A week had passed since the Council meeting. I was kept in a small cell, overrun with small, scurrying little creatures. They were larger that rats, but not nearly as pesky. If I shooed them away, they stayed away. The armour Leghilorn had given me was my only clothing, and it was very uncomfortable. Had I been forced to wear the helmet also, it would have been nearly unbearable.
Two days after the meeting, I had gone through the first training session. Leghilorn had not been friendly with me, but he had not been mean or harsh either. He was patient, which was something I was thankful for, as I needed a patient trainer. I had given up all hope of escaping, seeing as the only time I was truly alone was when I was in my cell. The door of the cell opened only once Leghilorn's hand was scanned for a DNA match(or something like it).
If I tried to escape, Leghilorn had warned me, I would be killed. If I betrayed the Covenant during battle, I would be publicly shamed and then killed. Either way, my furture looked very bleak.
"Do not be so tense," Leghilorn said during one of my training sessions. "A soldier cannot afford to be tense." I tried to relax, as he had instructed, but it was difficult. Though I had grown to trust him to some extent, I was still afraid of the three Honor Guards. All they would ever do was glare at me in a menacing way and snort disapprovingly. They despised me, and it was easy to see.
Leghilorn handed me an energy shield, instructing me to steer clear of depending only upon it. He pointed a plasma rifle at me.
"Fire back at me, and avoid being hit by my weapon."
Honestly! Did he really think I was that thick?
Without further warning, he pulled the trigger of the rifle, and I rolled into a ball and then into a crouching position once I had dodged the plasma glob, placing my needler comfortabley in the notch of the shield and pulling the trigger. My aim was completely off. He fired again, and this time I wasn't quick enough. The melted, boiling plasma impacted my thigh, sending a burning sensation up my side. It had easily burned through my armour. A fat lot of good it had done me.
I dropped the shield and gun instantly, and tore the armour off of my leg to examine it. I winced at actually seeing it. Blood was leaking out of the wound, deep red and glistening. I didn't notice that Leghilorn had approached and crouched before me to examine the wound. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the throbbing. Leghilorn quite suddenly clamped his large hand down upon my thigh, and I let out a quick yelp. A brief moment of complete anguish followed, but when he removed his hand, only a scar remained.
"What did you do wrong?" he asked indifferently.
"I...um..." I couldn't answer him; I didn't know.
"You were unprepared and you were exposed. The notch in your shield is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It allows you to be guarded from harm in two ways: you are able to protect yourself and fire your weapon at the same time. However, should you be behind that notch, rather than the shield, you are an easy target for snipers. They can zoom in and shoot you through that notch."
I nodded.
"And...when you were hit, you dropped both your shield and your weapon." He gave me a stern look.
"ButPlaying dead worksdoesn't it?" I asked him with a frown. He tilted his head curiously to the right.
"It will work occasionally. Human soldiers are foolhardy and will most definately fall for it. The Flood is virtually blind to the dead and dying, so it is likely to work with them. Covenant traitors, however, are not to be fooled by such simple trickery."
I didn't like his statement that humans were foolhardy.
"Dropping you only means of protection is not an intelligent move to make," Leghilorn continued, oblivious to my annoyance. "Should you find yourself injured, keep your shield over you. That way, if an enemy decides to investigate, you are not completely vulnerable."
"ButThe Humans won't fire on me unless they discover whose side I am fighting for." I paused. "Right?"
The Elite regarded me carefully, gazing at me for so long that I grew figity. "Unfortunately, the first shot you send their way is going to give away your loyalties."
"You really expect me to fire on my own kind?" I asked him shortly, instantly regretting that I had. His right eye focused on my face.
"In all honesty, you do not have a choice."
"Do or die then?" I muttered with a roll of my eyes. He tilted his head the other way before standing up gracefully. I, however, possessed no such grace. The armour was heavy and stiff and difficult to move in. I stumbled and almost fell, causing the three Honor Guards to make soft, repetitive snorts. I believe that they were laughing at me.
