Lachrimae

by Tiarhlu

Stith is taken by a group of mantrins opposed to human influence on their lives. Fannovel: begins prior to Earth's destruction and follows Stith's journey to adulthood.

6. Wyr'Mo'Gwi

Chapter 6

Wyr'Mo'Gwi

As Stith waited in the darkness, her ears remained alert. She had not wanted to hear any more screams, but at the same time began to wish that she could at least hear something. Why was there nothing more? Panic overcame her as she began to wonder why there was not a second or third scream. Still, she continued to wait. Surely they would come back any minute and assure her everything was going to be just fine.

After a few more frightened minutes, she could control herself no longer. She opened her mouth and cried out: "Ahmo! Ahmo!" There was no response.

Stith huddled back against the far corner of the tent, arms wrapped around her top knees as she aimed the flashlight at the entrance. The light was quickly flicked off as she began to worry that someone, whoever had made her mother scream, might be able to see her. She continued to wait in the darkness.

"Erseh?" she whimpered. He did not answer.

Just then, Stith heard footsteps coming from outside. This was accompanied by intense verbal fighting between two others who were yelling in Preidogian. She wished that she knew the language better; she only caught a few of the words, none of which helped her to understand what was being said. Whatever it was, they were very angry at one another. Much to her unease, neither voice sounded like family.

Her ears caught the nearby, yet quiet sound of a tent being unzipped. A man's voice was heard, demanding to know what was happening. He paused mid sentence, gasping in horror. Stith thought she heard something about calling the police, followed by a snarl on the other side of her tent, and then another scream, this one coming from the man.

Stith's ears remained painfully alert as she began to shiver. Her entire body shook uncontrollably. She grabbed the nearest blanket and pulled it over her head, in her mind feeling that if she could see nothing that it would not exist. Much to her relief, the sounds soon faded, leaving her in silence. This followed the sound of the footsteps rapidly moving away from her, far into the distance until they could be heard no more.

She waited in the still quiet once again. The blanket still covered her, and the light remained off. "Erseh," she whimpered again, nearly at a whisper. She continued to shiver. Tears began to form in her eyes until cheeks were flooded with quiet tears. The tiny droplets fell from her face onto her shirt, soaking it in small patches. She sniffled, teeth chattering together helplessly from her shakes.

Soon the silence was interrupted by yet another scream, this one from a woman. Stith heard her begin to weep loudly, asking in agony why this was happening. The young mantrin was not sure whom she was talking to, but the other person did not answer. The sobs continued, and as she listened, her own took a momentary pause.

A part of her was overcome with curiosity. Why is she crying? she thought. Stith drug herself near the tent's entrance. She was quite nervous still, but it seemed safe to go out, at least somewhat. First, she brought her eye near the opening and tried to see something, anything, squinting tightly into the night. After a moment she caught the fuzzy image of the woman on her knees, a few feet away from the nearest tent. She was human, with a full head of brown hair.

"Help," Stith said quietly, hoping that she would come. She did not.

Stith poked her head out of the tent, her eyes darting to and fro. "Ahmo? Erseh? Still no answer. There appeared to be no one around at all other than the woman, who did not seem to notice Stith, or anything else for that matter. Very slowly, she pulled herself full out of the tent, pausing every few seconds to look around some more, just in case anyone was still there. She greatly feared that whoever had been outside her tent arguing was still there, waiting to grab her when she let down her guard.

It did not happen.

Stith walked past the woman, looking back at her with curiosity. Her eyes caught the form of something under her. It looked much like a person. Stith stepped a little closer, and even in the darkness she could see that he was bleeding. The moonlight accentuated the blood running from his throat and staining his shirt. Eventually she had grown the nerve to step next to the woman.

Stith glanced from the man on the ground, to her, and then back. "Is he okay?" she asked, feeling her eyes begin to tear up again.

"No!" she screamed, her voice cracking through her tears. She did not even look back to see who had spoken. "Someone killed him! Probably one of those filthy mantrins." Her hysterical voice regressed to a mutter as she finished her words.

"Um," Stith said timidly. "He'll be okay." Her young mind would not, could not allow her to accept that he might actually be dead. These things did not happen, not to her anyway.

"No he won't!" she said, her voice returning to a scream. It was then that she looked in Stith's direction, her eyes opening wide in fright. The frightened eyes then narrowed with anger. "Get away from me!" she shrieked, her hand rose up, slapping Stith across the cheek. "Go!"

The young mantrin was too shocked to know what to do. Her eyes closed tightly from the stinging that overtook the side of her face. The tears that had been ready to burst finally erupted. She held her cheek, and turned and ran, not even knowing where she was running. She called out repeatedly for her parents. Either would have been fine, but neither answered. No matter how many times, or how loudly she called for them, there was no answer.

Soon Stith's path was stopped abruptly by a large tree. She peered through a cataract of water-blurred eyes, blinking a few times to see that she was right outside the forest. With a hand against the nearest tree, she looked around the campsite, her hearts pounding like little drums as she looked in vain for a familiar face.

She knew not what else to do, other than to continue past the trees. She reasoned that If her parents were not out of the forest, they must have been inside. The thought of going there alone, and at night frightened her, but the thought of staying by herself with someone out there that was killing people frightened her even more. Without giving it much further thought, she dashed into the forest.

It was not long before her nostrils caught a very fowl scent. The odor caused her stomach to do a somersault. Stith clasped both hands over her nostrils and went in the opposite direction. She dared not go too far into the forest, only staying where it was not too dark. Further in, the trees were so thick that little to no moonlight passed through to the forest floor.

As she stumbled almost blindly around the trees, Stith bumped into a leg. The sudden stopped sent her backward, onto her rump. "Ahmo?" she said meekly, looking upward. It was not her. This she knew instantly upon seeing a tail. She could not detect the scent of Nodyr either. This mantrin had a familiar scent however, not necessarily one that comforted her, but familiar nonetheless.

"No Stith," said a low voice. "Was she out here?"

The scent along with the voice told her who it was. The Orkeht that she had seen earlier that day stood before her. "I-I don't know," she said. "I can't find her anywhere!" As she said this, she began to choke on her words through the tears.

"Uh," he said awkwardly, not really knowing how to react. He had no experience with children at all. "It'll be okay. What did she look like? Maybe I can help you find her?"

Stith let her sobs slow up for a moment as a little ray of hope took her hand. "She's got long hair, and it's brown, and is skinny, and she had on a bathing suit, and that's all."

"Really?" he said a bit nervously. He took an extraordinarily deep breath for one his size and then let it out in a heavy sigh. He did this again and gnawed on his lip while he looked at her, or more accurately, off to her side. "Stith, I think you need to come with me." He said this as gently as he could, hoping not to frighten her any more than he knew these words would.

The response was a little better than he had planned, although he was quite sure that she did not realize that he meant to go home with him. "Why?" Stith asked. "Do you know where she is?"

Myolu fidgeted. "Well," he said. "I think I might."

Before he could continue, he was interrupted by another mantrin. He leapt out from one of the trees, landing next to him. "Hey who's this?" he said quickly, looking at Stith, and then back at him. "This isn't the girl getting abused is it?"

Myolu groaned from the question. "I told you," he said roughly. "We're not speaking any more tonight. This girl is probably going to have to come with us now, and you're the one to blame for it."

"I didn't kill her!" he shouted.

"Yeah, like you didn't kill that man?" Myolu asked with a venomous sneer.

Hearing this, Stith took a step back, her jaw agape in a mixture of shock and horror. "W-W-What'd you do?" she asked, preparing to flee at any moment. "I saw him!"

It was then that the other Orkeht turned his attention to her. "You haven't heard any of this!" he said angrily.

Just as she was about to run, she heard a snarl, and saw the underside of a foot. What followed was darkness.

ooo

Stith came to in a room that was unfamiliar to her. The first evident sense was her sight. Even though her vision was fuzzy, she could tell that she was alone, as well as on the floor, curled up on her side.

She slowly moved her eyes over the walls of the room. They were built from dark, roughly cut stone, and the floor was built from dark, teak-like wood planks that were also roughly cut, but they were stained dark and sealed with a shiny, varnish-like substance so that whoever walked or ran on them did not have to worry about splinters. The ceiling was of the same wood as the floor. In the middle of the ceiling were four square openings, about a meter across that formed the corners of a larger square pattern that took up a good part of the ceiling's middle. These apparently served as skylights, to allow daylight into the room. On one side of each skylight was a rolled patch of very thick, dense leather-like material, each roll tightly bound with twine. As she turned her head from side to side, Stith saw that on opposite ends of the room were two curtains. It was too dark on either side to give her any hope of being able to get outside, wherever she was.

The room was furnished fairly simply. All furnishings were roughly crafted out of the same wood as the ceiling and the floor. In one corner was a crudely built bed; Stith lay beside it. The mattress was made of cloth-wrapped grass, as Stith could see small blades of it around the sides of the bed and pinched between the mattress and the frame. There was only a simple, very thin sheet made from the same material as the mattress, along with a pillow that was no more than a miniature version of the it; little blades of grass were poking from the pillow as well. In the middle of the room was a large rug with characters stained into it that if Stith remembered correctly were from the Preidogian script. Small square pillows were set around the edges of the rug.

The second sense that came to her was the sense of smell. It was in the form of a strong scent of wood, similar to being in a log cabin. There were other more peculiar scents that all seemed to live in the room. She could recognize none of them, and to her none were particularly pleasant.

The third sense was her sense of touch. As she grew more and more conscious she became increasingly aware of an intense throbbing above her eyes. Slowly she brought her hand up to the spot and felt a frighteningly large lump that ached even more when she touched it. The pain from her bruises and scraped leg all came back to her, and felt even more uncomfortable than before she had fainted.

