Story: Predators (chapter 20)

Authors: Chimera Bloom

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Chapter 20

PREDATORS pt20 by Chimera Bloom

PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom

Part 20

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It was a devastating revelation for the young girl. Up until this point, Pedryn had only ever been fuel for her nightmares. Her features had always seemed harsh, cruel and terrifying.

But Elila clasped her hand over her mouth stopping the strangled sob that threatened to escape. Some part of her couldn't help but think it terribly weak that she should see Pedryn as anything other then a monster. She couldn't let her guard down. She just couldn't experience that kind of hurt, not again. Elila didn't think that she would have the strength to survive.

"I'm sorry." Pedryn whispered rushing to stand up and flee the heron's side.

It was quite clear that her personal questions had terribly upset the heron. She had heard Elila's gasp for breath. And she had seen the look of horror cross her face.

Truly, she hadn't meant to cause the girl anguish. But Pedryn knew that her intentions were meaningless. Her actions had obviously hurt the girl and now she would hurry to give Elila her privacy.

"No, it's all right. I'm fine." Elila answered quickly trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to cause any additional awkwardness, not with Pedryn.

Unfortunately, she needed the shark's help. Elila knew that she certainly couldn't deal with Licara on her own. And she had no idea if her tribe mates would be of any assistance. She had to think of her own safety. And that meant doing her best to forge some sort of amicable bond with the Midali.

"It's just a uncomfortable subject." Elila said softly.

And her statement wasn't exactly a lie. The subject of marriage was uncomfortable and often times painful to her. This time however, it wasn't what had upset her.

It was the image of Pedryn in a whole new light that had caused her body to lurch in shock. It was the thought that on some level, she could actually appreciate the shark's grace and loveliness. And it was the knowledge that in a small way, she found Pedryn beautiful.

"I understand. I am sorry." Pedryn said again kneeling on the ground a safe distance from the heron.

"It's all right. It's just that Kellis isn't exactly the commitment kind. Let's just say that she's very…popular." Elila said wondering if Pedryn had already heard the rumors of Kellis' sexual prowess.

The heron knew that warriors would exchange such stories. For some unknown reason to the heron, sexual promiscuity had been directly linked to the battle. The more women a warrior bedded, the better warrior they were often believed to be. Elila of course didn't believe such an absurd notion. But she knew that Kellis did. The golden warrior had done her very best to sleep with nearly every woman in the village.

"I've heard stories. But I've never believed them." Pedryn responded quietly.

The things she could tell Elila would shock the girl right into heart failure. And Pedryn wasn't about to open her mouth. Freely discussing marriage was one thing. But she certainly wasn't about to discuss anything remotely sexual with the heron.

"Did Zeranna tell you about our award's ceremony?" Elila asked wondering if the Alpha shark knew of all that had gone on.

Pedryn was silent for a moment as she thought of Elila's question. Zeranna had in deed, told her of some very strange occurrences at the Fasara ceremony. But Pedryn wasn't really certain that they should be discussing them. The award's ceremony was a sacred tribal tradition. And given the bad blood between their tribes, Pedryn wasn't certain that Thash would appreciate an outsider knowing of their ways.

"She mentioned some strange things." Pedryn stated trying to remain diplomatic in her response.

"She told you about Zelsi, didn't she? Zeranna was shocked to see that a concubine had attended the ceremony." Elila answered wondering if the impression that she had got from Zeranna was actually valid.

From Zeranna's abject shock, Elila had supposed that the Midali didn't allow concubines to attend their sacred tribal events. In fact, the heron hadn't seen a single concubine traveling with the Midali. Normally, the heron wouldn't trust her own opinion.

But she was getting a rather inside look at the normally reclusive tribe. She had stayed at the Fluid. She had witnessed their award's ceremony. She had even dined with them at their tribal banquet. And not once had Elila seen a paid woman. And Elila knew that she would have spotted one a mile away. Living in the swamp had allowed her to become perceptive in such ways.

"She did mention that. It did seem rather… odd." Pedryn answered once again, trying to keep her tone and words neutral.

