The next chapter is up! Enjoy :)
When Kayla woke up, she felt very refreshed. It was probably the best sleep she had since coming here.
She also noted that she was still laying against a warm solid body when she awoke.
"Looks like you slept well. Was snoring and everything." Than-guan teased.
Kayla frowned and pulled away from his chest to level the smirking hunter with a look.
"I don't snore." She told him.
"Really? You sure about that? Because at some point last night I woke to what I thought was a large snarling rjet entering the cave. I looked around and quickly realized the sound was coming from you." He joked.
"You're so full of shit. I. don't. snore." She pointed out again.
The hunter chuckled, "How would you know? You're asleep when it occurs."
"Seriously, I don't snore. Though I thought I woke up at some point last night and heard some funny sounds coming from you. I thought two little birds in here were fighting. Because I thought I heard chirping. Only to find out it was coming from you. You always chirp like Tweety bird in your sleep?" She retorted.
"Sometimes, though I hear it only tends to happen when I share sleeping space with a female." Than-guan teased.
He began to chuckle again when he saw her cheeks grow warm.
"You really can be a jackass at times. You know that?" She deadpanned.
"Yes, my siblings and friends tell me that all that time. It's a curse, I'm afraid." He feigned emotional pain as he said it.
This caused Kayla to laugh at his response and display.
Than-guan grinned. As fun as it was teasing her. He found he really likes her laugh. It wasn't gruff or gravelly like his kind. Hers was rather soft and melodic.
"You sure you don't partake in drama classes in your spare time when you're not hunting?" She says, laughter still present in her voice.
The hunter shrugs, "Probably wouldn't have lasted. I drove a lot of my tutors crazy. Made one quit within a week."
Amusement flashed in her eyes, "You really were a terror as a kid, weren't you?"
He gave her a devilish smirk, "That's an understatement. The pranks I pulled on tutors. I'm surprised they didn't kill me. And my parents' discipline didn't stop me either.
Even after they kicked my ass for each one, I still went back out thinking about what else I can do next time around. And each one was more creative then the last."
"Ok, now you got me curious. Give me an example." She stated.
The smirk never left his face.
"Once I ran and hid from a tutor. He looked all over and got frustrated when he couldn't find me. He went outside in the yard to look. And after a few minutes he heard me laughing.
He turned around and saw me in the doorway that led out to the back. I started making faces at him. Even turned around and smacked my ass in front of him for good measure to get him angrier.
He stomped over to me, snarling. But right before he could reach me, his foot caught in the snare trap I laid out for him in the yard. And a moment later he roared in agitation as he hung upside down, swinging from the cable as the other end clung to a very sturdy tree branch above him.
My parents came over when they heard the commotion. They were mortified and apologized profusely to him after they got him down.
It didn't help though, he still screamed he quit, and left the premises. And both my parents gave me quite the verbal and physical lashing after that.
I believe at the time; it was tutor number...four? Yeah, that sounds about right. But to me, it was worth getting reamed out and getting my ass kicked." He told her, quite proudly.
Kayla placed a hand over her mouth trying to stifle her laughs
"I take it back. You weren't a terror. You were a straight up Hellion." She said, between laughs.
"And proud of it." He teased.
She rolled her eyes. Of course, he'd be. Most kids like that usually were proud. They didn't always care that they were driving loved ones crazy. Because practical jokes were just their thing.
"What about you? And don't say you were an angel and never did anything. I won't believe a word of it." Than-guan stated.
Kayla snorted, of course she wasn't an angel. But she wasn't straight up bad either. She doubts anything she did as a kid held a candle to the shit he pulled.
"No, can't say I was. But I never did anything extreme like you did either. The only things that come to mind is the time I put a stick of butter in my brother's bed. And I stole my sister's nail polish. I may have put a fake mouse on her pillow once too.
But that's only because they thought it funny to tie me to a tree in the front yard with my jump rope and leave me there until our parents came home." She said.
He looked at her for a second and started laughing when she told him they tied her up.
"Hey, that's actually not a bad idea. Now I know what to do when you annoy or aggravate me. I'll just tie you to a tree." Than-guan said, with some laughter in his voice.
Kayla glared at him.
"You better fucking not. Or I'll tie your mandibles shut." She threatened.
"How? You're too short and can't reach my face." He teased.
"Doesn't mean it's impossible. I'll find a way. Just try me." She pointed out.
