The Ripple of a Stone

The Ripple of a Stone

Unvoiced

When both Dhm'Ni and Nala go into their own stance, Dhm'Ni took a moment to look over her. She was standing as she did with Thr’ik, bent knees with her left foot forwards. And then it occurred to him, Kh’Cho had said that Nalas right knee was pretty banged up, maybe he could use this and the other information against her. Nala began to spin her staff again, but didn’t expect Dhm'Ni to go for it as his friend did, but that was ok, she had other plans. Slowly the two start to circle each other, walking around and around the square but not once did one show intentions of charging.
Nala couldn’t take this much longer, there was so much she wanted to say to him, so much that she just wanted to yell and scream and cry out to him. So much but she knew she couldn’t say it with an audience. She was so frustrated that there were so many pairs of eyes watching her move, watching her and Dhm'Ni circle. And so, without a second thought, Nala dashes at him. Dhm’Ni was ready for anything, except what she did. Just when Nala got to the center of the square, she hurls her staff at Dhm'Nis chest, forcing him to drop his own and take hold of the one coming at him. And with his hands now unexpectedly occupied with a different weapon, Nala takes his confusion to heart and runs full force at him. As she thrusts her shoulder into Dhm’Nis gut, he grunts in shock and from in impact. But it wasn’t enough to really hurt him, just wind him. As Dhm'Ni gasps for air, Nala began to deliver blow after blow to his sternum. Still unable to breath, Dhm'Ni feebly tries to push her away but Nala dodges his swinging arms. She crouches low and swipes her legs, taking out Dhm’Nis feet.
The loud ‘thud’ that came from his body connecting with the ground, made Nala cringe at the thought of the pain. But at this point, she didn’t really care. Dhm'Ni however couldn’t believe Nala got him on his back again. His instantly jumps to his feet, still heaving labored breaths. But once he looks up to Nala, he found her just standing there.
“Get out.” She says as she looks into Dhm'Nis eyes. He tilts his head and thrills in misunderstanding. Nala twists her head to the crowd and yells it again. “Get out, NOW!” She shrieks. All the standing Yautja didn’t know what do to, this was a society deck, she couldn’t order them anywhere. They all look to Dhm'Ni, who was pocking his bruising chest, and he nods to them and gives them a swift flick of his hand for them to leave. Once they nod to both Nala and Dhm'Ni they all pile onto the lift. Nala leisurely picks up her staff and walks back to the starting point. “So what is it?”
“What’s what?” Dhm'Ni barks back. He had already gone into another fighting stance but as he watched Nala stand still, he relaxes but reluctant to think she wouldn’t attack.
“What is it that makes it so hard between us?” She finally got out.
“I don’t know. But I don’t hate you.”
“And I don’t hate you but…I don’t understand. I, I want to say so many things to you but you just don’t want to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk?” Dhm'Ni takes a giant step towards her but Nala doesn’t move. She just keeps staring in his eyes.
“Yeah, you don’t want to talk! I tried so many times to get you to speak with me but every time you would just say something that would make me feel like you never want to hear my voice.”
“When did I ever do that to you?” To make sure that Nala knew he really wanted to talk with her, Dhm'Ni closes his staff and walks closer. He even softly sighs when Nala does the same.
“When I tried to tell you I didn’t care about you breaking that player and you said ‘I don’t care about your stupid player’ and then I asked why were you being so quiet but you never answered.”
“I was angry. And you’re not exactly so easy to speak to. At least when you’re alone with me. You and Thr'ik already have a friendship that you and I never seemed to make.”
“For one thing Thr'ik is a little more forward then you. I think he made a little too much of me liking your weapons.” For a split second, the two actually laugh.
“Thr’ik has an infatuation for females that have an inclination for weapons.” Nala couldn’t see it, but Dhm'Ni actually complimented her. She was more thinking about Thr’ik.
“And that’s not creepy.” She says with sarcasm. “But…I think we can’t be like that because you are always angry at me.”
“WHAT?” Dhm'Ni roars. “I am only angry when you do something stupid!” Without thinking, Nala lunges and punches Dhm'Ni in the side. “Just like that!” He hisses. Dhm'Ni extends his staff once again and pounces. With a force never experienced in her life, Nala was hit in the stomach but it felt like her whole body had been smashed. But Dhm'Ni wasn’t done. Taking up his arm, he elbows the back of Nalas head, sending her crashing to the ground. Nala didn’t have a moment to take a breath as Dhm'Ni flips her onto her back and drops himself to half sit in her abdomen to keep her from getting back up. “Now you listen to me Ooman,” Dhm'Ni didn’t get to finish when Nala strikes right above his loincloth. He was so stunned the he actually keeled over, allowing Nala hit pummel his face. Dhm'Ni falls to the side and Nala quickly stands and backs away.
“So that’s it!” She yells. “You may not hate me but you can’t stand me because I’m Ooman.” Dhm'Ni got to his knees as held his throbbing head.
“That’s what you are, Ooman!” He hisses.
“Well, yeah I am Ooman. But they way you use it, it’s derogatory. Like being Ooman is an offence and an insult.” A pain filled grunt came from Dhm'Ni as he stood, the spot where Nala hit him was begging for him to bend over, to relieve the muscle of tension but he would never give in to the pain.
“SO!” He barks. Dhm'Ni instantaneously regretted his words as he watches Nalas face show her hurt. Her mouth slightly opens, her eyes turn to giant blue saucers and her shoulder slouch.
“You’re ashamed of me.” She whispers. Dhm'Ni couldn’t understand it but her words and her face made his stomach hurt more then her hit. “That’s why you can’t bare to look at me. Every time you see me it’s like…you feel embarrassed. For what happened, for what I did for you and for what you did for me. OH!” Nala took up her free hand and covers her mouth. “Your father said that you were annoyed that I was staying in your room, but you’re livid about it, aren’t you? To have an Ooman in your room, in your bed makes you feel humiliated, doesn’t it?” For a minute there was just silence. Nala couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it earlier. Of course Dhm'Ni would be mad about all that, it would hurt his reputation and status to have a little Ooman in his room.
“…Yes…” Dhm'Ni finally answers.
