Twelve
Luar'ka sat as quietly as physically possible in the cockpit on an unoccupied chair with her legs folded beneath her, watching the others work. This was a special privilege and she wasn't about to blow it. Ikthya'de had managed to successfully convince his brothers to allow her out of the storeroom to watch the docking procedure to the clan ship. They in turn had somehow managed to convince Thwei'ja that it was a good idea. How they'd managed that, she'd probably never know. He was only a few feet away from her, standing and watching their progress through the viewing portal and the screen. It was hard not to keep glancing at him. Part of her was wary of him, given his treatment of her the last time they'd been in the same room together. The other part of her was curious about him, since he was the one she knew the least about. She watched him quietly when he wasn't looking, but kept her eyes focused away when he showed the slightest sign of turning.
In truth, Luar'ka was delighted to get out of the stuffy storeroom, but she was reluctant to keep escaping. Too many more times and Thwei'ja might actually shove her in the airlock. He was already displeased at her presence in the cockpit, demonstrated by the fierce looks he kept throwing her way, or how he'd snarl at her if she made so much as a peep. Kar'kha was immensely aggravated at his leader's treatment of his apprentice, but he couldn't rebuff him on his actions without going out of line. Besides, he knew Thwei'ja had every right to dislike the youngling. But so far, Luar'ka was being remarkably obedient and sitting motionless in a little ball in the chair, easily large enough to hold two or three other Avians her size alongside her. She hadn't said a word since Ikthya'de had brought her in. Before docking, he'd left for a few moments and returned with a Naxa he'd been saving for the deep space sweet cravings he sometimes got. He handed the fruit off to Luar'ka and explained in sign language how to peel and eat it, demonstrating the most efficient technique which she quickly mastered. Ikthya'de's fondness for sweet foods was quite a bit higher than most Yautja and he almost always had various fruits, dried or fresh on hand to munch on when the cravings hit. He even had lists of favorite fruits he kept and their locations on various planets. No trip to a known hunting planet could be complete without the acquisition of something he liked. The downside was that his irritability spiked without his treats. The fact that he was willingly relinquishing one of his Naxa was a bit of a shock for his brothers, and even Thwei'ja blinked a few times in surprise when he saw this display. Luar'ka, hardly to Kar'kha's surprise, quickly handed Ikthya'de a few slices she'd peeled off from the main body of the fruit, and of course, Ikthya'de was hardly one to refuse the treat, actually purring in delight when he popped a slice into his mouth. Kar'kha had a hard time not chuckling at this little spectacle; if Ikthya'de had been trying to hide his growing fondness for the little female, he was doing a terrible job of keeping the facade going.
Than'ja chuffed suddenly from the port-side control panel where he was preparing the calibrations for the umbilical docking procedure. The ship was extremely old and couldn't handle the process automatically; the numbers had to be crunched by hand, so to speak. Ikthya'de moved to check on the calculations, ascertaining whether they were correct. Grumbling low, he typed rapidly into the computer, adjusting the data his brother had entered. Their trajectory was a bit off. He rumbled, pleased with his work and clapped his brother on the shoulder as he moved off to the other control panel to prepare to disengage the engines.
Kar'kha was handling the manual controls, carefully steering the shuttle toward the clan ship. Thwei'ja was prepared to take over for the more complicated procedure of actually aligning it with the umbilical deck.
They clicked rapidly to one another as the massive ship drew nearer and Luar'ka stared in amazement through the windows, the tinting now barely visible in the blackness of the night sky. She sat up a little straighter, straining to see out. Thwei'ja noticed her movement, turning to look at her curiously before deeming it nothing and facing forward again.
Luar'ka was sure she'd never seen anything so amazing. The ship's outer hull was long, bright windows lining all along the sides of the streamlined exterior. It seemed to hover motionless in the void, surrounded by stars on all sides. And it just kept growing larger as they drew nearer to it. Luar'ka felt her heart race as they drew swiftly up alongside it, the windows on the outside racing by and disappearing from sight behind the metal interior of the shuttle. Thwei'ja now took over for the more complex maneuvers. Kar'kha moved to stand beside Luar'ka's chair in case she grew nervous. The last thing they needed was for her nerves to get the better of her while Thwei'ja was so tense already. He made the procedure look easy as he drew the ship up alongside an enormous metallic structure at the base of the clan ship, and Ikthya'de fired the engines with a tremendous roar, slowing the ship's acceleration and dragging it upward toward the connection point. Luar'ka could feel the metal hull vibrating like mad and she reflexively gripped the side of the chair, her wings twitching. The ship rattled suddenly and a loud clunk was heard before a whirring sound echoed down from above and the ship was suddenly enclosed in suffocating darkness. Another mechanical echo pounded through the ship as the hull was secured automatically to magnetized moorings. Luar'ka fought to maintain her breathing as the auxiliary engine kicked on, activating the powered down lights and bathing the cockpit in a soft red glow.
