PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom
Part 23
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"My only friend in the village is Yamina. But I can't ask her to go. She's in no condition to travel." Elila added a bit softly.
She didn't need to tell Pedryn why. The shark knew exactly who Yamina was. Elila was only grateful that Carielle wasn't here to discuss her as well.
"Look, I'll be fine once I get there. I'll stay in gator territory. Trust me, no snake would dare travel there." Elila said trying to reassure the shark. She was beginning to find Pedryn's concern quite sweet actually.
"No, I suppose not. But you shouldn't go there either." Pedryn snapped thinking that the last place a heron should be was within striking distance of a gator hybrid.
"I suppose the same could be said about my staying here." Elila answered putting a gentle laugh into her tone.
"Elila, I don't like this." Pedryn said knowing that there was a definite sound of defeat to her tone. It would appear that the heron was determined to go through with this. And the shark was through trying to stop her.
"All right. You said you needed my help. What is it that you want?" Pedryn asked wondering what it was that the heron needed her assistance with.
"Well, I need two things actually. The first is your silence. I'm sure the entire tribe knows by now that I was taken to Midali Territory sometime last night. Given what happened and my subsequent turning blue, I'm sure they'll naturally assume that my continued absence is due to health concerns. Now before I leave for the swamp I'm going to put my ID card on the next transport running back to the Lodge." Elila explained hoping that Pedryn understood what it was exactly that she was trying to do.
"You're trying to throw them off... You're ID rides around on the transport for the rest of the night while you make your way out of the Gallion Village. By the time the jungle cats realize that you're not on the transport they'll have no idea where you are." Pedryn responded easily figuring out what it was that the heron intended to accomplish.
Pedryn didn't comment on how strange it was to her that Elila carried an actual ID instead of a cyber chip. Most tribes had a standard policy of implanting all members. She knew for a fact that the Fasara readily adhered to the implantation process. She couldn't figure out why it was that Elila would have been excluded from such a process. But she knew that now wasn't really the time to ask. Now was the time to focus on the task at hand.
"Exactly. But I need you to tell them that you have no idea where I went. Tell them that after I recovered from my venomous ordeal I left in state of fear. They'll believe that. Tell them I simply took off and you didn't care to stop me." Elila said knowing that no one in her tribe would disbelieve the above scenario.
The Midali were they're natural enemy. She was supposed to inherently fear them, not take up at their lodgings for the night. To her jungle cat sisters, the truth would actually sound far more unbelievable.
"I can do that. And the second part?" Pedryn asked not even giving a second thought to the prospect of lying to the Fasara. It wasn't her responsibility to help them keep watch of Elila. Perhaps this little incident would remind them to keep a closer eye on their tribal heiress.
"I need to borrow credit." Elila said adding a sad note of apology to her voice.
But she didn't have a choice. The only credit she carried was easily traceable and directly in her alpha's name. She couldn't use it, not if she intended to remain unnoticed.
"Fine." Pedryn answered having not the slightest problem with funding Elila's little vacation.
She was in no short supply of monetary resources. And she assumed that the heron had already realized as much. While she didn't necessarily flaunt her wealth, she didn't hide it either. Besides, she too stood to gain from Elila's excursion. And if it cost her a bit she didn't mind. In fact, she was quickly beginning to realize that she would pay any price to wipe away all traces of the fear she had left deep within the heron's heart.
"Wow, you agreed rather easy. And I didn't even have to list you all the many reasons that I spent hours thinking up last night." Elila answered quite relieved that Pedryn had agreed to both of her requests.
"I'm feeling generous today." Pedryn answered smiling a bit at all that had just transpired between them. Elila had asked her for help. And they had carried on a complete conversation like two normal people. All in all, the shark was feeling rather elated.
"Really? How generous?" Elila asked in a somewhat teasing tone.
She wandered over to the shark closing the distance between them. She let the locks of her hair fall casually on her face. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back, seemingly unaware that the motion caused her breasts to thrust out. And before she even opened her mouth to speak she took a careful minute to wet the length of her soft pink lips.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" Pedryn asked completely aware of the fact that it seemed the young heron was actually flirting with her.
"Well, you're right about the trip. It will be less then pleasant, especially if I go alone. But at most it will be no longer then two days." Elila say rolling her head to the side to stare at Pedryn through her wide-open eyes.
"And what exactly is your point?" Pedryn asked wondering if Elila even knew that she was actively flirting with the predator to secure her wishes.
Pedryn might not know Elila as well as she would like. But she had intently observed her over the last couple of days. And from that, she had learned that Elila could be quite unaware of her own innate feminine charms.
"Well, I was just wondering if Zeranna or Carielle or anyone else you might know around here would perhaps be free over say the next forty-eight hours?" Elila asked totally surprising the shark with her request.
