Story: Predators (chapter 17)

Authors: Chimera Bloom

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Chapter 17

PREDATORS pt17 by Chimera Bloom

PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom

Part 17

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"Go on, she'll see you now." The large guard huffed at the waiting cobra.

It was quite obvious that the guard had beenhoping that Licara would be denied entrance. And truthfully, that wouldn't have surprised her. This last little fiasco with Elila had been the mere topping on a long list of embarrassments. At the moment, she was far from being the Alpha's favorite warrior.

But the large black door swung open revealing the Alpha's personal quarters. Licara stepped in allowing her eyes to adjust to the complete darkness. It was a inherent tribal trait but most cobras preferred living space without windows of any kind. And the Alpha was no different. There in the very center of the room, sat Anzari the cobra tribal Alpha..

For someone of such distinct royalty, Anzari's quarters were little in the way of impressive. There was only a few spartan pieces of furniture in the room that was in-effect the main living space for the tribal Alpha. Besides the long couch Licara could only see a small wet bar, a long dark dining table, and a few scattered chairs.

Of course if asked, Anzari would say that her frugal quarters were of her own choosing. But Licara knew the truth. The Alpha was destitute. Aside from her rather expensive jolari root addiction, Anzari did have many wives to feed.

And as per her usual routine, was she surrounded by all twenty of her wives. Anzari was comfortably lying on long red sofa. And her wives were forced to lie on the ground, apparently content to gaze up at the ruling hybrid.

The sight always seemed to make Licara ill, physically ill. She understood that many women found the Alpha to be attractive, but Licara just couldn't seem to understand their point of view. In her opinion, the Alpha was nothing if not awkward looking.

Even though it was typical for most Ahloria hybrids to wear their hair short, Anzari seemed to take short to a new hideous level. Licara liked to leave her hair at a modest length just above her shoulders. It was attractive and perfectly functional. Most warrior preferred short hair any ways, it was better for fighting.

But for the cobras a shorter length of hair had far less to do with fighting and much more to do with hypnosis. All pure blooded cobras had hair color that ranged anywhere from soft coral to bright flaming red. Licara always suspected that it was some sort of biological warning to all other would be prey. After all, the red color of their hair and eyes made them stand out like bright raging flames.

And Anzari's looks were certainly classic cobra. Her eyes were the color of molten lava. Her lips were thick and pink. And her nose was a bit dented out of place. Licara was never really sure how it had happened but she knew that the injury was incurred during one of Anzari's last battles. Anzari hadn't once defended her throne since she became Alpha. She always seemed to find a reason to delegate that responsibility to someone else.

Of course, Licara had her beliefs on that matter. She suspected that Anzari stayed out of the challenge ring for no other reason then her own personal gain. Licara knew Anzari never deserved the throne in the first place. And if she had her way, she would make the royal seat her own.

"Ladies, look who's come to visit us. It's Licara. What are you here for this time? Another teeny tiny heron slip out of your grasp?" Anzari said, clearly mocking the entering warrior.

"Oh, what's the matter Licara? Not in a laughing mood?" Anzari said, forcing her long face into a pout.

Her wives seemed to find her words amusing and were more then content to laugh hysterically at Licara's expense. But the snake just stood there taking it all in stride. Licara knew that she had to let them have their fun now. After all, once she told them that Elila was dead, no one would ever laugh at her again.

"You missed a lovely evening here, Licara. It's a shame that you couldn't stay. We did have fun… Didn't we ladies?" Anzari asked her wives as she carelessly stepped over their prone bodies.

They all laughed and giggled at her comments apparently quite pleased with whatever had taken place. And again, Licara found herself forced to hold her tongue. She couldn't begin to imagine what so many women would see in a hybrid like Anzari.

Aside from the physical, the tribal Alpha had very little in the way of personality. She liked to mock and tease people. Basically, she thoroughly enjoyed toying with all those around her.

And when she was done filling her daily hours with juvenile pranks and inane comments. She would finish out her day with a bit of tawdry sex. All in all, Anzari led a simple life. And it was one that Licara intended to have for her own.

