U'sl-kwe

Chapter Two: The Caretaker

Not given to long periods of rest, Te’var’zan was up soon and looked over at the now silent pup. With distaste he noted it was sleeping again. It seemed that that was all it did. He walked over to it and shook it awake. When its eyes opened he untied the cord from the wall. He started to walk towards the door when he felt the tension on the lead. The pup was struggling to stand and follow him but was unable to coordinate itself. That would at least confirm Nain’te’s observation that it was indeed a very young pup.

Impatient to eat, Te’var’zan simply picked it up by the clothing it wore and walked to the galley. When he entered the room he spotted Nain’te easily enough. The albino stood out in any pack. Te’var’zan dropped the pup heavily on the floor ignoring its tiny yelp as he sat down.

With no hesitation Te’var’zan grabbed a piece of meat from the tray on the table and began eating. Quickly another tray of smoked meat was added to the array of foods on the table already by one of the suomynona etas. Several pieces of both the raw and smoked meats later Nain’te cleared his throat.

“You know the ooman needs to eat as well,” he prodded causing Te’var’zan to look down at the pup. It was watching him eat his meal and was quite obviously hungry. Since the piece of meat in his hand had not been the most flavorful he tossed it to the ooman at his feet.

Nain’te scoffed when Phoenix backed away from the raw meat, “You know oomans can’t eat raw meat without getting sick.” He picked Phoenix up and sat her on the table facing him. Forcing her mouth open he examined her teeth. “This one wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway. It’s only got milk teeth.”

Te’var’zan grunted, “So what should it eat? There isn’t exactly a female on board.”

“Here. Cut this up,” Nain’te said as he tossed a spongy naxa over to Te’var’zan. He caught it and sliced it in half. After roughly knocking Phoenix to the ground, he dropped the half of the naxa beside her and started to eat the other half himself.

Hungry as she was Phoenix was hesitant to eat the same thing as one of the monsters. She shuddered looking at it until the monster holding her leash jerked it and growled while kicking the food closer to her. Only because she didn’t want to make the monster madder did she pick it up and take a small bite. The sweetness was enough for Phoenix to overcome any fears and continue eating until shortly it was gone.

When another piece of the sweet fruit landed by Phoenix’s knees she didn’t hesitate to grab it. The monster had shown her that he wanted her to eat and she didn’t want to make it mad. If she did, it might eat her. That’s what monsters did; they ate kids.

The monster didn’t drop anymore food after that, but Phoenix at least felt better not being as hungry. She didn’t have much to do while the monster sat with its friends other than try to be inconspicuous. Soon her attention wandered around the room. There were several more of the little blue creatures like the one that had delivered the plate of meat. Phoenix watched them scurry around delivering fresh plates to the other monsters and taking empty ones way.

Another of the monsters joined the monster that held Phoenix but when she turned to look at it, it growled and the leash holder yanked her hard sending her sprawling on the floor. She curled up in a protective ball, no longer curious in the least about anything around her.

XXXXX

Dtai’ku had had his fill of intimidating the new females and decided he would head to the galley. The head table was occupied by both Te’var’zan and Nain’de and to Dtai’ku’s approval there was a fresh tray of ecef meat there as well. Sitting down he noticed for the first time that Te’var’zan held a cord in one hand. Looking down he saw the other end wrapped around the ooman pup’s neck.

“So, Te’var’zan, how is YOUR pup doing,” Dtai’ku mocked.

Te’var’zan was not impress with the implied insult and growled slightly. “It’s fine.”

Dtai’ku didn’t pay much attention to Te’var’zan as he watched the ooman looking around the room. It cowered on the floor at its master’s feet and Dtai’ku could not wait until he could hear it scream while he trained it. The ooman must have felt his scrutiny, because it turned back towards him.

Dtai’ku growled harshly at the ooman while he clicked to Te’var’zan, “Punish it for looking into the face of its superior.” A smug grin graced Dtai’ku’s mandibles as the pup cried out falling to the deck. Pleased with himself, Dtai’ku sat back and enjoyed the food spread out before him until Te’var’zan got up and left, taking the cowering ooman pup with him

XXXXX

Phoenix hung limp as the monster carried her through the halls. He dropped her roughly back in his room and tied her up again. Then the monster simply left. Curling up on the floor against the wall, Phoenix waited for someone to come help her.

Eventually, Phoenix drifted off to sleep and did not awaken again until the wall shuddered. She opened her eyes, alarmed that the room was shaking. Now, scared even more that the floor might just open up and swallow her she curled up and huddled near the wall again, wide awake and terrified.

It was a while before the monster came back and pulled her behind him. This time he made her walk, and she tried desperately to keep up with him. Her short legs were no match for his longer ones and she frequently lost her balance as the leash pulled her along

There were more of the small blue people running around the halls. Most were carrying assorted boxes and crates to and fro while several of the monsters either watched them or ordered them about with sharp barks. The monster holding the leash didn’t slow down as he entered the frenzy of activity. He pushed his way through, ignoring the blue men, pulling Phoenix behind him.

