Fuzzies

Useful info;



Pronunciations:



Veriea: Verr-ree-a(i)



Ver’ei’a: Veh-e-ah



Forenien: For-en-ee-en



Cartarea: Car-tar-ay



Vocabulary:



Kainde Amedha: hard meat/ xenomorph



Gaun-Thwei: night blood



Chiva: trial/ test



Setg’in kwei: tricky/ quick



Pyode Amedha: soft meat/ human (ooman)



Yeyinde: brave one



Pauk: fuck



Ell-osde c’jit: damn you



C’jit: damn/ shit/ general expletive



Pauk’de: fucking/ fucker



Hulij-bpe: crazy



Mei’hswei: brother (also use between close companions/clan mates)



Kerhite: training ground/training ring



Jehdin-jehdin: hand-to-hand combat (one-on-one)



Zazin: self-centered



Thwei’tek: blood bond (used to fuse strands of hair into dreadlocks)



M-di’h’dlak: no fear



Naxa: a kind of fruit from the Yautja home world



Thwei: blood



Sy’ua: wow/whoa (you get the idea)



Jehdin Jehdin: one on one/ hand to hand combat



Lou-dte kalei: child maker/female (usually a derogatory term)



Kantra: prayer



Ki’ct-pa: wrist blades



Awu’asa: armor



Cn’tlip: alcoholic drink



ki’its-pa: hunting spear



Enjoy the story ; P



= Chapter 11 – 3 Rotations Later… =



Veriea lay on her back on the floor, feet on the air, examining her newest trophy.



She heard a chuckle off to the side and grinned.



“Pauk, do you have any idea how doable you look when you do that?” H’ak’e’cha chuckled as he came over and leaned on her upturned feet with one arm. She threw the skull up into the air and he caught it. The twins had picked up more than a few sayings and phrases from her.



“Yep, and I do it just to tease you all.” She grinned evilly. “Got to get you ready for mating season or those females are going to pick you to bits.”



“About that…” He said, dropping the skull for her to catch.



“Answer’s the same as last time, H’ak’e’cha; none of your business.” She smiled and then pulled her feet away quickly. He fell forward not having anticipated the move and she rolled out of the way, then sitting astride his back as he hit the floor. She playfully placed the skull on top of his head, giggling.



“You’re really asking for it, girl.” He rumbled over his shoulder but not making any move to get up. She let out a surprised yelp as a pair of strong arms grabbed her around the waist, lifting her up. She recognized S’ak’e’cha’s trilling laughter in her ear.



“Hey! Two against one! No fair!”



“No, I’m rescuing you. I don’t share my females.” He purred in her ear but ruined the line when he snorted in laughter.



“Your female?” H’ak’e’cha laughed as he got up, getting in on the act. “I met her first.” He playfully grabbed her out of his twin’s arms.



“But she hit me first.” He made a move to grab her back but H’ak’e’cha slung her over his shoulder, moving back out of reach.



“Watch it!” Veriea squeaked as her head came dangerously close to some of the overhead equipment. “This female,” She said, flipping her legs over to land on the floor and face them, out of both their reach. “Belongs quite happily to herself.”



The looked at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter at their silly banter.



This had become the norm over the years, becoming so comfortable and familiar with one another that they could joke and muck around and even flirt without it ever meaning more than friendly fun. And they knew about her Promise, of course. They treated her like a sister really; she had forgotten how good that could feel.



A chuckle came from the doorway.



“Mating season isn’t for another four weeks, you three, so tone it down.” G’re’e’cha said, the mirth evident in his voice.



“Aw, but it’s fun! You should try it G’re’e, shouldn’t he, Red?” S’ak’e’cha asked slyly, using their affectionate pet name for her, grinning. The pet name confused her a little; yes she had red hair, so it did make sense but when you took into account that Yautja saw in a completely different light spectrum and didn't really have a concept of colour, it was complexing. She had shruged it off though, assuming that they had heard hermention the colour of her hair and had remembered it.



In all honesty she had been rather surprised that G’re’e’cha tolerated their behavior towards her, even seemed to encourage it sometimes but perhaps he knew they were only harmless, friendly gestures, or else had had words with his brothers. In any case, G’re’e’cha just grinned and called down the hall.



“Ma’e, H’ak’e and S’ak’e are flirting with your sister on the bridge again!”



“Well tell them to cut it out!” Ma’e’ka’cha called back. “Red’s got to get that butt of hers into the pilot seat if she plans to fly us in!”



At that Veriea’s ears perked up and she jumped happily in infectious exuberance.



