Scar gains a new pupil in Lex, when he tries to teach her Yautja fighting tactics. She is also finding herself getting used to being around this strange alien, but will they ever learn to really communicate? A friendship grows, but where will it lead?

Chapter 3

Second Night

Lex warily took her place in the bed pressed up against the wall, as Scar lay next to her. He wished they could speak, then he would get to know her, and maybe through her, ooman culture. He found himself wondering at how much less he thought of them as prey since the time in the temple, and the alliance he made with this sole survivor of the ooman party.

Lex tried to relax, as if doing so was so very easy when one was lying next to a killer. Yet he had only ever been gentle with her since they boarded this ship. She turned on her side and tried speaking with him instead. She figured he wouldn't know what she was saying without his translator. Later perhaps she could help add phrases to his device, giving him the chance to communicate with her. The other thing Lex had to get used to was the fact that apparently his kind slept in the unclothed. He wasn't human, thus it shouldn't bother her so much. But how long could she continue to regard him as more alien being than a person? Oh well, she would have to adapt, not knowing how long she would be on this ship. None of his kind had even made the effort to be around her. And they might never return her home. So where would she be if she refused to learn their ways.

She was just careful to not stare. Would he think she had ideas? No, no, that wasn't possible. After all, he hunted humans for sport. Her kind were definitely nothing more than animals to his kind. For all she knew, Scar thought of her as his pet. All this thinking was making Lex tired, and she was already exhausted from the sparring earlier. She thought Scar seemed interested in her chattering, or at least pretended to listen raptly to her.

"I think I'll try to sleep now," Lex said, hoping he would understand. When Scar saw her close her eyes, he did also. Time passed. Scar was just drifting off when Lex turned on her side and nestled against him. He held his breath. Her steady breathing indicated she was still asleep, but he felt her comfort level must have been such that being near him was no longer a problem for her. Not like last night when she must have risen from the sleep mat, and slept in the corner to get as far from him as possible. In any case, her nearness felt good to him. He hadn't had much contact with the females of his species, having been in training so long for his first hunt. She may have been a ooman, but she was female. His instincts told him that.

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That morning, after eating, Scar took Lex to a room filled with weaponry of all kinds. He showed her a rather large and formidable multi bladed device. She had seen him use it on the large creature they battled back on Earth. Throwing it like a frisbee, it cut right though it and didn't seem to be damaged by the acid blood. Scar pressed some button that Lex could not see, and threw the weapon straight at a wall on the other side of the room. It hit right in the middle of a blue-purple design. He turned to Lex, seemingly satisfied with his throw. He then took her hand and placed the bladed weapon in her hand, pressing her fingers closed around it. He showed her how to aim it, swing her arm and release. It flew across the room and.....clattered harmlessly onto the floor. "Damn!" Lex muttered. Scar patiently retrieved the weapon and offered to show Lex again. She nodded, and took it, this time crouching a bit and aiming again for the far wall. The various designs seemed to be imprinted on the wall that was not made of metal. She thought they must be targets, much like a target on Earth where the middle was of the highest point value. Of course, she had no way of knowing which would be the best target for her to aim for. Oh, just let me hit something.

She swung her arm once and released the bladed object, watching it fly across the room and stick into the wall, completely missing every design. She laughed and shook her head, but at least she had hit the wall and the weapon stuck. Scar saw the smile, now realizing it was a good thing when she did that. He squeezed her shoulder and nodded his approval. Lex impulsively hugged him, taking him by surprise. But he didn't pull away.

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Lex tried again to use the combi-stick, this time with Scar allowing her to deflect off his own weapon. He showed her the best places to strike an opposing stick, and how to use it in hand-to-hand combat against an enemy. He was stronger than she, and Lex decided strength would fail her every time. Instead she would have to use cunning. The two continued striking out at each other, with Lex mostly ducking and dodging the formidable weapon Scar wielded. He was obviously well-trained in its use. Lex had an idea she could catch him off-guard, and so crouched suddenly and whirled around, bringing the combi-stick up and behind Scar, smacking the back of his knees. She knew this was an old trick, but hoped it would still bring him down. It did, to Scar's surprise. He fell to his knees, with a look of shock in his eyes. He turned his head to look at Lex, his mandibles flaring. He merely stared at her for a few moments, then growled at her. Her head jerked back, but then she smiled, her eyebrows raised at him as if asking "got a problem with that?" He got to his feet and started laughing that alien laugh of his, clapping Lex on the shoulder approvingly. He now knew she could be trained. That compelled him to want to work harder at doing just that. Fighting, with her at his side, was his real goal, if the Elders would let her go the next time a hunt was organized.

