Guan opened the door to Lilith's room to find it completely empty. She could see that the ooman wasn't hiding among the stuffed toys as she had the day before, because they were still strewn about the room in a fair bit of a mess.
"Bakuub!" Guan called out, knowing that as well trained as the Yaut Hound was, that she would easily track down the ooman pup. After waiting for a moment or two, she called again, and the only response she heard was a soft growl coming from the main hall where the fireplace was. Curious as to why the Yaut Hound hadn't come when summoned, Guan made her way to the living area, and saw the massive Yaut Hound lying on the floor in front of the still glowing coals of the fireplace, and Lilith leaning against the side of the large beast asleep. When she saw that, she couldn't help but smile.
Guan stepped forward intending to wake the little ooman, but froze when Bakuub raised her head and bared her teeth in a silent snarl while looking straight at her. Guan flexed her mandibles slightly at what she was seeing. Her own Yaut Hound was really snarling at her! She took one more step forward only to receive a deep but soft growl in return.
Her first reaction was one of surprise. Guan knew that she had trained the Yaut Hound to be incredibly defensive of Guan's own pups, but she never would have thought that an ooman pup might be seen the same way. She was a little irritated at first, but then Guan realized that if Bakuub was going to be that protective of Lilith, that it would only be beneficial to the ooman. Her mandibles again flexed in a smile, because she knew the Yaut Hound would readily fight to the death to defend what she considered to be her pack. A silent nod of her head showed the approval she felt at that realization, and she knelt down to call the ooman's name.
"Lilith. Lilith, you need to wake up Little One." Guan called out softly but firmly. It took her several tries before the ooman pup finally raised her head to look over at her.
"Come Little One, you need to eat your morning meal." Guan said gently.
Guan watched as Lilith moved as if in a drunken daze. The pup staggered towards her with her eyes opening only part way every few steps. She watched Lilith closely as the ooman made her way to the dining table. She noticed the Yaut Hound padding silently behind the pup, and was immediately convinced that Bakuub had firmly taken to the Little One. It was a sentiment she agreed with whole-heartedly, because even with the short amount of time that she'd spent with the little ooman, Lilith was rapidly growing on her.
"How is she able to walk around like that?" Hulij-bpe asked curiously when he noticed how seldom Lilith actually opened her eyes.
"I'm not sure. I know that as an ooman, she sees much differently than we do, so it may be that she's able to see in here, when it's cool enough that we can't." Guan answered as she placed Lilith in the elevated chair so she could eat.
As she took her own seat at one end of the table, Guan couldn't help but notice the silent, questioning looks from the other members of her family. She silently shook her head to signal them not to ask about the previous night. She quickly fixed Lilith's plate of food and placed it in front of the little ooman, who promptly grabbed the hot broth first.
Guan shook her head lightly as she thought about the events of the evening before. She had spent several ooman hours holding Lilith who had been terrified for some unknown reason. Her most intense purring which should have been more than enough to calm the pup's fears seemed to have very little effect, and because of that, Guan knew that whatever the problem was, to Lilith, it was very serious. The problem would most likely be made worse, because she knew that she had a meeting later, which would be with some of the Clan Elders who wanted to know about the ooman now living in her home. She knew that Kwei also had such a meeting, with other Elders who wanted the same information from a different perspective. It would be time consuming, boring, and tedious, and she was sure that Lilith wouldn't enjoy it, since she wouldn't actually be allowed to attend the meeting.
"I need someone to stay with Lilith today. Kwei and I both have meetings that we must attend, and they'll likely take up most of the day." Guan finished sourly.
"I can take her with me. I know Hulij-bpe and Nihkou'te are going hunting for the Clan, but I'll only be hunting Tunnel Runners for a shopkeeper. I can also take Bakuub along since the two seem to like each other." Setg'in piped up quickly.
"Do you know if the shop contains anything dangerous?" Hulij-bpe demanded.
"I doubt it. Even though the owner sells almost any odd thing that gets collected by various hunters on their trips, no one ever lets go of any type of weapon, so she won't be around anything deadly." Setg'in answered.
"What if one of those Tunnel Runners attacks her; what will you do then?" Hulij-bpe shot back.
"Bakuub won't let that happen! She's been trained to protect any pup accepted in this family, and she'll defend Lilith as well." Guan told her large son firmly.
"Can you be sure that she'd defend Lilith? This is an ooman pup we're talking about; not a Yautja pup." Hulij-bpe replied quickly.
"I am certain of it, because Bakuub has already proven to me that she'll defend Lilith with her life if it comes down to it. Lilith slept in the main hall near the fireplace, and she was lying against Bakuub who growled at me when I approached Lilith." Guan clarified.
"But… but how is that possible? You were the one who trained her, and she listens to you before any one else… doesn't she?" Hulij-bpe asked in confusion.
"Yes, she does, because I trained her that way. I also trained her so that she'll defend a sleeping pup even from me, and if she feels the pup is being threatened, it won't matter who it is, Bakuub will do her best to kill them! Because of her small size, Bakuub probably sees Lilith as a pup, and most likely always will." Guan answered with a hint of pride in her tone. "I trained her that way deliberately. It made her an excellent keeper for each of you when you were still pups. Why do you think I allowed her to stay with you so much?"
"Bakuub was my keeper?" Al-Nihkou'te blurted out in surprise.
"Yes, she was, and she was very good at it too. After all, none of you ever realized that you were being guarded." Guan replied smugly.