Pedryn had naturally assumed that Elila would be far too uncomfortable in the presence of a Midali to travel with one. And she was happy to see just how wrong she had been. The alpha shark would be more then pleased to send a Midali warrior with the heron. In fact, she had been planning on sending one along anyways. But this way would be much more pleasant for all parties involved.
"I'm sure Zeranna can be persuaded to tag along. I don't think she's ever been to Black Moon. I'm sure she'll enjoy the trip." Pedryn said watching in delight as Elila's eyes positively lit up.
"Wonderful! You know, you're far more accommodating then your reputation indicates." Elila said feeling quite pleased with her own rather virginal negotiating skills.
"Only with you Elila. And besides you only asked for things that I was more then willing to give." Pedryn answered unable to stop the somersault of nerves in her own fluttering stomach. Being this close to Elila was beginning to affect her again. And she couldn't let her natural instincts take over, not when things had finally started to go so well for them.
"Well, I'm going to go find something to eat. I have a long trip ahead of me. You'll talk to Zeranna?" Elila asked turning on her heel to leave.
She had felt this pull towards Pedryn. There was this unmistakable sensation in the air. And though Elila had never before experienced it she had to assume that it was nothing other then raw physical chemistry.
"On one condition. I want Zeranna to stay with you for as long as you're in the swamp." Pedryn said gearing up for another round of heated discussions with the heron. But Elila didn't even seem concerned by her comment. In fact, the heron seemed relieved.
"Of course. I'm sure she'll have a good time. I know I will." Elila said finally turning to take her leave.
Pedryn stood there for a few long minutes after the heron had departed. All she could do was stare into the space of nothingness. Somehow Elila had gotten through to her. The heron had penetrated all of her defenses in a mere matter of days. And now the shark suspected that for the first time in her long and troubled life, she was finally getting in well over her head.
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"How is she?" Neisha whispered trying her best not to waken the sleeping warrior. Kellis had been in and out of consciousness now for nearly two days. And Neisha didn't want to rob the warrior of a few moments of peaceful rest.
"The same." Melaryn answered squirming a bit in her chair.
In forty-eight hours she hadn't once left Kellis' side and the vigil was beginning to take its toll. Her muscles ached, her stomach churned, and with the setting of the sun came a whole new bout of utter exhaustion. She needed to rest. And she could tell from the chiding stare that her wife was giving her that Neisha was about to become rather adamant in her concerns.
"I'll tell you what. You go back to our rooms and lay down for a few hours. I'll stay here with Kellis." Neisha said using what could only be described as her best mommy' voice.
Normally the tone would have bothered the proud warrior. But on a night like tonight, she could use a bit of mothering. Yet, even as tempting as the offer sounded Melaryn wasn't ready to give in just yet. Her pride, concern, and all out worry were still very much in control of her better judgment.
"Now you said yourself that Kellis is out of the woods. You expect that she will make a full recovery. She seems to be doing much better. And for the moment, things in the rest of the tribe seem somewhat calm.
I think that's it's really important that you take this opportunity to sleep while you can. You said that it could be weeks until Kellis is back on her feet. And we're set to leave the Gallion in a mere matter of hours. The entire tribe is going to be depending on you. Thash will have no choice but depend you. And you're not going to be a very good leader if you haven't slept in days." Neisha prodded hoping that her wife would take her up on the offer.
She could tell that Melaryn was dead tired. And the next few days were sure to be trying. Melaryn would need to be at her best. And though Neisha would love to do absolutely anything in her power to help, she couldn't lead the tribe. Only Melaryn could do that. But Neisha would make sure that she gave her wife all the support and care that her heart could offer.
"I know that I'm only an apprentice healer but Kellis is resting peacefully. If anything happens I'll get you. Please don't worry." Neisha soothed wrapping her arms around her tired wife's frame. Gently, she kissed her neck hoping that Melaryn was ready to give into logic.
"Well my dear, you do make an excellent point." Melaryn conceded practically feeling the beaming smile of her wife from behind.
"It's just..." Melaryn began letting her voice trail-off with her thought clearly unfinished.
"What?" Neisha asked kneeling on the ground next to Melaryn.
Some warrior's believed that many matters were better left unspoken, especially to the soft heart of a woman. But Melaryn certainly didn't prescribe to that belief. She told Neisha everything. And she loved the strict confidence that she shared with her wife. And now, if she couldn't share her concerns with Neisha then she was surely out of luck. Because the only other person that she ever confided in was currently unconscious.
