesa t'ink diss'n becomin' 'hunter-speech' in Bassic. Talk wit' oursan hands. Iff'n yousa want say 'T'anka yous', yousa do liken dis." Peskis put the fingertips of his right hand against his chest, and then moved them to his lips. "Liken dat. Dis hand." He took Zanté's wrist and placed the girl's hand against her chest. The girl sniffled, and then touched her chest and lips in an imitation of Peskis's gesture. The Gungan grinned and let go.

"Now, turn dis'n 'round and pass it bekk to Nalla." Zanté carefully turned the knife so that she was holding the blade, flat edge against her palm, and held it out to the other girl. Nalla, grinning, made the "thank you" gesture, and Zanté let go. A relieved chuckle ran through the group, and Peskis patted Zanté on the shoulder.

"Lott'n signs iss berry simple," Peskis told the group. "While wesa waitin' for da water to boilin', mesa teach yousa some'a dem. Yousa pro'lly know the one for 'come he-ah'...."



*~*~*~*


Orrin watched as Saché deftly untangled the reins of the falumpaset's bridle. "Yousa worked wit' ridin' animals before?" the Gungan asked.

"Yes. We've both ridden gualamas. It's required training for one of the Queen's handmaidens. Yané has also ridden tusk-cats."

"That was several years ago, though, when I was a young girl," Yané added. "Friends of my family had several, and I just begged my parents to let me learn. I never thought it would come in handy for something like this."

The girls and the Gungan had taken the tack off all three of the falumpasets; Orrin and two of the other riders had searched among the bushes and grasses and returned with several prickly plant pods they used to brush the animals' coats before letting them out to pasture. One of the other riders had then carefully run his hands over the animals' legs and feet, checking for signs of injury. Finally he said something to Orrin (he seemed uncomfortable with talking to the humans) and walked away to examine the kaadu.

The Gungan cocked her head. "Mesa din't know the Naaboo hedd riding animals," she remarked. "Thought yousan all rode 'round in those floating wagons of yoursan."

"No. It's expected of the Queen's Handmaidens to be able to ride, if only for ceremonial purposes," Saché explained. "The Queen has a private herd of gualamas, as well as gualaras. Many of the people living in the country herd shaaks, and use tusk-cats as riding animals, too."

Orrin nodded, then held one of the bridles out to Melni Bibble, who was sitting in the grass examining the leather tack straps for signs of wear. "He-ah. Pull th'other end of diss'n, pleece." The human girl took the ends of the reins, while Orrin held one of the face straps, and both tugged. Orrin nodded, satisfied. "Wesa use the kaadu, an' falumpasets for most'n oursan riding," she said. "For rilly heavy loads, wesa use fambaa."

"Really?" Melni stared at her, wide-eyed. Fambaa were enormous reptiles that the Naboo saw so infrequently that the animals were almost legend. Orrin seemed amused.

"Yiss. Tekks two to work wit' dem. Deysa not berry bright. An' once in a berry great while, wesa hev someone who tames a zalaaca an' trains it as a riding beast, but dat's right rare." She suddenly looked sly. "Rumor hass it dat the Kippton, hesa done dat long-o time ago, an' dat's why hisan fam'ly's symbol iss a zalaaca. Deysa difficult to train, though – mesa rather hev a kaadu." Zalaacas were the size of mountain lions, with blue-purple hides, a parrot-like face, and sharp spurs on their hind legs. They stayed mostly in the forests and swamplands, although the Naboo saw them occasionally on the plateaus.

"You're so lucky," Melni exclaimed, looking up from her work. "My parents never let me ride or do anything like that, no matter how often I ask. I'm s'posed to grow up to be—" here her voice took on a sarcastic tone "—a 'lay-dee'. Just because Grandpa is the governor." She frowned. "Minister Brandes didn't even want to let me come and do this."

"What'n diss 'lay-dee'?" asked Orrin, tugging on the saddle's girth strap.

"It's a woman with good manners and extremely polite behavior," Saché explained.

"Who has to spend all her time doing boring stuff like sitting around listening to adults talk and wearing really uncomfortable clothing," Melni added.

Saché laughed. "Not always. It just seems that way now."

Orrin tilted her head in a shrug. "Nuttin' wrong with having good be-hevior," she remarked. "Mekks people look up to yousa, an' want to hev yousa 'round. Noboddy liken little'uns who don' be-hev." She paused. "Or big'uns who don' be-hev, either."

Melni jumped as one of the falumpasets began to bellow, a long, low-pitched sound that continued for several seconds. The other falumpasets joined in, calling back and forth, almost as though they were singing in a choir. Orrin nodded. "Iss all right. Theysa do that ev'ry evening," she explained. "C'mon, wesa go forra walk." She hung the bridle up on a nearby bush and started out into the middle of the herd. "Don' mekk any suddenly moves or noises," she warned them. "Wanna get them used to yoursan smell. Watch yoursan step." The four of them moved slowly and carefully through the animals. The kaadu lifted their heads and trotted away a few steps before returning to their grazing. The falumpasets bellowed and shook their heads, but only the largest male moved, actually lumbering toward them. Orrin stopped and faced him. He snorted and turned away. "Falumpasets, theysa hard to work wit'," she said. "Not berry smartie, pittie stubborn, too. Tekks a strong arm to steer them."

