by L M Lacee
Retder nodded as she saw the irritated look on Darby’s face. Please realize we do not all feel this way, but too many do. These Turqualls are not standard, they are rebels in coloring, size and attitude. They disturb the balance of the whole at a high cost to the Pride. It is best if the balance is maintained. Regardless of how that is achieved.
A deceptively soft masculine voice came from an opening in the wall. Is that what we are, Retder, rebels? I thought we were the Castque, the forgotten ones to be hidden away and treated like we do not exist.
At the sound of the male’s voice, they all looked up in time to see a long white body drop from a hidden tunnel above them. It had to be a fall of well over twenty feet to the ground.
THIRTY-TWO:
A snow white male Turquall, so big he looked like a tiger mixed with a male lion. Rose from his crouched position and moved with an innate feline grace toward them. Peyton hurriedly signaled Hawk and Melody, who signaled the Warriors to stand down as two more Turquall dropped from the darkened hole and silently followed the first one.
The males were obviously related to each other as this male was snow white too. The smaller Turquall with them was definitely female, and still she dwarfed Retder. Even though she was tan, she had white spots like a leopard showing through her fur and her eyes were a very soft, pretty lavender. Peyton could not see the color of the male’s eyes, but she bet they were not the standard violet color.
Retder moved back toward the open tunnel behind her as she said. I have no quarrel with you Rage.
I know, mate of my mate’s brother.
Retder cringed under the females look. I have made it possible for the Star Daughter to arrive. No matter what you think Fanharr, I do care for you.
No, Retder, you care for your position more, otherwise you would have told us of her entering our orbit. Leave and tell the Ruling Pair we will escort the Star Daughter and her people to our Pride. We have no need of your tuap.
Retder sniffed and said to Peyton. Regardless of my mates sisters words. I arranged this meeting when we felt it was for the good…
For the Pride, not me or the others in our care. Said the female called Fanharr.
Leave Retder. They all felt the growl in the large male’s words.
With one frightened look at the huge male. Retder turned and fled down the darkened tunnel.
Rage raised his head, which came to above Peyton’s waist and she got her first look at his eyes, and was not surprised to see she had guessed right. His eyes were not the standard violet, they were a beautiful navy blue. She waited as did everyone else to see what these three Turquall would do.
Darby shuffled closer to Hawk who placed her slightly behind him. The huge male Retder had called Rage asked Darby. You fear us?
Peyton calmly told him. ‘No, my sister Darby is wary of meeting new people.’
Ahh! The female told Darby. We have several of our kind who are the same. We mean no harm.
Darby said from behind Hawk. ‘Thank you, but if you do not mind, I will stay here with Hawk.’
He is your mate? The other snow white male with navy eyes asked.
Hawk bowed his head slightly as he replied. ‘As much pleasure as that would give me, Lady Darby is not my mate. She is, however under my protection. You will find she is of a gentle nature.’
The same male said. Please allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Rave, brother and Second to Rage. Together Rage and his mate Fanharr are the leaders of our Pride.
Each of the Turqualls bowed their heads, which Peyton and the others copied. Hawk made a signal, and Lukkas took the lead to make the introductions. ‘I am Warrior Naihal, please allow me to introduce, Lady Kline, Commander Roeah, as well as Commander James…’
Peyton interrupted Lukkas. ‘Warrior Lukkas, these are friends or will be soon, let us dispense with formality.’
Lukkas inclined his head and quickly introduce everyone. ‘As you will, Star Daughter. Allow me to introduce Madam Peyton, Lady Darby, Commander Hawk, Commander Melody and Healer Heather, with her are Warrior Trina and Warriors, Willian, Kent and Sarn. We are the Star Daughter’s guard.’ All three Warriors bowed their heads.
Rave asked Peyton. If you are the Star Daughter, why do you need a guard?
‘Who the hayda knows why.’
Melody sighed as she said. ‘You know why Star girl, so we do not kill you, like everyone else who has met you so far wants to.’
‘Oh that is so not fair. Not everyone wants me dead.’
‘Are you sure of that?’ Heather asked. ‘Because there are a few.’
‘Yes, I am sure of that.’ She slammed her hands on her hips as she told them using a superior tone. ‘For your information, I have not met everyone in the Universe yet.’
‘Oh my stars, are you saying that is the only reason?’ Darby asked as she came out from behind Hawk.
‘That is kind of harsh.’ Trina said. ‘I know her and I don’t want to kill her.’
‘Yet.’ Melody said with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘The word is yet.’
‘Ladies.’ Hawk said patiently as he watched the three Turquall observe the bickering females. It was an amazing thing to watch as the five Terran females unconsciously relaxed predators without a thought. The other Warriors were just as amused. He shook his head as he said once more. ‘Ladies, we have things we must do, unless you wish to stay in the heat.’
‘Oh, sorry Hawk, it is hot. I might have heat stroke.’ Peyton dramatically stated as she placed a hand against her forehead.
‘You do not.’ Heather told her with an eye roll. ‘I have seen you hotter than this, stop being dramatic.’ She handed her a drink of pink liquid. ‘Take that and talk to the nice Turquall.’
