Author's Notes: My apologies for not updating some of my other stories as fast as this one is going. The thing is, I tend to like LONG chapters, so much so in fact, that EVERYTHING that has been posted in this story so far, was originally a PART of what I considered an INCOMPLETE first chapter! Yeah, more than 30 thousands words, and still one chapter one! I did say that I like LONG chapters… right? Okay, good. That being said, the same is true for the other AVP stories that I've recently posted. Everything was part of the first chapter, and someone FINALY convinced me to break them up into smaller chapters of about 3,000 words, and post them. So I did. I have not stopped working on them, or any of my other stories. In fact I have about 30 in progress at this moment. If I hit that dreaded "Writer's Block" on one, then I switch to another, until the block is gone. So for those of you waiting patiently for an update on another story, it WILL happen, (I'm too damned stubborn to know how to quit!) but it will take some more time.
Sincerely,
Khalthar
Not entirely sure what was going on, R'ka took a deep breath and carefully examined the scent that came to her. She detected stress, and even the faint traces of blood that were contained in the female's scent, but she couldn't understand why there was no scent or sign of hostility, or anger in that scent. Completely bewildered by the ooman's strange and confusing actions, she decided that she needed some advice on how to deal with this ooman. There was only one source of information available, and that was the Yautja male. Deciding that she desperately needed more information pertaining to the ooman that was now living in her cave, R'ka-thwei donned her clothing quickly, and stepped into the main cavern. She noted that she was followed by the female ooman.
"What do you know about ooman customs?" R'ka-thwei demanded without hesitation.
"Um… Not very much actually, but I do know a little. Why?" Kwei-kv'var-de answered in surprise.
"Does spreading one's arms, turning one's back, or baring one's teeth mean something different to them than it does to us?" R'ka supplied irritatedly.
"I can't say anything about spreading the arms or turning the back, because I haven't heard anything about that. But I do know that oomans have more than one reason for baring their teeth. One reason shows anger, or pain, and another is supposed to show happiness or friendship. I couldn't tell you which is which though, because I've never seen ooman expressions." Kwei-kv'var-de replied with a shrug. "Why are you asking this?" He inquired curiously.
"Because that strange creature has done all three to me, and yet I detect no anger in her scent!" R'ka-thwei replied in frustration. "If I'd caught the slightest hint that she was being hostile in her scent, I'd have killed her instantly! But the way she smelled, and acted while she was making those challenges was anything but hostile! I don't even know if she's insulting me, or thanking me!"
"My apologies, but unless I'd seen it for myself, I don't know what to tell you." Kwei-kv'var-de told her honestly. He was about to say more, but he stopped when the ooman in question stepped past him to look at the large fur that he'd just finished hanging across the entrance to the main section of the cave.
Jennifer stepped forward to look at the large and dripping wet hide that had obviously just been hung to dry. As she did, she couldn't help but notice the very large and much darker stain that covered a fair portion of it. A single touch of that stain with her left hand, and some of the nearly black substance came off on her fingers. She didn't need to be told, because she knew at once what it was. She knew right away that the blood didn't belong to the alien, because it wasn't neon green, and it didn't glow. Jennifer's shaking right hand went to her mouth even as her left sort of hovered there in front of her while she stared in mute horror at what she knew was her own blood. She couldn't move, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the result of what she knew had to have been a near fatal loss of blood.
R'ka watched the odd female carefully as she approached the now hanging hide. She had no idea what the ooman would do next, and she was still curious to know what the female's prior actions had meant. It wasn't until the ooman touched the hide that she smelt it. It was the ooman's blood; a thick and cloyingly sweet metallic scent, which was immediately being overpowered by the smell of the ooman's fear. She stepped forward, intending to confront the female, but paused when the female turned to reveal her features.
The normally yellow coloration of heat that suffused the ooman's face was rapidly fading to orange as the heat providing blood drained from the female's face. The female was also breathing very raggedly, and apparently trying to speak, but no sounds seemed to be emerging. Somehow the ooman knew that her blood had covered most of the hide, before it had been stirred up enough to release the scent.
"She knew her blood was on that fur! She knew it even before it could be smelled!" R'ka exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm not really sure how that could be possible. From what I've heard, oomans have very poor senses of smell and hearing. I have been told that they have a radically different type of sight that does not use heat at all, but a different part of the EM spectrum. With that being the case, she might have seen the blood." Kwei-kv'var-de answered after thinking about it for a moment.