As they left the herd, one of the kaadu came plodding along after them. Like the others, it wore a halter around its face; hanging from the halter was a short rope that allowed a Gungan to lead the much-taller kaadu more easily. The three humans stopped, and the animal passed them and trotted up to Orrin, who reached up and affectionately patted its neck. "That one's yours?" asked Melni.

"Yiss. Mesa raised him from his h'egg, trained wit' him long-o time," Orrin replied. "P'trol riders, wesa gott'n special bond wit' the kaadu. Mebbe sometime wesa get Peskis to tell yousa that story, eh?" She glanced up at the sky, visible through the leaves. "Right now, wesa goin' back to camp. Don' know 'bout yousan, but mesa ready for ettin'!" She gave the kaadu a good-natured push back toward the herd. "G'wan. Yousa go ett, too."

Despite the early stop, the crowd gathered in the center of camp was smaller than the night before – several of the Gungans were already asleep, and others, including Peskis, were on watch. After her meal, Orrin took the humans and the Gungan family to set up shelters, and by then it was nearly dark. Without light to see by, and with no gathering for storytelling, the humans went to bed early. The rest of the camp settled down to rest as well.

A series of screams and yowls woke Brandes in the middle of the night.

"What's that?" cried Nalla, startled awake beside her.

"I – I don't know!" Brandes replied. A moment later she was in the center of a huddle of terrified children. "Did you hear that?" "What is it?" "Is it coming after us?"

"Everyone be quiet!" Brandes ordered. She could see nothing in the blackness of the shelter. The entrance was to her left. Outside she could hear shouts, branches snapping, and footsteps as the Gungans ran past. In the distance, the riding beasts were adding their bellows and cries to the confusion.

The forest canopy blocked most of the star- and moonlight, but even the dimmest light was better than being completely in the dark. Brandes untangled herself from the children and crawled through the entrance. The leaf and tree shelter might keep the rain out and give an impression of safety, but any large and determined animal would be able to break in without difficulty.

"Minister Brandes!" It was Yané's voice, several paces away. "Is that you?"

"Yes. What's happened? What's that noise?"

"We don't know. The Gungans are all running around, and no one's told us anything!"

"All right. Get everyone else over here and into our shelter. I'll feel better knowing where everyone is."

"Yes, Minister." With that, Yané turned away to get the others who had been sleeping in her shelter. Brandes turned to the children. "Everyone inside." The shelter would at least give them the illusion of security, and make it easier to keep track of everyone. "Zanté, I want you to come over here and sit by me." A dark form moved to her side and huddled against her. Brandes felt around for the girl's face. "If you're all right, I want you to nod." Zanté nodded, but Brandes could feel her shivering; she put a reassuring arm around the girl. "It's going to be all right. You stay right here next to me. Melni, were are you?"

"Here, Minister Brandes."

"Nalla?"

"Yes."

"Arlan?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. Everyone move away from the entrance so the others can get in."

Taller shapes suddenly appeared in the doorway. "We're here," Yané announced, and the rest of the humans crawled into the shelter. "Everyone's all right."

"We think something may have attacked the Gungan's riding animals," Saché added. "The noise was all coming from that direction. Whatever it was, it sounded big."

"Iss a zalaaca," came a Gungan voice at the shelter's entrance, and everyone inside jumped.

"S-Sen Tal?" Brandes managed.

"Yiss. Sorry for s'prisin' yousan." Sen Tal crouched in the entrance. "Wesa wanted to mekk sure yousan h'okay.

Brandes sighed in relief. "We're all fine, at the moment."

They could hear the sounds from the pasture area – shouting, more bellows and honking from the herd, and once a roar, immediately followed by an electric sizzle. The roar turned into a scream that rapidly faded, as if whatever was making it was fleeing. "Soundin' liken deysa chased it h'off," Sen Tal remarked, raising one haillu with his hand in order to hear better.

"And that's good, right?" asked Saché.

"Yiss. Pr'olly din't get any of the animals. Also, iff'n wesa gott'n zalaaca 'round, iss meanin' deysa no nar-gletch inna area. Thass allus a good thing. Those two animals, deysa stay 'way from each other." Sen Tal's shadowy form seemed to be peering in the direction of the pasture. "Think deysa commin' back."

Someone called out in the Gungan's language, and Sen Tal answered. A moment later Orrin joined him at the entrance. "Mesa happy to see all'n yousan," she said. "Found th'other shelter empty, and wass worried."

"What was the noise, Orrin?" asked Saché.

