Spears of Uu'kata

Chapter 12 - The Order of the Arinoll

"I don't think she's ever seen the sky before," Shodara said from where she curled in Echnar's lap by the firepit. "Or dirt, grass or trees. I'd bet my Skath she'd never seen a river before you nearly drowned her in one."

"I wasn't drowning her," Ahnekk said defensively. "I was just washing her off. She was disgusting."

"Of course she's never seen these things. How can she see anything sleeping all the time?" Echnar asked.

Ahnekk frowned thoughtfully. "I've been to worlds where I am... heavier than I am here. It's as though the weight of a thing depends on the world it is on. Perhaps she feels heavier here than where she's from and will be tired until she grows used to the weight of our world."

Echanr nodded. He'd been to these heavier worlds with Ahnekk so he should understand this.

"Everything with her will take time," Ahnekk added. "We cannot interrogate her until we understand her and if she's anything like us, it's harder to learn when exhausted or injured. She's healing well but I see how she moves. She is still in pain."

"We could skip a lot of time by letting a Skath have her," Shodara said as she picked at the hem of her sleeve.

Ahnekk and Echnar looked at her sharply.

"Have you lost your mind?" Echnar asked.

"The same Skath who showed interest in her the first time we put her in a bath showed interest in her again. It is trying to bond with her and we all know a Skath will not give such attention to someone with whom it is not compatible. We also know that once a Skath begins a bond with someone it will bond with no one else. So, we should let it have her. You must know it would make all of our lives a lot easier." Shodara stated.

"We can't," Ahnekk said. "She is not Uu'k'asht. The law specifically states that only Uu'k'asht may be bonded to a Skath. Imagine the outrage if it was discovered we allowed a Skath to have a human. Our enemy. We could lose our hold and our clan could be exiled."

"You're right, you're right," Shodara said, "But... does the law specifically state that humans are not allowed to be bonded?"

Ahnekk pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "It specifically states that enemies are not to be bonded," he said patiently. "And last I checked, humans are still our enemies. In order for the law to not apply to her, it would have to be agreed upon by at least three chieftains that she is no enemy to the Uu'k'asht and I promise you that will never happen."

Shodara put her head back and sighed. "Okay, okay. I give in," she said. "I just... want to know about her. I want to know where she is from and if her skies are blue. Does she have a family somewhere hoping she'll come home?"

"Is her anatomy similar to ours and does it taste as good as yours?" Echnar asked with a lecherous grin as he squeezed Shodara against him.

Shodara giggled and nodded. "I didn't get a close look but from what I can tell she is similar."

Ahnekk held his surprise in. So, he wasn't the only one having thoughts about Charlotte. He wondered if Gondroll was having these thoughts as well. Shodara was right about one thing, it would be faster to get information out of Charlotte if she was given to a Skath. Maybe there was another way...

He shook his head and reached into the large bowl between his feet, picking up a polk root and peeling it with his knife.

"Are you two going to help or just sit there snogging?" he asked irritably.

Shodara laughed. She leapt from Echnar's lap and sauntered to her own bowl of tubers that needed peeling. Ahnekk had a rule in his camp. Everyone did their part and everyone shared the work, including him.

"You should have seen how she reacted to the two of you making love," Echnar said, grabbing a bowl of tubers and dragging it close.

"Did she enjoy it?" Ahnekk asked.

"No. She seemed terrified by it," Echnar said. "I told you leadership would make you flabby—"

Ahnekk threw a polk root at Echnar's face and his aim was true. It smacked him between the eyes and splattered bright red. The color of Charlotte's blood.

Echnar laughed as he wiped his face and Shodara tisked, flicking a chunk off her shoulder. He expected Echnar to throw one back but instead he looked over Ahnekk's shoulder and his smile melted off his face.

Turning around, Ahnekk knew what he was going to see before his eyes fell upon the lanky youth holding the Calling Spear. This meant the other two chieftains convened without his knowledge and had discussed something they were only now bringing him into.

With a sigh, he dropped his blade into the bowl of polk roots and stood, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Another battle?" Shodara asked, her voice thick with concern. "So soon?"

"This is not about battle," Ahnekk growled. "It is about Charlotte. While you took her to the bath, Hefkah left our camp for a while and returned. I assume he reported everything he'd seen and heard since last night."

Echnar's face darkened and he dropped his gaze, jaw going tight.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Ahnekk gave him a squeeze and said, "It is not your fault, Ech."

"Yes, it is," he said through his teeth. "I should have kept my mouth shut about the Skath."

Ahnekk sighed. Echnar really should have thought before speaking before another chieftain's spy but he'd never been one to think before speaking. Ahnekk should have spoken with him about what to say and what not to say around Hefkah.

Giving Echnar a final squeeze, he moved to Shodara and pressed his cheek to hers.

"Turn her over to the Arinoll," Shodara whispered before he could straighten.

He turned his head to look at her sharply. Why would he do something like that?

"The chieftains have no jurisdiction over the Arinoll. Turn her over to us as a tactic to soften her up. She needs to learn to speak our language before she can be interrogated anyway, right? You know they are going to try to take her from us and they can force you to turn her over to them. But they cannot force the Arinoll."

"It also takes her out of my hands," he nearly growled. "She's a warrior, Shodara. A warrior must be watched over by warriors."

"I will agree to joint custody after you find out what the other chieftains want. I give you my word," Shodara said.

Ahnekk growled as he straightened. She was right. The best way to ensure the chieftains wouldn't force him to give up his prisoner, was to turn her over to the females as their ward.

Loudly enough for the youth to hear he said, "I officially turn over custody of my human prisoner of war to the Order of the Arinoll so she may be educated."

"I accept your prisoner as ward of the Order of the Arinoll, Helkta Ahnekk," Shodara said formally.

With that, he turned to the youth then and said, "Lead me forth,"