Author's Note: Huge apologies for the delay in the posting of this chapter. My husband and I very recently (and very unexpectedly) moved. Now that we are mostly settled in, I'm trying to get back into the routine of writing and posting. The next few posts may still be slow in coming (not as slow as this one was I hope!) so please bear with me. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Under the Burning Sun:
The Beginning of the End

Chapter Seven

Age 714, Summer Season

The Malpifyl village was like a small piece of paradise in the middle of a seemingly barren landscape. Situated between two long and narrow lakes was an oasis of lush grasses and thick trees. A large herd of ishelk grazed placidly in the field north of the village proper. Malpifyl herders tended the flock while clothiers trimmed the soft fur from the animals' pelts. Other members of the local great-tribe tended to other tasks much similar to those that took place in the village of the Vegetabyl people; building diyando, preparing meals, forging tools, crafting armor, and so forth.

Tarve walked alongside the Malpifyl chieftain Kahio through the village proper. Kahio was many cycles older than Tarve. When the former had been a young cub, he had once met the latter. At the time, Kahio had been in the prime of his life, strong and charismatic. He had been an ambitious leader with many great ideas and goals to ensure the prosperity of his tribe in the midst of such an unforgiving terrain.

Now, however, Kahio was creeping past his physical prime. He was aging; his shoulder-length hair was fading, his goatee was flecked with gray hairs, and his face was etched with wrinkles. He might not have had all the strength he once possessed in his youth, but he was still a man of great stature. Despite the physical signs that Kahio was aging beyond his prime, Tarve was quickly learning that the older chieftain's mind was still as sharp as ever. The younger chieftain found that he greatly respected the older man, admired him even.

The only fault that Tarve could find with Kahio, so far, was that he had never settled down, mated, and produced an heir. The closest the Malpifyl chieftain had to an heir was a girl about Nappa's age named Chaya. She was the granddaughter to Kahio's deceased sister Sava. And because Chaya's parents Yuca and Bolchu had died during a skirmish with the wastelanders several cycles ago, the inheritance of the chieftainship would fall upon the shoulders of the male who was lucky enough to win the girl's heart once she became a woman-grown. That is, if the more distantly related males of the Malpifius Clan didn't contend for the position first.

Accompanying Kahio were his councilors, of course. His war-adviser was a man of medium height and a stocky build, named Chalu. His peace-maker was also male – taller, thinner, and older than the war-adviser – named Karam. And his shaman was a plain-looking woman – older still than the peace-maker, but not nearly as aged as the chieftain – who went by the name of Genjer. The trio gave the two chieftains space as they slowly strolled through the village.

Tarve, on the other hand, only had Alaria with him as they toured the village. She also gave the chieftains room to talk privately. She kept at a pace with the three Malpifyl councilors, occasionally sharing small talk with them. Kailan, on the other hand, had been left behind with the rest of the Vegetabyl Great-tribe. He left his war-adviser behind to 'supervise' his tribe in his absence. His people were starving and desperate; he didn't need them to act irrationally and botch the negotiations he was conducting with Kahio.

Although this put Tarve at a disadvantage should bargaining go awry – he was severely outnumbered and surrounded by the Malpifyl people – he was confident that they would treat with him honorably. The Vegetabyl and Malpifyl Great-tribes had a strong alliance, one that was almost as strong as the alliances the Vegetabyl people shared with the Bafalyl and Steridyl tribes, despite the long distance. Still, the recent refusal from Maize and the Aposyl saiyans was still fresh in Tarve's mind and had left his assurances shaken. That was why he had also refused to allow Vegeta to accompany him during the negotiation process. He was not willing to risk his son's safety should things turn sour.

"I am sorry that Maize was so unsympathetic to your plight," Kahio offered his condolences after hearing Tarve's tale. "But I completely understand her concerns."

The younger chieftain was mildly surprised to hear that the older man felt this way about the chiefta's decision. "You will not help my people either then?"

Kahio came to a stop. "Now let us not jump to conclusions. I never said I would not lend you my aid. I only said that I understood her concerns, as I share them with her. If I should take in your people, I wonder how I will be able to shelter them, to protect them, and most importantly, to feed them. We have heavily relied on our trade with you for grains and vegetables over the cycles. To learn that not only will we not receive these goods from you this cycle, but that we will also have to feed you from our own stores... You can see where this will be an issue."

Tarve nodded solemnly. "I understand. And I am shamed to ask this burden of you. But I assure you that my people will do our best to contribute to you and yours."

"I appreciate your offer. But, correct me if I am wrong, I simply do not see how, so late in the cycle, your people will be able to alleviate the problem of food shortages."

The younger chieftain had already thought ahead. "I have been informed that your seasons vary from ours. You do not experience a true winter season here, do you not?"

Kahio considered this theory. "By your definition of winter, I suppose not. The temperatures here get cooler, certainly. But we have not seen a snowfall in nearly four generations."

"It stands to reason, then, that your growing seasons are much longer here than they are to the north."

"Perhaps..." the older man replied as he scratched his chin.

"We have brought most of our planting seeds with us. While many of our crops will not have enough time to fully grow even if we planted them now, some have much shorter growth periods and should produce a healthy harvest by the early days of the upcoming winter season."

"But will it be enough to feed both of our great-tribes?"

Tarve hesitated. "Unfortunately, I do not know for certain at this time. At least, not until my master-farmer has had an opportunity to gauge how fertile the land is in this area. If we have a good harvest, however, I do believe that we can grow enough to get through the winter season... perhaps a good stretch into the rebirth season if we ration the provisions carefully. If the winters here are considerably warmer than they are in my native land, then we will be able to plant again much sooner and have another round of short-term crops ready before the summer season falls upon us next cycle."

