Grace of An Elder

Chapter 53

When Dhadtoudi woke and fully recovered from the induced paralysis, she was quick to demand her release from the healer's lab. After several hours of arguing with the hardheaded soft meat, A'ytu complied and informed the female that if she caused any additional damage to her wounds that he would not be liable.

For the most part life continued as it usually had, and for better or worse the human refused to hole-up in solitude as her brother demanded rather than requested. She had at least agreed to refrain from leaving the dwelling alone no matter the reason, and for that Zaiyu was grateful.

Dhadtoudi had become abnormally restless as of late and finally convinced T'ahrou to let her go with him to the markets. Just as they arrived, the small woman stopped in her tracks as she stared intently at three Young Bloods down the way. They seemed to notice her scent on the air as the three simultaneously returned her gaze before looking to T'ahrou and retreated from the populated area. Without a word the female chased after them despite the pain that her healing ribs still caused.

T'ahrou followed her, yelling for her to stop, but she ignored his request. Before long they were outside the perimeter of the colony and nearing the tall grass fields that had plagued her dreams for weeks. She hesitated, stopping in her pursuit as she paced three steps to the side, shook her head violently, and continued after the males at full speed. T'ahrou had no trouble in tracking her fresh scent, and he caught up to the female just as she reached the newly-armed Young Bloods.

T'ahrou looked around in search of the ship that he knew must be near, but they had cloaked it before they caught up.

"Bhu'ja!" The shortest called out. "You are dead!" Dhadtoudi let out a sound that T'ahrou had never witnessed from the human before; it was a mixture of a warning growl and a scream of absolute rage.

The tallest spoke up now, taking a defensive step forward. "You are no Yautja if you take the pyode-amedha as a mate. You do not deserve to wear that mark!" T'ahrou flared his mandibles as he tasted the air; they were not of the Dark Blade Clan, that much was clear.

"Why would the Hish go through the trouble of coming to our home and risk a full-scale war over a single soft meat?" Dhadtoudi drew her Ki its-pa, extending the spear to its full length and focused her attention on the trespassers.

"Why would this clan wage war when they were the ones who sent for us, Ooman?" Dhadtoudi's grey eyes narrowed into slits as she absorbed the words.

The middle Hish warrior erupted into a rumbling chuckle as he drew his own Ki its-pa, but did not extend it. "A mother's care knows no bounds...but I suppose that is only the case if she has children of her own womb, wouldn't you agree K'siel?" The tallest one clicked in amusement and Dhadtoudi let loose a demonic battle cry before charging at the Hish Young Bloods.