She looked around some more. Sunlight continued to pour in through the skylights. She had been pretty sure that it was nighttime. After all, she had just been in the woods in the middle of the night. Why's it sunny? she thought. "Erseh? Ahmo?" she suddenly moaned in a helpless attempt at finding them, holding her throbbing head again.

There was an answer, although not what she had hoped. Her sense of hearing finally kicked in as her ears perked at the sound of a voice from the other side of the current. "I heard her. She's awake now," came a sweet contralto voice, speaking in Preidogian. A small female mantrin of Sogowan descent pushed her way through the entrance and glanced down at Stith. She appeared to be in her early twenties, just around the age of maturity for the average mantrin. Her almond shaped eyes glowed with a youthful energy and vigor.

The female stepped aside to allow another mantrin to enter, this one male and of Logri descent, the rich black skin and dark eyes that were characteristic of his race being evidence. If it were not for his long, light grey beak and underbelly, he would have been a fifty-year-old shadow.

"You're awake, I see," the male said bluntly. His voice was a deep rumble.

Stith did not respond, much less look at him.

"Oh dear Lupit," said the female. "Look at all of those bruises. We're so fortunate she's here now." She then returned her attention to Stith. "Everything will be alright. Don't worry."

Stith hardly understood a word. The accent was too thick, and her own knowledge of the language was still dismal. All she did was look at this Sogowan with confusion and fear.

"We were starting to worry about you," the mantrin referred to as Lupit said. "I didn't think you would wake after being hit in the head so hard. I can assure you though that the mantrin responsible for doing that is being dealt with right now."

Stith continued to stare, not really knowing what to say, as she did not really know what was being said.

"Okay Stith, you don't have to talk," Lupit said, his deep voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Be nice to her," the female said. "She's probably very frightened right now."

"Fine," he said, and then waved his hand dismissively for her to leave.

"Fine," she said as well. "Stith, I'll be outside if you need me," she added and then hurriedly left.

Being left alone with this huge male triggered Stith's most extreme fear, and all but disregarding her pain she attempted to get up and run away from him. Just as she had managed to get to her feet, her legs gave away, sending her back to the floor. As she looked back at him, it became more and more obvious how large he was. He was a little taller than Nodyr, and very wide and thick, almost unnaturally so from what she was used to seeing. He appeared as strong as six mantrins as well, despite not seeing any noticeable muscle on his sleek body. Something about him however gave her the impression of great strength.

Lying there on the floor with this black behemoth, and knowing that her legs did not want to work at the moment caused Stith to burst into tears. "Where's ahmo and erseh?" she sobbed. "I want to go home. How do you know my name?" she suddenly asked, surprised that a stranger should know her.

He only responded to the last question. "Someone told me. I believe you know him. Myolu?" Lupit said. "Oh," he quickly added, kneeling down so that he was closer to her; this only led to Stith scooting backward and beginning to shiver. "I would advise you to not use the human's tongue any longer. You might receive worse than a bump on the head if anyone finds out where you're from."

"What?" Stith said, partially not understanding his words, and partially not understanding what he meant. She also did not understand what Myolu had to do with it. The last thing she remembered was that he was going to help her find her parents. She thought that maybe if she could find him, then he could help her again. She would do it despite the sudden loss of trust in him, as long as his friend stayed far away. He was what worried her the most.

"I said don't use that language anymore. Our kind has their own you know," Lupit said.

"What?" Stith said again. She had been lucky to catch half of that. Unfortunately it was not enough to get the meaning of either sentence.

The Logri groaned, turning his head upon the thick neck to face the far curtain. "Kiryee, I need you back in here," he said.

The Sogowan female stepped back into the room almost immediately. "What is it?" she asked.

"Her," he said, motioning towards Stith. "She doesn't seem to understand me."

"Well even I don't understand you sometimes," Kiryee said, kneeling beside Lupit, and then playfully nudging him in the side.

"I'm serious," he grumbled. "She only seems to know the human's tongue."

Kiryee shrugged her shoulders a little. "Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you. Ever think of that? You are a stranger. You can't blame her."

He crossed his arms over his wide chest. "Well she has nothing to fear from us. She should be happy now. She's safe from that woman that was abusing her."

"Then obviously she doesn't want to talk to you. She'll be fine eventually, once she gets used to her new home."

"I sure hope so," he said. "And I hope Myolu gets here soon so I can go. I don't care to watch her all day. He can explain to her the situation."

Kiryee offered a slight smile. "I'd be glad to help," she said. "It'll be fun."

"No," he replied. "You already have a job to do. Myolu will do it. He brought her here, she's his responsibility."

"Maybe," she said with a hint of mischief, her eyes rising to the ceiling as she pondered the possibility of raising Stith, whom she then turned to face. "Stith we won't hurt you. Don't be afraid," she said as sweetly as she could manage. "I can be your new ahmo if you want."

"No!" Stith shouted. She had understood the last part rather well. "I don't need a new one!" She slammed her fist against the wood floor, and then picked up the nearest pillow, tossing it at Kiryee. "Go away!"

Kiryee blinked, glancing at Lupit. "What did she say?"

"She doesn't want you for a parent. Could you stop asking now?" he grumbled.

"For now," she said. "Oh hey I haven't had a bath in a few days, so I'm going to go to lake for a while. It's a really nice day outside. Would you like to join me? I'm feeling very evil right now." She emitted a short, twisted laugh, grinning at Lupit.

"No," he replied. "I have to stay with this girl until Myolu comes, remember? Besides, I'm too old for you if you mean what I think."

"Aww, you're no fun." She laughed and turned to walk away, but not before giving the back of his right ear a flirting lick.

Though he secretly enjoyed it, Lupit did not let it show. "Do you mind? What would Eleisynsay if she knew you were flirting with the abwot?" He tried to hide the smile that was creeping onto his beak.

Kiryee stopped, then turned to face him. "That old miserable woman? Ahmo's mad no matter what I do." She snorted and crossed her arms. Her tail lashed back and forth. "No wonder she's in charge of punishment."

"Well she does a very good job. Everyone is too afraid too break rules," he said. "Lyr last night is the only problem we've had in a long time."

She shuddered as she thought about it. "I don't even want to know what she's doing to him right now. And now that I'm thinking horrible things, I'm going to the lake, for real now."

"Bye," he said as he watched her leave. Her tail swung merrily behind her in a nearly seductive manner.

Returning his attention to Stith, Lupit continue to eye her. She not moved, nor made a sound since she had stopped crying about midway into his and Kiryee's conversation. He ran his eyes over her, wondering just how much longer he was going to have to stay there. Wonderful, he thought. Power over one hundred mantrins, and here you are babysitting a little brat. "How long could a picnic take?," he said aloud, although more to himself than to Stith. The particular Orkeht on his mind had promised to come check on her regularly, and had said that he would be back after he stepped outside to eat. That had been nearly three hours ago.

Just then there was a rustle on the curtain. "Come in," Lupit said to it.

Two figures appeared in the room, one after another. Stith did not recognize the first. He was a very tall Goureg, even taller than Lupit. He appeared to be about middle aged, possibly old enough to be a grandfather even. He wore very odd garments that covered his shoulders, chest, and lower body only that gave the impression of a partially wrapped mummy (now that Stith had time to notice, Lupit was wearing the same strange attire, however he wore nothing above his hips.). The Goureg's body was finely muscled. It appeared well condition, but nothing extreme. Once he had taken a few more steps into the room, Stith noticed that his body was damp, as was the smaller mantrin behind him whom she recognized. It was Myolu, and standing next to these two tall mantrins, he appeared as no more than a child.

Before either of the two had had a chance to speak, Lupit addressed them. "You can take her now," he said rather bluntly. He would have left at that moment, if not for the fact that they were in his room already.

"Oh dear," Myolu said the second he realized that she was conscious again. He quickly became overly apologetic as he spoke to her in the language that he knew she could understand. "Stith I'm really sorry about this. I'm glad you're okay. I never knew my friend was going to do what he did. I'm really really sorry about that. I didn't want to bring you here, but I couldn't leave you alone after that. Sorry," he said yet again. I'm just glad you're alright."

"Talk about this elsewhere," Lupit said irritably. "I'd appreciate some quiet. I want to take a nap."

Myolu sighed, his eyes resting on the floor along with his ears. "Stith come along please," he said, and then turned to leave without waiting for a reply. His long striped tail drug behind him. The Goureg that was with him quickly followed.

Lupit was already lying on his bed when he addressed her as well. "Get up!" he said gruffly. "I think you were just asked to go. Don't be rude."

"Sorry," Stith said, judging mostly from his tone that he was not wishing for her to stay where she was. She hopped up, reluctantly trotting out of the room. She was afraid to leave, but at the same time was even more afraid at what might happen if this huge mantrin grew angry with her. She imagined that she would surely develop a crick in her neck from trying to look up to see him.

Upon passing through the curtain, Stith found herself in a very dark hallway, lit only by a few distantly spaced torches. At the far end she saw an opening with sunlight peeping in, illuminating the exit. From where she was standing, the exit appeared to lead to a large grassy field. What she also saw Myolu, along with the other mantrin that had been with him. Both were leaning against the far wall, waiting for her.

The large Goureg spoke first. He had the soft voice of a middle-aged man, and it was not very deep at all. "Uhreaht Stith," he said, using only Preidogian. "I'm Tiryso. It's nice to meet you, even though this dark corridor is not the most desirable place for a new acquaintance. I've agreed to look after you."

"What?! Where's ahmo? I want to see her now!" she said, demanding with quite a bit of bravery for her situation.

"Well," Myolu said nervously, for the first time reverting to the local mantrins' language. "We need to speak about that. And please don't use that language. It's not allowed here anymore."

"Why not? That's stupid!" she shouted, her tail swishing angrily.

Myolu sighed, rubbing at his brow. "You may not like it, but that's how it is right now. Lupit says Preidogian only, and he's the boss. You don't want him to get mad do you?"

