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Authors: Lisanne Norman
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his black priest's robe.
CHAPTER 2
Haven, Zhal-Zhalwae, 22nd day (May) "TROUBLE," observed Manesh, jerking her head toward the approaching figure of Giyesh. "Looks like Jeran's been talking to her."
Sheeowl looked up, taking in their young comm operator's bushed-out mane of black hair and her lashing tail. "I did it in her best interests," she said defensively, watching the Sholan Brothers and Sisters in the crowded mess hurriedly parting to let her through. "The rest of you can back me up on that."
"No," said Manesh, the security officer, unequivocally. "I told you to keep your nose out from the first. You got her riled, you can deal with it. I'll only interfere if it comes to blows, and then only so the Sholans don't have to get involved."
"Same here," agreed Nayash. "They needed each other on the Prime ship, and they obviously want it to continue. Why make more of it than that?"
Giyesh stormed over to their table, and stopped, hands on hips, glowering down at the engineer. "You had no right to go running to Jeran with scare stories, Sheeowl," she snarled, tail flicking angrily. "How d'you think that made me look?"
"We were only thinking of you, taiban," said Sheeowl calmly. "Sit down, let's talk this over quietly."
"The time for that was before you went to Jeran! And that's another thing! Stop calling me taiban! I'm not a child, dammit! If I was, we'd not be having this conversation!"
"Did he offer?" interrupted Mrowbay.
She rounded on the medic. "What option did you leave him? Yes, he did, and I refused! You think I want a contract with him under these circumstances?" she asked scornfully. "How could I accept, knowing he'd asked because of your interference? You ruined it for me!"
"You fool!" exclaimed Sheeowl. "This is serious, Giyesh, not something your mother can sweep into a corner. This'll affect the rest of your life!"
"You think I care?" Giyesh swung back to her, leaning forward and placing her hands on the table. Her mouth widened, displaying her teeth in a humorless smile. "I have now with him, and that's enough. I don't have a burning need to mate and increase the Family! Who knows? In a year, I may ask to work on a Sholan ship. I can pursue a career with them. For the first time, I have an acceptable option. I only came to warn you and Mrowbay to stay out of my affairs from now on, or take the consequences." She pushed herself upright and stalked off.
"You should have respected her decision not to tell him," said Sayuk quietly. "Captain Tirak did."
"Shut up," snarled Sheeowl. "It never occurred to me that she'd be stupid enough to refuse him."
"It should have," said Mrowbay. "She's strong-willed, just like her mother. A real Rryuk. The Matriarch won't be pleased, though. I should never have agreed to talk to her." He shook his head sadly and reached for a cookie on the plate in front of him.
Sheeowl slapped his hand away. "Leave it," she snapped. "Giyesh is right, you're getting fat."
He looked hurt as he tucked his hands beneath the table out of her reach. "Don't take it out on me," he said. "It wasn't my fault it turned out the wrong way."
"You agreed I was right at the time!"
"You're both wrong," said Nayash, leaning back in his seat. "I think the Matriarch will be pleased Giyesh was able to attach Jeran and bring him to Home. It'll add to our status, not only on the Council, but among our military allies. We Rryuks made First Contact with the Sholans, and now we're bringing one of them back, one bound to us alone. And as for mating contracts, I think that the Matriarch will make sure that it's considered a mere technicality that Giyesh and Jeran aren't formally mated. There'll be more than a few males willing to measure themselves against Jeran, prove they're better than a Sholan. I think she'll have her pick of the males in our allied families— if she wants a mate at all considering what she's just said."
"You could be right," agreed Manesh. "I reckon Jeran'll not
CHAPTER 2
Haven, Zhal-Zhalwae, 22nd day (May) "TROUBLE," observed Manesh, jerking her head toward the approaching figure of Giyesh. "Looks like Jeran's been talking to her."
Sheeowl looked up, taking in their young comm operator's bushed-out mane of black hair and her lashing tail. "I did it in her best interests," she said defensively, watching the Sholan Brothers and Sisters in the crowded mess hurriedly parting to let her through. "The rest of you can back me up on that."
"No," said Manesh, the security officer, unequivocally. "I told you to keep your nose out from the first. You got her riled, you can deal with it. I'll only interfere if it comes to blows, and then only so the Sholans don't have to get involved."
"Same here," agreed Nayash. "They needed each other on the Prime ship, and they obviously want it to continue. Why make more of it than that?"
Giyesh stormed over to their table, and stopped, hands on hips, glowering down at the engineer. "You had no right to go running to Jeran with scare stories, Sheeowl," she snarled, tail flicking angrily. "How d'you think that made me look?"
"We were only thinking of you, taiban," said Sheeowl calmly. "Sit down, let's talk this over quietly."
"The time for that was before you went to Jeran! And that's another thing! Stop calling me taiban! I'm not a child, dammit! If I was, we'd not be having this conversation!"
"Did he offer?" interrupted Mrowbay.
She rounded on the medic. "What option did you leave him? Yes, he did, and I refused! You think I want a contract with him under these circumstances?" she asked scornfully. "How could I accept, knowing he'd asked because of your interference? You ruined it for me!"
"You fool!" exclaimed Sheeowl. "This is serious, Giyesh, not something your mother can sweep into a corner. This'll affect the rest of your life!"
"You think I care?" Giyesh swung back to her, leaning forward and placing her hands on the table. Her mouth widened, displaying her teeth in a humorless smile. "I have now with him, and that's enough. I don't have a burning need to mate and increase the Family! Who knows? In a year, I may ask to work on a Sholan ship. I can pursue a career with them. For the first time, I have an acceptable option. I only came to warn you and Mrowbay to stay out of my affairs from now on, or take the consequences." She pushed herself upright and stalked off.
"You should have respected her decision not to tell him," said Sayuk quietly. "Captain Tirak did."
"Shut up," snarled Sheeowl. "It never occurred to me that she'd be stupid enough to refuse him."
"It should have," said Mrowbay. "She's strong-willed, just like her mother. A real Rryuk. The Matriarch won't be pleased, though. I should never have agreed to talk to her." He shook his head sadly and reached for a cookie on the plate in front of him.
Sheeowl slapped his hand away. "Leave it," she snapped. "Giyesh is right, you're getting fat."
He looked hurt as he tucked his hands beneath the table out of her reach. "Don't take it out on me," he said. "It wasn't my fault it turned out the wrong way."
"You agreed I was right at the time!"
"You're both wrong," said Nayash, leaning back in his seat. "I think the Matriarch will be pleased Giyesh was able to attach Jeran and bring him to Home. It'll add to our status, not only on the Council, but among our military allies. We Rryuks made First Contact with the Sholans, and now we're bringing one of them back, one bound to us alone. And as for mating contracts, I think that the Matriarch will make sure that it's considered a mere technicality that Giyesh and Jeran aren't formally mated. There'll be more than a few males willing to measure themselves against Jeran, prove they're better than a Sholan. I think she'll have her pick of the males in our allied families— if she wants a mate at all considering what she's just said."
"You could be right," agreed Manesh. "I reckon Jeran'll not
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