Please continue to enjoy the story! I have so many plot twists and turns coming in the next chapter you won't believe it!
Cuda ignored me as I pulled at his arm, he was clicking in what sounded like a thoughtful and nervous trill, "Cuda, what do you see?" I asked again.
When he didn't answer an annoyed sigh escaped my lips and I peeked around the corner. I sharply gasped at the sight of my mother, Cuda's father and High Chancellor Kiba in a heated exchange with the two larger and midnight black foreigners. I could see them much more clearly now with the suns out.
The larger one, his belt was still covered in Ooman skulls, but his face was terrifying. His mandibles were long and expressive. Clicking together with every word. His features were gaunt. I could see his cheekbones hugged by his skin. His eyes glowed a deep red color and his frame was large. It was as if Paya had specifically made him to tower over all other Yautja. He was absolutely covered in muscle. Anyone who would fight him would probably be overpowered in seconds.
The second Yautja wasn't any different. Although his face was fuller and his dreadlocks a deep black color, a sign that he was younger than the other foreigner who had some gray touching his locks.
Suddenly the larger Yautja spat on the ground and roared at Chancellor Kiba, "we were told by the Ancients that this clan considers all Yautja brethren! How dare you reject our birthright!?"
"Chiva's are birthrights. Mates are not. We do things to keep order. Not to please."
I turned back to Cuda, "did you hear that?" I asked him.
He nodded. Not speaking.
I leaned back over, the two foreigners slurring in their home dialect at our parents and the Chancellor. He spat my mother's name and Cuda suddenly pulled me back over,
"You should leave." A hint of urgency to his voice, "don't you start your slave work soon." He sneered.
"Pauk'de hell." I complained rolling my shoulder to ease the pain of him yanking my arm, "why do you suddenly want me to leave?"
He glared at me, "I was being nice escorting you here and now I realize it was a mistake." For some reason that kind of hurt. His searing words made my jaw clench. I had what I needed, mother was okay and now I wanted nothing more than to stay away from Cuda again.
"Paya you're an ass," I growled and tore from him to head home. I looked behind me, he was still staring at me walking off. His expression quickly darkened at my gaze, his eyes ripped away from my form and he peeked back around the corner. Pauk him and his bad temper.
I made it back home and began to roll my hair into a ponytail. My mother arrived soon after and approached me as I splashed water on my face.
"Atorah I need to speak with you."
"Yes?" I replied wiping the water off of my face.
"When you go do your chores I expect you to come right home. No wandering, sei?"
"Ki'sei." I nodded.
There was that feeling again. That something just wasn't right.
When I arrived at the ship bay I spotted Uncle Tu'Puk standing at a large ship, one that I didn't recognize before. The ship had Yautjian symbols, but they were not symbols I recognize. The ship was a menacing black in color, it's edges were sharp, the gunships equipped with swords. It was not something I had ever seen before.
"Uncle?" I called to him.
"Atorah? Dahd'tou-di, what are you doing here?" He looked exhausted. As if he had stayed up for days.
"Whose ship is this? I don't recognize the markings." My uncle didn't immediately answer, His lower mandibles splayed out in deep thought, "uncle?" I asked again.
"Not for you to mind Atorah." He simply stated. His voice gravely serious.
"Uncle." I pushed my luck, "who are they? Please..." My uncle looked at me solemnly. It was an odd look, almost like he was...afraid. "I saw the foreigners, Uncle. They were as black as the night sky."
Uncle Tu'Puk stiffened, "you wander too much child." I shook my head, annoyed.
"What is going on? Mother won't talk to me, Cuda ran me off when the foreigners started speaking about mates, now you're running circles around me. Why won't anyone tell me the truth!?" I raised my voice at my uncle. I immediately wanted to take back my outburst, but I felt better for it. Uncle stared down at me in surprise, his mandibles clicking together. Finally, he let out a breath that he seemed to have been holding,
"My dear niece." Uncle Tu'puk began, "the Hish clan is the owner of this ship. They claim it is their birthright to challenge our males for females."
Mates weren't a foreign concept to me. My uncle has a mate and most older Yautja here have them. But the idea of courtship was extremely new to me. Yautja my age were already beginning to court one another, but no one was looking to court me. Our society respected females, males did not openly battle each other for the hearts of females here. Our society is also largely monogamous. Multiple mates are actually rare here. Our blood is very easy to jealousy. But that doesn't mean all Yautja societies followed these norms. Clans are all different, some more dishonorable in their quest for females than others. I once heard of a clan that treated wives as slaves, males were easy to abandon one female for another.
But in this moment I was suddenly afraid for my mother. Her name was famous among clans. She would be a prime choice since she was still of age,
"They can't do that! What of my mother?" I protested to my uncle.
"They are not interested in Sirrah." Uncle growled.
"I heard them use my mother's name uncle!"
"They were talking about you."
My eyes widened, "me?"
"You come from a great sain'ja. Many have heard of the daughter of Sirrah. You and younger females are what they are interested in."
"B-but I am not..." I'm not fully Yautja...
"They don't know that." Uncle looked at me softly, "which is why you must stay hidden until they leave."
"W-why? I don't have to accept a courting! I-I can just tell them h'ko!"
"It doesn't work like that this time. This is the Hish clan. As long as they have formally challenged our males they have a right to court a female. Your mother has even dealt with these savages." He scowled, "Because of your mother's status we were able to deny them such courtesies."
My eyes looked down at my feet. "But I do not get such treatment..."
"You have not yet earned a great title Dahd'tou-di." My uncle gave a short huff, "You fail to see the prying eyes of the Yautja males." Uncle touched my chin and lifted my head, "it is for that reason we must hide you. To protect from those who see your beauty as a trophy. Not as a gift."
I was stunned, beautiful? No, I was not. How could he say that to me? He is biased. He is my uncle. So, of course, he would say such nice things. But I basically had no control over my own fate. I was too weak to fight my own battles. To defend my own honor. I felt uncomfortably insecure and angry now. All of this was happening to fast. My training for the warrior trials would be affected too.
"What about my chores?" Defeat laced my voice as I realized that I was losing the small amount of control I had for my own life.
"Postponed. For now."