"He's not the boss of me!" Stith said. "Erseh will come beat him up!"

"What?" Myolu said, his mouth wide open. He then turned to Tiryso, nearly placing his muzzle on the Goureg's belly. "She never told me she had a father. I can't believe this. Jhii!" he muttered and swore.

"It's not your fault," Tiryso said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and then giving his attention to Stith. "Where is he?" he asked.

"I don't know! He's supposed to know!" she screamed, pointing at Myolu.

"Please calm down," Tiryso said to her, and then to the Orkeht: "We were going to my room, weren't we?"

"Yeah," he replied with a sigh. "Come on Stith. We have some things to talk about, and then I'll see about finding your erseh."

Stith's brow lowered. "Promise?" she asked.

"Yes we do," Tiryso said. "You have to promise us something too however. Promise that you'll stop speaking with the humans' language."

A very low growl was heard as she chewed on her bottom lip, nearly drawing blood from it. It was bad enough that she did not feel comfortable with Preidogian, but what made it especially annoying to Stith was the fact that she did not want to let these strangers win. "Fine," she said at the bottom of her voice.

Stith followed the two further down the hall in the direction of the exit. They stopped several yards from it and turned to pull aside a curtain before stepping into the room. Once inside, she noticed that the room was nearly identical to Lupit's. The main difference was the rug that had different designs on it, all arranged in a spiral. The bed was in the same corner, and the room had the same woodsy smell. Another scent came to her as she adjusted to the surroundings, although much like the odd scents in the last room, she was not sure what it was. The skylights were all uncovered, letting in plenty of fresh sunlight.

"Please have a seat," Tiryso said to her. He motioned to his bed, which was very long, not to mention wide to accommodate his large body.

She did as she was asked, however instead of sitting on the bed, she helped herself to one of the floor pillows, just to be as disobedient as she could and still appear to be cooperating. An uncomfortable silence followed as the three exchanged glances. On several occasions, Myolu appeared to be about to speak, but it never happened.

Finally he did in a fit of frustration. "I can't do this!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Tiryso could you help me please?"

"Very well," he said sadly as he walked over to his bed and sat upon it. "But first Stith, let me ask you something, and please be honest."

"What?"

It took a few slow breaths before he continued. "I need to know if you were ever mistreated by your family. I don't mean being punished, or not getting a toy you wanted, but if they ever hit you or yelled at you for no reason. Answer me honestly."

"No," Stith said immediately, very unsure of why he would ask something so terrible.

"I believe you," he said calmly, and then looked at Myolu who was in the process of shrinking to the size of a pebble.

The Orkeht looked back at him, guilt, shame, and dread all coating his expression. "B-b-but, what about your bruises?" he stuttered, hoping that she would change her mind and help ease his guilt.

Stith's head snapped around to face him. "I fell!"

"Oh," Myolu said. Gradually he let his eyes make their way to the curtain. He hiccupped a few times and then held a hand over his stomach. "I'm feeling ill," he said as his voice trembled slightly. "I'm going to go outside just in case I lose my breakfast. Stith, I'm leaving you with Tiryso. He won't hurt you, I promise. He's going to look after you anyway for now."

"I'm here if you need a hug. Be well," Tiryso said to him as he returned his attention to Stith. "This is going to be very difficult for me to say twice, so please listen closely. And before I begin, I do want to continue to assure you that while you are here, Myolu and I are your friends. You can always feel safe around us. Now are you ready to hear what I have to say?""I guess," she said indifferently. Her only concern was when she was going to get to see her parents again.

First, Tiryso let out his breath in a long sigh and rubbed his temple. "Okay," he said, sighing once more. "I won't use our language just this once to make sure you understand what I am trying to tell you. Myolu thought that your caretaker was abusing you. He saw your bruises and remembered you saying that she hits you a lot, and made an assumption that now seems to be false.

"Well then he's stupid," Stith said with a grunt.

"No he's not," Tiryso said. "He was just misinformed. And I fear he made a costly mistake from this. Do you remember the mantrin that kicked you?"

"Yes."

"Well, his name is Lyr, and he really doesn't like humans. In fact, you could say he hates them. A lot of mantrins here hate them really."

"What?!" Stith suddenly said, interrupting. There was only one place she knew of where humans were hated so much. "Am I at Wyr'Mo'Gwi?!"

"I suppose you could say that," he said. "But we don't call our community that anymore. We haven't since we left the city long ago, and that I can tell you more about later if you wish." He looked down to see her beginning to shiver. "It's okay," he told her. "I'm a friend as I said. But, this is why you need to avoid using any human things, including their language, because it might upset someone here and that could be trouble. I'm asking you to do this for your safety."

"Oh," she said. She was really not sure what to think. She was afraid, she knew that, but this was certainly not what she had expected. Part of her did not believe that she was really there. She had half expected to have been tied to the wall and whipped by now, while hundreds of mantrins laughed gleefully at her. Everything seemed a little too normal to her. She looked down at herself with a sudden sensation of anxiety. She still wore her swimsuit, a very human thing indeed. After lightly tugging on it, she curled up in an attempt to make herself look smaller. Her eyes remained hidden from Tiryso's view.

He felt sorry for her, knowing how afraid she must have been. He knew that he had done all he could for her to help her be more at ease, at least for now. Seeing her curled up did not help him feel any better about what he was about to say. Sighing, he continued. "Myolu made the mistake of telling Lyr that you were being abused--he honestly thought that you were—just in case we needed to intervene. Well Myolu wanted to watch you, and make sure you were alright. I think he believed that you were, but wanted to be sure. Lyr wanted to bring you here right away, and to kill the woman that was abusing you if he had the chance. I'm afraid he did."

Stith's eyes crept over her forearm until they met his. "What do you mean?" she asked pathetically.

Tiryso paused, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. "Stith, this is hard for me to say, but she was killed."

Silence filled the room, as though all life had been sucked out of it. Stith's view of him became more and more blurred as her eyes were overcome with tears. "Why?"

"I don't know," he said. "It was never anything we meant to have happen. I don't know if this helps, but Lyr is probably no longer alive either."

"No," she choked into her arm, falling onto her side on the rug, and curling up again.

Tiryso knew that the best action was no action at all. He gave her all the time that she needed to cry, not speaking to her once. However he did keep an eye on her, just to make sure that she would not try to flee. As he waited, he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, and wondering what must be going through her mind. A tear came to his eye, which he quickly wiped away and dried off on his lower garment.

After a while he got up from his bed and walked through the curtain on the other side of the room. Shortly after he returned, holding two small, ceramic bowls in his hands. One was filled with fresh water and the other with a generous supply of local berries. Quietly he knelt beside her, placing the bowls near her legs, and then sitting down himself.

"If you're hungry, I brought you a little to eat," he said to her. Tiryso tried to give her a comforting rub between the ears, but instead of feeling her head, he felt several teeth angrily clamping down on his fingers. He yelped and tugged back on his hand, not having much luck pulling it from her powerful grip. Sighing, he reached forward with his other hand to help pry Stith's beak open and free his himself.

Tiryso held the bitten hand by the wrist, looking it over. His fingers had teeth marks and there were little dabs of blood in a few places. He carefully licked over the wounds, looking at Stith sadly. The young mantrin had not made eye contact with him since hearing the news. He did not blame her of course. "I guess you really are hungry," he said halfheartedly, looking at his gnawed hand again.

Upon smelling the berries, Stith quietly whimpered. She was very hungry, yes, but she did not want his food. She wanted Nodyr's food. She would have given anything for him to be able to cook for her. More than anything however, she wanted to be with him.

It appeared as though Stith were about to speak; she finally looked up at Tiryso, her bloodshot eyes a bottomless well of misery, and opened her mouth. However, she then looked back at the rug. A strangled sob escaped from deep within her body as she painfully swallowed and buried her head in her knees. Her crying resumed.

"Go away, I hate you," she finally said without looking at him.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said to her. "I'll get up if you wish." Tiryso returned to his bed, sitting up this time. He rested his elbows on his top knees and his head in hands.

Once he was up, she could control her hunger no longer. Stith immediately shoved her muzzle into the berries, several of them mashing against and coloring her beak.

"I know you're hungry, but please slow down," Tiryso whispered. "It's better for you if you do." Stith ignored him, and without looking up to acknowledge that he spoke, continued to devour the berries which were gone within fifteen seconds, at the most. And then, once the berries were gone, she drug her tongue all over the inside of the bowl, not missing a particle of juice.

When she realized that there was no more, she noticed the bowl of water, and immediately gripped the edge of the bowl within her mouth. She quickly tilted her head back, the bowl still gripped in her teeth, and tried to drink through the tiny opening that they formed. Most of the water managed to get on her chest and the floor instead. Once she was finished, she tossed the bowl aside. It rolled around the floor for a moment before coming to a halt with a loud clattering sound.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Stith quietly chanted as she shivered, her frightened eyes stuck on the bowl. "Don't hurt me."

"I don't plan to," Tiryso said as he looked over his top knees at her. "Please believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you. I never did." He repeated himself, speaking as softly as possible. "I can't ask for your trust, but at least you need to realize that I mean you no harm. Do you believe me?"

"I hate you," she said with more sorrow than anger.

"Stith," he said.

"What?" she asked

"I'm sorry. Not sure what else to say right now."

A half hour passed. Stith had not spoken, nor had she moved from her spot on the floor. The only sound she made was a sneeze and a few faint whimpers. Eventually she rolled onto her back, eyes fixated on the open skylights, and through them to the clouds above. "I have to go," Stith quietly said as she watched a cloud drift past the opening.

Tiryso's ears perked. "Where do you have to go?"

"I gotta pee!"

"Oh." He smirked. "Well then, let's go." Tiryso stood back up and offered his hand to help her stand.