"Even if she had seen it, how could she have known that it was her blood and not yours or mine? And why is she so frightened?" R'ka retorted instantly.
"She probably knew it was hers because neither of us have been injured enough to lose that much blood. I have been told that oomans have very primitive medical techniques. They actually sew a wound closed and allow it to heal naturally…" Kwei-kv'var-de began in a thought filled tone.
"She would have died if we had even tried methods like that!" R'ka exploded angrily.
Kwei-kv'var-de felt his mandibles drop as he glanced at the ooman who was still in a state of shock. "That's probably what's got her so scared right now. If she'd been treated by the methods of her own kind, then she would already be dead, and I think she knows it."
R'ka-thwei looked at the very frightened female for a moment before she got an idea. Turning back to her sleeping nest, she snatched up all five of the expended vials of healing serum, along with the injector that still had a partial vial in it, and stepped over to the female. Tapping the female on her right shoulder made her jump in surprise, but as soon as the female turned to face her, R'ka showed her the empty vials. She took the partial vial out of the injector to let the ooman female see that they were the same. Pointing to the now empty vials, and then to the injuries, she tried to tell the ooman that she had been treated properly.
Jennifer stared blankly at the empty tubes that were being held in front of her face. Suddenly she was looking down at the thin and barely visible, but fresh scar on her stomach, along with the one along the left side of her rib cage. Then she looked back at the empty tubes, before glancing up at the face of the alien woman.
"Jesus! You had to use all of that on me?" Jennifer exclaimed in a near whisper of shock.
She knew from the sheer size of the blood stain alone, that her injury had been serious, but having seen a first hand example of just how fast the alien medication had worked on her arm, combined with the number of tubes that had been used on her, gave her a fair idea of just how close to death she'd actually been. It was not a pleasant thought or realization to know that she should by all rights be dead right now, and that only the efforts of these two aliens had allowed her to survive. It came as quite a shock to Jennifer to realize that she now owed her very life to a pair of aliens that she couldn't even thank properly. The possibility of doubting that these aliens had in fact saved her life, and that they were not trying to pull some sort of scam, was born out by the memory of just how much pain she had been in while setting the female free of her restraints. She distinctly recalled how agonizing it had been simply to draw breath, and how it had felt almost impossible to make that last effort before passing out entirely.
Suddenly, Jennifer shook her head and made a rueful sound that was half snicker, and half snort of disbelief. She knew that the intense training that she'd been through had toughened her up, but she'd never been given a single clue that she had been made into someone so stubborn, and so determined as to be able to accomplish what she had done while actually in the process of dying. The realization gave her a new found and tremendous amount of respect for what the Marines had achieved.
The smaller, male alien had taken the bloodstained hide back out of the cave, and Jennifer was sitting against one wall as she watched the female named R'ka cook several large chunks of meat over an open fire that was in a recessed part of the wall and even had a natural chimney of sorts. It was without a doubt, one of the strangest, yet very comfortable places to live that she'd ever seen. That this cavern had been occupied for a fairly long while was evident in the soot that was caked all over the fire place, the numerous furs that covered the floor of the cavern, and the various skulls that were situated along the walls.
The smell that was beginning to rise from the roasting meat made Jennifer salivate like mad. Even though she could see that the meat was still mostly raw, she was still sorely tempted by the incredibly appetizing aroma coming from it. She got up and moved closer to the fireplace to get a much better nose full of that wonderful smell.
"I don't know what spices you've got on that R'ka, but it smells amazing!" Jennifer said with a huge smile, while pointing at the cooking meat.
R'ka-thwei looked over at the ooman female curiously as she tried to understand what was going on. None of the odd words of the ooman made any sense to her, but she had the feeling that the ooman was commenting on her cooking.
"I don't know what you just said, but I think the meat smells good, and it will taste even better." R'ka-thwei replied.
Just then, the tiny female leaned in closer to the cooking meat and inhaled deeply, before sticking her tongue out and running across those strange flaps of skin around her mouth, and baring her teeth again. R'ka-thwei shook her head in irritation. What she wouldn't give to know whether that facial expression was a challenge or not.
"It seems that the ooman likes the smell of your cooking, R'ka-thwei. I have to agree with her, that is a truly wonderful scent. What kind of meat is it?" Kwei-kv'var-de asked enthusiastically as he began to hang the now thoroughly cleaned fur above the entrance tunnel.
