"Did I hear you right Paul?" Tobin asked, surprised. He had greying hair at his temples and wrinkles around his dark blue eyes.
"Karl got some brat. She's short, shorter than the others, like kid short, but I didn't see any parents, like, she was alone or something." The beady eyed, short male spoke with slithering speech.
Tobin shook his head in shock as he glanced at the petite woman standing by a tall wooden table, making her seem smaller. Oh, but she was beautiful to Tolan, her dark tresses of looping hair to her shoulders although they were currently tied back, and her green eyes were luring him into become lost in her very soul every time they kissed.
"Why a child?" Mia asked softly, braking Tolan from his thoughts.
"Don't know," was all Paul said as he swiped a carrot from a nearby chopping board.
"He's doing it again," was the answer from a fourth voice coming from the doorway which lead to the outside.
"Doing what, Tolan?" Paul muttered around a mouthful of carrot, making the occupants of the kitchen cringe.
"He's training another," came Tolan's sharp reply. "Chew before you speak you miscreant!" he scolded sharply as he limped into the kitchen, leaning heavily upon the polished wood of his cane. Paul found himself cringing as he chewed slightly faster.
"Tolan?" Mia questioned as she looked to the older male's sun-kissed, wrinkled skin and white hair. "If Karl's doing what I expect then he's training another to do 'their' bidding. My bet is the kid is the newest one," Tolan answered gruffly before limping towards the stairs that Paul had so quickly run down.
"I'm going to see if the kid wants to eat, unlike you gossips," he scolded the three, his voice retreating with him as he descended.
Diabolique's small, thin legs swung back and forth upon the bed as she sat once again looking around the room, her rucksack at the head of the bed looking pure and innocent, but for the content it held.
"How you coping child?"
Diabolique looked sharply towards the strange figure of an old man who looked to be in his late seventies, with tanned skin and wrinkles revealing a hard life of laughter and pain. His wrinkled hands almost caressed the pine wooden cane showing what little nervousness he had.
"Who're you?" Diabolique countered with her own question as she studied the old man.
"It's impolite to answer a question with a question."
The child before him shrugged as though she didn't have a care in the world, although she must have had many. With a sigh Tolan shook his head. It seemed no youngsters showed respect these days.
"My name is Tolan. I'm the elder of the Haven people, I've been here the longest I know most of the goings on and stories that unfold in this place."
Diabolique nodded slightly as she slipped off the large bed onto the floor.
"I'm Diabolique." She spoke softly as she turned away only to walk to the large bay windows looking out to the permanent purple sky and twin suns.
"Diabolique can't be your birth name."
Diabolique shrugged, though not looking at Tolan as he entered the room. He looked around at the nearly empty quarters with a shake of the head.
"It is here," was Diabolique's reply as she turned to look at the man. Tolan's eyes sharpened as he once again studied the surprisingly level-headed youngster.
"As you wish, Diabolique it is. Now, how are you coping?" he asked once again, though this time more sharply.
"I've been kidnapped, taken to an alien planet by some insane nut job, left with a load of strangers far away from my home and family, so I'm obviously just peachy!" came the sarcastic response as she leaned against the wall, looking up at the old man.
"Now, wasn't so difficult, was it?" Tolan spoke softly, grinning ear to ear, showing his sharp, almost dragon-like teeth.