"Something's not right here. I've trained to be a healer my entire life. And not once have I run across anything that even remotely resembles what happened to Kellis tonight. Neisha I've seen the effects of rollen consumption. I've even seen severe cases of rollen poisoning that resulted in death. But Kellis didn't have those symptoms. She had some of them. And let's face it; we both saw her drink far too much at the banquet. But it just seemed like there were other factors at play." Melaryn said thinking back to all the strange physical ailments that had befallen the golden warrior.
"Well, I'll admit that something about all of this just doesn't sit right. No one has even seen Narlene since the banquet but everyone is absolutely certain that she left with Kellis. And we did find Kellis near death in Narlene's room. But where is she? It's been days, why hasn't she come back yet?" Neisha commented thinking that all of this was ripe for quite conceivably the dirtiest of scandals.
"I don't know. You used to travel in the same circles as Narlene, Rilari, and Shaenebel. Do you know if any of them sample anything recreational that's a bit stronger then rollen juice?" Melaryn asked wincing at the memory of her wife's former association with the tribe's cattiest members.
"Stronger? Surely you aren't suggesting a narcotic of some kind? Trust me, all of that is too dirty and unpleasant for the likes of them. There's no way Narlene would ever involve herself in something like that. I know that Narlene can at times be rude and even a bit surly. But to her, image is everything. And believe me, drug-addiction is not an image that Narlene would ever be interested in acquiring." Neisha answered quite convinced that she knew all the habits of her former friends.
"Besides why? What are you thing?" Neisha asked as she got up to check on that status of Kellis' vitals.
"Jolari root...the symptoms that Kellis displayed are in accordance with a jolari overdose." Melaryn answered surprised that her wife hadn't thought of it before.
Neisha might not have the long years of healing experience that she did. But her wife was intelligent and amazingly perceptive. Surely, she must have seen the signs.
"Jolari...Melaryn this is serious. If Kellis suffered a jolari overdose the effects could permanent. And let's not forget what will happen when Thash finds out. She'll be dishonored and possibly even cast out of the tribe." Neisha said realizing that her personal relationship with Kellis had clouded her view of the obvious facts.
"We need to sample her blood. We need to find out for sure. If all of this was because of jolari we don't have a lot of time left. If we don't treat her now her disability could become permanent." Neisha added already rushing to the door prepared to find the nearest medical bay for supplies.
"NO! We can't do that." Melaryn said grabbing her wife roughly by the arms.
"What? Why not?" Neisha answered quite confused by her wife's unwillingness to help her own best friend.
"You said it yourself. Thash will cast her out. She'll have no place to go. And the jungle cats have no true allies. She'll have to stay here and live amongst all the other nomads without a home to call their own. Or worse, she'll have to go muck around in the swamp with those awful rats and gators. Do you think that's the kind of life that Kellis wants?" Melaryn asked laying out the grim future that the warrior could expect to have if Thash discovered her narcotic overdose.
"No, of course not." Neisha conceded pulling away from her wife just long enough to take a few careful visual studies of Kellis' form.
"But you said yourself that the effects of jolari can be permanent. We have to help her. Surely we can find some way to gain access to a IV-viewer without Thash's knowledge." Neisha said thinking that surely they could do something to prevent Kellis from suffering needlessly.
"Don't be ridiculous Neisha. You know that the IV-viewer is kept under only the most secure of locks. It's down there in the medical bay with all the other blood related equipment that's considered to be just shy of illegal. The only way to gain access to it is under third-party supervision and with dire cause. And since we can't let anyone in the tribe know of what has happened to Kellis I believe that we'll have to pursue an option that doesn't involve violating the blood laws." Melaryn answered letting her own exhaustion dictate her surly manner towards her wife. Intellectually she knew that Neisha was only trying to help. But still, her energy as well as her patience was wearing thin.
"Those laws hinder our ability to heal. If only they would bend them even just a bit..." Neisha answered letting her voice betray her supreme feelings of helplessness.
Melaryn didn't respond. It was an old and tired discussion between them. And now certainly wasn't the time to rehash it. The war with the humans had made the viewing of blood to be something akin to sinful. Testing it, sampling it, even administering it were all activities that were strictly guarded and regulated. And truthfully, the kingdom didn't need to explain the reason why.
Everyone could see the wisdom behind it. No one ever wanted to repeat what happened before. No one ever wanted to see the result of tampering yet again with the genetic code. Blood had been elevated to the esteemed heights of sacred. And those that strived to unravel its mysteries were considered by all to be only the lowliest of criminals.
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"There just has to be something that we can do. We both know what can happen to her if this is the result of a jolari overdose." Neisha whispered thinking that she wouldn't wish such a fate on even her worst enemy.
Jolari root was sold in many forms. One could acquire it from less then reputable establishments in pill form, as a liquid, or even as a spice. Some more traditional tribes still refused to believe in its negative biological effects or addictive qualities and still used it as an aphrodisiac. When used in microscopically small quantities it could effectively enhance the blood lust of any predator found on the planet.
