The next chapter is here! Enjoy :)
Yeyinde approached the door to Natalie's room.
The drop ship was quite big. Big enough to house a total of nine hunters at a time. There were currently seven hunters onboard so, that meant to extra rooms that currently weren't being used.
Her door slid open. And it didn't take long for him to spot her on the large bed near the back of the room.
His keen hearing could pick up her very faint sobs, indicating she was still awake. The young hunter walked towards the back to check on her and talk to her.
Natalie heard the door to her room slide open. But she didn't get up or turn around to face him. She just continued to lay on her stomach, facing the wall as tears silently streamed down her cheeks onto the pelts beneath her head.
She felt a dip in the pelts as Yeyinde sat down next to her. She then felt him brush his fingers through her soft hair.
"I know that was hard for you to hear, Natalie. And I'm sorry about the outcome that came out of it." Yeyinde told her, as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.
The young woman didn't say anything for about a minute. Her mind was still busy trying to process everything Guan had just told her. A part of her wanted to hold onto a bit of hope that he was wrong about her results. That they weren't as extreme as he stated they were. That it wasn't permanent.
But the fact that he was adamant the foreign blood had pretty much fused within her being, says otherwise.
"It's just...so much to take in. What he just told me, it almost sounded like he was talking about someone else. Didn't sound like me at all." Natalie said.
"But it is you. Just because things are different now doesn't change who you are. Still the same annoying female I shared a cell with for several months." He lightly joked, trying to cheer her up a little.
Yeyinde thought he saw a faint smile from her profile view.
"Your one to talk about being annoying. I'm not the one who took your plate earlier and put it up high where you can't reach it. Thanks for that by the way. Almost thought I'd have to climb up onto the counter and get it myself." She quipped.
He trilled lightly, yeah, he did it to tease her when she commented he sometimes made funny faces during sparring with one of the others.
"The look on your face was worth the little joke though." Yeyinde teased.
She was silent for a moment, before speaking again.
"Is Guan going to tell the others?" Natalie asked.
"He, Bakuub, and I have already informed the others of the results. They're quite surprised to hear it for themselves. But at least the sheer strength you demonstrated cleared up a lot of questions.
Kaail told them you seemed very off when he passed you in the hallway. They're concerned. But they can understand why you would be upset." He said.
"But will the other yautja on your home world, will they want to...kill me when they find out?" She reluctantly got out.
"Why would they do that? What happened to you wasn't your fault. It was something forced upon you. Your still an innocent in all this. And they will realize it too." Yeyinde assured her.
"I still feel like it will be a huge adjustment. And that is if I can adjust at all to this new way of life. It'll be hard living among people that will look down on you and treat you different because you're of a different race." Natalie said.
"But that still doesn't mean they will all treat you that way. You'll still have friends. The other hunters here have begun to view you as such within the short time they have gotten to know you.
So, you know not all will meet you with hostility. And the ones who do, you just stay away from. It's what most individuals tend to do anyway if someone they dislike is within the area, they're in. They just try to avoid them altogether." He told her.
Shit, he can think of a small handful of yautja within the clan he can't stand to be around. So, he'll go to lengths to avoid them. Same went for a couple of his other friends who also had other yautja they weren't particularly friendly with.
Their clan was quite large. Which was a good thing. It meant those who had conflicts with others didn't have to concern themselves with running into them while out.
Natalie lazily rolled onto her back and looked up at him.
"Still, nothing will ever truly be normal again. You know this as well as I do." She said.
He gave her a small smile.
"And yet, it was you who once told me not long ago in that cell that normal is boring. And I strongly agree with that. Life is certainly more fun when you don't know what to expect at times. This is why we take it day by day.
I think it's how you can start viewing it now. Don't worry about what could happen tomorrow. Just focus on today." Yeyinde stated.
A small smile slowly made its way onto her tear-stained face.
"Thanks, Yeyinde." She replied.
"Welcome. And don't worry, I'll be walking off the ship with you tomorrow when we land." He assured her.
"Will others be there waiting for us?" Natalie asked.
"Most likely father will be there. I'm not sure if anyone else will be. Though it is possible." Yeyinde replied.
She was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Is he one of the ones...that don't like humans?" She asks.
"I know he finds them to be worthy prey to hunt. And holds respect to those that survive in a hunt against a yautja. But I can't tell you how he may feel about one coming to our world. Won't know until tomorrow." He told her.
What he didn't tell her was that he plans on telling his father ahead of time. Before they even get there tomorrow. Even now, he's wondering if he should tell her he planned on talking to him tonight.
