Story: Predators (chapter 3)

Authors: Chimera Bloom

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Chapter 3

PREDATORS pt3 by Chimera Bloom

PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom

Part 3

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Elila sat through all the questioning stares as Yamina tore off. She wouldn't give anyone the benefit of a worried glance. Briefly Elila wondered if she shouldn't go off after her friend, despite her duty to attend the Gallion. But she knew that Yamina liked to be alone when she was upset.

Besides her parents would never have forgiven her if she only attended a few hours of the Gallion. As it was, she was already in a heap of trouble for her tardiness. She needed to do everything possible avoid any more. And now that Narlene had made the point of commenting on her late arrival, Elila knew the whole village would seen be privy to her unintentional mistake.

After a few more alarms and one long signal, Elila knew it was time. Everyone around her sat up just a little bit straighter in their seats. Their warriors were making their way onto the arena floor. The jungle cats were preparing for their ultimate match. And Kellis was leading the battle.

From her towering height, Kellis looked miniature and weighted. She was wearing a veritable ton of protective armor. Elila didn't know how she could possibly move under it. But she knew how strong her friend was. The cats were fighting the dholes, a natural opponent of their tribe. Elila heard the whispered sounds of anticipation of her fellow tribe mates. Everyone was anxious and nervous. The Gallion meant so much to her people.

The alarm sounded and the match began. Elila had never been so frightened. The battle below was ruthless and savage. And she didn't know what she would do if Kellis was injured. And injuries were quite common here at the Gallion. It went with the territory. Warriors proudly showed off their scraps and scars for the rest of the year telling stories of victories and defeats. But some warriors suffered more permanent injuries like broken bones and crushed muscles. Last year, a changeling had even died.

And right now, Elila wished that something would stop the battle below. This was Kellis' second time as a competitor. She tried to tell herself that Kellis knew what to do. She had thrived in battle last year. But Elila knew enough about the Gallion to realize that one year wasn't knowledge, it was luck.

Kellis had done well the previous year. She had triumphed to such a degree that they had made her the team Alpha this year. Her warrior friend was the unabashed best of the jungle cat tribe. And Elila was proud of her; she just didn't want to see Kellis hurt. She knew how prideful her warrior friend could be. Illness or injuries were not circumstances that Kellis could adapt to.

Below, the match went on in a long and tedious manner. Several times Elila saw Kellis go down on the field. But each time her friend managed to get back up. Elila found herself madly gripping the seat handles desperately hoping for her friend's safety. But Kellis was so brave and powerful, fighting all the opponents that crossed her path. Despite rather challenging odds, Kellis ultimately stood her ground. And after several more lengthy bone crushing exchanges, the jungle cats had their victory. Elila stood with the rest of the spectators cheering loudly for her tribe. The win would mean much to the Fisara. Elila knew how pleased her parents would be.

She finally sat back down feeling relieve course through her body. She had seen enough to know that Kellis had been hurt. But it wasn't serious or the warrior would never have been able to walk off the field under her own power. No, Elila knew she could finally breath easy. The Fasara had won and Kellis would be fine.

The girl sat there for several seconds just enjoying the victory of her tribe when she noticed Narlene in the aisle below. The woman was affectionately leaping into the arms of any warrior that would let her. And for some reason it made Elila smile. She had never seen anything quite so ridiculous.

Over the next few minutes most of the spectators in her section rushed to leave. The win of her tribe meant a large victory celebration back at the Lodge. Elila knew she would have to make an appearance. Though, large parties certainly weren't her favorite past time.

But she was in no hurry to leave. With the crowds blocking the walkways she knew it would be quite some time before she could go any real distance. So, she decided to stay and watch the next few matches.

The next match was between the reptiles and the poison amphibians. Elila found herself particularly interested because of her former home. The reptiles were allies to the swamp and Elila hoped they somehow managed to win. Personally, she thought the odds were in their favor. No changeling alive could possibly break the hold of reptile once it had coiled.

After the first rather exciting match Elila found she couldn't quite tear herself away. She ended up staying through all the reptile and amphibian matches. They were thrilling to watch. The acrobatics the opponents performed while dueling each other was nothing less then surreal. And by the time Elila heard the alarm that signaled the end of their battle she realized she was nearly alone.