"Fiami killed six people tonight. It was an assortment of bog trash and wayward mammals, but it was fun just the same. I swear, one of these days that warrior is a cut a bloody swathe through this village like no one has ever seen before. Now Fiami, she's a hunter. You on the other hand can't even handle a little bitty heron." Anzari scolded recounting the evil deeds of one of her favorite pet warriors.

"I heard that she wasn't done yet. I think she's headed back out for more fun." One of Anzari's wives called out from behind.

It was bad enough that Licara had to look at them, she didn't want to have to listen to them speak. But as she looked them over she realized that it had to be the power. The only reason to unite with Anzari was because she was the tribal Alpha. There was no other reason that anyone would put up with her.

But Licara hoped that her wives didn't mind being pushed down a peg. When she stole the throne from Anzari she had no intention of keeping them around. They could beg on the streets of the very Gallion Village for all she cared. And she would take the throne, of that Licara had simply no doubt.

"So, why are you here Licara? You didn't come back to entertain us with more tales of your pathetic foibles did you?" Anzari laughed pouring herself a stiff drink of rollen juice.

"No, I don't think that my news is funny at all." Licara finally said desperately trying to look into her Alpha's eyes.

It bothered her that Anzari was so tall. She wanted to be able to look her right in the eyes when she told her about Elila. It would just make the news so much sweeter.

Even though the Alpha's height bothered Licara somewhat, she knew that it wasn't true cause for alarm. A normal warrior could use their height to whatever advantage that it afforded. But not Anzari… Her body was rail thin nearly devoid of all muscle mass. Licara was certain that given the chance, she could snap her in half like a thin twig.

"I came to tell you that it's finished. Elila is dead." Licara said waiting for any reaction from her Alpha.

But for a long time there was known. Anzari only looked at her like she was some sort of half bred freak. But then the moment arrived, but it wasn't the recognition that she had been hoping for. Instead of congratulation all the Alpha did was laugh… she laughed and laughed until Licara thought that surely the laughter would stretch on for all eternity.

"You expect me to believe that? You couldn't even kill her here in your very own nest. You want me to believe that you killed her in jungle cat territory. No way, Licara! Nice try." Anzari said giggling again at the futile attempt Licara had made to reclaim her reputation.

"It's the truth. Elila is dead! And the best part of it is that I did it right before their very eyes." Licara said trying to stand up for her claim.

She didn't want her kill questioned. She wanted their approval. But more importantly, she wanted back her very honor.

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"I trust that you're feeling better?" Pedryn asked softly gazing into the heron's warm open eyes.

At first, Elila didn't answer. She was a bit caught off guard by the shark's sudden arrival at her side. Pedryn's features were so soft in the muted light of the hall. The image simply caught the heron a bit unexpectedly. She was used to thinking of Pedryn as harsh and intimidating.

"A little yes… I am a bit less blue. I suppose that is a good sign." Elila muttered wondering if the shark had truly come over for mere conversation.

After all, a lot had happened. The entire tribe knew that she was here. She couldn't just disappear like before. Now there would be questions and a lot of people would demand answers. And unfortunately, Elila knew that her alpha was one of them.

"There's much we have to discuss." Pedryn said a bit softly.

She was clutching the sides of Elila's tiny inlay hoping that her presence wasn't frightening the girl. That truly wasn't her intention. But all the same, she could hear the tiny heart speed up in her chest. And the girl's eyes were opened wide in clear fear and apprehension.

"I know." Elila answered dutifully.

She knew that this situation was rapt for political upheaval. Even though the Midali were not at fault for her medical condition she knew that her alpha might not see it that way. At times, Elila suspected that Thash would love to use any excuse to start up a brand new war.

And after so many lives had been lost, she just couldn't stomach more bloodshed. Things had to handled with complete civility and openness. No one in the Midali tribe could question her sudden appearance or the motive behind it. But most important, no one from her tribe could blame the sharks for her condition.

"There is still an award's banquet that must be attended to. Do you feel well enough? If not, I can have someone take you back to the Fluid." Pedryn said giving Elila the only two options available to her.

And it didn't pass the heron's notice that going back to her tribe was not a viable option, at least not yet anyway. Elila knew that Pedryn was right. There was much that had to be discussed. There was a rogue cobra somewhere in the Gallion Village that had to be attended. And somewhere along the way, Kellis would have to made aware of all the events that had transpired.

