by L M Lacee
Oh yes my Kerol, she is very happy, and she says she cannot wait until you are home.
Kerol closed his eyes. ‘I do not think she is as happy as I would wish. Does she want me to comm her?’
Jade replied. I do not know, what does a cold day in hayda mean, my Kerol?
‘I have no idea, but I suspect it is not good.’
We must go talk to the Melody she will know? Jade urged him.
‘Oh, I think that may not be a good idea. I think this is a visit to Dinas.’ Hawk told them both with a smile in his voice.
Salmah said. It would be a very good idea for Jade’s Kerol to bypass Helen’s diner.
‘The shipteen.’ Hawk explained for Jorge and Frand, who asked. ‘Why?’
Rage who had remained silent until then said. The Penny is on the comm, and the ladies, all of them, are talking to her. Does anyone know what balls for breakfast means?
They did not, but that did not stop the shiver of unease from slipping over every male there, including Rage. Hawk said. ‘I think we should go to Marlo’s common room and meet Dinas there.’
As they entered the lift, Hawk comm’d Marlo and Dinas, while Kerol tried to explain to Jade she must not talk to Penny about everything he said and did.
Hawk laughed as Salmah mind-sent. She will listen but will still send to his Penny. Jade is enamored with them both and is too young to be discerning.
Hawk said. That is probably a good thing.
Salmah asked. Will you say the same when we have a mate?
Hawk laughed. Probably not, but you are old enough to be discerning.
She laughed at him, leaving him wondering. When they all exited the lift on Marlo’s level, as it had been named. Jorge asked. ‘Why do they call Penny, the Penny?’
Rage said. Respect, we respect Kerol therefore The Penny is respected. Uncomfortably, he told them. She also bakes really good Prowler cookies.
Kerol muttered. ‘Oh that is good, I will remember to use that.’
Was you talking to me, my Kerol?
‘No, sweet Jade, I was thinking out loud.’
Oh.
‘You need not tell Penny of the cookies.’
Oohh.
The males laughed at his pained expression. Kerol groaned silently. Salmah said. I think I will go with the females and take Jade with me. Maybe the mind-healer Jarrod should visit. Do you not think that would be a good idea, my Hawk?
I do my Salmah. I do. He comm’d Jarrod.
THIRTY-TWO:
The males had taken Bacon and Knife with them. Lukkas, Scout and Harm. Rave and Waseo ended up in Marlo’s lounge room with all the other males and their Prowlers.
Peyton spent a hilarious few hours with Rose and the females in Helen’s dining room and then they moved to her cabin with the female Prowlers Fanharr, Salmah, Jade and little Pepper. They talked well into the early evening until Knife and Bacon arrived.
Knife told Netta. Mama Netta, Isa ungree agin and Bacon sas he can eat too.
Grinning, Melody spent ten mins explaining while that was funny to the others. Helen finally stood up.
‘Pepper sweetie, you must be hungry too?’
The kit looked up at Helen. Mama Helen Isa real ungree.
‘Of course you are?’ She cooed to her.
Netta rubbed Knife’s ears as he jumped onto her lap. She sighed and said. ‘He slept on my bed with me last night. I made a bed for him on the floor, he said he was sad that I was alone and was I scared of the dark. We have a night light now. How did this happen?’ She asked plaintively.
Fanharr smiled and told her. Because he loves you. You are for him as he is for you.
‘Oh Fanharr, I do not think I am worthy of him.’
And yet he is for you as you are for him, the histories say the bonding is never wrong sweet Netta.
Netta sighed in defeat. ‘Okay Fanharr. I bow to your wisdom.’ She looked at Knife and asked. ‘So my kit, I forgot to ask you, how you got your name.’
Helen interrupted as she mused. ‘If you think on it, his name is apt, as is Pepper. Knife for you seems destined as Pepper for me seems likewise.’
Netta grinned. ‘Can’t fight destiny. So sweetie, your name?’
Knife said. The ladiee at hme she says I stick a nife in you ifin I sees you agins. I like it.
Netta stilled, softly, she said to Knife. ‘Well, when we get home my boy, you will tell me who that was and I will go and say thank you to her, alright?’