Glancing through the stands surrounding her she saw only a scant number of people still in attendance. It didn't surprise her; she was seated in the area reserved for the jungle tribes. Since all the Fisara matches were over for the day, most of the spectators had gone.

But the stands across the stadium were still brimming with people and excited sports fans. And she knew why. It was the place sectioned off for the water tribes. Their matches were still to come. And from the looks of the large white water tanks being pulled out onto the arena floor, they were about to begin.

The sounds from across the stadium were excited and flushed, as suddenly the arena floor became one large pool of water. She could easily pick out the reptiles, amphibians, fish, whales, and sharks across the way from her. At first it unsettled her. But then her thoughts returned to the swamp. And she knew that if her grandparent's tribe ever joined the Gallion they would be sitting right over there, right next to the Midali. For some reason, the thought helped to calm her and she settled back into her seat to watch the next match.

Elila knew she should be on her way. But she couldn't tear herself away from the sporting action below. And besides, she wasn't in a real hurry to get back to the Lodge. She had been to enough tribal parties to know what to expect. She would be forced to exchange a few polite words with some people. Kellis would ignore her to go dance with other women. And she and Yamina would end up in a dark corner feeling sorry for themselves. Elila found that she was far more interested in staying right were she was.

Besides that, she was finding the presence of the reptiles and amphibians oddly comforting. It had been too long since her last visit to the swamp. And she much preferred the company of the marsh dwellers to those of her cat tribe. She wondered if she knew anyone competing in the matches. The swamp was a plethora of reptile warriors. She supposed she could go over and mingle a bit but the thought of having walk through any Midali stopped her from moving an inch. She would stay right where she was, safely across the stadium. Despite all her hard earned mental progress she wasn't quite ready to go socialize with the sharks…

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The alarm chimed and she anxiously watched the arena below. She was surprised to see the Midali competing so early. Being night predators, she had thought their matches wouldn't come till much later. But judging by the darkness of the sky overhead, it was already quite late.

She was going to leave, not really interested in watching the sharks when a familiar figure caught her eye. Entering the arena below was a shark she knew all too well. She was tall with tightly woven blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her skin had an all too familiar gray pallor that Elila remembered feeling against her own. Her name was Pedryn, and she was the changeling that had raped her.

Scanning the team below she saw more familiar faces amongst the warriors. They were all there, every single last one of them. She was so glad that Yamina wasn't here to see it. The girl would have passed out right where she stood.

The Midali seemed confident as they entered the water. Pedryn seemed to be the Alpha of the group. The three others that Elila recognized seemed to be taking their cues from her. There were a few other shark warriors in the water that Elila didn't know. She tried to focus on their movements instead of those of Pedryn.

She knew she should go. There was no good reason for her to stay and watch this. But she found that her legs wouldn't stand. Her body refused to move. And she just couldn't turn away.

The battle began and even through the watery surface Elila could see how fierce it was. The Midali were competing against the Orcas, their natural tribal enemy. Elila watched the speed and strength of the shark warriors remembering all too clearly how it felt to be in the water with them. They were ruthless, cunning, and impossibly strong. And they were most certainly winning. Due to Gallion laws the Midali could only compete against other water tribes. But Elila suspected that such things wouldn't really matter to them. She had the strongest feeling that the shark warriors would be just as victorious out of the water as in it.

But at the moment, Pedryn was tearing her way through Orcas. The sharks were attacking in a familiar circular pattern. Elila recognized their battle frenzy when she saw it. She knew it wouldn't be long now, the Midali were mere seconds from victory.

It was the strangest thing to sit there and watch Pedryn compete. Since it had happened, the shark changeling had plagued her thoughts and starred in her nightmares. Elila was constantly aware of her ever-present fear.

It didn't matter where she was or what she was doing. Elila found that she was always scanning the crowds around her for signs of danger. She never felt safe. She never felt like she could just drop her guard and take a deep breath. She always had to be aware of those around her. Except for last night, when she had laid next to Kellis. Elila had never felt that kind of security before. And she found that it was feeling she never wanted to let go of.

But a few near tidal splashes brought Elila's focus back to the match at hand. She tried to sift through her own mind looking for the reason that compelled her to stay. She could feel her frustration mounting in her rigid body. Since the attack, her own feelings had been nothing but a complicated conglomeration of negative emotions. Elila experienced a veritable rainbow of anger, pain, vengeance, humiliation, sadness, and depression until she found herself begging for silence. She had never felt this volatile before. And Elila found herself resenting the complex emotions that she didn't understand and had no idea how to deal with.

