Twenty-Six

Exhaustion barely described it. Honestly, while they could've kept going, Kar'kha and his brothers knew that they had reached their limits. The nest had been much deeper than anticipated. Ambush after ambush, strike after countless strikes, and they finally succeeded in vanquishing the entire nest of kainde amedha. And yet despite all their efforts, there was no sign of any queen to defeat. This was beyond confusing. How could an entire nest form without an egg layer? It didn't make sense. There were no signs of any Echelons either, nor any eggs. Just drones, and plenty of them. Building a nest on instinct, functioning without a queen, but serving no higher purpose of intentional consequence. They fought and they died for nothing whatsoever.

Ikthya'de had sustained a few gashes across his chest, further differentiating himself from his twin. Than'ja had received only smaller damage to his body. Thwei'ja sliced through Hard Meat foes with ease, almost too easily, signifying his age. His worst injury was a deep gash down his back, crisscrossing through the myriad of scars he already possessed, revealing his past filled with battles and expected violence. Kar'kha had received the worst injury, with a splash of Hard Meat blood striking him in the face and burning away part of his crest and the tusk on his upper right mandible. All four Yautja returned to the ship, exhausted and weary. They'd been gone nearly a whole day and Kar'kha went up into the ship, intent on seeking treatment. He looked around curiously, expecting to see Luar'ka wandering around inside the ship. He wandered down toward the storeroom she still used as her own, opening the door. He let out a frustrated rumble when he saw she wasn't there. He turned, heading toward the cockpit to see if she were sitting in there waiting. He didn't get very far before he heard Thwei'ja's roar outside. Ikthya'de, still in the entryway, glanced up as Kar'kha approached and followed him outside. Their leader was standing beside the ship, his fists clenched as he stared pointedly at the ground before him. His head snapped up at their approach and he let out a low snarl. Kar'kha instantly saw what he was looking and his eyes widened in alarm.

Tiny, three-toed footprints leading away from the ship, the opposite direction of the nest and into the forest, vanishing without a trace. She must have activated the door from the inside and darted out before it shut, locking herself outside the ship and taking off into the trees.

Kar'kha flared his mandibles, snarling both in anger at her desertion and pain from his injuries He started to replace his mask to pursue her, but Thwei'ja hissed suddenly, stepping in front of him. Kar'kha watched warily as Thwei'ja blocked his path, his arms rigid and his posture highly intimidating. The elder Yautja rumbled deeply and turned sharply, heading off after the tracks in a northerly direction, his wounds still untreated and his armor and weapons still broken. Kar'kha resisted the urge to follow, clenching his fists at his sides in anger and frustration. He knew that if he followed now, Thwei'ja would almost surely attack and possibly kill him for the insubordination. Luar'ka had made a grave error. Kar'kha knew that if she didn't tread with utmost caution and respect around Thwei'ja, that the young Avian would never again return to the ship.

Thwei'ja knew better than to allow the impulsive Youngblood to track the female. As he allowed the forest to swallow him up, he continued to track her footprints and her scent, never straying far from a northern trail. Though she changed her path multiple times, her trail remained simple to follow. Even when she took to the trees, Thwei'ja's sharp eyes and powerful mask enabled him to see the grooves in the tree trunks where her claws had gouged in, showing him which trees she'd jumped through and which way she'd gone. Even through all these changes, she never once strayed from her northern direction. He moved further and further from the ship, tired from his Hunt, in pain from his deep injury, but blocking it out as best he could as he tracked the Avian juvenile. If Kar'kha had been allowed to track her, he would likely have a difficult time dealing with her if she refused to return. Thwei'ja knew better than this. Whether he liked it or not, the juvenile had been accepted in the Clan and taught the ways of the Yautja. With rare exceptions, it was a grave transgression to allow prey to remain aware of their presence. No doubt she would reveal herself. If he found her before she had the chance to reveal her existence and her origin, she would have one of two options. Return with him to the ship and live, or refuse and die. There was no way he could allow her to reveal the secret of their existence. He clutched his weapon at his side, a curved bone blade on a mid-length staff. If he had to, he was fully prepared to end her life and destroy the evidence to protect the secrets of his Clan.