For as long as they were in the Gallion Village, Kellis was the acting tribal Alpha. And for some reason, Elila didn't relish a meeting between the golden warrior and Pedryn. It's not that Kellis would have any overt reason to dislike Pedryn, besides their natural inclination to war. Kellis had no idea what had taken place in the water. She had no idea what Pedryn had done.

But still, the heron felt that such a meeting was wrought for disaster. It was like she instantly knew that the two warriors would end up in a heated physical battle. And Elila didn't want to see the results of the two hybrids going at it. Kellis was an exceptional warrior. Yet, Elila knew that there was no way she would survive a physical confrontation with the much larger and stronger shark.

"I can go to the banquet…" Elila whispered thinking that was the best course of action.

Even though she was almost certain that if she chose to leave, Pedryn would send her off with Zeranna. There was just something curious that made her stay. She had never been to another tribal banquet. The swamp didn't partake in such traditional ceremonies. And the thought of seeing an actual Midali banquet certainly piqued her curiousity.

And yet, if the heron were really honest with herself she would realize that her desire to go was far more motivated by the actual sharks themselves. She wanted to see Pedryn and Carielle in their natural habitat. She wanted to see them interact with other members of their tribe in a state of peace. But more basically, she wanted to see them as people instead of the monsters in her dreams.

The shark didn't respond at first. She could tell that Elila was very conflicted about the situation. Although given all the problems facing them Pedryn supposed it was only natural.

She just couldn't believe that Elila would agree to go to their banquet. And she wanted to give the girl every chance to change her mind. She didn't want to leap to quickly at the silent olive branch that had been extended between them.

She didn't want Elila to know that for some unexplainable reason, she desperately wanted the girl to attend. Pedryn didn't really understand her own reasons. It was just a social dinner; nothing of importance was to happen.

But she wanted the heron there. She wanted the girl to see their wealth and partake in even the smallest part of their luxury. More then that, she wanted to simply be with Elila. She wanted to know the girl without the threat of war or blood between them.

"I mean…if that's all right?" Elila asked realizing that the stoic shark had been silent for even longer then usual.

Desperately, the heron hoped that she hadn't said something wrong. She hadn't meant to offend Pedryn with her presence. She knew that if an outsider came to a Fasara banquet it would shame the entire tribe. She hadn't even been thinking when she had asked to come along.

"Yes, that's fine. Now, let's see if we can't find some way to get you out of here." Pedryn said glancing around the hall.

She hadn't said the emotionally charged words that they were both expecting. She knew that Elila still couldn't swim. The fearful gaze that crossed her face every time she looked down at the water was evidence enough.

"Ah, can you help her up?" Pedryn called up to the sudden appearance of her cousin.

Elila looked up surprised to see Carielle standing above her. The distance from her inlay to the hall above seemed to be far too great to ever reach. But once Carielle sat down on the ledge, the heron realized that all she had to do was stand all the way up and she would be able to reach the shark above.

But she didn't want to stand up. She was petrified that she would slip right off the tile and into the water below. Yet, Elila knew that she didn't really have a choice. It was either reach up for Carielle or let Pedryn carry her back into the water.

"You'll be fine." Pedryn said giving a half-hearted attempt to reassure the girl.

She wasn't really sure that her voice was what Elila needed to hear. But she didn't want the heron to be so frightened. After all, she wasn't about to let the girl drown.

"Carielle, I heard that we saw quite a bit of each other this evening…" Elila muttered trying desperately to take her mind off the falling water below.

Carielle only grumbled at bit at the comment. But she dutifully pulled the heron safely to the solid ledge above. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to tell Elila what happened. She suspected that it might be very upsetting for the girl to know that her own tribe mates had virtually tried to sacrifice her.

Yet, that was something Carielle would have to think about later. At the moment, she had a tribal banquet to attend. And a cousin to keep firmly separated from one enchanting heron.

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She walked in comfortable silence towards an unknown destination. Pedryn was a few feet in front of her discussing something of what would seem to be great importance. Her voice was hushed and her gaze was stern. And Elila could only hope that she wasn't the topic of conversation.