Guan had to laugh at the expressions of dismay on the faces of her three sons, and she couldn't help but notice the snicker from her Lifemate as well.
"If you trusted Bakuub to watch over us, then I have no doubt that she can watch over Lilith." Setg'in said firmly.
"Very well then, Lilith and Bakuub will accompany you on your hunt for the Tunnel Runners. I was thinking that I might have to ask Than-guan to watch over her for me, but a medical center is no place for a pup." Guan said in relief.
A strange sort of gurgling growling noise caught everyone's attention, and the source of the weird sound turned out to be Lilith. In concern, Guan leaned over to check on the small female and realized that the little pup was sitting there completely asleep, and that the noise was being made every time the pup inhaled.
"What's she doing?" Kwei asked interestedly.
"Sleeping." Guan replied in a mystified tone.
"She's making that weird growling noise in her sleep?" Nihkou'te asked in disbelief.
"Yes… she is." Guan answered seriously before placing a hand on the female's shoulder.
Guan had intended to wake the pup gently, but Lilith's eyes snapped open as soon as she was touched, and immediately flinched away from Guan's hand.
"Easy Little One… you were making a strange noise in your sleep. Are you beginning to have trouble breathing?" Guan asked in concern.
Lilith blinked her bleary eyes and yawned widely before looking at Gwen curiously, while she wondered what kind of noise she could have been making. She thought hard for a moment before she remembered something a friend had told her a long time ago before she'd been locked in the basement. It had been after spending the night at her friend's house that she'd been told that she sometimes snored. She looked up at Gwen with a questioning look on her face and made a snoring sound.
"That's it! That's the noise you were making." Guan exclaimed in concern. "Why were you doing that in your sleep?"
Lilith thought about it for a short while. She didn't really know why people snored, even though she knew how they could snore. Since she couldn't explain it, she decided to show Gwen what it was. She opened her mouth as wide as she could and pointed inside.
When Lilith opened her mouth and pointed to it, Guan took a mask from her belt and put it on to get a proper look at the pup's mouth. Suddenly, the pup inhaled, and she could clearly see a piece of flesh at the very back of the pup's mouth, right at the beginning of her throat start to vibrate madly. That vibration was causing it to slap against the sides of the pup's mouth and throat to make the strange noise as air was forced past. Guan quickly switched the visual mode of her mask to see if there was a problem with the pup's ability to breathe. What she saw was that the muscles and flesh was actually very relaxed, and that was what enabled the piece of flesh to vibrate in such a way.
The realization, that Lilith would be that relaxed among them was a very comforting thought to Guan, and she couldn't help purring slightly at the knowledge.
"So you aren't having any added difficulty breathing then?" She asked quickly.
When Lilith shook her head and yawned again, Guan smiled genuinely and pushed the pup's plate closer to her. "Good. Now, I'd like it if you would finish your morning meal, Little One. You need your strength."
Lilith looked down at her plate, before flashing a worried look around the table, and saw that everyone else was done eating, and were drinking cups of the hot broth. She was surprised that they were ignoring her and the food she had in front of her.
Setg'in was watching the female pup surreptitiously as he drank his morning broth. As he watched, he began to understand what his mother had meant the night before. Lilith was watching all of them as much as possible while eating. He could see that she fully expected someone to take it away from her with no intentions of ever giving it back. 'Only a true Bad Blood would dare do such a thing!' Setg'in thought angrily before he something occurred to him. 'The only way she would have learned to counter such behavior is by having endured it before, so because I took her plate yesterday, she now expects us to behave the same way!'
Setg'in's eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to think of a way to show the little female that his family had Honor, and would never do such a thing. It was one thing to attempt to correct the pup's potentially dangerous eating habits, but to take food from a pup and not give it back? Never! An Honorable Warrior would even give up their own food first, and do so without any hesitation. After all, any half decent Hunter could always get something to eat by hunting, but a pup? A pup wouldn't have the training or the skills to hunt; that was why they were cared for by all.
Guan waited at the table along with the rest of her family until the pup finished eating, and was sipping at the cup of broth while she woke up. She wanted to ask why the pup had decided to sleep in the main room, but didn't because there wasn't likely to be any type of explanation she could easily understand.
'Three days! Setg'in found this pup in a Temple of Passage three days ago, and already it feels like I've been around her for a lifetime.' Guan thought idly. Suddenly, she nearly jerked upright as a thought occurred to her.
'It has only been three days! That means she was being tortured by ooman Bad Bloods four days ago! She hasn't had the time to adjust to being away from them, or to grow accustomed to being here with us. I'll have to make sure that she's given that time. No matter how much I might wish otherwise, I will not have her pressured, or stressed any more than she already is.' Guan realized.
"Did everyone lay their awu'asa out so it can be calibrated by the technician when he arrives? I don't want to see anyone trying to set something out at the last moment because they forgot." Kwei demanded sternly.
"I made sure that everything was properly laid out on the small table in the main hall before I went to sleep last night. There won't be any last instant surprises for the technician." Guan answered quickly.
"Good! Let's wait for him there then. Those technicians hate to be kept waiting for any reason. They act as if they are Cetanu's gift to Hunters, simply because they have the skills to repair and maintain the circuitry in armor." Kwei added grouchily.
"Come Lilith, you can finish your broth in the main hall in front of the fire. I'll build it back up if you like." Guan said as she lifted the pup out of the elevated chair, and stood her on the floor.
