Lezah shifted her weight and crossed her arms over her chest. She had a conquering smile across her lips that suggested she was quite interested in hearing the next words that came out of Tizen’s lips. She looked for a moment to Luke, who at first seemed put-off, but upon seeing the wry smile on Lezah’s face, he calmed down significantly, and actually uncurled, allowing himself to regain his casual composure, leaning against her neck for comfort.

“What, what did I say?” Tizen grinned searchingly, his eyes half-mooned and his lips curved into a wary smile.

“He wants to know what he said, Luke,” Lezah said, and looked to Luke once more, her voice haughty and witty.

“Don’t be cruel Lezah, it’s rude to leave people hanging,” Luke’s own response was composed well enough to match Lezah’s own. He was amazed himself that he was able to take the giant’s ignorant and ill-informed comment with such humor. But Lezah’s own lax reaction had actually put him at ease. She didn’t tense up, she didn’t fumble over her words like she had before. Something about her unflinching response just put Luke at peace. He felt much like he had on Titan Station with Aisell, and it felt good.

“I don’t know…awful rude of someone to address one person, when –clearly- they meant to address the –other–, Luke.” Lezah’s lips scrunched into a pensive expression and she tapped her finger on her chin. “Awful rude indeed.” Lezah’s eyes narrowed.

“Awww, give him a break Lez, it’s not his fault he’s slow.” Luke even felt comfortable taking a few jab’s at the giant…just so long as he was safe with Lezah, that is.

“Did I miss something?” Tizen, for his part, was taking the charade quite well. He didn’t seem offended, not that much could be picked up from his dopey smile and easy expression.

Lezah held her expression for a bit longer, and then laughed, clutching her belly with one hand and bracing Luke with the other so he didn’t fall form the tremor. “Oh this is fun! Luke we have to perfect this and try it again when Aezhay comes home!” Lezah was in stitches.

“Deal, but calm down, you’re making me sea sick!” Luke was not nearly as amused as Lezah, but he was amused, and it felt damn good to laugh for once.

“So his name is Luke?” Tizen gave his head a shake, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Yes, my name is Luke,” Luke said up, his voice a fair but more composed.

Tizen looked to the tiny human on Lezah Maris’s shoulder. He didn’t appear of- put at the idea of conversing with a human, and his smile actually brightened, as if he was looking at a kitten or a puppy. “Well! Hey there champ! Nice to see you’re a friendly feller!” Tizen extended his hand but Lezah quickly backed away a little.

“Whoa…I wasn’t gonna hurt him….” Tizen said defensively, though he was stil at ease. “Where are you from Luke?” Tizen asked, his voice returning to its charming ‘human’ tone.

“Not from around here actually…I’m not sure you’ve heard of it…Colorado?” Luke held his composure, it took all he had not to grin.

“Is that one of the Prenn Farms?” Tizen looked to Lezah, bemused.

“No…No Tizen it isn’t.” Lezah sighed. “Luke is from….”

“Somewhere you haven’t heard of,” Luke cut Lezah off quickly.

Lezah looked to Luke, her expression perplexed. After a bout of nonverbal communication between the two, Lezah shrugged and turned back to Tizen. “No, just…far…and he isn’t my pet…Luke….” Lezah looked to Luke, before finishing her sentence she wanted to make sure she was all clear.

Luke nodded gently and smiled, showing Lezah she was good to go.

“Does he belong to Aisell?” Tizen interjected.

“No, heh, Tizen Luke isn’t a pet, he’s not mine, he’s not Aisell’s…he’s just Luke, okay?” Lezah took a breath, and exhaled slowly.

“Well he has to belong to someone. He’s far too nice and friendly to be feral,” Tizen laughed and grinned a bit.

“Luke is Luke, alright? That’s all you need to know,” Lezah looked down to Luke again, her eyes softened questioningly.

“Yup, nothing more to it really,” Luke shrugged.

“Heh, fair enough. I won’t try to understand it. But hey, that hole?” Tizen looked around the side of the barn.

“Oh! It’s over here, come!” Lezah took off at quickened pace, Tizen close behind.

Lezah lead the Titan to the south side of the barn, where the large hole under the baseboard of the barn lead onto the underbelly. It was the same spot she had investigated the other day, when she saw the Shaar digging under it for its prey.

“Think you can patch this up nice for me?” Lezah asked, with a bit of a goofy smile.

Tizen crouched down and looked over the hole, he pulled at some of the rotting wood around it and made a snapping sound with his lips and teeth. “Bit rotten, but it’s not too bad…I think I can handle it.” Tizen shot to his feet and smiled to Lezah.

