Praised and Abused

"Do not worry about them," Ringleader said, having noticed where I was looking. "That one is always asking dumb questions . . . They might be a while."

I saw that smug ass look on his face and wanted to slap it off him.

But I put all that anger behind me when I left Earth. I was cool as a fucking cucumber now. A fucking cucumber.

"I am not worried," I said.

"You have other trophies?" another of the four asked me.

I had to take a step back—they were beginning to crowd me as if they didn't know what personal space was. They hadn't surrounded me with any sort of malicious intent, just formed a half-circle around me as if they were hanging on my words.

It was taking me a couple of extra seconds to figure out what they were saying. All of them were speaking more informally than I was used to.

"Not yet," I responded warily, especially after already having this same conversation.

While they chewed on that, I took a second to really study them. I couldn't see any visible blooded marks, so I wondered if they were young, unblooded yautja waiting to take their trials? It could have been that their marks were hidden, like mine. It was on the inside of my wrist, so you couldn't really see it unless I showed it.

Wait. I didn't have to speculate. I could just fucking ask them.

"What about you? Do any of you have trophies?" I asked.

They shared glances and then all answered in the negative.

"We will take our 'chiva' soon, though," Ringleader proudly said.

"What is the hard meat like?" another asked, eagerly leaning toward me.

I didn't know how much I was supposed to tell them or how much they already knew, so I answered in a vague way. "They are quick and deadly and . . . There are many of them. I do not care for them at all and if I were to face them again it would be too soon."

"Ah, poor human," one clicked mockingly, making me frown.

"So you do not have any trophies, even from your planet?"

Dammit, I wished they would just leave. I didn't have the conversation skills to keep doing this. "I did not hunt on Earth. Not for trophies . . . I had work to do. I was injured badly when the arbiter took me, but I have been hunting for meat and will move to trophies soon."

Despite my waning patience, I was quite relieved that the conversation was at least somewhat cordial and mundane. I didn't much like their tones, but they weren't pushing me around or trying to start a fight as of yet. I could see why Wolf had reached out to this clan when he was seeking help for me. They were all so open-minded and earnest.

Honestly, it made me feel a little foolish for being so anxious and on-edge. Aware, not anxious—Wolf told me this often but I hadn't quite grasped what he meant until that moment.

Their interest and curiosity gave way to a smug sort of superiority and their posture changed. They gave me a bit more space and held themselves straighter, chests puffed up, reminding me of the peacocks from home. Whatever reverence they had before was gone. Infuriatingly enough, they even started to click their tusks together in what I had come to realize was snickering.

"And here I thought an arbitrator of his reputation would surround himself with someone . . . more accomplished." Ringleader huffed, looking down his nose at me—figuratively speaking, of course.

'Cool as a cucumber, Nichole', I told myself.

I managed not to bare my teeth as I hissed out an incredulous, "What was that?"

They ignored me and another of the four said, "How have we not yet been chosen for our chivas when this girl has been inside two hives?"

"We should be clan leaders by now!" another agreed.

I scoffed at such an egregious display of hyperbole. "You are more likely to sprout wings and fly." It was an idiom I'd heard Wolf say once or twice.

And they heard me.

I hadn't even meant to say it aloud, but they rounded on me and stepped closer again. I held my ground and didn't waver; they still weren't attempting to surround me, and I was confident that their honor system would keep them from trying to jump me four-to-one regardless of whatever sassy remarks I could muster at their expense.

"Now that you have recovered, do you know what trophies you might seek?" sneered Ringleader.

The question caught me off-guard and I cast about for an answer, but there wasn't one. It was something we could choose? Was there a list of trophy creatures out there that I could pick out of a lineup? Why hadn't Wolf gone over all of this with me yet?

"I do not know," I said, trying not to sound meek and failing.

"You do not have a plan?"