Stith jerked away and grunted, refusing his help. She slowly sat and made it to her feet on her own. She tested the ground like a sailor taking his first steps on land after a month at sea. After a few minutes of reacquainting her legs with her weight, Stith took her first step and immediately stopped as her head began to throb again. To her it felt as though a wildfire was raging between her eyes. "Oww," she said, holding a hand over the bump.

"I hope that heals soon," Tiryso said with a sigh. "At least you weren't hurt worse."

Stith moaned and then craned her neck far back to look up at him. "Can we go?" she asked impatiently.

"Yes," he said as he walked toward the exit. "I need to go myself."

ooo

Tiryso had gone out of his way to avoid contact with other mantrins in hopes of avoiding a much unwelcome disturbance from having this stranger there; he even considered going out the back of his room, and trying to sneak over the large wall that surrounded his garden. His mission was almost entirely successful; the only mantrin they crossed paths with was a returning Kiryee, who was still somewhat wet and only wearing her lower wrappings. The rest were piled high in her arms so that her breasts were well covered. Her back and lower belly were all that were exposed to any degree, much to the dismay of most of the other males in the hall.

The area that Tiryso had lead Stith to was north of where he lived about the distance of a football field, and into the wooded area that Wyr'Mo'Gwi kept residence. Sap-covered twigs snapped under their feet, with Stith flinching every now and then in surprise. The sloped ground was covered with these twigs, twigs that choked off the richly green, dense, and tall grass. The canopy of the fern-like haot trees that were indigenous to the region shaded them fairly well, and except for the occasional peek of the sun it looked almost like it were evening. Tiryso was able to take off the hood-like ear wrappings and then drape them over his broad shoulders.

The wooded area was alive with life, mostly vegetation. The trees were very scraggly, the crooked roots partially exposed and leaving the occasional gap under the trunk of the tree. Some were large enough that Stith could nearly crawl underneath them. The grayish-brown bark of the trees was covered with a thin, fuzzy, yellow tinted moss, giving the impression of many cobwebs stuck to the bark. Large, tobacco-like plants kept residence around the trees, their green, teardrop shaped leaves easily the size of one of Tiryso's large feet. These leaves were what contributed the most to the

". . .nasty bugs," Stith was saying as she flicked a ladybug like insect off her arm. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Anywhere really, but here works just fine," Tiryso said as he rested his back against a tree, taking a moment to scratch it against the bark like a bear. He gestured to an area behind a nearby. "You could use that."

Stith's eyes grew to the size of tennis balls. "Here?"

"Or anywhere other than my foot," he said in jest.

"You don't have a potty?"

"Not in the sense that you are used to having," he said. "We go out here like nature intended. It helps the soil and the plants."

"So? Everyone will see me!" she said in protest

"Who?" Tiryso asked, looking around in all directions to prove his point. There was not a soul anywhere that could see.

Stith looked around as well, not seeing anyone. She muttered something to herself, and then as she quickly snapped her head in his direction said: "You would!"

He groaned. "Stith, just go. I'm not watching you."

"People could be camping and could watch me," she then said.

"Not here. Humans are a long way from where we are."

"Then the animals might see me."

"Stith!" he said almost angrily. "Just go, or hold it. It's up to you." He suddenly reached up to brush over his tiny ears as he felt a tick-like animal crawling on them. "The animals could care less. They go out here too."

Stith groaned, picking up a stick and tossing it at him in frustration. She missed wide right. "Don't watch me!"

"I'm not I said."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked away and closed his eyes, despite being afraid to do so. He worried that Stith might try to escape when he was not looking. "I'm not looking. You can go now."

About a minute later Tiryso felt a claw tapping on his arm. His green-blue eyes opened to see Stith staring up at him.

"I'm done," Stith mused, her eyes not betraying her embarrassment at the situation. She then groaned. "I had nothing to wipe with." Her eyes narrowed as her soft beak wrinkled in a pout.

Tiryso's ears blushed. "Stith, we already have some things for you to wear that are being made, and you'll get a few extra cloths that you can use for that if you wish. They should be done very soon."

"So I have to walk around all nasty?" Stith's tail angrily swayed back and forth.

"Do you really feel that way?" he asked.

"Yes! Why is everything here so stupid?!." Stith said with a tight scowl. She shifted her weight from side to side, causing the thick floor of leaves to crinkle under her feet.

"I'm sorry, Stith. How about we go bathe and you can clean yourself then? When you are done your new clothes should be finished."

Stith sighed as she began to dread where this was most likely going. "Whatever."

"Alright then," he said, realizing that that was probably the most positive response that he would get from her. "Now, I don't think it's safe to take you to the main area of the lake--"

Stith interrupted with a groan. "We bathe in a lake? Why can't you just be normal?" Tiryso's abdomen was soon introduced to Stith's fist as she vented her frustration. The meeting did not last too long, however. She yelped, rubbing her aching hand. She had not expected his belly to be so firm; Nodyr's had been much softer.

"Yes we do, and it works just fine. Just pretend it's a really big bathtub. Don't worry, it's fresh water." He looked down at Stith, who was busy licking her injured fingers. "You aren't going to hit me again, are you?"

"No," she whimpered. Stith was beginning to learn that she was not going to be able to get her way with this mantrin, and it was beginning to bother her. She felt that she had little say in the matter, had he wished for her to do something or go somewhere. She wanted to hurt him badly for not taking her back to Nodyr right then, and she especially wanted to hurt this other mantrin that had killed her adoptive mother. This new feeling frightened her. She wanted to tell someone, someone that could comfort her, though she had no one that she could trust, not even Myolu. He was the enemy too as far as she was concerned.

"Don't worry, though," he said. I know of a special spot that we can use. Few know about it so you'll be safe. I don't feel comfortable bringing you around everyone yet. You might get a really hard time from most here if they know you're from the city."

"Then don't tell them," she said.

"Well it won't be that easy. You won't be recognized, and since you're not a newborn, it'll be rather obvious. It's best to stay hidden for now."

"Then just take me home"

"That won't be so easy, but we're working on it," he said. He was growing rather annoyed with her consistent questioning of everything he said. Even at such a young age he could tell that she had a good mind. He was sure that if she were to stay, that she would be living in his hall one day as one of the ghishvehts, who were those that did all of the important jobs in the community and lived in their own private building. "Stith, you're small, you're almost helpless, and you grew up over privileged because of the technology the humans have." Let's see what she thinks about that, he thought, beginning to enjoy her questioning.

"What's privileged?"

"You're spoiled."

Stith's eyes saddened. "I am not," she said, immediately humbled. Again, she was realizing how little say she had. She did not know what else to say.

"Yes, you are," he said matter-of-factly. We don't have ovens, we don't have refrigerators, we don't have electricity, and we don't have plumbing. These things may be convenient, but they aren't natural. They're not good for you in the long run."

"Well why not?" she asked, her tail swishing irritably.

"Because Stith, to make all of these things work, it harms the planet. And if you destroy it we don't get another one. This is all we have, so we need to protect it."

"I don't care," she said.

Tiryso sighed. "Well I'm sorry you feel that way," he said. "Stith, whether you care or not, there are other reasons why you need to respect this planet, which you clearly are not aware of."

"Okay whatever," she said, showing as much interest as she would if Tiryso had began talking about algebra equations. "I thought I was having to get a bath."

"Yes," he said, trailing off as he pondered her feelings about this. It bothered him, but he had grown used to these attitudes from those in the city. No one wanted to give up the precious conveniences. Not waiting any longer for an answer, he took her hand and led her deeper into the wooded area. They pushed their way through the dense foliage. The canopy eventually grew so thick that it seemed as though the vines and tree limbs were going to snatch Stith up at any moment, and then take her into the above darkness. She almost wished that it would happen.

It only took about another minute to get through the forest. Both Stith and Tiryso shielded their eyes momentarily as the painfully bright sun cut through the canopy of the wooded area. Soft grass crumpled under Stith's feet as she took a few timid steps into sunlight. The ground before them cascaded downward, the grass slowly fading into rock until it met a small lake, which on the other side was overlooked by another forested area on top of a short, grey cliff. A fisht bird fluttered overhead, then quickly pursued a rustling deep in the trees past the lake.

The day was no different from the others that time of year in that it was very hot. As they stepped out of the shade of the forest, Stith finally became aware of this. Sweat ran down her cheeks, and she did her best to wipe it out of her eyes with her forearm. Fortunately her large eye ridges helped to guide most of the sweat away from her eyes.

Tiryso nudged her and laughed. "I think you'll be glad to wear these when you get them," he said, pointing at his cloth wrappings. "They're cool and help keep your skin from burning."

"I'm not wearing that," she grumbled.

"As long as you are here you'll have to," he said. He then nudged her toward the lake. "Go ahead and get your bath."

Stith scampered toward the lake. "You can't tell me what to do," she muttered.

"Well I am your guardian until we find your erseh," he said. "Unless you want me to tell Lupit about how much you've misbehaved, and then you'll really be in trouble. He might send you to Kiryee's ahmo to be punished, and she can do some really nasty things to you. She might cut off your ears, or worse." Tiryso knew that this would never happen of course, but he also knew that sometimes children had to be frightened a bit to get them to behave. To him this appeared to be the whole reason behind many of the humans' religions. Get them when they are too young to think for themselves, and you have obedience for life. He felt that his own religion was far more honest.

"Oh." Stith sadly looked at the ground. She heaved out a long sigh as her hopes quickly diminished. She continuously ran the scenario over in her head where she escaped, made her way home, and as she stepped through the door, Nodyr was waiting for her with loving arms. He would pick her up and lick her cheek, then take her into the kitchen for some food. Then, as the night passed, he would hold her in his lap and Sarah would still be alive. She would return from work and hug the two while smiling her sweet smile. Then, after a warm bath, they would tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. Sarah would pat her on the head and hand her her teddy bear to snuggle with, as she would slip away into a peaceful dream. Sarah would turn her little light off as she left, and leave the hall light on so that Stith would feel safe.

