Rivers Run Deep

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Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of the Predator. whatever you don't recognize, is mine however.




Authors Notes: Full Disclaimer at the begining of the first chapter.



Author: Charlotte (jemstone5)

Email: jemstone5

Feedback: Please, yes lots.

Forward to others: would be flattered if you did.

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Rivers Run Deep



Chapter 36

The sight of the contents only made her more upset. She snapped the lid closed, thrusting it and the blade back to Ver’On, and left. M’Pa and Lee’tha quickly followed. Ver’On was completely confused. They’d saved her brother’s treasures for her, and yet she wanted nothing to do with them. Now…she’d walked away from him. He glared back at Kire’Baa. “If she leaves, Kire’Baa, you will die!”


“She has not left you yet,” his grandmother stated, haven dug her claws into Kire’s wrist to keep him silent. “Until she states to you that she doesn’t want you, she is still yours. Go to her, Ver’On, with my blessings, let her decide. Take the treasures with you. She may be ready then.” He nodded to his grandmother and quickly left.






There weren’t too many places she could go. But then, she couldn’t go far. She still couldn’t operate the simplest of devices. He found her outside the hall, pacing in front of the lifts, not sure which one to take, not knowing how to summon one of them. There were other Yautja around, some laughing at her behavior, calling her a child, others just stared at her. He roared at them and they quickly left. M’Pa was the first to speak. “What do I do with her?” he asked of Ver’On.


Ver’On pushed a couple of buttons on the wall for a lift. “Take her to our chambers. She’ll feel safest there. I’ll wait in the main living space. Let her know, when she’s ready, let her come to me.”


“Ver’On, how could you keep something like this from her?”


“Be still Lee’tha!” he seethed. “You could have gone to any Yautja for help when you needed it, but you didn’t. So don’t lecture ME on secrets!” The lift arrived and they all stepped inside. M’Pa held El tightly, for she did not want to be in the same room with Ver’On. Ver’On stayed quiet, he didn’t even look at El. Though her cries cut him deeply, he knew that to go to her now, would only cause more pain. So he opted to wait.






El had paced and paced in the bedroom, she wouldn’t sit down, she wouldn’t listen to M’Pa’s attempts to calm her. “She’s being unreasonable!” he stated loudly, as he joined Ver’On on what El called a sofa. “Is she often like this?”


“M’Pa,” Ver’On sighed, “you’ve never REALLY observed oomans, have you?”


“Enough to know that I can mate with one. And I have, on occasion.”


“But where are they now?”


“Still on their planet. Why?”


“Because you did not bind your heart to them, and theirs to you, you’ve no idea the mess you are thrust into now. This is normal for oomans. For any female, even our own kind. She will come around. Give her time…”


“How much time?”


“When she’s ready.”


“It’s been nearly three hours of her time. How much longer?”


“If you wish not to take the position of Kadji, then say so now. Otherwise, get used to her behavior, she is to be with us a long time. You need to understand her, learn how to make her happy, comfort her when she’s sad, and when to back off when she’s upset.”


“I will honor the position of Kadji…”


“Ver’On?” Lee’tha called, “El won’t listen to me. She just keeps walking around, waving her hands at me.”


“In what manner?” Lee’tha thrust her hands away from her body, palms down to the floor, as El had been doing to her repeatedly. “It means to leave her alone, go away. She’s not ready to face me yet. Let her alone.”


“Do you think that’s wise? Maybe you should talk to her.”


“She will talk to me when she’s ready. Until then…”


“It will be difficult to talk to her anyway,” M’Pa stated, holding up a flashing device. “She gave me this. It’s her translator isn’t it?”


“Yes. She doesn’t understand our language. We’ve only just begun lessons.”


“What do we do?”


“I told you Lee’tha, give her time.” As though on queue, El walked briskly out of the bedroom, and stood in front of Ver’On. He watched her hand movements carefully, remembering clearly how they spoke before her translator. “Yes,” he replied, nodding. Lee’tha and M’Pa looked at each other.


“What did she say?” Lee’tha asked.


Ver’On stood over the table, clearing it of all its ornaments, leaving only the box that held the items that were discovered in her bike. El sat down on the table, in the midst of her tears, she dumped out the boxes contents on the table, sorting the tiny packages into their similar piles. “Ver’On, what is she doing?”