/ooo/

That familiar, enormous red body, riddled with deep, off-colored scars and old acid burns from countless fights with kainde amedha, there was no mistaking this dominating presence hovering over her. Luar'ka found herself more confused than afraid, though she knew she should most definitely be afraid. He refused to move his grip until she'd calmed sufficiently. When she finally settled, he released her brusquely and unsheathed his wrist blades on his right arm, deftly slicing through the netting surrounding her. This freed her arms and legs and allowed her to stand up. She got to her feet slowly, watching him carefully. He straightened up, standing at his full near nine foot height, almost four feet higher than she was. Luar'ka stood diminutive in his presence, confused as to his actions. She honestly had wondered if any of her pack would come after her, but she certainly hadn't expected Thwei'ja himself to track her this far. She couldn't look at him, keeping her eyes focused on the ground as she waited for his wrath. However, though she waited for a while, he didn't move. Gradually, she chanced a glance up at him. He wasn't looking at her, rather he was turning his head slowly, examining the massacre around him. Luar'ka followed his gaze, but said nothing. She watched as he moved away from her, approaching one of the corpses and kneeling down, reaching out and carefully lifting up one of the wings of the dead Avian, examining it curiously. Luar'ka turned her gaze away, unable to look at the body of her former Clan member.

Thwei'ja noticed as she averted her gaze, suppressing his anger. These were very obviously others of her species. He could see through his mask the highly emaciated states of these once great predatory creatures. They hadn't been dead long, and the not-so-fresh wounds indicated they'd been attacked within the last few solar rotations of this planet. The intruding humans that the female had killed had most likely been looting through the corpses for anything useful. It was obvious that these last surviving Avians had been in decline, allowing the human populace in the area a chance to eradicate them entirely. The individual he was examining was practically flesh and bones. He doubted this Avian would have had the strength to fly while in such a pitiful state. He released the wing, letting it fall slack against the ground. He could see the female off to the side. Her head was bowed, her form limp. He watched her carefully for a moment, his eyes narrowed. But other than her drooped head, signifying mourning or despair, she never showed any other sign of sadness as she silently bid farewell to the last Avians. Thwei'ja returned his gaze to the multitude of carcases littering the plateau around him. He made sure to record everything he saw, right down to the last detail. This would be an important addition to the archives and Sechinde would want to see it. Since the Avian's appearance, information on her kind was being dug up more frequently and some Hunters were even beginning to wonder whether or not her kind could still be Hunted. This revelation of her Clan's genocide proved that the Avians were likely forever erased from the list. It was hard to believe how close his pack had come to this remaining pocket of Avians, surviving such a relatively short distance away. He rumbled low in his chest as he realized that only now was the female truly the 'Endling' he'd always referred to her as.

He glanced up at movement from the female, watching as she stalked over toward the bodies of the human hunters she'd slaughtered. He sat quietly and watched as she pulled a knife out of a holster she wore around her thigh, standing over the human closest to her. He watched as she knelt down and lowered the blade to the flesh of the human's neck. It took her a little longer, and he could see her struggling, but she finally managed to slice the sharp blade through the neck of the human male, grasping the scalp of the head and ripping it away completely from the spine. This task was what the wrist blades were designed for, to specially separate the spine and skull intact from the rest of the body. However, she had no such weapons and Thwei'ja wasn't about to assist her. These human males were hers to do what she would with. He had arrived on the plateau in time to watch her kill them in battle, a battle they had initiated with her upon her challenging shriek that he'd heard in its entirety. They were fair game and she had emerged the victor against them. He watched as she finished, panting and bent over in exhaustion, dragging the head away from the body. She hissed and slammed the head down on the ground away from her.