Before he could answer, Helen said with steel in her tone. ‘You keep your knives.’ Because everyone knew Netta loved her knives, her long dangerous knives.
‘Sheathed Missy, I will deal with her and anyone else that thinks to threaten the kits. Fanharr dearle, I think we are going to have to see about the kits and the people at home?’ To the still fuming Netta, she said. ‘Leave it Netta, Fanharr and I will deal with it. I swear, it will not happen again.’
Netta nodded her head sharply. ‘Fine.’ She got up, placing Knife with Pepper on the floor. ‘Excuse me, we have a kitchen to raid, come on all of you.’
As Helen and Fanharr walked out after her, Peyton said. ‘Ladies, I trust you to take care of that, if not, please let me know. I will set Marlo on them.’ They all laughed and left, she called out to them. ‘I meant that.’
The remaining ladies grinned at her. Heather said to Melody. ‘When are you up to coming into medical so we can poke and prod you and see what’s up?’
Patty said. ‘I happen to know that medical is free at the moment.’
Concerned, Rose asked. ‘Melody, are you unwell?’
‘Nope, it seems when I bonded with Bacon it opened a talent I did not know I had?’
‘What talent?’
‘I can see matches between Prowlers and their bonded.’
‘Amazing, is it just Prowlers? I mean, what about between others?’
Melody looked around and asked the room in general. ‘That would be something, wouldn’t it?’
‘Very much so.’ Peyton agreed with a devilish look in her eyes as she said. ‘We need a matchmaker, maybe we have one.’
Melody stood, and with a sharp look at Peyton said.
‘Let’s go and maybe if Jarrod is free, I could talk to him?’
Salmah said. For a Master Mind Walker, people are not afraid of him and talk of him with respect and liking. I will come and meet him.
Melody smiled. ‘He would like that, he is a very nice gentle male. We call them Specialists now.’
I will remember that.
They made their goodbyes and Peyton was left with Rose, who sipped her tea as Peyton asked, ‘So you are all caught up with what has been going on.’
‘Yes.’
‘I would like to ask you to do some things for me if you can, and if you cannot, find or advise me who could.’
Just then a quick knock on Peyton’s door announced Darby’s arrival. ‘Darby.’ Rose said with a huge smile and hug. ‘I have missed you.’
Darby’s rather surprised. ‘You have?’ Did not seem to amuse Rose as it did Peyton, who grinned at Honor when she heard it. Rose asked. ‘Where have you been, you look unwell?’
‘I have missed you too, Rose. I have had no one to play with?’ Rose and Darby had found they liked Hikaran, the trader’s equivalent to chess, and they played often and very competitively. Darby frowned as she asked. ‘Did you come alone?’
‘No, Frand and about hundred Warriors came with me.’
‘Good.’
‘Everyone says that?’
‘It is because you are family. Oh Rose, this is Honor, she is my bonded.’
Rose said. ‘Greetings Honor, nice to meet you, is Darby alright she looks exhausted?’
Greetings Trader Rose. My Darby speaks nice about you. She needs food and drink and she will not visit Sister Heather. My Darby, I am going to Chef Helen’s place, we are having a food meeting. You will stay here until I return.
Darby sighed tiredly. ‘Yes Miss. Bossy, you know I can fin
d my own way to my cabin.’
You can, but you will not. Honor growled as she left. Peyton and Rose looked at Darby, and Rose asked.
‘Darby are you not well?’
She shrugged. ‘I am fine, Honor is a worrier. I am just tired.’
Peyton was on the desk link. ‘Heather, Darby is unwell… I do not know... If I knew I would tell you... It is not a secret... I am not snippy... oh my stars, I would... once... once I forgot something.... twice... twice I may have forgotten something... fine three times... They were small things... Am I never allowed to forget?’
Patty walked in, Peyton waved at her as she listened to Heather. ‘Well am I... Because I am your supreme ruler… I am so… why are you laughing... Oh yeah she is here... no, I did not forget to tell you.’ She disconnected and told the three females who were trying hard not to laugh at her and not succeeding. ‘Seriously, Heather has trust issues. Aww shut up!’