Kahio was quiet as he thought this over. Tarve felt a little nervous while the older chieftain weighed the information. While the younger man had spoke confidently while predicting their harvest probability, inwardly, he was worried. Worried that Kahio wouldn't take the risk. Worried that if Kahio did take them in, his hypothesis would be wrong. Worried about placing a heavy burden upon the other great-tribe if his assurances fell through. If Kahio chooses to assist us, then I must be certain that our crops will succeed. I cannot afford to place a heavy demand on his people and fail to meet their expectations.

Finally Kahio responded. "How much land will you require for planting?"

Tarve felt a little bit of his anxiety subside. The older chieftain's question was a good indication that he was considering to allow the Vegetabyl people to settle down here. But he still felt uncertainty about the inability to guarantee how much food the crops would yield.

"However much you are willing to spare. I realize that you will need to reserve a lot of your land for your herds. I leave the decision up to you."

"Very well," Kahio replied. "I believe I have some space for you."

The chieftains and their advisers continued onward through the village. Space within the small forest was minimal, Tarve noted. Diyando were stacked on top of another among the available trees. The ceiling/roof of one home served as the floor for the one above it. Because the forest was small and wood was scarce, the walls of these circular structures were not made of wood like Tarve was accustomed to. These here were made of cloth – easy to breathe, allowing air to flow; a necessity in this hotter climate. Being semi-permeable, the walls of the diyando did little to prevent rain water from leaking through. Therefore, the roofs of each level extended outward beyond the walls and were constructed of the elongated leaves from this area's trees. These eaves needed to be replaced twice a cycle as the leaves would decay and crumble over time. As Tarve marveled at the diyando and the cramped spaces they were built in, he wondered how so many of his people would find room to build their own dwellings.

They exited the village proper at the south end of the forest. Here, there was another expanse of vegetation, though not as lush as the field north of the village. It was protected to the east and west by the large lakes. Like the other field, this one was also occupied by a large herd of ishelk. The field wasn't as large as the field the Vegetabyl people had used for their crops back home, but Tarve believed that this would be sufficient for now. After all, they would only be providing enough food for two tribes this winter, as opposed to having enough food to trade with several tribes plus their own needs. He felt a little more confident that they'd be able to supply enough food using this plot of land, as long as it proved to be fertile enough.

"You may make use of this entire field," Kahio offered. "I can have my herders relocate this herd to the north grazing grounds."

"I appreciate your kindness and generosity," Tarve bowed to the elder chieftain. "My people and I are in your debt."

"And I expect your people to pay that debt," Kahio replied in a tone that was much less kind than it had been a moment ago.

The younger man was slightly taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor. But then he realized, "Of course. We have yet to discuss my great-tribe's payment for receiving your assistance. Please, tell me how my people can demonstrate their gratitude. What is it you would like from us in exchange?"

"First and foremost," Kahio began, "I expect that your people will do their fair share of the labor."

"Of course."

"That includes learning the ways of the herdsmen. You will supply some of your tribesmen to apprentice under my own; they will learn animal husbandry, rearing calves, handling bucks and does, and sheering their fur."

"I agree. Your idea is a wise one."

Kahio continued. "Second, I expect your warriors to protect my people and our land as if they were protecting their own. Unlike the lands of the other great-tribes, mine borders the wastelands to the east. The wastelanders frequently attempt raiding this land. We must always be vigilant to prevent them from succeeding."

Tarve nodded. "My warriors have guarded our lands against the Malvakyl and Kurkurbityl Great-tribes for many decades. You have my word that they will devote their skills towards protecting your territory from the wastelanders."

"Third, your farmers will teach members of my great-tribe the ways of agriculture. Teach them how to cultivate the land, to nurture the plants, to harvest the crops, and to fertilize the land."

"I see no problem with that. We can always use additional hands in the field."

Kahio's tone suddenly grew curious as he said, "I hear that you have some refugees from the Steridyl and Bafalyl Great-tribes among your own."

"I do."

"As my fourth condition, I expect that they continue to obey your leadership and to respect mine."

"Certainly."

"They will also contribute to our great-tribes. They will share their skills with my people and educate them in these skills."

Tarve hesitated. "I will discuss these expectations with the refugees. I cannot promise their agreement, but I am certain that they will concede."

"Very well," Kahio replied. "Then on to my fifth and final term. You will relinquish all of your supplies and add them to the caches of my great-tribe; tools, weapons, crafting materials, and so forth."

The younger chieftain was surprised. "What?" he objected. "That is a hefty price..."

"A hefty price for a hefty request. Consider it payment for allowing your people to obtain asylum here. After all, until your crops are ready for harvest, my tribesmen shall be feeding yours from our own stores; until your builders have the ability to construct our style of diyando, my people will be providing the knowledge and manpower needed to house so many; until your your warriors know the layout of the land, mine will be protecting both great-tribes. In short, the presence of your people will be a great burden on mine until they have fully assimilated and adapted to this land."

Tarve considered this. Placing our few supplies into the hands of the Malpifyl would leave us far more dependent upon our hosts. We would become very vulnerable... For a short time, anyway. And Kahio has a valid point, he admitted. The burden will be tremendous. It is only fair that he should ask for compensation, a fail-safe for his own people should this arrangement fail.