Almost as soon as they'd all sat down, a chime sounded signaling that someone was at the door. Kwei-vor'mekta stood and let the technician in, who looked around and quickly spotted the sets of armor already laid out.
"Finally!" The technician exploded in relief. "A house that understands just how busy we are!" The tall medium grey skinned Yautja said happily. "Do you know how often I get called to a house only to have to wait for long periods of time so they can gather their armor? It's maddening! It forces me to be late to almost every appointment afterwards." He said more than half to himself as he stepped over to the low table with several sets of armor laid out on it.
"Why have I been called to calibrate new armor? Are you not pleased with those who made it?" He asked in confusion as he examined one of the masks on the table.
"What do you mean by 'new'?" Guan demanded quickly. "Three of those sets were just used in a Chiva, and one of the others belongs to my Lifemate, while the remaining two are mine, one of which is even my training armor." She said in a puzzled tone.
"Forgive my saying so Honored Warrior, but all of this armor looks to be new. The training armor and the five marked sets all appear to be of recent make." The technician replied softly.
Instantly, all five members of Guan's family were up and standing over the table while they examined the armor in confusion.
"I don't understand… why does it look like new?" Hulij-bpe muttered in confusion.
Setg'in looked at the armor for only a brief instant before he turned and looked at the only member of the house not puzzled by the state the armor was in.
"You did this… didn't you Lilith?" Setg'in asked slowly in a suspicious tone.
"She couldn't have done it! It would have taken her most of the night to polish all of this…" Guan began to protest as she looked back and forth between the armor, and the ooman. Then she thought about where she had found the pup, and how tired the pup seemed to be this morning. She lowered her head as she looked at the ooman pup in a newfound suspicion.
"Little One… did you polish that armor last night?" Guan asked softly.
When she saw the female nod her head hesitantly while detecting a slight tang of fear, Guan stepped over to the little female and knelt down before pulling the ooman into an embrace. "You spent most of the night on that; didn't you?"
Lilith nodded her head once more, and suddenly remembered the lecture she'd gotten about armor and weapons the night before, and how she wasn't supposed to touch them without permission. She suddenly realized that she was about to be in serious trouble for doing it. She'd only done it as a way of showing her thanks for the room, clothing, and even the food that these Predators had given her, but now, she realized that they might not see it that way.
"That thing polished your armor to look like this?" The technician blurted in surprise as he gestured at the mask in his hand.
"Lilith is not a 'thing'! She is an ooman pup who has earned a place in our family!" Hulij-bpe protested as he bristled in anger.
"I've never seen an ooman before, so I couldn't say what she is or isn't, but I can tell you that if she can make used armor look this good, that I know of manyElders who would pay very highly for such a service!" The technician retorted as he connected a diagnostic computer to the mask.
Guan pulled Lilith closer to her and stroked the pups arms lightly as she glanced up at the specialist before turning her attention back to the pup in her arms. "Whether Lilith is willing to polish the armor of another or not, isn't the question right now. It's obvious after watching her the night before last; that polishing all of our armor had to have taken most of the night. I want to know if she managed to get enough rest."
Lilith was sure that she was now in some serious trouble, and she looked up in near terror when Celtic started laughing loudly.
"Freshly calibrated armor that looks like new? Everyone attending the clan hunt is going to be very jealous!" Hulij-bpe exclaimed smugly.
"Of both of us!" Nihkou'te added in with a smirk.
"Thank you Lilith. I'm not sure why you did this for us, but it is truly a noble gift, and one that we appreciate. Now tell me, did you sleep well enough last night?" Guan said softly.
Lilith nodded her head in confusion. She was certain that everyone would have been pissed at her for messing with their armor without permission. Then she figured that the only reason the Predators weren't pissed at her, was because she must have done a good job on it.
Guan pulled the ooman into her arms and stood up. She supported the pup with her left arm, while she took her right, and tried to get the little female to lay her head down on her shoulder. "Just sleep now Little One, after last night's events, you have earned your right to rest." She said before beginning a nearly silent purr that she could only hope would offer some comfort to the ooman pup.
Lilith had to admit that she was still sleepy. She had worked hard on all the pieces of armor that had been laid out. She had scrubbed until her hand was too tired to do it anymore, so she'd switched hands and repeated the process until the strange orange sun was close to shinning through the windows. She let Gwen push her head down until she was resting her head on the Predator's shoulder. She yawned sleepily and was silently glad that no one was angry at her for messing with their armor.
Lilith felt like she was a tiny little girl again. She was being held with one arm while laying against the very warm body of a Predator who was twice her height. The size difference made her feel like she was around four years old while being safe in the arms of someone who actually cared about her. Then, there was that soft purr that Gwen was making. Both factors combined in her subconscious mind to make her feel safe. She wasn't even thinking about what she was doing as she draped her arms on the Predator's shoulders and slid into dreamland.
Lilith wasn't sure how long she'd slept in Gwen's arms, but when she did wake up; she lifted her head and shook it in total confusion.
The dream was… well… weird! Lilith had known that she was dreaming, but this… this wasn't a nightmare, or even a memory from her time in the basement. Instead, she was at a picnic. She was there in the new clothes that Gwen had gotten for her, and so were the rest of the Predators. She had been playing fetch with Slobber, while Scar, Celtic, and Rave threw a disk full of blades back and forth while using it to play catch. Old Bruce was Bar-B-Queuing, and Gwen was setting up a table full of other food.