"The concubine that Zeranna saw is one of Kellis' women. She pays for her service." Elila added wondering why she was suddenly in such a talkative mood.

She knew that she shouldn't be discussing these things, especially with Pedryn. But it had been so long since she had had anyone to talk to. Normally, she would tell these things to Yamina. But she was growing tired of hearing her friend's continual cheers for the warrior. She was tired of hearing other people defend Kellis' actions. And now, Elila had the distinct impression that Pedryn would never even think to justify the sometimes careless actions of the golden warrior.

"I see." Pedryn said with a tone that spoke of grave reproach.

And Elila smiled as she realized that it was quite clear that Pedryn most certainly disapproved. And for a moment, the heron wondered why it mattered to her that Pedryn would agree with her. She shouldn't care what the shark's opinion was.

Pedryn looked the heron over, easily understanding why Elila wasn't eager to marry the golden warrior. In her tribe, if a warrior paid for sex they were seen as someone without honor. Concubines or paid companions simply weren't tolerated within the tribe.

But it was clear that that was certainly not the case with the Fasara. Pedryn had of course heard the rather bawdy and vulgar tales. But she had chosen not to believe them. Warriors could certainly tell creative lies when they were properly drunk on the juice of a rollen berry.

Of course, Pedryn knew that some of them were in fact based in reality. Elila had just confirmed as much. But Pedryn had had the rather unfortunate pleasure of running into several of Thash's paid women. The shark wondered if Elila knew of her alpha's sexual proclivities. Pedryn found herself hoping that the girl was wonderfully ignorant. She couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to live under the same roof with someone as woefully demented as Thash.

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"So where does that leave you?" Pedryn asked thinking that surely Thash must have someone else in mind to marry her only daughter.

"Nowhere… I guess." Elila answered conveying her own loneliness and depression.

Those were familiar feelings that the shark could easily identify with. Pedryn too, felt all alone and firmly entrenched in her own sorrow. It was so very odd to have the heron mirror those feelings back to her.

To her, Elila deserved happiness and joy. To her, the heron was beautiful and uncharacteristically strong. The shark just couldn't believe that not a single jungle cat had noticed the treasure abounding within the tiny frail heron.

"What about you? Is there someone you're partial to?" Pedryn asked trying to keep her voice calm and smooth.

She didn't want Elila to guess at how much the heron's answer meant to her. Pedryn certainly didn't want the heron to ever discover how deep her feelings ran. They were improper, inappropriate and certainly unwelcome. Pedryn knew that Elila could never know of the secret affection that she harbored.

The heron didn't answer. She only let out a long exasperated sigh. She turned to stare at the shark with bright green eyes flashing under the light of the moon. Pedryn met her gaze surprised to find the open feeling swirling in the heron's stare. There was no anger or hatred there. There wasn't even a single sign of accusation. It was just Elila showing her strength, character, and apparently limitless kindness.

And Pedryn thought that her heart might just might break in two. She didn't deserve such displays of courtesy. She didn't deserve Elila's friendship or amicable camaraderie. At times, the shark wasn't even sure that she deserved to breathe.

"There you two are. I've been looking everywhere." Carielle's friendly voice called out from behind.

They both turned surprised to find their quiet moment interrupted by the presence of another. Pedryn quickly stood and backed away. Her very behavior was one of guilt and shame. And her cousin was quickly growing suspicious.

"What's going on?" Carielle asked worried that Pedryn had somehow managed to force the heron into the dark wooded night.

"Nothing…we were just talking." Elila answered unable to mistake the deep concern she heard in Carielle's voice.

It was quite clear that Pedryn's cousin was worried about them. But Elila couldn't seem to do much to put her mind at ease. She supposed it was only natural to assume the worst when she and Pedryn had gone off alone.

Carielle looked her cousin over pleased to see that Pedryn appeared calm. She had feared the absolute worst when she realized that both Pedryn and Elila were missing from the banquet. At first, she had been concerned with the rather pressing matter of the truth. She was worried that Pedryn had spirited the girl off to some isolated corner to tell the heron the real tale of the night on the water.