“She wanted to see the box again,” he explained, and sat down in front of her. M’Pa handed her the translator, she took it, but threw it across the room. “She’s not ready to hear my words yet. We cannot hide our truths from each other, and it is this way that she wants to speak. I would ask you both to be quiet and watch.” Lee’tha sat down next to M’Pa, and waited.






“Do you have the box?” she had asked.


“Yes,” he replied, and gave her the box. He didn’t care how she wanted to talk to him, as long as she was coming to him. He would make things right with her, he would not lose her. “Sit,” he offered, clearing the low table.


She had to face the truth. She needed to look in the box again. Why would Ver’On have gone after her brother, if he had not been doing something suspicious to draw his attention? Why would he have been doing anything suspicious, if he wasn’t involved in something that was not legal? The box held the truth, but she wanted to be sure of something first.


She sorted the small packets into the three different piles the packet contents represented. She then turned to Ver’On. “You know what these are?” she asked, pointing to him, his head, and the table area.


“No,” Ver’On answered. “They are not of value?” He rubbed his fingers together, as he’d seen oomans do to indicate currency.”


“Not to me,” she stated, pointing to herself as she shook her head no. She then got up, went across the room and retrieved her translator. She covered it with her hands and went back to Ver’On. “You, gave to me, this,” she motioned with her hands, and he nodded. “You wanted words from me,” again he nodded. “Words are…” she paused trying to find the right motion for him to understand.


Ver’On reached out with one hand, covering hers. “Words are words,” he repeated her motions. “Your heart give words truth. Your voice just make it easy to say.”


She nodded, and handed him the translator. She would hear him now. She had his truth. She knew what she needed. His body could not lie to her, so she knew his words would not either. Ver’On thread the translator over her ear.






“What did you say to each other?” Lee’tha asked.


“It was private,” Ver’On stated. “It was only about the box, and us. So you’ve no need to know M’Pa.”


“As long as she stops crying.” M’Pa stated. El slapped his leg, earning a grunt from him.


“Don’t say things like that again,” Ver’On warned, then turned to El. “What are these things?”


“They aren’t treasures,” she sighed. “They’re drugs. This one,” she held up a small bag of powder, “I think its Cocaine. People sniff it up their nose. These, are crack rocks, and these, I think these are ecstasy.”


“What?”


“It’s a drug, plain and simple. People destroy themselves with this stuff.”


“Why?” Lee’tha asked, eyeing a package of the powder.


“Some humans are stupid. They don’t care what they do to themselves. They call it a high, I call it suicide.”


“Basically that is what happens to them,” Ver’On said as he slid the items back into the box. “What do you want done with them?”


“Jettison them into space. I don’t want even the smoke residue to contaminate any of your ship. Get rid of them! I don’t ever want to see them again.” Ver’On held her close. She’d come to terms with her brother’s activities, her sobs and cries were proof of that. “El, I know I’ve no right to ask…”


“Are we ok?” she asked for him. He nodded yes. “You told me the truth,” she sighed, wiping her tears on her sleeve. “If I’m really a big girl, I should be able to handle it. And I can. I just can’t understand why. Why would he do it?”


Ver’On wiped her tears. “I have no idea,” he replied. “That night, you were not there. I watched you run to the area, from a rooftop near by. Where had you come from?”


“I was hiding down the street,” she replied. “I had been at home, my brother was in the garage, polishing his new bike. When dad got home they started fighting over him having it. Dad got mad at me for overhearing, and I got that horrible feeling, like I did when Lee’tha had been hurt, it wouldn’t go away. All I could do was run. But I came back when the fire trucks went by.”


Ver’On understood. “There is more that I have to tell you.”


“You caused the fire didn’t you?” she asked.


He nodded yes. “I was like you, that night we fought. You wanted to die that night, didn’t you?” She nodded yes. “The night your family died, I wanted to die. I set the building on fire with my plasma cannon. But as the heat and flames began to surround me, my cowardice reared its head, and I ran. I dove through the back entrance, and then to safety. I…when my people are supposed to self destruct when our hunt goes awry, I ran. What kind of a hunter am I for that?”