My composure faltered and gave way to insecurity. "No, not yet. I—"

Incredulous chittering from all four of them had my face burning. "What is that arbitrator doing with you? No plan, no trophies lined up . . . You are not particularly fun to look at so you cannot just be a decoration."

"|Dude, really?|" I spat incredulously without thinking. "|You're calling ME ugly|?"

All four wore blank expressions.

"Did you understand any of that?"

"Not a single thing."

Frustration was starting to get the best of me and I ground my teeth, earning a remark of, "Oh, you made the human mad. She is babbling and baring her fangs."

"Her teeth are too blunt to be fangs," Ringleader grunted. He even had the audacity to reach out and take my wrist. Before I snatched it back, he said, "And she has no claws to speak of, either. How did humans manage to become such threatening targets?"

I was fuming. Luckily, a huge part of my mind knew that it was all a giant bait. Wolf had told me to keep my emotions in check, but they were pushing really hard at my buttons and I didn't have the knowledge or words to tell them off properly—and I couldn't very well punch them in the face like I had Dixon. That was going to earn me some swift retribution.

'Stay cool as a cucumber,' I chanted in my head. That cucumber sure was starting to rot, though.

"Yes, seeing a human up close is . . . Underwhelming."

"She is female, though. The males are larger and stronger, I hear."

"Then surely the arbitrator should have chosen a male as his protege?"

Ringleader stood even taller and squared up. "Perhaps I should challenge her. If I defeat her, maybe the arbitrator will take me as his apprentice instead."

"|Stop talking about me like I'm not right here!|" I snarled, drawing a few gazes.

Seconds away from declaring that Ringleader should fight me right there, another yautja approached. I snapped my head to look at them, livid and ready to lash out at anyone, but it was Wolf. The four young bloods shrank away and stopped their incessant yammering.

Seeing Wolf, who came out of nowhere, the tension melted from my shoulders, and relief filled me. Mhalu was striding up as well, the loser from before toddling after her and looking mortified.

"Greetings, young ones. I see you have met my companion," Wolf said, his even tone contradicting the irritation flashing across his features.

They deferred to him with cordial nods and paced even farther backward. "Yes, venerable arbitrator. We were hearing her tales but she had only a few."

"|More like harassing me|," I muttered.

"Yes, her journey has just begun," Wolf said, ignoring me. "She has plenty of time to create more."

I clenched my jaw and bit back a remark. I was a bit miffed at him, wondering why he hadn't helped me set up a trophy hunt yet. Why hadn't he even tried to let me pick out something to hunt if that was a thing I could do? Did he think I wasn't ready yet? I was going to have to confront him about it later.

Mhalu reached us and the tag-along stood back. "Arbiter! We were waiting for you."

He gave her a look of contempt and she shrank back. I touched his arm and shook my head at him, murmuring "|Be nice, it's not her fault.|"

The ringleader saluted and said, "We will not take any more of your time."

Wolf nodded and the four of them turned and tried to walk quickly away without making it too obvious. They swept up their fifth wheel, the patsy that had distracted Mhalu, and were off. Though I couldn't hear what they were saying anymore, they started shoving each other and chattering animatedly at one another, looking back at us from time to time.

Somewhat sheepishly, Mhalu said, "I apologize, arbiter, I left her alone and—"

"|It wasn't your fault. We were tricked by a bunch of delinquents, that's all|," I huffed.

Thankfully, Wolf agreed. "Think nothing of it. Conflict will make her mind stronger. They seemed harmless, if rude."

"|I would've fought 'em,|" I muttered.

He huffed. "I know. But I did not see a reason to let it get that far. This is a relaxing visit."

Mhalu chittered happily and said, "Then, before you leave, let us share a meal! I will go fetch food and some c'nlip to drink. Stay here and I will be back!"

Before either of us could argue, she was gone.

Smiling, I turned to Wolf and said, "|She's really energetic|."

"Yes," he said. "Most likely because she does not leave the ship often."

