Thirty

Thwei'ja tossed his head, watching silently as one of the eta was thrown to the floor of docking area. The Elder Yautja who attacked him snarled furiously, advancing on the defiant, weaker Yautja. Thwei'ja had watched the eta cross one of the Elders working on one of the ships, refusing to obey instructions for repairs. It was his own doing, certainly. Thwei'ja knew this particular Elder well and understood his choice in choosing to become a ship worker now that his Hunting days were pretty much over. The young eta clearly didn't understand his true place in the system and would quickly learn it if he wanted to survive. Thwei'ja turned away, moving into his own ship. He supposed he might well do the same once he could no longer Hunt. He was sort of already doing it.

He waited, listening as the brothers arrived and began preparing the shuttle for launch. He had to admit, he'd gotten so used to the Avian's miniscule claws clicking against the metal floor in sharp contrast to the heavy Yautjan footfalls. It genuinely felt strange not to hear them.

The Avian's time in exile was nearly up. This mission was entrusted to them, as her pack, to go and retrieve her. If she survived until then, she would receive official pardon for her transgression. Her bracer was recording all of her vitals and activity. According to the data it transmitted back, she was faring quite well, with extended periods of near inactivity mixed in with sharp bouts of extreme movement. It was clear she was intelligent enough to conserve her energy and only move when she had to. The data showed her blood level had dropped sharply halfway through her exile, indicating she sustained some sort of injury. Thwei'ja hadn't expected her to fare this well. He was sure no one of his kind had. But the proof was in the data; the Avianwas stronger than she appeared.

/ooo/

N'-yuicte was a planet of green flora and thick, warm mists. The whole planet, save for the poles, was humid, tropical, teeming with life of the strangest varieties. Some familiar, others not. Many were herbivorous, hunted by the vicious predators that stalked them daily.

It could be considered that these local predators were to be preferred over the occasional visiting ones.

They landed atop the same mountain they'd left her on twenty rotations before when her exile began. Ikthya'de and Kar'kha had been chosen to retrieve her. Thwei'ja had determined from the bracer that Luar'ka wasn't at the planned pick-up site. This was a little confusing, but her vitals still continued to thrive. Ikthya'de and Kar'kha, both outfitted in their masks, arm and leg braces, shoulder braces and wrist gauntlets, and carrying a single burner apiece, exited the ship. They heard the hatch close behind them as they moved off into the gloom, seeking their wayward packmate. As they moved silently through the gloom, so steadily and so quietly that they might have been specters, they kept their eyes and ears trained for any sound. The trees were gnarled and twisted, the mist hung heavy and damp all around them. Ikthya'de immediately picked up the telltale signs of Luar'ka's lingering presence; a single black feather resting on the ground in the center of the trail. Ikthya'de tilted his head downward at the ground and Kar'kha saw what his brother had noticed; the trail was covered in thin, dry twigs, aligned almost purposefully. They glanced at each other and took the bait, proceeding forward down the trail and breaking the many dry twigs they stepped on. It was clear this pathway served a dual purpose for Luar'ka; a warning against intruders, as well as the arrival of company. How she determined the difference between the two was yet to be seen.

It became apparent after a short while that it was going to take some searching to find her. Ikthya'de's bracer showed that she still lived. Her vitals were fine. But she wasn't anywhere in the immediate area.

Kar'kha kept his eyes open, his senses trained on the world around him. This was a Hunting world he'd only been to once before. He knew enough about the place to know that some fairly vicious creatures lived within these forests, and that she'd chosen quite an interesting place to call her home while she was here.

They reached a shallow, fern-filled ravine. Ikthya'de leaped down easily, landing nearly soundlessly in a patch of thick moss that muffled the impact. He moved out of the way so Kar'kha could do the same. Here, they reached an impasse. Luar'ka's scent filled this small valley; she'd clearly done this on purpose. Kar;kha realized she'd learned to make use of her own scent trails to throw off pursuers. No doubt she'd been stalked and possibly even Hunted while she'd been on this world.

Ikthya'de turned to him and made a slashing motion through the air with his left hand. Kar'kha nodded; they were separating from here. He turned, activating his cloak and moving off through the foliage as Ikthya'de took the opposite trail.

The elder brother made his way up the steep embankment, his cloak obscuring his form from obvious view. He glanced back behind him and saw Kar'kha's outline disappearing into the trees at the end of the ravine. Luar'ka's scent was strongest at both of these points.