"I don't know the actual name of the creature, but I call it a 'Slime Beast' because its entire body is coated in a very thick slime which is a contact poison, and is very deadly and fast acting, even on us." R'ka-thwei answered easily. "The hide makes the softest leather you will ever find, and even dried, the meat will not last for long, because it contains too much moisture. But it is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten!"
"If the smell from it being cooked is anything to judge by, then I have no doubts that it will be one of the finest things I've ever tasted." He told her truthfully.
"Holy shit!"
The rather soft exclamation drew the attention of both Yautja to the ooman female who was staring at an object that was laid alongside one wall of the cave.
Jennifer knew exactly what it was that she was looking at. After all, being of Apache descent, and having been taught some of the traditions of her heritage, she couldn't help but recognize the long bow for what it was. The difference was that this one was at least twice the size of any that she'd ever laid eyes on! She knew just by looking at it, that it had to belong to the one named R'ka because it was just too large to be used by anyone else; including that towering bundle of muscle that she hadn't been introduced to.
"Can I take a closer look at this?" She asked while pointing at the huge bow and looking at R'ka with raised eyebrows.
R'ka looked at the ooman female with a curious tilt to her head. She understood that the ooman was commenting on the weapon that she'd built, and she had an idea that the female might want to examine it closer. Thinking that another's opinion on her now treasured weapon might give her some insight on how to either improve the weapon itself, or how to improve her own skill with it, she nodded cautiously. She would certainly keep a sharp eye on the ooman though, because she did not want that weapon damaged in any way.
Jennifer reached out to carefully lift the huge bow from its position on the floor of the cave. She immediately discovered that it was very heavy and that she needed both hands the actually lift it. After carefully standing it on one end, she realized that it was just over twice her height. This thing was incredible! The center grip where it was meant to be held was even thicker than her upper arm! She placed the bow at an angle so that one tip was still on the floor while the other ran diagonally above her right shoulder. She knew that there was no way that it would ever be possible for her to use a weapon of such massive size. Even relaxed, the draw string was almost as far from the shaft as her arm was long!
Jennifer blinked and rolled her eyes in stunned disbelief. That was when she spotted the quiver of arrows that went with the bow. She laid the bow gently on the floor and took out one of the arrows to discover that it was longer than she was tall! As thick as two of her fingers, and almost as tall as the shorter alien, even the arrows for this monster were huge!
She got a rather stupid grin on her face, and giggled just a little, because she just had to do it! Her grin got even wider as she nocked the arrow in place, and lifted the bow into an angled firing position. Suddenly, she burst out laughing because she wasn't big enough to nock the arrow in the center of the bow the way it was supposed to be done! With a rueful shake of her head, she laid the bow flat on the floor of the cave and placed the arrow in the center where it belonged while still keeping it nocked. Then she stepped back and looked at the overall size. She knew right away that her grandparents would have truly loved to see what she was now looking at! She could tell just by looking at it, that this wasn't some mere token display piece. This was meant to be used. It was made to be used, and somehow, she knew, just knew that it had been used!
There was something about the archaic weapon that seemed to justify everything her ancestors had ever believed, because for such a thing to be in the hands of an alien, who had what appeared to be incredibly advanced technology, meant that they had to honor their traditions, and a traditional way of life. That was something that she could understand, and live with. It was truly an eye opening revelation.
Jennifer un-nocked the arrow, and put the bow gently back in its place along the cave wall. Then she examined the arrow once more. A smooth shaft was to be expected, but the bone tip was a bit surprising. The fletching was another matter entirely; apparently made from some kind of leather that was braced with some kind of short spines from something. She could readily see that it would work, but she couldn't be sure if the result would as good as that provided by feathers. She turned and carefully placed the arrow back in the quiver, and turned to look at R'ka.
'She knows what those are! How would an ooman recognize a weapon that was stored in the survival guide on my wrist computer?' R'ka-thwei thought in surprise, before she looked at the male and asked him those same questions, only to learn that he also had no idea.
"That is really beautiful craftsmanship! My grandparents are full blooded Apache, who prided themselves in honoring their Native American heritage, and I know that they would have loved to discuss the techniques involved in making that lovely set of bow and arrows!" Jennifer said softly with a gesture towards the weapon before the male could respond to the questions that had been asked.