“A damn good one,” she answered, crying in his hands. “You, like me, knew it was the coward’s way out, to kill yourself over nothing. It took more courage for you to get out, then it did for you to stay.”


“My’El…can you ever forgive me?”


She held him close. “I will. In time,” she replied, and buried her face in his neck. “He was my brother…” She crawled into his lap, pressing her brow to the crook of his neck as she cried. He had a lot to make up for. He was glad though that he had that chance.






It had been a while since the Ooman had left the hall. Ver’On’s parting howl from in the hall attested to that. Kire didn’t have time to discuss with his mate her actions. But now that most of the Yautja had departed for their quarters, he was free to discuss all with her, and he wasn’t happy. Kire glared at his mate. “How dare you!” he growled.


“I dare Kire’Baa. You’ve been scheming for years. And it will stop now! Ver’On is your last male heir. After you and he, there are no others to head the family. In fact, the Hur family will disappear all together. Do you really want that?”


“I will not allow our pure blood line to be tainted!”


“Its too late for that,” she sighed. “You may have examined all incoming bloodlines carefully, but you did not examine the past ones very well. I myself know of several generations that were started with either a pureblood Ooman, or one that was spawned by one. Your pure blood is spoiled already.”


“You little WITCH! How dare you!!!”


“I dare, because you know it’s true!! Let them be Kire. As for your antics with Lee’tha, we will discuss that, later.”


“You know nothing!”


“I know that you have been in her bed, that you had something to do with her being disgraced. I’d no idea you were the one who was involved with Uni’s demise. I will hear the truth Kire. You’ve no choice but to answer the ooman’s questions.”


“I will do nothing of the kind!”


“Oh yes you will. You expect her to be bound by our ways, then fine. She will find out all, through our ways, and you will respond! If you don’t I will remove you from that which you hold most dear!”


“You dare threaten me!”


“I dare, and I will!”


“KIRE’BAA!!!” The pair turned to see the Ooman standing on the upper platform, right between Ver’On and M’Pa.


“Right where she belongs,” Kire’s mate observed. “You’ve got your hands full now Kire. If you live after this, it will not be for long. I will no longer be mated to someone as dishonorable as you!”


He growled at her as she let him go, moving down to the lower landing to stand in front of the trio. She took El’s hand in hers, patting it gently…for a Yautja at least. “Kire’Baa is the one who disapproves of your mating with Ver’On. It has been tradition for many generations here, that the head of the family be the one to give blessings or not. If it were up to me, I would have let him have you long ago.” She glanced to her grandson. “He is a good Yautja, he will be good to you, and I wish you many wonderful offspring.”


El nodded, and watched the woman walk away. She then locked her gaze with that of Kire’Baa. “You’ve not answered my question, Kire’Baa. Who really killed Uni?”


“Has he told you everything?” he asked her, a mild chuckle behind his words, knowing that oomans rarely trusted those who betrayed them.


“Ver’On has told me all I needed to know. Now you will tell us, everything WE want to know. Were you the one who disgraced Lee’tha, after denying her ritual with your grandson Za’Kire?”


Kire glared down at the little creature, it would be so easy to snap her neck. He went to step down to the lower level, but several of the elders gathered around him, and not a one of them was Unarmed. “What treachery is this?” he seethed.


“No treachery, Kire’Baa, only order,” stated one of the elders, the one El knew as Kon’det, one that Sol had pointed out to her, some time before. “You will remain right here, well away from the female, while you answer her questions. Continue little Ooman.”


El bowed her head to the elder, giving her thanks, although assuring him that she was unafraid of the old hunter. “Answer my question Kire’Baa.”


“Yes,” he spat, feeling a knife press against his back. “I needed someone that I knew I could control. Lee’tha was handy, she wanted my elder grandson, but he was dead.”


“Not before you raped her! Is that correct?” El shouted.


Kire backed away from her tone. He’d never heard her speak so fiercely before. Nor had he though her capable of it. Another elder grabbed his arm growling low to encourage him to speak. “Yes,” he replied, but would say no more.