Pedryn was speaking to a shark that Elila couldn't recognize. And despite her familiarity with the Midali tribe, the heron quickly realized that there were many people she had yet to meet. But there was something odd about the shark standing so precariously close to Pedryn. She appeared to be a warrior. Her body was tall. Her muscles were rippling and firm. Even her stance and gait were of someone who had seen many battles.

But Elila knew that she had not seen this warrior on the stage. She had not been honored. Her name had not been called. And those little facts alone seemed strangely relevant to the suspicious heron.

Elila glanced to her side, relieved to see that Zeranna had chosen to remain close. She too seemed to sense the disturbance ahead between Pedryn and the stranger. There was even an abject look of horror beginning cross Zeranna's features.

And before Elila could even ask her what had caused her sudden alarm, the shark had slammed into her injured body. The heron didn't even recoil or try to break from the hold. Part of her complacency was due to the venom still strangling the air from her body. She was just too weak to put up much of a fight.

But the other reason for Elila's total lack of fight was her trust in the shark. Even though her association with Zeranna had been brief, the heron had complete faith in her. Elila was certainly confused by her actions. But she didn't believe for a moment that Zeranna was actually trying to harm her.

Instead, she let the shark move her light body into the firm steely depths of her arms. Elila heard the hushed sounds of a fight beginning to break out. And it was clear that everyone in the tribe had stopped moving.

But no matter how hard she tried, the heron couldn't see around the bulky frame of Zeranna's body. She tried kicking and squirming her way out of the shark's arms. But if her motions even garnered Zeranna's notice the tall warrior gave no show of it.

"Come on…let's just all calm down here. This doesn't have to get ugly." Elila heard Carielle's calm voice call out in the distance.

It was clear to the heron that she had been right. There was definitely something amiss among the Midali tribe mates. And she had a gut level feeling that in some way, she was responsible.

"This is already ugly Carielle. I say we deal this now before we go inside. You know the rules. We won't violate the tribal customs of our ancestors." Elila heard an unfamiliar voice ring out in the air behind.

The heron hurriedly glanced around at everything that she could. It was quite clear that Zeranna had efficiently moved her away from all the heated action. But out of the very corner of her eye she could see the forms of many more unfamiliar sharks gathering.

But she couldn't see Pedryn. And she still didn't know what was going on. All Elila could do was stare at the darkened trees and flowers surrounding their path.

She really didn't know where she was. Elila already knew that her sense of direction was rather poor when it came to the Gallion Village. But she could easily assume one thing; they had to be headed towards the structure that served as the Midali banquet hall.

She began to wonder if they were somewhere near the Fluid. It would only stand to reason that the sharks would choose to have their banquet as near to the ocean as possible. But Elila couldn't remember how long they had been walking. To her tired body, their movements seemed to have lasted a near eternity.

"You don't have any say in what goes on. I'm the Alpha. My word is law. And if you have a problem with that, then challenge me." Pedryn's voice finally reached the prying ears of the heron.

Elila immediately froze in Zeranna's arms. Pedryn's voice was low, threatening, and strangely familiar. There was a tone there that the heron hadn't heard in quite some time.

All during their rather awkward but amicable exchanges at the Fluid, the shark been polite and even keeled. Pedryn had never let her voice drop to that evil tone that Elila knew so well. It was a voice that screamed of bloodlust. And the heron knew that Pedryn's body was filling with the very brutal need to hunt.

"You forget who I am. If you don't keep me and my kind happy, we'll have another civil war on our hands. And you don't want that do you?" The stranger's voice called out again.

Elila cringed in Zeranna's arms hoping that somehow she was not the cause of such disharmony. But Elila couldn't gloss over the fact that she was an outsider. She knew that to some in the tribe, her very presence would be seen as a grave sign of disrespect. She couldn't really fault them for that. The jungle cats followed that law to a rather annoying exact.

But the heron suspected that this angry outburst was more then just a casual breech in tribal customs. This unfamiliar shark seemed irate. But Elila knew that that response was in essence, only natural as well. She wasn't just any outsider. She was the daughter of their greatest enemy.