"Very well," Tarve replied. "I will allow you to acquire our supplies. May I presume that these items will be accessible to my people when they should need to use them?"

"Of course," Kahio answered. "Think of it like this; my people shall keep these items in storage for you, but they will be available to anyone from either great-tribe."

"I think my people will be amicable to that."

"This includes your planting seeds, of course," the elder chieftain added. "These, I will have you place under the care of my peace-maker Karem."

This inclusion stunned Tarve. "Our planting seeds? Whatever for? I do not understand why you would need them."

"It is merely an insurance policy," the older man answered calmly. "To be certain that all of my other conditions are met. Fear not. When it is time to plant, Karam will release the seeds into the care of an as of yet to be named member of my tribe, one who demonstrates promising skill in the ways of the farmer."

Tarve did not like this final demand. Handing the seeds over to the Malpifyl Great-tribe was a great risk and put his people at their mercy. If they relinquished their tools, weapons, and other materials, they would certainly experience hardship, but they would eventually rebuild their stocks. They could hunt small game without weapons. These smaller beasts would provide meat, pelts for clothing, and small bones to create tools and small weapons. From that starting point, they could hunt larger and larger animals until their supplies had been restored.

But their planting seeds were crucial to their survival. Without the seeds, the Vegetabyl Great-tribe had nothing. They couldn't simply create more seeds. They had viciously protected their coveted seeds from transferring into the hands of other tribes, including their allies. It was the only way to ensure that they would have a lucrative good to trade. If Tarve gave the seeds to the Malpifyl, there was no guarantee that his tribe would get them back. What was to stop the Malpifyl from keeping the seeds and expelling his people once the transfer was done? And even if Tarve could trust Kahio to honor their agreement, how would he know that the seeds weren't accidentally – or intentionally – consumed? Did they even have a proper storage facility to protect them from pests and the elements?

The younger chieftain finally responded. "I will agree to your final demand if only it is amended with a condition of my own."

"I am listening," Kahio prompted.

"While the seeds are under the care of your peace-maker, I will provide a few of my own men to help secure them. Please understand that this is not a matter of distrust. In fact, I believe it is a demonstration of my absolute trust in you by agreeing to place our seeds into your custody; they are the livelihood of my tribe and without them, my great-tribe will surely collapse. Sharing the responsibility of guarding the seeds is merely to ensure that they will be well protected."

The older chieftain nodded. "I can comply with that. Are there any other concerns that you feel need to be addressed?"

"I do not believe so."

"Very well. Shall we seal our agreement then?"

The two chieftains grasped each others' right wrist with their right hands, the saiyan form of a handshake. The deal was finalized.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to other matters," Kahio stated. "Karam will assist you and your tribesmen with settling in."

"Thank you."

The forest that made up the Malpifyl village was not as crowded as Tarve had initially thought. It had just happened that Kahio had escorted him through the most densely populated areas. As it turned out, there were many pockets of less populated sections. It was these areas that Karam had offered to Tarve for his own tribe to occupy.

These areas were small, however, and were spread sporadically throughout the village. The chieftain immediately deduced that his tribesmen would be just as tightly packed into these pockets as the Malpifyl people already were. And the Vegetabyl villagers would be spread apart from one another as they filled the various vacant spaces. That was a concept that some of his people might have difficultly absorbing; to feel separated from one another as they have never been done before. But thinking positively, this would help integrate the tribes to one another over time.

This integration was critical. Upon informing his tribe of Kahio's conditions, Tarve was met with some anger, some disbelief, a lot of distrust, and a great amount of concern. He had to admit, that the terms he had agreed to did not start the cohabitation of the great-tribes on a good note. But it was his responsibility to soothe the sentiments of anger, to assuage the fears of distrust, and to alleviate the stresses of concern. Doing so would make his people stronger as they blended with the other great-tribe.

The Vegetabyl Great-tribe and the Steridyl and Bafalyl refugees began settling in among the Malpifyl. While the guests reluctantly relinquishing their possessions, there was an initial tension that was very palpable on both sides of the arrangement. The displaced saiyans were wary of the other tribe's intentions; the Malpifyl felt uncertainty about their ability to support their guests. Members of neither group spoke openly of their opposition to the situation. And aside from a few minor incidents, all tribe members were reserved, respectful, and polite towards one another. As members of the hosts and their guests worked side-by-side in various tasks, their different concerns were eventually forgotten and they began to open up to each other.

It was of no surprise that the quickest friendships developed through the cubs of the four great-tribes. Children had very few preconceptions, were mostly unburdened by adult worries, and were far more open minded to new people and experiences. The sight of mixed groups of youngsters romping through the village proper became a common occurrence. Through the fast and newly formed friendships between cubs, their parents soon became friendly acquaintances as well.

As easy as it was for the children to become friends with each other, it was just as easy for squabbles to break out between them. Unfortunately, these squabbles often resulted in the involvement of the cubs' parents. When this happened, the scuffle was usually resolved between the parents with little issue, chalking it up to 'young ones being young ones,' and the argument being quickly forgotten after the misunderstanding was cleared up.

But sometimes, fights between cubs didn't blow over so easily.

The summer season was nearing its end by the time the southern pasture had been fully converted into farmland. The seeds had been planted in stages; as soon as a section of land was ready for planting, the seeds were sowed. This staggering could be seen based upon the different stages of growth throughout the fields. The earliest crops were already several inches taller than those that had only just been planted. The farmers – the professionals from the Vegetabyl Great-tribe and the apprentices from the other tribes – were tilling the final expanse of land when the worst altercation broke out between cubs of the different tribes.