His head shot up at a familiar sound floating through the trees; a high pitched, warbling wail, coming in from the north. He trilled softly and continued in, following the direction of the sound. He felt the instinctive need to be wary; Luar'ka had been proving since they'd found her that she could be just as stealthy as them, and more so besides. On top of exile, she was likely to be nervous of anything she didn't recognize. It was important not to surprise her. He figured she'd lost track of the time while she'd been out here, explaining why she wasn't at the meeting point.

He heard it again. He had no doubt now that she was at least still in the area. But where was she? In this forest, sounds carried and warped, making them seem to come from all over. But he was certain the sound was coming from somewhere to his left, further down the incline and into the mists. He continued forward, moving steadily and surely along the uneven terrain. This was a simple feat for him; he'd traversed much more difficult ground than this. Honestly, a hunt on this world would be simple enough to do in his sleep.

That wailing sound wafted in again, closer this time. Ikthya'de clenched his fists, bringing his blades into the open as he crouched slightly, clicking softly at the back of his throat. His mask showed him the terrain before him, but he made sure not to be over-reliant on it, training his other senses as carefully as he could. A soft thud behind him made him turn slowly, still cloaked. It was some kind of seed ball from the trees above, fallen down and landing on the muddy ground.

Hsssssssssssssshhhk!

Ikthya'de felt his spines stand erect in alarm; that sounded like a kainde amedha!

He caught the distinct sound of tree bark splintering and whirled, his mask scanning the treetops for anything moving. He saw the branches waving in the sunlight streaming down through the breaks in the leaves and felt a growl stirring in his throat.

Sssssssssssssshhhkk!

Ikthya'de let out a sharp snarl as something slammed into him from behind and he felt the flesh on his back being ripped open. He slashed his left blades up behind him in an arc and his attacker let out a shrill hiss. He'd been suspicious that this was Luar'ka he'd been following, that she simply didn't recognize him. But when he turned and saw the tell-tale black body and distinct domed skull, his suspicions were cast aside. It was smaller than a typical specimen, but there was no mistaking a kainde amedha. He couldn't believe his eyes; there shouldn't be any of the Hard Meats on this world! What was it doing here?

This thought crossed his mind as it launched toward him with a frightening burst of speed, its whip-like tail slashing the air behind it. There were small, dog-like creatures that subsisted on the even smaller rodents of this world; one of them must have been the host. But that still left the important question of how the egg had gotten here in the first place. Ikthya'de countered its forward charge with a swipe to the left, piercing its side with his blades and sending it flying. The vegetation that got splashed with its blood crackled, burned and died away as it rolled to a stop, staggering to its feet and charging again. Ikthya'de spread his feet apart, throwing his arms to the side and bellowing a challenge to this unexpected, but not unwelcome adversary. Its jaws gnashed toward his face, that inner mouth shooting out to impale his head and kill him. He crossed his arms over his face, its mouth catching over his left bracer and the inner jaw shooting out against his arm. He shrieked angrily as he felt his flesh tearing, whipping his arm downward and crushing the creature against the ground, pinning it in place with his foot as he brought his other blades down and pierced its skull with a single blow. Its final hiss died in its throat and Ikthya'de growled deeply as an answering hiss erupted from the forest behind him. He turned in time to face another kainde amedha barreling toward him, mouth agape. His reaction wasn't quick enough and he knew he was going to receive more damage as he turned his body so his armor would deflect most of the blow.

Sssscccreeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaggghhh!

Something erupted out of the ferns and bodily collided with the kainde amedha, knocking both it and its attacker across the forest floor. The attacker, covered from head to toe in dried mud and leaves, straightened up, screeching darkly at the creature as they circled one another. The Hard Meat lunged again, barreling into the newcomer and sending both tumbling into the foliage. Ikthya'de grumbled deeply, listening to the savage battle just out of sight of the trees and the signature crackling of vegetation burning as more acid blood was spilled. He wanted to be angry that she'd saved him from attack from such a diminutive Hard Meat, but honestly, he was just surprised she'd come to his aid in the first place. He hadn't needed it, but she must have seen the ship descending, otherwise she likely wouldn't have been in the area.

The noise from the battle ceased, replaced by the sound of near soundless scuffling. With a shower of leaves and puffs of dirt, Luar'ka tumbled back into his side of the treeline, dragging the lifeless corpse of the Hard Meat behind her. In her right hand, she carried a crude knife that appeared to be made from the carapace of a dead kainde amedha's tail. Certainly an effective weapon against the creatures, and this was made obvious by the deep puncture wounds in the small Hard Meat's throat. Her whole body was covered in caked on mud and debris and she stared at him with no expression on her face.