“WELL FINE!” Nala yells. “I’ll just find somewhere else to stay!” Nder instantly came into Dhm’Nis mind. But he would never allow that, he needs to, WANTS to keep her safe.
“I won’t let you!” He roars. “You need me to protect you!”
“What the fuck! You have got to be kidding me! Do I look like a god dammed damsel in distress here? And you have NEVER protected me!”
“I SAVED YOUR LIFE!”
“What was left of it yes, but you didn’t protect me from anything! Not from you yourself, not from the Hard Meat, not even from your father! Why all of the sudden do you feel like you need to protect me? HUH?”
“BECAUSE I WANT TO! You have no idea what’s going on and I am the only one that can properly keep you safe here! And I cannot believe that you think I would help you off that Pauk-de island and then not help you here! I know you couldn’t understand me, but when we were in that room where you healed me, I said ‘I’m not leaving you behind’. I couldn’t and wouldn’t let you die there and I am not going to let you die here.”
“WHY NOT?” Dhm'Ni was a little taken aback by her. “Everyone dies Dhm'Ni. It doesn’t matter when. And just what have you said that I should know about? Like when you were barking at Sya when we finally got to your father and his friends. What did you say twice?” Nala knew he didn’t want to answer, she saw it in his face. His brow crunched and his mandibles clenched to cover his mouth. “ANSWER ME!” Nala yells as she throws her staff at him again. Dhm'Ni swiftly caught it and before he could stop himself he threw it back, but a lot harder. The impact made Nala recoil enough to make her stumble. Running on pure instinct, Dhm'Ni sprints to her as if she was injured pray. He thrusts the end of his staff at Nala but she jerks it from its path by her own. Dhm'Ni turns along with his weapon and he makes a full 360 degree spin. As he comes around, he leans down and punches Nalas right knee, hard.
Nalas knee buckles and she falls to her side. Once her body hit the ground, she rolls away from Dhm'Ni and cradles her knee under her body. Dhm'Ni was about to attack again but he finally looked at what he did. Nala was up on her one knee, holding her self up with one hand while the other was holding her offended knee. Her face was clenched and she was bearing her teeth at the ground. Dhm'Ni steps to her, wanting to help her up but Nala swiftly once again rolls away from him. She quickly stands on her one good leg and stares bloody murder at Dhm'Ni.
“Answer me.” She whispers.
“I said…I said ‘keep her silent’.” Dhm'Ni says with great reluctance.
“Even then you were embarrassed by me. What is it about me that makes you feel ashamed? Is it because I saved you from that Hard Meat? Or that you felt you needed to save me? What was it Dhm'Ni?”
“I exposed myself to you!” Nala just slants her head. “The Yautja pride them selves on keeping hidden. Of not being seen by pray and not only did you see me when my cloak died, but I allowed you to see my face!” Both he and Nala went wide eyed at his words. Dhm'Ni didn’t know why he was being so cold to her, but now he did. It took having another fight with Nala for him to understand.
“So what…You were feeling vulnerable?”
“Yes… I, I didn’t like how you had seen me at my weakest. And then we helped you and then you were staying with me…No wonder every time I even thought of you I would feel strange. Just hearing your name makes me feel exposed, out in the open for anyone to attack and kill me. You don’t understand the lives we live here Nala, not yet. What you need to understand is when you saw my face, I let myself fall into such a vulnerable state that I don’t think I can come out of it!”
“I would never do anything to hurt you Dhm'Ni, not like that! I don’t want you to feel vulnerable about what you showed me or told me. It made me feel safe that you would be comfortable enough to do that, and I hate that we shared that together and now we can barely speak.”
Silence. Both in mind and in body, they stood in silence. Suddenly Nala flinches hard, backs up and raises her extended staff.
“Were you hunting me?” Before Dhm'Ni could answer, they hear foot steps coming towards them and they turn to see Thr’ik had come back.
“I see you two forgot Nala is to meet the Arbitrators.” He says smugly. Thr’ik came off the lift just after Nala asked her question, so as he walked in on her she was holding her staff to Dhm'Ni. “One of those on the lift told me everything but why you were at that planet, no one knows. You killed a Queen?” He purrs to Nala as he walks closer to the square, but just as we was about to step into it, he gets a very heated growl from Dhm'Ni.
“What do you mean?” Dhm'Ni advances on Nala but she was quick to back away again.
“You said you wish to keep hidden from your pray, and you were mad that you exposed yourself. This means you were hiding from me. Therefore you were hunting me!” Nala drops into her stance and raises her staff, pointed right at Dhm’Nis throat.
“I was not hunting you!” He defends himself. “We were there to clean a mess when Sya and I came upon you.”
“But why were you following me?”
“Meat.” Thr'ik laughs. But at the look of horror on Nalas face, and pure rage on Dhm’Nis, he stops laughing.
“You sick fuck!” Dhm'Ni couldn’t do a thing as he saw a flash of black and red. Nala ran at him so fast that she almost forgot what she was doing. But at the last moment Nala heaves herself up off the ground, flying in the air. She tackles Dhm'Ni to the ground with all her strength but even before he hit the ground, Nala punches his face. The sound that came from both Dhm'Ni and Nala as they fell to the ground was so loud that the entire deck virtually shook from the echo.
Dhm'Ni was swift in switching their position until Nala was on the bottom. And with one swift hit to the face, Nala seemed to have been knocked out. At first Dhm'Ni looks hard at her motionless face, proud that he had subdued her and then he was frightened. But no sooner did the thought that he may have killed her fall into his mind, did he feel Nalas legs wrap around his waist. With a tough tug and a labored grunt, Nala starts to squeeze her thighs on his diaphragm, constricting his lungs. Dhm'Nis eyes began to bulge as he gasps for air. He couldn’t move, Nala was holding him down but he had to do something, ANYTHING! He grabs the choler of Nalas sweater, lifts her high into the air and then roughly slams her back to the ground. But she doesn’t budge. Twice more he took her up, only slam her down. And on the forth try, Dhm'Ni felt her legs weaken. As fast as he could, he used his hands to rip Nala thighs from him and he pitched backwards, inhaling one of the most gratifying breaths in his life. Dhm'Ni lies on his back, staring up into the rafters of the deck while Nala jumps to her feet with her staff in hand.
