Guan looked down at the now nearly clothed ooman pup and smiled to herself. Getting the Little One to do as she instructed was actually going to be interesting, as long as she thought carefully about it before hand. The pup definitely had a mind of her own, and she was very surprised that everything the poor ooman female had been through had not totally broken the pup's mind. She was suddenly reminded of some old historical accounts regarding a few individuals who had been captured by Bad Bloods. Some of the victims had even been female. Those that had been female Yautja had been repeatedly forced and tormented. A few victims had somehow survived to be rescued. The sad fact was that all of them had come away from the experience changed mentally in at least one way or another, while others had been changed radically.
Guan knew that the mind of this particular pup had been broken to some extent, but she also knew that it hadn't been completely broken! The pup's refusal to speak was a clear sign of the torment that she had been through… But then there was the strong will, angry defiance, and blatant courage possessed by the pup to consider. That was an obvious indication that as much as this little pup had been made to suffer, her tormentors still hadn't managed to totally break her mind and will. It was about the only thing concerning the pup's condition that she could actually be glad about. Well, that and the fact that the pup was now with her, where safety could be assured for the pup.
When Lilith finished pulling on her boots, she glared up at Gwen angrily. 'Maybe I should call her 'Guano' instead of Gwen!' She thought with another glare at the Predator.
"Now that we are all dressed, we can go get something to eat. You have a choice Little One. You can either be carried by one of us, or you can hold one of our hands. I will allow you to choose the Yautja, but only those two methods of mobility will be allowed to you, so you must choose one of them." Guan told the ooman pleasantly.
Lilith bared her teeth in a silent snarl of pure rage as she glared at the Predator. Then out of pure stubborn defiance, she stormed over and reached up to grab Thingy's hand. The whole time she did this, Lilith never took her narrowed eyes off the woman she was glaring at. She couldn't help but notice those extra fangs on the outside of the Predator's mouth spread just a little. 'Good! Maybe I pissed her off enough that she'll leave me the hell alone!' Lilith though angrily.
Yeyinde looked down at the little pup who'd chosen her to walk with in surprise. She found it rather difficult to believe that the ooman would actually choose her as a companion after the incident earlier. Even though a formal apology had been made and accepted, even a very honorable Yautja would have had a difficult time accepting the acquaintance of one who'd nearly gotten them killed, even though it had been a true accident. She almost started purring in pleasure before she remembered that this particular pup had a wide variety of methods to stop that from happening, including at least one that was very painful! Then she noticed the way that the pup was looking angrily at Guan, and realized that maybe she had been selected simply to spite the other female. That one thought quickly put a near total stop to the pleasure and relief that she'd felt upon being selected by the pup. Then, she realized that she at least had a chance to make things up to the Little One by making the most of this opportunity.
"Now that everyone seems to be ready." Guan began aiming that statement almost directly at the ooman pup. "Shall we proceed to the Trail Side Carcass, and enjoy a nice afternoon meal?"
"That sounds like an excellent idea! Dachande isn't very far from there, so it would be a nice place to wait until the order is complete. After we eat, we can talk and catch up on things while we wait. Besides, you still haven't told us what all happened during the Chiva!" Than-guan-thwei said excitedly as the small group headed outside.
This time, Lilith was able to look around and see what things looked like on this alien world. She figured it would be a pretty good idea since she was stuck here. The first thing she noticed was that there wasn't a single street anywhere. They were following a well worn trail between widely spaced buildings that looked sort of like Mayan pyramids. Huge trees and bushes were everywhere and the sky… if there was anything that could prove she was now on another world, it was the strange dusky orange sky.
Blue eyes gaped in wonder at nearly every thing as Lilith looked around, and actually saw what was there to be seen. She wasn't paying a single bit of attention to what Gwen was telling the others, because she was too busy taking in all of the unreal sights. She had to wonder why there were no streets anywhere, and not a single car or bus for that matter. 'Don't these Predators have any cars?' She wondered idly.
Lilith's curiosity about the complete lack of vehicles was forgotten as the walk went on for a long time. Having been locked in a basement for the past four years was now having a very negative effect on her. She hadn't been able to maintain her stamina through the normal exercise of walking around, running, or even participating in P.E. at school, and much like her experience in the pyramid, she quickly found herself becoming exhausted. In spite of how physically tired she was, she followed along determinedly at a near jog because of how much shorter her legs were compared to the legs of the Predators.
Walking beside the ooman pup, Yeyinde was well aware of the little female's actions. The breathing of the pup had become ragged and almost gasping a while ago, but the pup was making a very strong effort to keep up with them. She knew very well that the others were also aware of the trouble the pup seemed to be having, because of the concerned looks and glances directed at the little female. Suddenly, the pup's hand was nearly pulled from her grasp as the little thing stumbled. The ooman quickly regained her balance, but her pace wasn't quite as swift as it had been, so Yeyinde slowed down just a touch more.
It was easy for Guan to see that the ooman was having real difficulty keeping up with them, and she had slowed the pace they were walking at in an effort to spare the pup's pride. But when she saw the ooman stumble before continuing on, she almost called a halt to insist that the pup be carried. Then a mere hand full of steps after she had stumbled, the pup pulled her hand free from Yeyinde, stopped and bent over with her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. That was when she realized that between the air which would be somewhat thin for an ooman, and the malnourished condition of the pup, that the Little One would need to be carried.