Aleguu was busy working on unearthing rocks from where her fellow farmers had already tilled. The task had been much more grueling over the past several fortnights than she ever remembered it being, but that was likely because this field had never been tilled before. All these old rocks and ancient boulders had been slumbering here for countless cycles, having settled here probably long before the Malpifyl had chosen this place as their home.

Several yards away and off to her right, Nappa was also hard at work uncovering rocks. It had been several cycles since he had last participated in the labors of a farmer; he had spent his recent rebirth seasons in the forests with the other hunters as they sought out wild game. Now, however, there was an overabundance of hunters and a huge demand for farmers. So many of the hunters had been allocated to help with the crops. Though Nappa was nearby, his attention was focused on a Malpifyl girl named Chaya. Aleguu knew that the older girl was somehow related to the Malpifyl chieftain, she just couldn't remember how. Chaya was the same age as Nappa, thirteen cycles old, which explained why the two got along fairly well.

Aleguu liked Chaya very much. The nine-cycles-old girl believed that since Nappa found Chaya to be worthy of his friendship, then she must be a good person. Chaya had a personality that rivaled Nappa's boisterous one. Aleguu found it amusing how competitive the two thirteen-cycles-old cubs were with one another. More amusing was the fact that Chaya often and easily outsmarted Nappa and got her way when she wanted something. The two were spending more and more time with each other as of late. The problem, Aleguu thought, was that with their growing companionship, that left little room for herself in their conversations and activities. Even now, while they were all working on the same task, it seemed that Nappa and Chaya were in their own world and Aleguu was just a gnarfly hovering in the peripherals of their attention.

I wish Vegeta were here. Or Bardock, Aleguu groused. But she knew that they were both submerged in their own duties. Her brother's presence at their father's side was being demanded with increasing frequency. As the chieftain-in-training, he was required to learn enough about each profession to be familiar with the duties and be able to offer insight; he needed to become acquainted with the current profession masters and heads of the family clans and who would inherit these roles; and he had to acquire the many other skills necessary of a good leader. In short, he was being groomed for his own future role within their tribe. Vegeta had shared with Aleguu that, at times, the things he was required to do were fun and exciting. Other times, they were very boring and horribly tedious. The girl had sometimes tried to communicate telepathically with her brother during his lessons, but most times he had shut her out. She was tempted to send him a thought now, but figured it would be a wasted venture.

Bardock, on the other hand, had proven to be a useful asset to the farmers. While the land was very fertile, rain was sparse, especially during the summer season, and the seeds and crops they had brought with them required much more than nature was willing to spare them. Having been the apprentice of a miner in his home land, Bardock knew a thing or two about working the land in various ways to suit the needs of the people. Therefore, he, other members of the Steridyl Great-tribe, and even a few members of the Bafalyl refugees – those who harvested clay from the soil for making pottery – were at the edge of the field, forging the land to create channels in order to irrigate the fields. Though this process was more labor intensive early on than carrying water to the fields by hand was, in the long run it would save a lot of time and energy.

Aleguu was about to send a telepathic greeting to Bardock when something else drew her attention. Many yards away to her left, a group of four saiyans in their early teens were stirring up a ruckus with two much younger cubs. Aleguu immediately recognized all of them. The two younger ones were Karduun and Tichok, brothers from the Steridyl people. Aleguu played with them quite often even though they were a few cycles younger than herself. Among the older group, Aleguu immediately spotted Teridi, peace-maker Alaria's eldest daughter. Teridi was a very bossy young lady, so much so that she was almost a bully, especially towards those younger than herself.

With Teridi were three cubs from the Malpifyl Great-tribe; two boys named Masoro and Mempa, and a girl named Bienni. They were all thirteen and fourteen cycles old – they would soon come to an age when they would no longer be considered cubs. But their behaviors were not indicative of their impending maturity. Aleguu had learned during her first days among the Malpifyl that this trio was nothing but trouble. She wondered why it was that Teridi had gravitated towards these three.

Aleguu continued her work, but kept a watchful eye and a keen ear on the six saiyans. They were too far away to make out their words, but she could hear that the tones used by the older ones were aggressive and mocking. She shifted her attention towards Nappa and Chaya. The two were completely ignorant to the trouble that was brewing nearby, engaged in a private conversation. Aleguu sighed at how oblivious they were.

Her eyes darted back towards the trouble-makers just in time to see one of the boys – she wasn't sure which one it was at this distance – throw a stone at the younger two. Tichok, only six cycles of age, cried out as the stone struck his temple. Seven-cycles-old Karduun moved to stand protectively in front of his younger brother, only to put himself in the line of fire when the next stone was cast. Aleguu immediately rose to her feet and stomped towards the escalating conflict. As she drew near, the voices of the older cubs became clearer.

"What is the matter?" Mempa taunted. "Do weaklings such as yourselves have no friends of your own?"

Bienni chortled as she pitched another rock. "What are you going to do? Are you going to cry?"

"You are not so tough now that you do not have any mud to throw!" Teridi chimed in, referring to an incident from several seasons ago when she had been the victim of a muddy assault in which the two Steridyl boys had participated.

Karduun glared at the teenagers. "Do not throw another rock!" he demanded.

"Or what?" Masoro challenged. "Will you fight us if we do not stop?"

Karduun remained silent while Tichok cupped the knot that was surely forming on the side of his head. The four older cubs continued to chuckle at the expense of the youngsters as they lobbed another stone at them. By then, Aleguu had drawn close enough to them to make herself known.

