Yeyinde pt. 2

"Follow me", K'han said and started walking down the corridor.

Yeyinde didn't dare to answer; she simply followed him while trying to figure out what he wanted with her. Would he punish her for brawling in the corridor? She certainly hoped not. His appearance and presence alone frightened her in a way that neither Kwo-hn nor Kul'vir did. They were children compared to him, their fighting techniques dull and ill preformed. She both admired and feared him; her Yau-th's master and senior hunter in only a few years he was sure to reach the status of an Elder. It was awe-inspiring that he even spoke to her, let alone saved her from being killed. If he really had saved her, she didn't know that yet, perhaps he had something else in mind, something far more terrifying than a beating from two bullies in an abandoned corridor. She shivered at the thought.

He didn't speak to her and kept a high pace which forced her to jog behind him to keep up. She cursed her short legs. He led her to the twentieth level and Yeyinde felt very nervous, this level and above was out of her league. She had never been this high up in the ship, except for that horrible time when she got lost a couple of years ago and confused herself so much that she ended up at the commando bridge. He turned around and cocked his head to the side as he watched her. She licked her lips. Had she done something wrong? Then he nodded in approval and clicked his mandibles which was a comforting sound. Yeyinde released her breath that she realized that she had been holding.

"This way Yeyinde", he said and opened a door to their left.

Yeyinde was completely dumbfounded by the fact that he knew her name.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked. "Come in."

She licked her lips and couldn't believe the fact that she was allowed into K'han's quarters. On shaky legs she entered the room and was awestruck by the interior. This was something else than her own narrow cabin. The room was huge and she believed there was more to it than she could see from where she was standing. He even had a view of the black space trough a huge window in the opposite wall. The décor was exclusive with trophies and furs decorating both the walls and the floor. The room even had some color to it, the walls went in a crusty tone and the floor was black and glassy; Yeyinde could almost see her own reflection in it. K'han beckoned to her and pointed at a huge chair that was draped with a soft, thick fur.

"Sit down", he ordered.

She obeyed him without hesitation. She was still nervous but at least it didn't look like he would hurt her. As she sat down he remained standing, giving her a penetrating stare.

"You could have died", he stated after a while.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled. "I will try to get stronger."

K'han snorted and went over to the other side of the room; Yeyinde could barely see him from where she sat. She heard how he pushed a few buttons and then there was a hissing noise as he opened a shutter in the wall. From the corner of her eye she noted that he had gone to fetch some healing gel. Yeyinde felt how her cheeks grew hot when she realized that the gel was for her.

"You're bleeding", he said.

"It's nothing", she insisted. "It doesn't hurt at all."

"But you're dripping blood on my chair", he answered simply.

"Oh." She felt ridiculous; of course he hadn't been concerned about her well being. Her cheeks grew even hotter and she nodded and applied the gel that he offered.

"You're a lousy fighter", he said bluntly. "Who's your trainer?"

"Mahwa", she answered, trying to keep the hatred from her voice.

"Oh?" he sounded surprised and gave her a curious look. "I would've thought that Vraa'hn would train you himself. He is, after all, a very skilled fighter. Hotheaded admittedly but that's the way of the young blood."

"He doesn't want to", she whispered, remembering the pained look in his eyes when she had asked him this morning in the infirmary.

K'han chirped in surprise. "Did he give you a reason for turning you down? I presume that you have asked him since you seem so unsatisfied with your current trainer." Yeyinde dared to look up at him for a moment. He didn't look so scary while seated and his dark brown eyes had a friendly and wise glint to them that inspired her to answer him truthfully.

"He said that he was afraid to hurt me", she said. "But please don't think him weak because of it he-"

"Have grown", K'han finished for her and she stared at him in surprise. "That's very mature and insightful of him. He understands that he wouldn't be able to teach you properly since he cares about you too much. A trainer needs to discipline his students and teach them both pain and victory if he cares about you he wouldn't be able to teach you the pain and you would be defenseless against it when facing it out there in the reality. Not knowing pain could kill you."

Yeyinde nodded, relieved that K'han didn't think that Vraa'hn was a coward.

"Still", K'han mused. "Your current skills are unforgivably lacking. How much do you train?"

