“So you do not know what she wanted?” Drugar said, tapping his fingers on the table. He was hearing Luke and Quendra out in his apartment. He did not want to scare his people. Not before he knew they had reason to be.

If they had reason to be, well, he would tell them at once, for they would have much work to do.

“I believe she was looking for bits and pieces of what she thought was a dead human tribe. Some of the words she used – she talked of the tribe that used to live here. I believe she heard of the Great Disaster, and came looking to see if anything remained of the humans who once lived here.”

“And then she found an arrow that is far younger than the Great Disaster,” Drugar said, stroking his chin. “Why would she do this, Luke?”

Luke swallowed. He was rather surprised to be meeting with Drugar and his senior advisors directly; Kumn the Elder Huntress, Mant the Elder Defender, Wolan the Seer, Thurfrit, Devo the Wise, Oronia the Wise, and Quendra.

Quendra was not saying very much.

“Leader, I believe that she was in school. Maybe a college student, or a teacher, interested in humans. She had a pet human with her; I think she mentioned something about a ‘class’ to him.”

“A…school?” Oronia asked.

“Yes — it’s a place that people go to learn…well, a variety of different subjects. Anyhow, my guess is she was just curious…but I’m hoping she doesn’t pay close attention to what she’s found.”

“And if she does, then that worthless whore next to you has cost us everything!” Kumn bellowed, slamming a meaty paw on the table. “Drugar, she should be executed for her carelessness!”

“And how many of your arrows are on the forest floor, Kumn? I know of two, at least,” Drugar said, not looking at her. “I know of five of mine. Every hunter and defender who has let an arrow fly has lost one.”

“Not this one. Not the one the monster found. That was hers,” Kumn said, pointing an accusatory digit at Quendra. “What do you have to say for yourself? Your carelessness has killed us all!”

Quendra buried her face in her hands. Kumn was right, and she just wanted to fade into the woodwork. She had doomed the tribe.

“If not for her bravery, her willingness to go into the shadow of a guardian and listen to her, we wouldn’t know any of this,” Luke barked, bolting out of his chair. He had probably set his recovery back a Titan week today, but right now he felt no pain. “Where were you, Kumn? Safe and happy here, in the tree. While she was out there, risking capture or worse to bring this intelligence back, you sat on your arse. How dare you accuse Quendra of destroying the Tribe, when she just risked everything to save it!”

Kumn’s initial shock twisted into a wicked smile. “Luke of Earth! A big man you are! Why, you’re talking for the slut — because she will not defend herself.” Kumn chuckled grimly. “You really must want to get her breeches off, boy. You should know, you won’t be the first. Or the second. Or….”

Luke stepped forward, and stood nose-to-nose with Kumn. “I am not dating Quendra,” he said, in a guttural groan, “but if I were, nothing would matter less than that to me. It’s meaningless. It means nothing. What I know — what actually matters — is that she is a tremendously capable, brilliant, and above all, loyal person. Not a bitter, jealous old has-been.”

Kumn’s smile was gone now. She leaned forward, so that her nose now touched Luke’s, her halitosis alone threatening to drop him.

“Do you fight as well as you talk, Earth Boy?” she snarled.

“Much as I’d like to make an exception for you, Kumn…I don’t hit women,” Luke said.

“Oh, dear, that’s too bad. Because I’ll gladly hit you,” she said, and swung back her left hand to strike.

It did not connect. Someone had caught it on the backhand, and held it, firm.

“Elder Huntress,” Quendra said, her eyes filled with rage and tears, “I challenge you for your title.”

—

Gae Neustra had a plan.

She wasn’t used to having a plan. She was used to just winging it, hoping against hope that everything would work out all right. But her typical disorganization had been replaced by a very startling clarity. Nobody was more surprised than she.

It had occurred to her as she and Yamma ended their lovemaking, and as Yamanu slept, curled up on her stomach, with her too adoring to move him, she had filled in the details.

He was right, of course — if there were still humans in the forest (and it was by no means certain, she kept reminding herself), she would do them no favors by recklessly announcing their presence to the Empire. If they were alive, they were hiding, and that was a very wise policy, Gae thought. That professor, from Earth — he was brilliant, and they were still maligning him, saying he shouldn’t be allowed to teach. And he understood physics! Would her fellow Titans be even that charitable toward humans who had, against all odds, built a society — but one that was primitive by Titan standards?