Yeyinde knelt down next to the ooman who was gasping for breath as if she'd just run nonstop for half a day. The female wasn't even paying attention to her or any of the others as she tried to catch her breath. She knew the pup really didn't want to be carried like a suckling, and that she'd chosen this as the better of two choices, and neither of them were appealing. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to carry the little pup without damaging such a strong sense of pride and honor.
"You don't seem to have the strength to keep up with us Little One. That is because our air is a little different from what you have on your world. It will take some time for you to adjust to the air that we breathe. Until then, you should be careful in how you exert yourself." Guan informed the pup.
"Would you mind if I carry you, until you catch your breath?" Yeyinde asked as she saw a way to make her offer without degrading the pup.
As much as she hated to admit it, Lilith knew that she couldn't keep up with these Predators. They were just too big, and too fast. She hated the fact that she couldn't even walk with these Predators, and now she was so tired that she didn't have any choice but to be carried like a stupid baby! She shot a disgusted look up at Thingy, and reluctantly nodded her head. She made no move towards the woman though, because she was still catching her breath. After a couple of minutes, when she didn't feel like she was going to pass out, Lilith stood up and stepped closer to Thingy so she could be carried.
Yeyinde pulled the little ooman into her arms and stood up. Then she shifted the ooman pup so that the little thing was facing forward and would still be able to look around. As the small group resumed walking, Yeyinde enjoyed the fresh air, and Guan's recount of what had happened during the Chiva that her three sons had just taken. Suddenly her eyes were bulging as she listened to the account of just how audacious the tiny pup had been while using her own body as a weapon against a drone. She and her sisters all looked at the pup in her arms with a bit of surprise to hear of such bravery from one so small.
"You're telling us that… that this tiny little pup attacked a drone like a trained warrior?" Yeyinde blurted in surprise.
"Yes, she did. If she had not, only two of my sons would have survived to return me." Guan said proudly.
The conversation was brought to an abrupt halt by a menacing growl coming from Than-guan. Three females looked at the healer curiously as they wondered why the healer was suddenly so angry.
"That pup should never have been in that Temple! Not only is she far too young, but she had to have made that attack with fractured ribs! She's lucky that she wasn't killed by her own actions!" Than-guan growled in a snarl of anger.
Guan turned and gaped at the ooman pup in Yeyinde's arms in disbelief. "Were your ribs hurting when you attacked the drone and saved Al-Nihkou'te's life?" She asked the pup softly.
Lilith was pretty sure that she was in for it now. From what she'd learned here and in the pyramid, she had interfered in some kind of very serious test, and now these Predators were mad at her. She really didn't want to know just how much pain she was to be put in because of this. She nodded her head reluctantly and refused to even look at the Predators.
Guan's face twitched as several different emotions vied for dominance. The knowledge that the pup in her friend's arms had risked its own life to save that of her eldest son was not easy to reconcile. True, she was very glad that her son was alive and well, but she was not pleased with how that had been accomplished by an injured pup who could easily have been killed in the process. She stepped over to the little pup and gently took the pup's face in her hand to force the Little One to look at her.
"Thank you for saving my son's life! I want you to know that I am very grateful that you acted as you did." Guan said as she struggled for a way to say what was on her mind at that moment. "But why did you endanger your life to save his?" She exclaimed in dismay.
Lilith pulled her head out of the Predator's hand and looked off to the side because she really didn't want to answer that question. She hadn't had any chance to think about anything at the time, but now that she did have time to think about it, she realized that she didn't want anyone to hurt they way she always did when they didn't deserve it. She knew that the other reason she'd done what she had was because part of her had been hoping to be killed for it. She was so sick of hurting all the time, sick of hating her parents, sick of being a worthless waste of money, and sick of wanting to die and be done with it all. She didn't want to feel this way. She had tried to be good and do as her parents had asked of her, but that hadn't always been easy. Sometimes she'd just forgotten what they'd asked of her. Maybe that was why she was so worthless. She didn't really know, and she hated herself for not knowing what it was that made her so worthless.
Yeyinde could see the pain clearly in her friend's eyes, and it wasn't a pleasant thing to notice. She thought she understood why that pain was there. The mereidea that a pup who had treated with such dishonor, and was sorely injured would still have the courage and honor to place her own live at risk to save a total stranger sent many thoughts through her mind. She knew that the pup she carried in her arms would be in high demand by many. Here was a pup who could be adopted, loved, nurtured, and cherished by who ever she ended up with. She was young enough to become the living embodiment of the morals and honorable values that she would learn from whoever was lucky enough to claim her as their own. She knew that there were quite a few who would gladly fight in a death match to claim such a pup. If Yeyinde was honest with herself, she knew that she would be one of those to step in line for a chance to claim this pup.
Guan just couldn't believe it! How a mere pup could have been treated in such a way, she had no idea. She knew that there was more honor and courage in the mere pup than many Blooded Warriors could claim. Although she was truly glad that her son had been saved, she just could not see any reason for a pup to risk their own life to do so. On one hand she felt like chastising the pup for risking her life, but on the other, she owed the life of her eldest son to this pup. She knew that if this little ooman had been killed by her effort that she would not have been able to live with herself.
"Do not risk your life in such a way again." Guan finally said flatly before turning away in frustration.
Than-guan quickly placed her hand on Guan's shoulder and gave it a firm shake. "Relax my friend. Al-Nihkou'te lives as a Blooded Warrior now, and the pup is no longer in danger of being harmed. Both are now safe!" She said quietly.
Guan nodded her head to acknowledge what she'd been told, and took a few deep breaths to steady herself. It wasn't easy for her to realize that a mere pup who was already injured had been jeopardized by being placed in the middle of an active Temple of Passage.