Leghilorn started to say something, but was interrupted by a Grunt messenger, who had come into the room.
"The Arbiter wishes to speak with Leghilorn and his companion," it said in a high pitched, hurried voice. Leghilorn made some low noises deep in his throat, and the Grunt answered in much the same way. I suspected they were speaking in their native tongue so as to be sure I couldn't understand them. After a minute or so of them speaking, Leghilorn turned to the Honor Guards.
"Stand by, should she attempt escape," he told them firmly.
"The Prophets"
"The Prophets have assigned me her trainer, therefore I have control over what I do with her. I am giving her a chance. I will however, give you permission to kill her if she does escape." He cast me a sideways glance, making sure that I heard. Indeed I had heard him. Silently, I nodded, somewhat surprised how hurt I was that he did not trust me not to run off. He seemed to notice, because his tone softened. "Give them no reason to harm you," he told me, nodding to the Honor Guards. Then he did something I never would have expected.
He removed my electric collar.
I heard the Honor Guards muttering amoungst themselves, probably cursing his actions. He nodded, and motioned for me to follow the Grunt out. The door closed behind Leghilorn with an echoing clap. It made me jump. I had heard stories of the Arbiter. He and the Humans had supposedly worked together to prevent the Journey from beginning. Together they had destroyed the Prophets whom had led this expedition. The Prophets who now ruled had been chosen specifically by the Arbiter himself.
I was tempted to ask Leghilorn why we were going to see the Arbiter whom I had heard so much about, but decided against it. The Grunt's armoured feet made quick paced click-clacking noises on the floor as we walked toward our destination. Leghilorn stayed back from me a bit, perhaps to be sure he did not step on the back of my heels, as his stride was much longer and more fluent than my own.
We reached what appeared to be an elevator, and stepped inside. I had a hard time keeping my last meal down as the elevator dropped quickly. When the doors opened, the Grunt led us into a dark corridor, the only light coming from the slightly open door at the opposite end of the hall.
A/N: I'd like to give out a special thanks to all my reviewers, and I am SO sorry about the LONG wait between updates. I really had no idea how to lead into the future events of this story, and I was considering abandoning the story for the longest time...well, you can all thank my friend Jessica for convincing me to continue and giving me some good ideas! I have chapter 6 almost finished in my notebook that I write in at school, and once it is finished I will type it up and post it. I would say within three of four days there should be another update. The next chapter is going to be a bit of a turning point in the story, I think, so, I hope you enjoy itand I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Special thanks to:
KeystoneThanks for your advice. I have taken it! This chapter took up five pages in my notebook, so I was planning on it being longer, but...oh well...It's still an update! Also, if you could point me in the direction of the place you got the info on the Elite ranks(Zealot, etc.), I'd be most appreciative!
Blackened DiamondThanks for the info about the respectful title! I used it in my notebook, but on the computer I'm just to lazy to go back and re-upload all those chapters...
Dazed and Utterly ConfusedThankies!
RoxieI don't normally like it when people are insistant in their reviews, as it makes them sound a bit grumpy(to me, anyway), but I guess it means you liked the story! Thanks!
MarcusGlad to hear it's caught your interest! However, in case you didn't realize...I am NOT a manI am a girlhehe
Virtual-RealityYes, I do have X-Box Live, but I have never tried it before, therefore I don't have a username...yet.
DragonI am not a man! I am a girl! Thanks for the review though!
Jango19999It's not a slashnor could it ever be, considering it's not male/male or female/female. And if you've seen my 'slash' work before, you've seen wrong, because I have never written a slash.
The Immortal HunterHehe. You are no longer the only one allowed to give readers cliffies!
If your name is not included in here, don't feel bad! I am so thankful for all of your reviews, as they are the inspiration I need to keep me going! Thanks, and keep reviewing!
Rusty and the Rubix Horse