Tears were already welling up in Stith's eyes as everything came back to her. She thought of the little finger painting hanging on her wall that she had so joyously made. She remembered how she had splattered paint all over the walls and over Nodyr's face. She thought of the smells of home: how Nodyr always seemed to smell like whatever he had recently prepared, that calming smell of clean clothes that always drifted from the laundry room, that dusty smell of old books in garage, the delightful smell of herbs and bread in their pantry, the shampoo that floated in the air every time Sarah finished her shower. She though of the small hole that she had kicked into the wall of the family room (the couch was then moved to its present spot to cover it) during a senseless tantrum. They were so mad at her. At that moment, though, she would have given anything if they could be mad at her, because then she would be with them. Stith's thoughts stopped along with her steps. She sat down in the grass and painfully wept.

"Stith, we aren't going to kill you. Don't take it so hard," Tiryso said, clueless as to the real source of her sadness.

"I want to go home. Why can't I go home?" Her words were almost unintelligible as she sobbed. "I want ahmo and I want erseh."

Tiryso sighed, reached down to rub Stith's shoulder. She did not calm down, but he continued to rub lightly. It gave him comfort knowing that he was at least trying to make her feel better. "Stith, I understand you're upset, but--"

"Don't talk to me. I hate you," Stith said, shoving his hand off of her.

"As you wish," he said, his heart weary. He sighed as a gentle breeze blew across hill, carrying a light mist off of the lake that washed over the two mantrins. It was rather cool, despite the sweltering heat and choking humidity. Tiryso was not sure whether saw was sweat or more tears running down Stith's cheek. He thought it was both, but he did not ask her to find out.

The grass rustling in the breeze caught his attention. He looked down and broke off a piece, holding it between two fingers. After blindly staring at it for a few minutes he tossed it aside, and looked back toward Stith. she was busy ignoring him, tapping a claw on her top right knee. Such venom, he thought. I would hate to think what she would do around Lyr right now, if he's even alive anymore. He had to give it time and let her speak when she was ready.

Stith winced as a bead of sweat finally ran into her eye. She hastily wiped it with her knuckle to try to relieve the stinging. She was beginning to feel very sticky from the humidity, and she fidgeted and whined in her discomfort. The lake was beginning to look very inviting. Stith considered refusing the bath for a minute; she instinctively wanted to look strong, and defiance was her only option since she could not physically hurt anyone. However, the heat was becoming too much and eventually she gave in, succumbing to the sanctuary of the lake.

"I'll have my bath now," Stith said quietly.

"That sounds like a good plan then." He stood up along with Stith and they paced down the hill to the inviting water.

As Stith neared the water, a surprising amount of courage overcame her. "Turn around!" she ordered. Tiryso obliged and turned his back as Stith undressed herself quickly. After kicking her clothes onto the grass she lowered herself enough to be able to put her hand in the lake, just to test out the water. It was surprisingly warm. Without looking back Stith asked, "Are there any animals in here?"

"Other than you and maybe some fish, no," he said, still with his back turned.

"Good." Stith lowered herself into the lake until only her head was visible, and peacefully hummed as the water washed over her body, protecting her from the searing heat. "You can look now."

"Alright," he said in his soft voice. As he spoke he began to unravel his wrappings, letting them fall to the ground. Glancing over his shoulder to see her shock, he laughed. "I'm not getting in near you, if that's what you are worried about."

"Y-Y-Y-You," she stuttered. "You-you're naked!" Her ears blushed a rich crimson, much like Nodyr's had always done, as she caught the series of dark brown spots along his rump that were a sign of maturity in male Gouregs. Before he had had a chance to turn around, she had already done so, looking in any direction but his.

He was not embarrassed in the least. "Relax, Stith." He tapped his thigh. "It's just skin, just like on my tail, my arms, my hands, and my face. There is nothing different about it." He walked toward the lake, stopped about fifteen feet away from Stith, and quickly rested near the bank, although Stith swam a further away from him. He then submerged himself totally for a few moments, and upon resurfacing brushed his ears back along the back of his head, his eyes pinched tightly shut before he quickly wiped the water out of them. "Much better," he purred.

"I don't want to see your orwi! That's gross!" she said, slapping the water.

Tiryso chuckled. "Ah Stith, but you can't right now, can you? It's amazing what the human culture can do to someone's vanity."

Stith was simply floating, not fully understanding what he meant. She did not ask either as she felt that whatever he had to say was unimportant, unless of course it meant taking her back to her father. Instead, she asked him a more relevant question. "You don't have soap, do you?" she asked, quite sure of the answer already.

"No we don't," Tiryso said as he sloshed around in the lake with much grace. "And my washcloth tore yesterday, so they're making another one for me. I should have it tomorrow. You'll get one too with your new clothes."

"Oh," she said. Stith immersed herself as Tiryso had done, but not for as long, and when she bobbed back to the surface she was sputtering and coughing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, having already finished and was allowing himself to soak in the refreshing water.

"I guess," Stith sputtered after coughing up a small amount of water.

"You'll get used to it," Tiryso said, who was now floating on his back. "Now, tell me you aren't glad you got in the water." Stith remained silent, simply bobbing, almost like a lifeless cork. "That's what I thought," he said, and allowed his legs to drop beneath him as he submerged himself once more.

After about ten minutes of enjoying the water, Tiryso eased his sleek, muscular form back onto the grass as his wet skin glistened in the sunlight. He stood up as high as he comfortably could, which brought him near seven and a half feet, and with a smile on his face, inhaled deeply into his lungs. His chest expanded greatly as he did so. Then, he sat down on the grass and generously stretched his leg muscles before lying onto his back. His tail lay out in front of him. He yawned and flexed his toes as he enjoyed the sun's warmth. It was then that he heard another groan from Stith.

"Put some clothes on!" she demanded, groaning.

"Stith, this doesn't need to bother you. I'm not ashamed of myself, and you shouldn't be either," he said. "It's okay."

"You're gross." She was still floating in the water with a scowl on her face. Stith irritably splashed at a mosquito like insect that was swarming around her ear. "If it's okay, then why do you wear whatever those things are."

"It's to help protect our skin from the sun, as I told you," he said. "And we call the wrappings poetyo."

"Oh."

"That's right. Stith, why don't you hop out and enjoy the sun while you can? It feels really good, and it'll dry you off."

"You don't have towels either?!" Without even waiting for a response, Stith furiously punched the water. It sent a wave up onto the land that drenched Tiryso.

"Do you feel better now that I'm wet again?" he said with a laugh.

"Yes," she pouted.

"I'm glad you feel better."

"Well well," she muttered, not knowing what to say. "I still hate you!" she finally spat.

"You've told me plenty. Anyway, yes we do have towels, or at least something like them. I just choose not to use one unless I have to. The sun just feels so good on your skin."

Stith grunted. "I'm getting out. Close your eyes." Tiryso did as he was instructed as Stith climbed out of the lake. She felt so odd, being out in the open, completely nude, and alone with an almost perfect stranger who was also unclothed and completely comfortable with it. To her it seemed more than creepy.

Diverting her eyes, Stith stepped over Tiryso and kicked him as forcefully as she could, just under his ribs. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of him. Stith walked on rather pleased with herself until her conscience caught up with her. "I'm sorry I'm sorry! Are you okay? Don't be mad at me."

His eyes were still closed as he spoke. "Don't be sorry Stith. And yes I'm ok. I'm felt much worse."

"Oh." Still embarrassed, Stith rested in the grass a few yards away from him. She grabbed her swimsuit and quickly applied it, doing a much better job than the previous day. "You can open your eyes now," she said.

He did so, but did not speak.

Stith was busy watching another insect fly around in a circle overhead. She yawned and came close to falling asleep. He was right; the sun did feel good against her skin, though she was not about to give him the satisfaction of being right.

After a little while longer, Tiryso finally spoke. "Are you ready to go back?" he asked.

ooo

They returned incognito, much the same as they had left earlier. Once back into the hall, Tiryso quickly ducked into his room with her, nearly smashing his leg on the wall in his haste. He took a few steps toward his bed so that he could sit, and then noticed a pile of the wrappings on top of it.

"Well look Stith," he said. "They're done already!"

"What is?" she asked.

"Your poetyo," he responded happily. "Now let's get you in the wrapping and see how it looks." He looked down his muzzle at Stith, who was staring back up at him with a look on her face that was a cross between bewilderment and anger. Her tail was madly swishing from side to side.

"No!" she said.

"No?" Tiryso blinked, raising an eye ridge. "No what?"

"I'm not wearing these stupid things." Stith kicked the long, wide strips of cloth off of his bed, sending them to the floor.

After what they'd already been through so far, Tiryso was not surprised in the least by her defiance. Not only had she just been stripped from her parents, but everything that Stith was having to do was so new and foreign compared to her normal way of life. He did not blame her for how she was acting; Tiryso had had a little bit of trouble adjusting has well, however it had been easier for him because it was what he had wanted.

"That's what I thought," he said and sat down on his bed. A few blades of grass shot out from between the well-worn seams of the mattress and rocked like a cradle in the air as they fell to the ground. Tiryso sighed. "I'm sorry Stith, but you have to whether you like it or not. You can't run around in that swimsuit as long as you are here. I'm very surprised that Lupit didn't say anything to you about it."

"Why?" She tapped a toe claw on the wooden floor and then sat down, about two meters from Tiryso

Tiryso suddenly realized something as he looked at his far wall. "You have a bed of your own, you know. You can sit on that." He gestured with his beak to far wall. There was a smaller mattress there, identical to Tiryso's other than not being as worn. It was already made and ready for her to use. It had not been there when they left for the lake. Tiryso assumed that whoever had brought the poetyo had also brought the bed.

She ignored him. "Why do I have to wear these stupid clothes?"