Thwei'ja stood up, facing her and watching for a moment. He grumbled softly in his throat, approaching quietly. The female didn't move, standing and staring menacingly at the head. He watched her a moment before reaching to his utility belt and opening a pack, pulling out a small length of cord. He approached her quietly, kneeling down and grasping the severed head.

"He was the first I killed," she mumbled, most likely to herself, "The first to attack me."

Thwei'ja said nothing, but picked up the head and strung the cord tightly around the stub of the neck, winding it around twice and tying it securely. He handed it to her, indicating she take it. She seemed to awaken from her reverie and did so, draping it behind her back between her wings and tying the cord loosely around her stomach and upper torso to secure it.

Luar'ka watched Thwei'ja as he straightened up, his height as intimidating as ever. He began to move away from the killing field, heading back the way he came. Luar'ka, instinctively knowing there was nothing else left for her here and unable to carry back her other victims' heads as trophies, followed after Thwei'ja. Innately wary, naturally nervous of him, but so desperate for some form of familiar comfort after her trek to the plateau that she didn't care anymore. She knew she would likely face severe punishment for her desertion. It was likely he'd take her back to the ship, depart for some unknown planet and leave her there for her transgression, but she honestly no longer cared. She'd accomplished her goal, to some extent. She'd returned to her birthplace, just as she'd promised. Her mission was complete, even though her family was now gone. The only semblance of anything she could call a family now remained with the Yautja. She trailed closely behind Thwei'ja as he walked slowly, leaving the sun-baked plateau and the many corpses of the last Avians behind them.

/ooo/

It was growing very late, darkness enveloping the land, slowly. Thwei'ja's visors had already turned bright green to allow for the low light around them, and Luar'ka's eyes now shone a fierce lime green as her own night vision began to take over. They had reached the former human encampment that Luar'ka had passed through, and her lengthy stay there had, unbeknownst to her, created a strong scent mark for Thwei'ja to follow her with. Luar'ka walked steadily behind him, noting that the further they walked, the slower he appeared to move. After a while, she realized he wasn't doing it so she could keep up. Shortly after they began their trek back, she'd noticed the deep gash festering across his back. The bleeding had slowed, but the wound appeared mottled and dark. She knew better than to say anything regarding his injury, though. Instead, her eyes were drawn to the darkening sky and her eyes widened as she saw the heavy black clouds beginning to roll in.

"Thwei'ja, it will rain, soon." she said.

"I am aware." he snarled, speaking to her for the first time since he'd found her. He paused, turning his head to look at his armor and equipment and uttering a frustrated grumble as he did so. He looked around cautiously, ascertaining whether or not the two of them were truly alone for the time being. He turned, moving away from the beaten path they were following as he approached a crumbling, decrepit human dwelling. The door was hanging open and he carefully moved inside, swallowed up by the shadows. The inside was a wreck with upended articles and chairs and a table sitting on its side against one of the broken portals. Thwei'ja scanned the room once, quickly, verifying that nothing else was currently hiding in there. He picked his way away from the broken wall and a wide hole in the roof before settling in a back corner. As he prepared to strip off and check his gear, he turned to the female Avian and saw that she was nowhere to be seen. The fact that she could move so quickly and silently didn't surprise him anymore; he was irritated at the fact that she'd vanished again. He was about to stand and head outside to find her when his sharp ears picked up a strange, fumbling sound outside the wall. He chuffed curiously, tilting his head to better track the sound. Moving carefully, he approached the portal, peering out through the broken glass and he spied the female, moving in an erratic pattern between this and the other dwelling beside it. She was dragging her trophy around as she walked backwards, moving randomly toward the trees as the head bounced infrequently on the ground before her, leaving an occasional splash of drying blood on the rocks. When she got to the trees, she pulled the head up into her hands and he watched as she bent her neck forward, using her teeth to rip and tear at the broken flesh of the head, ripping a sizable chunk off of it. This, she smeared against the trunk of the nearest tree and then tossed into the bushes as far from her as she could.

