Athyyah

Chapter Twenty-four Understanding

Valerie looked around the vorlixx camp. She had nothing to do but watch them go about their business. As she observed their behavior she was impressed as to just how many of the beast there were. The one vorlixx that had given her the "tour" around the camp had continued to hang around. Valerie guessed it was a guard, or simply curious about her. There was a time when it had untied her and seemed to try and communicate. Valerie did the same naturally. She thought that she may have even began to make progress, but wasn't sure, especially after it tied her up again.

Valerie couldn't understand the vorlixx. However, she felt like it vaguely understood her and with the help of hand motions she was able to tell it things. Though she had no way of knowing if it understood her as she could not understand it in any way. The only real thing that made her suspect it could interpret a little of what she was saying, was that whenever she tried to tell it something, it always seemed to growl and snarl in reply. At the very least it knew that she was speaking.

One thing she could not tell was just how long she had been there. Tied to a tree, she had no sense of time. All she could determine was when it would be getting dark soon. Whether or not the vorlixx were as violent as she was led to believe, she wished her friends would hurry up and come get her. She was getting uncomfortable tied to the tree and seriously had to go to the bathroom. Not to mention she just didn't like being a prisoner. Under better circumstances she would definitely enjoy this and would want to be there. This was not such a time. The scientific instinct that drove her curiosity had left and now all of this was just life at its lowest.

She knew that her friends would have noticed that she wasn't with them a long time ago. However there was no sign of them, or that they were coming. Without a clear idea of the time and when they'd have realized her absence, it was hard to say when they'd get there. But she was sure that they should have shown themselves a while ago. Valerie had a sinking feeling that they may have left her behind, whether it was intentional or not. She had a growing feeling of abandonment and despite the vorlixx presence, a feeling of loneliness.

Valerie was temporarily distracted when several of the vorlixx around her raised their heads and looked off into the woods. They stood there motionless, staring off into the trees for a long moment, like cats gazing out a window at a bird. If they had ears like them, they'd be twitching. After a few long moments, several of them lumbered off into the woods, disappearing from view. Slowly and quietly they walked away. The way they moved was misleading. It made them appear like they were not as fast as they actually were. Rather, the impression they gave was slow and bulky. Boy would they be surprised at their speed, Thought Valerie as she watched them leave with interest.

I wonder what has gotten their attention, she thought. I can only hope it's the others. I have no idea how long it'll be before these vorlixx get bored with having me around and decide that I'm dinner.

Valerie waited for several minutes. None of the vorlixx returned, so she soon forgot about them and once again went back to watching the many creatures in the clearing moving about as if it were a military camp.

Not long afterward her little scarred friend had returned to her side. She was slightly pleased to see it and to her pleasure it let her out of her bounds again. Free Valerie now had the opportunity to try something she had thought of while sitting there for so long with only here thoughts to pass the time.

Valerie raised her hand and made a few basic motions, which had she performed before someone who was deaf. They would have interpreted it as saying nice day. The vorlixx seemed to grow wide-eyed and drew clumsily in the dirt. It looked like a tree.

"A tree?" Valerie asked with words and her hands.

The vorlixx seemed to nod then stood upright and grabbing her in its arms and dashed off towards the chief.