"I think I already told you," he said. "Human things aren't allowed here, and besides the best way to give away where you're from is to be wearing something from the city. You're going to have a very hard time if anyone else finds out."

Stith grunted and crossed her arms. "Who says?"

"Lupit does, as I've told you. He's our abwot, and if we wanted human things around, then we'd be living with them, wouldn't we?"

Stith decided not to respond, having sensed a long speech coming if she persisted. "Then I hate Lupit too," she pouted.

He lightly chuckled. "Lupit, too? I see you still hate me, then."

"Yes. I hate you. I hate you and I don't want to be here and I don't want to pee in your stupid woods and take a bath in your stupid lake and wear your stupid clothes and I want ahmo and erseh and--"

"As you've said," Tiryso interrupted before she hyperventilated, and lying down on his side. His long legs draped over the edge of the bed. "Look, Stith. I don't expect you to like me, nor anyone else here, but could you at least cooperate with me? It will make everything much less stressful."

"No," she said bluntly.

Tiryso sighed again. He rubbed his temple and the sides of his face, his slate colored skin stretching slightly as he did so. "Okay, Stith. I'm not about to fight you. I'm going to go get Kiryee, if she's still in her room. Now stay here."

Stith wrinkled her muzzle. "What if I don't? Huh?"

Tiryso paused. Finally she had found solid ground for an argument. He needed something quick to scare her, or at least make her think enough. "Eleisyn might have you whipped or killed," he said as sincerely as he could. What bothered him the most about what he said was that it was likely not too far from the truth. Everyone knew that Eleisyn could be sadistic; it was no wonder that she was in charge of punishment.

"No she won't!" Stith shot back, although a little wary. She did not believe him, although she did not wish to take any risks either. She reluctantly obeyed and stayed in the room, watching as Tiryso brushed through the curtain and disappeared into the hallway.

ooo

Tiryso took in a deep breath as he stood in front of Kiryee's room, her curtain down and secured. He sighed and brought a hand up to touch it, although he refrained from rustling at that moment; instead, he listened. It was perfectly quiet and he wondered if she was asleep. Kiryee tended to not be cooperative for favors of any kind, regardless of size, and especially if they involved her sleep being disturbed. However this was justified as she was so busy that she rarely had time to get adequate sleep.

His tiny ears caught the faint sound of light breathing. Then came a rustle of the grass filled mattress, followed by the sound of feet hitting the floor. He heard something clatter, followed by the rustling of the grass again, and finally the sound of cloth being scraped and scratched.

"Jhii," came her voice, which was muffled by the thick curtain.

Fortunately for Tiryso this told him that she was awake. Unfortunately, she was angry. He grasped a fold in her curtain and shook it slightly. "Kiryee?"

"Ack! If you dare come in I'll make you eat your tail," she barked.

He grimaced a little at her threat. She tended to make big threats like her mother did, although unlike her, she rarely went through with them. He heard her grumbling further but he could not hear what she was saying, and assumed that it was complaining about being disturbed. "Did I come at a bad time?" he asked.

"Yes, you came at a bad time!"

"My apologies," he said. There was silence for a minute or so before he heard her step to the curtain, and open it, poking her young face through it. "Yeeeees?" she said, show her teeth, and coating her word with more sugar than a children's cereal.

"I need your help."

"With--?"

"Stith."

"Oh." Kiryee's mood instantly shifted. She nodded quietly and pushed the curtain aside to step out of the room with Tiryso yielding to her. She left the curtain closed, a habit she had gotten into since she had matured. It annoyed Tiryso, but he still kept quiet. "I thought you used to be an erseh," she teased, giving him a playful shove.

Tiryso grunted, keeping his footing. "I'm out of practice I guess." He shrugged meekly.

Kiryee nodded again and adjusted her poetyo, which had been crudely applied as she had been in a hurry to get out of bed. "What's wrong?" Her voice had shifted to a soft, almost maternal voice that Tiryso found rather pleasant.

"The poetyo. I haven't been arguing with her about it for very long, but I feel like after all the stuff I only barely got her to do, there's no way I'm getting this done. And, since you are female--"

"--you think she'd submit more easily." Kiryee smiled slightly. "Yes, I know. I'm better than you. You males just can't do anything without our help, can you?"

Tiryso blushed as he humored her. "That's right. We're just weak and helpless."

"Little weakling," she teased and laughed, and then reached up to lightly bat one of his small ears. "So where is the sweet little girl hiding?" she said with a smile.

ooo

Stith had not left her spot on the floor, being too tired and frustrated. Not having to be bothered by anyone, she had at least relaxed somewhat. The relaxation did not last too long though, as Tiryso had returned only five or so minutes after he had left. He did not actually step into the room, however. The Sogowan female that she had seen once before stepped inside, with Tiryso in the doorframe behind her. The female smirked, looking down at Stith for a few moments as she crossed her arms over her chest, and looked over her shoulder at Tiryso. She gave him a knowing nod, and stepped closer to Stith although she kept a healthy few feet between them.

"I'm sure you remember Kiryee," Tiryso said, patting one of her shoulders.

"Hi, Stith," Kiryee said, her voice soft and sweet.

Tiryso took a silent step forward and brought the tip of his beak to Kiryee's ear. "This is going to be tougher than you probably think it is," he whispered.

"Nah," Kiryee said, not dropping her voice to his level. "What are you whispering for, anyway? Shoo!" She waved her hands dismissively as Tiryso nodded, reluctantly stepping out of the room again Stith could hear his footsteps down the hall, slowly fading until the two still in the room were left in an awkward silence that persisted for what could have been several minutes.

"Are you ready to put on your new clothes?" Kiryee said quickly, her voice bouncy and cheerful as she broke the silence. She walked over to the messy pile on the floor, squatted and held one of the strips in her hands. "It's called poetyo."

Not looking up, she snorted. "I know and I don't care. I'm not wearing them."

Kiryee looked hurt, her ears drooping. "Aww. Why not, Stith? You have to, you know," she said. Her voice remained as sweet as ever.

"Because I'm wearing my clothes!" Stith spat, scooting away from Kiryee and crossing her arms. Her tail thumped on the wood of the floor angrily.

"I'm glad you like them that much, but you can't wear them forever. And I know what you are about to say, and the answer is, because I said so."

"I don't have to listen to you," Stith grumbled.

Yes, you do because I know what's best for you," she said, drawing in a deep breath. "And keeping those human clothes isn't best."

"But I like them! They're better than your stupid things!" Stith's tail beat the floor more soundly. "I don't have to listen to you. You're not my ahmo."

"You know, Stith," Kiryee said, pulling one of the large floor-pillows underneath her and kneeling on it, "Eventually, someone's going to take them away. It may not be me, it may not be Tiryso, but it will be someone. Probably that grumpy old Lupit." She paused. "And if that doesn't happen, when you grow up, one day they won't fit you anymore. And then you'll have to stop wearing them, and if you don't learn to wear your poetyo then you'll have nothing to wear at all. You don't want that, do you?"

"I don't care! want to keep them!" Stith sobbed a little, her tail stopping its pounding of the floor. "Ahmo gave them to me!"

Kiryee sighed, reached behind her head to scratch the base of one of her ears. "Believe it or not, Stith, I was little just like you once. And there were a lot of things that I didn't want to do, but I had to anyway. There are some things you just can't control, and this is one of them. You need to give me your clothes before you get in trouble."

"But ahmo gave them to me," Stith told the floor quietly, her ears lowered. "And ahmo's gone."

Kiryee sighed again, adjusting herself so that her legs rested on the floor in front of her and her rump was on the pillow. "I know, Stith, and I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you." Stith sniffed a little, and another silence fell over them as Kiryee thought about what to do next. "Yes I do," she said after a few minutes. Stith did not look at her. "If you be a good girl and get dressed, you can keep them. You just have to hide them so Lupit can't see them. If you keep disobeying me, I'll take them away and have them burned like he wanted me to do. I don't want to, Stith, but if you make me then I will. How's that?" She did not really want them there, but she could not bear to see Stith so upset.

Stith thought about this, her ears twitching a little. "I guess," she said with a sigh, sniffing. She decided that it was better to cooperate for now. At least she knew that she would not have to wear these things for long.

Kiryee's mood lifted. "Okay," she said and took one of the strips into her hands. "Now, let me start by telling you what order these go--"

"I can do it myself, "Stith said, snorting as she got up and snatched the cloth out of Kiryee's lap, and then went back to where she was. She started sorting out the cloths herself, unfolding them.

"No, you can't," Kiryee said, although she stayed where she was. "It's not that hard, but it's confusing if someone doesn't help you the first time or two. It took me several tries to get it right when I was little."

Stith ignored her, and proceeded to start wrapping one of the cloths around her waist incorrectly. After a few turns, she paused and looked over at Kiryee for the first time. This was much harder than putting on her swimsuit. "This stupid things don't work I" The corners of her beak etched downward into a frown.

"Well not like that," she said. "You need to slip off the human outfit."

"But," she said, trailing off. "Do I have to?" she asked pleadingly in hopes of a different way to go about it.

"Yes you do," she said. "There's nothing to worry about Stith. I'm a girl, just like you. It's nothing new to me. Remember, I said that you had to behave or else those human things were going to go away."

Stith sniffed and nodded, pausing. Another silence, this one short. "Fine," she said.

"Okay, Stith. There are three ways we can do this. I can either dress you myself--"

"No!"

"Okay, okay! I won't do that. Let me finish!" Stith remained silent. "Myrsya. There are three ways we can do this. I can dress you myself, tell you what to do and watch to make sure you do it right, or I can undress and redress with you repeating what I do. Which will it be?"

Stith kept silent, unsure of what to do. Either way she went she would have to be naked.

Kiryee considered. "Okay. How about I choose for you? I can undress, and you can watch me. That way, I'll be undressed just like you and it'll be fair."