"You will not harm them any further or I will fight you!" she called out.

The four teens averted their attentions to the newcomer. They took a moment to gauge what threat – or little thereof – that Aleguu posed. And after that moment, the three Malpifyl teens burst out in laughter. Teridi, on the other hand, rolled her eyes derisively.

To her new companions, Teridi sneered, "Do not pay Aleguu any mind. She is the most incorrigible child I have ever had the displeasure of ever knowing."

Masoro, the leader of his pack of mischief-makers, had stilled his laughter long enough to observe, "And she apparently does not know when to mind her own business!"

Aleguu's eyebrows furrowed and her tail twitched with irritation. "When you harm my friends, you make it my business!"

"Oh! So the little weaklings have a friend after all!" chortled Bienni.

"I bet she is friends with them for the same reason they are friends with her," Mempa drawled. "It is because no one else likes them and so they have befriended each other out of desperation!"

"At least I am not desperate enough to be friends with you!" Aleguu retorted, sending an accusatory glare at Teridi as she did so. Then she turned two the younger boys and asked, "Are you two okay?"

Karduun nodded his head, although his alert eyes remained glued on his aggressors. Tichok remained hidden behind his older brother, warily watching for more projectiles. Aleguu noticed that a small trickle of blood escaped from the boy's head wound, hidden beneath his hand. Before she could approach the boy and ask to see the injury, she felt a dull blow to the back of her own head. She turned around real quick, realizing she had made the mistake of putting her back to the bullies.

"What are you going to do about that, you little brat?" Teridi challenged.

Aleguu stomped towards Teridi, putting extra emphasis into each step. "I told you that if you threw another stone that I would fight you," she growled.

"Actually," Mempa corrected, "you said that if we harmed your friends again, you would fight us. You never said anything about us harming you."

The nine-cycles-old girl hated to admit to herself that he was right. "Hurt anyone else at all and you will regret it."

"Ooh, she thinks she is going to fight us!" Masoro sang to his friends with heavy sarcasm.

"Yes! Come fight us!" Bienni urged. "Step up and show us what you got!"

Aleguu sized up her competition. They were all much taller than she was – they had all begun to go through the second of three growth spurts while she was still a few cycles away from going through her second one. She began to realize the folly of her actions. She safely guessed that the moment she squared off against one of them, they would fight dishonorably and attack her all at once. Maybe not Teridi, she amended. She is mostly just a loudmouth. She will not participate in a brawl and risk inviting harm to herself. But... now she is part of a pack of bullies. She might suddenly find her courage while with them.

The nine-cycles-old cub glanced at the two Steridyl boys. Karduun was smaller than herself and if he were any help at all, it would be insignificant. Tichok was still nursing his injury and far too timid to lift a finger, even in self-defense.

"Well?" Bienni prompted. "Are you going to fight? Or are you too scared?"

"Look at her," Mempa taunted. "She is scared! Little baby is too scared to fight!"

"Yes," Teridi agreed. To Aleguu, she said, "You are not so tough after all, now are you?"

"So we have another weakling among us!" Masoro declared. "Too weak to back up with fists what she boasts with her mouth! Look at how she trembles!"

Aleguu glared at them, her teeth bared. She wasn't trembling out of fear, but rather, from her anger. But what could she do? Walk away and be labeled a coward? Or fight them and likely get pulverized? Either option would not have a good outcome.

Then she remembered that both Nappa and Bardock weren't far off. They could help her! Aleguu opened her mind to them and slammed their mental walls with images of her situation and vibes of her emotional state. Her demand for their attention could not be ignored and they instantaneously opened up their minds to her. Nappa was initially annoyed by her intrusion, but after seeing the images she sent him, he affirmed that he would come and assess what was going on with his own eyes. Bardock's response reflected his concern and he indicated that he was on his way, though it would take a few minutes to get from his side of the field to hers.

Aleguu came out of her mental connection with the two older boys just in time to be aware of the rock that had been thrown directly at her face. She had dropped her guard while linking with Nappa and Bardock and it had left her vulnerable. The nine-cycles-old girl had no time to defend herself. She brought her arms up in an attempt to shield her face, but it was too late. The stone struck her in her right cheek bone. She winced from the impact. Stars danced in her vision. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, look! She is going to cry now!" Bienni accused. "Wah! Wah! Wah!"

The four bullies shared a cacophony of chortles and snickers.

Aleguu had had enough. She felt her rage boiling, percolating deep within her, ready to violently erupt. She launched herself at Bienni, simply because the girl had been the most recent one to mock her. The taller girl was laughing so much that she failed to see the attack coming. Aleguu landed a fist directly in the center of Bienni's sternum. The older girl suddenly choked as the air was forcefully thrust from her lungs. Her eyes bulged out of her head and her face fell into an expression of shock. She clutched at her midsection as Aleguu punched her a second time. Bienni stumbled backwards.

Masoro, Mempa, and Teridi were initially just as stunned as Bienni was that Aleguu had dared to lash out at them. But this shock was immediately cast aside by the time Aleguu attempted to strike Bienni a third time. Mempa latched onto Aleguu's arms before she could attack again. The nine-cycles-old girl struggled against the iron grip on her wrists, to no avail. Masoro moved to stand in front of Aleguu, looking down upon her with a satisfied sneer.

"So you think you are tough?" he growled. "This is what you get for trying to attack one of my pack!"