"|Poor thing.|"

I sat down at the table again and sank into the chair. Wolf followed suit and I struck up a conversation. "|How did the trading go?|"

"Well. We have enough parts and fuel to last a while. Did you enjoy your tour?"

Realizing then that I'd switched back to English since both Mhalu and Wolf could understand me, I tried to handle the rest in Yaut'ja. "Very much so. She showed me the . . . |babies|, no, infants."

Wolf canted his head. "They allowed you in?"

"|Yeah|, Mhalu convinced the guard," I explained.

"She can be . . . persuasive," Wolf sighed. "I trust you found that interesting?"

Nodding, I said, "I am glad that I go to see them."

"Where else did you go?"

"I visited the forge, but it was too hot for me to stay in. It is nice here, though. Was your clanship like this one?"

He looked around, tusks twitching in thought, then said, "Similar, yes. Smaller. This is a large clan from my experience. Mine was barely half the size. We had much of the same facilities, though, just in closer quarters."

"|Do you miss any of your friends or family?|" I asked in English, unsure how to phrase the question in Yaut'ja. "How do you say?"

After giving it a moment's thought, he said, "The closest way is 'do you wish your friends and family were here still', and I cannot say that I do. I regret that the incident happened and they died the way they did, but I cannot change it."

I almost reached out to squeeze his hand, but decided that such public displays of affection might be frowned upon and just held my own hands. "I think I understand how you feel. Did you have children on that ship?"

"Yes and no. Some had gone to follow their own paths, others had stayed with the clan."

My face fell. "|I'm sorry.|"

However, he seemed unbothered and asked me, "Do you wish you were with your friends and family?"

Staring at the tabletop, I shrugged. "I . . . |miss them,| but I would not say that I wish I was with them, or they with me. It is an . . . ache in my chest. A, |uh,| sadness. It comes and goes. I do not regret my decision to come with you, though. I never have."

Mhalu made her reappearance then, expertly carrying a few metal cups. Behind her was the young blood from before, carrying the plates. He looked even more mortified than he had before and I wondered how badly she had reamed his ass for pulling that stunt. I snickered at the mental image of her berating this poor guy.

"I am back!" she announced, handing each of us a cup and then sitting down.

The young blood carefully put the plates down and then deferred to Mhalu, who shooed him away. He scampered off and I watched him reunite with his group. They immediately started bullying him over the whole situation and then disappeared down the hall.

"Thank you," I said, pulling my plate closer to me and then eying the liquid in my cup. "What did you call this drink?"

"C'lnip!" she responded.

"It is an intoxicating beverage," Wolf provided.

"|Like alcohol from Earth,|" I said.

Mhalu gave my shoulder a pat. "Do not worry, I diluted yours and added sweet juices from fruit to make it more palatable. Drinking it pure like us might be a bit . . . much."

I stared at the cup, then at the plate of food—we all had meat, but mine was cooked. I hadn't expected anything less from the human expert—but there was just one minor detail that everyone seemed to be overlooking. In fact, it had entirely slipped my mind, as well.

"|So, uh, how am I supposed to eat this?|" I said, tapping the respirator currently helping me breathe. It took up the entire bottom half of my face. It was hard to miss, though, because it was lightweight and didn't retain heat. It wasn't meant to hide my face, designed more to feel and be invisible, so it would be easy for them to forget it was there when they couldn't see it, and it just looked like my normal face. Well, the infrared version of my face.

They gave me a long look, then Wolf laughed and Mhalu groaned.

"Oh, I had forgotten you had that on," Mhalu whined. "You cannot take that off! Our air will kill you in minutes."

I giggled and said, "It is fine. I forgot I was wearing it, too."

Wolf stopped laughing long enough to stand and said, "We can eat on our ship. Mhalu, please feel welcome to come and join us."

"Then, I will," she agreed, following us to Wolf's ship.

No—to OUR ship, just like he had said.