Stith fidgeted. She still was not sure. There was a long silence before she spoke again. "I guess," she murmured, sadly looking down at the floor. "I don't want to do this.".

"Well. " Kiryee took a deep breath. "Here we go," she said, bringing herself to her feet. "Go ahead and get that thing off, and I'll help you."

Stith slowly folded the cloth strip in her hands after removing it from her waist. Her movements were slow; she was trying to take as much time as she could in order to stall. However, the most good this did was make her more nervous, an ear twitching slightly as she folded more and more slowly, until she was barely moving.

It took her a good three minutes to fold the single cloth, and Kiryee did not try to hurry her. She knew that Stith was nervous, and she did not want to make that any worse. It would get them nowhere, and chances are the only thing it would have contributed to was the mental distance between Stith, Tiryso, and herself. The slowness of her motions were, however, starting to become irritating as Stith slowly crept over to Kiryee, and carefully bent over to lay the neatly folded cloth on the top of the pile she had tipped over earlier.

Then, in a further effort to stall, she took the time to neaten up the pile, and just before she started to pick up a strip that she had knocked over in order to refold it, Kiryee held up a hand. She spoke softly. "It's alright, dear. Do you want me to turn around?"

Stith opened her mouth slightly to speak, when Kiryee acted. She rose to her feet quickly, and turned her back to Stith, at the same time reaching behind herself to pull the end pieces of the cloth wrapped around her waist out of where they were tucked. It was a bit easier than it should have been, since she had applied it so hastily.

Turning to face away from Kiryee, Stith's ears sagged until they were almost horizontal. "I don't want to do this," she said again. If Kiryee had been Sarah, Stith would have been fine. She was so uncomfortable that she wanted to cry, though losing her only physical memory of her family would have been far worse. Finally, a snap was heard as she undid her shoulder straps and let the suit fall to the floor.

Kiryee apparently heard this, for she spoke as though the sound of it was a cue. "Can I turn around now?"

Stith fidgeted and shivered, hugging herself slightly. Her ears flushed and folded flat against the back of her head. "Yeah," she said quietly. Embarrassed, she covered her groin with both of her hands as Kiryee turned back towards her. She began to think of what she had done to Nodyr, and wondered if this was her punishment for it. Once Kiryee had turned around completely, Stith turned to the side.

Kiryee spoke again, her voice still soft. "It's okay, Stith. You won't be like that for long." These things go on very fast once you get used to it," she said, and Stith felt Kiryee's hand touch her shoulder. It was gentle, an attempt at reassuring, although it did little good. "Of course it's going to be a little slow the first time, since it's so new, but even then you will only be exposed for a few seconds because the strips are so wide.

"I promise you I won't look." She gently squeezed Stith's shoulder, and seeing that what she was saying had no affect other than making Stith more nervous, she tried something else. "You know, I'm like a big you," she said. "I bet you will look a lot like I do when you grow up."

Stith swallowed, and finally answered Kiryee. Her voice was barely audible. "You're not me," she whimpered.

"No," Kiryee said. She took in a deep breath, her voice softer still. "But I'm a girl, just like you. Your body will grow to be a lot like mine, you'll get bigger just like I did, and I can already tell how beautiful you're going to be." She squeezed Stith's shoulder again, and Stith thought she saw Kiryee smile from the corner of her eye. "Come on, now. I don't want to put you through this any more than you want to go through it, but the more time you spend trying to put it off the worse it'll be when we actually go through with it. Understand?"

Stith nodded slowly, swallowing again. Her ears turned darker still, almost to the color of garnet. The young mantrin whimpered sadly.

"Okay. Now, I'm going to be a little nicer. You don't have to face me for this, but you do need to watch." She gently touched one of her clawed fingers to Stith's chin, carefully turning it to face her. Stith's eyes met Kiryee's, the eyes sparkling slightly. There was no hostility in the eyes whatsoever, and this was enhanced by the sweet, motherly smile Kiryee wore beneath them. "That's right," she said, and pivoted around enough to grasp one of the cloths. "The rule is simple, here. The longest cloth goes on your waist, the middle goes on your torso, and the smallest one goes on your head. So, biggest, middle, smallest," she said, gesturing to the respective parts of her body. She pushed the pile of strips over to Stith after returning the one in her hands to the pile. Stith hesitated before she took up the longest of the cloths in her hands, peering down at it.

"No, Stith. You have to watch." Stith felt her chin being tilted up again by the same finger, and she was greeted by the soft eyes again. Then Kiryee stood up fully, and picked up the cloth she had removed from her own waist. "This is a very simple procedure, but it's easy to get lost."

Stith nodded unenthusiastically as Kiryee draped the cloth over her backside, the ends of the cloth resting over the top of her legs where they met the hips. She turned slightly, allowing Stith a small view of the back, showing that it was draped over the base of her tail. Stith did the same, although slowly.

"Now, it'll work if they aren't exactly even, but you need to try to make the ends as even as possible." Kiryee didn't bother with hers, as they were already very even. "Now," she said and crossed the ends over her hips, "make sure you don't get them twisted." She placed the cloth flatly against her groin, and the ends were pulled snug from the back once their ends had reached the leg opposite the one they started on. "Now we just repeat. The cloths cross again in the back, this time going to the top of your legs again." She did this, turning to the side some more. "The cross must be under your tail or else it won't fit well enough to stay on." She repeated the front cross. "And you simply repeat this a few more times, each time alternating the cross in the back between the top of your tail and below it until you have two layers underneath. Any more and you're going to feel really uncomfortable back there.

Silence. "Well? Are you, Stith?" She looked over at Stith, who was too busy staring down at the cloth to realize that Kiryee was speaking to her. It took a tap on the head for Kiryee to gain Stith's attention again. "Is it okay for you to turn around now?"

Stith continued to look down at the cloth, nodding. Kiryee nodded as well, and faced Stith fully. "Okay, dear. You need to turn to me now, so I can make sure you're doing this right."

Her ears blushing furiously, Stith slowly turned to face Kiryee. Her head remained turned to the side, her eyes closed as though the situation would go away if she could not see it.

"Yes, very good," Kiryee said. She pulled the wrapping on her own hips so that it was snug. "Now just pull it tight and keep going," she said, wrapping two or three more turns until about a few feet were left on either side. "Until you have about this much left." Then she wrapped that around her waist a few times to secure the wrapping, and tucked the ends into the back. "And that's it." Stith was following, but very slowly.

Once Stith was done, Kiryee was smiling widely. "Good. Very good. It may take a few tries before you remember, but you'll get used to it. What do you think?"

Stith shifted her weight from leg to leg as her ears returned to their normal color. "It feels like a diaper," she said. Stith had lost some of her nervousness as her hips were completely covered, so she spoke more relaxed and at her normal volume.

Kiryee's ears twitched. "Oh. Um. ." She paused. "What's a diaper?"

"Babies wear them and they potty in them until they're big and can go in a bathroom."

"Oh." Kiryee shrugged. "I think it's comfortable. Now, this diaper thing, we do something like it. It's more like a square cloth that we put under the child's rump before we put on their bottom poetyo than an actual garment. The child wears it until they learn to control it long enough to get wherever the community or family does that." She smiled.

"That's stupid."

Kiryee teased her, grinning. "That's a lot like what you said, so you must be stupid too."

Silence.

Kiryee thought for a moment. "You know, Stith, you're wearing what you'd be wearing if the humans weren't here. If they came to Solbrecht today, and tried to get you to wear their clothes, you'd think that they were stupid."

Stith was still silent.

"Okay, then. Now, the top will be much easier, right?"

"I guess." Stith's voice was softer again as her nervousness returned. It was at this moment that Stith became aware of a large scar on Kiryee's back, near her tail. It was long and twisted at an odd angle, resembling a twig. For now, she decided not to ask about it from fear of upsetting her.

"That's what I thought," she said. "Now, let me show you how to do the rest."

The remainder of the lesson went much more smoothly. Stith remained uncomfortable, but getting the other parts of the poetyo was less embarrassing for her. She still found it very awkward, but did her best so that she could get it over with. For now she had no plans of actually wearing this for much longer.

As the lesson wrapped up Kiryee had finally managed to get the chest poetyo on Stith. "Again, we adjust so that the loose ends are in the back, twist them together and tuck up under the rest of the layers," she said, smiling. "And that's that. Do you think that you can do it on your own now?"

Stith slowly nodded. "I guess so," she said, eyes back to the floor.

"Well, that's good. I was afraid that this would take longer. You're a good girl, Stith. Smart too.

Myrsya." Stith ignored her and reached up to scratch a slight tickling at the base of one of her ears. This reminded Kiryee of one last piece. "Uh oh. Stith, I forgot something."

"What?" Her ears drooped. "Do I have to get naked again?"

Kiryee chuckled. "Oh no, dear, you don't. That part is over."

"Then what do I have to do?" Stith asked.

Kiryee scanned the room, looking for the item in question. Her tail twitched at the tip. "Hmmm, it looks like nothing, right now. I see they've forgotten your ear poetyo."

"Why do I need that?"

"To protect your ears from the sun, of course. You don't want them to burn do you? That would hurt." Seeing Stith start to whimper, Kiryee added, "But you only have to wear them during the day, when you're outside, this time of year. That's the only time the sun is bad enough to warrant wearing it." Stith was still whimpering. "What's wrong now, Stith? Come on, you don't have to get naked to put them on."

"No." Stith sniffled as her eyes watered slightly. "It's ahmo. She put lotion on my ears for that. Now she's dead and she can't!" Stith slumped back to the floor and buried her face in her arms.