She felt her eyes quickly tracking Pedryn's lightning like movements deep under the water's surface. She couldn't take her eyes off her. It was a silly thought but she found herself wandering if Pedryn knew she was here. Being the Alpha's daughter anyone could probably assume that Elila would be in attendance.

But Elila found herself wondering if Pedryn had given her any thought. She wondered if the shark changeling was hoping to avoid her for the entire Gallion festivities. She wondered what Pedryn would say if they met. But the strange thing was Elila didn't know what she would want to hear. An apology seemed so mundane after everything that was done to her. And she doubted the bloodthirsty shark warrior would give her one anyways. She had fantasies about confronting Pedryn on the relative safety of land. But in her mind, Pedryn had always been weak and confused by the grainy dirt under feet. But in reality Elila finally saw the truth. It didn't matter where she was, Pedryn would still always be a threat to her.

She began to wonder if it would matter to Pedryn that she was watching. She wondered if it might throw her timing off a bit to know that her most recent victim sat high up in the stands. Or she wondered if the fact might excite the warrior. Perhaps, Pedryn would fight that much harder just to show Elila how truly strong she really was.

And as she watched the battle unfold Elila had no idea what she expecting. To want the entire Midali tribe to loose because of one evil warrior sounded childish and bad mannered even to her own mind. But she didn't know if she would really feel that much better if Pedryn lost.

Then the strangest thing happened. One of Orcas got Pedryn in a dangerous lock around her neck. Suddenly, Elila found herself jumping from her seat to get a better look. The whole incident only took mere fractions of the smallest seconds but Elila found herself desperately hoping that Pedryn survived. She was praying for the shark warrior just as intensely as she had prayed for Kellis only hours ago.

But she finally realized her prayers were born from two very separate emotions. She loved Kellis and never wanted to see harm come to the golden warrior. But she couldn't even begin to explain the negative array of emotions that she felt for Pedryn. But she knew that whatever she felt for the shark changeling was large and vacuous, filling her up with confusion and desperation in ways that she had never felt before. But she knew that if Pedryn died she would suffer terribly. Without the person of her desperation around to take emotional aim at, Elila would be left to deal with her feelings in way that she wasn't ready for. In a way she needed Pedryn, if only to be the object of her hate.

Finally, after a few more bloody exchanges the Orcas gave up floating out of the arena with obvious injury and little pride. But the Midali jumped from the water right back into the stands. She saw one of them limp slightly as the warrior made its way through a nearby aisle. But Pedryn couldn't have a scratch on her, despite her perilous pursuit. She was energetic, uninjured and brimming with joy. She was quite the contrasting picture to how Kellis had appeared when the jungle match had finally ended. Kellis had fought bravely and had achieved a great victory in the end. But it had been a difficult fight for her warrior friend. Pedryn didn't even look winded as she wandered away to join the rest of her team.

Emotionally exhausted, Elila slumped into the comfort of her seat. The Midali looked just as superior as always. And now Elila had the harrowing thought of joining her tribe at a party and pretending like absolutely nothing was wrong. She had to pretend like she wasn't frightened of the Midali. She had to pretend like she had never been hurt. And she had to pretend like she hadn't lost her innocence in the choppy waters of the deep blue sea.

As she walked back to the Lodge she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder. Every fast moving changeling she saw worried her with it's speed. She listened to the voices around her wondering if at any moment Pedryn might jump out and attack her. Her thoughts centered on Kellis, and how very much she wished her friend was here. Kellis always made her feel better with her feline grace and changeling strength. But Elila doubted that even Kellis could take on Pedryn. The Midali were nature's wild song of predation with unrivaled strength and reflexes. Given what had happened to her, Elila was sometimes surprised by how easily her body had come through the attack. Pedryn could effortlessly have killed her.

It was a terrorizing thought that made her feel terribly small and unimportant. But Elila knew she couldn't think of such things. She had party to get to, a fake smile to put on, and small talk to make.

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When she returned to the Lodge, the party was already in full swing. The jungle cats had taken over the entire first floor lobby with their victory celebration. The music was a pounding array of warrior anthems. The lights were dimmed for the convenience of public affection. The drinks were flowing freely. The people were laughing, dancing, and holding onto each other with an innate need to rejoice. And even though Elila had just walked through the door, she already couldn't wait to leave.