“You mean it? I get to fly The Cn’tlip down to the Homeworld?”



Ma’e’ka’cha emerged from the hallway, brushing past G’re’e’cha who still leaned against the wall, grinning. Veriea bet anything that he had something to do with it.



“I can’t see why not; you’ve done plenty of flying in the last two rotations.” Ma’e’ka’cha said and he grinned too.



“Yeah, but you never let me fly when we’re near the Homeworld.”



“That’s because you’re too fond of flashy evasive maneuvers when they aren’t called for.” H’ak’e’cha said, rapping her on the top of her head with his knuckles and ignoring the death glare he was getting from G’re’e’cha. She didn’t even bother to scold him herself.



“Can’t I do one itsy-bitsy fly-by?” She asked innocently.



“NO.” The males all yelled in unison.



She tried to make a sulky face but the corners of her mouth were twitching upwards.



“Bugger.”



CCCCCCC



Veriea practically glowed as she left the ship; she’d landed it without a hitch.



Not that she’d been expecting something to go wrong – she’d been flying The Cn’tlip on and off for a while now – but there was just something immensely satisfying about landing the ship on the Homeworld for the first time; like she was finally, truly a part of this world.



She resisted the urge to skip as she passed the gates, the two guards there eyeing her. It always seem to be the same two yautja guarding the gates when they docked for mating season and she wondered if they purposely tried to get assigned to that post when this time of the rotation rolled around; she had recognized them, the previous 4 years in a row now, as being among the males that ‘sniffed her out’, in a manner of speaking.



Nah, I’m probably just getting an ego. She thought. They probably got this spot to check out all the other hunter females that came through. Though there did seem to be quite a few males who wanted her as a mate – too bad for them. She dismissed the thoughts and headed for the markets to see an old friend.



“Yoo-hoo! Kainde’a!” She called as she entered the Teki’ke’a’s stall. The older female appeared from amongst her shelves of armor and weapons, her mandibles quirking in a smile as she saw Veriea.



“Ver’ei’a, welcome back.” Kainde’a’ke’a approached, somewhat slower than usual, and shook her shoulder in greeting. “You’re getting bigger.”



“You always say that, but I haven’t grown an inch; I’ve been checking.” Veriea pouted. “Hey, maybe you’re shrinking!” She teased and then dodged, laughing, as a swipe was aimed her way, before returning the greeting. “You were moving like you’re injured; are you alright?”



“Just those two pauk’de males making trouble again. I told them you were dropping by and they took off. Nothing serious, just a scratch on my shoulder.” Veriea growled.



“If I ever actually find out who those two males are, I’m going to kick their asses.” Veriea blinked, realizing something. “Wait a minute, if they got your shoulder-“



“You’ve got a couple orders in,” Kainde’a’ke’a cut her question off. “Two gauntlets and a hunting mask. Someone wanted a shoulder cannon done but you know how new young bloods don’t tend to think things through. If you wait until mating season is closer, the young bloods will be wanting their armor done for the ‘festivities’. She grinned. “I still can’t believe how fast you learnt to make all this, especially the masks and wrist computers; they’re the hardest. I think the only way I could be more proud of you is if you were my daughter.”



She had started decorating and making armor and then weapons to be sold by Kainde’a’ke’a after her second season with the yautja and after an influx of requests, had started doing custom jobs when she was on the home world.



“I used to tinker with machines a bit,” Veriea shrugged. “I got the knack.”



Kainde’a’ke’a smiled as she moved behind the counter.



“Well your ‘knack’ has made you quite a bit this last rotation; you must have enough for your own ship by now.” She handed Veriea her earnings. “Not that you need it with that crew of yours.” She said with a knowing grin and Veriea blushed. Kainde’a’ke’a never missed an opportunity to tease her about G’re’e’cha. She hastily moved the conversation in a different direction.



“You know I couldn’t have learned to do all this stuff properly without you, Kainde’a. You’re like my mother mentor and best friend all rolled into one.” And she meant every word.



Kainde’a’ke’a leaned forward on the counter and watched Veriea speculatively for a moment. “What’s that look for?” Veriea asked a little warily.



“I want to ask you something.” She looked uncomfortable as she said that.



“Sure, what’s up?”



“You remember Ker’e’aka?”



“Uh, hunky Arbitrator from last season, right?” Veriea grinned but wondered where this was going.



“Yes. He asked me to be his Life Mate.”



“What? You serious? Congratulations!” For some reason her friend still looked uncomfortable. “Wait, there’s more to this isn’t there?”