Still limping on her one good leg, Nala readies herself as she watches Dhm'Ni stand. For a moment he seems disoriented, his eyes half closed and he was shaking his head strangely. But the moment he saw Nala, he charges with a deafening roar. With his clawed hands spread and ready to shred, Nala nearly got her face stripped of skin as she spin around the running wall of muscle. But Dhm'Ni couldn’t stop as fast as he wished and ended up taking a few to many steps. Nala pivots behind him, grabs a great big handful of his back tresses and yanks them hard. With painful yelp, Dhm'Ni was stopped in his tracks, but Nala wasn’t done. With all her strength, Nala heaves and pulls Dhm'Ni back by his black hair and he was instantly down on he ground again.
“The harder they fall…” She whispers as she jumps around Dhm’Ni, only to pounce onto his chest. With her staff in hand, Nala start to press it on his throat, pushing down. Even as Dhm'Ni tried to push it off, she only put more strength into it. “You were going to eat me?”
“…no…” Dhm'Ni got out from his final breath. Giving him a little more room to breathe, Nala lifts up on her staff and stares into his eyes.
“Then why were you hunting me?” She yells.
“We were not hunting you. Not for anything, especially not Ooman meat.”
“You actually eat Oomans?” Nala asks, a little grossed out but what ever makes them full.
“Oh yes, your kind is very tasty with the right sauce.” Dhm'Ni laughs at her face. It was a subtle stir between amused and sickened.
“Ever been to Red Lobster?” Dhm'Ni shifts his head, he has no clue what she was talking about. “Because I am betting you that somewhere down the evolutionary chain of your species, before you popped out arms and legs, is what’s being served daily at a restaurant.” Nala relaxes even more as she watches Dhm’Nis face twist in utter confusion. “And you guys are very yummy served with butter. But they always try and stuff you before you even get the meal when they give you a fucking salad first.” She took the staff away from Dhm’Nis neck completely and sat down on his chest as she looks into the air. “But then again…they also give you those amazing biscuit thingies too…” Just then a noise, which sounded more like Dhm'Ni had roared, came from Nalas stomach. Together, they both look down to the offending area and Nala sheepishly smile at him. “I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, I heard. Get off me.” Nala quickly rose from her seat on his chest and even lends him a hand to stand. In silence, Nala takes hold of Dhm’Nis staff and walks to place both his and hers back to their spots on the wall.
“Red Lobster?” Thr'ik asks his friend as he walks to him.
“No Pauk-de clue. But do you know what a carrot is?” Dhm'Ni asks but gets only a shrugging shoulder.
“You know,” Nala starts as she walks to her shoes that still rested at the first square. “I guess you guys are lucky, considering. Uglier then a lobster but cuter then a crab. Good balance.”
“A what and a what?” Thr’ik questions but just gets a ‘never mind’ back. “So, we are going to eat now?”
“AND I WILL NOT EAT OOMAN!” Nala yells. “While I don’t mind if you do, I am not going become a cannibal just because the Yautja have a taste for Ooman ass!”
“Why do you feel it’s so wrong?” Dhm'Ni asks her. Nala had already started for the lift but turns right around at his question.
“How would you feel if sliced up Thr’ik and served him to you on a plate?” Dhm'Ni turns to Thr’ik and looks at him with a funny raised brow.
“UH! You’d eat me?” Thr’ik barks.
“If needed.” The two start laughing at an inside joke that Nala didn’t really want to know. But as she looked at the two, she realized she had never seen Dhm'Ni laugh. What she could now recognize as a smile was formed by his mandibles and his eyes were almost glowing. He didn’t seem so intimidating when he laughs, while he may be wearing a simple loincloth which showed every muscle, he didn’t seem so…menacing.
“I guess I’ll find it myself.” Nala says in a fake fit of anger. She didn’t like how she saw Dhm'Ni like that. She wants to be mad at him. Dhm'Ni and Thr’ik stop their laughing and watch her walk, actually limp, to the lift door.
“So…It wasn’t done?” Thr’ik asks.
“Nope.”
“Why do you walk funny?” Thr'ik asks Nala when they get to the door and wait. But Nala didn’t give him an answer. She takes a deep breath and holds it in. The next thing they knew, Nala roughly straightened her right leg and a loud ‘pop’ echoed in the room. “What was that?”
“Bone on Bone.” Just then the lift doors open and a few of the Yautja that were originally in the room before get off while some stay on and look at Nala. She nods to them but when she steps on with Thr'ik and Dhm'Ni, she was a little frightened at the close quarters and the stares she was getting. So to Dhm’Nis amazement, Nala stood by his side. Thr'ik, who was standing to Nalas side, had been looking down at her the whole time and ever few seconds he would open his mouth to ask a question but then he would decide against it and close his mouth. Nala did notice though, and by the fifth time he did it, she had enough. “If you do not ask the question, you will not get the answer.” She says as she looks up to him.
“What’s a carrot?” He blurts, making all on the lift look at him oddly, especially Dhm'Ni.
“Why do you ask that?” Nala asks between laughter.
“Well, Dhm'Ni asked me what it was but I didn’t know. But do you?” Now she understood.
“I don’t understand why Dhm'Ni couldn’t just ask me that considering I was the one who said the whole ‘carrot’ thing.” Nala turns her gaze and looks up to Dhm'Ni who was a little angry that she would put him down like that but he was angrier with Thr'ik for asking. “A carrot is a small orange vegetable.” Dhm’Nis eyes immediately widen. She would rather speak to a piece of food then with him!
“Very well then, I will look into finding you some Pauk-de carrot so you have something to speak to when you’re in my room.” Everyone but Nala and Dhm'Ni start to laugh. They thought it absolutely hilarious that he had an Ooman in his room and from the looks of things, they will never get along.
“Carrots, it’s plural.” She barks at him. Dhm'Ni growls at her but when her stomach growled back…
“What was that?” Nala looks over at the gawking group, but did not know who asked it.
“I’m hungry.”