"There you are. Where have you been?" Yamina yelled to her friend trying to be heard over the blaring music. Elila grabbed the girl and began to push her way through the winding rhythmic crowd. She knew that Yamina had no interest in joining the synchronized dancing of their fellow tribe mates. And though Elila did like to dance, she never quite got the hang of the coordinated lines the jungle cats preferred to move in.

Elila pulled Yamina out into the back lawn of the Lodge. It was a familiar enough path for her, considering her desperate walk during the wee hours of the previous night. As she stood on the black marble of the ornate patio Elila could see the outline of the memorable park in the distance. Even with only the moon to show the way, she could make out the faint path she had run down only a night before.

Nervously, Elila glanced around wondering if this area provided them with the privacy they needed. Because what Elila had to tell her friend, needed to be said in seclusion. No one else needed to know about the Midali. And no one else needed to see how the horrible news impacted the already fragile Yamina.

Standing on the very tops of her lavender shoes, Elila scanned the surrounding yard. It was times like this that Elila wished she had inherited the benefits of jungle vision from her alpha. Compared to the piercing night vision of a cat descended, she was practically blinded by darkness. She looked at the bright golden flecks in Yamina's eyes that were mirroring the light of the moon and all the dull flickering of the party inside. She couldn't help but feel the slightest pang of envy. Her own heron vision afforded her no such advantage.

But after several more minutes of looking around even Elila could tell that they were basically alone. She could see the movements of a few scattered couples lying in the thick softness of the lush green grass. But other then that, the entire space of the wide black patio belonged to them.

"So where were you?" Yamina asked annoyed by her friend's rather late arrival. Yamina had been at the party since its beginning several for long hours ago. And she had hated every stupid minute of it, virtually counting the seconds till a friendly face arrived. And given her tribal reputation, that hadn't happened until Elila walked through the Lodge doors.

"I stayed to watch the matches." Elila answered giving second thoughts to the idea of telling Yamina everything she had seen. She knew that it would only upset her friend. But she didn't want Yamina to be caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her rapist. Elila knew that chances were good that Yamina wouldn't run into any of the four-feared Midali. But Elila thought her friend had a right to know. If the roles were reversed, Elila knew she would most certainly want to know the truth.

"I saw them. They're here." Elila finally said noticing the strange expressions her friend was giving her.

"What do you mean?" Yamina asked worried that she knew all too clearly whom Elila was speaking of.

"I saw them. Pedryn and Carielle, they competed in the Gallion. They won…" Elila said adding the last part as a bit of an afterthought.

"Oh god…" Yamina said suddenly feeling like she couldn't breathe. Carielle was the shark that had attacked her. Carielle was the reason that she was afraid of the dark. Carielle was the cause of her never ending terror. And now Yamina knew that somewhere in the very village that she stood, her rapist walked around free. She could turn any corner and Carielle could be standing there. She could walk into a restaurant or board a transport and Carielle could be waiting.

And the worst thing was that no one would help her. No one knew what Carielle had done. So instead of the persecution of a criminal, Carielle enjoyed the freedom of a saint. And with all those panicked thoughts rushing through her mind, she really thought that she might faint. Frightened, she reached out a blind hand searching for the soothing presence of Elila. But Yamina never got the chance to turn to her friend for comfort. Because rushing in like a bold intrusion was a very inebriated Kellis.

"There you are. I've been looking for you." A very drunk feline warrior managed to wander up to the girls on the back patio.

"Congratulations!" Elila said happily trying to put thoughts of the sharks far from her mind. She cast a worried glance at Yamina who also seemed to be trying for a brave front. Yamina gave her a flat practiced smile and eyed the golden warrior wishing that Kellis would leave. She needed the reassurance of her friend. And Elila couldn't discuss what had happened in front of the warrior.

"Did you see me?" Kellis asked with an excited expression dancing through her warm yellow eyes. Kellis had never looked so young and innocent. She was literally swaying in her circles under the influence of her own enthusiasm.

"Yeah, you were great." Elila answered surprised to find the warrior suddenly lifting her up into two strong arms. It was an entirely pleasant sensation but the girl didn't want to get too excited by a purely friendly gesture.