Lilith had a confused look on her face as she thought about that weird dream before she raised her head and looked around. She saw the strange Predator messing with one of those wrist things that had a computer in it, and that everyone else was watching him closely.
"There!" The technician said in a satisfied tone. "That's the last of it. I must say, I've never had the pleasure of working on armor that has been maintained so well. My advice would be to keep a close watch on that ooman. There will be a great many who would want such skills for their own use."
"I watch over all of my family very carefully." Guan replied in a dangerous tone to let the male know that she would be the one to deal with should anything happen to Lilith.
"Trying to find one of us who won't be looking after her might prove impossible." Setg'in said clearly. "Besides, anyone who does anything to her can be immediately executed as a Bad Blood, because she's still a pup."
"I'll make certain that I'm the first one they would have to face if anyone is honorless enough to try anything against her." Hulij-bpe snapped.
Setg'in stepped over and placed his hand on his large brother's shoulder. "Be careful if it does happen Brother. Remember, mother nearly went in to a Bearer's Rage over looks that were directed at Lilith. I don't want to think of what might happen to you if you were to get in the way of that." He warned seriously while looking straight at the technician.
"My apologies. I meant no offense. I was simply trying to warn you that others might not care that the ooman is only a pup, and will try to claim her for themselves." The technician said as he bowed his head in sincerity.
"Your apology is accepted, and the warning is appreciated. Lilith is in our care, and we intend to see that such remains the case." Kwei replied easily as he watched the technician gather his tools and equipment.
"I just realized something." Setg'in said with a smirk.
"What's that?" Nihkou'te asked curiously.
"No one can be challenged for anything acquired during a Chiva! That's when we found Lilith, and no one on the ship can deny that the only oomans to be found were those already inside the Temple of Passage. So that means no one can issue a challenge for possession of her." Setg'in explained smugly.
"That would not be a smart thing to do, Setg'in, the moment you make that claim, it would be taken to a Tribunal of Arbitrators, and they would not be happy to have their time repeatedly wasted in such a fashion!" Kwei snapped in an irritated tone.
"You're right. I'll have to think of something else then." Setg'in replied in annoyance.
"You do that. In the meantime, there are a few things that your mother and I will also try." Kwei told him as he watched the technician leave.
While the four males began to happily examine their freshly polished and calibrated armor, Guan turned her attention to the ooman pup in her arms. "Kwei and I will be in meetings with our Clan Elders for much of today, while Nihkou'te and Hulij-bpe will be fulfilling our obligations to the Clan by hunting large meat animals. Therefore, you and Bakuub will be spending the day with Setg'in since he'll only be killing some tunnel runners. It won't be very dangerous since Bakuub will be with you, and she's bred for such things. So if there's something in your room that you'd like to take along for something to do while Setg'in hunts the tunnel runners, then go and get it."
Lilith nodded her head emphatically. As nice as her new clothes were, there was no way that she wanted to get them covered in the blood and guts of a bunch of animals. She moved to get down, and as soon as she was placed on the floor, she darted to her room, and saw her clothes stacked by the door; she grabbed them and went in to change. A few short moments later, she came out dressed in the clothes she'd taken from her mother's closet, and a stuffed what-ever-it-was critter tucked under her left arm. Lilith started to go over to where Scar was standing and looking at his armor when she was stopped by a sharp demand from Gwen.
"Where is the symbol of our Clan?" Guan demanded in a sharp tone while looking straight at Lilith.
The ooman pup looked at her in confusion, and Guan decided to elaborate. "The disk of metal attached to a chain that Setg'in gave you yesterday; where is it?" She snapped firmly.
Lilith pointed back to her room while she tried to figure out what she had done wrong now. That necklace was the only piece of jewelry she had, and it had been given to her just the day before. There was no way she was going to let it get messed up. She clearly remembered the jewelry she'd had before she was locked and chained in the basement. Rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces were things that she'd enjoyed wearing, but her parents had gotten rid of all of her things. She remembered looking for them a few days earlier when she'd finally escaped from the basement, but her room had been made in to a room for the dog that her parents had gotten. Nothing of hers had been left anywhere in the house. Now, she finally had one piece of jewelry that was nice and that she could wear, and she didn't want anything to happen to it.
"Go get it, and bring it here." Guan instructed simply. She could smell fresh apprehension on the pup, and had a feeling that Lilith either didn't want the necklace damaged, or didn't like it. When Lilith returned with the chain and attached pendant, Guan took it and wrapped both of her hands around the chain as if she were going to place it around Lilith's neck.
Lilith's eyes bulged and she gave a loud gasp of dismay when Gwen suddenly snapped her hands apart like she was trying to break the necklace. Then, a mix of confusion and relief flooded her mind as the chain only hummed from the sudden tension that had been applied.
"The chain and medallion are made of heat metal. They are very strong, and can't be easily broken. The only thing you'll need to be careful of is making sure that it doesn't catch on anything, because your neck would break long before the chain will. The symbol of our Clan is carved into the disk so that everyone can see which Clan you are affiliated with. I want you to wear it at all times when ever you leave this house. If you don't like to wear it, I can understand, but this medallion will help keep you safe. So anytime you go outside, it doesn't matter who is with you, or if you are by yourself for some reason, you must always wear this, understand?" Guan explained carefully.
Lilith nodded her head and reached out, took the necklace, put it on, and tucked the pendant inside her shirt.