“Your stomach growls at you to tell you that you are hungry?” A Yautja that was standing at the front of the bunch was finding that amusing and began to laugh when he heard her growl back at Dhm'Ni. But when she said it was her stomach, he didn’t really understand.
“Kind of yeah, but it only makes sounds because the stomach is empty. It’s not literally growling at me.” Nala smiles at him and nods. She had never seen one like him before, tall, maybe just at Dhm’Nis height but he looked completely different. Shoulder length tresses with few rings and very, very dark skin. The only part of him that was not the color of really dark chocolate milk were his belly, parts on his face, the backs of his arms and legs and a single spot on over his right eye.
“You are heading to the galley then?”
“I guess so.”
“You know they serve Ooman meat there?” He says with a smirk.
“I do, and I don’t care. But have you ever heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’?” Instantly almost ever body on the lift began to chuckle. “But I do not plan on eating what I am. Ooman ass is not on my menu thank you very much.” With an angry sigh, Nala answered her stomach once again. “Are we there yet?” She wines.
“Yes we are.” Dhm'Ni growls. He wasn’t upset with Nala being eager to eat, but she was talking to Dhyot’te’ka. One of the most ruthless and merciless hunters in the Ehre Clan and he was actually talking to Nala. He had more Ooman skulls then all on the ship combined. He would go to Ooman occupied worlds and spend seasons there, hunting and watching. Never once did he come back with less then fifty trophies. And if you asked about one particular skull, he could tell you exactly what happened during the battle, which scars it made and on which planet.
The door opened and Nala couldn’t believe her eyes. There must have been a hundred of them. She didn’t even know how she got into the room, she just knows that as she walked in, the room went silent. Nala stops as she looks around. An uncountable amount of eyes were scrutinizing her but she didn’t care. She couldn’t start to take in all she saw. Large ones, small ones. Bright ones, dark ones. All either standing or sitting at round tables with chairs like the one in that room. But this room was a lot larger. She couldn’t even see where the walls ended. It was just a sea of Yautja. But as she stood there, motionless, gazing around, Dhm'Ni and Thr’ik unknowingly walk on without her. Nala was only brought back to what was going on when she felt a gentle hand on her back. She turns around slowly, not really knowing what to expect but she smiles at seeing her chocolate friend.
“Come sit with me.” He says with a smile. Nala looks into his eyes, trying to see if he was being true in wishing to sit with her. But she only saw politeness, he was just offering her a place to sit and nothing more.
“I would love too.” Nala says with a smile and he leads her to an empty table. She didn’t mind that as she followed him through winding tables, every one watched her. She was looking at this guys back, it had funny light dots all over it. Actually, now looking close, his whole body did. It was like he was the reveres Dalmatian. A soft sniff of the air and Nala had to hold in a laugh, he even smelt like chocolate. When he moves to the right, Nala looks and sees a large table that seated eight and he motions to a chair for her to sit on, which she does with little trouble. She didn’t really want to move in closer to the table right now. Nala sighs as she sits, crossing her legs and smiling to her friend. He sits a one seat away from her, expecting that they would soon have company because Dhm'Ni had yet to notice that she was even gone from his side. “I hadn’t caught your name?”
“My name, Dhyot’te’ka.”
“It is nice to meet you Dhyot’te’ka.” Nala takes a quick glance around her then back to him. “Don’t I know how to silence them?” She says sarcastically and they laugh.
Dhm'Ni was used to the stares as he walks with Thr'ik at his side. He was going to his table, where he would always sit and where no other but who he and his father invited may sit. Thr’ik was already seated when Dhm'Ni turns to offer Nala a chair but she wasn’t there. Alerted and afraid for her safety, Dhm'Ni starts to roam the crowd, searching for her. And there she was, her red hair standing out among the black but along with her, was Dhyot’te’ka.
“Thr'ik.” Dhm'Ni barks.
“What?” He barks back a little annoyed. The smell of the food made him see that he was also hungry. The Pakana on his ship was dried and who knows how long it had been dead. But the moment the aroma of fresh meat hit his nose, nothing else was in his mind.
“She is lost from us!” Dhm'Ni smacks the back of Thr’iks head to make him see that Nala was not with them. “How could you not see that she was not behind us?”
“How could you not?” Thr’ik hisses as he stands. “And she is not lost, she is just locationally challenged.”
“That isn’t even a word!” Dhm'Ni didn’t waste any more time and walks to their table. As he and Thr’ik step up to them, a sudden burst of laugher from the two made their heads tilt.
“I guessed right.” Dhyot’te’ka says arrogantly.
“Okay, so I was off by what, ten seconds?” Nala retorts.
“More like thirty. I said he would walk all the way there and then see you were not with him. And from when I said it to when he arrived, I would guess it was thirty seconds.”
“Fine, you win.” Dhyot’te’ka chuckles at his mundane victory, and at Dhm’Nis confused look.
“Nala,” Dhm'Ni finally interrupts. “We will sit over there.” He says and points to his table. But Nala stares at him with a blank face.
“You may sit there. I will sit here.” Nala looks back to her new friend and sighs as she pretends to get comfortable in her chair. But in truth, she was in pain. Her knee was throbbing and her back from when Dhm'Ni was slamming her against the ground was hurting so bad that she hadn’t put her back against the chair. “So what do you suggest for my fist taste of Yautja food? And Ooman is not an option.” She was quick to add. Thr'ik had already sat next to Nala but Dhm'Ni was still standing. He had sat with the rest on the ship on a number of occasions but he didn’t feel like doing it today. He wanted to get Nala feed and get her to the conference room to meet the Arbitrators. Not gum up to Dhyot’te’ka. But as he watches his friend settle in and Nala talk like he wasn’t even there, he grunts in frustration and plops down, right across from Nala.
“I would recommend the meat from the Pakana.” Dhyot’te’ka offered.
“NO!” Thr'ik whines. “I cannot stand to see another piece of the beast. If I don’t see another Pakana carcass until next season, it would still be too soon.”
“I would think Nala would like the Kuhn meat.” Dhm'Ni says in a very polite tone of voice. “It is cooked well, flavored nicely and I am sure your little stomach can handle it.”