Lilith gaped at the Predator woman who had walked off. She knew that Gwen was really mad at her, but the Predator hadn't done anything to her! She hadn't even gotten yelled at! It was so confusing, because the Predator's behavior was not familiar to her!
'Why didn't she hit me or something? I know she's mad at me! But she didn't even yell at me or scold me... what's wrong with her?' Lilith wondered in confusion as she watched the Predator walking ahead of her and the woman carrying her. She watched in confusion as Thing-One and Thing-Two spoke softly to her to calm her down as they walked on. Lilith couldn't hear what was being said, and that only added to her confusion.
Lilith kept a watchful and wary eye on Gwen as the group resumed walking. Nothing about the way the Predator was acting was even remotely familiar to her, and because of that, it worried her. She really had no idea what sort of things she could expect from Gwen. Anger, cruelty, torment, brutality, and even raw hatred were all things that she was now familiar with, and even used to receiving, but the way Gwen was acting was strange, and in a way… frightening, because she had no idea what to expect.
Lilith was jerked out of her musings when the group stopped at a large collection of oversized picnic tables and benches. The whole setup looked like someone was getting ready for a big BBQ or party. A few of the tables had Predators sitting at them as they talked and ate, but others were empty.
Guan pointed out an empty table that was far enough away from any of those that were occupied, so that there would be a measure of privacy for any type of personal conversations that might take place. Then, she walked over near the entrance to the kitchen, placed the orders for their food, and retrieved an elevated seat for a pup.
As she was placed in the booster chair that sat to Gwen's right, Lilith got pissed! 'A booster chair? They put me in a damn booster chair!' She thought angrily as she shot a glare of pure death at Gwen. The fact that the seat allowed her to sit at a proper height at the table didn't matter to her, what did matter, and what thoroughly ticked her off was that she was still being treated like a baby! She positively hated being treated this way! It wasn't fair at all, why couldn't she just be left alone?
All the Predators were sitting down, and Gwen was talking excitedly about how well her three sons had performed during their Chiva, and it wasn't long before a lot of food was brought over to them. Gwen placed a spoon in front of Lilith, and she glared at the Predator angrily, as she thought that she was being treated so unfairly, that she wasn't even allowed to have a fork to eat with. An angry glance at the table ware that every one else was given showed her that they all had spoons as well. Then, the four Predator women started putting different things on a plate. Some of it was fruit, but other things were slabs of meat, and some of that meat was dried like jerky.
As soon as the plate was put in front of her, Lilith pulled it closer, grabbed the first thing she could and began to hurriedly eat it. Without even realizing what she was doing, Lilith quickly swapped what she had tried for something else that was on her plate. Whatever that was had tasted horrible, and she wasn't going to eat it until there was nothing else left. As rapidly as she could, she was shoving the food down her throat before it could be taken away from her. The entire time she kept a wary eye on the Predators at the table.
Seeing the ooman pup trying to stuff everything she could in her mouth as fast as she could was not a pleasant sight to Guan, or her friends. She noticed Yeyinde about to say something to the pup, and quickly intervened. "Let her eat, Yeyinde. We all know that she's been starved, and now we see the unpleasant results of it."
Yeyinde nodded her head and turned her attention back to her own meal, while still keeping a watchful eye on the ooman pup to make sure the little thing didn't choke from eating that fast. She was pretty sure from the speed the pup was using to eat, that there was no time to savor, or even enjoy the food that the pup was rapidly going through. The fruits did not last long at all, and she was fairly sure that the pup had barely noticed what any of it had tasted like. Then the ooman pup was reaching for the last strip of meat on her plate, and it was obvious from her expression that she really didn't want to eat it.
Lilith swallowed hard as she reached for that strip of stuff that had tasted nasty. She didn't know what it was, but she really didn't care either. It had never been on a filthy concrete floor that was never cleaned, and it hadn't been tossed in a pile of her own piss or shit either. That alone made it a lot better than what her parents had been feeding her down in the basement. She picked it up and forced herself to take a bite of it. She closed her eyes and made herself chew it until she could swallow. Then, before she could take a second bite of the stuff, it was pulled out of her hand. Lilith's eyes shot wide open when the meat was taken away from her, and she would have slid further away from the Predators if she hadn't been sitting in a weird booster chair. A wordless cry of protest left her mouth as she saw Thingy dropping the stuff well out of her reach.
"If you don't like something, then you don't have to eat it, Little One." Yeyinde told the pup softly, before placing a few pieces of fruit on the pup's plate. "If you'll point out what you do like, then you can more of that instead." She added sincerely.
Lilith gaped in stunned disbelief as the Predators each took something from their own plates and put it on hers! She knew that her parents would never have done such a thing! Even before the basement, when she had still thought they loved her, they wouldn't have given her their food because she didn't like something. What she was seeing made absolutely no sense to her. On the one hand, they were treating her like a baby, but then… then there was this. Lilith didn't understand what was going on, and it made her head hurt to try to figure it out. Instead of trying to make sense of something that was completely mystifying, she resumed eating, and made short work of the second plate of food she'd been given.
Even though her legs were a little sore, Lilith wasn't all that happy about being carted around like a baby, or worse… like a package or something, but that was exactly what was happening. She knew from what she'd heard that they were going somewhere to pick something up, but she'd been paying more attention to eating than the conversation. She wasn't carried for a very long time before the Predators turned off the main trail and walked up to a building that looked really old. It was a sort of Mayan looking thing, and it gave Lilith the creeps to look at it.