Masoro delivered a jab to Aleguu's gut, a mirror of what she had done to Bienni only a moment ago, except his strike had much more power behind it than hers had. An 'oomph' escaped from Aleguu's lips as the force of the blow forced her to double over. Mempa pulled on her arms, forcing her back upright, though she didn't have the strength to support herself. Karduun tried to help the girl who would have been his savior, but Mempa easily kicked the small boy aside. Tichok remained frozen in place, too frightened to do anything.

By now, Bienni had recovered. She stepped forward to glare angrily down upon Aleguu. "You little shit. No one strikes me and gets away with it!"

The older girl landed a punch to Aleguu, almost exactly in the same spot Masoro had hit her. Again, Aleguu buckled from the blow. Again, Mempa forced her upright. Bienni cocked her fist as if to hit her again, this time in the face. Aleguu ducked her head to the side, readying herself for the strike, while wondering what was taking Nappa so long. Probably too busy trying to impress Chaya, she groused. She clenched her eyes tight, expecting to feel the attack at any moment.

But it never came.

Instead, a familiar voice barked, "What the hell are you doing?"

Aleguu's eyes snapped open and her head snapped up. "Nappa!" she cried out to him.

The eyes of Masoro, Bienni, and Teridi shifted to look at the newly arrived male. Mempa shifted so that he could face Nappa as well, and this allowed Aleguu to see her pack-mate. Of course, Chaya was with him.

"Nothing that you need to be concerned about," Masoro answered.

"You think so?" Nappa responded. "Looks to me that you were about to strike one of my fellow tribe members. I know Aleguu could use a beating once in a while, but I do not think that she deserves one now."

Teridi protested. "What are you talking about, Nappa. That little brat never gets punished for her misdeeds! It is about time someone punishes her!"

"And you think you are the one who ought to mete out her punishment?" Chaya challenged.

Teridi quickly went silent.

Chaya continued. "And what of the little ones? What have they done to you?" she interrogated, noticing the wounds on the two smaller boys.

Again, she was met with reluctant silence.

Nappa's gaze met Mempa's. "Release her."

Mempa was defiant. "I do not have to listen to a vagrant such as you." To Chaya, he demanded, "Why do you affiliate yourself with the likes of him, anyway?"

"Because he keeps much better company than you do, Mempa. And if you were smart, you would obey his order," Chaya warned.

"And why is that?" Mempa asked derisively.

Chaya answered, "Because you clearly do not know who it is you are bullying."

Teridi averted her eyes petulantly because she did know. But the other three kept their eyes on Chaya. They shared defiant expressions on their faces. But their interests were piqued, so they patiently waited for her elaboration.

"That girl is Aleguu of House Vegetus, daughter to Chieftain Tarve. And those boys are Karduun and Tichok of House Sterakas, sons and heirs of the deceased Chieftain Matilo."

Masoro scoffed. "They are not the cubs of my Chieftain."

"You will respect them as if they are!" Chaya commanded. "Now release her."

"Yea! Let me go!" Aleguu yelled. She stomped down hard on Mempa's left foot, driving her heel into it. Mempa yelped in pain and shoved the girl down to the ground with excessive force.

What Aleguu had not realized before her rash action, was that Mempa had been ready to release her. He and the other teens had mutually agreed through their pack-bond that the sport of teasing the younger cubs had lost its appeal now that Chieftain Kahio's heir had gotten involved. While the younger ones were the sons and daughter of chieftains from other great-tribes and held no authority over them, Chaya did have some power to command them and they knew that to disobey her would not only be dishonorable, but it would also land them in considerable trouble with their elders.

Unfortunately, Aleguu could not have possibly known this and her outburst had set off a chain of events that caused the situation to spiral downward very quickly. As soon as Mempa violently shoved Aleguu away, resulting in her tumbling roughly to the ground, Karduun snapped into action. Once again, he launched himself at Mempa, coming to avenge Aleguu. He punched and kicked at the larger male, but of course, he had too little strength to deal any damage or pain. Masoro grabbed Karduun, pulling him away from Mempa, and gave the boy a hard jostle. Aleguu had since risen to her feet despite the painful scrapes she had taken to her palms and knees, and seeing her friend once again in harm, she leapt at Masoro.

Bienni and Teridi entered the fray. They attempted to pull Aleguu away from Masoro who still had his hands full with Karduun. This, in turn, prompted Chaya and Nappa to get further involved by trying to separate all the parties. Unfortunately, to get to Aleguu and Karduun, they had to pull Bienni and Teridi out of the way. As soon as Nappa put his hands on Bienni, however, Mempa's fury flared and believing his pack-mate was being attacked, he threw a punch that had blindsided Nappa. Chaos broke out from there.

The scuffle between Nappa and Mempa quickly escalated into an outright brawl. Although the Vegetabyl boy was a full cycle younger than the Malpifyl teen, they were both almost equal in height and strength. They exchanged fists, meeting each other blow for blow. Lips were split, bruises formed, and a black eye was dealt.

Meanwhile, Masoro continued to defend himself against the double-team onslaught that was Aleguu and Karduun. As soon as the older male rid himself of one of the two youngsters, he or she would leap at him again as soon as his attention had shifted to shake the other one off of him. The children punched and kicked at him, desperate to strike a vital or sensitive point in order to render him incapable of retaliation, but to no avail. At most, they managed to keep him constantly occupied while earning additional scrapes and bruises to themselves.