After Phoenix had tripped and nearly been trampled for the third time, the monster picked her up with a growl. He threw her over his shoulder and kept walking.

Soon Phoenix learned that it had been a ship she was being held captive in as the monster exited down a ramp into a landing field. She stayed absolutely still as even more monsters surrounded them, some of the new monsters even bigger than the one holding her. While the little blue men packed the boxes on carts to be pulled away by strange purple animals that looked like dogs, the monster walked up to another very large one.

XXXXX

Te’var’zan smiled as Pa’dax knelt before him. The strongest of the females, and even she knew her place as a slave and lou-dte kalei. Or at least a former one. It was a shame that she was now barren. Her pups would have made excellent additions to the small clan, with the right sire. He had been disappointed when it became known that her last pup had not survived. He had never thought that a pup he sired would succumb that easily to the Black Warrior. He dropped the ooman pup before her and she looked up at him questioningly. A small shock from the collar around her neck reminded her to keep her eyes low.

“This is mine, but it is still young,” Te’var’zan said disinterestedly. Pa’dax looked to the small creature on the ground before her. Its scent was rank, and not just with the odor of fear.

“What do you want me to do with it,” Pa’dax asked, suspicious of what Te’var’zan had planned. She had seen the other ooman females unloaded, though they were much older than this pup. They would undoubtedly be used by the clan to satisfy the needs her females would not, until these oomans were completely used up.

“You will rear it until I decide it is old enough to serve me as I please.” Finished with that Te’var’zan left both Phoenix and Pa’dax to themselves. Before heading back to the caves his small clan occupied he made a last trip to the ship, to check that everything was locked down. On his way out he met up with Dtai’ku and the two hunters started back to the caves in silence before Dtai’ku spoke up.

“When will the females be released from Nain’te’s lab,” he asked as they crossed the border between cleared field and jungle.

Pushing a giant frond out of the way, Te’var’zan responded, “As soon as he’s tagged and examined them.”

“I see he already has the pup.”

“No, he doesn’t,” was Te’var’zan’s short reply as he jumped over fallen dt tree. He cringed at the crunching sound from the leaf litter on the floor of the jungle when he landed.

“You are not having it examined to see if it is suitable,” Dtai’ku inquired as he jumped over the same tree without making a sound in the litter.

“I do not need Nain’de’s science to tell me it is not suitable…yet. I’ve given it to Pa’dax to raise and train,” Te’var’zan snarled thinking that was the end of Dtai’ku’s questions.

“To be honest mei’hswei, I thought you were not serious about that.” Dtai’ku could not believe that Te’var’zan would allow a slave to train another, raise it maybe, but certainly not train it. “Though I suppose it may be for the best, pups do need mothers. Either way, if Pa’dax forms the maternal bond, anytime the pup is disciplined she will have to be restrained.”

“That will be unnecessary. Pa’dax will be told that she will be held accountable for the pup’s behavior. Both will answer to me for any lapses in that discipline.”

“I can see the logic in that,” Dtai’ku calmly stated though he seethed on the inside. He had wanted to be to the one to train the pup, to break it, to hear its cries as he forced it to bend to his will. He tried to keep his anger at bay, less Te’var’zan scent it in his musk and think it a challenge. Dtai’ku had no intent to challenge Te’var’zan, knowing he was the superior warrior.

Te’var’zan stopped on a small rise and turned to face Dtai’ku, who stopped as well waiting for his Leader to speak. “Why does my decision anger you?”

Dtai’ku cursed himself silently though he responded calmly, “It would have been interesting breaking it.”

Te’var’zan huffed laughter at Dtai’ku. “Do not worry. That will come. Until then, you will not touch it.” The last was underscored by a growl that promised swift punishment should he be disregarded.

Dtai’ku was not pleased in the least. While there were others that would scream for him, the plaintive cry he had heard in the galley had a unique sound. Perhaps it was because it was from a pup, but he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to be the cause of it. As both hunters started walking again Dtai’ku was silent.

To feel a victim’s flesh in hand while it cried was Dtai’ku’s favorite experience. While he didn’t like the idea, he would just have to think of another way to elicit that cry without resorting to physical pain. That would of course take most of the enjoyment out of it. The sadistic part of him needed to feel his victim writhe in his grasp. If he somehow found a way to force Pa’dax into punishing the pup that might bring some euphoria back. Pa’dax and nearly every other female hated being forced into doing anything for the males. The sense of power Dtai’ku felt about that was one of his favored aphrodisiacs. It might be enough to return that high to his torture.

The two yautja soon arrived back at their cave and parted ways. Both were eager to see the females released from Nain’te’s custody. They would choose their own and divide the rest among their clan. As Te’var’zan walked to his room he thought about the spoils of this hunt. He placed the new skulls on his trophy wall and studied them. It was possible; he thought to himself, that the living trophies may well be the better ones from this hunt.