Lilith was carried inside, and she noticed that they didn't even stop to knock or anything. Once they were inside, Lilith saw that there were racks with lots of things on them, but they all looked like the same thing except for the sizes. Some were bigger than others, but it was all those weird looking… well she wasn't going to call them skirts because they sure didn't go all the way around or really even hide anything. Then there were the racks of tops just like what the Predators were wearing. Lilith made a disgusted face at the weird looking stuff that these Predators called clothes as she was placed on her feet.
"Don't wander off now, Little One. We are here to get you some spare coverings to wear, and you will need to try them one before we leave." Gwen told her while putting her down.
Lilith gaped at the woman with a mortified expression. Unable to believe that Gwen wanted her to wear things like this she walked over to the nearest rack and looked at what was there. The whole thing was full of those flap style half skirts, but then she saw the underwear that went with them and her eyes bulged from their sockets!
'Oh hell no! There's no way they're putting that crap on me! They'll have to beat me first!' Lilith thought angrily as she glared at stuff that she might wear to go swimming, but that was it, and only if she had no other choice!
"Dachande, I trust this day finds you well." Than-guan-thwei exclaimed cheerfully as she greeted the shop keeper.
"Ah… I see that my favorite Healer has come for a visit… and with friends too. I am well my friend. Though I am also a bit confused. How did you manage to get such exact measurements of an ooman female?" The shop keeper asked as he entered from another room.
"That is a strange tale, Dachande, but first, allow me the honor of introducing my companions." Than-guan-thwei answered quickly. "This is my friend; Honored Warrior Guan-kv'var-de; my older birth sister, Than-guan, and my younger sister Yeyinde." She said formally.
"Then there is the last of my companions who is also the reason for our being here this day. This," Than-guan-thwei said as she pointed out the small ooman. "Is who we are calling 'Little One' for now. She won't speak but she understands quite well. My friends… this is Dachande, (Broken Tusk) and he's a respectable cloth supplier. He also makes clothing as well."
The Yautja hobbled over to one side as he gaped at the small ooman standing in his shop. "I don't believe it! That's an actual living ooman! Why is she here, and what do you plan to do with her?" He blurted in shock.
"She is here, because the oomans she was with took her to an active Temple of Passage. She was found by my sons who were taking their Chiva, and recognized as an ooman pup. All the other oomans are dead, so she was brought here after it was discovered that she was injured. I am planning to raise her here." Guan said factually.
"She has little else besides what she is wearing now, which is why we've ordered ooman style coverings." Than-guan-thwei added.
"Well… I only had the material to make one set of coverings in the ooman's size. It will take me a couple of days to get more of the type of cloth. I used some recorded images to recreate a pattern, and I discovered a type of chemical which alters the heat absorption characteristics of the analysis you sent me. Some of my equipment was able to duplicate that, and I've used it on almost all of the coverings I made." Dachande said as he hobbled back behind the counter. "I spent a lot of time getting my systems adjusted to make these. I am hopeful that the ooman will like them." He added as he placed a stack of clothing on the counter.
"This on the other hand… is something that might well be chosen by a warrior to wear." Dachande said as he placed a pair of boots on the counter.
Lilith hadn't really been paying any attention to the clothes the were now sitting on the counter, but she couldn't stop her eyes from shooting wide open at the sight of the boots being put on the counter. They were made of solid black leather that would probably go all the way to her knee if she put them on. But that was the really cool part about them. They were decorated with a strip of pure, snow white fur that looked like it was four or five inches thick and as wide as her hand at the top of the boots. She had to admit that they were the most beautiful boots she'd ever seen.
"Do you have a spare room where she can try these on?" Guan asked interestedly.
"Well… there is an empty closet there. I suppose she can use that." Dachande admitted pointing.
Guan picked up the clothing and the boots and stepped over to the indicated closet. "Come here Little One. These coverings should fit much better than what you have on." She said waving the pup over.
Lilith walked over and was immediately handed the bundle of clothes that even included those beautiful boots. Then she was ushered into the small room and the door slid shut behind her.
Guan had only taken two steps away from the closed door when a piercing shriek of pure terror shot from the closet. She reacted instantly to whatever might be threatening the ooman pup she'd decided was going to be hers and extended the double blades on her right wrist, not once but twice as she opened the closet. As the door slid open, she couldn't see anything that might be harmful to the pup, but the scent of fear was undeniable, as a second scream pierced the air.
Being locked in the basement had been horrible. It was damp, and very dark down there. But as dark as it had been, there had still been enough light for Lilith to see. When the door to the closet had closed there was nothing. Total engulfing blackness that seemed to swallow everything. She couldn't help the scream that tore from her throat when she realized she was now in the dark, but when the door slid open again, she saw Gwen with those huge knives jutting from her wrist and just knew that she was going to be hurt really badly, and that was why she had screamed a second time.
Unable to see any type of threat to the pup, Guan snatched her mask from her belt and put it on. Cycling through every visual mode available showed nothing in the closet.
"I am sorry"
All four of the Yautja females turned to look at the shop keeper in total confusion.
"I have heard that oomans see differently than we do, but it didn't occur to me that she wouldn't be able to see in there. That may be what frightened her." Dachande said slowly in a remorseful tone.
Guan immediately retracted the blades on her wrist as she turned and knelt in front of the pup in a single motion. "Is that true Little One? Can you not see in here?" She asked.