And with that, they'd arrived.
Thwei'ja barked commands to his comrades to begin preparations for disembark, The ship needed repairs and fuel before it could be sent out again. Luar'ka was able to catch him warning his crew that they'd depart again within twenty-four rotations.
He stalked out, glowering down at her briefly as he went. Ikthya'de and Than'ja both stood up as well and approached Kar'kha where he still stood beside his protege.
(( I have to say, she fared exceptionally well for her first docking procedure; quite unlike a certain somebody I am familiar with.))
((Shut your mouth, Ikthya'de,)) Kar'kha snarled, flaring his mandibles. Luar'ka bared her teeth and hissed at both of them, earning astounded looks in her direction. Than'ja huffed out an exasperated sigh, ((So tell me, just how much of what we say can she understand?)) he groaned.
((Quite a bit, I would say,)) Ikthya'de said with a satisfied smirk. Luar'ka giggled at this and flapped her wings a couple of times.
((No...talk behind...back no more.)) she said clumsily. Ikthya'de barked out a laugh of pure amusement at her butchered reply while Than'ja shook his head in dismay, ((Her pronunciation is atrocious...)) he muttered.
Kar'kha fixed him with a stern glare, ((She knows enough, and that is all she needs for the moment.))
His brothers shrugged and Kar'kha watched as they left to tend to their assigned duties before disembarking. He knelt before Luar'ka, still curled on the chair. Drawing on what little of her language he knew, he indulged her a bit as he passed along a warning; "Nnnnnooo...fearrr." he said, gesturing to himself and in the direction his brothers had gone. Luar'ka gulped a little bit as her expression faltered, her wings sagging. She took a deep breath and nodded, her face a shade or two paler than before, "M'di h'dlak." she stammered. No fear
He nodded and straightened up, turning away from her. She slid down to the floor and followed after him as he headed down the misty corridor. Kar'kha froze suddenly and turned back to her; "Th'syra." he asked, or more like stated. Luar'ka hesitated for but a second before reaching around behind her and pulling forward the deer skull she had hanging by a strip of cloth from her tunic around her neck. He had to make sure she was wearing that. She'd garner even a scant amount of respect if she showed she was capable of hunting. They wouldn't be on the clan ship for long, and he certainly had no intention of dragging her into the main gathering hall or the exchange. If he lost sight of her for even a moment, her life would hang by a thread for any Yautja who might see her.
The Jag'dja'd atoll, or clan ship was, as the name implied, the main off-planet dwelling for Kar'kha's birth clan, known as the Sev'kai. They were a part of a triad of clans living in this region of the galaxy who had acted closely together for centuries, so much so that it had gotten to the point of mixed bloodlines floating about. Usually considered taboo for clan members to mate with females of other clans, somehow in the last several hundred years, this habit of mixing blood had not only become more or less the norm, but had also produced many strong, resilient, and worthy Yautja who upheld the honor of all three clans in their hunts and excursions. The other two clans were the Ki'vai and the To're'ke. The To're'ke clan was well known for its diplomatic relations with certain species of former prey creatures now deemed sentient and intelligent enough to be aware of the existence of the Yautja. One such race was the Illmorein, who themselves were well connected with inter-spacial affairs and used these connections to feed information and warnings to the Yautjan clans in the greatest of secrecy. The Yautja then used this information to coordinate attacks, invasions, and, most importantly, honorable hunts. Other diplomatic races included a species of aquatic, bipedal reptilian creatures dubbing themselves the Hssinkish. Nearly equal in their seclusion as the Yautja, the Hssinkish bartered their freedom from hunts both with information gleaned from other parts of the universe, as well as access to their natural predators in the form of uniquely challenging sea beasts that few Yautja were capable of taking on. However, to bring back a skull from such a creature granted almost instantaneous rank; not every Yautja was capable of aquatic combat. Kar'kha only knew of two who had pulled it off; the Elder Sechinde, and the Arbitrator Warkha.