Guan shook her head and knelt down to face the little female on her level. "No Lilith." She said firmly as she pulled the disk back out to rest just beneath the hollow of the ooman's collarbones. "You must always wear it so that it can be seen! It serves no purpose if no one can see it. There are those among us who don't like oomans, and they will not be pleased to see you living here. This medal will tell them that they aren't allowed to harm you, but they won't know that unless they can see it."
Lilith nodded her head nervously. She knew that these Predators were a lot stronger than she was, and that they could hurt her all too easily. Pain was something she'd had to endure since she first started living in the basement, and she wasn't actually used to being without it. The strange thing about being here was that these Predators seemed to be doing a lot to make sure that she wasn't in pain. Now, Gwen was doing something else to make sure that she wouldn't get hurt. Lilith couldn't understand why the Predators were doing all of these things for her, but she knew that when they found out the truth, that she would suffer like she never had before.
Guan stood up and stepped back to appraise the female's appearance. She had to admit to a strange mixture of both happiness and displeasure as she studied the pup. She wasn't at all pleased about the over sized and ill fitting clothing that Lilith was once again wearing, but at the same time, she was pleased that Lilith seemed to appreciate the new clothing enough that the ooman pup didn't want to get it soiled. That thought caused her to realize that Lilith was attempting to take care of the items that they'd given to her. The sudden understanding that the tiny female appeared to appreciate what had been given to her, told Guan that Lilith was at least trying to adjust to living with her new family. Guan could only pray to Paya, that Lilith would continue to make progress in that regard.
"I want you to go with Setg'in now. He and Bakuub will watch over you while Kwei and I are stuck in meetings today. If Setg'in tells you to do something, it will be because he's trying to keep you safe, and I want you to listen to him, and obey." Guan told Lilith firmly.
Lilith made a very sour face, because she just knew that Scar was going to start in on her about nearly everything!
"Setg'in… I want you to listen to me very carefully." Guan instructed her son in a tone that wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "Lilith has several ways of making her displeasure known. There are even some that you do not want to experience…"
"I know. She's already struck me in the genitals." Setg'in growled sourly.
"It was a really solid strike too!" Hulij-bpe exclaimed with an enthusiastic snicker.
"Then you already know that she can be very difficult when she feels she has a reason to be. Therefore, I don't want you trying to give her unnecessary commands. She may not choose to speak yet, but I'm sure that she will come up with a way to let me know if you try to use too much authority. One more thing you should be aware of… our air is much different from that of her world, so there are times when you will need to carry her. If you try to do so in a way that is demeaning or humiliating to her then she will resist and you won't like the results. I've learned from experience that she will try to continue for as long as she can. I want you to let her do so. She needs to exercise to help her adjust to our atmosphere. The more she walks, and does, the sooner she'll adapt. I want you to keep a watchful eye on her though, and if you think she's done too much, ask her if she's ready to be carried. Lilith is tenacious to the point of almost being stubborn, and I know that she still has a great deal of pride. I want her to keep those qualities, because they will serve her well. Do not try to humiliate her! Do I make myself understood?" Guan clarified sternly.
"Absolutely! You don't have to worry about this day Mother; I will take proper care of Lilith while we are away. She will return safe and sound and I don't think she'll have any complaints." Setg'in stated easily.
As they walked to where ever it was that they were going, Lilith learned that she had to keep a sharp eye on Slobber. The great big beast would often turn and swipe that long wet dripping tongue right across her face for no reason. It was something that annoyed her to no end, but at the same time, she could tell that Slobber was being really protective of her! Lilith had figured out that every time they'd pass one of the Predators, Slobber would bare her teeth growl like a pissed off demon until they got some distance away from her. Then, as soon as they were away from the Predator, Slobber would lick her right across the face. It was something that surprised her more than a little, because she'd only met the huge beast two days ago. She wasn't ready to argue about why Slobber seemed to like her, she just glad that the Yaut Hound did for some reason.
Even though he was leading the way, Setg'in was still observing the behavior of both Lilith, and Bakuub as they headed towards the shop where he'd have to try to get rid of the tunnel runners. He noticed that Bakuub was meticulous in her protection of the ooman pup, and he was very glad to see that. It meant that anyone who did issue a challenge for possession of the ooman would have to deal with the combat trained, and very deadly Yaut Hound, in addition to him. Suddenly, Setg'in smirked deviously as he thought of the perfect way to avoid any type of challenge. The funny part of the idea was that it was completely true.
Setg'in watched in silence as Lilith swiveled her head in every direction possible as she looked around and took in the sights of his world. She looked at each of the hunter's they passed with what he was sure was avid curiosity.
Lilith was actually enjoying the walk for a change. Scar wasn't walking anywhere nearly as fast as Guan did when going somewhere, and she wasn't being forced to hold Scar's hand like a little baby. She was completely free to look around and see everything, and that was why she was able to enjoy this outing as much as she was. The strange Mayan or Aztec looking pyramids were scattered everywhere, but all in ordered rows. Some were as tall as seven floors, but even the shortest had three. She saw that there were still no streets or sidewalks, and no kind of cars either. It was the kind of thing that really made her wonder about these Predators, because she knew they had better stuff than Earth did, or they wouldn't have been able to send a spaceship to Earth in the first place.
'You'd think they would at least have stuff like those air cars from Star Wars or Fifth Element. They don't just walk everywhere… do they?' Lilith wondered as she looked around.