Lezah smiled a little more and casually brushed her hair aside, for a moment, a brief moment she felt a little scatterbrained, lightheaded…and a little giddy. “Heh, ‘kay.”

Luke held his hand to his fourhead and gave his head a slow shake. He muttered to himself a little before leaning back against Lezah’s neck and sprawling his legs out. “Heh, ‘kay!” Luke mocked in a repartee mocking proclamation.

Lezah gave her shoulder a quick shrug and muttered out of the corner of her mouth “Quiet you!”

Luke chuckled madly and pulled himself back into a comfortable position.

***

Luke and Lezah kept silent for most of the walk back to the house, but it was not an awkward silence, it felt natural, neither of them felt much of a need to say anything, it was Lezah who broke the silence first.

“I didn’t mind sticking up for you…why did you call me off?” Lezah asked, genuine.

“I dunknow…Lez…it takes a lot out of me…arguing with people about this. He didn’t need to know everything…he doesn’t have to know where I’m from. It’s not important.” Luke shrugged, he had long since dropped his protective shield and was shamelessly nestled into Lezah’s neck, for warmth and comfort.

“I can understand how you would tire of talking about it. But, I would have had your back if you’d asked,” Lezah said gently.

“I know, and that’s all that matters.” After another moment, Luke spoke up once more. “Hey, Lezah, I’m not gonna change your whole world’s mind by myself. No need in trying right?”

“Well…I mean you have a point but Luke you shouldn’t just give up I mean….”Lezah began, but was cut off.

“I’m not giving up, it just takes a lot of energy both physically and mentally to argue one’s own freedom…and I don’t have to convince every farm hand and yokel I come across. “ Luke took a deep breath; he cringed a bit and blurted out. “You believe me, right? That I’m not a pet; that I’m just like you and Aisell…only smaller…right?”

Lezah was silent, for a long time. She stopped walking and set her hand down next to her shoulder. Luke slowly crawled aboard and centered himself. This would be where she told him the chilling truth, where she let him down easy, he should have kept his mouth shut, he should have settled for what he had, he was pushing her too far, too fast.

“Yes,” Lezah said, only when she could see Luke eye to eye.

“Really?” Luke looked taken aback.

“Really, I believe you.” Lezah smiled.

“Why?” Luke could think of nothing else to say.

“Why not?” Lezah shrugged.

“But, all that stuff about cultural upbringing and how it will take time and….”

“You think I’m only saying what you want to hear?” Lezah asked, curiously.

“Well…I didn’t want to outright say it but….” Luke lowered his eyes, now HE felt a little embarrassed.

Lezah chuckled a little and titled her head slightly. “It’s a two-way street Luke, you have to trust us, if we are gonna trust you. Right?” Lezah’s voice picked up that same tone she always took with Aisell and Aehzay when she was being ‘motherly’.

“I guess I’ve grown so used to fighting for everything, when I win something it just seems to good to be true,” Luke shrugged, looking back to Lezah.

“So when I say I believe you…I believe you. Don’t look for a hidden meaning, don’t try to figure out what my angle is, judge me by my words and by my actions, okay?” Lezah’s approachable smile returned.

“Okay.” Luke relaxed a little.

Lezah set her hand back beside her shoulder, once Luke was back aboard she picked up her pace and made for the house once more.

“Hey Lez?”

“Hmmm?”

“Thanks.”

***

Quendra paced back and forth, the dull light from the lantern was fading. It was quiet in the Great Tree, most of the tribe was asleep, only the stout defenders vigilant outside at their watch stations. Utrid the Wetnurse was awake, the screaming cries of young ones could be heard in the far distance throughout the errie silence of the Great Tree.

The huntress had not left the meeting room, even after their indecision and bickering had forced the meeting to come to an end. She was frustrated; a hundred or more raids into the den of giants had been made over the years — for food, provisioning and for sport. But a rescue had not been successfully pulled off in her lifetime. They had such few examples to learn from.

“You should sleep.” A low but gentle voice broke Quendra from her train of thought, she turned unenthusiastically toward Thurfrit, who was standing at the door to the meeting room. He was wearing his night cap, and a pair of rarhab-skin boots to warm his feet and legs form the night chill.

“I’m not sleepy,” Quendra snapped back, her voice robbed of most of the enthusiasm it normally carried.

“You would be the first to say that a sleepy huntress is a dead huntress, ” Thurfrit said calmly, as he entered the meeting room, his night robe fashioned form the skin of the same rabbit-like herbivore that his boots had been made from.

“All I can think about is how futile this even seems, Thurfrit. We have not a single example in my lifetime to go off….”

“Well, there’s the tale of Rock Fist.” Thurfrit interposed.

“That is hardly a helpful story!” Quendra sighed.

“Why not?”