Bienni and Chaya, on the other hand, were standing toe to toe with one another. They had yet to lay a finger on the other, but that appeared likely to change despite Chaya's superior status over Bienni. The Malpifyl heir was trying to order the other female to back away, to submit. But the frenzy of battle had already taken root in Bienni and it was almost impossible for her not to get physical. Her eyes darted from Chaya to Mempa, back to Chaya, to Masoro, and so forth as her instinct to obey her chieftain's heir warred with her instinct to rescue her pack-mates.

What would later come as a surprise to Aleguu was the fact that Teridi had finally found her courage and had gotten involved. In a delayed reaction to the situation, she finally entered the foray to snatch Aleguu off of Masoro's backside. As soon as the smaller girl-child felt herself lifted away from her target, she became a squirming, writhing animal hellbent on freeing herself and exacting revenge upon the person who dared to interfere. Teridi quickly realized the mistake of her presumption when she became Aleguu's new target. The older girl had no choice but to defend herself against her attacker.

Now with only one cub to harass him, Masoro was more capable of handling his own situation. He shoved Karduun down to the ground and quickly closed the distance before the boy could get back up. The teenager unleashed a hard kick to the younger one's stomach, earning a whimper of pain. Masoro cocked his leg back to deliver another blow when the all-but-forgotten Tichok jumped in. The six-cycles-old child latched onto Masoro's left leg – the one supporting all his weight. Tichok bit into the back of Masoro's thigh with all his might and the teen began to stumble. Masoro half-cried, half-growled in pain and abandoned his attack on Karduun in order to regain his balance before he fell. At that point, he turned his unforgiving attention towards the unfortunate Tichok.

When the smallest of the group cried out in pain from the beating he was receiving from the eldest member of the group, Chaya was easily distracted by the distress. In a moment of error, she turned to see what had elicited such a noise from Tichok. Bienni's battle instincts chose that moment to override her rationality, and she launched herself on Chaya. Bienni grabbed the preteen's tail in what would be considered the most cowardly act of the entire incident. Pain so excruciating and immediate sliced up Chaya's spine that sound could not escape her lips. With a face frozen in an expression of agony, her legs grew weak beneath her and she fell to her knees.

That was the scene that Bardock had stumbled into when he had arrived from the far side of the field and had come within line of sight of the scuffling. Initially, he had wanted to go to Aleguu's aid, but seeing that the nine-cycles-old girl was holding her own against Teridi's poorly developed fighting skills, he decided to let her be for now. Nappa also seemed to be fairing well, although his face was becoming a soiled, bloody mess.

So the decision he was faced with was to either help Karduun and Tichok who were taking a harsh beating from their assailant, or go to Chaya's rescue, whose tail was being brutalized in the vise-like grip of another female. As much as chivalry demanded him to go to Chaya's aid, it was the ties of his great-tribe and the bond of family that ultimately led him to go help the two smaller boys. Not only were they the sons of his fallen Chieftain and heirs to his great-tribe, but they were also his distant cousins and the only living relatives he had other than Turles.

Masoro had a battered and bruised Karduun held upwards by the collar of his tunic. The teenage boy drew a fist back, taking his sweet time relishing in the look of despair in the eyes of the seven-cycles-old child. But Bardock grabbed hold of Masoro's wrist before the cruel blow could be delivered. Even though the newcomer had a gut feeling that getting involved would only land himself in trouble, he delivered a right jab into the taller boy's gut just as he turned to face him. Karduun was released to fall haphazardly onto the ground near his brother while his rescuer engaged his attacker in a match that was much more evenly balanced.

"That is ENOUGH!" Kahio's voice boomed over the din of scrapping children.

Aleguu froze mid-swing. Her mind suddenly opened up to everything else around her now that she was no longer focused on fighting Teridi. She found that the other cubs had been startled out of their respective battles. All of them had their attentions drawn to both Chieftains Kahio and Tarve. With them were a few of their councilors and half a dozen other adults. All of them wore expressions that were stern and disapproving. And all at once, Aleguu felt unbridled shame flare up inside her core.

Even though Vegeta was not the one who Tarve's disappointment was being directed at, he deeply empathized with the guilt and shame his sister was dealing with. He had erected barriers in his mind so that he wouldn't be submerged by their strong emotional surges, but curiosity had caused him to lower this barrier just enough to get a better understanding of what had happened earlier that day. Beneath his sister's swell of remorse, there was a jumble of other emotions; a plea to be understood, a fear of her father's anger, the embarrassment of the outcome of her actions, and the stubbornness that came with believing she had been doing the right thing at the time.

"You have brought a great deal of difficulty upon me, upon our people, and upon the Steridyl people," Tarve growled at Aleguu and Teridi.

Keeping her head downcast, the younger girl mumbled, "I was only trying to help."

"I understand and cannot fault you of that," Tarve replied. "But did you not consider obtaining the assistance of an adult rather than take adult matters into your own hands?"

The girl-child risked a glance at her father. "I did. But they would have called me a coward."

The chieftain growled. "Because you did not consider this option until after you had gotten involved, did you not? Had you retrieved an adult when the situation first came to your attention, this conflict would not have escalated to the point that it did."

Through the bond with his sister, Vegeta felt a new wave of shame wash over her. He felt bad for her. He understood what had driven her to help the Steridyl heirs. He likely would have done the same. He certainly couldn't blame her for her actions.

Alaria took that moment to add her own scolding, hers directed towards her daughter. "As for you, little child," she said, putting extra emphasis upon the words she chose to address Teridi in order to remind her of her place. "What were you thinking when you decided to harass those two boy-cubs? What honor is there in creating conflict with children who are half your age? You should be protecting those boys, not provoking them! You are my daughter – expectations of you are much higher than of the other young ones. Your actions have brought shame upon me and shame upon our family."