Suddenly, Lilith's attention was drawn to a wonderfully sweet smell that she just couldn't get enough of. She looked around and quickly spotted the source; it was a bunch of strange looking flowers that were growing off to one side of the trail. She smiled brightly and darted over to them. Their scent was like a mix of lemons and roses, and she didn't even try to resist as she closed her eyes, and stuck her nose in them and inhaled deeply. The smell was heavenly, and it had been so long since Lilith had even seen a flower that she was completely lost in her own little world as she dwelled in that wonderful aroma.
Lilith's eyes snapped open at the sound of a very angry growl coming from somewhere above her. Thinking that Scar was the one who was growling at her, she opened her eyes with a glare upwards and froze at the sight of an apparently angry Predator woman she hadn't seen before.
"My apologies Honored Warrior, the ooman hasn't been on our world for very long, and she's very inquisitive about things." Setg'in said as he walked up from the short distance he'd gotten ahead.
"You should teach it some manners, or if you can't, I'd be happy to challenge you for possession of it." The woman snarled angrily.
"That would not be a wise decision, because I am not the one who has claimed the ooman pup." Setg'in replied quickly but in a soft respectful tone.
"Then who has, I'll be glad to show them how to beat some sense into such a creature."
"Guan-Kv'var-de and her Lifemate have claimed this pup." Setg'in answered warily.
Setg'in knew this female was angry, because he could smell the rage on her, and he knew that he had little to no chance against her if it came down to a fight.
"If they have claimed this ooman, then what are you doing with it, and how do I find these two to challenge them?"
"They are both in meetings with the Clan's Elders. Because of that, they have placed the pup with me for the time being, but they have also sent their Yaut Hound along to watch over the pup." Setg'in answered quickly.
"Which Clan are they in, and how do I find them?" The female again demanded in a snarl.
"They are of The Burning Mountain Clan. They shouldn't be too hard to find, since both are Elders within that Clan." Setg'in answered plainly.
Suddenly the female's angry growls were more than matched by those of the large Yaut Hound who now stood next to the female pup.
"Bakuub, be silent!" Setg'in snapped, having deliberately given a command that while apparently cooperative, was actually one that would cause the Yaut Hound to growl at him instead. He had known what Bakuub's response would be as soon as he gave the order, but what he wasn't prepared for was Lilith's reaction to Bakuub's growl. Suddenly, Setg'in was very glad that he was wearing his mask, because it hid the wide grin on his face while he choked on his own laughter after Lilith directed another of those incredibly disgusting noises at him. Although he had no idea that Lilith called the noise a 'Raspberry', he was certainly glad that she had used that exact moment to make it towards him, because it would make him appear to have no control over Bakuub's actions, while making it seem as if Lilithdid. Setg'in knew that it wouldn't actually be a lie, because he had absolutely no control over the thoughts of another, and it wouldn't be his fault if someone had failed to learn one of the most important lessons about oomans, in that appearances were almost always deceiving!
When she heard Scar tell Slobber to be quiet, and the great big drool machine only growled at him for it, Lilith couldn't help but have a bit of fun and rub it in by giving him a Raspberry, before flashing a smirk at him. Then, just to see if she could, she petted Slobber on her head.
"Insolent insect! I'll teach you to show respect to your betters!" The female bellowed as she took an angry step towards the ooman.
Lilith heard the threat, and didn't even hesitate as she dove under Slobber's belly and tried to hide under the huge beast.
Setg'in stepped back in total surprise when he saw what was happening in front of him. He wasn't at all surprised to see the large and angry female step back as well, because what they were both seeing was an enraged Yaut Hound crouching protectively over an ooman while letting out a growl that was full of deadly intent and warning.
"That… that's not supposed to be possible; Yaut Hounds normally kill anything that tries to get beneath them except for their own pups!" The female exclaimed in confusion.
"That's probably why Guan-kv'var-de sent Bakuub with her. She did state that the Yaut Hound would be very protective of the pup." Setg'in said in a puzzled tone.
Setg'in would have been the first to admit that Lilith had entered the grounds of a stranger without permission, but then, he would also have to admit that this female had severely over reacted after having been provided with both an explanation and an apology. He wasn't sure why this female was as angry as she was, but it could certainly prove to be an issue if this confrontation continued for much longer. What he wanted right now was for Lilith to be safe, and while he knew that she was safer than anywhere else in her current location, getting her out of that predicament might be fatal to her.
"Why do you keep referring to it as a pup?" The female suddenly demanded with her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Because she is just a pup. That can be determined by her small size."
Setg'in watched as the female took a deep breath and shake her head as if to clear it, before she spoke again.
"You say it's been claimed by a pair of Lifemated Elders? A single Elder would be a worthy challenge, but in order to challenge for possession, I'd have to fightboth of them simultaneously, and that's not even counting that Yaut Hound standing over it. That isn't a challenge… it's suicide!" The female grunted irritably. "Take the ooman and be gone with it…" She ordered. "and do not damage my plants! It has not been easy to get them to grow in that spot."
"As you say Honored Warrior, although, I will say that the ooman pup was only admiring their scent which is quite appealing." He stated in a respectful tone.
Setg'in watched in silence as the female only grunted before turning away and going back into her home. As soon as the female was gone, he let out a sigh of relief, and turned his attention to Lilith who was still safely tucked away beneath the large Yaut Hound.