Ikthya'de cocked his head at her, thrilling softly. He could see her condition through the readings of his mask. Her body appeared to be in decent shape. However, he could see many fresh wounds all across her arms and upper torso. One of her wings also appeared to be broken, hanging limply at her right side. It seemed she'd had a rough time during her exile. However, for now, straight to business.

"You have survived," he declared, "The Paya have looked upon you with favor, once more."

Luar'ka knelt before him, bowing her head, "For my transgression, I have endured my punishment." she said quietly, her voice scratchy.

"The Clan accepts you back within its fold. Stand and follow the Path with honor."

Luar'ka got to her feet and moved toward him. He saw that she also had a tiny limp that she was struggling to hide from him, to no avail. He noticed instantly, as well as the fact that her tail appeared more stiff than normal, clear compensation for balance for her injury. His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"Where are your trophies?" he asked, referring to her order to have collected five during her time here. Luar'ka looked up at him and moved past him. Ikthya'de wordlessly followed her deeper into the forest. He didn't ask about her condition, her time spent alone on this world, or her injuries. But he noted with interest that her posture was stiffer and she walked with more purpose in her step. Her feathers, ragged and muddy, hung over her face, now darkened and focused. He again felt a swell of pride at how far she'd developed as a warrior. Gone was the timid, naïve little Avianthey'd taken. In her place stood the makings of a powerful Huntress.

Luar'ka led him to a cliff overlooking a powerful river raging below. She approached the edge of the shallow chasm, the roar of the water near deafening. He saw that she'd strung thick vines across the gap, wide enough for them to remain taut on the rocks she'd tied them to, but the distance short enough for him to jump. He suspected she might have been flying across until whatever happened to break her wing. He could see a shallow opening in the cliff opposite them and took a guess that that was where she set up her camp. He watched as she stepped out on the vine and, holding remarkably strong balance, tail stiffening, moved steadily and swiftly across, barely shaking at all. Her tail lashed as she jumped the rest of the way to the cliff edge and turned to him. He crouched and pushed off, clearing the near fifteen foot gap easily. He landed beside her and watched as she approached the cave, ducking beneath the overhanging rocks. The entrance was too narrow for him to enter, so he waited patiently as she fetched her trophies. He crouched down, listening to the roar of the water and vaguely wondering where Kar'kha had vanished to that he hadn't heard the fight between Luar'ka and the small Hard Meat.

Luar'ka emerged from the cave with the remains of a skull of what appeared to be a mid-sized herbivore. The skull was decently sized and well preserved, despite still possessing rotting flesh and hide. She clearly didn't know how to skin and preserve her trophies, yet.

She repeated the process four more times, revealing the trophies of one more herbivore, the skull of a fierce mammalian predator known to the Yautja as a zohr'il, and of course, her Hard Meat catch from earlier. Each of the skulls was good sized, far bigger than her own, though not so large that she couldn't carry them individually. Ikthya'de found himself highly impressed. She was so small, but showing signs of being able to take out prey far larger than herself. Ikthya'de hefted her catches into a netted bag and hoisted this and her two larger trophies over his shoulder, leaving her to carry the corpse of the Hard Meat. She carried it by one of its neural spines along its back, preventing blood from spilling onto herself. It wasn't the easiest way to carry it, but it was the safest and most practical.

Once across the chasm, Luar'ka followed him back along the trail through the trees, carrying her trophy with her. Even though she was clearly fighting not to let it show, he could see without a doubt that her limp was bothering her and slowing her down whether she liked it or not. But like any true Yautja warrior, she showed no signs of pain or complaint. She would endure her injuries gracefully until she could seek treatment.

He was most definitely looking forward to bringing her back to the Clan ship. She had survived her exile in excellent fashion and now had five superb trophies to add to her collection.

However, there was one thing that was bothering him, a thought which he chose to vocalize as they walked, "Luar'ka," he said, "How many kainde amedha have you Hunted during your exile?"

"Four," she answered, "These I managed to kill. I have seen ten, including the one I carry. I was pursuing those two earlier."

So that explained her absence from the pick up point. She'd been Hunting the two Hard Meats that attacked him.

"I was not aware that kainde amedha could be found here." she said wonderingly.

"They are not." he rumbled deeply, "To my knowledge, they are rarely planted here."