But then even more disastrous thoughts came crashing into her mind. What if Pedryn had allowed her obvious desire for the girl to cloud her better judgment? Carielle had always completely trusted her cousin. But when it came to Elila, she could never be certain that Pedryn would remain in control. There was just something about the heron that sent Pedryn into a full heated bloodlust.

"Ah…the banquet is all wrapped up. We're all heading back to the Fluid now." Carielle commented wondering what it was that the shark and heron had found to discuss.

"It is??? I didn't realize we had been out here that long." Pedryn stated truly shocked to hear that time had just slipped away from her.

As soon as her body had sunk into the warm grass of the forest, she hadn't given the banquet another thought. Her company had been far too charming for such things. Pedryn knew that she would much rather speak with Elila then host a tribal ceremony. Between the two, it wasn't even a fair contest.

"Well then, I suppose we should be on our way." Pedryn commented realizing that the three of them would obviously be lagging behind the rest of the tribe.

"Can you help me up?" Elila asked Carielle, extending one long slim arm.

Nervously, the shark glanced at Pedryn before responding. It wasn't an odd request. But coming from Elila it sent shivers down her spine. Both sharks stared at each like the world had just frozen around them. Finally, Carielle looked down to see that the heron was obviously waiting for a response.

"Of course…" Carielle mumbled carefully pulling the heron to her feet.

Silently, the heron marveled at the raw strength concealed in the shark's cartilage body. Briefly, she wondered exactly how much force either shark could put into a hit. She suspected that they could easily move a few tons around with little exerted effort.

Mentally, the heron mused that it must be hard for them to deal with other less athletic tribes. It was quite obvious that Carielle possessed the raw strength to easily rip her arm right off her body. But the shark had been careful, gentle, and perhaps even a bit tender.

Following the two Midali, Elila fell into an easy step. It was clear that they wanted to speak alone. And at the moment, the heron didn't mind.

Elila had much to think about. Despite her rather pressing problems involving a cobra and the rumors of her unfounded demise, the heron found her thoughts traveling in a much different direction. She had spent enough time with the Midali to know that something was definitely amiss. Carielle and Pedryn were hiding something from her, their very body language conveyed as much.

But it was more then their probable deception that was keeping the heron's mind in a full throttle. It was the very fact that at the moment, she was walking all alone through a dark woods with two violent offenders. She should be petrified. Elila knew that her every instinct should be telling her to run in the very opposite direction.

Yet, she wasn't feeling compelled to do anything of the kind. She felt comfortable in their presence. In fact, since her horrifying encounter with Licara, she had never felt safer.

And Elila had every intention of finding out why. She shouldn't feel this way, not around Carielle and Pedryn. Her lack of fear was to say the least, disconcerting. And the heron resolved herself to the fact that it was time to discover what it was that the two sharks were hiding.

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They had returned to the Fluid after a long hike and a steady silence. Pedryn and Carielle had of course spoke amongst themselves but their voices had always been hushed and low. Elila knew that they were frightened she would overhear their words.

But there slight distance was fine with the heron. She had much to think of. And following behind their slow moving silhouettes gave her plenty of time to focus on the real problems filling her mind.

Once Elila had heard a sharp snap off in the distance. And her body had frozen in place. It reminded her of before. It hadn't been long; there was no real reason why she would be removed from the pain.

Licara had hunted her through the forest. She had run at a blinding rate. She had pushed her frail heron's body to its limit. And there were several times when Elila began to question her own ability to survive.

But somehow she had made it through. She had reached Midali territory, even as her body had fallen unconscious. And now here she was, trekking right back through the same woods that she had run through only one night before.

Of course, the sharks moving ahead had heard the noise as well. But with their enhanced senses they knew it was only rat hybrid moving off in the distance. It was nothing to be concerned of. So they kept moving, unaware that the heron had frozen some place behind.

"CARIELLE?" Elila's voice screamed out in a sharp panic.

For a second, the heron couldn't even move. She knew that the snake preferred to hunt a moving target. And at any moment, she expected to see Licara rise up from the thick foliage at her side.

The sharks spun around hearing the panic in her voice. They both scanned the surrounding area content that they were in fact still very much safe. But there was something wrong with Elila. And most graciously, they both rushed back to her side.