She stared at the ceiling as she thought this, almost unable to look at her tiny lover, just feeling his warmth against her skin. It wouldn’t necessarily be the bigots who could harm them. She had seen what even the most well-meaning Titans could do to humans. She was better than that, she hoped, and she had Yamma to pull her back from the edge when she wasn’t…but that didn’t mean that every Titan would be.

So she couldn’t just turn them over to the whims of the Orion Spur, or even to TETH, not exactly.

But there was something she maybe could do, if she could prove they existed, if she could pull the right strings.

TETH had been touting the idea of a sanctuary for humans for almost as long as it had existed. Somehow, they had never got around to building one — it took money, of course, and energy to do that, took people to run it — Titans to run it, she corrected herself.

But if these humans were alive — if they were there — then the sanctuary already existed. And Lezah and her family liked humans, even if the humans didn’t know it. They could safeguard their land, protect them from interlopers. They could help them, if given the chance, and the resources to do it.

Of course, they couldn’t do it for free, but if she could persuade the right people, maybe…just maybe…she could help these humans, and help her friend to save her farm.

She would have to tell Lezah. Oh, she was worried about doing so – she didn’t want to get her hopes up. She knew how bad she felt about Luke, and about events that occurred before she was born. But it seemed wrong not to let her know. And if — if the humans were alive, if she could get the resources in line…if she could pull this off, she would have done what she’d wanted to do since she was fourteen. She could help those humans who wanted to be free. She could give them a place to go to, to build a society for themselves. Yes, it would be under the protection of Titans, but only because of the danger presented by other Titans. And if that seed blossomed into more….

She took a steadying breath. It could be amazing. But she had a long way to go. First things first — she needed to get proof. And so gently, she lifted Yamma off her stomach and settled him on the bed, and then she walked over to her desk, and grabbed her pad.

—

A long moment passed with no words spoken. When Kumn finally responded to Quendra, it was with a raspy croak, as if disbelieving that this moment had come.

“You dare to challenge me? Quendra the Whore? Quendra the Slut? Quendra the Destroyed the Tribe?”

“Do you ignore my challenge? If so, I claim the title by forefeit,” Quendra said, evenly, though her free hand shook.

“You little trollop. You are not fit to be a Huntress, much less Elder; I will cast you off with the pathetic cooks, like your mother.”

“If not for the cooks, we would starve, or die from eating spoiled meat,” Quendra said. “If you cared about the Tribe, you would not mock them so. I repeat, a third time, as you refuse to follow our ways, Elder Huntress: I have challenged you for your title.”

“I hear your challenge, and I accept your challenge. Leader Drugar, I ask you to step aside as arbiter; you are clearly biased toward Quendra.”

Drugar had been sitting silently, staring daggers at his Elder Huntress since she began to impugn Quendra’s virtue; he could hold his tongue no longer. “Kumn, it is outrageous that you suggest such a thing. Outrageous that you would suggest to me that I cannot arbitrate this fairly.”

“We all know you’ve loved her since she was fucking Disa.”

Drugar was not a calm man, but neither was he tempestuous. He could be angry, to be sure, but rarely did his anger master him.

Before anyone could react, he had tackled Kumn, and held his ceremonial knife an inch from her throat.

“Mention my son again, Elder Huntress, and this knife will find its mark,” Drugar said. “Attack again the woman my son loved, and the knife will be twisted on its way out.”

Kumn laughed bitterly. “Like I said, Drugar; you are too close to her. You cannot be a fair arbiter.”

“Perhaps not,” Drugar said. “And so I shall step aside, in favor of Devo, who I know to be honorable. Acceptable, Elder?”

“Splendid,” Kumn growled.

“And you, challenger? Do you accept this?” Drugar turned back to Quendra, looking up at her with sorrow — for he knew he had taken Kumn’s bait, and that this was what she wanted all along.

Quendra gave him a quiet smile, however; whatever would come of this challenge, she would never harm Drugar’s standing with the Tribe. “I support you, Leader; if you believe this is best, of course I accept it.”

Drugar got off of Kumn, but pointedly did not help her up. “Very well,” he grumbled. “Elder, you will present your plan to Devo by the sunset after next. Now,” he said, sitting back in his seat. “Luke of Earth, we have become sidetracked. What about this monster?”

Luke took a moment to find his voice again; it had been a rather momentous few minutes. “Uh…right. Yes, Drugar…Leader. I think we need to watch for her. If she’s…if she’s interested in finding us, she will come back. If she does…well, then we need to start taking steps to defend the tribe.”