Teridi had no answer for her mother's accusations. But Vegeta was certain that he saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears, the embodiment of her humiliation.

Tarve continued his lecture. "We have not yet been the guests of the Malpifyl Great-tribe for a full season. It has been very difficult to reassure them that our presence here will not bring harm to them. Your actions have driven a considerable wedge between the Malpifyl people and ourselves. This incident has destroyed the carefully crafted bridge that has been built between us. Do you realize how much harder it will be to repair and restore their confidence? Masoro's father has been the loudest voice against our being here. This brawl will only provide him with additional proof for his cause."

Aleguu's head hung lower. "I am sorry, Faa. I did not think that would happen."

"Of course not. You rarely stop to think before you act. What have I told you about the impact of your actions?"

The young girl was pensive as she tried to recall what her father requested. She had a vague idea; it was on the tip of her tongue. Yet she struggled to put it into words. She knew that she should know the answer, but it escaped her. This difficulty and the lengthening silence exacerbated her earlier feelings of embarrassment and shame. Vegeta was aware of how increasingly uncomfortable his sister was feeling and he could sense his father's growing impatience. So the twelve-cycles-old boy gave her an assist.

Through the bond, Vegeta whispered to his sister, "Remember, Aleguu? Your actions will always have an impact on the great-tribe. You must think about how the consequences of your decisions will affect the people before you take any action."

Aleguu returned her thanks to her brother before paraphrasing his words for their father to hear. "I have to think about what will happen to our people before I do anything."

Satisfied with the answer, Tarve continued. "Yes. Exactly. But the problem that I must contend with, daughter, is that you rarely consider the ripple effect that your impulsive behavior has upon our great-tribe. We are, right now, at the mercy of our benevolent hosts. I pray to the Deities that Chieftain Kahio will be forgiving and will dismiss this incident. The survival of our people depends on our ability to work cohesively with the other great-tribes." He paused. "Aleguu, you are soon to be a woman-grown. It is nigh time that you abandon your immaturity and began to act more responsibly. The Deities know that I no longer have the time to undo the damages caused by your rash decisions."

Tarve's words, though not spoken with anger, still managed to pierce Aleguu's heart. The shame and disappointment she felt was so potent, that Vegeta almost mistook her pain for his own. He wanted to comfort her, but wasn't sure how, especially with their father still present. He couldn't undermine his father's message by immediately attempting to soothe the emotional wound inflicted upon his sister. And as the heir, he had to stand by his father.

The chieftain sighed despondently. "I suppose I cannot lay the blame entirely at your feet, Aleguu. I must acknowledge and accept that I am as much at fault, if not more so. I have failed my own responsibility to you, to devote more time towards your upbringing, to teach you to be a proper young lady. I am certain that if your mother was still alive, we would not have found ourselves in this predicament; she would have provided you with the guidance that I myself am unable to provide."

Tarve abruptly ended his lecture and turned towards the exit of the small building they were using, the same one the Vegetabyl Great-tribe had been using as a mini-salarg during their stay in the Malpifyl village. Before he stepped through the portal, he commanded over his shoulder to the two offending girls, "Both of you will present yourselves to Chieftain Kahio and his council tomorrow. You will both plead for their forgiveness. And then whatever discipline Kahio decides to deal to you, you will perform without so much as a frown. Am I understood?"

Both girls nodded even though Tarve couldn't see it with his back turned. He silently dismissed himself from the hut. Vegeta felt his father's guilt and disappointment with himself before the link between them was suddenly closed off. After the chieftain was gone, Alaria and Teridi also left, neither saying a word as they did so. Only when the siblings were alone, did Vegeta approach his sister. She immediately latched onto him and buried her face into his shoulder as she finally allowed her tears to fall. Vegeta had no choice but to put a reassuring arm around her.

"If it matters," Vegeta said after several moments, "I would have helped those boys, too. In truth, I am sorry that I was not there when it transpired."

Aleguu sniffled. "No. Father is right. I am foolish. I need to make wiser decision. I need to stop acting like such a... child."

"But you are a child."

The girl lifted her head and looked into her brother eyes with her own red-rimmed ones. "No. I am the chieftain's daughter. I have never acted like it. It is time that I start."

As Aleguu slipped out of Vegeta's loose embrace and exited the hut, the twelve-cycles-old boy couldn't help feeling pity for his sister.

Story Notes:
Kahio – from kamoteng kahoy, Filipino for cassava.
Chaya – or tree spinach, a popular leaf vegetable in Mexico.
Sava – from cassava, a drought tolerant crop that is a carbohydrate staple in developing tropical nations.
Yuca – another name for cassava.
Bolchu – from tabolchu, the name for cassava in northeast India.
Malpifius – from malpighiaceae, a family of flowering plants native to tropical and subtropical regions.
Chalu – from cha phlu, sometimes called wild betel, it is found in tropical regions of south and east Asia and is used in Thai food.
Karam – from karamay, or Malay gooseberry, its leaves are used in Indonesian dishes.
Genjer – or yellow velvetleaf, a plant whose leaves are used in salads and curries of India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other parts of southeast Asia.
Mosoro – a common name forpiper guineense, a plant from West Africa whose fruit are used to make a type of pepper.
Mempa – from pink mempat, a tropical flowering plant from Southeast Asia, used for their edible leaves.
Bienni – from oenothera biennis, a plant native to northern and central North America, its leaves are edible.