Lilith reluctantly shook her head just a little as she tried to get control of herself. She expected to be hurt or punished by the Predator, so she was really surprised when Gwen only pulled her into a hug and picked her up. It was an unusual feeling to be held while not being hurt in some way, but at the same time, it was a feeling she had craved for several years now.
The thought of being unable to see at all was more than a little frightening to Guan. Being a Yautja, she had a mask equipped with several different visual modes that would allow her to see in almost any conditions. She knew that her natural eye sight had limitations and that in freezing temperatures, she would be able to see nothing, and the prospect of being rendered completely blind by such a thing was no different from being crippled. The realization that this pup had just learned what the result of such blindness would be like disturbed her. Lifting the pup in her arms, she turned to face the shop keeper.
Dachande's mind kept drawing a blank as he tried to think of some place that would acceptable for the ooman pup to change. Then he realized that if they had to leave the shop, and those coverings weren't pleasing to the ooman pup, then he might well lose this sale. Being unable to hunt anymore, he had taken up an occupation that would allow him to retain his honor, but if his customers weren't pleased by his service, then they would stop coming in, and he would be reduced to begging or stealing to survive. In a sudden idea, he motioned towards the corridor that led further back in storage areas and his own personal living space.
"There is no one else here, so you will be undisturbed if you go back that way, and find a place for her to change." He told them pointing while not moving from behind the counter.
Guan nodded her head, and walked a short distance in the back into the corridor, and set the pup down. "Change your coverings here, Little One. No one will disturb you, and you can still see." Guan instructed as she turned her back to insure that the pup had some privacy.
Lilith sat down and pulled off her boots, before removing the rest of her clothes. She then quickly sorted through the stuff that Gwen had handed to her and made a very skeptical face at the G-string panties before she put them on. Then she found a small tube-like thing that she had no idea what to do with. Tapping Gwen on the leg she held it out with a curious look on her face.
"That is for you to wear to cover your breasts. Even though yours aren't very large, they should still be secured against being jostled, because that can be painful sometimes." Guan told the pup as she showed the ooman how to put on the breasts halter before she turned back around.
Lilith looked down at the underwear that she had on now and almost smiled, at the thought of clean clothes that were hers. It was certainly a far cry from what she'd been allowed while locked in the basement. The next item on the pile of clothing turned out to be a pair of socks that felt somewhat strange, because they were made of something other than cotton, but they were soft and comfortable when she put them on, so she decided that it didn't matter what they were made of. The pants that she pulled on weren't quite denim, but they were skin tight and would have hugged every curve of her body if she'd had any. Jet black, and able to stretch just enough to be a perfect fit, she couldn't help but smile widely. She then quickly pulled on the beautiful boots and almost prayed that they would fit. The only thing left was a top of some kind that was also jet black. When she pulled it on, it turned out to be like the pants in that the torso was skin tight, but flared out just a little as it went past her waist. The hem went down just to the bottom of her buttocks, and though it had no sleeves, it was still beautiful.
When she turned around after being tapped on her leg a second time, Guan couldn't help but notice that the pup's teeth were bared in an expression of true pleasure and delight. The pup was looking down at the new coverings she had on, and Guan could see a vast improvement in the appearance of the pup. When not wearing something that was obviously too large for her, the pup could display a trim physique that while far too skinny at the moment would fill out with proper care and nourishment. She nodded her head in satisfaction.
"Shall we go show the others?" Guan asked casually.
Lilith nodded her head in enthusiasm. She was so thrilled over these beautiful clothes that were hers and not something she'd pretty much stolen from her mother's closet, that for a time, she actually forgot to be apprehensive or afraid of anything. For the first time since her escape, Lilith was actually about something that didn't involve anything dangerous or life threatening. She bent down and gathered up the stuff, she'd taken from her mother, and followed Gwen back to the others.
Yeyinde looked over as the two emerged from the corridor, and the change in the ooman pup's attitude was obvious. There was an almost bounce to the pup's stride, and she was holding her old coverings away from her as if to avoid soiling what she was wearing now. She could swear that the pup looked as happy as an unblooded warrior with their first set of armor.
"Do you like it, Little One?" Than-guan-thwei asked with a smile.
All three of the healers nearly laughed when the ooman pup nodded her head, dropped her old clothing, and quickly spun around with a smile to show off the new clothes while smiling widely the entire time.
Guan stepped forward and retrieved the discarded coverings that were on the floor. "Do you have something I can put these in? The Little One hasn't adjusted to our world's air yet, so I will have to carry her at times."
"Of course you will have a bag! But there is one more item that goes with those coverings for the pup." Dachande replied as he pulled something out from beneath the counter.
"Ooman females seem to wear things like this. What these things are actually used for; I have no idea, but this is what was being worn in the recording I saw of an ooman female who was deemed very attractive by the number of male oomans around her." He said as he held out a belt composed of large silver disks about as wide as three of his fingers.
Guan looked at the strip of metal disks doubtfully before she turned and knelt down to hold it out to the little pup. "This is supposed to be worn with what you have on. Do you know what to do with it?"
Lilith looked at what Gwen was holding out to her and her eyes bugged! The belt looked like it just had to be solid silver! She had never been given anything this expensive by her parents. Even the meager amount of jewelry that she'd had been given on her birthday and at Christmas had all been costume jewelry. She hesitantly held out her hands, and Gwen handed her the belt as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Lilith's hands almost shook as she felt how heavy the belt was and realized that she was right. There was no way that this was some cheap knock off metal used in costume jewelry. Made of linked circles of solid silver, each disk was about three inches across. The belt was beautiful, and worth more than anything she'd ever owned. Too stunned for her hands to shake, Lilith wrapped the belt around her waist just above her hips and buckled it, to find that it was a perfect fit. She then looked back up at Gwen with large disbelieving eyes as she tried to understand why she would be given something this expensive. Her confusion only got worse when the huge Predator woman only nodded her head and turned back to the shop keeper as if this was something she did everyday.