"Every day Zah'zai*", she asserted and lowered her head humbly.

"And you're still this puny?" he asked in surprise.

She blushed furiously and stared down at her feet. He was right, she was pathetic. How could she waste so much time training and still not get better? There was no excuse. Perhaps this was her limit? That thought made her blood run cold, if she couldn't get any better than this she could just as well allow Kwo-hn to kill her. There was no point in living if she couldn't even become a blooded hunter. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying.

"Do you have your teacher with you all the time when you're training?"

"No Zah'zai*", she answered. "I train by myself most of the time. Mahwa only allows me into his training group two days a week. He says that I'm slowing down the other students."

"Oh?" K'han straightened a bit and Yeyinde wondered if the steely tone in his voice was from anger or something else. "What does he teach you then?"

"Well he allows me to spar with the others to see if I have improved enough to be able to attend his training group."

K'han snorted and stood up from his chair. Yeyinde followed him with her gaze, unsure about if she should stand up too. He walked over to the shutter again and pressed a few buttons. He came back with a solid tome in his hands and sat down, yet again facing her. Yeyinde felt as though his eyes drilled a hole straight through her brain.

"You have been wronged Yeyinde", K'han said after a while, giving her a sad smile. "Both Mahwa and Vraa'hn have wronged you."

"But Vraa'hn haven't-"

"He's your Yau-th, is he not?"

"He is but-"

"Then it's his responsibility to care for your training, if not personally, then by seeing to that you get the best trainer available", K'han gave her a stern look when she tried to open her mouth to defend Vraa'hn again. "And Mahwa, clearly, isn't suited to be your trainer. You can't teach a pup to become a hunter by beating and humiliating her. The only thing he is manifesting in you is fear and that'll teach you nothing."

"But Mahwa was the only one that could be persuaded into taking me on", Yeyinde said, feeling worthless as she did so. It was evident for everyone to see that she was a looser, a weakling that no one had faith in. Not even Vraa'hn as it seemed.

"Here", K'han said and broke her depressing chain of thought. He handed her the thick tome. "Read this and meet me on the fifteenth level tomorrow. I expect you to at least grasp the concept of it."

Yeyinde accepted the tome and felt how heavy it was. She stared at K'han, wide eyed.

Did he mean…?

"What do you mean Zah'zai*?"

"I'm going to train you", K'han replied and gave her a daring look. "Unless you prefer to go on like before?"

Yeyinde felt faint from both fright and happiness. Had she actually understood him right? Did he actually plan to train her? Did he, K'han, honored hunter and soon to be Elder, plan to train her?

"Well?" He asked sternly.

She stared at him and realized that she hadn't accepted. "I would be honored Zah'zai*", she blurted; smiling from ear to ear.

"Took you long enough", he muttered but she saw how he smiled, mandibles clicking soothingly. "Ungrateful pup", she blushed when he referred to her as a child but she supposed that to him that was pretty much what she were. "Go back to your own cabin now and study that book, I fully expect you to at least have read the introduction by tomorrow."

"Yes Zah'zai*", she breathed and got up on her feet. "I won't disappoint you."

"That's a good girl", he murmured as she went through the door.

Yeyinde was so happy that she almost skipped the whole way back to her cabin. Not caring if she ran into Kwo-hn and Kul'vir again. If she would happen upon them she was sure that she could beat them with her high spirits alone.

XxX

K'han watched the empty chair in which she had been sitting only moments ago. He was a bit worried about her and wondered if she would get back to her cabin safely. That pup- no he corrected himself- female really had been neglected in the worst imaginable way.

K'han felt angry. Not only at that s'yuit-de Mahwa, but also at Vraa'hn that apparently hadn't done something about it. Her injuries were unacceptable and that they for the most part had been inflicted upon her during training with a teacher present was outrageous. Her battered body wasn't the worst thing though. It was her broken spirit. The way she avoided his gaze like a scolded and beaten pup made his righteous soul roar with fury.

But he would make it better. He would mend her.

He owed it to her after all.

Yeyinde - ("Brave one")

Lou-dte Kalei - (child maker (female) and a male insult)

Pyode Amedha - (Soft meats, humans)

Yau-th – (guardian, someone who's family)

Pup - (child)

Zah'zai - (venerable)