While Patty examined Darby, Peyton and Rose got on their links. When they had finished Frand and Hawk were on their way and Helen was sending food with them.
Patty finished and read her scanner. ‘There is nothing that a good night sleep of at least twelve hours and food and drink will not fix. So my opinion is eat, drink, socialize a little and then bed for you my friend.’
Peyton said. ‘I will make sure she does, she will stay here tonight.’
Darby opened her mouth to tell her she would not, but then she looked at Peyton and could see the worry in her eyes and gave in. ‘Alright thank you, Patty. Peyton, it is fine, I am just tired. It was a very exhausting day.’
Peyton came over and sat by her, taking her hand in hers. ‘Helen said she would send something nice for you, not me or Rose, just you.’ She told her with a pout, making Rose and Patty grin, which turned into a full-blown smile when Darby crowed. ‘It’s good to be me.’
Patty said. ‘On that note, I am off for a romantic time with my mate, see yah,’
‘Show off.’ Muttered Peyton, echoed by Darby and Rose. Patty’s laugh floated back to them with Frand and Hawk’s arrival at the cabin.
‘Darby.’ Frand said as he picked her up and hugged her, she was stunned at his show of affection.
Frand had decided some time ago that the five sisters were just an extension of his own family, which is how he treated them, and startling Darby as often as he could, was a brotherly duty. ‘I missed you.’ He told her, her answer was the same as when Rose said the same.
‘You did?’
Rose growled at him, hitting his arm. ‘Release her you over grown boy, she is not well.’
Frand placed her down. ‘I am sorry Darby, what is wrong?’
Hawk asked Peyton. ‘Why is she out of bed if she is unwell, have you called Heather?’
‘She is tired and overworked, she just needs food.’ Peyton told them as she took the tray of food from him. Rose explained as she handed Darby her tea.
‘She also needs to sleep. Patty was here, she scanned her.’
Hawk asked in a deadly voice. ‘What are those Graynite males doing, if you are tired, have they not helped, what of Willian, he is on your team too?’
Darby waved him silent. ‘Hawk, it is okay, I swear they are superb Warriors, and so very helpful. More than I could have asked for, they are so dayam clever and just as tired as me. We put in a herculean effort today to upgrade the systems with Harm’s tech on the Warbird and the Cruisers. When I and my guys have regained our strength and slept, we will upgrade the shuttles and the cargo beasts seeing as you are here.’ She told Frand.
Hawk nodded. ‘Alright.’ He then comm’d Kerol.
‘Can you make sure the Graynite Warriors and Willian are all cared for, they are exhausted?’
‘Certainly Commander.’
Darby grimaced. ‘I should have thought of that. I am sorry, Hawk. I did not mean to neglect them.’
He let loose one of his rare smiles as he calmed her. ‘And you did not. I am sure they were all gone before you left.’
Darby ducked her head at the accurate assumption. ‘Yeah, well I am the boss.’
‘So Darby, let me take care of my Warriors.’
She nodded, then looked at Peyton. ‘We found the planet that Paolo’s children were taken to.’
Peyton closed her eyes. ‘You did?’
Darby nodded her head. ‘Willian actually did the work, he is phenomenal. I am almost positive he could trace anything, anytime. I am going to have him work with Harm’s Uncle Klune, he needs detection training, or so Waseo said. Anyway, the planet is on our way home. I already programmed the coordinates for the ships navigator.’
‘That is great Darby.’ Peyton asked Hawk. ‘Could you give the order please?’
‘As you wish, Madam.’ While he was on his link issuing his orders. Peyton asked Darby. ‘How long do you need to upgrade the cargo beasts?’
Frand grumbled to Rose. ‘I wish they would stop calling them that, everyone calls them beasts now. I am their Captain, you know?’
Darby grinned as she told him. ‘We just call it as we see it.’
Frand gave her a black look but said nothing else as Hawk finished with his comm, grinned and helped himself to tea. Then refilled Peyton’s cup as Darby started on her food. When she had finished and was fighting a yawn, she finally replied to Peyton’s question.
‘We will need eight hours to do the upgrades but I am thinking if I can convince the guys. I could put two on each ship and they could do it on the way home, it would not be so hard on them then.’