But Yeyinde also felt like Natalie had enough to deal with as it was. She didn't need to think about or worry about his impending conversation with his father.
Natalie lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.
"I will leave you now to rest. But if you need anything, just come to my quarters." Yeyinde said.
He went to get up. But her hand on his stopped him.
"Wait, can you stay a little longer? Don't want to be alone just yet." Natalie said.
Yeyinde nodded and remained seated by her side.
"You really are an amazing friend. And despite everything that happened, I don't regret meeting you." She admitted.
Yeyinde couldn't help but smile.
"I have no regrets either. Only that I wish we didn't have to meet in a cell. Would've been just as happy if I met you out in the world. But something tells me, that was the only way for us to meet. Still, I wouldn't have change it." He told her.
Natalie smiled back. Yeyinde always seemed to have a way of keeping her grounded and happy.
It's something not many could do, even her friends. The only other one who could, was her brother Tyler. Her smile widened a little more when she heard him start to purr. And Natalie's eyes slowly drifted shut.
Yeyinde stayed until he knew she was completely asleep, before he quietly got up and left the room.
As he walked down the hall, he saw Kv'var-de walking down the opposite way.
"Hey, how she doing?" He asks, Yeyinde.
"Better, she just fell asleep a few minutes ago. I'm going back to my quarters. Going to contact father." He told the older hunter.
"Good luck. Hope he understands." Kv'var-de said.
Yeyinde nodded, and they parted ways.
Luckily, his room wasn't all that far from Natalie's. It was only a three-minute walk down the same hall.
He entered his room then locked the door behind him. So, no one will disturb him while he communicates with his father.
Yeyinde sat at his desk and began rapidly pressing a few buttons. After a few moments, his father responded to the call. And a holographic image of an older yautja popped up on the screen.
The older yautja lightly bowed his head.
"Yeyinde, I'm glad to see your alive and well son. But what happened? Bakuub said he lost contact with you a few months ago while you were hunting on Earth." He told him.
"It is a long story, father. And it may take a little while to explain it. I just hope you're ready to hear it." Yeyinde informed him.
"Go on." The older yautja said.
The young hunter took a deep breath, before starting.
Yeyinde started from the beginning. He told his father how the first week on Earth went extremely well. That he acquired as many as five ooman skulls within that time.
Then told him how one hunt went awry and that he was incapacitated by what was four highly trained oomans.
This part was particularly hard to explain. Because he still felt embarrassed and ashamed that it happened. Mainly because it sounded like a mistake that an Unblooded or Youngblood would make. Or what oomans would call a 'rookie' mistake.
Then he told his father about his imprisonment and how they kept him in a cell.
He also told him how they would gas him when they wanted to take him out of a cell and take samples from him. How he was alone in a cell for the first month or so.
To when they placed Natalie in his cell.
Yeyinde explained what the situation was like for them from then on out. How they worked together to come up with a solid plan on getting out. How much they learned from one another.
He probably learned more about oomans from her than during his initial hunt before he was captured.
The young hunter explained how they used the samples they obtained from him and injected her with them. To the time he finally was able to break free and escape from the facility with her. Blasting his way through on the way and destroying the lab and taking out as many oomans as he could.
And when he got to the woods, he was finally able to contact Bakuub to come and pick him up.
He then shared with his father that Natalie was gravely wounded during the escape. And he took her onboard to give her medical attention. And how during this time, Guan discovered that the blood they gave her was doing something to her body.
"These samples of my blood they gave her, had a rather unique effect on her. It made her stronger, faster, sped up her healing, slowed down her aging, and made her more compatible with our kind, according to Guan's studies of her own blood and tissue samples. It's because of all this, we knew it would be too risky to return her to Earth.
That and we knew the Elders most likely wouldn't allow it because she already knows a lot about our kind from being imprisoned with me for the better part of the last three months.
So, as you can see, it's quite a unique situation we're in here." Yeyinde concluded.
His father continued to stare at him, deep in thought.
"Indeed, you certainly found yourself in rather deep there, Yeyinde. But I must ask, what is this attachment you have for this female? You really went far and above to ensure her safety and survival. Then broke code and took her aboard one of our drop ships.
It's not like you to do something so reckless like that. So, why did you?" The older yautja inquired.
Yeyinde was thinking hard how to explain it all in words.
"I'm not so sure how to answer that myself. Only that she didn't deserve to be there to begin with. She also aided me with planning to escape. She also taught me her language. Which gave me an edge in understanding what the oomans were saying without my mask or translator. After all that, it just didn't seem right leaving her behind to die like that. It almost would've felt...dishonorable in a way." He tried to explain.
