Grace of An Elder

Chapter 44

Aichu had been quick to spread the word that her brother had claimed a mate, but when T'ahrou and Dhadtoudi began traveling public areas together and acting more friendly than normal, it was an understatement to say that it ruffled some feathers in the flock. Aichu didn't particularly care for T'ahrou's infatuation with the soft meat, but she didn't have anything against the human, either. It was just strange; abnormal.

When their mother had found out, she had seemed distressed and confused, and then highly amused and talking nonsense about new mystery visitors at her shop. Soon enough T'ahrou wasn't just spending time at the Elder's dwelling, but the human began coming to visit theirs. Aichu had been confused and unsure of how to react when the human began trying to act friendly toward her, but she talked with the soft meat to pacify her as she had done at the human colony.

"I have to go..!" T'ahrou called out as he ran out of his quarters and across the dwelling. He was wearing nothing but the metal codpiece and loincloth, and his armored boots.

"Are you really that eager to rut again?" Aichu watched him as she prepared dinner for the family.

"T'AHROU..!" Their father's voice boomed as he too rushed into the gathering area. "Aichu, stay in the dwelling. When your mother returns, neither of you are to leave until I return. Is that clear?" It was more of a demand than a question, but Aichu didn't budge.

"We have lives, father."

"An attempt has been made on Tah'kath's life. You will remain in the dwelling. Understood?"

"Y-Yes father." The two males rushed out of the dwelling and Aichu was left standing alone and confused.
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T'ahrou had been sleeping when Zaiyu sent him the communication. 'Assassination attempt on elder. Sister is frantic. Meet at healer'. His father had also received communication of the attempt, and had gone to leave at the same time he had. Now they were at he Hall of Elders where one of the aspiring elders had attacked Tah'kath with a plasma burner. Zaiyu and Dhadtoudi had accompanied their father on request of the Ancient O'stba. He too had been attacked, but the assassin was terminated before he could do any more damage.

Now they were at A'ytu's lab, and Dhadtoudi was less than composed. She struggled constantly with Zaiyu and healer apprentices to get to their father, all the while kicking, punching, and swearing all kinds of vulgarity that made even Zaiyu cringe.

When T'ahrou and Yahti arrived Zaiyu pushed his sister toward the larger male and more or less shouted "Tag out! Calm her down before I hurt her!" T'ahrou had caught the female in a bear hug from behind, locking her arms in place and lifting her feet off the ground. If she had been angry before, she was absolutely livid now.

Dhadtoudi screamed at the top of her lungs as the scared, enraged human woman that she was, and kicked open air with all of her strength. Her demands to be released fell upon deaf ears as her mate carried her away from the immediate responders of the attack. "I WILL HANG YOU BY YOUR ENTRAILS!!"

Zaiyu growled in frustration as he turned expectantly to one of the apprentices. "Any word on my father?"

"A'ytu is still working to stabilize him, Zaiyu. The wound was grave." Zaiyu growled again, and the apprentice took his leave.

Nearly an hour later, T'ahrou returned with an exhausted, red-eyed Dhadtoudi at his side. Zaiyu watched the girl carefully as she approached before she bowed low to her brother. "I apologize for my earlier actions and outbursts."

"Get up." She stood to her full height, still nearly three inches shorter than her brother, and he pulled her into a hug as he had seen the humans do at the colony. Dhadtoudi froze uncomfortably for several seconds before melding into the embrace and eventually returning it. "He would be proud of your temper. He would give credit to the Winnebago mask he had made for you."

"I think you mean wendigo..."

"Whatever. Human demons are human demons." Dhadtoudi smiled sadly into her brother's armored chest and squeezed him just a little tighter.