Dachande tilted his head to the right as he studied the pup curiously. "That's exactly the way that was being worn in the recording as well. Why would someone wear a thing like that when there is no place to attach a weapon of any kind, I will never know."
As they approached the house where Gwen lived, Lilith was still so stunned by the new clothes and incredibly expensive belt that she never even thought about the fact that she was holding onto the Predator's hand.
As she neared her home, Guan was very pleased by the pup's current behavior! She knew just by looking that the little pup was pretty well lost in a state of confusion. But that didn't pose any problems. She had noticed how the pup had not only avoided some of the taller plants that reached past the pup's ankles, but had also avoided as much of the dirt and dust as she could. At first, she had simply believed that the ooman didn't want to risk any encounters with any type of concealed predator, but then she realized that the ooman was actually trying to avoid soiling her new coverings. That alone told Guan just how pleased the pup was to receive them.
"You're back! How did things go?" Kwei asked as soon as they entered. "Where did you manage to find ooman coverings in her size here?" He added curiously after spotting the tiny pup who entered behind his lifemate.
"In some ways it was much worse than I had expected, but in other ways everything went well. It seems our Little One has been through far more than we imagined. I will tell you about that later, after I've had a couple of cups of C'ntlip. As for the coverings… well Than-guan-thwei knew of a cloth and clothing dealer, who made those for her. He had a recording of some ooman style coverings and made those to fit her measurements from the recording. He's going to obtain more material, and should have a few more sets of coverings ready in a couple of days." Guan answered as she sat down on a well stuffed but oversized version of a couch, and dropped the bag of the pup's old coverings on the floor beside her.
"I know Than-guan, but who is Than-guan-thwei?" Kwei asked as he sat down beside her.
"She is Than-guan's birth sister. She's the younger, but only by a short while. The only way one can tell them apart is that Than-guan always wears a bracelet on her right wrist, and there is a small scar on the inside of Thwei's left thigh. All three of the sisters are noted healers, and they have a great deal of equipment in the home they share. One good thing I've seen is that the Little One seems to be content with the new coverings, because she was being quite careful not to get them soiled during our return." Guan said as she began to relax.
"So the two of you got along well then? That's good…" Kwei began.
"Actually… I wouldn't say that we got along well at all! That little pup has been quite angry with me today." Guan interrupted with a rueful snort. "Haven't you Little One?" She added while speaking up and turning to face the ooman.
Lilith had climbed into a chair, pulled off her boots, and was quietly admiring them. She hadn't really been paying any attention to what was being said. She looked up as Gwen spoke to her and froze. The rather happy mood of the past couple hours vanished in an instant as she realized that not only could she not thank the Predator without talking, but that she also hadn't been told she could sit in the chair she was using. It took her a few seconds to figure out what had been said, and she felt her blood run cold as she wondered what Gwen was going to do to her to pay her back for everything.
Guan caught the scent of fear rising off the ooman pup and was immediately annoyed. She got up and walked over to the chair the pup was sitting in, and squatted down. "Look Little One. I know I've done some things that you certainly didn't like today, but have I done anything at all to hurt you or cause you anyphysical pain?" She asked intently.
Lilith couldn't help breathing rather fast as she thought frantically about everything that had happened since she'd woke up in this house. It was with obvious reluctance that she shook her head. Then she recalled what she had done, and lowered her head in both shame and fear.
"That's right. I haven't hurt you, and I'm not going to either! You are a part of this house now, and that means that we will both need to learn more about each other! Today, you have shown me that you know several methods of making your displeasure known, including one particular method that I sincerely wish you would never use on me again!" Guan said sincerely before she took a deep breath while gathering her thoughts to figure out how to say what was on her mind.
"There are a few things about each other that we will simply have to deal with. You don't seem to like it when I purr. Purring is a very natural thing for all Yautja to do when they are faced with an angry female, or a pup that has been upset, frightened, or injured. That is something you will simply have to get used to." Guan said firmly, before she softened her tone considerably.
"I on the other hand, don't like it that you won't speak to us, or that the only time you've ever used your voice around any of us is when you are extremely upset. I know that something bothers you Little One, but I can't know what to do about it until you tell me what it is that causes you to scream while sleeping. That is another thing I don't like. I don't like being forced to make up a name for you. It's true that you are little compared to me or any other adult Yautja and that you always will be, because our kind is naturally larger than yours. I know that you weren't given any choice to come here Little One. But I am hoping that you will choose to like it here." Guan said softly before she reached up to stroke the ooman's arm comfortingly.
Lilith couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was Gwen not beating the senses out of her, or trying to hurt her bad enough that she wanted to die, but the Predator wasn't even scolding her, or yelling at her. Somehow, Lilith knew that the Predator truly meant every word she said. This was nothing like what she had become accustomed to, and even though she really wanted to believe that Gwen wouldn't make her hurt like her parents did, she knew that it would happen sooner or later. It was a fact that she couldn't ignore, because it loomed in her future like a black pall that clouded everything.