"What is it?" Pedryn asked in a low whisper finally reaching the heron. It had been an easy distance for them to traverse. And under the sole light of the moon, they had moved so very fast that for an instant, the heron thought that their bodies had actually taken flight.

"I heard a noise. Over there…" Elila whispered trying to stop the panic from entering her voice.

Carielle turned to stare, relieved to find that it was only a lone rat traveling off in through the woods. But instantly, she felt a bit insensitive. It was quite obvious that Elila didn't possess the vision that they did. They should have been more aware of her sensory disadvantage.

"It's all right. It's just a rat." Carielle explained to the great relief of the heron.

After that, the sharks had remained closer to their charge. They slowed their pace and the three walked the rest of the way to the water together. But for Elila, reaching the Fluid couldn't have happened soon enough. She was exhausted, reaching levels of fatigue that she never even knew were possible. Being hunted and later attacked had left her body with a dire need for rest. The young heron was beginning to think that she could sleep for an undisturbed century.

"Ah, home again…" Elila commented dryly once the towering form of the Fluid became visible. She realized that for the second time in a row, she would be spending the night in the company of sharks.

Neither shark responded to her statement. They knew it wasn't meant in a conversational manner. And truthfully neither of them had anything important or poignant to impart at this juncture. The situation was odd for them as well. Elila was the daughter of their tribe's greatest enemy. And now, they were being made to play her caretakers for the second time.

Feeling the burden of all the tribal conflict that was potentially underway, Carielle and Pedryn maintained a rather heavy silence as they walked through the dry entrance of the Fluid. It was a strange feeling for them. The Fluid was their second home. And they were unused to using its dry accommodations.

Had this been any other night, they would have dived into the ocean long ago. Swimming was always preferable to walking. And the water, well that was eternally more exciting then the land.

"Shall I take Elila back to the same room?" Carielle asked casually. She didn't want to give her cousin a chance to play hostess. She didn't want Pedryn alone with the heron. There was just too much at stake.

Pedryn only nodded, aware that Elila looked on the verge of collapsing. The heron had been through so much. And the shark knew there just wasn't much that they could do for her.

"Good night. I'll see you tomorrow. We can discuss the cobra then." Pedryn said bidding the heron a farewell.

But if Elila even heard her she gave no acknowledgement of it. She only followed Carielle down the waiting hall to her left. With every step she took Elila felt like her body was simply going to give out.

And yet, they finally made it to the room that had recently become so familiar. Elila immediately headed over to the silk sheets that had rested against her body only hours before. She let her body sink into the mattress and instantly she felt her tension drain.

Every inch of her body ached. She wasn't really sure why. The heron was beginning to wonder if the venom might not have some long-term effects.

But there was something still bothering her. There were these thoughts lingering in her mind that just wouldn't allow her to quiet. Her body might be exhausted. But Elila knew her emotions were wound far too tight to achieve a peaceful slumber.

So, she listened as Carielle wandered about the room making minor adjustments. She heard the sound of curtains being closed. And there was the long scraping noise of a hard cover being placed a top the liquid dream chamber in the floor.

"Do you need anything?" Carielle asked the still form of the girl on the bed. She was cautious not to approach the mattress. She knew that far too much had passed between them to ever allow such an intimate level of proximity.

"I feel so tired, but not. My whole body aches. I feel like I can barely breathe." Elila muttered wondering if she might need more anti-venom.

"It's the adrenaline. Now that it is gone from your body. You're suffering withdrawal." Carielle answered all too aware of the long-term effects of the hunt.

"Well, you'll be safe here. If you need anything someone is always out in the lobby, for one reason or another." Carielle said moving towards the door.

She was glad to finally be rid of the heron, if only for a few hours. She needed time to rest and focus. Elila's mere presence made her body feel trapped by guilt. And as sensations went, it was far from pleasant or even tolerable.

"Carielle, wait!" Elila snapped finally managing the strength and energy to push her body upright.

The shark froze in the doorway aware that there was something about the heron that had never been present before. There was a timbre in her voice that resonated like steel. Her eyes were hard and determined. That's when the shark felt her heart sink into her stomach. Elila was ready to talk. And gods help her, Carielle wanted to tell her everything.