“Sound policy,” Drugar said. “Very well. Mant, run double watches. Notify me immediately if you see this giant again. We shall meet again after the next sunrise. And one more thing,” he said, looking directly at Kumn. “This is not anyone’s fault, save perhaps mine. We have not been as careful as we might have been. We will address it. But I will have no member of this tribe attacked for an accident. If this monster wanted to find us, there are dozens of hints of our existence if she looks hard enough. That she found one particular arrow means nothing when there were other arrows to find. If I hear anyone attacking anyone for this, they will be punished, and I swear, you may challenge me for leader, but my judgment against you will be swift. Go safely,” he said, and rubbed his eyes.

Luke meant to talk to Quendra, but she fairly bolted from the room before he got his crutches under him, and there was no way his leg would support a run.

Kumn leered at him, but he paid her no mind. Instead, he walked over to Thurfrit, who was trying to gather his scrolls.

“Need help?” Luke asked.

“No,” Thurfrit chuckled nervously. “I don’t think the Leader would appreciate if I took help from you, Luke.”

Drugar laughed heartily. “True, Thurfrit. You are supposed to be helping Luke still. Gather your things, and take them down to your library; Luke will be along in a moment.”

Thurfrit nodded, but did not question. Luke looked back at Drugar, and sat down in a chair opposite him. He hadn’t been asked if he wanted to stay…but somehow, he didn’t think leaving was an option at this moment.

Drugar rose, and took two cups, pouring out a small amount of liquid into each; it didn’t take Luke but a second to recognize the smell; it wasn’t vodka, exactly, but it was very close.

“We drink to those we love, and will not see again,” Drugar said. Luke nodded, and as Drugar did, he downed the cup.

“I have not had the chance,” Drugar said, “to talk to you as just a person, Luke. I am sorry for that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Luke said, as Drugar poured him another drink.

“You have told me a bit about Earth, and losing your family. I know what that is like, Luke,” he said, sorrowfully. “We all do, here.

“At the end of the last winter, my son – Disa – turned three. Oh, we were proud. He was a defender, like my wife and I, and he had all the makings of a good one. I had been leader for over a year; I was proud of my accomplishments, Luke. Proud of what we had done. My wife and I had raised our son to become a man, and a good man. Kind, loyal…he would have been a better leader than I, some day.”

Drugar sipped the alcohol, and sighed. “He and Quendra were a good match, Luke. Both loyal, both dedicated, both very good at what they did – but because of that, they were able to relax when they were with each other. My son was deeply in love with her, and she with him. I had known he planned to exchange necklaces with her, but he was the son of a leader, and he knew it was expected that he would do so with some ceremony, and so he made plans to do so at the spring celebration.

“The plague that hit us was terrible, Luke,” he said. “Twenty-four of us died. My wife, Roli, was the second. I was mad with grief, but I had no time for it; we were most of us sick. It was all we could do to hold on. And so I did, until….”

Drugar looked down for a moment. “Luke, you do not want to lose a spouse, but you know it could happen. It is a part of life. But I never, never imagined losing my grown son. When his fever grew so intense that he was delirious…so intense that he could do nothing but sleep….”

Drugar rubbed his eyes. “She never left his side. She was sick, too, though not as bad as him. But she kept bringing him water, and snow, and holding his hand. Talking to him. He left this life with her by his side, Luke, when I could not be – I have never forgotten that. I never will.”

“I’m sorry,” Luke said, after a long while. He knew better to elaborate; grief was never salved by empty words.

Drugar sighed. “I would like to say it could not have gotten worse…but five sunsets later, just as I was beginning to be able to rise from bed…Quendra went to the healer. She was in agony, and….”

Drugar’s voice broke. “She had been carrying his child, Luke. Not long, ten sunsets, perhaps. But the illness and strain…she….”

Drugar looked down. “Kumn heard whispers, I suppose. Decided to embellish the story, make Quendra’s misdeeds into something awful, instead of what it was – two young people beating the trade of necklace by a short while. The chronicles are full of babies born forty sunsets after necklaces were exchanged. And by the Great Spirit, had Quendra been able to carry my son’s child, even without having done it the right way…I would have loved it no less.

“Quendra must have felt awful,” Luke said.

“She did. She apologized to me, said she had failed Disa by tempting him, failed him by not trading necklaces while she still could, failed him by not…by not being able to carry his child.”

“Sounds like her.”

“Indeed. I told her simply that she had given my son joy in his last days alive. I could never be angry with her for that. And that she could not carry her child…I told her that was no more of a failure than Disa dying. And that whether she had traded necklaces or not with my son, I would always consider her to by my son’s wife, and my friend.”

