Chiva

Hello there everyone. I've realized that my chapters are short and all, and I apologize, but for now it will have to do. Hopefully the quality is good enough to make up for the lack of quantity. :P

Hult'ah: Sentry, guard, observer
Guan: Night
H'dlak: Fear

If there's a word I've left out, please let me know. I kind of posted this in a hurry. Anyway, enjoy!


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Kro'nha passed through a clearing between vine and moss that ended a quarter of a mile ahead, which then spread out widely to circle the society before him; they were almost home.

Anthea was better, but now she slept comfortably in his arms. He looked down on her as he walked, his thoughts still on what had happened back at the cove. He didn’t follow her all the time; he knew that she could take care of herself well enough. But he’d gotten good at recognizing her careless reasoning. He understood her way of thinking; she thought it would be harmless. He shook his head lightly in thought. Through her years of training, she’d been taught to be prepared for any situation, regardless of the circumstances.

The girl stirred in his arms and he held in his breath. This was strange, he thought. He’d always thought of Anthea a certain way in all her years growing up here. Why then, were his feelings suddenly changing, because he’d seen her naked? That was just absurd. Was that really it, though? The thought seemed so childish. Maybe that wasn’t all of it, though. Maybe some part of him always felt this way about her. Maybe it only took this incident to fully awaken those buried thoughts. He trilled lightly in a chuckle. That thought was also absurd. His thinking paused for a few steps. The only sounds for the moment were the rustling leaves beneath his moving feet.

He’d just never seen a naked ooman female before. He nodded, confirming his thoughts. For that matter, he hadn’t even seen a naked female of his own kind. Not because he hadn’t had the chance; he had. The silly thing though was that he hadn’t found anyone in particular he’d have enjoyed mating with. Usually, feelings were rarely, if not at all, involved when it came to finding a partner. The act was merely to procreate, nothing more. There had been a select few who felt differently about the matter, but of course, the exception was rare, and he’d never come across any Yautja who felt that way. That way of thinking wasn’t shunned, but it wasn’t encouraged either. Their kind was typically quite monotone, except of course when it came to pride.

That was it, he thought. It was just because he hadn’t seen a naked female before. He just didn’t know what to think about it. He was nervous, which was a more than understandable reaction in that situation. That was it…

He was stopped not two steps back into the boundaries of the village. Na’Lyn, a familiar face had quirked her head in question as Kro’nha walked by.

“Hey,” she said curiously, pointing a lazy finger at the tired girl in his arms. “What happened?” Kro’nha paused, clenching Anthea lightly while repressing an annoyed sigh. He wanted this walk to be over already, thus his patience was wearing quickly. He turned around to face the hult'ah, preparing to make his story short.

“She was attacked at the cove to the east. She’s fine now though, only sleeping. I need to return her to her bed.” He prepared to finish his walk, but she spoke again.

“To the east, you say?” Her tone seemed troubled. Kro’nha only nodded. Her mandibles clicked together in regard, seeming to chew over this new information. He noted her concern and quirked his head. “It’s just,” she started, still thinking. “That place is on the border between our land and Guan H’dlak’s. There’s been a lot of confrontation as to whose hunting grounds those are. What was she attacked by?”

“A basilisk.” He answered simply.

“Did you kill it?” He nodded yes. Na’Lyn looked to Kro’nha, who seemed unfazed by her words. “You’re not worried?” She asked in a distressing tone. He rolled his golden eyes.

“Of course I’m worried, I understand all of what you’ve said, but there is nothing I can do about it. She was in trouble, and I protected her. If the chieftain of clan Guan H’dlak wishes to address this matter to me, then he can. I’ll deal with it when it happens.” His words were all too composed to her. He finally turned and made his way back to her dwelling. Na’Lyn raised a hand to his retreating back, only to let it fall in defeat.

He carefully laid the sleeping girl into bed, she was worn out. Timidly he reached down to tug away her mask and place it nearby. He tucked a long and unruly lock of hair behind her ear, watching intently as she subconsciously welcomed his touch. He sighed and let his head drop. Maybe he was in denial during his walk. Maybe he did have growing feelings for her.

Ko’tak stepped in, placing his hand over Kro’nha’s shoulder. The elder opened his mouth, but his curiosity was taken away when the other Yautja spoke.

“She was bathing in the cove to the east. She let her guard down and was confronted by a basilisk. Anthea was defenseless, so as you instructed, I protected her.” There was a hint of disappointment in the younger Yautja’s voice. Na’Lyn’s words were getting to him. He knew that his actions might cause an uproar before they spoke, but finally telling his elder made his shoulders feel that much heavier.

Ko’tak only nodded, patting Kro’nha’s shoulder before taking his hand away. “Come,” he said, “let us talk more outside. We will give her a chance to rest quietly.”

Anthea was spinning in the dark; she still felt dizzy. Light slowly worked through, shedding her darkness until she eyed the light fixture above with squinting lids. She sat up, quickly at first, until her head spun again. She froze mid-sit, propped up on one hand and pinched the bridge of her nose until she felt better. Once she sat herself up completely, her shoulders dropped in an ugly slouch and she heaved an exhausted sigh.

‘Damn it,’ She cursed mentally, ‘I’m such an idiot.’

It was hazy when she tried to backtrack. It took a moment, too. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, mindlessly fiddling with a fold in the quilt underneath her. She skipped through the events before the boar, right up to the point the enormous serpent came falling into the water. Her eyes closed tighter while her brows furrowed, still chewing at her lip.

She remembered the swift wave that moved her before she went limp. She was stopped short though, before she blacked out. Something caught her. What was it? She continued her concentration until she opened her eyes and suddenly slapped her forehead.

Of course! It was Kro’nha! She’d remembered suddenly how he’d vanquished her scaly threat, swiftly landing in front of her as the wave caught them both when the reptile finally splashed to a landing. That, of course, was not why Anthea was still lightly slapping at her forehead with the hilt of her palm. She was naked then, and now, she was very much clothed.

Her cheeks flushed with heat and color, and now both of her hands covered her mortified expression as she let out a heavy and flustered sigh.

The past few days had left their mark on Anthea in more ways than one; her body had reached a level of exhaustion that she had never known before. Now with this day’s events leaving her confused and flustered, she didn’t think that any form of rest would come easy. Regardless, she clenched her covers tightly, nuzzled her pillow and let out a bewildered sigh. She was asleep within seconds, finding her escape in the world of dreams, away from large serpents and naked images of herself. But, deep within her dreams she found herself smiling at one thought that had before left her blushing. The memory had come to her; a vulnerable girl lying naked in the arms of her great protector. Not even the blankets or pillow could hide her smile.