But Neisha believed that the risks far outweighed the gains of ever using such a substance. Some jolari addicts suffered permanent physical paralysis on half or all of their bodies. Others lost their sense of vision or hearing. Some gave birth to children that were missing a limb or even an entire brain stem. And still others lost the ability to have children at all. Neisha could only hope that Kellis would be one of the lucky few that experienced the root of the jolari and managed to survive relatively unscathed.
"There's nothing that we can do Neisha. Trust me, I've tried to think of every possible answer. But there's nothing that we can do without compromising her position within the tribe. Any action that we might take is far too risky. And the consequences are simply to permanent to toy around with her future." Melaryn said trying to softly calm her wife. She loved Neisha for her open and kind heart. But this was one mess that they just couldn't get Kellis out of.
"I can't just stand here and watch. I can't do nothing when I know that that awful stuff could be riding through her system. I can't! Not when I know that we could be doing something to help her." Neisha said unable to hold on to the tears of helplessness that were drifting down her features.
"Honey, even if we had access to the blood equipment it's too late to do any good now. If the jolari root is going to hurt the body the damage occurs within the first thirty seconds of consumption. If Kellis did ingest jolari any injury she suffered has already happened. There really is nothing that we can do." Melaryn explained hoping that her wife would drop this topic once and for all.
"Besides, we don't even know for sure that Kellis did ingest jolari. If we're lucky, this is all because of rollen juice. All we can do is wait Neisha. And help her to deal with whatever the outcome." Melaryn added grateful that her wife seemed resign to the role of watcher.
Slowly, Neisha sunk down on the mattress next to the unconscious warrior. She perched on the side of the bed gently coming the blonde locks away from Kellis' face. The warrior's skin still felt as hot as an exploding volcano.
And there was nothing they could do for her now but wait. Melaryn returned to her chair and closed the distance between them with a soft and gentle touch of her hand. Neisha smiled and returned the gesture. Melaryn was tired. But she would wait here with her wife. They would draw off each other's strength.
The warrior didn't know how long they had been asleep for when she heard the incessant banging on the door. Neisha had yet to awaken. Her body was still curled up next to the unconscious warrior as if to protect Kellis with her smaller but quite sturdy frame.
Melaryn jolted out of her chair trying to shake off the remnants sleep. The only ones who knew she was with Kellis were Yamina, Rilari, and Shaenebel. And she had kept them under strict orders not to breathe a word to anyone. That's why this disturbance came as such a great surprise to her. Up until now, Rilari had been doing a wonderful job of keeping the rest of the tribe away from her and the sickly warrior.
Slowly, she opened the door a crack relieved to see that it was only Rilari standing there. She quickly let the girl in, though she was a bit unnerved by Rilari's obvious state of distress. The girl looked nervous and worried. And not once in all her years had Melaryn ever since such emotions displayed in the normally aloof young kitten.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Melaryn asked not caring that her clothes and hair were in complete disarray.
"We have a problem. Thash called the primary comm system. She's on hold now." Rilari answered looking as stunning as always. No matter what the situation, the young cat could always pull herself together.
"So? What? Does she want to speak with Kellis?" Neisha asked finally awakening from all the commotion.
Rilari only eyed her rather suspiciously before turning back to Melaryn. The young woman always preferred to deal with warriors then women. She simply got tired of their incessant jealousy. After all, it wasn't her fault that she was unarguably the most attractive jungle cat in all the tribe.
"No, she wants to speak with Elila." Rilari said directly to the warrior.
Carelessly, she tossed one long super shined blonde lock of her shoulder. Really, this wasn't her problem. She was only the messenger.
"So? Go get Elila. Why are you bothering me with this?" Melaryn snapped losing her manners in the wake of her exhaustion and worry.
"That's the problem. I can't find her. No one seems to know where our little heron has gone off to." Rilari answered unaffected by the warrior's surly manner. She could get just as nasty when the mood suited her. So she didn't begrudge others the chance to openly vent their hostilities.
"That's just great! Did you ask her chap..." Neisha began to ask but let her voice trail off. This was all they needed on top of everything else.
"What? Ask her chaperone? I'm afraid Kellis isn't much help at the moment." Rilari answered already annoyed with Neisha's inane prattle. Sometimes she couldn't believe that they had ever been friends.
"What about Yamina? Did you ask her?" Melaryn prodded trying to ignore the girl's obvious attitude towards her wife. She knew that it was really none of her business. But she tended to take personal offense when people cast disparagement towards Neisha.
"Of course I asked her. She said she has no idea where Elila is." Rilari retorted thinking that this was not a situation that she wanted to be in the middle of.