"I know exactly who you are. And if you had your way you would rip this tribe right in two. But I won't let you do that. We have to fight together. This conflict is just what the Kingdom wants." Pedryn's voice sounded thick and snarled as it rang out into the night air.

"There wouldn't be this conflict if you would just give into our demands. We're only asking for what's rightfully ours." The stranger's voice called out into the thick humid night.

"You are asking for the impossible." Pedryn hissed in a low voice.

Even though Elila couldn't see the two sharks she knew that their bodies had to practically be touching. She had heard the movements of their legs. To her ears, it sounded like they were circling each other.

"Don't do this! You know how important this banquet is to us…and them." Elila heard another stranger's voice call out from behind. More then anything she wanted to see the events taking place. But Zeranna wouldn't loosen the grip of her arms.

"She's right. These problems are old. But tonight is for celebrations. This is the end of the Gallion. It's our duty to put these issues aside and properly celebrate the ending of a well-fought battle." Carielle's calm and reassuring voice called out into the crowd.

Elila squirmed again, desperately wanting to see the events unfolding behind. She wanted to know if they would all be sitting down to rather peaceful if somewhat awkward banquet. Or if they were about to watch a bloody physical challenge between Pedryn and her unknown aggressor. And more then anything, Elila found herself hoping that the flaring tempers would quiet. Because the young heron knew that the very sight of Pedryn succumbing to a rage filled bloodlust was perfect fodder for the many terrors of her dreams.

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"How you feelin' sweetie?" The mutt called out to Narlene.

The effects of the rollen juice were starting to give way to an affectionate sobriety. And as the lion worked on the pretty young cat, this breed less creature was beginning to find Narlene more attractive by the moment. After all, it wasn't every day that someone like Narlene actually walked into the Claw.

All though, Narlene had done far more then simply walk inside. She had sat herself down and demanded to be clawed. But that wasn't all that she wanted from this place. There was more bodywork that Narlene knew she had yet to go through.

But when all that was finished. When her form had been altered and permanently marked, the final phase of her evening would finally come to fruition. Because as she sat there letting the lion rip her nails out one by one, there was nameless warrior anxiously awaiting her company.

"Good…that stuff was good." Narlene muttered noticing for the first time how thick and heavy her tongue felt in her mouth.

Whatever concoction the lion shot her up with, made her body feel light as air. The substance was so strong that she didn't even feel a single incision that the lion made in her hand. But more then that, she just plain felt good.

"Yeah… that's one wild ride isn't it." The mutt said moving closer to Narlene.

The lion didn't stop the interaction. She saw no reason to. If Fiami wanted to waste her time trying to bed a brainless princess like Narlene, that was her prerogative. She saw no reason to interfere. And besides, from the looks of Narlene's tense body she suspected that the kitten could use a good trip around the mattress.

"Uh huh… What are you doing?" Narlene suddenly asked the lion.

The work on her hand had momentarily stopped so that the lion could light one long rolled piece of asari root. The smoke was billowing into Narlene's face. But the ashes seemed to be flickering right down onto her open hand.

"Oh relax, Xelly does that all the time." The mutt said bending down close to Narlene's ear.

She could instantly tell that the jungle kitten was far gone. Her eyes were large and dilated. Even her lips bore nothing short of a goofy grin. And it was quite clear that the drug's sedative qualities had long since taken effect. Every single limb of Narlene's body seemed to be momentarily paralyzed.

"Mmm…what are you? Panther? Cheetah? Puma?" Narlene asked staring into the wide green eyes of the hybrid at her side.

"A little bit of everything I guess. I'm not a pure cat…not by any stretch of the imagination. I even have some wolf in me." The mutt said shrugging her shoulders in abject honesty.

Fiami knew that to many people like Narlene, her mixed heritage was a social stigma. But over in the slums of the Gallion Village, Fiami knew that her kind would always be accepted. This was where the misfits tended to make their home. And it was unlucky for Narlene that in a neighborhood of miscreants, she was the only pure blood for miles.

"Ohhh, you're so pretty though." Narlene said pouting a bit at her statement.

In her drug enhanced state she was finding the mutt to be quite enchanting. Her short auburn hair seemed beautiful and shiny. Her green eyes were practically coming alive in the smoke filled room. And her skin, though scared and burned, seemed to be laid out like a pure silk canvas.