"I didn't think we were going to win. But at the last minute we pulled it out. It was so hard though. I think I'm gonna be sore for weeks." The cat purred swinging the girl through the air in large lazy circles.

"Uhm, okay Kellis you can put me down now." Elila whimpered feeling a bit uncomfortable. It's not like she minded the display of affection, she just didn't know how to handle it. Especially since nearly every member of her tribe was peering at them through the large glass windows of the Lodge.

"But I don't wanna." Kellis answered nuzzling the young girls neck. The warrior was totally unaware of how inappropriate her actions were. All she knew was that Elila was so very soft and vulnerable in her arms.

"You're so pretty and you smell so good. I love you…" Kellis managed to slur out under the effect of all the intoxicating rollen berries she had ingested. Yamina stiffened hearing the words come from the warrior. But no one was as shocked as Elila. For a second she wanted to believe that Kellis meant the words she said. But the girl knew it was only the berries talking. At the moment, Kellis would probably have confessed her love to a tree or building.

"Okay, put me down." Elila said a bit more harshly. Things were definitely becoming more uncomfortable by the second. Especially now that Kellis would feel the need to apologize to her later for her drunken behavior. And the last thing Elila ever wanted to hear was an apology for an utterance of love. The girl wasn't sure her self-esteem could take a verbal blow like that.

"No, not until I do this…." Kellis pouted leaning in closer to the girl. The warrior pulled her mouth forward into a slobbering kiss. Her lips were wet and soft but her mouth tasted sour. Elila found herself gagging under the pressure. In all her fantasies she had never imagined kissing Kellis to be quite so repugnant.

"Kellis?" The warrior turned to face the questioning voice. Narlene stood there obviously very annoyed to find Elila wrapped up in the warrior's arms.

"Narli? Hi! Did you see me?" The warrior asked letting Elila drop down onto the floor with a rather unladylike thud. Elila sat there trying to control the whimper that wanted to come from her mouth. The marble tile had been quite hard against her rather fragile body.

"I sure did." Narlene answered using her best little girl voice. Without shame or courtesy Narlene walked up to the warrior doing her best to plant a sultry kiss on Kellis' drunken lips. Of course, given the current state of the warrior such an action came off a bit hindered and difficult. Elila knew it hadn't been the show of passion Narlene had been hoping for. But it was still more graceful and coordinated then the lip lock she had just shared with Kellis.

"I didn't think we would be able to pull it out at first but then.." Kellis' voice trailed off as she followed Narlene back into the party.

"Bye Elila!" Kellis suddenly called out not caring that she had left the girl in a lump on the floor. And without a backward glance at the girl who loves her, Kellis wandered away to enjoy the pert flirtatious company of Narlene.

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"Well, that certainly did suck." Elila muttered to the soft laughter of her friend.

"Come on…" Yamina said pulling the girl back onto her feet.

"What's the matter? Didn't expect the first kiss you shared with Kellis to go quite like that?" Yamina joked feeling a lot better after having heard the terrible news about the sharks.

"Very funny…" Elila muttered going to lean against the nearby stony wall. Yamina leaned next to her and the two friends fell into a companionable silence. They both were both quiet as they watched the swirling motions of the dancers inside. Everyone was stepping in perfect unison to rhythm that, on the outside, Elila could barely hear.

"That was pretty embarrassing…" Elila whispered even though Yamina was clearly the only other person in earshot.

"Hey, don't worry. By the time she sleeps this off, she's not even going to remember it." Yamina answered gently rubbing her friend's shoulder.

"And that's the real problem isn't it. I want her to…" Elila let her voice trail off not wanting to finish her own thought. It was too painful to say the words out load.

"Don't do this. You know how Kellis feels about you." Yamina said rather sternly. She didn't want to see Elila so down and dejected.

More then anything, Yamina wanted things to work out between her best friend and the warrior. Because if they didn't, Yamina didn't even want to think about what would happen. Elila's alpha needed an heir to throne. And if Kellis wouldn't marry the girl, Yamina knew there were plenty of others that would.

"Let's not talk about this. How are you?" Elila asked wanting to change the subject. Her status as a single female was becoming more painful by the day. In the swamp, things like marriage were far from being an issue. To the gamblers, dealers, and other social lowlifes found down in the bogs, marriage might as well be a four-letter word.