“He wants me to come with him on the Clan Ship at the end of this season and I can continue my work there but I can’t take everything with me so…” She grinned sheepishly at Veriea. “I want you to have the stall.”



Veriea couldn’t say anything for a moment, completely stunned. She blinked.



“You want me to have it?” She asked finally. “What about your offspring-“



“They’re all obsessive hunters, none of them would want it or appreciate it and I want to give it to you.”



One of those awkward silences followed.



“I don’t know what to say…”



“Say you’ll take it.” Kainde’a’ke’a said simply. Veriea resigned her self.



“Thank you. You know I’ll do my best. Any other news? Like how did Mr. Hunk ask you?” She laughed.



Kainde’a’ke’a grinned mischievously.



“He asked me right before I told him he was going to have another son or daughter.”



“What! But you said-“



“I guess I’m not so far past my baring years as I thought.” She said cheekily, running a hand over her slightly swollen belly.



Veriea gapped. She should have sensed that.



Hell, she should have seen that.



Now a lot of things made sense. She snapped out of her shock.



“Congrats again! That’s just- Wow. When are you due?”



“About half way through next rotation.” Kainde’a’ke’a’ smiled.



“I bet Ker’e’aka’s happy.” Veriea smirked.



“Oh yes, very happy.” She smirked back. “I just hope my little one is going to have a play mate soon…maybe a friend’s little one?” She smiled suggestively at Veriea making her blush again.



“Fingers crossed.” She said a little strained, though mostly to herself. “Well, I better go make room on The Cn’tlip. I’ll be back later. Ok?” She said turning to go.



“Alright, but bring your young male along too; I need to see that he’s worthy of you.” She called as Veriea left, waving over her shoulder.



Veriea couldn’t help it and so gave a little skip as she headed back to the ship yard; tough warrior image and strange looks be damned, she was too happy to care right now. She thought of all the things she could do with the stall, the upgrades and customary gadgets. There was also the fact that she would be able to see Kainde’a’ke’a more – they docked at the Clan Ship far more often than on the Homeworld. And there was G’re’e’cha. She crossed her fingers, hopefully. Things couldn’t get much better right now.



A roar ripped through the air and Veriea felt something in pain.



Quickly she followed the feeling into the scrub off the pathway and suddenly saw the largest land creature she’d ever seen.



It looked like some strange alien cross between a wolf and a lion, covered in thick, blue-black fur with a huge mane of pure black which covered its chest and ran down its back in a ridge. Its face was wide with a stubby muzzle, full of glistening ice-blue teeth. It had 3 pairs of eyes, each a different colour but all silvery iridescent, making them seem to glow. A wide scar slashed across one of the eyes on the left side. Behind each cluster of eyes a pale blue horn sprouted, like pillars of ice growing from its flesh. Its long tail flicked from side to side and at 14 feet tall at the shoulder, it was bigger than a bull elephant.



What amazed her most of all was that the creature seemed to be absorbing the heat around it, rather than exuding it, its body maintaining the same temperature as its surroundings; if she hadn’t been able to see in colour, she wouldn’t have been able to see it at all. Ingenious defense, considering the planet’s dominant predators saw only heat.



She had to hand it to Mother Nature.



But she didn’t have time to be impressed when she saw what was between its massive feet; an injured yautja youngling.



The beast raised its paw and Veriea acted on instinct, diving for the youngling, scooping it up and rolling off to the side with it tucked close to her body as the towering beast brought its claws down.



The beast turned and snarled at her but, strangely, did not attack and Veriea held her position, crouched low, with the youngling curled tightly under her arm, tense, alert and ready but knowing that if she ran now it would only chase her – and probably catch her. A predator’s instinct is to chase things that run and will most likely loose interest in something that doesn’t. She told herself, or more, reassured herself. The youngling was trembling.



The beast roared, still not attacking and Veriea did all she could think to do; she roared right back at it.



For a minute, more, they stood, neither moving, their eyes locked, tense, waiting for the other to make a move. Veriea thought that maybe, just maybe the creature couldn’t actually see her while she wasn’t moving, was waiting for her to do so, but as she started back at it, she knew it could see her, all six of its multi-coloured eyes locked on her precisely and she could see the intelligence behind those eyes, calculating, perhaps even just a little bit curious. It could definitely see her.



Veriea growled and in that moment, there was something, an understanding that neither really understood, that passed between them.



With a last rumbling growl, the beast turned and disappeared into the vegetation.



End-Ch11



A/N: Hee. I bet you’re all dying to know what’s going on here ;P But you’ll have to wait till next time to find out…