"Thank you." Fiami said kneeling back over the pretty little jungle kitten.

She looked at the girl stretched out before her and wondered where to bite first. She suspected that Narlene's blood would taste so much sweeter now that there drugs to pump through the very walls of her blue veins. Fiami had just decided on the long supple expanse of the kitten's neck when the lion began to nudge her rather emphatically.

"What is it Xelly?" She snapped unwilling to believe that her friend was interfering in the bite.

The lion only nudged her head to the side. And as Fiami turned, she saw what could possibly be the angriest jungle cat of all time. She seemed larger then life as she stood there lurking in the doorway. It was quite obvious that Narlene belonged to her. And it was more then apparent that she didn't let other people touch her property.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." The warrior called as she strode into the body shop like she owned the place.

Neither the mutt nor the lion dared to speak. They both knew what to expect. They had lived in the slums their whole life. There weren't many rules to live by. But the ones that they did have were cherished and enforced all the more severely.

Perhaps the most prized rule of all was not touching someone else's mate. Fiami knew that from her current position, this warrior had every right to presume the worst. And if she didn't start explaining fast, Fiami knew that she could expect one long painful beating.

"Hey you!!! It's my Kellis. I made her. She's mine!" Narlene squealed out happy to see the nameless warrior that she had procured for the evening.

The warrior didn't say anything. She just walked over to the girl. She gave the mutt a hard stare and the hybrid quickly retreated to the nearest corner.

Truthfully, she knew it was silly to carry on so much over a girl she hardly knew. But at heart, she was something of a possessive creature. And Narlene had promised her an intimate encounter.

And until she had her way with the girl she had no intention of letting a mixed breed have her first. Besides, this little jungle kitten was her meal ticket. Having her unnecessarily injured would certainly do no good.

"So, what do we have here?" The nameless warrior asked as she leaned down to inspect Narlene.

"Ah, you're having claws put in. How positively delicious." The warrior said smacking her lips in eager anticipation.

It was quite clear that Narlene was far more invocative then she had ever hoped. The girl was having pure gold claws surgically attached to her body. And as she looked down at her languid form, the warrior began to realize that this was going to be one of the most interesting nights of her entire life.

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"Seriously Yamina, you've got to stop acting like such a freak. You know one of these days your going to say something nasty to wrong the person." Rilari chided thinking that the reclusive jungle cat had finally lost her mind.

"Please…I'm telling you the truth. There are noises coming from Narlene's room." Yamina said allowing her voice to fall to little more then a beg.

She hated to feel so despondent and hopeless. But Rilari and Shaenebel weren't giving her any leeway. And it was quite clear that they resented every single minute that they spent speaking to her.

"Will you grow up! Of course there are noises coming from her room. Narlene left with Kellis. Right now they're doing all those sex things that I feel confident in assuming that you probably will never partake in. And when done correctly those little sexual acts can make a whole lotta noise." Shaenebel's voice rang out as a loud mock.

Yamina watched as the two girls walked away from her laughing. They headed to the nearest staircase still content to vocalize a few teasing barbs in her direction. It was times like this that made her want to run and hide.

She hated when they treated her this way. She wanted to scream at them. She was just as much a part of the tribe as they were. She deserved their respect and maybe even their friendship. After all, she had been through so much.

None of them knew what it was like to be her. None of them knew what it was like that night out there on the water. None of them knew what she had suffered through or what she had lost. And none of them knew that her silence was the only thing stopping a war.

They had no respect for her. And they made no qualms about the fact that they couldn't tolerate her presence. But tonight, she decided that that wasn't going to stop her.

Pushing her away her panic and her mounting desperation, she charged after them taking the stairs two at a time. She hurriedly chased after them as they stormed down the hall. A few more steps and they would be right in front of Narlene's room.

"WAIT! Please…" Yamina cried out.

They turned to stare at her with pure disdain in their eyes. They hated her and she knew it. But tonight those things couldn't matter. Tonight, she had to alleviate someone's pain and sobbing misery.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is but you seriously have to stop stalking us now." Rilari said crossing her arms across her chest in a pure motion of annoyance.