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"I want to know." Elila whispered barely making sense of her thoughts as her body and mind wavered somewhere between utter fatigue and delirious wake.

"Know?" Carielle asked, rather nervously clearing her throat.

She didn't need the heron to put her question into words. She already knew what Elila wanted to know. It was the only bond they really shared. And for the first time, the heron very clearly wanted to test the tether.

"What happened?" Elila asked becoming more awake and alert by the moment.

The adrenaline was back, pouring into her body preparing her for a fight that had already ended so very long ago. The battle was over but the war was still very much alive. Of course their respective tribes played at being nice, diplomatic and even cordial.

But everyone knew the truth. They were all just waiting for the perfect opportunity to give into their native bloodlust. The Fasara would always rival the Midali. They would always fight to the bitter end for the land that both tribes claimed. Too much time, blood, and life had been spent for a mere treaty to resolve the issues as old as bitter anger itself.

And here Elila was asking all the wrong questions. She was asking for the only thing that could break the tentative bond of peace. And for no other reason then her own drowning guilt, Carielle wanted to tell her. She wanted to give up the one secret that stood between them. The things that she knew, the things that had been kept hidden were the only things that stood between war and peace.

Yet, no matter how much she wanted to silence the pain that dwelled in her very own heart, Carielle knew she couldn't sacrifice the lives of others to assuage her own guilt. She would have to live with this burden. They all would.

Even though, more then anything, she wanted to lift the memory and the pain right from Elila's very mind. The heron didn't deserve this. Carielle was a warrior. She had always been told that one day she might be called upon to make a sacrifice for the good of the tribe. But Carielle had never realized that that sacrifice would be her honor, her heart, or the rest of her very soul.

But Elila, Yamina, the others…they weren't trained for this. They weren't called on to defend their tribe, their land, the lives of the others. They weren't warriors. They had no unearthly strength. It wasn't the blood of the hunt that poured through their veins. They were daughters, sisters, and perhaps even one day mothers.

And Carielle couldn't resolve the sheer humiliation and loaded burden of guilt that she had hurt a female, a defenseless woman. It wasn't right, not even by the loose fitting moral standards of war. And she knew that the heron had every right to demand answers.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Carielle whispered in a rushed tone that left her panic unhidden and bold.

"Yes, you do. That night that we were kidnapped. Your tribe took us away. I'm not sure where it was exactly. The ride over was a bit hurried. I imagine that we were someplace in the Wetlands. But I don't really remember that much." Elila said, allowing her mind to recall all those sensations and memories that she had kept hidden for far too long.

"We shouldn't speak of this." Carielle said trying her best to sound commanding and perhaps even a bit threatening.

But Elila wasn't about to allow such an easy retreat. She had been around Carielle enough to know what she was capable of. And deception wasn't one of the shark's many skills. The heron wanted to know what she was hiding. She wanted to know what they were all hiding. And she had no intention of letting Carielle leave before she had her answers.

"I know. There's a lot at stake, for both of our tribes. But I'm not asking because I'm looking to start conflict. I'm not even asking as the daughter of the tribal Alpha. I'm asking as someone who was hurt. I'm asking as a woman who's suffered through endless nightmares and the constant companionship of terror. I'm only asking why…." Elila asked daring to walk up to the shark.

The heron had tried her best to sound brave. But she couldn't stop the welling of tears from filling her eyes. It was an emotionally charged issue, for both of them. And Elila was utterly exhausted from her forced efforts to hide her pain.

Thash made her. Thash covered the incident up and made her suffering disappear with the power of her own political agenda. But out here in the Gallion Village, Elila saw no reason to put on a charade. She was alone with one of the aggressors and between them; the heron truly saw no reason for falseness. If she couldn't be brutally honest with the Midali then there really was no quarter to be had.

"Elila, I can't…" Carielle began turning to face the heron.

The shark had surrendered to her own tears quite some time ago. It was a strange experience to cry in front of a woman. It was a strange thing to cry at all.