The whole thing was a wonderful piece of juicy scandal. But she could never share it, not if she wanted to keep her place within the tribe. And besides her obvious frustration with Melaryn's imposed silence, she could care less where Elila had gone off to.
She was more interested in the whereabouts of Narlene. She was dying to know what had taken place between Kellis and her friend. Because her instincts told her that the story would be chocked full of mouth-watering gossip.
"Oh god... this just couldn't get any worse." Neisha idled speaking more to herself then anyone in the room.
"Go tell Yamina I need to speak with her right away. And then get back on the comm and stall Thash." Melaryn said hoping that Yamina would at least be able to provide some clue as to the location of her friend.
"Stall Thash??? Are you kidding?" Rilari asked hating to even have to make cordial small talk with the brusque tribal alpha.
"YES RILARI!!! We need time to find Elila." Melaryn said all out screaming the first part of her order. And from the look on Rilari's face, the warrior knew that she had crossed an unspoken line. Rilari could be a dangerous adversary, especially when she had gossip to sell.
"Look, I really need your help. The tribe needs your help. Just tell Thash that Elila is out with Kellis and you'll have her call as soon as she gets back. Actually...I don't really care what you tell Thash. Just buy us some time." Melaryn said letting her voice drop down to an all-out beg.
Yet Rilari only stood there silently, as if to analyze her power in the given situation. She didn't want to make Melaryn her enemy. But she didn't want to appear meek or docile either.
"First let's get something clear, I am not your errand girl. I'll get Yamina for you. But when it comes to Thash, you're on your own. You want to stall her? You do it yourself. I'm not about to lie to the tribal alpha." Rilari answered placing her hands on her hips in open disgust.
She saw Neisha roll her eyes and sigh in contempt. She tried not to let it bother her. Their friendship ended long ago.
"Worried Rilari? Since when did you develop a conscience?" Melaryn asked unable to keep the scoffing tone from invading her voice.
"That's my offer. Take it or leave it." Rilari said firmly digging in her heels.
"Fine! Get Yamina. But tell Shaenebel to talk to Thash. I believe her moral fiber is less sturdy then your own." Melaryn snapped wishing that she could just give into her baser instincts and simply strangle the girl.
But Rilari gave her no more cause for ire. She only gave both warrior and wife an open glare of hostility. And then quickly marched over to the door.
"Oh by the way, that weird warrior is still hanging around outside. You know, what's her name? Lineva or something? Anyways she and Halauris are pretty much joined at the hip, which I find a bit odd, considering their respective social circles. She's demanding to speak with only Kellis. She says that she has dire tribal news. And I'm just not sure how much longer I can keep her on that side of the door." Rilari said adding the last part with an easily understood threat.
Melaryn only looked at her wife in horror. It seemed that the entire tribe was falling apart at the seams. And she alone was left to try and hold things together. It was a thankless job and Melaryn was beginning to feel like she just wasn't up to the challenge.
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The room smelled of despair and something akin to death. The body on the large ornate bed was sweating profusely and it's skin was sickly gray in pallor. The other ones weren't sick, at least not in body.
But Yamina took one look at Melaryn's normally pristine features and knew that something dreadful had happened. The warrior was normally immaculate in her appearance. In fact, throughout her entire life with the tribe Yamina didn't think that she had ever seen the warrior with one single hair out of place.
Yet such was not the case tonight. Her platinum locks were disheveled and tangled, almost like she had been sleeping in a pile of rubbish. Her normally finely tailored warrior's garb had been replaced with soft blue velvet-like pants and a comfortably large red synthetic sweater.
Yamina didn't think she had ever seen Melaryn wear anything but thigh-high leather boots. But tonight, the warrior was wearing a soft cloth navy slipper. She looked sad and tired. And Yamina's heart went out to her.
But she tried to keep her feelings in check. And yet tonight, she knew it was going to be doubly as hard. Because tonight she wasn't dealing with Melaryn the warrior. She was dealing with the woman.
And as much as she hated to admit it, even during this time of obvious crisis, she felt herself still powerfully attracted to the warrior. Even though her golden eyes were tired and sore, to Yamina, they still flashed with unrelenting beauty. Her clothing hugged every single curve of her body. And much to her shame, Yamina found herself very much enjoying the view.
In fact, it wasn't until Neisha cleared her throat that she even remembered someone else was in the room. She had to pull herself together. She wasn't here to ogle Melaryn. But in all honesty, Yamina didn't really know why she was there.
She looked over at Neisha and found a soft smile adorning the woman's features. Neisha was always so kind, even to her. And it was sad really. Neisha knew of her open unfailing attraction to her warrior-wife.
But still the woman was always courteous with her. Even though Yamina always got the impression that Neisha treated her as little more then a wayward child. And given the scant difference in their respective ages Yamina always found that to be a bit insulting.