Drugar finished his drink, and looked up at Luke. “I suppose this is a long way of telling you that I am grateful to you for defending her honor today. Kumn has been awful to her for too long; someone needed to say something.”

“If I may ask, Leader…why haven’t you gone after Kumn for this? She’s not just attacking Quendra, but your son as well.”

Drugar smiled tightly. “Were I not the leader, I would have. But I have to think of the Tribe. And a tribe with a leader who attacks those who slander him and his family – well, it won’t be a tribe for very long. Much as I loathe that woman, she was Elder Huntress before I was leader, and she has always been careful not to cross me – until today.”

“Which she did to get you out of being an arbiter for this, right?”

Drugar laughed ruefully. “You’re a smart young man, Luke. Now, go on…I do not wish to unburden myself upon you.”

Luke took the Leader’s hand. “Drugar, it helps to talk. If you need to unburden yourself…well, just promise when I complain about losing my family, you will listen as well.”

“I will, Luke of Earth. Say hello to Thurfrit for me, and apologize for my shoving him out the door.”

“He’ll be fine. Actually….”

“She won’t want to see you,” Drugar warned. “She will be embarrassed. And she will fear that I have told you what I just told you.”

“I know,” Luke said. “That’s why I should go to her.”

Drugar smiled warmly. “Luke of Earth, as you have said, you are not Quendra’s partner. Know that should that ever change…well, just know this; I am glad you have come to visit us, Luke. You should know that you are welcome to stay with us as long as you will.”

Luke got onto the crutches, and looked back at the Leader of the Tribe. “Thank you,” he said with a smile, and headed out the door.

—

Gae was barely aware of the slight tickle on her foot, and had she not been used to Yamma, he might have been in trouble, so engrossed was she in her project. But as he began to ascend the cliff face of her ankle, she paused in her writing and looked down at him.

“Impatient, are we?” she chuckled, as he slowly ascended, using just the bare stubble on her legs for foot and handholds.

“Well, you looked busy,” he called up. “And I could use the exercise. Not distracting you, am I?”

Gae considered offering a hand, but she demurred; instead, she chuckled, and said, “Yes, but not in a bad way. See you at the summit?”

Yamma grinned, and continued his climb. He loved this climb; he wondered if humans on Earth enjoyed climbing as much as he did. He supposed not. For one thing, gravity was three times stronger there – this easy climb was probably arduous.

He also doubted that climbing a rock would be as much fun as climbing a girl.

He pulled himself up and over her knee, and walked on her thigh toward her torso. Gae had slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top; he didn’t really mind. It would make his climb easier, and while he certainly enjoyed seeing all of Gae, there was something to be said for leaving just a bit hidden every so….

He wasn’t able to complete the thought, as suddenly, the ground underneath him shook, then tilted. Stupid of him; he should have been prepared for this.

He landed between the bare thighs of Gae, and got up, rubbing his bottom. “You know, just because I can’t cause a ground quake, that doesn’t mean I can’t get you back for that,” he called up to the terrain.

“I’m counting on it,” the terrain giggled. Yamma moved toward the cloth at the junction of her thighs; that would be the easiest place to climb back up.

Which was at least one reason he headed there.

He wasn’t even surprised when the ground around him swallowed him up, just as he reached the shorts. He knew Gae would do this, and frankly, if he was going to be captured and held anywhere, he would choose this place. He leaned into her, bathing in her heat and scent, feeling her through her shorts. He rubbed up against her until he was aware of the humidity rising, just a bit.

When she finally let him go, he considered trying to enter one of the caverns of cloth on either side of him, but he began to climb instead; she was still engrossed in what she was doing, and he didn’t want her to stop her work. At least, not yet.

He went inside the shirt and climbed up most of the way, his back sliding along her belly. He reached her breasts and flopped onto the right one, and kissed it gently, before emerging out into air again. She grinned down at him as he pulled himself up using her clavicle, and though he was out of her line of sight, he could feel her sigh contentedly as he leaned up against the side of her neck.

“That,” she said, with just the hint of a purr, “always gets me hot and bothered, you know.”

“Why do you think I do it, gok’ma?” Yamma said, kissing her neck softly. He felt her shiver in response.

“All right…let me get this finished up, then we’ll have some fun,” she said with a grin.

Yama looked at her pad and tied display; she was doing a ton of research, and working on a proposal. He looked at it, and frowned. “Remote monitoring?” he asked.

“I want to get proof, but I don’t want to scare them,” Gae said. “Seems like the smart way to do it.”