Ver’On growled and clenched his fists. How could this man do that? He’d raised him as a son since his own father’s death. Being prejudice against oomans he could understand, but this, this was beyond him. “I think Yes or no answers will be all we will get form you, so I will make this simple,” El stood to the side as Ver’On became more and more agitated. M’Pa had been correct, when he told her to stand to the front and in front of him, if Ver’On should get angry he might accidentally strike her with his arms. “You continued to rape and threaten Lee’tha, to get her to poison Uni. Correct?”


Kire grumbled, but a sharp poke to his lower back made him rethink his answer. “Yes.”


“And when threats to her person, or to Za’Kire began to fall on deaf ears, you began to threaten Lee’tha’s sisters. Correct?”


“Yes.”


“Ok, now, let me see if I have the rest of the story correct. For years you kept this up, you gave a poison to Lee’tha, told her to administer it to Uni, and if she didn’t show signs of being ill, or dieing, you were going to take ritual away from her younger sisters. To leave them as disgraced as her! But Uni didn’t die, and Lee’tha started to give less and less of the poison to Uni.


“Then the unthinkable happened! Uni was pregnant. And that just really burned your butt didn’t it!? But Lee’tha, no, she stayed away from Uni. She didn’t get anymore of the poison. So you administered it yourself. How much, how often, in what manner, and when, I’m not sure. But you kept giving it to her, till she died. In the midst of labor, she died, taking her child with her. Am I right so far?”


Kire watched his grandson getting angrier, and angrier, his hide broke out in a sheet of sweat, straining at whatever leash, El seemed to hold over him. “Yes,” he replied, and Ver’On growled loudly.


“Then, your grandson, Ver’On, couldn’t get over his mate’s and child’s deaths. I know, I fought him too, I know how angry he was. But then, you didn’t count on that. You didn’t think he’d nearly go mad from grief, so you sent him away. Go hunt, you told him. But don’t come back till your heart had healed…he told me those were your words. I bet you never expected him to return with a new mate, a human one at that. Am I right?”


“Kire…” growled another elder, when the old hunter refused to answer.


Finally, “Yes.”


“Now here’s were it gets interesting…” she took two steps forward, picking up a discarded cup, tossing it up and down in her hand, as though to feel the balance of a weapon. “You wanted to be rid of me. You wanted Ver’On to stay, but he wouldn’t without me. And I wasn’t going anywhere, not without him. And Ver’On made short work of knowing JUST what he’d do to ANYONE who so much as laid a finger on me. So, what to do. Mmmm…make her feel unwanted. The females in the gardens, yes, make sure they kept their kids, and themselves away from her, yeah, that will do the trick.


“WELL GUESS WHAT OLD MAN!!! I’ve been there before. I was through months of grief without so much as talking to another woman, so, having them ignore me was fine. But I wasn’t going to over stress them, nor hang around and let them hurt their kids to keep them from me. So I left the garden area, I had me a little walk around the ship. I got lost a bit. But you know what? I saw you. Oh sure, you stayed well back, hiding around a corner, but…I knew you were there. So, you needed a way to get close, but not implicate yourself in my demise. You were careful with disposing of Uni, you’d have to be doubly so with disposing of me. That’s where Lee’tha came back into the picture.


“You threatened her again, gave her the poison, sent her on a mission to get close to me. Lee’tha would do anything to protect her sisters. They were the only close family she had left. And there was no way that she would let what happened to her, happen to them, by your…ha…pitiful actions. Thing is, I made a promise to Ver’On. He wanted to protect me from any possible assassination attempts. So, I didn’t take any food or drink FROM ANYONE except him.


“That must have really made your butt boil, even more so when you saw me and Lee’tha becoming friends. So, it was back to threatening her sisters. And to add insult to injury, you raped and beat her so badly, you nearly killed her!!


“Oh, now you had a problem. Lee’tha was out of commission. You couldn’t use her. Worse yet, YOU LEFT YOUR OWN TRACE DNA ALL OVER HER ROOM!!! It’s only a matter of time before someone decides to find out what happened. Only now, no one is talking. No one knows where Lee’tha is. The med bay is empty. No one is being treated, anywhere. But she has to be getting treatments, and then there was that little human. Always slipping into the med bay for hours. She must know. Of course I knew I kept her in hiding there, and you NEVER would have known she was there, had she not come looking for Ter’Oth, to thank him again for the lovely dress he’d given her.