The other clan in the Triad, the Ki'vai, specialized in covert stalker Yautja, who made it their life's work to practice the delicate techniques involved in tracking and ambush. They could afford to specialize so thoroughly only because of their connection to the Triad. Otherwise, such limitations made them dangerously vulnerable. There were individuals in the To're'ke and Sev'kai who resented such liberties being taken under such highly unusual circumstances, but the three leading Matriarchs of the clans had agreed to an extended trial period of these tactics for the Ki'vai. And for the most part, it appeared to be working. However, the Ki'vai were also known to have produced more Bad Bloods than any of the other clans. Kar'kha had learned enough from their databanks following the skirmish on Illmianyar to understand the Bad Blood who had attacked Luar'ka had originated from the Ki'vai. Than'ja had once told him that for a while, there was talk of combining all three clans into one, but that the high number of Bad Bloods in the Ki'vai had put those plans on hold for the time being. Kar'kha knew this most recent incident of an entire transport shuttle loaded with kiande amedha eggs going missing was an extremely serious dilemma.
Kar'kha didn't spend very much time on the clan ship. He was technically still in training. Yes, he'd achieved Blooded status, but this was only the beginning. He still had much more to learn and many trophies to hunt if he wanted to increase his rank. In a way, he was a little envious of his brothers, both of whom held aspirations that, while challenging, had far fewer challenges involved in increasing rank short of becoming exceptionally skilled at their work. The process of saving lives honorably was...complicated in their society. If you wanted to save the life of another Yautja, there were certain rules and guidelines you had to follow if you didn't want to dishonor them. Half the work of a healer was just learning all of those rules first. Than'ja had already succeeded in saving three lives, all of whom had been honorable. Ikthya'de had the task of making sure all of his crafted weapons and armor hit the highest standards possible; lightweight, durable, strong, flexible, and of course, intimidating. In a way, their chosen paths were just as complicated and difficult as the life of a full-time hunter. And until she'd earned enough respect to make any other decision, a hunter was all that Luar'ka could possibly become in their society, assuming she got to be anything at all.
Kar'kha was really beginning to wonder if he'd made the right choice. He could see now why it was usually only Elders who took apprentices. The trepidation was almost enough to make him second-guess leaving the ship with her.
Almost. He wasn't that cowardly. He was leaving the ship and she was definitely accompanying him.
He moved toward the main hatch that had been connected to an umbilical terminal holding it to the clan ship. This connection served as a gate into the ship that could be passed through freely. He glanced down at Luar'ka walking beside him. It seemed all her energy was being spent toward quelling her fear; he could see her rigidness. He thumped her lightly on the back to wake her up and she jumped, looking toward him in alarm before she realized he was just dragging her back to reality. She tucked her wings back, her hand going up to lightly clasp around the skull she now wore. It shone in the low light, reaching her clavicle from the strip of cloth it was tied to. He made a mental note to get her a chain or something to better display it. He strode forward confidently, spying his brothers waiting at the other end of the terminal. All three of them still wore their armor and masks, creating intimidating silhouettes in the mist that hovered freely even in the tunnel. Kar'kha moved to join them, glancing down once more at Luar'ka.
Ikthya'de nodded to him and then looked toward the Avian, ((I do not know how much you understand. Should you lose sight of Kar'kha, seek Than'ja or myself out at once.))
She scrunched her eyes shut while he spoke, but as they watched, they opened suddenly and her face darkened, ((Follow...Ikthya'de...Than'ja...)) she said, tripping over her words. Than'ja sighed, the sound echoing and rattling in the thin air, ((Close enough, I suppose.))
They existed the hatch, the door sliding open and the mist spilling into the darkened, metallic corridor beyond. Luar'ka followed them, struggling to keep her feet from slipping on more unfamiliar terrain. She stuck close to Kar'kha, but eyed their postures and did her best to copy, straightening her back and walking with her head high, her eyes trained forward.
The docking bay was dark. Crates composed of some dull metal sat in various stacks all around, presumably filled with supplies for long-distance hunts and missions. There were other terminal gates leading to more corridors and Yautja were entering and exiting them all around her. Computer terminals were occupied by individuals monitoring the progress of other incoming ships and still others were speaking with quick sounds and gestures, obviously discussing details of incoming launches and arrivals. Every now and then, one or two would look up at them as they passed and Luar'ka contained her nervousness when she would see the quick, sharp movements that indicated they'd clearly seen her.
"U'dara'hje sk'pbe hi'kipi sei'h-sm?"
"Sei-i, ooman ka-mbe ti'chan'de."
"Ooman?!"
Before her, Kar'kha made a sound of disgust, but fell silent at a soft chuff from Ikthya'de. Looking up at them curiously, she noticed Ikthya'de shaking his head minutely, growling low in the back of his throat, a sound she interpreted as a warning to the younger brother.
Luar'ka swallowed hard as she followed her comrades through the docking bay, fully aware of the stares she was getting as well as fully expecting any one of the Yautja present to confront them about her presence. This was far different from traveling with just the four of them.