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Lex was more relaxed around Scar now. She was beginning to trust him in other ways than just from their alliance on Earth. Being on their ship was fascinating, but Lex was growing bored. She had nothing to do. The active periods lingered forever it seemed, but she looked forward to the weapons training, ...and the sleep periods. Being with Scar, and teaching him English, were the only things she had to look forward to.

At first, she tried very hard to show him what she could do, wondering what it all was going to matter anyway. Would those in charge of this ship tire of her presence and jettison her into space? She shuddered at that thought. But she felt that Scar seemed to have placed himself in the role of her protector. Others of his kind didn't have much to do with her, but merely followed her with their eyes and clicked in that odd way she was becoming used to. Lex sensed some curiosity and even some animosity. But none dared touch her as Scar would give warning growls at anyone who even hinted at showing interest in her.

Scar somehow had gotten some clothing for Lex to change into. She had been shown a place where she could shower days earlier, but she had only her own clothing from the expedition. That first time, she had showered until her skin grew pruney,. it had felt so delicious. She picked up the clothing given her by Scar, which entailed all of a few pieces of material. She finally figured out where the arms went, and where the legs went. She felt like some cave woman wearing scraps of leather, only it wasn't leather, but rather a strange fabric that may have been organic, but Lex didn't want to think what kind of animal it came from. It was covered by a lightweight chain mail, with very small loops of some kind of metal. Apparently, this was the dress of a female yautja, although much cut down in size to fit Lex. The dress of a warrior, she laughed to herself. Up to now, she hadn't noticed if any of the hunters were female. But they obviously had stocked gear onboard. Lucky for Lex. Her own clothing had become unwearable.

When Scar walked in to fetch Lex, he looked her over. She was small in stature, although her stance was a proud one. The clothing he had found for her fit her well, and he had to keep his eyes from wandering up and down her body. The constant closeness they had experienced the last 6 cycles was finally having an effect on him. He kept reminding himself, she was ooman. She was only under his protection, for how long, he didn't know.

Lex found training much easier in the new outfit. Her arms and legs were free, better able to perform some of the maneuvers Scar had taught her. He had indicated to her, at first in gestures, later in a bit of the English he had learned from her, that he was quite proud of his student. Lex was starting to experience fond feelings for this giant alien that she could not talk herself out of. Unbeknownst to her, Scar was starting to feel the same, although he wouldn't let her know that. Not that he could even tell her, not yet. His grasp of her language wasn't that good. But he looked forward to the sleep cycles, when he could be with Lex, alone, and not under the watchful eyes of the Elders and the other young bloods.

When they returned to Scar's quarters, they both undressed, now completely uninhibited in front of each other. Lex took her place near the wall and yawned, saying good night to Scar, a phrase she'd taught him last night. He replied in what he thought approximated the words enough that she understood him. She smiled, and turned her back to him, settling into the padding of the sleep mat.

Scar felt disappointment. Before now, Lex had always slept facing him. Maybe his alien appearance made it impossible for her to rest easy, but she never once indicated, not even back on her planet, that she found him fearsome to look upon. He had grown used to her appearance and assumed she had of him as well. He lay facing her back, wondering if he had offended her somehow. He was shocked out of his reverie when Lex scooted her body up against him. She reached behind her and placed her hand on Scar's. She pulled his arm over her body and nestled tightly against his warmth. He responded by holding her as she seemed to want of him, and when he did, she placed her other hand on his arm, squeezing it. He didn't see her smile with her eyes closed, completely at peace. But in his turn, he felt a warmth suffuse his body. Was this what it was like to have a bond with a female?

Lex felt warm breath on the back of her neck. For the first time since the expedition, she felt content. The recent deaths weighed heavy on her just the same. She was torn between bitterness and gratitude. After all, this creature she called Scar had been just as responsible. But how do you hate the one who saves your life, more than once? She decided she couldn't. Scar had spent time trying to teach her about the ship and his culture, so maybe she could do something useful. He had been patient for the most part, but occasionally he would show another side of his alien personality. She wasn't really afraid he'd hurt her, but when he flared his mandibles and growled at her during their practice fights, it was startling.

Scar became brave sensing Lex's relaxation against him. He ventured to caress the smooth skin of her arm and felt a thrill as she sighed with pleasure. Ooman flesh was so soft and smooth compared to his skin. The difference intrigued him, which in itself surprised him. Once he would have sought to hang such skin upon his wall as a trophy. Now he only wanted to touch it, explore it. Against his will, this female enticed his maleness. There were trophies, and there were trophies. Not that he meant to keep Lex as a personal trophy to show off to his friends and training mates. There was more here than that. Her scent, different than any he had smelled from his prey, caused him to become aroused. He shifted against her, and soon, drifted off to sleep.

Lex felt Scar's arousal. She chuckled to herself, Men! No matter what species, they're all the same. She too, drifted off to sleep, but with a smile on her lips.