Carielle had felt nothing but pain. Since that night on the water, her anguish had been unquenchable. But through it all she had never cried, not once…

Yet now, her tears were unstoppable and desperate. They weren't the quiet tears of a strong and courageous woman. They weren't like Elila's. Hers were large and constant, drenching her face in the salty waters of her own misery. She wasn't just crying. She was weeping for all that she had done and all that she had lost. It was an impassioned sound, the kind of a creature that had lost something infinitely valuable. Hers was a cry to shatter the silence, the haunting echo that had filled both tribes since that fateful night. And Elila was ready to listen to every single word.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Those were the only words that Carielle was even able to mutter.

Her misery welled within her until it shattered. What little remained of her composure broke and she fell to her knees. It was there that she knelt before the heron wrapping the girl in an embrace far too tight for the frail bones of a bird.

This time however, Elila didn't mind. She allowed Carielle to squeeze the very air from her body. The shark was lost and in desperate need of comfort. And Elila didn't mind being the thing that she clung to.

In truth, Elila needed to hear the echo of her pain. But coming from Carielle it sounded something terrible, like a caged monster awaiting a rampage. But for the first time in along while, Elila felt at peace.

None of it had been at all what she perceived. The heron could so easily tell that now. No one that wept with the voracity and sheer undeniable gut wrenching heartache that had befallen Carielle was evil. No one who could cry so easily and unstoppably was cold or unfeeling.

Elila knew that she had been right about them. Something else had taken place that night on the water. It had been hidden, nothing more then a concealed undercurrent in the deep. But now the heron knew it was there, she had glimpsed their secret. And Elila had no intention of letting it slip back beneath the surface. In time, she would know all that they did.

But for now, she was content to let her hands wander through the shark's silken hair. She was able to stand and allow the outpour of pain and remorse. Elila offered what small comfort she could. She wasn't in the business of hurt or even anger. She only wanted the truth. And the heron knew that she could survive anything, as long as she knew that eventually she would have peace.

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"I'm so sorry…" Those were the only words that Carielle had uttered for what seemed like hours.

And perhaps most disturbing was that Yamina wasn't present to hear them. To Elila the words were a sweet utterance of comfort. But she wasn't the one that Carielle had wronged. She wasn't the one that had suffered at her hands.

In a way, Elila knew that this confession must seem hollow to the shark. Only Yamina could give the shark the forgiveness she obviously needed. And the heron knew that at the moment, Yamina's heart held only room for anger, rage and fear. Forgiveness would only be born on a day in the far distant future.

But in their shared moments of languid sorrow and heartfelt anguish, the heron had realized something of utmost importance. She was not only capable of forgiving, but at the moment, there was nothing else that Elila wanted more. She needed to forgive Pedryn, for her own peace of mind.

And the heron knew that the only way for her to do that would be to understand. Elila needed to know that she had been right about the shark. She needed to know that Pedryn wasn't some cold unfeeling monster. She needed to know the reason why.

Right now, she wanted Carielle to tell her. She needed to hear the truth. So slowly, she allowed the shark to pull away. It was quite clear that Carielle was embarrassed by her complete lack of composure and utter hysterics. But now wasn't time to think of such things like social behavior and manners. Now was the time for honesty, and unfortunately Elila knew that that meant pain for them both.

"It wasn't supposed to… I…it never was…" Carielle whimpered under her breath as she searched the room for the nearby sink.

Elila only watched as the shark bathed her face and calmed her nerves. But the heron's discerning eye could still see the pain and hysteria boldly marking the shark's features. Carielle, a true warrior in every respect, had been reduced to the hysterics of a child by the sheer impact of Elila's question.

"What is it? What are you talking about?" Elila asked, finally hoping to get some resolution to the nightmare that had become her life.

But Carielle only turned to face her. The heron could easily see the resolve filling the shark's liquid eyes and instantly Elila knew that she was going to have a fight on her hands. Carielle was clearly battling within herself. The heron could see that the shark's guilt and remorse were telling her to confess.

And yet, something was stopping the words from leaving Carielle's mouth. Something was there that couldn't be forgotten or defeated. There was something dreadful that Carielle needed desperately to hide.