He rumbled deeply in his chest as he watched her move quietly back toward the shelter; she was smarter than he'd given her credit for. Crude though it was, she was creating a false scent disguise around their shelter. This would discourage animals from drawing near and would fool the kainde amedha just long enough for one or both of them to notice their presence first. He watched as she shimmied in through the broken door and set her trophy on the back of a chair where she left it hanging. He had to admit, he was impressed. It seemed like some of their teachings had rubbed off rather effectively on her.

He settled back in the corner, listening as the ground quaked from the intense roll of thunder that swept through the sky. Just in time, he thought to himself as the sky opened up and rain came pouring down. While it would have felt cooling on his aching injury, he knew that it wasn't good to get his gear soaking wet. In an area still infested with kainde amedha, he needed it to be kept dry.

He ignored the female as she wandered through the dwelling, inspecting the walls and discarded articles left by the former occupants. This was the first time he'd been able to sit and recover. He'd kept on the move nearly nonstop while tracking her, even moving at night. It was how he'd managed to catch up with her to begin with, entering the canyon just behind her.

He shifted against the wall and trilled shrilly as this movement ripped open a patch of healed skin over the injury on his back. Grumbling and snarling under his breath, he sat up and twisted his head around to look toward his back. Of course, he couldn't see his injury, but he could tell it wasn't closing. He was going to have to treat it. And as much as it angered him to consider, he was going to require her help to reach it. If it became infected while he was out like this, he'd be in serious trouble, not to mention humiliating trouble. Only Youngbloods were scatterbrained enough to let infection become a threat. Torquing his mandibles with disgust at the notion, but knowing he had little choice in the matter, he let out a deep, rattling sigh, "Avian," he snapped.

The female was perched on the upended table, playing with a rodent of some kind that she held squirming by the tail. She looked up at his voice, dropping the heavy rodent with a thud. Her feathers bristled and she jumped down, approaching him carefully with her head bowed.

"What is it?"

Thwei'ja ignored her and fished through his discarded gear, pulling out his med kit. He sat with his legs crossed, pulling a syringe, some healing agent and a disinfectant from the box. He handed her the disinfectant, "I cannot reach. You will assist me."

"Your injury?" she inquired, glancing toward his back, Did you sustain that during the extermination of the hive?"

"Yes," he confirmed, "It is becoming infected."

The female eyed him carefully, but took the proffered supplies from him and moved to stand behind him. Even sitting down, he was nearly her height. He'd never been this near her before and eyed her warily as she shifted his tendrils over his shoulders and out of the way, and broke open the packet of disinfectant, smearing it surprisingly deftly across the open wound. It plunged down his back between his shoulder blades and running dangerously close to his spine. Any nearer and it would have severed it. It was caused by the wicked blade of the Hard Meat's tail. He hissed softly at the contact and was silently surprised by how confidently she worked around his wound. Than'ja had clearly taught her well. She worked gently enough that he felt little pain, but efficiently enough that she finished swiftly. She stepped back, her hands covered in his green blood.

"Give me the syringe." she said, startling him. She reached around and took it from him before he could react. He glanced back at her once, meaningfully before turning and facing forward. He braced himself, steadying his position and grasping the frame of the portal in the wall beside him. He felt her move, steadily, quickly and surely before he felt the syringe suddenly stabbed forcefully, deep into his wound. But even that didn't hurt nearly as much as the agonizing flare of pain that erupted outward beneath his skin as she pulled the trigger and injected the fluid into him. He couldn't suppress the deafening roar of agony, his whole body shaking as the wall beneath his grip crumpled in his hand and his other fist smashed down through the floor, lest he grab the Avian and crush the life out of her in his retaliation. For such a large wound, he'd been forced to use a matching larger amount of the healing agent, which only magnified the amount of pain he felt. Once the waves of pain reached their crest, they began to fade swiftly. Thwei'ja's lungs heaved as he struggled to breathe, the pain so great he almost forgot how. His skin felt like it was crackling and twisting, he could hear the hissing sound as the rapid healing agent did its job. Gasping, he slowly started to relax as the flaring, burning pain began to fade. The injury would be sealed shut, preventing infection from developing, but this was a last-resort remedy that no Yautja wished to use. He really should have sought treatment before leaving the ship.