Kar'kha glanced over at Ikthya'de; ((I will have to present her to clan leader. Are you going to accompany us?))
((I cannot. Than'ja?))
The oldest brother, clearly irritated at being dragged into this, heaved a heavy sigh. He looked down at Luar'ka watching him expectantly, her eyes wide and serious. His own golden eyes narrowed and he clacked his mandibles together thoughtfully, ((Very well, I shall back you up. I am able to provide evidence at least, of her prowess thus far. She has the skull, which will serve her well, here. However, the final decision is that of the clan leader. The rest is in the hands of the Paya.))
Kar'kha and Ikthya'de both knew what that meant. If Luar'ka wasn't cleared to remain with them, she would be terminated, either right then and there, or worse, released onto one of their game planets to be hunted by either another released prey creature, or a Yautja. Either way, it wasn't good.
Ikthya'de stepped away from them and nodded as he prepared to leave. He glanced down at Luar'ka once and seemed to hesitate briefly. By this point, it was no secret to either of his brothers how fond he was of the Avian. Ikthya'de was just an oddball that way. He finally seemed to succumb and reached down toward her, shaking her shoulder somewhat more gently than he would a normal Yautja, though it was still nearly enough to knock her over. He turned and stalked off abruptly, heading for the lower levels of the ship where the forge was located. Kar'kha looked over at his remaining brother watching his twin leave before turning to meet his gaze through their masks. Than'ja nodded once and started off in the direction of the heart of the ship. All through the dimly lit corridors, the same thick mist as from the smaller ship filled the hallways, mimicking the atmosphere on their home planet. However, on the clan ship, it was quite a bit thicker than it had been on the smaller shuttle. This was to account for the vastly larger number of Yautja living aboard the ship. The Sev'kai, being one of the oldest active clans, numbered in the ten thousand, an ostensibly large number for any one clan as far as Kar'kha was aware. Therefore, the main ship was enormous.
They reached a crossroads leading away from the docking bay and Luar'ka immediately found herself lost. She watched as Than'ja moved ahead with seamless precision, clearly familiar with the layout of the gigantic ship. They passed several closed doors, and a few open ones. In one, Luar'ka shivered when she saw what appeared to be the body of a deceased Yautja being sealed inside some kind of clear casing by two or three others. She turned her head aside automatically, reacting to her instinctual urge to respect the dead as she followed Kar'kha quickly. This area of the ship was oddly cold and she wondered why, given that the shuttle had been kept at a much higher temperature than this.
Than'ja turned another corner heading away from the cold place as he continued toward a set of stairs leading up to a higher deck. Luar'ka could hear more chattering and clacking sounds coming from above as they cleared the landing. She had no idea what the different levels meant or how they were used. They passed three Yautja, all much smaller than her companions, who immediately pressed themselves back against the wall with their heads bowed low in submission to their superiors. Luar'ka gauged from their smaller statures that these were younger individuals, perhaps even close to her age. The tendrils growing out the backs of their heads were not only far, far shorter, but also in no way resembled the corded appendages her comrades sported. They were much looser, though still fleshy in appearance and resembled her own loose feathers in a way. As she and Kar'kha passed them, one of them raised his eyes ever-so-slightly just to see who they were and she watched them widen in amazement at the sight of her, momentarily forgetting himself and raising his head, allowing her to see his face briefly. His coloring was pale yellow, and not as colorful as those of Kar'kha or Than'ja, who sported intricate patterns of blacks, reds, greens, and yellows all along their scaled hides. These new individuals also sported very small, almost under-developed tusks on their mandibles and Luar'ka was now certain she was looking at juvenile Yautja. She nodded once to the one looking at her as she turned and hurried to keep up with Kar'kha, who seemed not to have noticed the sudden attention.
They turned another corner and Than'ja held his arm out to stop them as he glanced out through an open doorway. He grumbled low in the back of his throat and urged them forward, moving so Luar'ka walked between them rather than behind. At first, she wondered about his actions, but it didn't take long to understand why. As they emerged into the open, she saw that they stood on a landing overlooking an enormous room sprawled out beneath them, ovalular in shape with great pillars holding the two landing floors up on all sides, stretching clear across the circumference of the room. Thin light came from somewhere, though Luar'ka couldn't tell where. It seemed to filter down from the ceiling. It was extremely weak light, barely illuminating the room at all. Luar'ka had to strain to look over the metal guard wall set up on the landings, but she could almost see the bottom level and she could hear multitudes of voices chattering and clacking at once. She'd never heard anything so loud before, as the whole room reverberated with many voices, all Yautjan. She flinched when a deep bellow filled the room, followed by another in due succession and she heard something heavy slam into the wall of the bottom level below them. This was followed by the sounds of many angry voices all crowding into one area closer to them mixed in with the sound of infuriated snarling.