“It was a disaster, that’s why not. When Guron the Defender met Rock Fist in the field of Lurn the Leader….”

“Why was it a disaster?” Thurfrit asked calmly. Quendra rolled her eyes; she hated when Thurfrit did this.

But she was too tired to walk away. Instead, she answered. “You know the story. Guron’s band attempted to bring Rock Fist to Drugar…they tried to liberate Rock Fist. All four of them were not enough to overpower him, but Guron was unwilling to admit defeat, so Rock Fist smashed Zepslon’s head in with a rock…earning him the title Rock Fist and ending their attempt to rescue him…it was a failure, an utter failure…how am I supposed to learn from that?” Quendra grumbled, irritated.

Thurfrit set a small tray on the meeting table; it had a few chunks of meat and a fowl smelling cheese. “So what did Gurdon do wrong?” Thurfrit smiled and shoved the tray towards Quendra.

“Everything”

“What were the big things? What doomed the rescue mission?”

“It was not a rescue attempt. It was a chance encounter. Rock Fist strayed away from its master Thunder Voice and ran into Guron’s band.”

“So they were unprepared?”

“Not just that, they…why are we discussing this? This new Prisoner remains in the care of the giants…they will not simply allow him to wander off as Thunder Voice did with Rock Fist!” Quendra shouted as she took a chunk of meat and gnawed on it begrudgingly. “Thanks.” The huntress muttered softly.

“True. So what else went wrong?”

“They attacked him head-on. Gave him a chance to get spooked. He was ready for us to take him. And then, when things went bad…they didn’t adapt. They kept trying to overpower Rock Fist.”

“Was that a mistake? ” Thurfrit asked, innocently.

“Enough with the questions? Just tell me what I’m supposed to do!” Quendra groaned, exasperated.

“You are smart, you are capable, and you know this land better than anyone else. Don’t do what Guron and his band did. Do it the RIGHT way.” Thurfrit grinned, turning towards the door.

“You’re not very helpful for a scribe!” Quendra shot back.

“Think over the story a bit…I can’t give you an answer…I’m just a Chronicler.” Thurfrit stopped once he was in the doorway. “But if I were a Hunter…I’d use what I had on me to my advantage…I’d do it the smart way, not with bronze, but with brains!” Thurfrit grinned as he disappeared down the dimly lit hall.

Quendra huffed. “The smart way he says…” Quendra munched on a piece of cheese and sat down, resting her head in her hands. Everything was so complicated; she was not good at making plans or carefully outlining the details of her hunts. She was a huntress! She had to think in the moment, she had to use quick wits and split second judgment! “If I had been there, Rock Fist would have been brought to Drugar…they were foolish to attack him…you never approach a shaar from its blind spot…you’ll get whipped every time.”

She frowned. “And if we erred…we would have retreated, regrouped. We would have adapted, lived to fight another day.”

Quendra shoved another piece of meat into her mouth, then slammed her fist down on the table. Her eyes went bright with realization and she smiled triumphantly as she swallowed.

That was it! She didn’t have to come up with the perfect plan, she didn’t have to over think every aspect of it! That was what Thurfrit was trying to tell her, she had to use the skills at her disposal! She had to think like a huntress. Observe. Adapt. Attack only when the time was right, not before. She had to do what she did best!

Quendra nearly jogged out of the meeting room and down the hall, as she passed Thurfrit, who was shuffling along slowly, she stopped, and slugged him in the shoulder.

“Ow!” The Chronicler grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder. “What was th….”

“YOU are a genius Thurfrit! Thank you!” Quendra, with a skip in her step kept running down the hall.

The huntress had her plan.

***

The next morning, Aisell sat at the kitchen table sipping her tea, watching her Sister move about busily. Luke was seated on a piece of cork that had been discarded from an old drink bottle. He was contently munching on a square of bread that had been covered in butter and given to him. Degu sat close and was watching Luke intently; neither seemed bothered by the others presence, for now.

“I’m going into the city before I head home, why don’t you come with Aisell?” Bedra spoke up as she entered the kitchen. Bedra was dressed in a low cut red sun dress, with think shoulder straps and a neck that hung low into the valley of her cleavage. Around her neck was a silver necklace with tiny sun-like charms, the center two larger than the smaller ones at its side. Her wrists adorned with many bracelets, small slender gold and silver. She wore only the simplest makeup on her face, blush for her cheeks, and eye liner.

Bedra took the seat next to Aisell, and set her arm around her friend’s shoulder, pulling her in close. “You need to get away from the farm a bit, get some fresh air!”

Aisell didn’t resist when she was hugged; she didn’t have many friends outside her sisters, Bedra however had always been more of a sister, and that was perhaps why she felt as close as she did to the woman.