Luar'ka glanced at him then and he saw that she was thinking the same thing he was. Like on N'-ithya, Hard Meats eggs were being planted where they shouldn't be, Tou'amedha were impregnating unwitting hosts, and vicious kainde amedha were running loose unchecked as a result.

"I recorded their appearance," he told her, "I am quite sure the Elders will want to see this."

"I do not like this, mei'hswei..." she mumbled darkly.

"Nor do I," he agreed, "But for now, we must return to the ship. Thwei'ja grows impatient. It is time for you to return with your honorable kills, mei'jadhi."

Here, she smiled, hissing softly in pleasure, "I look forward to it."

/ooo/

Thwei'ja kept vigil in the cockpit, keeping an eye on their surroundings while Kar'kha and Ikthya'de fetched the Avian. Thwei'ja was forced to admit that he was impressed with her; though young and still extremely inexperienced, she'd survived exile. Since their time spent together on N'-ithya, she'd continued to surpass his expectations. While he still disliked the notion of the Avianoccupying a space within his established Hunting pack, he was forced to acknowledge her abilities, as well as the fact that they just continued to grow.

At the very least, he felt better about Blooding her.

The familiar alarm sounded and Than'ja looked up, "Transmission, Thwei'ja." he said.

"I am aware."

Thwei'ja opened the transmission, revealing it to be a visual message. He held back the snarl of distaste at the sight of Me'vi-te, though the displeased growl couldn't be suppressed. Me'vi-te issued a short snarl of his own, showing that their irritation was clearly mutual. But they held back the verbal lashings they might have prepared for one another.

"To what do I owe the time?" Thwei'ja asked. This was certainly no honor.

"Elders Sechinde and Lu'rchh have been dispatched to N'-ithya with two packs each, Thwei'ja."

"For what purpose?" Thwei'ja asked, quite surprised at the news. Elder Sechinde was far past his prime and rarely Hunted anymore. For him to join a pack was quite unusual, and highly concerning.

"How long has it been since the Hunting of the Hard Meat hive on that world?" Me'vi-te asked.

"Nearly twenty rotations, precisely."

"During that Hunt, you were joined by a To're'khe Hunting pack who assisted in the extermination. Is this correct?"

"Yes, that is correct." Thwei'ja asked, his eyes narrowing, "What has happened?"

Than'ja looked up from his station, sensing the tension that Thwei'ja was radiating. He looked up to watch his sire on the monitor, his spines stiffening. Me'vi-te torqued his mandibles into a scowl, his eyes flashing, "That Hunting pack remained on the planet for a brief time after you departed. We have been unable to contact them until now. One member of that pack has reported in, Thwei'ja."

"And what has happened?"

"Every member of that pack has been slaughtered. Sechinde has gone with Lu'rchh to retrieve the survivor and destroy the evidence. He has transmitted his mask's recordings to us, however there is a problem."

Me'vi-te looked away for a moment, preparing the visual feed for sending. Thwei'ja glanced to the right as the line of text appeared on the monitor and he opened it. It showed the same forest where he'd traversed unexpectedly to locate the Avianafter she deserted. The recordings were clearly those of the survivor as he scrambled up onto higher ground and turned around, only to be met with a suffocating, stiflingly cold black cloud in his face. This rendered his vision completely useless, resulting in blindness as he veered this way and that, trying to see through the thick cloud. The only thing the mask picked up was a thick blue layer with occasional heat signatures moving erratically within, though it was painfully clear that their temperatures were far lower than normal thanks to the strange cloud. He switched to multiple settings, but they didn't seem to work much better. Thwei'ja's eyes widened, but he stayed still, listening to the sounds of infuriated roaring in the background. He heard the signature clash of metal on metal, and something landed heavily not far from the loner. When he turned around again, Thwei'ja saw that the cloud had billowed up and around him, blocking his view entirely. He was made entirely blind, and his breaths could be heard growing more labored. Behind him, the high pitched trilling scream of a dying Yautja could be heard and the survivor whirled again, trying to see his fallen brother. A fuzzy, unrecognizable heat signature suddenly erupted from the cloud and plowed into the survivor, knocking him backwards. The recording fizzled in and out as he tumbled briefly down a sharp slope, finally catching himself on an outcropping of rocks and holding on. His recording faced upward again where among the line of trees and rocks, the thick, cold cloud billowed outward at a steady rate, hiding the raging battle from view. The survivor started trying to climb back up, but the rock he held gave way, causing him to plummet further down the cliff, the battle falling out of sight and the recording cutting away abruptly as he hit the ground, his mask dislodging itself from his face from the impact.