As the older yautja listened, he can't help but feel there may be more to why his son saved this ooman female and brought her onboard. But he did make a point in expressing she did know too much about the yautja.
And other oomans would've tried exploiting that and getting all the information out of her while they could.
The last thing the yautja race wanted, was for the ooman race to be aware of them and know about them. It could prove risky for future hunters that hunt on Earth. Oomans could end up expecting it and try to find any possible means of capturing more of them to test and experiment on. And also give them an opportunity to get their grubby hands on their tech.
So, it may have ended up working out better that Natalie was here and not on Earth.
Who knows what she could've told other humans if push came to shove. No doubt they would not hesitate to torment and torture her to get answers.
It would only make it even worse for her too now that she has yautja blood flowing through her.
His own mind was blown at the results his son had just shared with him. Their kind never thought to capture and experiment on oomans. So, he couldn't have imagined the outcome of mixing blood and fluids from the yautja race with someone from the ooman race.
Though even he will admit, the results were rather fascinating.
"Father, you know I must ask. But...there isn't a chance they will decide to kill her, is there?" Yeyinde asks, voice filled with hesitation.
The older yautja thought about it. But he doesn't believe it a possibility. As long as she didn't go back to Earth and tell others about them, she wasn't a threat.
She was one lone female. There's no honor in killing her.
"No, son. I don't believe they will. The other Elders won't see a reason to do so. But her living here won't be easy for her. Others may engage her with some hostility. The adjustment will be quite challenging as well. I hope you have at least explained that to her." His father warned.
"I have, she's well aware of what expected outcomes will be awaiting her upon arrival." Yeyinde replied.
"Especially, at a time like this, with Mating Season upon us. Other females may see her as a threat or competition. And law does dictate, they could challenge her if they wish to do so. And during these challenges, even with her newfound strength, and speed, she could still perish during the fight. Did you explain that to her as well?" His father inquired.
To be honest, Yeyinde didn't think about that. It was something that has slipped his mind. He knew that females may challenge each other over the right to a male if both fancied the same one.
But he still wouldn't have thought that they would find a small ooman female to be a threat.
It did start to make him worry a little for her. Because if other females saw her with him, they may think she intends to mate him and challenge her for the right to do so.
"You really do believe something like that could happen? She's not another female yautja, she's an ooman. Could they really see her as a threat to their mating?" Yeyinde inquired.
His father nodded, "The fact that she is ooman may be irrelevant. She is still a female. And still may be viewed as competition. If it weren't mating season, it may not be an issue at this time.
That's why I'm wondering what we're going to do with her when she does land. Perhaps, if I send a female relative to be an escort for her like one of your sisters, then she may have a better chance at not being challenged."
That could work. But Yeyinde doesn't know how his sisters may react to her. They may not want anything to do with an ooman female. But still, he had to try something.
They've made it this far. And he certainly didn't want to lose her to some rambunctious hormonal female.
"Ok, in the meantime, I guess I can contact either Sakana or Minikui, and tell them of my dilemma. And hope one of them are up for the task." Yeyinde replied.
"It's fine, I'll do it. I was going to see Sakana right before you called me anyway. I had something I needed to give her back, that she let me borrow. I'll fill her in. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Oomans have always seemed to have fascinated her for some reason. And I feel she will understand and look out for her.
Plus, I know for a fact that she won't be participating in the mating season this time around. She will be too busy looking after her two youngest pups. One of which as you know is only a year old. So, we won't have to worry about her being engaged or occupied elsewhere with a male." The older yautja said.
"Alright, thank you, father. I will see you tomorrow when we land." Yeyinde said.
His father nodded, "You're welcome. But remember, Yeyinde I may not have much of a problem with the ooman being here. But I cannot speak for the other Elders. Not all of them may share the same understanding as I do. I'm not saying they will object to her staying. They know she will have nowhere else to go and obviously they cannot kill a young innocent female. But they won't be happy and won't hesitate to express their distaste at the idea of her being here."
'Great, this shit just keeps getting better and better.' He sarcastically thought.
But deep down, Yeyinde believed Natalie was worth all the challenges and trouble.
"N'dhi-ja, Yeyinde. I'll see you and your brother tomorrow. I'll see if I can bring your sister there with me as well." His father said.
"N-dhi-ja, father. And thank you again." Yeyinde said.
Then the holographic image disappeared.
The young hunter sat there for a few moments, deep in thought. Before he got up and approached his bed. This day ended up taking a lot out of him mentally and emotionally.
Until Next Time ;)