"Why don't you run along and try to find yourself a life?" Shaenebel chimed in always ready with a quick barb.

"Will you guys just listen for a minute? Something is wrong in there." Yamina said trying to convince them that there was in fact a problem.

"I don't hear anything." Shaenebel snorted rapidly turning on her heel to leave.

But Rilari stayed behind for only a moment. Listening with the acute sensitivity of pure cat, the girl finally heard what Yamina had been talking about. It was there.

Yet it was growing more faint by the moment. Something was whimpering in utter agony behind that door. And as she looked at Yamina, she suddenly realized that they had to get help.

"SHAENEBEL! Come back!!! She's right." Rilari screamed stopping the quick motions of her retreating friend.

"What are you talking about?" Shaenebel asked moving back to her friend's side.

She hovered between the two girls allowing her head to fall to the side. It only took a few more seconds for Shaenebel to hear it as well. She looked at Rilari and then Yamina wondering what if there were anything they could do.

"There's no one else here. I've searched the Lodge from top to bottom." Yamina said knowing the question that was going to come from their mouths.

The other two girls both fell silent thinking of some way to get through the door. They knew that the staff was long gone for the evening. And chances were that they had missed the last transport.

"The rest of the tribe should be here any moment. I mean the last transport should have arrived by now. It's not a long walk from there to here." Shaenebel said thinking that right now all they needed was a strong warrior to break through the door.

"Melaryn! She left the banquet hours ago. She should be here." Rilari said suddenly remembering the rather romantic way Melaryn had left arm in arm with her wife.

"I thought I heard a noise coming from her room. But I pounded on the door and didn't get an answer." Yamina replied knowing that she needed to answer Rilari's statement.

"Come on." Shaenebel snapped leading the way to Melaryn's room.

She didn't say anything but Shaenebel suspected that Melaryn had been far too busy to entertain Yamina's interruption. It was common tribal gossip that Yamina harbored a secret affection for the married warrior. And it was also a rather public piece of information that Melaryn had little tolerance for the quiet girl's abject mooning. This time Shaenebel would knock on the door. And she had no intention of leaving until Melaryn answered.

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They entered the building utterly devastated to see it devoid of all life. They had traveled a great distance. They had pushed themselves to the utter brink of exhaustion. They had been manipulated by an outsider. And they had been the sole witnesses to the tragic death of their tribal Alpha's daughter.

And now, after everything they had been through it looked as if they had no one to share it with. All they wanted to do was get back to their tribe. But after hours of walking they made it back to the banquet hall, in just enough time to see the last transport pull away without them.

Hopelessly, they wandered into the building wondering if a few tribe mates had decided to spend the night crashed out on the floor of the hall. It wouldn't be the first time. There were always a few who ended up drinking far too much rollen juice.

But tonight, they had no such luck. As Halauris and Lineva walked into the abandoned hall they realized that once again, they had failed. And without a single ounce of strength left between them, they sunk rather gracelessly onto the floor.

"We can't go on. The Lodge is too far. We'll have to spend the night here and leave in the morning." Halauris said telling the warrior what she most likely already knew.

"What if they find out before we get back?" Lineva whispered knowing that that situation was probably unlikely.

Although news traveled fast in the Gallion Village she doubted that this was the type of thing that would be noticed. Sharks rarely left anything of their victims. They usually devoured them whole. It was most probable that everyone would assume that Elila had simply gone missing.

"Don't think like that. We'll leave in the morning and get to Kellis first thing. No one else knows that Elila is dead. But tomorrow, we'll tell them all." Halauris said trying her best to reassure the warrior.

In the quiet darkness of the building they joined hands content to take comfort in the presence of each other. They didn't plan for this. And they certainly didn't want the responsibilities laid out before them.

But from a distant corner of the room, a lone woman turned over on her side. She had heard their intimate conversation and couldn't help but feel her heart flip in joy. That annoying little heron was finally gone. And with Elila out of the way, things with Kellis could finally go back to normal.

So, with a skip in her step and a gleam in her eyes Zelsi silently snuck out of the hall. She wanted to reach the golden warrior before the other two. After all, the news of Elila's untimely passing would sound so much better coming from her sweet mouth.

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CONTINUED...

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