"Kha-bj-te Jehdin-de..." Than'ja snarled under his breath.
He led them through another doorway near the curve of the landing, heading away from the noisy room. Luar'ka struggled to quell the fast beating of her heart as she exhaled softly. Than'ja continued down a darkened hallway with ease, unconcerned for the distinct lack of light. He paused at the end of the corridor where Luar'ka could make out another door. He turned back to them, looking down at her with an air of extreme seriousness, "M'di h'dlak." he reminded her.
She nodded, her face set firmly. Than'ja pressed a button alongside the door and it slid open with a woosh. They stepped inside. Unlike the outside, this room was bathed in a soft, blue light. Also oval in shape, it was comparatively large given the size of the door with a single, circular table in the middle. The table was made of some kind of dull metal and hollow along the center edge. Inside was some sort of device with a bright orange image of the ship being projected into the air above it. Four Yautja were seated around the table, though it was clearly meant to easily hold ten individuals or so at once. All four were unmasked and looked up as they entered. Luar'ka could instantly see that these Yautja were different from the ones she'd run into in the lower levels. These four appeared much older. What could be seen of their bodies around their armor was riddled with scars and the individual closest to her was missing an upper right tusk, as well as his right eye. As she looked around, she noticed two others standing against the wall several feet away. Her eyes widened marginally; these two, she recognized. They were the arbitrators who had rescued S'iirai and herself on Illmianyar the other day. She resisted the urge to move back away from the blatant stare of the solid white one, his piercing green eyes shooting straight through her.
((Than'ja,)) the Yautja farthest from them greeted, ((It is good to see the four of you returning honorably. I understand you had quite an interesting hunt.))
Than'ja stepped forward, ((Yes, quite.)) he agreed.
One of the others clicked his mandibles as he tilted his head to focus on the Avian standing with them, utterly motionless and making no sound whatsoever. His eyes narrowed, ((Please explain the creature you have decided to bring with you.))
That had escalated far more quickly than Than'ja had been expecting. Clearly, the report could wait. He didn't wait for Kar'kha's approval as he nudged Luar'ka forward. He was inwardly amazed at her composure; except for the racing pulse she was still exhibiting, she remained relatively calm facing the Elders like this. One of the Elders stood up, moving slowly, but gracefully around the room until he stood before them, staring down at the young female. She didn't know enough of their body language yet to understand that by looking up at him and making eye contact, she was actually disrespecting him immensely. Kar'kha watched with a rigid back as Elder Sechinde eyed her silently, "So, you are the Avian, then. I have heard of you." he said in near flawless English. His voice was deep and gravelly, and lacked inflections and tone, making it somewhat hard to distinguish.
Luar'ka was briefly stunned into silence at how well he spoke, but she swallowed and nodded her head, "Yes. I am Avian."
"I must be truthful; this is quite a surprise. I never once expected to see another of your kind among the living. I believed I had seen the last with the male Avian whose head I claimed centuries ago."
He said this deliberately; testing her reaction to their hunting of her species. She didn't flinch, but he saw the flickering in her eyes that betrayed her shock, heard the brief quickening of her breath and noticed the single clenching of her fists before she settled again. He rumbled deep within his chest, "You are young. What is your age?"
"Eight."
He moved around her slowly, taking care not to startle her. She stood stiffly, her eyes following his movement while she forced her head to remain still. He paused directly behind her, forcing Than'ja and Kar'kha to step back away from him. He knelt to her level, as her head barely reached his thigh while he stood to his full height of almost eight feet. She resisted the urge to look at him, worried by his close proximity. His hand rose from his side, reaching slowly toward her back. He paused, tilting his head as he eyed her; "May I?" he asked, though the words came out more as a statement than a question.