Yet tonight, Yamina couldn't begrudge the woman her insults. Neisha looked just as tired and desperate as her wife. And Yamina knew why. They were trying to take care of Kellis and given their current states of stress, she could only assume that things weren't going well.
Neisha, who was normally the perfect picture of sweet jungle beauty, was now gaunt and pale. Taking care of Kellis had clearly worn her down. And Yamina could easily understand why. The two had been at it non-stop for days now. They had never even taken a substantial break. And the fatigue was clearly taking its toll.
Neisha's eyes were a bright orange from an obvious bought of crying. Her hair, which was normally bouncy and finely styled, had fallen limp against her face. Her make-up had long ago worn-off leaving only the palest of impressions behind. And her short form-fitting white dress was filled with stains that Yamina didn't even want to try to identify.
Suddenly, Yamina began to feel a bit suffocated. Every single curtain was drawn tightly shut. The windows were closed cutting off any natural ventilation. And Yamina could instantly tell from the sweltering heat that for whatever reason, Melaryn had disconnected the Lodge's cool air service.
The room was ripe with many different overpowering and grisly stenches. And Yamina didn't know how long she would be able to tolerate the aroma. But she knew she had to stay. After all, Melaryn herself had summoned her.
Carefully, she moved closer to the bed. Every light in the room was off except for a small reading lamp hung high above the bed. It was only because of her native jungle vision that she was able to tell that Kellis was nude. She supposed it was for health reasons. Had she been wearing any clothing at all she surely would have sweat through them by now.
Nervously, she looked around for some place to sit. But the only pieces of furniture in the room seemed to be the bed and the chair that Melaryn was currently occupying. Yamina knew that they had moved Kellis to the oldest and most remote part of the Lodge, for obvious logical reasons. Right now, they all needed to keep a low profile.
But Yamina was beginning to think that this was all a bit ridiculous. She didn't even know that the Lodge housed rooms this sparsely and poorly decorated. The carpet was at least one hundred years old. The wood frame of the bed was chipped and coming apart in huge chunks. And even the chair that Melaryn was using was ripped apart in several places.
"I know... It's hardly premier accommodations but it's serving our purpose." Neisha began as she noticed the weary way that Yamina was glancing about the room.
"We need to ask you about Elila." Neisha said after a long pause.
She had visually searched the room for some place that Yamina could sit down and relax a bit. But the only place to do that was the bed. And although it didn't bother her, she doubted that Yamina would feel comfortable sitting down next to a very naked Kellis.
Yamina hadn't been trained in any of the healing arts and it was quite obvious that naked warrior hybrids were quite a mystery to her. Yamina was notoriously shy. But the way that her eyes darted around the room to strategically avoid Kellis' naked form left even Melaryn a bit amused.
"When is the last time that you saw Elila?" Neisha asked following through on what she and her wife had earlier discussed.
Wisely they realized that Yamina got quite tongue-tied whenever she had to speak directly to the warrior. Given that time was of the offense, they decided that it would be better if Melaryn remained silent and let her wife handle things.
"Yesterday morning... It was right before the banquet. We went outside right after the award's ceremony. I told her that I was ill and wouldn't be able to go to the banquet. I haven't seen her since then." Yamina answered barely able to stand the flying of her internal butterflies. Being this close to Melaryn was simply her undoing.
"Oh my god! It's been almost two days then!" Neisha whimpered out as she looked at the rising digits on the digital clock.
It wouldn't be long before the approaching dawn. The sun would soon rise. And it would hallmark day number two of Elila's absence.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Melaryn snapped angered by Yamina's obvious dereliction in sensibilities.
Yamina's eyes widened in abject fright at the harsh tone and the girl seemed to visually sink inside herself. She watched as Neisha appeared to visually scold her wife. And then the gentle woman settled her gaze on Yamina, trying desperately to silently reassure her.
"It's okay, Yamina. It's not your job to keep track of Elila's whereabouts. Have you heard from her? What about her personal comm? Have you been able to reach her that way?" Neisha asked hoping that the heron had simply run off again.
It wouldn't be the first time that Elila had ditched her jungle cat duties to return to the swamp. And though Neisha didn't understand such an obvious deplorable action, she still hoped that this time, that was the case. Because if not, Neisha didn't even want to begin to guess what could have happened to the heron here in the Gallion Village.
"No, I tried reaching her. But she left her personal comm in the room. I even tried contacting some places that she likes to frequent. But no one has heard from her." Yamina answered with a sorrowful note.
Melaryn and Neisha exchanged desperate glances each hoping that the other had an answer to their obvious dilemma. Thash was expecting a communication from her daughter. And neither of them had any idea what to do.
"There is one thing though." Yamina idled hesitant to share this information with the other two women.