“My little stomach?” Dhm’Ni was expecting her to be mad, but she was silently laughing. “Oh, what you have yet to learn of me. And I shall try Kuhn.” Dhyot’te’ka presses a small silver button, the same color as all the tables, and a small screen is revealed. He presses a few items and says that the food should be here soon. Nala guessed that it was an ordering panel when he first opened it and now she knew for sure.
“We do know little of you, don’t we?” Dhyot’te’ka smiles to her. “Now, Nalani is a very strange name, to us. The Yautja tend to have meaning to each name, do Oomans as well?” Dhm'Ni was a little apprehensive about Dhyot’te’ka saying Ooman, but Nala didn’t seem to mind. She did say before that the way he was using it, it was meant to hurt. Dhyot’te’ka was just inquisitive.
“A lot of Ooman names do, mine means ‘calmness of the skies’ in my native tongue. Does yours mean anything?”
“My names mean ‘dark water’. My father took one look at my skin when I was born and through that I had been washed in the black lake.”
“Aww, I like you skin.” Slowly but surly, conversations around her had started up again. But their conversations we never loud like Nala expected. They were all calm and collected, but every now and then you would hear a loud thrill of laughter. “The first moment I saw you I thought of chocolate.”
“Chocolate?” Thr'ik was first to question. He couldn’t help but to look up and down Nalas long legs. From her clawless toes all the way to the cut of her shorts. He couldn’t decide what was more arousing, they way her strange body sat with her legs entwined or her scars. There was one prominent one on her left thigh, long and jagged but it was complimented nicely but many short ones. He hadn’t even thought of what caused her to have such marks, but he wasn’t thinking about that right now…
“A chocolate is a very sweat, delicious and mind boggling food. You are the exactly the same color.”
“Pardon the intrusion.” A tall Yautja with a small group behind him approach the table.
“Gik’ha!” Nala says. He swiftly nods to her and the rest at the table.
“May we join you?” Gik’ha motions to himself and his two friends.
“Please!” Nala says, almost pleadingly. Gik’ha takes a seat next to Thr’ik and one friend nest to him. His other sits between Dhm'Ni and Dhyot’te’ka, not really wanting to sit next to Nala. Not because she was Ooman, but because he could sense that Dhm'Ni didn’t like anyone being near. But she kind of wanted him to sit next to her. There was an empty seat next her and she felt kind of odd that she had Thr’ik at her side and no one to her right. “I would hope that we can still spar Gik’ha. Considering we were interrupted.” She laughs.
“I would hope so too. Perhaps when we are done our spread of food?”
“No.” Dhm'Ni barks. Every looks at him with a strange face. But He didn’t care, he just kept looking at Nala. “She is to meet with the Arbitrators.” Now they understood, they knew not to make them wait any longer then they had already. One of the new Yautja, who Nala found his name to be Neht’ko, ordered more food to accommodate the new mouths. The other one had sat between Dhm'Ni and Dhyot’te’ka was named Ymik and she saw that being next to those two males made him very agitated.
“Back to my first question, “Thr’ik starts, he still couldn’t take his eyes off of Nalas legs but he was soon ripped from his view when he hears Dhm'Ni growl in his direction. “You killed a Queen?”
“So.” Nala says in a displeased voice. She didn’t want to think of that thing again.
“SO?” Thr'ik barks, “Killing a Hard Meat Queen is not something to say ‘so’ too.”
“She deserved to die.” Nala looks right up into Thr’iks eyes, showing that she was beyond serious. But out of the blue, she shivers at the thought of the Queen. The way her black skin glittered in the sun, making it shine like oil. But that stench, nothing that Nala had even smelt before can go up against it, she would gladly stick her nose up a skunks butt to keep her stench away. “Just thinking about her makes me want to kill her again.”
“You are so uncomfortable about Hard Meats.” Dhyot’te’ka noticed her shiver, and liked that she had the aggression to kill a Queen.
“Oh, and you expect me to be comfortable with her?” For the first time since they had meet, Nala looks at her chocolate friend with angry in her eyes, and he liked it. “I will tell you what, the next Queen that I meet, before I take her head of course, I shall invite her over for tea and crumpets.” Before anyone could ask what she meant, three small Yautja carrying platters of food walk to their table. Inadvertently, Nala closes her eyes and lets her nose move her head as the most delicious aroma filed her. All at the table, including the servers’ chuckle at her odd behavior, making Nala quickly blush. Dhm'Ni didn’t really know what to make of Nala when she blushed. Her cheeks filled with her blood and her body language showed she was embarrassed.
“Seven flasks of water as well.” Dhm'Ni was quick to order after the lidded trays were down. But before the three left, Nala said something that made them all stop,
“Thank you.” She smiles to them, but she loses her smile when they look at her like she had just kissed a Hard Meat. The three servers were stunned more then anything, servants are not usually given such courtesy. But they thought that it should be reciprocated and they give her a very low bow before they leave. “What did I do?” She asks the odd faces around the table.
“Why do you give such civility?” Gik’ha asks her nicely.
“You should always give others respect, no matter their position, now…how about you guys show me this Kuhn thingy.” Nala was bouncing her legs, carefully, in anticipation. But they were interrupted when another server, one of the original three, came with flasks of water. And to everyone’s amazement, he served Nala first. She gives him a grateful nod and he does to her. Once he had covered the others, he starts to reveal the feast. It seems that Neht’ko had ordered other delicacies for Nala to try. On one platter was what looked a giant bird, wings and all. On another was a mountain of small peach colored balls with a complementary sauce and on the last was something that resembled meat loaf, just a brown tube of meat. Thr'ik instantly groans in disapproval at seeing that one. “I am guessing the brown one is Pakana?”
“Yes…It is.” Thr’ik sat back in his chair and crosses his arms in protest.
“Just because it is on the table does not mean you have to eat it, Thr’ik.” Nala reassures him. “But I am wondering…That one there,” she points to the peach balls and sauce. “That wouldn’t happen to be Ooman now would it?” Nala gives Dhyot’te’ka a playful evil eyes but he just laughs at her.