Guan pointed to a door that was currently closed. "There is the room where you slept earlier. That is your room now. Kwei and the others will signal before they enter if you are inside. There are still some play things in there, and they are yours if you like. I won't pretend to know what kinds of things an ooman like you might prefer, those are things I'll need to learn from you, and I'm sure there are things about us that you'll need to learn as well. I won't promise that such things will be easy, but we will accomplish them. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
Lilith wasn't entirely sure she did understand everything, because to her, it almost sounded like Gwen wanted her to be like a part of her family. 'That's not possible… is it? No! There's no way she wants someone as worthless as I am! She just hasn't found out yet, but when she does… she'll start hating me just like my parents did. That's when she'll start hitting me and beating me, or she'll get one of the others to do it.'
Guan easily caught the scent of the pup's fear almost as soon as the ooman looked down at the boots in her lap. She took her right hand off the pup's shoulder and placed it under the ooman's chin to make the pup look at her. "You don't need to be afraid Little One. I don't know the reason for your fear right now, but I can smell it quite clearly. Fear, stress, anger, even your sadness are all things that we Yautja can smell about you. If you ever feel afraid of one of us, for any reason, then you can simply go to your room and close the door. That room will be a place for you where no harm will come to you, no anger will be directed at you, and no voice will be raised against you. It is your room now, and no one will bother you there. I will tell you when meals are ready to be eaten, and tell you of other things, but no one will force you to come out if you don't want to."
Lilith glanced over at the door before looking back at Gwen nervously. 'My old room was supposed to be my place too. But I wasn't safe there! My parents did whatever they wanted, and you will too. Why do you even want me here? I didn't ask to come here. I didn't even want to go to Antarctica! But they made me go. I didn't want to come here either, but Old Bruce over there made me come here. Why? So you can hurt me too? You promise that stuff now, but when you find out the truth, you hurt me even more than my parents did! They… they used to tell me that they loved me… but they lied. Theylied! They never wanted a worthless mistake like me, and you won't either!'
Tears of anger and sorrow filled her eyes and slid down Lilith's face as she thought about the situation while she stared at Gwen in total doubt. She didn't believe what the Predator was telling her for one single instant! She wouldn't. She couldn't! There was no way that any of that stuff could be true.
When she saw the fluid leaking from the pup's eyes Guan leaned in for a better look at them. She could easily smell the mix of intense anger and fear coming from the pup in front of her, but she had no idea why the pup would be feeling such things. Intending to sooth the highly stressed ooman, she placed her forehead against the pup's and purred softly, while gently stroking the back of the Little One's head.
Guan caught the sudden increase in the scent of the pup's fear a mere instant before she was being hit with a strength that had to be born of desperation. In the time it took a heart to beat no more than twice she'd bit hit no less than six times. Then, even as she was pulling away from the source of the unexpected and painful assault, the pup was struggling almost frantically to get out of the chair. Allowing the pup to get away from her was more of an instinctive reaction than anything else, as Guan leaned back with a loud roar because of an intense pain from her bottom left mandible.
Lilith almost fell out of the chair as she tried to get away from the huge Predator who had gotten too close for comfort. She was in a total panic as she fled towards the one place that she'd been told she would be safe. She wasn't thinking about what she was doing, or where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away. She reached the door to the room where she'd been earlier, but it was closed. Lilith turned and her eyes darted everywhere as she looked around to find some place to hide, some place where she wouldn't have to suffer through another beating that she just knew was looming in the near future.
It seemed like an eternity before the door slid open behind her, and Lilith wasted no time as she dashed inside. She rushed forward and sat in a corner with her knees drawn up to her chest and breathing heavily. 'Why did I run like that? She wasn't hurting me, so what just happened? I don't think she was going to try to eat me. She was just trying to make me feel better… wasn't she?' She wondered as she tried to understand what was going on in her mind. A slight noise made her look up to see Gwen coming into the room. Lilith tried to shrink back into the corner even further, because she knew the Predator was mad. A strangled whimper welled in her throat because she just knew that she was going to get that beating now.
Anger coursed through Guan's mind as she stared at the open door in confusion. The pain from her mandible was easily ignored, although it hurt terribly. She stood up and walked slowly into the room to sit down on the edge of the nest for pups. She looked at the ooman silently for a brief moment before Kwei entered the room to kneel beside her.
"She's dislocated your lower left mandible. Hold still while I set it back in place. This is going to hurt… a lot!" Kwei told his lifemate as he got his hands into position.
"The pain will pass once it's back in place. Do it." Guan slurred quickly.
Lilith watched in mounting fear as Old Bruce forced that weird looking flap with a tusk back into place, and Gwen roared in fresh pain. She saw Gwen sit there and take a few deep breaths while she got a grip on the pain she was feeling. Lilith knew exactly what that was like, and she also knew that it was never easy.
"There was no reason for such an attack Little One! You should not have done that…" Kwei began before he was suddenly cut off by a hand on his mouth.
"Silence! There are things you do not know. It's true that I didn't do anything that was obviously threatening to warrant such an attack, but I… I can understandwhy she might have felt threatened." Guan said heavily while still getting control of the pain in her jaw.
Kwei glared at his lifemate angrily even as she removed her hand from his mouth.
"She will not be harmed or even threatened with punishment for this! She had a reason to react like that, and I should have realized this might happen." Guan told Kwei firmly.
Guan stayed in a crouch as she moved over to where the ooman pup was all but cowering in a corner. Sitting down, Guan moved slowly, and was being careful to be as non-threatening as possible when she pulled the tensed pup into her lap. "Relax Little One. I told you that you are safe here, and you always will be. I am not going to punish you for this, nor will I allow anyone else to do so." She said gently before looking up at Kwei.
