Grace of An Elder

Chapter 55

"Mother, have T'ahrou and Dhadtoudi arrived yet?"

"No Zaiyu," she answered her eldest as he entered the dwelling, "do not concern yourself with such trivial matters. They will arrive soon enough. Come, drink with me." She placed a large metallic goblet filled with a dry fruit wine before her son. "Many things have changed in our lives, Zaiyu. I only pray that Paya shows favor in us and provides great blessings for our future." She raised her own goblet in the air and Zaiyu copied the movement. As they drank glass after glass, Zaiyu heard footsteps approaching from the stairwell. Zaiyu looked toward the entrance of the dwelling while his mother focused on her drink. "That must be them now."

The door slid open to reveal an injured T'ahrou with Dhadtoudi at his side, disheveled and covered in dirt and bruises. Zaiyu rose to his feet and their mother stood with wide eyes as she watched the couple. "Mei-jadhi...what happened to you?"

"Hish-qu-Ten." Zaiyu's mandibles flicked swiftly through the air at the sound of the foreign clans name. "The same that attacked me before...such an anomaly for the Hish to travel all this way to kill a single pyode-amedha, much less learn of its survival and come back to finish it off." Her grey eyes moved to rest on Daih'kea now. Isn't that strange, mother?"

"Yes...strange it is, little one."

"Almost as if someone has been feeding them information." T'ahrou spoke up now, and Zaiyu shook his head in disbelief.

"Tell me, mate of Tah'kath." Dhadtoudi took a threatening step inside the dwelling. "Why would someone go through so much trouble when they could do it themself?"

"Perhaps the other clans have learned of your existence."

"Or perhaps one of our own wishes to avoid being labeled as a Bad Blood." Daih'kea's eyes narrowed into slits now. "Someone who wished me gone from the time I arrived. Someone who would be able to rid themselves of the stench of pyode-amedha now that the one who saved me is gone."

"What is it you mean to say, Dhadtoudi?" The matriarch's tone was a dark one, practically daring the younger female to speak her mind. "I am far too old for your games."

"You sought out the Hish. You solicited the services of their Young Bloods to avoid sullying your good name. You knew you would be able to pass the excuse of a neighboring clan enraged by the presence of an outsider and taking matters into their own hands."

"You know not of what you speak!"

"YOU TRIED TO HAVE ME KILLED!"

"I WOULD NEVER..!"

"ADMIT IT!" Daih'kea took a defiant step toward the girl but Zaiyu stepped between them. "You have always hated me! You frequently told father that you wished him to return me to the colony! You saw me as a disgrace! You wished me dead and now you try to have me killed! Did you have my father killed as well?!"

"Kch-tanu Kch-ge'kote Pa'ya-te Tah'kath!"

"YOU LOVE ONLY YOURSELF!"

Daih'kea growled low in her throat before turning her eyes to Zaiyu. "You allow her to make such accusations?"

Zaiyu looked upon his mother, a blank, emotionless expression gracing his features. "Is this true? Does Mei-jadhi speak the truth?"

"You question my loyalty to Tah'kath?"

"I question your loyalty to Dhadtoudi."

"I would never betray my young!"

"But she isn't yours, is she?" Daih'kea lunged for Zaiyu's throat but her attack was halted when the blades of his gauntlet impaled her chest. Her amber eyes flitted down to the offending metal as she choked on gurgled breaths. The telltale fluorescent green substance began to trickle from her mouth and onto the metallic floor before Zaiyu retracted his blades and the female staggered backward before falling to the floor.

"Zaiyu...my son...why..." Dhadtoudi stepped to her brother's side as they gazed down at the only mother either of them had ever known. Her eyes were glazed and held a faraway look as she drew her last breath.

"Mei'hswei..."

"Rather I than you, Dhadtoudi."