But here in the jungle, people were supposed to mate for life. It was a sacred tradition that was upheld by the highest degree of honor and respect. The problem was Elila wasn't so sure she really wanted anything to do with it. Of course, there was her relationship with Kellis. If the warrior ever asked her to marry, Elila knew it would take less then a single heartbeat for her to say yes. The warrior just had a way of making her want to be a wife and mother. A single touch from Kellis could send her blood pressure to dangerously high levels. And when the golden warrior looked her, really focusing on every single nuance of her body, Elila felt all her insides melt.

Yet Elila had a very difficult time thinking that happily ever after was something meant for her. As much as her fantasies protested, the girl knew the warrior's affections came only from platonic place. Sometimes it made her all weepy and distressed to think of it. Elila just knew there was something out there she would never have, but she did want it so very much.

Though Elila was generally content with her status as a single woman, her alpha was most vehemently not. Since her sibling had died, there was no one left to inherit the throne. And according to tribal law, an heir had to be named within the year. Or else, her alpha would have to abdicate. And Elila knew that she would be sold to the highest bidder, before Thash ever gave up the throne.

"What are you thinking?" Yamina asked noticing the pensive nature of her friend's thoughts.

"Nothing…we should mingle." Elila said walking towards the Lodge. Yamina agreed reluctantly following her friend to the door. There were times that both girls truly hated their obligations to the council.

Walking through the door was like entering a sound garden of the loud and obnoxious. The music seemed to have gotten louder. The people seemed to have become more intoxicate. In short, the celebration had definitely been kicked up a notch.

Unable to speak over all the noise, Yamina pulled her friend towards the nearest darkened wall. They both knew they should make an attempt to socialize but neither girls were very thrilled at the thought. As they practically hid the corner, Elila scanned the room for Kellis. She couldn't help it. No matter where she was, the girl seemed to always be looking for the warrior. But despite her wandering eyes, she couldn't seem to find Kellis.

They stayed for a few more moments taking in the movements of the dancers. A little while ago, everyone had seemed so coordinated and in sync. Now they were practically falling on each other. They way they were moving now; Elila figured that even she could fit in.

"Come on." Elila said to her friend, pulling Yamina onto the floor behind her. The dance floor was the last place Yamina wanted to be but she knew her friend was right. They at least had to give the appearance of enjoying the victory celebration.

And for a while they danced. Elila actually began to enjoy herself, even just a little. The music certainly wasn't something she preferred but it was tolerable as they all moved across the floor in leaping strides. Even Yamina seemed to be coming out of her rather timid shell, if only for a moment. Her blonde friend was even giggling as she tried to keep time with everyone else.

They had just really gotten into the rhythm of things when suddenly everything changed. The bright flashing strobes of the lights stopped. The room became nearly pitch dark. And the music went from a pounding frenzy to a soft melody of love. Elila and Yamina watched as all the dancers around them scurried into the arms of their dates and lovers. Having no one to turn to, the girls left the floor in search of their familiar dark corner.

"Good, the slow dances…" Yamina mumbled unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. Elila only smiled sharing her friend's opinion.

They watched in silence, as the swirling couples on the floor grew more amorous by the moment. Elila was content to simply watch, but what she saw next made her stomach drop. Kellis and Narlene were wrapped tightly in each other's arms swaying back and forth to the soft music. Not wanting to speak, she tapped Yamina and pointed to the couple on the floor.

"She's just drunk, she doesn't know what she's doing." Yamina whispered trying to calm her friend.

Elila knew Yamina was right, but it still hurt. Narlene certainly hadn't been the kindest person to her. The beautiful jungle cat was a traditionalist. Narlene felt Elila's very presence was an abomination to all the laws of the jungle. And the girl certainly took every opportunity available to point out Elila's mixed parentage.

"Narlene is just doing her thing. Don't let it bother you." Yamina whispered feeling her friend's body grow icy and rigid.

Elila looked on wondering what it would be like to be wrapped up in the warrior's arms. Normally she would let herself indulge in such a fantasy, but not tonight. It wasn't just the pain at seeing her own worst enemy holding onto the warrior that she loved. It was something else, something dark and anxious.

The girl wasn't sure but she suspected it had something to do with seeing Pedryn and the other sharks tonight. Since the Gallion, Elila had been nothing but unsettled. She supposed that watching one's rapist succeed in battle would do that anyone. But the girl didn't know how to fix things. Elila had this strange need to run away, she just didn't know where too.