"I won't say that she was beaten into submission, because I can see that this pup has never submitted to anything! Instead, I will say that she was beaten and held under restraint until she could no longer resist. Than-guan found evidence that she was beaten so that she could be forced into breeding prematurely. Even after she was given healing formula by you and Setg'in, you still saw some of that evidence in the form of her damaged ribs, and the bruising on her torso!" Guan said as she held the ooman pup gently without restraining her in any way.
"But… that would mean that it happened…" Kwei began in confusion.
"No more than three ooman days ago at the most. As bad as that is, she may have suffered even more when she was subjected to the whipping of her back." Guan said as she felt anger rising at the mere though of what had been done to the pup in her lap.
"The Dark Hunter was obviously elsewhere that day, because that was done in a single session. I am telling you this because I want it perfectly understood thatnone of our sons are to learn the full extent of her suffering. I also want you to understand that no one is to be allowed in this room except this pup, myself, or another female!" Guan said sternly.
"I can understand that the Little One will need her privacy but…" Kwei began slowly.
"No! I mean that no males are to be allowed in this room for any reason! I have told her that this room will be the place where she can come anytime she feels afraid, and that she will be safe here. From here on out, even I will ask for her permission to enter. The only exception to that will be when I need to tend to her." Guan clarified.
"You make it sound as if she can even come in here to avoid punishment as well." Kwei returned.
"That's because she can. The scars upon her back were given at about the same time as someone began starving her, and she will learn that such things will notbe tolerated here! While she is in this room, she will not be yelled at or disciplined in any way. After what she has been through, I want her to have a place where she can know that she is safe from harm." Guan stated while still slowly stroking the arms of the ooman pup in her lap.
Lilith had listened to what was being said in a state of near panic. She hadn't meant to hit Gwen like that, and she wasn't really sure why she had, but now she was in Gwen's lap, and she didn't know of anyplace to run and hide. She heard Gwen tell Old Bruce about some things, but she was so certain that she was about to be beaten again that it never registered that she was the one being talked about. Then she heard Gwen tell Old Bruce that she couldn't even be punished while she was in here, and she tilted her head back to gape up at the Predator. She couldn't believe her ears! Not even when she'd thought that her parents had still loved her, would they have done such a thing!
Lilith turned in Gwen's lap to look at the woman. She winced when she saw the mandible that was still starting to swell. She started to reach up and touch it, but then realized that it would hurt if she did, and quickly pulled her hand back down. She then raised her right hand to wipe the tears from her eyes before looking up at the Predator again.
"I accept your apology, Little One. I'm not exactly sure what happened a moment ago to frighten you like, and I don't think you know either, so why don't we both just forget that it ever happened?" Guan offered in a soft purr.
Lilith just couldn't believe it. She knew that this was the second time that she'd hurt Gwen… but Gwen wasn't doing anything back except being nice to her. Now, Gwen was even making that noise to make her feel better. It was all so strange. 'Why do I have to be so worthless? I'm so worthless that I can't even be nice to someone who deserves it! That must be why my parents hated me so much.' She thought sadly.
Lilith nodded her head, and Gwen started purring even louder. She felt Gwen start rubbing her arms again, and couldn't help the feelings of shame and guilt that racked her mind. She recalled the food that she'd been given, and then looked down at the new clothes that had been ready as soon as they had walked into the store. That was when she realized that she hadn't even needed to get her feet measured or try on several pairs of boots. They had fit perfectly on the first try!
'Gwen hasn't really done anything mean to me at all! She gave me plenty to eat until I got so full that I couldn't eat anymore, then she got me some new clothes and a belt that's better than anything my parents ever gave me. Now… now she even gave me this room and told me that I can't even get yelled at while I'm in here! Why? Why would she do this?' Lilith wondered in confusion.
"Come Little One. Let's go to the main room where we have chairs to relax in, instead of sitting on the floor." Guan said as she stood up with the ooman in her arms.
Guan walked slowly as she moved into the main room. She made sure that if the pup didn't want to go that the Little One would have plenty of time to protest or make her wishes known. When she entered the main room, she held the ooman in her arms as she sat back down on the oversized couch that was little different from one that might be found in an ooman home. Guan continued to purr softly as she held the pup lightly. She wasn't trying or even intending to restrain the Little One in any way, because she had no intentions of frightening the pup, or giving her any cause for concern.
'What has been done to her is beyond dishonorable! It was cowardly and despicable! I'm not sure this pup even knows how to believe what someone might tell her. Kwei was right about that, hehasto be! There is no way that anyone could do such things to a mere pup with out lying in the process! She probably doesn't even know what honor is anymore. It won't be enough to simply tell her how she will be treated here; she will need to be shown. Our lives are filled with the honor given to us, and demonstrated by Paya, and Cetanu. Now, is when we must truly show that we have learned those lessons well, because this little pup will surely judge by what she sees. The question is, will she see honor… or more dishonor?' Guan wondered.
Lilith sat quietly in Gwen's lap for a while, as the Predator woman rubbed lightly at her arms and purred softly. Her mind was a crazy, mixed up jumble of confused thoughts as she sat there. She wished that she could somehow stop being worthless, and that she could somehow be good, because maybe, just maybe, if she wasn't worthless she might be able to find someone that would care about her. The problem was that she knew that in spite of all her fantasies, and wild daydreams, that it would never happen.