Thwei'ja bowed his head in brief mourning for the fallen Yautja he'd Hunted with only days before. But this was merely the Path; to live was to die. Honor gained in between the two made the difference for whatever came afterward.

"How long ago was this?" he asked.

"This was received roughly three rotations prior to now. That survivor's name is Te'oce-de. As far as we know, he is still alive. He has set multiple tracking beacons that Elder Sechinde is following now."

"Why send this to me?" Thwei'ja asked.

" Because you and your pack last interacted with theirs. We had hoped you might know something."

Thwei'ja shook his head, clacking his tusks in aggravation, "No more so than you. Do we know what that cloud was?"

Me'vi-te's clenched mandibles and lack of response told Thwei'ja all he needed to know. They had no idea what it was, yet.

"Well," he said quietly, "Finally, an issue we reach agreement with."

Me'vi-te nodded once, "I am in agreement, Thwei'ja. I have continued contact with Elder Sechinde on Te'oce-de's retrieval. Once we have him, I shall permit you to speak with Te'oce-de. Perhaps we will be able to learn more."

"Our time on N'-yuicte is ending shortly. We will return to the Jag'dja'd atoll until we are ordered otherwise." Thwei'ja informed him. Me'vi-te confirmed this and the transmission ended.

Thwei'ja had known several of those To're'khe warriors well. He'd assisted in training several of them and had served as an observer on the kainde amedha chivas of those individuals. They'd been strong, honorable warriors, of this there was no doubt. Thwei'ja fell silent, his head bowed for only a minute as he mourned the loss of those comrades.

Enough. There was work to be done. Whatever that cloud was, it had blinded those warriors, allowing their assailants to take them out absurdly easily. While the Yautja made it a deeply rooted rule not to reveal their existence to prey, sometimes it just couldn't be helped. Indeed, there were a few varieties of races throughout the galaxy that not only harbored strong feelings of hatred toward them, but also likely knew the secrets of their biology to some extent. It was possible this was a declaration of war by another race. The problem was identifying that race.

Thwei'ja snarled viciously and stood up, moving out into the corridor and leaving Than'ja in second command for a while. He needed to get Kar'kha and Ikthya'de back on the ship immediately with the Avian. They couldn't afford to waste anymore time here.

He had geared up and was about to head outside when he heard the main hatchway opening and approached to see the two brothers and the Avianascending the ramp into the ship. To Thwei'ja's amazement, Ikthya'de carried with him a net bag filled with Hunted trophies that couldn't have been his, to say nothing of the kainde amedha the Aviancarried over her shoulder. They both looked at him as he appeared and Ikthya'de's tusks had loosened, his expression grave, "We have encountered something rather interesting, Leader." he said, his voice low as he gestured to the kainde amedha that the Avianhefted off her shoulder and allowed to drop to the floor, scattering the mists as she did so. She stepped back, her tail lashing slowly, "I have killed four and seen ten of these," she explained, "And if you would have me do so, I can lead you to where I left the corpses."

Thwei'ja couldn't believe it; kainde amedha had been seeded on this world, where none should have been seeded! He had received no notice, no forewarning of anything. And yet here, indisputable evidence lay festering on the floor before him. The stench of its corrosive blood was potent and Thwei'ja clenched his fists, his eyes raising to the Avian, "How near are they?"

"Not far," she said, "I did not stray much further from this position while I have been here."

Thwei'ja barked a command for her to go and she instantly understood, turning and exiting the ship once more. He strode past Ikthya'de, knowing he'd probably recorded some, but he knew he needed more evidence.

This was not good.

/ooo/

Thwei'ja stood on a fallen tree overlooking a vast basin at the base of a waterfall. The water most likely fed into an underground passageway, because the basin had no way out of it outside the outer rim he stood on. It seemed like it might have been the result of a sinkhole. Either way, he could see the remains of one of the kainde amedha festering at the bottom. It had been stabbed through the head, its throat slashed nearly completely, just as she'd killed the first one back on N'-ithya. He glanced at her, perched on one of the branches of the tree, her claws tucked tight against her abdomen as she stared darkly down into the pool. Her tail hung straight behind her, balancing her as she sat so precariously.

"How long ago?" he asked.