"Okay, let's go." Yamina whispered pulling Elila from her thoughts. She looked up from her thoughtful reverie to see Narlene doing her very best to seduce the golden warrior. It was a sight that should have her made her want to scream. But for some reason Elila looked on with a quiet acceptance.

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"It's okay, we don't have to go." Elila answered feeling herself suddenly very distant from the romantic affection of the couple on the floor. The girl felt the calm mood sweep over her and Elila knew what had caused the sudden change.

"I think I'm getting over her." Elila said with a clear conviction in her tone that even shocked her. Yamina only stared at her friend convinced that Elila was putting on a brave front.

"Elila, it's okay. Come on, we'll just go." Yamina prodded trying once again to spare her friend's feelings.

"If you want. But I'm serious. I think I finally realize that it's just never going to happen for us." Elila said walking from the Lodge back out into the warm night air. Yamina followed truly glad to be away from the celebration.

"I know how you feel. You don't have to say these things for my benefit." Yamina said to her friend's turned back. Elila was hovering on the patio taking in the moonlit view of the park across the way.

"I'm not denying how I feel. I'm just saying that, for the first time, I want to move on. I don't want to have such strong feelings for someone who doesn't feel that way for me." Elila answered finally turning around to face her friend. Yamina could tell that her friend actually believed what she was saying. Elila seemed calm, logical and even relieved by her own admission.

"But have you even given it a chance? I mean have you really tried with her? You guys even shared a bed last night. Did that go anywhere?" Yamina asked trying to be delicate. Her friend only laughed at the memory of last night's restless encounters.

"We shared a bed because my parents engineered a scenario where we had to. There were no more available rooms. You know that. We weren't together because Kellis wanted to be near me. We were together because we got in so late, even Kellis didn't have time to find anyone else to sleep with." Elila explained thinking that if they had arrived at the Lodge only hours earlier, Kellis could have found many other beds to warm besides her own.

"Stop that! You know Kellis cares about you." Yamina said thinking that her friend was too emotional to read the situation correctly.

"Yes, she does, but as a friend. And it's time I accepted that and moved on." Elila answered with a certain amount of resolution that even Yamina could feel.

"Move on? You know how your parents feel." Yamina said knowing that at any moment Elila's nuptials could be decided for her.

"My parents…. They really do like Kellis. But if the thought of ruling the tribe isn't incentive enough to make Kellis interested in me. Then nothing is." Elila sighed wincing at her own statement. There really was a certain amount of inherent sadness in her situation. She had the largest dowry of any woman in the village. Her mate would rule the entire tribe. And yet she remained alone, all because her mother came from the swamp.

"I just think you should give this time. You know how Kellis is." Yamina said sensing that her friend had really reached the end of her patience.

"Yes, I do. And that's the problem." Elila answered hopping up onto the banister that ran the length of the patio. She stared up into the night sky wondering if her destiny was written in the stars. If it were there, she would give nearly anything to know what her future held. Because despite her fondest wishes, she didn't see herself in the arms of the golden jungle cat.

"Talk to her." Yamina whispered coming over to sit near her friend. Elila was about to tell her all the reasons why that was an infinitely bad idea when she saw the most interesting thing. Narlene came bursting out of the Lodge doors bawling hysterically. She didn't even see them as she ran past in a smattering of tears. And Elila watched as she disappeared into the thick darkness of the distance.

"I wonder what that was about." Elila muttered to her friend also riveted by the recent scene.

"You should go find out." Yamina said pushing Elila towards the Lodge.

"What?" Elila whispered thinking that she really didn't want any part of whatever had gone wrong between Narlene and Kellis.

"Think about it? Narlene comes out here exploding in tears. Makes you wonder what Kellis said or did to cause such a scene. Maybe the warrior told her she wasn't interested." Yamina whispered hoping that she was right about the unfolding of events. Nothing could make her more pleased then to hear that the warrior had turned down Narlene, for a chance with Elila.

Elila wanted to say no. And on some level she knew she should stay right where she was. But her curiosity was getting the better of her. So with a heart full of false hope, Elila went inside searching for the golden cat.

She passed several warriors that she recognized. Some gave her a polite nod and smile. Others simply ignored her, choosing to stride past like she didn't even exist. The celebration in the main hall was basically done. Only a few passed out partygoers remained slumping on the floor in great big piles of inebriation. As she walked through the bulding, it didn't take her long to find out where the celebration had moved too.