“Now you knew where she was, and who was protecting her! Send in the men, have them rough up the healer, they’ll kill Lee’tha, not to worry. And your disgraceful actions would die with her. But you didn’t count on my Kadji, Sol, helping out the healer. He’d been working with Ver’On on new fight moves, believe me, they’re good. The men gone, the women safe. How much did Lee’tha really tell them. You needed to know that.


“Lee’tha was now officially mated to Ter’Oth, she was safe. Even you wouldn’t violate that kind of union. So continue to threaten her sisters. Nope, can’t find them. We beat you to them. Hid them away on your own ship. So call in another group, who better to find out than a bunch of new curious Yautjas?


“Do you HONESTLY expect me to believe that we just HAPPEN to come across another ship? No. you’d sent out a message. When, I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure it was an invitation for them to attend the Gathering. After all, what is a gathering, if the clan of only ONE ship is there? Best of all, there was a hunter onboard, that just LOVED being with human women, and had a well know reputation of doing so. Figure out a way to get them together.” The elders all looked at M’Pa, as did Ver’On, but he held his place. “Ver’On mentioned to me that he’d seen the two of you together. I bet I screwed up your plans when I got into that scuffle with Reo. All of a sudden M’Pa is with us now, in the position of Kadji! So, break up the happy trio, by having the truth exposed in front of EVERYBODY!!! If that doesn’t make her want to leave him than nothing will. ISN’T THAT RIGHT KIRE’BAA!!!? Is all that I have said been true!!!?”


“YES! YOU CONNIVING LITTLE TROPUP!!!”


“Conniving? Look who’s calling the kettle black! Your stupid attempts to get rid of me, have fallen apart at every turn. You would have done better if you left WELL ENOUGH ALONE!!!”


“YOU! YOU USELESS HORMONE DRIVEN YAUTJA! You were to mate that bitch into oblivion!!!” Kire shouted at M’Pa.


“As much as I adore mating with oomans,” he began, but crossed his arms over his chest. “I would never harm one who is already bound to another of our kind. Nor would I have even considered it after the respect she’d shown me. After my encounter with her, I started thinking about why you were encouraging me to seek out the Ooman, and when I heard the talk among the other males, of how she could not be touched by the one who calls her mate, I knew then what you really wanted. Turn her heart, make her betray Ver’On. Have her dishonored in front of all, and Ver’On would throw her away. Well guess what! I wasn’t going to play your game.”


“And when…Kadji…were you going to tell us this?” Ver’On asked a growl behind each word as he tried not to strike the male.


“In private, tomorrow, before you leave for the hunt.”


“Leave it Ver’On,” El eased. “He never would have played his game. When he would have told us is little difference.” She then turned back to Kire’Baa as he strained against the elders to be free. “You killed Uni and her child, you then tried to kill Lee’tha, and me. AND FOR WHAT!!!!?”


“PURE BLOODLINES!!!” he shouted. “The Hur family is shrinking! I WILL NOT ALLOW OUR LINE TO CONTINUE TAINED WITH THE BLOOD OF PREY!!!”


The elders let him go, but just as he flew from the tables towards El, she waved her hand, and Ver’On shot in front of him, slamming his fist solidly into his face. Kire went down hard, but spun back quickly, kicking his leg out to trip his grandson. He was ready, he lept out of the way, a gentle shove to El, sending her back into M’Pa’s arms, where he lifted her and placed her on a table behind him, and stood his own ground, as Ver’On sent Kire across the floor with a powerful kick to his chest.


Kire shot to his feet, from somewhere in his robes he pulled out a combistick, snapping it to full length. Kire’s growl was low and menacing, but he wasn’t looking at Ver’On, he was eyeing El, perched on the table. Only one Yautja was in the way, the other to his left. He could easily throw his spear and kill her. Then Ver’On slammed into his side, his own blade in his hand. Dishes and food remains went flying, and the remaining Yautja scattered to the edges of the room.


Dozens of the younger males began to growl, and the honored class began to chant, “Dtai’k-de BAD THWEI!!!” over and over again, louder with each passing rhythm.