"I'm not sure if the information is in my ship's computer or not, since the ship belongs to my clan, and not to me personally. But I know that there is a program that can translate ooman speech into text that can be read in the HUD of a mask. Since my ship is now worthless to us as a form of transportation away from this planet, may I request your assistance in salvaging what we can from it? I will be glad to give you that program, in exchange. Or, if it isn't in the computer, then I can provide plenty of medical serum in exchange for your help. The machining equipment is also fully functional, and I am well acquainted with its use, so I can also make any repairs to your awu'asa that you might need." Kwei-kv'var-de offered candidly. "If that program is there, then it will enable us to understand what she's saying, and perhaps to allow us to teach her to understand us as well."
R'ka-thwei thought the situation over carefully as she silently studied the male in front of her. Suddenly, she noticed that all indications that he'd been severely beaten by the four males were no longer present, and then there was the matter of his swift arrival which she knew to have been too fast. He suspicions aroused, she decided to ask him straight out.
"If your ship isn't flyable, then how did you get here so quickly?"
"I dosed myself with two vials of healing serum and a vial of pain blocker so that I could make the entire run at top speed." He answered honestly.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing?" R'ka-thwei demanded instantly.
"Because my life was spared by the actions of the ooman female, and you were the one who restored my freedom. I owe a debt to both of you." Kwei-kv'var-de said simply.
"Very well then; in the morning if the ooman female is healthy enough to travel, then we will go to your ship and see what we can do. For now, there is a bathing pool behind that leather curtain. There are several large rocks heating in the fire, use the tongs to drop the rocks in the water. When the rock is cool, put it back in the fire. Repeat the process until the water is the temperature you prefer." R'ka-thwei instructed.
Kwei-kv'var-de's mandibles fell open in stunned shock as he gaped at the Black Yautja female in pure disbelief. "You… you have the ability to take a hot bath?" He demanded in surprise before taking a careful look around. "This might be made from no more than a cave, but you have certainly made it into a truly livable home that even includes a luxury I would never have expected, or even thought possible." He added in awe.
R'ka-thwei's head jerked towards the smaller Yautja as if she'd just been slapped from the other side. She knew that common courtesy demanded that one should complement another on their home when invited into it. Never would she have thought that anyone else would consider her cave to be anything more than a simple and primitive hole in the ground that was used as shelter. She couldn't deny the awe filled voice with which the male had spoken though, and that told her that he'd meant every word.
"Well, it does require some effort to make it the way you prefer, but a hot bath is still a hot bath, and you're welcome to make use of it." R'ka-thwei answered as she moved over to the ooman who was still admiring the weapon she'd made.
Jennifer watched silently as the two aliens spoke with one another. Then the smaller went into the chamber with the bath pool, while the large woman came over to her. She watched as R'ka picked up the bow, grabbed an arrow and nocked it, before drawing the arrow back. Instantly, Jennifer was shaking her head.
"No, no, no! That is not how you're supposed to do it!" Jennifer said quickly when she saw that the stance was all wrong. Then, she stepped back and acted as if she were the one holding a bow, while she assumed the proper stance for shooting accurately.
R'ka-thwei felt her lower mandibles droop in surprise as she looked down at the ooman female who was taking a slightly different pose while mimicking the holding of a weapon exactly like hers. She thought that the much smaller female was trying to show her a more proper stance while using the weapon, but without knowing the ooman language, she couldn't be positive about it. She moved cautiously as she adjusted her body to mirror the stance of the ooman. Golden yellow eyes widened, and her mandibles flared into a grin as she felt the difference in the balance and control of the weapon in her hands. A slight turn away from the weapon, a subtle shift of the feet, a minute adjustment of her arm's position, and she could feel the difference! Now, she truly wanted to be able to talk to this female to learn where she had encountered such a weapon as the one she had, and what more the ooman might know.
Looking down at the ooman female, who barely reached past her knee, R'ka saw the teeth bared once more while the female was nodding her head in what appeared to be a gesture of approval. With no scent of anger detectable, R'ka decided that she would hold off on venting any frustration with the ooman's actions until she knew for sure if the ooman was trying to be offensive or not. She didn't think that the female was being offensive because of the strange actions that had always accompanied the bared teeth. She was sure that the ooman would be fit to travel in the morning, and maybe, just maybe there would be a translation program in Kwei-kv'var-de's ship that she could use to learn about the tiny female. She nodded her head to the ooman female and put the bow back in place before she also placed the arrow back in the quiver. She beckoned to the female with her hand as she stepped over to the fire pit where the meat was now almost ready to eat.