“I did not order Ooman.” He defends himself. “The only other who ordered was Neht’ko.” Everyone looks to him and sees a giant grin on his face.
“Ever since I saw you I have had an immense craving for Ooman.” Neht’ko says to her.
“Um-hmm. Okay, metal note: stay away from Neht’ko when he is hungry. But I understand, we all know you just have to have what you see.” Some were laughing at Neht’ko sudden craving, while others were agreeing with her. They have to have what they see…
A little less than an hour later and the bird thing was gone, half the Ooman balls had disappeared and the odd meat loaf stuff was just about done. But what made everyone absolutely shocked was how much food Nala ate. She alone ate one quarter of the bird, saying it tasted like chicken, and a few servings on the Pakana. But she never touched the Ooman. She had to explain to them that her body needed a lot more food because her body uses more energy then most. She needs a lot more protein and other nutrients from food to keep herself going, but she didn’t need to constantly eat, she just ate in greater proportions.
“Some are very apprehensive about you, Nalani.” Ymik finally spoke. He had been so quiet sitting between Dhm'Ni and Dhyot’te’ka, never really looking up from his plate. But Nala was glad that he was talking, he was very soft spoken. He seemed to have a gentle disposition, but then again he was sitting in an odd place.
“I wouldn’t expect them to be as…accommodating, as you guys are. I could never force myself, as an Ooman, into a world that would love to see just what my skull has to offer and think some do not like me being here. But as for apprehension, I doubt that any on this ship would be nervous or worried about me.” Nala picks up her flask of water, which was kind of sweat but still good, and sighs. She nuzzles into her chair, resting her back but the instant it hit, she pulls herself forwards from the sudden pain. Dhm'Ni quietly grunts to himself for causing her such pain. Who knows how much more damage he caused to her knee, and now she was having trouble sitting because of him. He was half in between gratification, and dismay. He liked that he was able to cause her hurt, but he also hated it too.
“I would not be so sure.” Ymik smiles. “We all watched you, you know. We witnessed you kill the Queen and that Hard Meat you danced with.”
“Danced?” Thr'ik questions, he never saw the footage, he was just told of what happened. Nala however wasn’t paying attention to the conversation as it want on. She was holding her flask just at her lips but she was not drinking, just resting it there. She was listening to a conversation to her right, and from the words being said, she really didn’t like it.
“They are showing the video recording in the society rooms.” Gik’ha tells. “They stopped showing it in here because those in the room were getting a little riled up about Nala fighting the Hard Meats and then Lord Khupiee. And especially you, Dhm'Ni.” He turns to his fellow hunter, but Dhm'Ni didn’t notice. He was watching Nala as she seemed to be else where. Every now and then her facial features would change as it would if listening to a conversation, but as her face changed, he saw that it was not to the conversation at this table.
“You know!” Nala says calming and looks to her right. “Complaining is good for you as long as you're not complaining to the person you're complaining about. Or if the person you are complaining about can hear you.” She smiles as she looks into the eyes of an all too familiar Yautja. Nala recognizes this guy from the room with they pyramid. He was the second one to come in after who she found was Dyne, and had roared at her.
“What are you talking about?” Dhm'Ni hisses to her. Nala softly turns her head to him with a serene look on her face.
“Oh nothing, I was just over hearing a conversation between him and his friend. What was my favorite part…” Nala pretends to think hard, squinting her eyes and waving her head to the right and left but she knew exactly what she was going to say as she looks back to the male at the other table. “Ahh yes, ‘that pathetic little Ooman, she bleed like every other. The stench of her blood with always be in that room, making the males hold their midday meal as they must withstand just the thought of her.’ For one thing, I do not appreciate someone I have yet to see as a friend or foe to speak ill of me. And for another, I would like to know what you meant by ‘Pyode Amedha’.” Nala motions to the chair beside her with her free hand but the male didn’t move. “Did I say something wrong?” She asks the table.
“Lidch is not one to take up such kind offers I guess.” Dhyot’te’ka hisses at the young male. What Nala didn’t really know was the Lich was an Unblood and very eager to prove himself. Even if that meant pissing off a few to many Yautja in the process. But Dhyot’te’ka was looking forward to Nala kicking some sense into him for his words. He wants to see her move like she did with the Hard Meat.
“I am too!” Lidch roars. He stands tall, allowing Nala to see his height, which was very short compared to the ones she was with now, maybe just at 7 feet or even less. But he swiftly takes the seat next to Nala, making sure he was turned facing her completely. “Pyode Amedha means soft meat, it means Ooman. Easy pray.”
“Oomans are anything but easy pray.” Nala stuns the table. “Have you ever hunted Ooman?” When Lidch doesn’t answer, and just stares at her, Nala starts laughing. “I see you haven’t. Do not assume that Oomans are easy because you will end up worse then me.” Nala pulls up a sleeve and shows her scars on her forearm. “And NEVER speak such things of me again.”
“You will not tell me of what to say!” Lidch slams his fist on the table but that made Nala furious.
“AND YOU WILL NOT SLAM YOUR FIST ON THE MEAL TABLE!” She yells at him. Nala places her flask on the table and lowers her head while keeping an evil eye on him. Lidch didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t let this Ooman discipline for being rude. And so, in his stupidity, he stands tall but as he does, he takes the table along with him. He flips the table over and all sitting instantly roar as they stand. The entire room went silent as Nala slowly stood tall in front of Lidch, but never did she show any fear or anger. But Dhm'Ni knew other wise, she wouldn’t show you a dam thing until it’s too late. Because he knew that on the inside, Nala was fuming. He could see it in her eyes. But what he wasn’t seeing was the pain she was feeling. It wasn’t her knee or her back anymore. But as she stood slowly, her head began to throb. It was pounding like a drum, every second a new beat would jolt through her body as the pain stayed.
Lidch suddenly shoves Nalas shoulder, making her stumble a few steps. But she was quick in returning his challenge. A hard shove of his shoulder and it was done, and she had planned on taking him own right then and there but then something odd happened. Nala heard the strangest sound, like…TV static. It was only with her for a moment, but in the moment the pain was so intense that she brings up her hand to her temple and grunts through it. When it was finally gone, Nala looks back to the Yautja in front of her, and then he starts making clicking and growling sounds.
