I'm just churning these babies out! I have planned out the next few chapters, so hopefully I can get them written within the next two weeks. This chapter introduces a new character and sets up the story for a very "active" chapter 9. Also, I picture Mitchell to be a Damian Lewis type of guy.
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The following day Camilla woke up to find the room she shared with her master empty. Her body felt stiff, it was not often that she allowed herself the comfort of prolonged sleep. Even during her long periods of isolation, Camilla had always risen early to do chores on the off-chance that her master returned early. However, A'chide had instructed her to rest, and this was not a demand she would argue with.
A pitcher with water sat on the table along with a piece of fruit and crusty bread. Camilla quickly ate; her appetite was satiated only when her plate was clean. The woman warily looked around the room just waiting for her master to pop out of the walls. Her neck remained stiff; the skin around the implant was itchy and stung when she touched it. She couldn't believe how A'chide had forced her down on the table like some piece of property. Technically, the woman realized she was owned by the Yautja; she was his servant, his pet as Gur'rung had put it. He had even called her a 'trophy' once before. Heat pooled in her cheeks from anger and embarrassment. She felt warm and wanted desperately to shower. There were no clean clothes for her to change into; all of her belongings were tucked away in her trunk. The only thing she had was the wrinkled dress she currently wore. Running a hand through her hair, her fingers quickly became tangled in knots. That was it – she needed a bath.
Touching the walls, she finally found a lever to open the bathroom. Relieving her bladder, Camilla shimmied out of her clothes and stood in the tiny shower. Cold water poured down onto her scalp, soothing her overheated skin. The water even alleviated the sting of the implant. As much as she hated him at the moment, she was grateful to A'chide for giving her the device. Though her tongue felt heavy whenever she spoke, and her brain worked doubly-hard to get all the clicks right, it was so much better being able to understand what was going on around her. And, she had been correct in her thinking that Gur'rung disliked her. She would need to watch her back around him.
Unexpectedly, a cramp settled in her lower abdomen. Camilla's eyes widened. Perhaps, the cramp was due to her over eating? Another cramp quickly followed and Camilla began to panic. The mental math seemed to add up before her eyes; her monthly cycle was due. She slammed her fist against the shower wall in frustration at her stupidity. In the excitement of A'chide's announcement, she had forgotten to take her medicine. P'oska had fixed her a liquid that she only had to drink once a month; a hormone suppressant that acted like Yautja birth control. She had packed extra to bring with her on the trip, but all her medicines and creams were away in her trunk along with her clothes.
Camilla put on her dirty dress and under-shift praying she could find more of the elixir on the training base. Her hair was dripping wet and there were probably a million knots still in her hair, but she didn't even have a comb to brush them out with. Stepping into the room, she saw A'chide sitting at the table with Gur'rung. The Yautjas did not look up as she approached them. They were focusing on an electronic device on the table. The young woman stood a foot away from them waiting to be noticed.
After a good ten minutes, long enough for a pool of water to form at her feet, she grew frustrated. Camilla checked her temper and whispered, "Um, hello?"
A'chide grunted, "What do you need, Camilla?"
How should she approach the subject? This was her first time speaking about this with anyone other than P'oshka, or Adrienne. She hadn't even discussed these sorts of matters with Mitchell, and the man was a trained doctor. Clearing her throat, she weighed her words carefully, "I need some of my belongings from my trunk…"
Her master remained staring at the device not even deigning to look up as he answered, "The trunk has been packed. You will have to remain in those clothes."
"I don't need clothes. I need some, um… medicine?"
At this A'chide glanced up, his gaze expressionless.
"Are you injured?"
Gur'rung was scrutinizing her with his yellow eyes. Camilla squirmed, the air in the room had grown cold and she was beginning to shiver. She hadn't expected to be discussing this with A'chide, let alone discussing this with A'chide and Gur'rung. If she didn't take anything soon, she would have to deal with the hassle of her monthly cycle. It would be far more embarrassing if she was bleeding for days, than asking for medicine to stop the bleeding.
Taking a calming breath, Camilla spoke, "No, I am not injured. I need medicine for my cycle...my reproductive cycle. I forgot to take a medicine that stops it from happening."
After a lengthy pause, A'chide stood, Gur'rung following suit. Her master's face was impassive and she wondered if he was upset. It was her fault for not being responsible enough to remember her medicine, but then her mind argued that it was his fault for springing all of this on her. A'chide turned to Gur'rung, "You will accompany her to the medics' suite. I will meet you both in the mess hall."
There was a tone of amusement in her master's speech.
The walk to the medics' suite was quiet. She remained a step behind the grey Yautja keeping her head down. The training base was a web of tunnels. They passed a series of giant windows that looked out onto an endless black galaxy of stars. Camilla dared to get close to the glass, but quickly regretted her actions. The woman became dizzy as she glanced downward into the vast pit of nothing. She stumbled backwards and felt a large hand hold her from falling. Gur'rung chuffed and pushed her forward ahead of him. They came upon a set of doors that opened automatically at their approach. The medics' suite reminded her of the room that A'chide had taken her to before she had received her implant. It was bright white with a series of silver operating tables in a row against the wall. There were smaller Yautjas busy with their various tasks; collecting bottles, writing things on electronic tablets, barking orders to those around them.
To Camilla's surprise, she spotted several human men in the corner. Bright red hair caught her eyes and she squeaked in surprise, "Mitchell!"