"What?" Melaryn snapped needing any possible help.
"I queried her ID with the Gallion's main information system. You know how Thash would never consent to having her cyber chipped? Well uh, anyways, according to their system she's been on an transport for the last seven hours." Yamina answered watching as a confused look overshadowed both of the women's features.
"I talked to a service representative. They said it wasn't a system error. They said this is a common occurrence when someone loses their purse on a transport or... they're mugged." Yamina answered relaying all the information that she had received.
"There's something else." Yamina said capturing both the warrior and the wife's attention.
"Halauris and Lineva have been waiting nearly two days to speak with Kellis. They say the information is urgent. They won't tell me what it is. But in a moment of unaccompanied weakness, Halauris did tell me something." Yamina confessed with downcast eyes.
"What?" Neisha asked with a rising fear threatening to suffocate her beating heart.
"She said that this news...she said it has to do with Elila." Yamina answered watching as both women visibly reacted.
They both knew that the information Lineva had to give couldn't be good. No one incessantly waited for two days merely to comment on the fineness of things. Something dreadful had happened to the heron.
And Melaryn suspected that if that were true that even if Kellis did live through her current predicament she would never survive Thash's wrath. It wasn't even the loss or an injury to Elila that would anger the tribal alpha. It was the loss of the throne.
If something had happened to Elila then Thash would surely lose power. And if that wretched thing truly had transpired, Melaryn knew that there was no place far enough for Kellis to go. She would be a marked woman. And her death would have a price.
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"I don't understand." Lineva said as if it was the most common statement in the world. But it wasn't. And everyone in the room knew it to be true.
Melaryn had herded the quiet warrior and her attending lady companion as far from Kellis as the Lodge would allow. She had taken them back to her private quarters. And there in the presence of her wife she told them time and time again that Kellis was not available under any circumstance.
First, she had told them that Kellis had merely taken ill. But Halauris was far too connected to the rumor mill to simply believe that. She knew that something else was going on.
Then she had tried to convince them that Kellis had temporarily abdicated her authority. Melaryn affirmed for them that she was now in charge of the tribe. But that only made Halauris more curious and Lineva more nervous.
The quiet warrior wanted answers. Whatever news she had to give was truly eating away at her. And Melaryn didn't think that she could handle much more of this mutual avoidance of the issue at hand.
They would politely ask again and again when they could speak with Kellis. And she would clumsily respond with whatever vague half-truth she could volley back to them. The whole thing was making her anxious and quite annoyed.
"You can't speak to Kellis! No one can! Not even us." Neisha finally snapped clearly tiring of this game as well.
"That doesn't make any sense." Lineva said figuring that the golden warrior had sent Melaryn in her place. She and Halauris had spent the better part of an hour trying to talk their way into Kellis' inner chamber. But something here just didn't feel right.
"My wife is right. For reasons we can't explain Kellis is unavailable, even to us. You'll have to trust me." Melaryn answered using her best commanding tone.
Though she was technically second in charge behind Kellis, it had been awhile since she needed to use her authority. She had gotten used to being second chair. And now that she was once again in the hot seat she found herself struggling to adjust to the sudden pressure.
"All right... it's just that... it's just that there's no easy way to say this." Lineva said suddenly finding the sight of her tattered boots to be far more interesting then the faces of those around her.
"Just tell them! We've all waited long enough." Halauris snapped surprising everyone with her tone.
No one ever expected the young jungle cat to be quite so commanding. But it would seem that the events of late had affected her in unforeseen ways. And Halauris was changing right before everyone's eyes.
Lineva didn't begrudge the girl her short temper. Halauris had been through more in one lone night then most women survived in a lifetime. And truthfully, Lineva was proud of the young socialite's courage.
But now she needed to find her own strength. And as the minutes ticked by, it seemed to be dwindling. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She tried to mentally control the responses of her body. All warriors learned such techniques when they began to study the art of battle and the form of the hunt.
And yet now, her body was responding like she was nothing more then some novice kitten out to find her first blood. Her hands were shaking. And she grew dizzier by the moment.
At any moment she expected her body to fall over right onto the floor. She would lie there like some coward huddled at Melaryn's feet. She couldn't let that happen. She had to stay strong. She couldn't let this burden be Halauris' alone.
But she knew the importance of this moment. These were quite possibly the most important words that she would ever say. This was the day that the tribe would change forever.
This was the day that new battle lines would be drawn in the sand. Old enemies would be exchanged for those of new. A great and mighty war would rage. And it would all be because of the one sentence that she had yet to impart.
She looked at Neisha and saw a whirlwind of anxiety and desperation. Whatever had really happened to Kellis was clearly taking a toll on the devoted wife of the golden warrior's best friend. The woman was already clearly in a state. Lineva suspected that this news might just push her right over the edge.