Kiryee sighed, put one of the floor pillows near Stith, and kneeled on it. "Come here," she said softly, leaning forward slightly with her arms outstretched. Stith whimpered a little, too saddened to resist as Kiryee scooped her into her arms and cradled her not too much unlike an infant, her legs and tail draping over one of Kiryee's thighs. Kiryee gingerly stroked a hand along the side of Stith's face and looked her in the eye, smiling softly. "I know you miss your ahmo but she's gone now. I don't want to sound mean, but there really isn't anything that can be done to fix it." She sighed again and gave Stith a light hug. Stith squirmed a little, trying to wiggle away, which Kiryee allowed her to do.

Stith was confused. Overcome with emotion, she rolled back into Kiryee's lap and buried her head into her chest, sobbing profusely. Afraid that she might scare Stith, she reluctantly hugged her again and lightly began to pet her head. Her maternal instincts were beginning to get to her. At the moment she wanted nothing other than to comfort this little girl. She wished that she could make things better, but knew that she could not. She could try, at least. "It's alright, Stith. Have a good cry. Let it all out," she murmured.

Stith sniffed again. "I wanna be with ahmo." Her words were muffled by Kiryee's chest.

"I know you do," Kiryee said as she continued to pet her. "But there's really nothing we can do. I'm sorry." Kiryee's eyes began to water as well. Stith's pathos was becoming too much for her to handle. Her sadness was interrupted when the curtain to the room was ruffled.

"How's it coming?" Tiryso asked, his voice muffled by the curtain.

"We're done," Kiryee said softly, "Although they left out a piece."

"They what?" Tiryso asked, annoyed.

"They left out her ear dress when they made her poetyo," she said, gently petting Stith's back.

Tiryso groaned. "Well isn't that just wonderful?" He sighed. "I guess whoever brought her wrappings forgot about it. I'll have to let Lupit know. Can I come in?"

Kiryee offered a small chuckle. "It's your room." She continued to gently pet Stith, whose tail was twitching slightly.

Tiryso brushed the curtain to the side and entered the room, his jaw hanging slack upon seeing the girl he had been fighting with curled up in Kiryee's arms. He had known Stith longer, had tried his hardest to get her to at least tolerate him, and she still would not let him touch her. "How did you do that?" he asked, his voice meek.

Kiryee gently squeezed Stith, grinning. "I'm female and you're not." She released Stith, who stayed in Kiryee's lap anyway. "You can't give her what she wants: an ahmo." A finger traced over Stith's beak. Stith was still purring.

Tiryso snorted in his frustration. "Show off," he teased, rubbing Kiryee's head roughly. Kiryee playfully snapped at him. He sat down next to her, on the floor. "So I can take the clothes, now?"

"No!!" Stith shrieked. She looked horrified, and rolled out of Kiryee's lap to grab the swimsuit, hugging it tightly.

"No," Kiryee repeated, softly. "That was part of how I got her into the poetyo. I told her that she could keep it as long as she was a good girl. Tiryso, remember, her caregiver gave those to her. And since that idiot Lyr went overboard and killed her, they're all she has to comfort her." There was a small pause. "So you have to help carry out my promise. It might even improve your relationship with her." With that, Kiryee brought herself to her feet and started back to her room. Before passing through the curtain, she stopped and jestingly added, "Tiryso. . .unless she's dying, don't wake me up anymore. Okay? I don't want to have to hurt you." Before he had a chance to respond, Kiryee's tail had already vanished through the curtain.

Once Kiryee was gone, Tiryso turned back towards Stith. He didn't like keeping secrets, nor did he particularly enjoy going against orders, but Kiryee was right. The least he could do was allow her to keep the human clothing. They both would be in trouble if Lupit discovered them, but that was if he discovered. "Alright, Stith. You can keep them, but they have to stay hidden. Okay?" he asked, as friendly as possible.

"Okay." Stith hugged her old clothes tightly and sniffled.

He nodded. "You're a good girl, Stith. Yo--" his voice trailed off and he paused. He was about to mention how her parents must have really loved her to have raised her so well, but refrained. He knew that it would have only upset her further. Tiryso scratched the tip of his beak as tried to think of the best place to hide her clothes. "I know," he said and glanced to the back of the room. Stith followed his gaze to find a curtain, like the one that was currently sealing off the room from the hallway. She had noticed it earlier.

"We can put them back there, and get some food for you at the same time. Follow me."

Confused, Stith followed the large Goureg. After a few steps, she stopped. "I'm gonna wait here," she said, suddenly feeling a bit nervous about going into the room with him.

"Well alright," he said and continued past the curtain, returning a minute later with three small gourds, and two bowls. He set them on the floor, pulled one of the grass-filled pillows beneath him, and sat. He then poured some water from one of the gourds into one of the bowls. "Here you go, Stith. Here's some water. It's fresh. I collected it just this morning. You don't have to worry about it being dirty because it came from a source that humans haven't touched yet." Tiryso emptied some dried fruit from the second gourd into the other bowl. "Dried oyt fruits. Be careful about the seeds," he said. "They can get stuck in your teeth. You can just spit them back into the bowl."

Stith reluctantly took a sip from the water, and then said: "What about my clothes?"

"I was going to help you hid the suit, that was until you refused to follow me. If you won't go back there, how can I show you where I put them?"

Stith grunted. "Okay." She got up, stepped over the bowls to the curtain, then stopped again and looked at Tiryso. "You go first."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

Tiryso raised an eye ridge, then nodded and stepped past Stith. He brushed the curtain aside, releasing the mixed scent of various fruits and meats into the room. He looked back at her just before he entered.

Stith followed, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness. The room was about a quarter size of the main room. There were two shelves that spanned the entire lengths of all three of the walls. Each one was lined with round, gourd-like containers of various sizes. The tops of each gourd had been cut to allow for a lid on each, as well as to use for storage. Each lid was coated with a waxy substance to help seal the gourd. The sides of each gourd had various symbols scratched into it, all arranged in spirals in the traditional manner of Preidogian writing.

There were no skylights, but the light from the skylights in the main room provided sufficient lighting. There was also a sliver of line coming in from the other side of the storage room; Stith assumed it led outside. The roof had a sharp slant toward the back. Underneath the ceiling, against the back wall, was a stone structure shaped like an upside down triangle, which also tapered toward the wall at the bottom. There was a small hole in the bottom, and an open gourd immediately beneath it.

"What's that for?" Stith asked, pointing to it.

"That's to collect rain water. The rain flows down all those slopes and into the gourd. You'd be surprised how fast it fills."

"What about the lake?"

"Stith, we bathe in that lake. You know that. We can't guarantee that the water is clean, and we might get sick if we get it from the lake. Every occupied room has one of these. It also helps in case we get sick and it's not safe to leave to go through the woods and go to the lake. There's a river near the lake that we can use at times, but this gutter makes water easier to collect."

"Oh," was all Stith could say.

"It's all quite delicious," Tiryso said, grinning. "What we're going to do is simply take one of these gourds and rinse it out until it's freshly clean. We'll dry it too, and we can put your clothes in there. Then we'll seal up the gourd, and your suit should stay protected for a very long time.

"How?"

Tiryso drew a finger over one of the gourds, collecting some of the waxy substance off of it to show her. "See this?" After Stith nodded, he put it back into the hole and rubbed it back in place. "It's called ayaat. It melts very easily. All we have to do is heat it a little over a fire and it'll be sealed tight. We could just give it a really heavy coat of the ayaat and rub it on with our hands, but it's hard to make and the amount we'd need to seal it well with our hands is enormous. The fire melts it and it flows over the area to be sealed, filling in every little pore and crack."

Stith nodded once, and reached out a cautious hand to feel the substance. Her hand had only extended a few inches before she looked at Tiryso, then pulled her hand back warily. Tiryso sighed. He took one of the gourds off of a shelf, opened its lid, and then peeked into it. This gourd he held out to Stith. "Would you hold this?" he asked. Stith took the gourd into her arms; they easily went all the way around it.

While Tiryso checked inside each of the gourds that had originally surrounded the one in her arms, Stith had a peek into the gourd herself. She inhaled deeply. What she saw and smelled was not too unlike dried apricots. "You can try some, if you want," Tiryso said into another gourd. "Okay. This one's about half full." He took the gourd in Stith's arms, and set it on the floor. He proceeded to scoop out the fruits from the gourd that Stith held, and put them in the new one. He then closed it, and handed the now empty gourd back to Stith. "This is the one we'll use. I'll go clean it out, then when I come back I'll seal it."

"How?" she asked.

"With one of the torches, or a candle." He gestured to one of the torches that were suspended in the corners of the main room.

"Oh."

Just to be sure, Tiryso repeated himself. "Okay, now I'm going to put your suit in this gourd--" he motioned with his beak to the now empty one "--and then seal the gourd off with the ayyat, so that no one can ever find it and take it. But, first, I need to go wash this out so none of the fruit sugar can get on your suit and make it all sticky. It'll also keep bugs from trying to get in. Is that alright?"

Stith did not look very happy, but nodded anyway. "I guess."

"Good. I'm going to go wash this out now. Can I trust you to stay here, or do you want to come with me?"

"I'm staying." Stith considered escaping, but after remembering what she had heard about Eleisyn, she quickly rid herself of that idea. She did not believe what she had heard, but she did not wish to find out if it was true or not. Something much worse than a spanking may have happened.

"That's fine. Would you like Kiryee to keep you company while I'm gone?"

"No. She's stupid," she quickly said.

Tiryso laughed. "You think so? I wouldn't have known by the way you were cuddling up with her a minute ago."

"I didn't mean to!" Stith pouted.

"Oh, really? That's interesting. I'll have to talk to her about that. Maybe I can find out what her secret is." He smirked, and then drew in a deep breath. "Well Stith, you stay here and behave. I'm going to go wash this out. Feel free to eat any of the food that you'd like."

"Okay," she said, her voice still weighted down with sadness. Tiryso made as if to pat her on the head on his way out, but Stith ducked and growled at him. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

"Right. Sorry, Stith," he said defensively.

She did not have much time to answer. Tiryso was already on his way out before she spoke.