"Lilith, when I tell you to, I want you to be cautious in coming out from under Bakuub. Who ever she is, she was right about one thing… Yaut Hounds typically kill anything except their own pups that try to get under them, since that is their only real vulnerability." Setg'in warned seriously before looking at the Yaut Hound.
"Easy Bakuub. Come here." Setg'in said softly this time giving the Yaut Hound the proper command.
Setg'in's surprise couldn't have been greater when Bakuub merely bared her teeth at him in a silent snarl before craning her head around and licking the ooman pup huddled underneath her. Beneath his mask, his mandibles dropped in shock as he stared with disbelieving eyes at something that, as far as he knew, was simplynot possible!
Lilith looked up at Scar from her position under Slobber's belly. She would have laughed if she had known what was going through his mind at that moment. Instead, she reached up and scratched at Slobber's belly, and snickered as the big critter got even lower, and started up with that soft deep-throated purring sound. Lilith snickered again before she pushed up with a solid steady hand, and crawled out when Slobber stood up. Getting to her feet, she scratched near the base of one of the spikes, before holding out a hand for Scar to lead the way.
Setg'in couldn't believe what he was seeing. How was Lilith able to get beneath Bakuub in such a fashion without any consequences? He didn't know the answer to that, but he did have to admit that he was very glad she could. Being able to get into a place where no one could even get close to her gave Lilith a measure of safety that he would be hard pressed to match.
"Lilith, I… I need you to listen to me very carefully." Setg'in said kneeling in front of the ooman. "Bakuub clearly likes you a lot. If she didn't, she would have killed you for even trying to get near her stomach. Some of the less intelligent ones have been known to kill their own offspring just for trying to nurse. I will say that what you did was very smart though. But you should never underestimate me." Setg'in said firmly.
Setg'in reached over and began petting the large Yaut Hound who began purring deeply. "Bakuub, be silent!"
Instantly, the Yaut Hound was growling at him with bared teeth, and Setg'in smiled beneath his mask. "That is a common command for a Yaut Hound, but mother trained Bakuub differently. For Bakuub, it means for her to growl and snarl at the one who gave that command. If it comes from someone she doesn't know, then she may well attack them. I think this was done because Bakuub was the one who sometimes watched over my brothers and I when we were young." He told her.
"Easy Bakuub." Setg'in didn't have to point out that Bakuub had relaxed, because the female pup noticed it right away. "You see, Lilith? Things are rarely what they seem. I may be small by most Yautja standards, but I have also been given the intelligence to make up for my small stature. A good lesson for you to learn is that things are not always as they appear."
Lilith heard Scar's little lecture, and shook her head at him. Then, Lilith smiled widely as she quickly ducked back under Slobber's belly and started scratching the big beast's stomach. She'd learned during the first night that she'd met the creature, that Slobber loved being scratched by her, and that it didn't really matter where, although there were some places that were preferred. The base of the spikes, underneath the jaw, and neck, behind the ears, and Slobber really seemed to love the way Lilith could scratch her belly. It was something that just sort of happened. Lilith had been scratching Slobber while the beast was laying on her stomach. As Lilith got lower down the sides, Slobber stood up. Not feeling like getting up herself, Lilith had just kept on scratching the areas that she could reach while sitting. Soon enough, she found herself under Slobber's belly scratching the big beast and listening to a purr that was also a growl of pleasure. It had cracked Lilith up to know that she could scratch the big critter just right so that Slobber didn't know whether to purr, groan, or growl.
Setg'in shook his head in disbelief when he saw the little female get back under the Yaut Hound's stomach without any problems. It wasn't until Lilith reemerged that he took a closer look at the tips of her fingers. That was when he realized that she didn't have the sharp claws of a Yautja, and that the blunt ends probably felt good to the Yaut Hound.
"Come on Lilith. I've got some tunnel runners to hunt down." Setg'in told her as he resumed leading the way.
After following Scar for a fair distance, Lilith was surprised to find them going into a Predator store of some kind. It was pretty weird actually. She could almost swear that it was an alien version of Sears, because it had almost everything. She watched in idle curiosity as Scar walked up to the shopkeeper to introduce himself.
"Greetings Warrior! I am Thwei-de-thei-de (Bloody Death) the owner of this shop. I have goods and merchandise from countless worlds and more than two dozen sentient races. What can I interest you in this day?" The Shopkeeper exclaimed pleasantly.
Lilith nearly laughed at how familiar that greeting was. There was a small 'Mom & Pop' burger joint that she'd used to go to with her parents, and the people who ran it had always said almost the same thing. It made her feel like this was almost normal, except that this was a Predator, and she was on the Predator's world.
'I guess a store is still a store, no matter where it is.' Lilith thought ruefully.
"I am Setg'in, your brother told me yesterday that you might have a small problem with tunnel runners. He has already paid me to deal with them."
"A small problem? Might? Honored Warrior… I will tell you now, that if I could hunt those vermin down I would, but I simply don't have the time, and apparently neither does my brother. I don't expect you to eliminate them, since I'm almost certain there are several hundred of those thieving vermin running around in here, but if you can reduce their numbers by a decent margin, I would be heavily in your debt." Thwei-de said dramatically as he rounded some of the aisles to walk up to Setg'in.
"Elder… I am no Honored Warrior." Setg'in admitted as he pulled off his mask. "I only passed my Chiva three days ago." He said as he tried to correct the shopkeeper.