"Ten rotations into my exile." she answered. "I had hung the first corpse up to try to attract others. It worked. I threw them in here. I do not know how to skin trophies yet, and they could not be eaten."

Her reasoning was sound, and Thwei'ja knew she'd acquired her requested five trophies. She had proven herself. These latest kills further corroborated her story. His mask recorded everything. He huffed deeply, "Are there others?"

"There are, but they live on, yet." Luar'ka explained, "I have seen six others in this vicinity that I could not kill. They were birthed by much larger hosts and I am currently too small to handle them at my level."

Thwei'ja would have liked to Hunt them down immediately, but there was no more time. They needed to leave very soon. He would transmit the coordinates and general region of the sightings to other packs and they would finish the job. He glanced at the Avianagain. Her feathers were extended and flushed deeply with rich colors. Her eyes were glued on the corpse at the bottom of the basin, as if it might come alive at any moment. She sat perched on coiled legs ready to spring, but barely budged an inch otherwise. To an extent, as he watched her, he understood the concerns of the Elders. The signs became more present every day. Clearly, she was developing into quite a fearsome creature.

"We shall return for now. We must leave at once." Thwei'ja said, his tone daring her to question him. She jumped down, bowing her head toward him, "Yes, Thwei'ja." she replied obediently.

He headed back through the dense vegetation, aware of her walking behind him. He really didn't like this. He didn't know where these eggs were coming from. That missing shuttle still hadn't been located. There was no way that shuttle had been responsible for these appearances on N'-yuicte. On top of that, an entire pack of To're'khe warriors had been slaughtered by a cunning unknown assailant who knew of the Yautja's biological structure and of their weakness to cold temperatures. Not long before now, Thwei'ja would have balked at the idea of bringing the Avianback aboard his ship, but now he knew that she was the least of his worries. In fact, he almost deemed her harmless in comparison. However, he himself had Blooded her. He had seen her skills developing and knew they were acceptable, if not praiseworthy for a creature her size. There were not many beasts of prey to the Yautja that matched the sheer speed and agility to the kainde amedha such as the Avian did. This speed and agility seemed to come naturally for her. It may very well be that she might be of use to the Clan after all. Skilled hult'ah, or observers were hard to find among the boisterous and easily excitable Youngbloods, meaning they were difficult to train for such a role. It was a stretch, but perhaps the Avian's natural tendency to perch and study could be molded. The Yautja were nothing else if not opportunistic.

"Avian," he said, pausing as they approached the ship. He turned; she stood at attention, back straight and head down, eyes averted, "Do you know the function of hult'ah-de in a pack formation?"

She raised her gaze slightly, her eyes narrowing, "I do. The 'Watcher'. The role of the hult'ah is to keep alert for external threats to the hunt and be ready to engage in times of attack. Often the first attacked, but usually the most agile and capable of evading."

Thwei'ja hissed, pleased at her response, "Your given role by Sechinde will be needed infrequently. I want you to fill the role of observer within my pack. With the oncoming requirements we will be called upon to fill, I believe you be most useful within this position."

He watched as she went over it in her mind before raising her head. She crossed her arm across her chest and bowed in acceptance of his command, not saying anything.

Luar'ka watched as Thwei'ja turned away again, moving toward the ship. She continued after him, contemplating her new role. It had been abrupt, but that was always his way. He wasn't one for useless words. Her place now, hult'ah-de, Observing, Watching, Guarding. While she didn't know the full extent of the details, she knew that something was very wrong. She'd seen all the signs, both here and back on N'-ithya. There was something very bad on the horizon. She allowed herself the brief time until they ascended the ramp to feel intense pride at Thwei'ja's assignment for her. Once the hatch closed however, she snapped her mind back to the business at hand. She had five trophies to learn how to skin and she knew that they were returning to the Jag'dja'd atoll very soon, now. There, for the first time, she would have an actual place. A small place, but a place nonetheless. There was much to accomplish, much to discover, and all this weighed heavily on her mind as she made her way to the storeroom—no...her room. She buried herself in her soft pallet, inhaling the familiar scent she'd inundated it with. Her duties could wait for now. The journey back into space would last a while, and she could take this time to recuperate.

She slept deeply for the first time in many, many days.

A/N: Okay, it took a while to sort out what had gone wrong with the story, but I think I finally got it. A few people pointed out to me that Luar'ka just sort of 'reappeared' with her brothers. That's true; she did. I forgot to include the chapter where they actually go to collect her. So here's the missing chapter and thank you for your patience.