“I don’t know….”

“She’s right, I didn’t think it was possible but I think you’ve discovered a new shade of pale! You’ve not see the sun in weeks!” Lezah sat a small low rimmed bowl next to Luke and Degu, and a tiny human-sized drinking bowl next to them to scoop what they wanted out of the bowl of porridge.

It was milky, with a brownish color to it, and was made up of various oats and grains, the same thing Aisell was slowly working on herself while she listened to her sister and her best friend discuss her complexion.

“Me first!” Degu boasted and shoved Luke out of the way. Luke for his part was more interested in the Titans’ conversation, and stepped back allowing Degu to serve himself.

“I don’t know…I mean you said there was a lot to do around the farm right Lez?” Aisell attempted to back herself out, but was cut off by Bedra quickly.

“Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow!” Bedra spoke with certainty.

“Cute, but while you slept in, I finished most of the chores myself, so you’re free to gallivant around town.” Lezah hummed melodically.

“Well, I don’t know I did want to finish cleaning out the basement, and go through the books in the…”. Aisell was cut off once more, but this time by a much less flamboyant and present voice.

“Aisell, you should. A little sun and fresh air can do wonders you know.” Luke spoke up as he approached, walking between the valley that Aisell had created with her arms which were resting on the table.

Aisell looked down, almosed shocked to see Luke, so close, and speaking to calmly and civil with her. “Oh, hey Luke, good morning.” She had been aware of Luke’s presence on the table, but didn’t want to greet him unless she was sure he wouldn’t bite her head off for it. “Maybe, but I don’t know I mean…I’ve never been one for going out.”

Luke rested his hand on the arm that stood like a wall beside him, he gave it a bit of a gentle rub before he spoke. “I’ll be fine.” His smile was accusative and at the same time condescending.

Aisell blushed, as red as a tomato and shrunk into herself, she moved her free arm to her chest, covering herself instinctually and hid her hand in her sleeve. “I didn’t say….”

“You didn’t have to, and it’s okay. I appreciate your concern. I do,” Luke smiled weakly. “But Lezah will be home, and besides I’ll need to sleep again soon so…really…I’ll be okay.” Luke spoke those last words carefully, they meant so much more than they were being used for at present. He was talking about more than just this afternoon. Luke was looking at the broader picture; he was going to be okay, eventually anyhow. He wasn’t there yet, but he was getting there.

“See, Luke will be fine! Come with me!” Bedra pulled at Aisell as she spoke, her voice nagging and cute.

“I’ll somehow manage to hold the fort down in your absence,” Lezah joked as she sat at the table, munching on a piece of toast and dipping it into her porridge.

Degu spoke, with a mouth full of porriage and bread. “I want you to come too!”

Aisell looked around to everyone in sequence and flopped back on her chair, she covered her face with her hands and laughed. “You lot don’t take no for an answer do you!” She half shouted before she sat up and peered down at Luke.

The two looked at one another in silence, neither moved, it wasn’t until Luke spoke up. “You deserve some time to yourself. Go on, I’ll be here when you get back. Okay?” Luke nodded.

Aisell smiled softly, the tension in her let up and she nodded in return. “Ok, fine! I give up,” Aisell huffed with a smile.

“Good! We’ll leave after breakfast!” Bedra took a quick drink from Aisell’s much and shot up from the table.

“Hey! I was drinking that!” Aisell clasped her empty mug and pouted.

“Too slow!” Bedra shot out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“Relax, I’ll get you another.” Lezah gave her head a slow shake and shoved another bite of porridge covered toast in her mouth as she stood. “Some things never change!” She muttered as she walked to the counter and took the kettle off the stove.

“I’m glad you’re coming Aisell,” Degu said, his mouth full.

Luke chuckled to himself as he walked back to his seat to finish his breakfast….well it was dinner…as his meal pattern wasn’t the same as the Titans…but…it was the breakfast meal.

Lezah poured Aisell a fresh mug of tea and sat down, running her toast along the rim of the glass. “Aehzay’s coming home today too….” Lezah said, with a sarcastic laugh. That was starting to become a bit of an inside joke at the Maris farm. Aehzay was coming home…it was like a prophecy that was never to be fulfilled.

“Maybe she means it this time?” Aisell spoke, matching her sister’s tone.

“And maybe squarks fly!” Lezah shoved her toast into her mouth and grinned.

“I can eat more than you! I’m better at it!” Degu finished his bowl and went to scoop another up, grinning victoriously at Luke as he did so.

Luke watched Aisell and Lezah as they casually spoke, he looked to Degu, who — while annoying — wasn’t at all a bad person to be around, and chuckled. Maybe it wasn’t going to be such a bad place to live after all.