Surprised that he'd even inquired for her permission first, Luar'ka nodded quickly, spreading her wings from their tucked position at her back. She felt his talons run delicately across her feathers, the tiny nerve endings shooting up through her spine and making her down stand on end at the contact. She couldn't decide if having her wings touched felt good or bad. He fondled her feathers carefully, making certain to not pull any free of their roots. His hand pulled away from her wings and lowered down to her right foot, gently nudging it off the floor and examining the sharp claws at the ends of her toes. The rough pads of his fingers ran across the scales of her ankle, carefully bending her knee at the joint and noting with curiosity how it bent slightly backwards rather than forwards. He released her leg, allowing it to set back down. He took hold of her right hand, again examining the tiny claws at the ends of each of her fingers, how the backs of her hands bore minute, smooth white scales like her ankles. Turning her arm slightly, he saw faint lines of black running along the length of her arm and disappearing inside the sleeve of her tunic. He carefully handled the skull hanging around her neck, turning it over very carefully as he examined how clean it was, lacking visible breakage of wear of any kind. Straightening up, he reached up to carefully grasp the side of her head, goading her to turn toward him as he stared her in the eye, his gaze flickering all across her face. His hand, nearly as large as her head itself, moved further up and smoothed her down, pausing at the inherently soft texture. The way his hand lingered at her down made her wonder if there were many things in their world that could be considered 'soft'. He finally pulled away, another deep rumble reverberating from deep within his chest. He seemed to be considering something.
"I am told," he said finally, "That Kar'kha has taken you as an apprentice. Is this true?"
Luar'ka nodded, "Yes."
"I am also told that you successfully injured one of the kiande amedha."
Luar'ka frowned, "K...kiahn...," she said, struggling to pronounce the word. Elder Sechinde clicked his tusks together a few times, "The words mean 'hard meat'. They are armored over most of their bodies, tenacious, strong, and fearsome. They are aggressive and challenging, a worthy prey for any true Yautja hunter."
"I...I was attacked by one...several days ago." she said softly, "It took a bite out of my leg."
She raised her leg, revealing the now-healed gouge in the scales where a chunk of flesh had been torn out. Elder Sechinde could see that it had barely missed vital tendons, which would have rendered her completely immobile.
"And yet you possessed the presence of mind to return the attack. That is not a simple feat. Yet you did not kill it."
Her downcast eyes revealed more about her current state of mind than he was sure she realized. Already, she was catching onto fundamental traditions and measures their society followed. She was grasping the fact that her attack had failed to complete the hunt, "No, I did not." she mumbled.
She hissed and leaped backwards, slamming up against the wall and Elder Sechinde suddenly unsheathed his wrist blades toward her face, missing her eyes by mere millimeters. Crouching in the corner, she bared her teeth at him on reflex, a low rumble escaping her that was not too dissimilar to the vocal rumbles the Yautja made. Elder Sechinde ignored her aggressive challenge, dismissing it as the reflex that it was as he straightened up to his full height. He turned to Kar'kha, ((I shall turn her over to Me'vi-te for a brief time. He will test her reflexes and see the level of her raw skill, if any. If she passes muster, she will be permitted to stay. If she fails to impress him, she will be taken to one of our hunting worlds to live or to die. Is that clear?)) he asked.
((Yes, Elder Sechinde.)) Kar'kha said firmly, though he wasn't thrilled at the idea of his sire being the one to test the youngster.
((Keep in mind, should her place here be confirmed, she may have to be turned over to the females.))
Than'ja clicked suddenly, earning their attention, ((Forgive my impertinence, but I do not foresee any immediate issues to come up regarding the female Avian. She is of a different species and quite immature. Speaking honestly, I do not believe she will survive to maturity, Elder Sechinde.))
Kar'kha had to fight to hide his amazement at Than'ja's defense of Luar'ka, but he understood why. The females were far more aggressive and territorial than the males were. They had no way of knowing the sort of treatment Luar'ka would endure at their hands. It was likely they would see her as the youngster she was and perhaps try to bring her up in proper ways pertaining to female Yautja, which bordered more on the management and political side of matters. However, it was also a possibility that they would view her as a potential threat and eventually kill her. The males were comparatively more docile than the females, relatively speaking. Than'ja could see that Luar'ka's best bet at surviving was ultimately by remaining with the males. He also had no way of foretelling what sort of changes would affect things in what ways, as he had never dealt with Avians before.
((What do you propose, then, Than'ja?)) Elder Sechinde asked, tilting his head to the side, his eyes narrowing.
((I will provide her with frequent examinations to ascertain her growth levels, physically as well as mentally. I will keep tabs on her progress and report back to you.))
Elder Sechinde considered the offer, his mandibles clicking in a regular pattern as he weighed the options. He remained oblivious (or so it seemed) of the others in the room watching him expectantly. In the corner, Me'vi-te and the other arbitrator watched silently, awaiting the final judgment of the Elder. Short of consulting with the Matriarch herself, which he was known to do on occasion, Elder Sechinde was ultimately the final word on matters within the Sev'kai.
((Very well. I want her first examination done promptly. I expect nothing left out, Than'ja. You may access our archives for any information pertaining to the Avian race for consultation.))