“Uh-oh.” Dhm'Ni thought that Nala was regretting her challenge, but why would she? “Umm…I can’t understand you anymore…” Lidch tilts his head on confusion and trills at her. Because he really couldn’t understand her, before he did but not now. Dhm'Ni however could, he swiftly makes his way in between Nala and Lidch and tell him she cannot understand him any longer.
“Aw, the poor little Ooman can’t understand me…” But he was a little wrong, Nala clearly understood him saying Ooman.
“You tell that fuck I am going to kick his ass for calling me that!” Nala yells to Dhm'Ni who smiles as he tells Lidch. Adding that she can understand a few words of Yautja. Dhm'Ni just had to laugh at his face, he knew he was just caught speaking ill of her, in her words, and now knew he was in deeper trouble.
“She is not one to take kindly to being called Ooman in that sense.” Thr’ik laughs. The others around the table were not concerned about Lidch, from what they had seen from Nala, he was doomed.
“There’s something in my head…” Nala whispers. But no one could hear her over the laughing. She could feel something in her head, it, it was like someone was pocking her right temple, but no one was there. And slowly the pain came back, and a lot worse. Nala closes her eyes and her breath becomes labored as she tries to deal with it but it’s too much…
Dhm'Ni went silent when he felt a hand on his lower back, a small, soft hand. Nala couldn’t hold her balance any longer and had to use him as leverage. Her face became distorted in pain, and she was now noticed by the others.
“Something’s wrong.” Dhyot’te’ka barks. Thr'ik jumps behind Nala when he sees her start to wobble back and forth. When Nala was hit with a sudden and explosive jolt, she pitches back but Thr’ik was a little to far away. He ended up bounding to the ground and just in time he caught Nala.
“There’s something in my head!” Nala screams. At this, Dhm'Ni turns around to see her down, he does know what to do. When suddenly Nala starts to thrash around, holding her head and screaming, he tells Thr'ik to hold her down which he does so with mirth. He encases her in his arms, forcing her own to come away from her head but he was not going to go unpunished. Nala clamps down on his left forearm and digs her nails in, but to Thr’iks delight. Dhm'Ni however had never felt so afraid in his life! He had no clue as to what was going on and she was clearly in pain. He knees down to her and makes her look at him, but her eyes were somewhere else, fixed on something that wasn’t here.
“…pain…” Dhm'Ni asks her. Nalas eyes focus on him and he repeats himself.
“Why do you keep asking things like that when we both know you don’t give a shit?” Before Nala could stop herself, she kicks Dhm'Ni in the chest with both feet and he flies into another table. Thr'ik didn’t really notice though, he was transfixed on a small bead on blood that suddenly formed on her right temple, and he watches it slowly fall down her face. But what else made him puzzled was a tiny bump on her temple, right where the blood was leaching from. Maybe this is what is causing all this trouble.
“Hold still…” Thr'ik purrs to her and takes a greater hold with his now finger implanted arm while using his free hand. Nala couldn’t stay still, her legs were still flailing around in an attempt to do anything! But Thr’ik was to strong in holding her down. Using the sharp tips of two taloned fingers, Thr’ik pushes against her skin right at the small bump and he got one of the loudest, most excruciating screams he had ever heard out of Nala. But what he did was for the good as his eyes saw the smallest point of something black something out of the hole, he was quick to take hold of it and pull it out and not a second later, Nala was still.
Dhm'Ni was fast in apologizing to the Yautja at the table he flew into, who simply laugh at him for being kicked. But what made one particular Yautja mad was the face on Dhyot’te’ka. He was grinning at the sight of Dhm'Ni slamming into their table because one who was sitting there was one of his greatest enemy. Naigt was his name, and they were brothers. But ever since Dhyot’te’ka was born, Naigt was relentless in their battles.
Once Nala clamed down, Thr'ik started to purr to her. The vibrations coming from him made Nala completely forget about the horrific pain that was with her not one minute ago. She rips her fingers from his arm and exhales a long and hard breath. Thr’ik didn’t really mind that she was so close, he could smell her so well now. But he didn’t know what it was that she smelt like…maybe a flower or it could be a sweet fruit. He just couldn’t decide. But he was soon taken from his train of thought when he looks into his hand and at a small grain sized object. Thr’ik jostles Nala into opening her eyes to look as well.
“What the hell is that?” Dhm'Ni carefully went back to her side and looks at the object, instantly he knew what it was, Kh’Cho had implanted a translator, but it was in her brain.
“…talk…” Dhm'Ni says as he gestures to her and then himself.
“The translator?” Nala asks with a little disbelief. She didn’t know where they put it or what it looked like but now she sees it was this little thing.
“What is it?” Thr'ik asks.
“It was the translator Kh’Cho put in her brain.” Dhm'Ni answers bluntly.
“It was in her brain?” Ymik questions. “How could she do that if it was in her brain?” Everyone was thinking the same thing but no one had an answer. Nala shook her head as she smiles. She had forgotten what it was like to not have a migraine. She stands while rubbing circles in her right temple. Whipping away the blood was well.
“MO!” Dhm'Ni barks at her, making her stiffen at his sudden out burst. Both Dhm'Ni and Dhyot’te’ka promptly get to her side because they noticed the blood falling from her temple had gone all the way down and was resting just at the Hard Meat scar on her neck. If it touched or even if she wasn’t careful when whipping it away, it would cause great pain. Dhyot’te’ka was the first to take her hand in his and pull it away from her neck while Dhm'Ni cautiously uses the underside of a claw to take her blood away.
“Your blood was about to fall on your scar.” Dhyot’te’ka says in perfect English.
“You can speak my tongue?” Nala asks but she gets a simple nod in return. “At least I can talk to someone other then Sya.” She laughs. Dhm'Ni turns to Dhyot’te’ka and starts talking but all Nala got from it was an odd series of sounds.
“Dhm'Ni wishes for me to tell that you will go to Kh’Chos now, before you see the Arbitrators.” Dhyot’te’ka tells her.
“So she and I will not fight then.” Lidch hisses.