Then there was Melaryn who seemed to already sense the gravity of the situation. She was bracing herself with a steely stance and cold hard stare. She had been a warrior far too long not to recognize the prominent signs and symptoms of disaster.
And then, her gaze fell to Halauris. The girl was exhausted and clearly feeling a bit temperamental. But nonetheless, she smiled at the quiet warrior. It wasn't a smile of joy or even happiness. It was one of support. It was a gesture from one comrade to another. It spoke of strength in unity. And again, Lineva was utterly grateful for the girl's presence and support.
She mustered her courage and screwed her faith. She was about to become the center of tribal attention. And it wasn't going to be pleasant. From this point on she would forever be known as the warrior who had cost Thash the throne.
Lineva realized that there was a very real possibility that she would be banished. But there was nothing that she could do about that. Now was the time for honesty and tragedy. And so, with one last glance at Halauris she opened her mouth to give the news that would tear through the tribe like an exploding tornado.
"Elila is dead." Lineva said carefully watching the expressions of both her companions.
Melaryn seemed least shocked by the news. Her eyes fell closed for only a moment. But her body never moved. She had known all along that this was indeed a possibility.
Even Halauris seemed a bit surprised. Although why exactly Lineva couldn't be sure. Halauris had been there from the very beginning. But it was the first time they had truly said the words aloud.And now, the young jungle cat seemed to be silently reeling from their impact.
But it was Neisha who collapsed under the strain. Oh she didn't fall into unconsciousness or the quiet hysteria of tears. She immersed herself in outrage and shock. And she went after Lineva like she was the red bulls eye for the very point of her volcanic anger.
"NO!!! YOU'RE LYING!!!" Neisha screamed moving within striking distance of the warrior.
Lineva had forgotten that at one time, Neisha and Elila had been quite close. It had been before the birth of Neisha's children. The woman had had more time to socialize then.
Since her settlement into married life, Neisha had pulled away from most of her friendships and socializing in general. Her schedule simply did not permit it. But Lineva knew that Neisha still associated with the heron at all tribal social gatherings. And sometimes when the married couple wanted to have a true night of fun they would drag Kellis and Elila along as well.
It would appear that despite their apparent lack of timely and frequent closeness, Neisha still very much considered Elila her friend. And the news was clearly devastating the small fragile nerves that she had left. Within the blink of an eye, Neisha had launched herself right into the air.
She performed a superb aerial attack so splendid any warrior would have been proud to claim her native skill as their own. But Neisha was no warrior. She was simply a shattered friend. There was no skill or real strength behind the blows she landed on Lineva's body. There was only raw emotion powering every single one of the misplaced hits.
"You're LYING!" Neisha screamed over and over until finally her wife pulled her away. It wasn't an easy feat though. Melaryn had to hold her wife suspended in the air as Neisha kicked, screamed, punched, and all out cursed every single other person in attendance.
"She's not lying Neisha. I saw it happen. I saw it with my own eyes. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry... We tried to save her. I tried...I tried to get help but no one would... Lineva came but by then...it was all too late. I saw the whole thing happen. She's gone. There was...there was nothing that we could do." Halauris said giving her words through a steady stream of hysterics and tears.
The young cat's words seem to do the trick. Neisha stopped her struggling and finally seemed to accept the truth. But she didn't take the news with any modicum of calm or even grief. Instead, she seemed to slip even deeper into rage. Yet this time, she had traded her boiling anger in for ice-cold rage. And even Melaryn found herself a bit unsettled by the strange metamorphoses that had befallen her wife.
"How?" Neisha snapped finally managing to force her wife to put her back down onto the ground.
"Honey, maybe you should wait out..." Melaryn began trying to extricate her wife from a situation that she obviously found intolerable.
"Don't even think of it!" Neisha commanded not caring at all for matters of courtesy.
Her emotions were running to high for that. Melaryn seemed to wisely choose to back off for the present moment. Neisha was clearly beside herself with grief. And Melaryn didn't want to push her wife.
"It was a cobra. She was poisoned with venom." Lineva said watching as both warrior and wife reeled in shock.
Neither of them had been expecting that. There were many ways to die in the Gallion Village. But death by cobra was something her tribal protectors should have been able to prevent.
"She turned blue and suffocated right before our very eyes. We wanted to bring her body back. But a shark got to her first." Halauris added letting her eyes tear up with the fresh and painful memory.
"Shark?" Melaryn screamed suddenly realizing that this whole situation had gotten even worse.
Thash was awaiting a call from her daughter. But instead, it was Melaryn who would have to speak to the tribal alpha. And it was a conversation that would shift the very tenuous balance of power within the tribe.
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CONTINUED...