They went back and forth a little longer. Until the weather finally started to clear up.
The storm lasted a pretty long time, for nearly a day and a half. Than-guan said we were pretty lucky because there have been times a storm here can last for two to three days straight.
He put his armor and mask back on. And the pair left the cave.
"So, now what?" She asks.
"Will find food for you first. Then find a secluded spot to train for a little while." He told her.
"Didn't know you wanted to start training that soon." Kayla said.
"In this situation, the sooner the better. You need to be prepared." Than-guan replied.
She can only imagine what this training will entail and how rough it will be. No doubt it will most likely be different than any other type of training she had on Earth.
As they walked further through the woods, they came up a small clearing. Within it, were some odd type of animals that were clearly grazers.
Than-guan killed one and that was Kayla's breakfast/lunch.
After they were finished, they moved on. He told her there was a gorge not far from here that they could utilize for training. It was a pretty secluded and out of the way spot for both yautja and carnivorous animals.
No one would really go there anyway, because it was quite barren and bare as it was down there.
And after an hour and half of walking they made it to the ledge that dropped off into a pretty deep gorge. If she had to guess, it had to go probably forty to forty-five feet down.
"Ok, we found it. But now, how we going to get down there?" She asked.
Than-guan turned to her, "You get on my back and I climb us down."
Her eyes widened, "What? Climb down? What if you slip and fall?"
The hunter snorted, "Won't slip. Yautja are good climbers. You'll be fine."
"Yeah, but have you ever done it with extra weight on you before?" She countered.
"As a matter of fact, yes. And with much heavier things than you. You practically way next to nothing as it is." He pointed out.
The young woman was silent for a few moments, then closes her eyes and lets out a long sigh.
"Fine, but if we fall and I die, I will haunt your ass for all eternity, Midnight." She promised.
Than-guan just shrugs, "Still, can't be any worse than your snoring."
"Shut up!" She blurted, causing him to snicker.
"C'mon then, let's go. Don't have all day." He said.
Then he dropped to a knee in front of her.
Kayla approached him, then reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grabbed her legs and stood up with her, than walked over to the ledge.
"I just remembered something, how you going to climb down after your going to be holding my legs?" She asked.
A mischievous smirk decorated his face behind his mask. And he tightened his hold on her.
"I lied." Was all he said.
Kayla didn't have enough time to ponder what he meant.
Before he gave a small running jump and leapt over the edge. The young woman let out a startled scream as they freefall down the gorge. She tightened up considerably as the ground drew closer.
Than-guan bent his legs and landed on his feet with a thump. Kayla got a little jarred during the landing. But not too much. Though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't pissed.
"You fucking asshole!" She yelled.
And for good measure, pulled one of his tresses.
He would've been laughing if she hadn't have done that. The hunter should've warned her that a yautja's tresses aren't meant to be touched.
"Wouldn't keep pulling those if I were you." Than-guan heard.
"Why? does it hurt? I kind of hope so, after that stunt you just pulled." She snapped.
"Usually, if they are yanked it can hurt. But the way you pull them, it may cause another issue." He told her.
"Like what? Make you cry?" Kayla retorted.
"Make me hard. It's an erogenous zone for my kind." He said.
She blinked a few times, "Bullshit."
"Not joking this time. Don't pull again. Otherwise, may have to find a river to soak in." Than-guan said, with a serious edge to his tone.
Kayla could hear the warning tone in his voice. She found it strange that someone's hair like appendages were sensitive like that. But perhaps, it's best not to play with fire.
She knew he wore a metal cod piece over his crotch. And doubts he would be happy if he got an erection while wearing it. No doubt it would be painful.
"Ok fine, sorry. But seriously, don't do that again. Thought I was going to damn near piss myself." Kayla said.
"Wasn't all that bad, Kayla. I've jumped down to deeper lengths than this. But fine, I'll give you a warning next time...maybe." He added with a smirk.
Than-guan then set her down on her feet. And she came around the tall warrior to face him.
"No, not maybe. You will." She declared.
"Alright, let's go. There is another small cavern about a quarter mile down that way. We will train there." He told her.
Then he started walking that way. And Kayla followed him. Mumbling curses about stupid yautjas and their asshole sense of humors. Than-guan could barely contain a chuckle here and there as she muttered them under her breath in agitation.
Until Next Time ;)