He slumped backward, his body feeling heavier than normal and slightly numb; the residual effects of the unbelievable pain. Leaning against the wall, he watched as the female gathered up the medical supplies and packed them away again in his med kit, not sparing him a glance as she did so. He watched her quietly, noting how she put everything back with precision and order before shutting the lid. She slid it back across to him and moved into the shadows a few feet away, curling up nearby with her tail tucked around her body. Thwei'ja stared at her a moment, wanting dearly to shut his eyes and rest a moment, but knowing their situation was too precarious. The healing had been necessary; he'd needed medical treatment for his wound, but he knew of no Yautja who could hold back the cries of pain under application of miin'bko. He could only hope that he hadn't accidentally alerted anything to their position.

Outside, the rain came down in sheets and Thwei'ja watched it silently, his eyes half-lidded. He kept one of his wrist bracers on his arm, resting in his lap as he struggled to resist the increasingly heavy effects of weariness. He was thoroughly exhausted. Between the extermination of the hive and then trekking this far out here after the female Avian, he knew he'd reach his limit sooner than later. But he had to hold on a while longer. He'd endured worse than this and he could keep going a while longer. He snarled softly and turned his head away from the rain, sitting up on his haunches as he inspected his armor, replacing each piece to his body again once he'd finished with it. He sensed he was being watched and looked up at the Avian, laying there and staring at him. He growled softly, but menacingly at her. Her eyes raised slightly, but she kept her head down, as was proper. Her tail thumped lightly on the floor, "You are weary." she stated quietly.

Thwei'ja didn't respond. That much was quite obvious. He stared angrily at her, holding one of his shoulder plates tightly in his claws.

She sat up a little straighter, "I will keep watch, Thwei'ja, should you choose to rest."

He flared his mandibles at her with a low snarl, "Keep your place," he hissed, "For however long it may last, Endling."

She flinched at the moniker and it took him a second to realize why. He recalled the corpses of her Clan members still littering that plateau and he closed his tusks, fixing her with a stern leer, "You have forgotten your place in the pack and the Clan," he snarled, "And when we return, you shall receive adequate punishment."

"I am ready." she said softly. She looked up at him, "How is your wound?"

Thwei'ja's eyes darkened, "Worry for your own well being, Endling."

"I am inquiring for the sake of your own med kit. The supplies within were quite low." she remarked. Thwei'ja's eyes narrowed and he recalled how bare his supplies now were following such a harsh extermination. She wasn't inquiring on his weakness so much as his efficiency in the field.

"My wound has been sealed; I shall finish healing very soon and we will proceed." he answered.

"Should you or I require further treatment, my med kit is well stocked." she informed him. She curled more tightly around herself, tucking her wings back carefully. Her eyes flitted up to him briefly, but she said nothing. Thwei'ja's spines stiffened in irritation, "Speak, Endling." he commanded.

She unfolded her body and sat up straight, watching him guardedly, "Thwei'ja...why did you come after me?" she asked.

"You had deserted. It was my duty to track you down." he replied, reaching around to his armor and pulling it toward him. He pulled a cloth to him that had been attached to the side of his loincloth, using this separate piece to clean his armor plates.

"Why?" she asked, "Why not simply let me go? I was prepared to turn this mountain into my territory."

"You would not have had the chance." he replied to this without looking at her, " Had your mission gone as planned, mine would have followed suit. You are fortunate your Clan had perished and their killers dispatched."