She heard the sound of voices and laughter coming from the spa level below. She didn't want to intrude. She suspected it would be quite an intimate scene. But she heard so many different people, she couldn't imagine that whatever was going could be a private affair.

Tentatively, she walked down the marble steps to the floor below. The steam from the hot tubs greeted her before she even passed into the room. It only took her a few more feet to see that all four of the hot tubs were brimming with people. And from the clothing scattered all over the floor, she could only assume that something rather inappropriate was going on.

She walked around the edge of the room trying not to be noticed amidst the thick steam and watery air. It surprised her to see so many people from her tribe lounging in the boiling tubs. Jungle cats weren't exactly known for their love of water.

Her eyes scanned the room looking for Kellis amidst the naked flush of wet bodies. This was one time she was definitely grateful for her swamp ancestry. Her physiology was more suited to the thick, steamy, humid environment then the cats. She had no trouble seeing all the celebrators through the thick clouds of steam. She saw several women that she knew shouldn't be there. They were single, young, and expected to marry well. And an episode like this could certainly tarnish any young girl's reputation. After several more moments of searching, her heart beat in pure relief when she realized Kellis wasn't in the room.

But she saw did see the hall to the sauna. And she could hear the slight rumble of voices from the other end of the room. Slowly and quietly, she walked into the darkened hall hoping to remain unnoticed by the people in the hot tubs.

Tentatively, she walked to the door and swung it open trying not to make a sound. It only took mere seconds for her eyes to adjust to the pouring steam of the room. But what she saw would take her years to forget.

On the only wooden bench in the room, was a woman kneeling on all fours. At first, Elila didn't know who she was. But she could instantly tell from her platinum locks that she was most likely a jungle cat. Then she moved her hair to the side and Elila gazed on her face. Her name was Zelsi. And she was concubine.

And the warrior, heavily sexing her from behind was Kellis. The warrior and her lover seemed lost in their own world. Elila could tell that her presence hadn't been detected. They couldn't see her through the steam. And they were both too drunk to sense her otherwise.

Unable to withstand the image any longer, Elila ran from the room trying not to loose control of her welling feelings. It was one thing to know about Kellis' promiscuity. It was quite another to witness it first hand.

She practically ran past the hot tubs not caring that she had most certainly been seen. She didn't care. The sight that she had just witnessed could not possibly have been more repugnant in any way. And for the first time in her life, Elila really felt for Narlene.

The girl ran up the steps trying to find Yamina and put as much distance as possible between herself and the warrior below. She couldn't understand why Kellis was with a concubine. Even her mind had trouble rolling over the term. In the swamp, such women were graced with no such title of difference. They were called prostitutes. And the whole thing made Elila sick.

"What happened?" Yamina called from the patio seeing Elila dart by. Elila ran outside trying to catch her breath. She could have gone her whole life without knowing that Kellis had occasion to pay for her sexual pleasure.

"I saw Kellis in the sauna." Elila whimpered trying desperately to hold onto her tears. Even though she knew she was ready to move on, she wasn't ready to turn a blind eye to such displays. She was still too attached to the warrior.

"What did you see?" Yamina asked not sure that she really needed to hear the answer. The expression was written all over her friend's face.

"She was having sex with Zelsi." Elila muttered looking out in the lawn for any sign of Narlene. For the briefest of moments, she had the sudden desire to commiserate.

"Zelsi? The concubine? Why? Why would she do such a thing?" Yamina asked knowing that in a logical world Kellis would never have to pay for such company. She could think of multitudes of women that would grace the warrior with their affections for free.

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't make much sense. But I can't be here anymore." Elila said stomping off the patio into the surrounding darkness.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Yamina asked trying to catch up to her friend. Elila really thought about her friend's statement. And for the first time, Elila knew with crystal clarity where it was she desperately needed to run to.

"I'm going home." Elila said cryptically, stomping away from the safe grounds of the Lodge. Yamina only watched as her friend gradually disappeared into the night. She didn't know what Elila meant but she suspected her friend wanted to be alone. Besides, Yamina didn't feel comfortable leaving the grounds so she decided not to follow. Yamina tried to tell herself that Elila would be all right, all alone in the Gallion village. But she had no idea who was waiting for her friend, just beyond the light of the moon.

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CONTINUED...

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