The doctor turned, his eyes going wide with astonishment. Camilla ran forward as Mitchell pulled her into a hug. He looked the same since the last time she had seen him, except he was dressed in a jumpsuit of black with a utility belt around his waist. Mitchell was a man in his late-forties with short bright red hair and freckles that covered his face and arms. He had crow's feet around his eyes and a mustache that curled at the corners. They were of similar height; Camilla being tall for a woman and Mitchell being short for a man.
They remained hugging until Gur'rung loudly growled making Camilla jump back pushing Mitchell away. She forgot that humans weren't allowed to really interact. The only reason she was able to speak to Adrienne and Mitchell at the market was because P'oshka vouched for them with the market guards.
Mitchell cleared his throat, averting his gaze from Gur'rung out of respect. He looked at the front of his suit where Camilla's wet hair had left a huge damp spot. Then he met Camilla's eyes and asked eagerly, "What are you doing here?"
Camilla informed him about accompanying A'chide on the blooding ceremony. Mitchell's smile waned, his brow furrowing, "You know it's going to be extremely dangerous. Did you they give you an implant?"
She presented her neck where the implant lay blinking, "Yes, it was quite an upsetting experience."
"I would be surprised if it were anything but upsetting. Mine wasn't pleasant when I received it either."
They chuckled.
Gur'rung growled in annoyance, "Do not forget that we are here for your medicine, Ooman."
"Oh, that's right, sorry," Camilla grimaced. "Um, Mitchell, I was wondering if you have anything to help with my…erm, monthly cycle. I forgot to take the medicine P'oska made for me and I am due to start soon."
Ever the professional, the doctor seemed to ponder the request before answering; "I think we have something like that. It may not be the exact thing you need, but it will hold off your symptoms until you are able to take P'oska's serum."
The doctor disappeared leaving Gur'rung and Camilla alone. A heaviness that had been weighing on the woman seemed to lift with the knowledge that Mitchell would be present. There was a sense of familiarity when she was near other humans that made her feel safe. The other men in the medics' suite were watching her curiously, and Camilla realized her appearance was in complete disarray. She was still dripping water, her hair was in knots, and she was wearing a terribly wrinkled dress; there weren't even shoes on her feet.
Mitchell returned carrying a small vial of pale blue liquid. Camilla took it from him with a thankful smile. Gur'rung was growing restless and they were due to meet A'chide in the mess hall. As Camilla turned to leave, Mitchell quickly called her attention back, "I will be with the medics during the hunt. If you are given an opportunity to come visit, I would greatly appreciate it. Don't get yourself into any trouble, though."
Nodding, Camilla gave one final wave before she left with Gur'rung.
The liquid in the vial smelled strongly like the stuff P'oshka made for her. Camilla took a swig and winced as it burned on the way down her throat. The cramps that had slowly begun to dig into her lower abdomen instantly subsided and she sighed with relief. The moment she was reunited with her trunk the better.
Gur'rung escorted her out of the medics' suit down to the mess hall. They remained silent until Gur'rung addressed her offhandedly, "The unblooded will be present. Keep your head down and do not answer their calls."
She nodded in understanding. The mess hall reminded her of the dining hall in A'chide's house except it was nearly three times the size. Entire skeletons of giant creatures were hung from the rafters above a long dining table. A dais sat before the dining tables and she spotted A'chide at the head of the dais in a place of honor overlooking the room. There were over forty Yautjas of various sizes and coloring patterns noisily talking amongst themselves. Camilla felt her brain kick into overdrive as she began to automatically translate what they were saying. They spoke of the hunt and Xenomorphs, some talked about their homes, and others warily whispered about the Yautja that loomed over them.
At the sight of Gur'rung, some of the unblooded stood in salute while others nervously tittered about the second-in-command. Camilla felt several pairs of eyes fall on her.
"Is that the Ooman they speak of?"
"She is the one he saved on the hunt!"
Soon the whole room was talking about her. Camilla felt herself gravitate closer to Gur'rung who looked smug at her apparent fear. She wasn't fearful; she was just overwhelmed with the attention. What were they talking about? They were speaking of her like she was a part of a fairytale story. Her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her, but she avoided their eye contact like she had been told to do. The information was filed away for a later time.
Camilla scrambled up the dais' steps after Gur'rung. A'chide was watching her as she came to stand behind him. He addressed the room, his voice sharp as the words spilled out in clicks and chuffs, "Tomorrow, we depart for the hunting grounds where you will begin to learn about your right of passage. I expect all to be vigilant and to listen carefully to instruction; safety is never a guarantee and those who fail to follow orders will be expelled back to the home planet."
The woman listened as her master continued to spell out, in detail, the ramifications of the hunt. Those who succeeded at the end of the two year period would not only be presented with their blood mark, but be given assignments of their own to carry out. There was an emphasis on honor and the importance of proving your worth as a warrior. Camilla felt a surge of pride for her master; this was a big task to be undertaking. He had a hand in shaping the future of the Yautja colony.
After his speech, Camilla remained standing in front of the dining tables on the dais. Gur'rung and A'chide were walking through the aisles speaking to every other unblooded that approached them. Her master approached her after he was done, leaving his second-in-command to finish speaking with the unblooded.
"How is your neck?"
She frowned, her hand instinctively covering the implant, "Fine, I guess."
"Did you get the medicine that you needed from the medics' suite?"
He seemed concerned and her resolve softened at the fact that he actually cared. Camilla nodded and he master chuffed, "Good, I have something to show you."