“You hear that old hunter!” Ver’On seethed. “The clan has judged you. You will die tonight.”


“I may die, but I won’t die alone! Your Ooman will die as well.”


“NOT BEFORE YOU!!!” and they ran at each other again.






“M’Pa! What are they saying?” El asked, trying to hear over the growing chant.


“They are calling him Bad Blood, and encouraging Ver’On to fight. Didn’t you hear it?”


“No. There must be too many at the same time – VER’ON!!!”


They young Hur was grabbed by Kire, nearly being choked with the spear across his neck. El gained his attention with her scream, and she motioned with her hands for him to thrust his left knee into the man’s head. He did just that, breaking the hold. He staggered to his feet, and took position between Kire and El, keeping him from her. He growled several times, flexing his massive body of muscles.


El recognized his stance, the same he took during their fight, when Ralph and Mr. Com were trying to take her away. She suddenly found she loved the way he looked in that pose. Every muscle in his body tense, his rage pure and blinding, his power unleashed, like the night they fought.


“EL!! CALM DOWN!!!” she heard M’Pa say, but she couldn’t help it. “Damn Female.” M’Pa leapt to the table, trying to pull her sight to him. “Ver’On wasn’t kidding that you get thrown into heat at the slightest flex of his body. EL! LOOK AT ME!”


“SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY!!” she shouted, pushing him to the side.


“El! Your scent will distract him. You need to calm down!”


“If you value what makes you a male, you’d get out of the way right NOW!” M’Pa growled at her, but he stepped down all the same. Then he eyed the pitchers of cold water that were further down the table. He could shock her, make her calm, but to get the water he’d have to leave his post. He turned to Ver’On, who’d again was caught in a hold by Kire. He could tell that Ver’On was focused on El’s scent. He could see him scenting her with each breath. Several of the males around the room were also scenting her, and were eyeing her carefully, noting where M’Pa stood, and how Ver’On was fairing in the fight.


He had to take the chance. If Ver’On lost to Kire’Baa, he would waste no time in killing El before the rest of the Yautja gathered would make a move to kill the bad blood. He had to douse the water over her. The chill alone would break her rising hormones. He dashed down the table.






Kire had grabbed the younger male again, this time binding his arms with his from behind. A sudden sickening smell reached is senses. It was the Ooman, she was in heat! And he could smell her. it was disgusting to him, the thought of his only grandson spawning his young from such a creature. He would not let that happen. He looked to the male, he wasn’t focused on the fight. Bad move. He was smelling her, just as he could. How could Ver’On, Honored class warrior of over two hundred years, find himself pining for prey to be in his bed? He couldn’t understand it. Somehow he had to put an end to it. A final end. The family of Hur would no longer be tainted.


His spear was lodged between some chairs, he could easily throw Ver’On onto the raised end, and still have time to kill the Ooman before the rest of the clan could get to him. His line may end, but it would end in pure blood. He extended his leg between Ver’On’s knees, and twisted the male towards the spear.






The scent on the air was strong, sweet, pure, full of lust and yearning. His eyes snapped to El. She was watching him intently, she even shoved their kadji out of her line of sight of him. She wanted him, she wanted him now. He inhaled deeply that wonderful scent that was his El. He could see her breasts rise and fall to her rapid breathing, he could see the vein in her throat pulse quickly to the rapid beat of her heart. She was in full heat now, nothing would stop them. When he won this fight, he would order the room cleared and claim what rightfully belonged to him. What she wanted to give him from the beginning. He first had to break this hold.


Kire twisted to the right, Ver’On was tripped over the elder’s leg. He saw the spear coming at him, but felt a great weight crush into his left shoulder, displacing him from the spear’s path. He heard a horrendous howl, as he crashed through some of the tables with Kire still locked in his grasp of him. Whatever hit him, caused the elder to lose his timing, and had not let go in time. Ver’On elbowed the elder in his face, hearing the sickening snap of bone as two Mandibles broke to the impact. Kire struggled beneath the table, momentarily stunned. Ver’On sprang free of the mess that bound him, roaring his fury as he rose.


“NNNOOO!!!!” The sound of his screaming mate pulled him from his battle ready thoughts, but what met his gaze was something he had not expected.