“Yeah, but you’re asking the home office for equipment?”

“I can’t afford the drones myself. Besides, to pull this off, I’m going to need their help.”

“Gae, I’ve seen their ‘help,’” he said.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan, one that helps them stay safe. Really,” she said. “I won’t risk their freedom or safety. I promise.”

“It’s not you I worry about,” he murmured.

—

Luke had knocked on Quendra’s door twice, and was debating whether to do so a third time or give up for the moment, when it finally opened.

Quendra looked at him, and sighed. “He told you, didn’t he?”

“Huh?”

“Luke. Please.”

“Okay,” Luke said. “He did. And I’m sorry. That must have been awful for you. I can’t even imagine.”

Quendra looked at Luke, then gave a slight shrug. “Well, come in. I guess you’re gonna try to cheer me up.”

“Not if you don’t want me to,” Luke said. “But I wanted to come by and let you know I’m here if you need to talk.”

The corners of Quendra’s lips jerked. “Luke, I’ve talked about it. Talked to Wolan, talked to Drugar, talked to Thurfrit. It…I’m not the only girl to lose her boyfriend. Not by far.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Luke said. “Still hurts.”

“Yeah,” Quendra said. “It does.”

They stood there in awkward silence for a moment, before Luke finally said, “Well, I mean it – if you need me….”

“I think everyone knows,” Quendra said, quietly. “I suppose you should too. Thurfrit…maybe I should accept his feelings. He…he says he’d overlook….”

“What? That you loved someone? Did something humans have been doing forever?”

“Kumn is right.”

“Oh, fuck no,” Luke said, bitterly. “Fuck no. Kumn couldn’t be more wrong if she said she was a happy, friendly person. Let me in, just for a second,” he said.

Quendra frowned, but stepped aside.

Her quarters were Spartan. They were not decorated; the weapons that hung on the wall did so for the same reason one might hang a coat there. She gestured to one of her chairs. “I don’t need pity, Luke.”

“You won’t get it. Look…” Luke said, running a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure how to address the morality of this; wasn’t sure how to begin.

“You don’t have to pretend,” Quendra said. “Why would a man want a woman who had been careless? Who had been amoral? Oh, certainly…I know what a man might want that kind of woman for. He might hope she would be careless again. But….”

“Quendra, I haven’t told you how sex works on Earth,” Luke said, with a weak groan. “I’m an American, we prefer to pretend it doesn’t really happen.”

“It works…differently?”

“Huh? Oh, God, no, not mechanically. I don’t think. But culturally…trust me, on Earth, you’d be considered something of a prude.”

Quendra stared at him. “I have no idea what that means,” she said.

“The way you and the tribe look at sex – that was what we claimed to do for a long time. But it never really was, Quendra. People had sex with other people outside of marriage all the time. From what Drugar said, that’s pretty much the case here, too. Eventually, we stopped pretending.”

Quendra frowned. “So…what, you don’t wait for marriage?”

“Some people do. But not most people. It helps that we have ways of not having children if we don’t want them – a medicine women can take. But no, most people don’t wait.”

“The men often don’t wait,” Quendra said. “If a man doesn’t…well, there is no proof either way. But a woman….”

“…should be judged the same as a man. Criminy, I never thought of myself as a feminist, but I don’t get that one at all.”

Quendra sighed. “I have talked to many people about this, Luke. And I’m afraid to tell you what I am going to tell you next. I fear it may make you…well, you may not wish to….”

She sighed again. “Luke, I don’t regret it. I don’t. I’m glad I did it. I am. I only wish I’d been able to…to keep his child. I wish I’d been strong enough….”

The tears tumbled from her eyes, and she was conscious of not much more for a moment; she knew she probably had convinced him that she was the slut Kumn said she was, but she didn’t care. She had not even told Drugar this. She had to tell someone. She had loved him. She could not bring herself to see it as wrong, what they’d did, even as she was ashamed of it.

She was aware, after a short while, that she was being held in someone’s arms, gently, and that she was holding onto him tight. He stroked her hair softly, and just let her cry. When finally she was able to stop, she leaned back, just a bit.

“I suppose you think I’m awful,” Quendra said.

“Why would you think that?” Luke said. “Because you loved Disa? And you had sex with him, and you’re glad you did, because you made each other happier? Quendra, I think it’s awful that you’ve felt awful about this. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I want to believe that,” Quendra said. “But even if I do…the men who I could marry, someday…they will. Who could possibly want me if they knew….”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but in her defense, it’s hard to talk when someone is kissing you.