He watched as her brow furrowed, her feathers flaring slightly, "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

His upper mandibles split apart in a menacing sneer, "Had you succeeded in revealing yourself to either your Clan or surviving ooman prey, I would have taken your life as soon as I found you."

Her breath hitched as the magnitude of his words hit her. His mission had been intended as an assassination in case she revealed the existence of the Yautja. He paused in his cleaning and stared her down, "The Yautja keep themselves hidden from their prey, female. This is our way. To reveal oneself to prey is frowned upon. Our secrets must remain so in order to preserve our way of life."

"You were...going to kill me?" she muttered.

"Yes. However, all potential witnesses to your arrival have perished and you killed the remainders. There was no need to end your existence as yet."

The female seemed to fall still as she processed this information. She looked away, her tail swishing on the ground behind her. Thwei'ja glanced at it curiously and then refocused on her. Her back was straight, her face expressionless. She turned to him abruptly, "They have shown me the way, once again." she said quietly.

"Hm?"

"The Paya. Yet again, they have shown me mercy." she said, turning fully to face him, "Time and again, they have shown pity to me, keeping me alive. I have survived so many battles through their guidance, whether I knew it or not." she said, sitting back on her haunches and staring off into space, "I never fully realized it. They have been looking out for me." she whispered.

Thwei'ja snarled in disgust, but merely shook his head, " The Paya make their decisions. No doubt you are being guided. For whatever inconceivable reason." he grumbled distastefully. He was aware of the female glaring at him and turned to face her.

"Do you despise me that much, Thwei'ja?" she asked.

"It is not a matter of liking or disliking." Thwei'ja told her, reaching behind him to carefully touch his healing back. He grunted as he brought his arm back around and sighed, "You are prey trying to assimilate into my kind's way of life. I have no reason to have experienced this phenomenon before."

"So then you are afraid of what will happen?" she said irresponsibly. Thwei'ja flared his mandibles and lunged forward before she could react, grabbing her throat and throwing her to the floor, "Watch what you say, Endling." he snapped down at her. He released her when she began clawing at his hand, trying to catch air. He sat back, expecting her to scramble away from him out of fear after what he'd just done, but instead she sat up slowly and held her position, near enough for him to grab her again if he chose to. Puzzled, he simply stared at her a moment as she turned and watched him warily. His eyes narrowed, "I am not afraid, Avian," he told her, "I am apprehensive. There is a great difference between the two."

"You are right. Forgive me for what I said. Offense was not my intent."

"For whatever reason, you have been accepted, both by the Paya and by the Clan. For as long as I have known the Matriarch, I have been aware of her fondness toward thinking outside of the collective opinion."

"You know the Matriarch well?"

"Not very well. She is my bearer." he said simply.

"Oh, I see. She gave birth to and raised you. I had no idea."

"Until Sechinde took me as his apprentice."

"It seems to me that this Clan has a penchant for difference." the Avian said, making him trill softly in agreement, "You would be correct in thinking so," Thwei'ja told her, "The Sev'kai as a singular Clan tend to be more progressive in their way of thinking than most other Clans. It is deeply rooted in Leaders who see the benefits of change other Clans do not. This is why I believe that your lot in this life could only have been deigned to occur by the Paya. For you to have been found by this Clan rather than another was quite fortuitous."

"I have come to this same conclusion myself," she said, flexing her wings slowly, "And I deem myself rather fortunate, as well."

"Then answer me this; why did you run?" Thwei'ja asked, cocking his head slightly as he leered at her. The female looked away under his sharp gaze as she seemingly collected her thoughts.

"I did not want to run," she said, "But I felt that I had to."

"You had to?"

"That plateau where you found me was the place where I was born. Those Avians were my Clan that I was born into. Last season, I...was expelled from their ranks."

"Under what cause?" he asked.

She unfurled her wings, easily large enough to support her in flight now, if his prowess in tracking had anything to say for the times when her trail outright vanished from the ground and trees during his trek. She looked at her wings, her expression downcast, "I was a runt. Our Clan was struggling. We had been pushed further and further into northern territory since I was born. I was denied food."