"Wass a big zalaaca," Orrin replied. "T'ought hesa gonna hepp himse'f to one'a oursan kaadu. Lucky for ussan, Peskis heard an' smelled himsa commin', and wesa chased himsa 'way. Wesa chust goin' to check 'round the camp p'rimiter, but the Captain thinks wesa safe now." With that, she rose and walked away to join the search.

"'Spect yousan can all go back to sleep," Sen Tal said.

"After that?" Brandes laughed shakily.

"Yousa want mesa to stay forra while?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Brandes said.

"H'okay. Mesa sett right'n he-ah next to Ahr-lan." The Gungan crawled into the shelter.

"How did you know it was me?" asked Arlan. "It's dark in here."

Sen Tal chuckled. "Smell yousa."

"I told you you should have taken a bath, Arlan," teased Yané.

"Hey!"

The Gungan laughed. "Wouldn't mekk no nevermind. All'n yous gott'n puh-son'l scents. Wesa gott'n no trouble tellin' yousan apart." He paused. "Lessee. Next to Ahr-lan, wesa gott'n Melni, den Zanté, den Rep Brand-ess, den Nalla. Next to hersa iss Irric, den Saché, Yané, an' Edvic."

"Can all the Gungans do that?" asked Brandes.

"Yiss. Hardest part is rememberin' ever'one's name. Lott'n dem soundin' alike to mesa." Several people chuckled.

"Female names tend to end in a vowel, and male names in a consonant," Brandes explained.

"'Kahn-soe-nents. Don' know dem," Sen Tal replied.

"And I'm not sure how to explain them without confusing you more," Brandes said.

"Den wesa won' bother."

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Brandes continued. "When we first met you, Kimma said you were her 'ess-, ess-oh-an'? Is that the right word?"

"Essoan. Yiss."

"What does that mean?"

Sen Tal was silent for a moment. Finally he said, "Mesa not sure my can 'splain that. Wesa pledged? Pledged? Diss'n right word?"

"I know what pledged means, Sen Tal," Brandes assured him.

"Wesa pledged to each other for life."

"Like a husband and wife?" suggested Yané.

"Don' know dem, either," Sen Tal admitted.

"A husband and wife exchange vows to stay together for life, raise a family, and help each other. It's a long-term relationship meant to provide companionship for each other, and a stable home life for any children."

The Gungan thought for a moment. "Yiss, dat sounden right."

"Kimma said you were her first essoan," Melni said. "And Hanar was her second. Is he her husband too?"

"Yiss. All'n ussan agreed to diss'n."

"So Gungans can have more than one husband?"

"Wesa have as many essoans or essoins as wesa want, so long as ever'one inna fam'ly agrees," Sen Tal explained. "Some of ussan gott'n seven, eight essoans or essoins. All'n yours essoans and essoins have to agree to lett'n the newest one become member of the fam'ly, an' yoursa clan has to approve it, too."

"Sounds confusing," Yané remarked.

"Not rilly. Most'n ussan can kipp track of who wesa pledged to."

"Then you could have more than one wife, just like Kimma has more than one husband?" asked Saché.

"Yiss. Shesa an' Hanar would hev to agree."

"Yuck!" exclaimed Arlan. "Why would you want to have more than one wife? I don't want to have any!"

The girls sputtered, the teens laughed, and Brandes smiled, even though she knew no one could see her. Sen Tal laughed. "Eh, mebbe yousa changin' yoursa mind someday." Even in the dark, he had no trouble finding Arlan's shoulder to give it a pat. "Yousa Naaboo don' do diss'n?"

"No," Brandes replied. "We confine ourselves to one spouse, or at least one spouse at a time."

"Huh," Sen Tal grunted, but any further comment was interrupted by Orrin's arrival. "Iss all cle-ah," she said, crouching at the entrance. "Deysa nothin' threatenin' out dere now. Yousan can all go bekk to sleep."

"Mesa gonna go back to my fam'ly, iff'n yousan all right," Sen Tal said.

"Of course. Thank you, Sen Tal," Brandes said.

"Yousan welcome. Goo' night." The Gungan crawled out of the shelter and disappeared into the darkness.

Orrin remained outside. "Yousan goin' bekk to th' other shelter?" she asked.

The teens and Irric consulted briefly. "Yes," Saché replied. "For one thing, there's not enough room in here for us all to sleep."

"Besides, Irric snores," Nalla added.

"Do not!" Irric retorted.

"Stop it, you two," Brandes warned. "If we start making a lot of noise, the Gungans might chase us away, too, just like the zalaaca."

Orrin laughed. "Mebbe wesa send dem out inna woods an' let dem scare the zalaacas 'way." She sobered. "But right'n now, wesa needsa bein' quiet. Don' want the maccaneeks findin' ussan." Both Irric and Nalla clapped hands over their mouths. The teens and Irric crawled out of the shelter. There was a muted chorus of "Good night", and Orrin led them away to the other shelter. The remaining children curled up close to their adult guardian, and one by one finally fell asleep. The camp settled back down for the night.

~*~*~*~


Later that morning, in the early hours of dawn, four Gungans and their mounts set out for Splitrock and its outpost.