“Yes you will.” Dhm'Ni barks. “You will wait the three days, and then you will get what’s coming to you.” Usually a challenge is done the day that it was issued, but if something happen, there is a mandatory three day wait until the challenge can be done. Dhm’Ni would have told him to wait anyways, she needs to be trained a little and told the rules of the fight. But with her now unable to speak, it may not hinder her from kicking his butt, however, communication is needed nonetheless.
Nala slowly turns to Thr'ik, who stood when she did, and says thank you with a nod. He may not have been able to understand her words but the gesture told him everything. Nala suddenly gasp at the sight of his arm. She grabs his arm and pulls her to him as she apologies over and over. But Thr’ik didn’t mind the marks. It would leave no noticeable scars and the pain was exquisite. But what really made his day, was holding her to him, now he understood why Dhm'Ni was acting so oddly to her. While she seems so strong all the time, she is like all beings. Sometimes she may be indestructible to you, and then all the sudden he would need your help to stand.
“I think we should go.” Nala say to Dhm'Ni. He nods to her and begins to lead her to the lift doors, leaving everyone but Thr'ik behind. But Nala suddenly dashes to Dhyot’te’kas’ side and pulls him down so she can whisper to him. When she was done, she gets back to Dhm’Nis side.
“Strange one she is.” Gik’ha says to his friends. “And now she has her first challenge, but that really isn’t a challenge.” Lidch growls and hisses at his words. But then it struck him, what had he done? He just challenged the female to a fight and he made things even worse by calling her Ooman. An Ooman that killed a Hard Meat with her bare hands, an Ooman that had such fury in her that she begged to kill a Queen, and he is going to fight her. Pauk.
“Nalani wishes for me to tell you that she forgives you for calling her Ooman in such a way.” Dhyot’te’ka says to Lidch. When he asks why she would say that, Dhyot’te’ka just laughs. “She also says, ‘Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.’” Everyone around starts to laugh as they see she was just spurring Lidch on, making him angrier.
“Getting cozy with the Ooman?” Naigt hisses to his brother, but Dhyot’te’ka doesn’t respond, at first. He knew that his brother only wishes to fight and if he keeps things up, like calling Nala an Ooman, he was going to do something. “It seems my Mei'hswei is not so ruthless when it comes to Ooman females…” Dhyot’te’ka threateningly lowers his head and roars at his brother as he charges…
“What happened to you?” Kh’Cho barks as Nala, Dhm'Ni and Thr’ik stole in. But Nala doesn’t answer him, she only smiles.
“Look here.” Thr'ik walks to the healer and opens his hand. “It was coming out of her head.”
“Oh my,” Kh’Cho takes the small piece of metal and places it in his Med Panel. “What do you mean it came out of her head?” Dhm'Ni ushers Nala to him and she shows him the side of her head. “She rejected the translator. Great! Now I have to prepare to alter her and I have no idea where to start!”
“Alter her?” Dhm'Ni asks. Nala didn’t want to be here anymore, listening to them talk is like watching a dog fart. You don’t really know if it did it, and you can’t really blame it, but you know something happened. Because she doesn’t know what they are saying, but she doesn’t really want to know, but she knows they are saying something.
“Sya told me that the translator is not good enough, which I agree with, and so the next option is to alter her surgically. Make it so her voice comes out in Yautja. It is a simple procedure, we do it to those born mute but to do it to an Ooman? And we also have to make it so her ears can make words out of our speech. Perhaps you should call Sya here. To speak with Nala about what is going on.” Dhm'Ni agrees and steps to the COM. Nala had already gone to the white table and sat down. She was occupying herself by filling her mouth with air but keeping her mouth tight. Making he cheeks puff out. She was looking at Dhm'Ni when all of the sudden, she feels two large fingers squeeze her cheeks, making the air blurt out. Nala looks to who did it and found Thr’ik standing there with the funniest face. His two to mandibles were pointing at her while the bottom were kind of slacking. But his eyes, they were so confused and yet intrigued by her face that she just had to smile. But Thr'ik didn’t let go of her face. Only when Nala smiles did his fingers fall from her cheeks.
“Do it again.” He asks but Nala didn’t understand. Thr'ik pocks her cheek to get her to do it again but that just annoys her. She swats away his hand, but he playfully growls at her. Nala could tell the difference, it was almost the same sound but the end of it was forced a little less. “Do it again!” Thr’ik once more pocks her cheeks, and Nala inflates them for him. Thr'ik quickly pushes then back down and laughs really hard. They can’t hold in air like her, and the sound that came from her lips as he squeezes her cheeks was hilarious. But she wasn’t going to do that again. And she showed that to him when she kicks his thigh to make him go away.
“What else happened to her?” Kh’Cho asks as he steps up to her. He saw the small marks on her left knee and her right knee was swollen.
“We were sparing.” Dhm'Ni says after he was done calling Sya. “Sya will be here any moment.” Kh’Cho pushes Thr'ik aside and looks at the small spots on her left knee. She didn’t seem to mid when he looked at them, but the second he touches her right knee, she whines in pain.
“What happened to her knee?” Kh’Cho asks angry. “That knee is very weak, there is almost no cartilage.” But Dhm'Ni just says that they were sparring, and nothing else. Kh’Cho was quick as he grabs a small bottle of numbing gel and carefully applies it to her knee. What amazed Dhm'Ni was that she didn’t tell him of her other pains, like her back. She was in obvious pain, to him, during their meal but she hadn’t said anything about it. What if something was broken, or cracked? What if he did major damage to her?
“Check her back as well.” Dhm'Ni quickly said. Before Kh’Cho could ask Dhm'Ni to tell Nala to take off her sweater, Sya came running in.

Authors Note: I have something kind of embarrassing to say, I had completely forgotten that the translator Nala was given was only one way. She could understand but not speak. But as I kept writing, I completely forgot. So I am sorry for messing up the facts.

Pronunciations (Previous on chapters 3, 4, 6, 9 to 13, 15 & 16.)
Dhyot’te’ka Die Oat Tek Ahh
Kuhn Koon
Neht’ko Knee Thie Koo
Ymik Yemmik
Naigt Nigh Git