He turned back to Luar'ka, now settled and standing in the corner, staring blankly at them. He nodded once in approval, ((It is my hope that we will one day replenish their numbers to once again engage in hunts with them. I am fortunate to have taken part in such a hunt. Until further notice by Me'vi-te, she is granted clearance to stay on board. However, when she is not on Thwei'ja's ship, I want her to keep her quarters in the medical bay, Than'ja.))
((The medical bay?)) Kar'kha repeated in confusion. Elder Sechinde looked a little miffed at having been interrupted, but he continued, ((Yes. Remember, many Yautja will not take kindly to her presence here. I wish to fight that battle before it begins. Unless accompanied, she is to keep quarters in the medical bay and is forbidden to roam alone. Than'ja, your comrades there are well-trained in neutrality. If there are any on this ship who will tolerate her presence, I believe they are best suited for it. Do you agree?))
Than'ja nodded his assent, ((Yes, I do. The medical team should have no trouble adjusting quickly to her. I shall prepare a space for her.))
"Good." Elder Sechinde said, switching over to English. He glanced over at Luar'ka, motioning her forward. She obeyed, standing up to move so she was placed in front of him, craning her neck back to look at him. He rumbled low, reaching out to place his hand on her head and tilting it down, "Lesson one, Avian; eye contact is seen as a challenge unless permitted otherwise." he warned quietly, his voice low. He removed his hand and she kept her gaze trained forward, her body trembling ever-so-slightly. Elder Sechinde stepped back, "How much of our conversation did you understand?" he asked.
"Enough. I am to stay either with Thwei'ja's crew or in the medical area." she said quietly. Her gaze was stiff; he wondered if she was finally beginning to understand what she was getting herself into.
"I will admit that I am impressed at how developed your grasp of our language has become," he said with a touch of admiration in his voice, "Continue to practice. Now then—" he turned back to Than'ja, ((We still expect the report of your findings on Illmianyar. I also wish to know about the Bad Blood you ran across. I understand there were injuries sustained?))
((Yes,)) Than'ja answered, glancing at Kar'kha, ((However, they were non-threatening. I have dealt with them for all involved parties.))
Elder Sechinde nodded his approval, ((Good. You are dismissed for now. Prepare the report as requested and return with it by rotation's end.))
Than'ja bowed as he turned and exited the room, Kar'kha and Luar'ka following closely. Luar'ka was aware the two arbitrators were watching her as they left and she slipped out through the door as quickly as possible to hide her shivering.
Kar'kha glanced at his brother and then at his apprentice. He clicked his tusks together and frowned, ((Well, I suppose we part here, Mei'hswei.))
Luar'ka looked up suddenly, eying him doubtfully. He turned to her, ((Go with Than'ja.))
The older Yautja cocked his head to the side, ((Where will you go now, Kar'kha?))
((Back to the ship. I have work I must finish. I also wish to consult Ikthya'de before I retire for the night. He tells me you have not been sleeping. Please rectify this before we depart again.)) he said with a hint of exasperation. Than'ja rolled his eyes behind the mask, chuffing loudly, ((Good night, Mei'hswei.)) he grumbled with emphasis, nudging Luar'ka forward. They moved off down the hallway and Luar'ka turned her head back to watch as Kar'kha continued on down the hallway they'd arrived through, vanishing from sight in the darkness beyond. She felt slight trepidation being left alone with Than'ja as he led her through the enormous ship. She still couldn't get over the sheer size of it. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before. The walls around them were mostly plain, smooth metal. The pillars she'd see here and there supporting the walls were a different story, however. These pillars were covered in odd marks and patterns, almost like writing. The writing ran horizontally across the face of the pillars. She brushed up against one they passed and drew a breath of surprise; even though the pillars looked like they were made of stone, they too were composed of sturdy metal of some kind. She hurried to catch up with Than'ja again as he led her down a very long hallway. Gradually, they passed several viewing portals taking up entire walls and allowing one to see down through to another level. Luar'ka didn't dare move far enough away from Than'ja to look through one, though she dearly wished to.
Than'ja finally paused beside a large door and pressed the switch on the outside, making it slide open soundlessly. He stepped in and Luar'ka was instantly frozen by the heavy smells and acidic odors that slammed into her. The lights were quite a bit brighter in this room. The space was quite large and just as ovalular shaped as the rest of the rooms she'd been in. She could only assume this was to prevent any individual from being backed into a corner for whatever reason, simply because there were no corners. Several large tables covered in various canisters and containers lined the room and the scent of fresh blood filled the air, making that tingling feeling return to shooting up and down her back.