Peyton asked Frand. ‘How many did you bring?’
He replied. ‘Four, we picked up two new ones before we came here.’
Darby hummed. ‘Alright one on each beast.’
Hawk asked her. ‘Is it doable?’
‘Oh yes, it is convincing the guys that’s all.’
Frand asked. ‘You cannot just order them?’ He looked up from his tea and saw Darby, Hawk and Peyton just staring at him. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, and with a laugh threading through his voice, he said. ‘I am sorry, I forgot myself for a moment.’
Peyton raised an eyebrow at the male. ‘Exactly. So tomorrow morn a meeting with your guys.’
Darby agreed as she started on the dessert Helen had sent. Peyton kept an eye on her, making sure she ate everything. When Honor came in Peyton told her.
‘Darby and you are sleeping here tonight.’
Honor nodded. Good, I will go to bed now, the food meeting was tiring.
‘All that talking?’ Darby asked, her voice full of sympathy. Honor did not like to talk much. She was more of a listener, as long as those speaking were not idiots, Honor disliked idiots more than talking.
No, it was the food tasting I am fill and need to sleep. When she was gone, there was general laughter. Then they made themselves comfortable as they sat over their drinks.
Peyton remembered her gift. ‘Oh I forgot.’ She unwrapped the box Frand had given her. It was a miniature Hex about eight inches tall and wide, it looked just like the one she called home. ‘Oh my, that is adorable.’ She whispered. ‘Thank you Frand.’
Darby smiled. ‘You are so clever at finding these things.’
He grinned and shrugged. ‘Thank you, it is hard but enjoyable.’ He refrained, as did Rose, from telling them that he commissioned some of the pieces he gifted her. He was exceedingly excited about the next gift, it was special. He loved finding or having the little ornaments made and gifting them to her. She was always amazed and surprised when he did, it made it all worth the credits he paid.
He and Rose shared a smile as Peyton sat looking at the replica of her Hex and forgot she had company. Rose finally said. ‘Peyton, what was it you wanted to ask me?’
Peyton placed the little ornament on her table and said. ‘Oh yes, as I was saying earlier. I would like to ask you to do some things for me if you can and if you cannot find or advise me, who could.’
Rose said. ‘As you say, shoot or is it no problem?’
; ‘Either will do. So what is the price for Salistred?’
‘We are at 255 million credits a tonne. Up from 150 million credits, apparently there was panic trading, that saw all the available Salistred being snapped up. This has as you can imagine left a shortage on the open market. As of three hours ago, there is no Salistred left to trade.’
Confused, Peyton asked. ‘How is that possible? Who would have told them?’
Rose looked at her nails. ‘I have no idea, but these rumors of shortages spread like wild fire. Do you agree, Frand?’
‘Most definitely. Why, everywhere I went, I heard people gossiping about it.’
Peyton eyed the brother and sister and did not buy the innocent act at all. She could see Hawk didn’t either. Although he just asked. ‘Do you think it will rise?’
Rose nodded. ‘Definitely, as we speak, the price will be doubling again, if not tripling. The market is dry. There will be a few traders with some secured away, but not many. My contacts assure me we can name a price and get it, but Parta Savo says we should auction?’
Hawk asked. ‘What do you think?’
When she said nothing, Peyton said. ‘We trust you Rose, we will go with what you say, what you want to do?’
‘What numbers are we talking here?’
‘I will know in the morn, Oraintarre has said probably between 400 or 600 tonnes.’
‘Oh... Oh my.’ She looked at Frand, his eyes were wide in surprise, he said to his sister. ‘I do not know what to say. I thought you said 40 to 60 tonnes?’
Peyton held her hand up. ‘That is my fault, the number was what Oraintarre told me originally. He has since revised his estimation. Annoyance does that to a planet, apparently.’
Rose paced back and forth until finally she said. ‘This is my advice but you can…’
‘No.’ Peyton cut her off. ‘We go with what you say, you are our Chief trader.’
‘Alright then. I need to know some things first, how much in credits do you need immediately?’
‘Question first, before I answer that. Do you have a Laroro we can talk to tonight?’
Frand said. ‘Yes Miko, she is a very honest Laroro.’