"We aren't supposed to talk about what happened. You know that." Carielle said with a bleary gaze and a frightened form.

The heron seemed to consider her words as she moved closer to the shark's wavering form. There was something about her proximity that weakened the mighty warrior. There was something about her closeness that bothered Carielle and the heron knew she had to use it to her advantage.

Carefully she circled the shark, reminding herself of a masquerading predator. Her movements clearly bothered Carielle. It only took seconds before the shark was clutching her face clear distraught.

But at the moment, the heron could only muse about what it was that truly bothered the shark. Obviously, Elila knew all too well that her frail and wholly weaker body posed no threat to Carielle's sturdier form. And yet, the shark was undoubtedly frightened by something.

"Do I remind you of her? Do I remind of Yamina?" Elila asked wondering if somewhere beneath her layers of humid swamp blood lied the scent of a jungle cat.

The olfactory sense of a shark is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. If anyone could detect the smallest semblance of her jungle cat heritage it would be a Midali. And while aesthetically, Elila knew her body bore no reminder of her Fasara parentage. Physically, the blood of the jungle did still run through her veins.

"Don't do that! Don't!!!" Carielle snapped becoming both angry and terrified as she stormed across the room.

Logically, Elila knew that she should send the shark on her way. Carielle was obviously upset and moving on instinct. Sharks could easily give into the frenzy. Anger, arousal, fear, hunger; these were all things that bled into one desire for their watery kind. And Elila knew that she shouldn't push Carielle into an emotionally charged state. The heron clearly remembered all too well what would happen to her if Carielle were to give into the natural bloodlust of her kind.

But Elila couldn't let the matter go. She wanted an explanation. And the heron was determined to get one from Carielle, even if it meant risking her own safety.

"Don't do what?" Elila prodded following the shark back across the room.

As she moved passed the dream chamber, Elila tried not to look down. The very sight of the watery depth taunted her. The heron knew her fear of water would someday have to be confronted, but now at her moment of anguish, that terror would have to be soundly pushed aside.

"DON'T …say her name." Carielle screamed before letting her body slump to the floor. Elila watched as the fight and anger drained from her form.

"I don't want to hear it. I can't…" Carielle mumbled clutching her long legs to the chest of her body.

In some way, the whole scenario struck the heron as ironic. Carielle was rocking herself back and forth like an infant child. And it was a position intimately familiar to Elila. The heron had seen Yamina do it on more then one sad and desperate occasion.

The heron knew that she was taking a risk. She knew that it could even prove fatal. But at the moment, all thoughts for her own safety had somehow drifted away. All Elila cared about was finding the truth.

Slowly, she moved closer to the shark trying her best not to startle Carielle with her movements. Elila sunk to the floor allowing only the tiniest space to exist between her body and the shark's. The heron had just committed the ultimate crime of nature. She had willingly placed herself within death's striking distance.

"Carielle, what happened that night? Please? You have to tell me…" Elila whispered moving even closer to the shark's shaking form.

Carefully, the heron parted the long strands of hair that covered the shark's features. Elila stared into the shark's panicked eyes and knew that Carielle could never have meant to do such a thing. The heron could read her pain in every liquid tear that fell from her watery eyes.

And so timidly, Elila reached out placing a gentle hand on the shark's cold and quivering cheek. It would be so easy for the shark to turn into her touch. It would be so easy for Carielle to open her mouth and rip the beating artery right from her wrist. And as their eyes met, they both knew what could happen between them. But somewhere between her confused mind and her bundle of nervous emotions, Elila knew the truth. Carielle had no interest in harming her.

"It was never supposed to happen like that. We were just going to hold you as collateral to make Thash give into our demands sooner. It wasn't supposed to happen. We didn't know. You have to believe me Elila, we never meant for that to happen!" Carielle slurred in an obvious rush of heated feelings.

But for a long moment, the heron had no words to say. She was stunned by the sincerity of Carielle's admission. They hadn't meant to hurt her. For some reason, that small piece of information felt like a long awaited treasure. And for just a moment, Elila chose to remain silent and savor the words that she had waited so very long to hear.

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CONTINUED...

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