Several other Yautja stood by inside the room, two working at one of the tables and muttering quietly to one another, while a couple of others were wrapping something up in a strange black gauze of some sort on another table. They all looked up at Than'ja as he approached and their gazes immediately fell to Luar'ka standing awkwardly beside him. After a few brief moments of silent staring, they all exchanged puzzled glances with one another before approaching cautiously. Luar'ka tried to listen as Than'ja explained in hushed tones what the situation was. All four Yautja seemed highly unsure about this, but unlike what Luar'ka expected, they didn't react hostilely to her whatsoever. In fact, as all four of them turned again to her, eying her up and down, it almost seemed like they were quite relaxed. One of them, a taller individual with a dark brown and red speckled hide, approached her carefully, chattering softly.
"K'vik-na." he said to her. She hesitated for a second, realizing he was in fact speaking to her, "Oh, uh...Luar'ka." she answered. K'vik-na's tusks clicked a few times in regard to her most likely unusual name. He clicked something rapidly to the others and then faced Than'ja, clapping him on the shoulder as he moved past him. The others followed suit, not bothering to introduce themselves. Than'ja watched them as they returned to their tasks. He nudged Luar'ka off to the other side of the room where another door was fixed into the wall. He opened it, revealing what appeared to be a small recuperation room for post-surgery recovery. He ushered her into it, heading over to a set of shelves built into the wall. He pulled down another one of those scratchy pelts she'd been given on the ship. Given its placement in the medical bay, Luar'ka wondered then if Than'ja had actually been the one to leave both the blanket and the meat in the room with her following her fainting spell the day they left the Earth. He handed the folded blanket to her and indicated the upraised metal platform on the other side of the room.
She assumed it was going to be her bed. He looked down at her, blinking slowly and rumbling softly deep within his chest. Luar'ka knew he could sense her nervousness. He suddenly reached down and picked her up easily, setting her down on the platform and grabbing the blanket from her. Before she could protest, he flipped it open and smothered her in it, tying it around her small body while she squealed and flailed to get away. She freed her face from the confines of the blanket and as soon as she did, he quickly pulled another side of the blanket down across her face, enfolding her even more tightly into its scratchy surface. He placed both hands on her, gently holding her down as she continued to struggle and flail, now laughing in the muffled fabric—or whatever it was—as she finally gave in and stopped fighting, still giggling breathlessly as he undid the tight folds of the blanket holding her prisoner. It hadn't taken her long to realize he was, in his own way, briefly playing with her. She emerged her head from the blanket with gasp and chuckled, looking up at him wearily. He was watching her, purring softly.
((Rest.)) he said, ((Come for you later.))
Luar'ka stifled a yawn as she cocooned the blanket around herself, laying down with her arm supporting her head as she curled up, "Thank you, Than'ja." she muttered.
He tilted his head curiously at her reply and she vaguely wondered what she'd said to confuse him with. He turned, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
It took Luar'ka a little while to fall asleep. She lay awake for a while, listening to the sounds of the ship idling in space, as well as the soft voices of the Yautja outside the door as they discussed their work with one another. She found it comforting that these fearsome hunters still possessed the occasional bout of playful spirit like she'd seen from Than'ja and Ikthya'de. She admitted to missing her familiar storeroom on the ship, but she supposed this room in the medical bay wasn't so bad. It was a little too dark for her liking, but she was beginning to find it cozy. Briefly, she wondered what her family was doing right then, back on Earth. Had they given up their search for her? Had they all moved on already? Or were they even still alive? She had no way of knowing and her desire to find out was fading quickly. She had a new life now, a life she was coming to enjoy very much. She found she was beginning to like the Yautja and their odd ways of living. But they were ways and traditions she could learn to embrace if they gave her the chance. She understood enough now to know that the lack of hostile reactions upon her arrival was most likely due to the sheer shock her presence brought. She was certain she would meet far less welcoming attitudes very, very soon.
Her spirit placated, her body weary, Luar'ka sighed deeply, snuggling deeper into the scratchy blanket. It had no scent, which she vaguely found odd. And that was the last thing she thought before her mind drifted to sleep.
By the time Than'ja came in a short while later to check on her, she was so deeply asleep, she never even noticed as he stood and watched over her for a short while.
Terminology
Naxa- A type of fruit
Thy'sra-Skull
A/N: Not much to say here. Shout out to werewolfbleu again, both because she did an amazing shout out for me at the end of her story and I wanted to stress again how amazing her Predator stories are. Not to mention some of the funniest things I've ever read. And it's also thanks to her help that critical plot points in this story are being resolved as we speak. Hopefully, it'll be much smoother from here on out. Special thanks to my guest reviewer, Cosmicskunk for finally agreeing to read and review the story. Hopefully, I can expect further assistance from you. :)