"Just as good in my opinion! It means that you'll have the endurance, enthusiasm, and tenacity that can only come from youth. These tunnel runners are starting to drive my patrons to other shops and working alone, I'm no longer fast enough to keep up with their growing numbers." Thwei-de answered quickly as he approached but suddenly paused in midstep as he took note of Bakuub's presence.
"It seems that you've certainly come well prepared for the job! I've rarely seen a Yaut Hound of that size. Most of them aren't nearly as well muscled as that one is. Tell me… do you think she'll be up to the task?" Thwei-de asked with a smile of admiration at the large Yaut Hound.
"My mother has raised Bakuub from a suckling pup long before I was birthed. Bakuub is combat trained and battle tested. My mother made certain of that since she did the training herself because she had planned for Bakuub to accompany her during her role as an Arbitrator…" Setg'in began.
"That beast was trained to assist an Arbitrator? No pauk-de wonder she's so well muscled! What exactly did my brother pay you to warrant such swift and skilled service?" Thwei-de exclaimed.
"I was given a chain and medallion of heat metal that's been engraved with the symbol of my Clan…" Setg'in began before he saw where the shopkeeper was looking.
Setg'in turned to see what the shopkeeper was looking at, certain that he already knew. Sure enough, Lilith was in plain sight looking at some of the wares that the shop had to offer. He noted with approval that Lilith wasn't touching anything, although she was leaning in closely for a good look at some of the stuff.
"What is that?" Thwei-de demanded crossly not wanting his goods damaged or touched unless a purchase was to be made.
"Her name is Lilith, and she is an ooman pup who's been claimed by my mother and her Lifemate. She's the reason I needed a wearable symbol of our Clan. She understands our language perfectly, even though she doesn't speak. So you won't have to worry about her disturbing any of your customers. One warning though, it seems that Bakuub is very fond of Lilith and she is quite protective of the ooman." Setg'in answered.
Thwei-de stepped closer as he looked at Lilith with appraising eyes. It was a gaze that could instantly determine the inherent value of an item, and what he could sell that item for. As he looked at the ooman, he noticed that she seemed to be somewhat small and possibly underfed. He also noticed the way the oversized coverings were draped over the small body, the nervous, and often apprehensive glances directed at him that contained more than a touch of anger. The ooman had a stuffed me'llit tucked under one arm. The strange hair just grazed the shoulders, and eyes glared at him from beneath that hair, but then there was the disk on the oomans chest that stood out because it had a much higher temperature than the ooman's body heat. A disk that proclaimed her to be the property of the Burning Mountain Clan.
"I see that she wears the payment you speak of. I would risk a guess and say that she was recently acquired." Thwei-de muttered thoughtfully. "I've heard much of oomans, although I've never seen one until now."
"There have been several hunters who've brought things from the ooman planet, and I have quite a large number of things that she'll be familiar with. Make no mistake; I do not want her handling my wares, because some of the items are fragile and easily damaged. You will keep her under control, or she can be locked in a storage closet until you are done. I've lost enough merchandise to these thrice-blasted tunnel runners, and I do not wish to lose any more, is that understood?" Thwei-de snapped firmly.
Setg'in was about to answer when his attention was drawn to Lilith who'd made a sharp whistle. He looked over to see her giving the shopkeeper a look that obviously contained pure death. She pointed at him, and then to her stuffed toy, before shaking her head and tucking the toy beneath her arms while glaring at the Warrior.
"I believe she said for you not to touch her stuffed me'llit. I agree. Though she has been here a very short time, Lilith has only twice handled things without permission. The first time was when I took a plate of food from her to make her slow down the speed at which she was eating. She took my brother's knife and used it to regain her food. It became a choice of holding on to the plate, and losing my hand, or letting go. She was corrected for that, and I know that she understands not to do so again. The second time she handled something without permission was last night." Setg'in explained before grinning widely.
"My parents, two older brothers, and myself had laid out our armor for the technician to tend to this morning. Without being asked, Lilith worked through most of the night to polish all of it until it looks like new. I know all too well that there are oomans who have no concept of honor…" Setg'in said as he thought about those who had hurt the little female so horribly that she would no longer speak.
"But I can assure you that Lilith is not one of them. I know this from personal experience, because my oldest brother would not now be alive if such was not the case. Though she is still a mere pup, she is highly intelligent, and extremely cunning. She is very easy to underestimate, because of her size and her unwillingness to speak, but it would be a serious mistake to do so. I have seen her face the Hard Meat with a level of courage and a complete lack of fear that would even shame many Honored Ancients, because she was essentially unarmed at the time. I have watched her master her fears with a level of self discipline that some Elders might envy." Setg'in clarified quickly.
"I can give you a clear example of why she shouldn't be underestimated. Tell me; when have you ever seen a Yaut Hound allow something to get beneath them?" Setg'in demanded with a confident smirk.
Thwei-de saw that smug expression on the warrior in front of him, and knew that Setg'in felt he had the upper hand. The question though seemed to be a rather stupid one to ask, since everyone knew better than to try to get near the stomach of a Yaut Hound because they were all very protective of that vulnerable spot.
"Only the creature's own pups, and sometimes not even then." Thwei-de snapped suspiciously.
Lilith had been listening the entire time, and she knew what Scar was planning without being told. After what she'd been told earlier, she understood exactly how unusual it was for her to be able to do that, but she also knew that neither she nor Slobber had any problems with it. Lilith nearly snickered at how surprised this Predator was going to be