Thwei'ja frowned at this. Within the Yautja, even runty sucklings were cared for and nurtured by their bearers under the belief that the Paya would decide their fates and weed out the truly weak individuals over the course of their lifetimes. Oftentimes, the youngsters would accidentally kill one another during rough play in the first few years with their bearers. Runts usually suffered this fate simply because of how small they were. It didn't always happen this way, however. A few of his own young had been born runts over the many seasons he'd lived. Some had died, certainly, but a strong few went on to become capable and formidable warriors in their own right, as was to be expected with a strong sire such as he. Circumstances of birth usually meant nothing when compared to the spirits and strength of the youngsters in question.

So to hear that the Avian population had hit such hard times that they had begun denying their own offspring food and care was quite a shock, even to him.

He refocused his attention on the female as she spoke again, "The day I was abandoned, there was an accident," she said softly, "My cousin and I...we were playing up on the ridges. Neither of us could fly, yet. Peregrine jumped down, or maybe she slid. I am not quite sure, even now. She missed her footing and fell. I caught her...I tried to hold on, but...She fell into the river below us. They never found her. I suppose that was the final straw for Condor. He had me taken out to the very edges of our territory. I was left there to fend for myself. I eventually departed from that place when I realized there were kainde amedha infesting those woods. It was not long following this that Kar'kha found me and brought me to the ship."

"I remember." Thwei'ja said testily. How could he forget? He'd argued with Kar'kha for a while after that little incident.

"Do not act so annoyed, Thwei'ja," she grumbled, "No one forced you to allow me on board."

Thwei'ja snarled at this, before realizing she was correct. To this day, he wasn't sure why he'd allowed Kar'kha to bring her onto the ship. Perhaps he'd been too tired to argue. It wasn't like he was a Youngblood any longer.

He twitched his mandibles and grumbled to himself, momentarily distracted when she suddenly began reaching around for her pack she'd attached a pelt satchel to a belt about her waist. She detached it and pulled it around into her lap. She opened it up and pulled out some strips of dried meat. She picked one up and held it out toward him. Thwei'ja eyed it distastefully and turned away with a short chuff. He heard her set it down on the floor near him and listened as she began gnawing on another piece. After a short while, Thwei'ja finally sighed heavily and took the piece of dried meat, eating it quickly. He was still exhausted, but at least now he felt a little more alert.

"We are returning to the ship?" she asked.

"Yes." he answered without looking at her.

"I saw the ship taking off when I was out in the mountains. I thought you all had left this planet."

"No," Thwei'ja said, turning toward her, "I departed after you. The ship is currently in stationary orbit around the planet. They will descend to meet us in a short while."

He watched the female as she looked up at him, "You came after me to kill me if I had revealed myself," she reiterated, "I evaded this outcome. I am prepared for whatever punishment I will receive. What can I possibly expect?"

"This is not up to me. You will be judged by the Leaders."

"I see."

Thwei'ja continued working on his armor, trying to ignore the female Avian sitting near him. With his intrigued curiosity though, it was more difficult than he'd expected. Before he and Me'vi-te ceased speaking with one another, he had often accompanied the Arbitrator on Hunts for Bad Bloods. The one thing he always noticed that they seemed to have in common was a seemingly innate lack of courage. The Bad Bloods ran from everything, including all forms of punishment, and they viewed anything as fair game. They were truly cowardly in nature.

And yet here the female sat, a juvenile at best and barely trained in their ways, facing potential punishment for what may turn out to be a very serious transgression. Yet she showed no outward signs of fear. He could smell her blood racing through her veins as her heart beat furiously in her chest, but that didn't necessarily mean anything in particular. She was a different creature, barely a third his size in comparison. But she faced this news with all the conviction of an Elder. She could very well lose her honor, what little rank she had, or even her life over what she'd done and he suspected she knew this. He set his armor down, facing her, "Why are you unafraid?" he asked.

"Why should I be afraid?"

"I know not how you will be punished. However, I am able to promise that it will not be a light punishment. Why do you not fear this?"

"I accept that I have done wrong. I am entirely at fault. When the time comes, I will stand proud before those who will pass judgment on me and accept what they tell me. All I can do is hope that they will not kill me." she said quietly, looking away from him, then.

Thwei'ja let out a low thoughtful rumble, sitting back and bending his legs slightly before him as he settled back, "I doubt that this will warrant your death," he told her. She fixed him with a suspicious leer, "Do you wish it to?"

"I do not." Thwei'ja said without hesitation, "My thoughts of you do not matter. You have proven yourself a capable fighter. You are small, but you are quick. You can hold your own in battle. You have proven yourself to the Clan. What I think is of no consequence."

The young female unfolded her legs from beneath her and turned to face him directly, "And what do you think, Thwei'ja?"

"I do not wish for your death, Endling." he told her, "I do not care highly for you, I do not appreciate your presence within my pack, and I question Sechinde's choice to keep you in the Clan, but I will say nothing on the matter. I will tolerate you as I am expected to, but keep in mind that should I receive the order to, I will be the one to kill you."

His eyes narrowed as she bowed her head to him, "I expect nothing less from you, Thwei'ja. And should the situation come to it, I would be honored to die fighting you."

He honestly hadn't been expecting her to say this and he stared at her in amazement and confusion. He watched as she glanced out the window at the rain coming down in sheets around the dwelling. A heavy roll of thunder crashed through the air around them. Thwei'ja, unconcerned, leaned back against the wall, his bracers on his arms in case of threat as he closed his eyes and attempted to recuperate. He heard the female get up and begin moving around, exploring their shelter. He cracked one eye open to watch her warily as she paced around the room, opening compartments and peering through darkened and broken doorways. He shook his head, opening his mandibles briefly as he realized that her curiosity could very well be the death of her. He looked up at a sharp squeal from the other room and followed her as she tore back into the room chasing another rodent. She pounced with a snarl and all he heard was a shrill squeak before the room fell still. He heard the sound of bones cracking and sighed heavily, closing his eyes. She moved back over to the window where he sat and curled up across from him, grooming herself quietly. From one cracked and half-lidded eye, he watched silently as she moved her gaze around the room, holding perfectly still save for her head occasionally moving to follow a noise she may have heard. She was placing herself in a sentry position. Part of him was annoyed, since his sharp hearing was able to pick up the slightest footfalls of insignificant insects in the next room over. However, he was in desperate need of rest and if she wanted to use her senses in this manner, it was of no consequence to him.

The storm continued to rage outside. With the rain pounding on the roof and the occasional lightning strike crackling across the sky, smaller noises were somewhat drowned out. Thwei'ja was certain his senses were well trained on everything he could possibly overhear. He heard absolutely nothing to convince him that they could be in any trouble.

The female started grumbling all of a sudden, her head shooting up as she raised up on her haunches. At her alert, Thwei'ja sat up a little straighter, looking warily around the room. He moved slowly into a kneeling position, keeping his eye on the female as he did so. She remained hunched over, but her growl didn't cease and her agitation only seemed to grow. On reflex, Thwei'ja released a low, grumbling, broken purr, clacking his tusks a few times as he turned in his place. He glanced at his armor, lying where he'd left it while cleaning it. He reached down and replaced his mask quickly. At the moment, he saw nothing. He donned his armor quickly, redressing in seconds. The female Avian rose up to a half-standing position as he did so, unfolding her wings slightly. Her growl deepened and Thwei'ja activated his mask.

They weren't alone anymore.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. My computer wouldn't highlight again. I don't know what causes that. Maybe I need to upgrade. Either way, here you go, my wonderful readers! Hope you enjoy! My, what a lovely little cliffhanger, lol