Peyton drank the liquid and gagged. ‘What was that? Oh, my stars, was that medicine?’
‘No, ridiculous female.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I am the healer, am I not?’
‘Yes, I suppose.’
‘Ladies, please back to business for the love of all that is holy. Concentrate, please.’
‘This is what I was saying. I have heat stroke, because I cannot concentrate.’
Darby muttered. ‘Oh please, you are always like that.’
Heather pointed at her. ‘Peyton talk to the very large Turquall, before I slap you sillier.’
‘I am the Star Daughter, you know?’
Melody turned to Trina. ‘See, this is why people want to kill her. She drives you to it.’
‘Was she like this before we left Earth?’
Darby commented. ‘To some degree, it is worse now, she is the Star Daughter.’
‘I am right here, you know?’
‘We may have to get more guards.’ Trina said as they all eyed Peyton, who gave them the evil eye back.
‘Aww shut up.’ She turned to the three bemused Turquall. ‘Anyway, I apologize. To answer you or was it your brother’s question, never mind. Yes, I am the Star Daughter and these people are my family, and we are here to help. So take us to the rest of your Pride, and we will get this show on the road.’
I do not know what that means. Are you well? The largest Turquall named Rage asked.
‘Yep, why would I not be?’
Rave asked worriedly. What is this heat stroke you speak of, is it just your species that receives it?
‘Aww aren’t you sweet, do not worry, apparently I don’t have it or so the great healer over there says.’ She pointed to Heather, who smiled.
Excuse me, Star Daughter. Fanharr interrupted. People wish to kill you.
‘Not everyone. Do not let them scare you.’ She leaned a little way down and placed both hands on either side of Rage’s wide head and smoothed the fur back from his equally wide face. Shocked at the touch, he stood completely still. The others were unsure whether he even breathed.
‘Oh, my, you are so soft.’ Then she whispered to him. ‘Rage, Pride leader come to Maikonia, we need you and you need us. We offer you freedom, open land to roam,
a world just for hunting. I offer you safety and my protection, but mostly I offer you the freedom for your Pride to evolve into the kind of Turqualls that you should be. On the worlds of Maikonia, you all can be proud of who you are, regardless of birth order or color, and what you are told is a deformity. You can reach for the stars, and we will help you.’ She looked at the other two and said. ‘Come to Maikonia, become Maikonian Turquall, become mine.’
Rage leaned into her hands as she stroked his fur and he sighed. We will come, we have waited a long time for you Beloved of the Turquall.
Peyton gave his head one last stroke and then said. ‘Good, now take us to the others, how many do you have for us to take?’
Fanharr told them. We have in our cavern five hundred adults, three hundred and fifty juveniles. There are also approximately two hundred kits and two females with kits in nests.
‘What is a nest?’ Trina asked as they moved into the dark tunnel. Darby slipped her hand into Heathers as they moved along the tunnel with the Turquall and the Warriors ranging out in front and behind them.
Fanharr replied. A nest is where we have our young, as you can see we make our nests under the surface of the planet. Our kits stay in the birth nest until they are three luneras old. By then, they can see, hear and eat solid food. They also are able to shift to combat mode as well as armor their fur. Over the next five yentas, their other senses will develop.
Melody asked Rage. ‘I do not understand, Rave called you his Pride Leader. I thought there was only one Pride Leader.’
Rage replied. I see your confusion, you are not alone in this. Many who are not Turquall have the same confusion. Who you are referring to as Pride Leader is the Porquien. The Ruling Male, there is only ever one, and he rules all Turqualls. Then there are other Pride Leaders such as I, and many others who reside on planets and distant worlds or just roam. Our Prides make up the whole.
Willian asked. ‘Like Commanders and Captains.’
Yes Warrior, exactly.
‘Command divisions.’ Melody said as Hawk nodded.
Heather asked. ‘If it is no trouble, can you explain the development from birth of a Turquall.’
Of course. Fanharr said agreeably. A kit is nested usually in a clutch of two to four, six is occasionally seen. They are deaf and blind until the fourth day when their eyes and ears open, they start to crawl immediately after then. Kits will start to walk anywhere up to seven days later. By twenty-one days old, they are weaned and fully eating regular food. At sixty days the parents or mother will present them to the pride, where they will be introduced to their pride leaders. By ninety days the kit's eye and fur coloring have undergone several changes. It should have settled into what is readily accepted as the standard of a Turquall. Then they move from their mother’s nest.
‘Thank you.’ Heather said. ‘Madam Peyton, Kate needs to know this.’
Peyton grinned even though no one could see it. ‘She does, I have sent it to her. She and her people are standing by.’
‘Oh!’
Peyton asked Fanharr. ‘What if the coloring is not standard, what happens then?’
The parents or mother can shun them if she is by herself. Not all parents and Prides reject the abnormal, but sadly more do than do not.
Rave, the brother of Rage told her and it was not hard to hear the sadness in his voice. We gather the kits and bring them to our Pride, if we find them early enough.
‘I do not like the sound of that.’ Darby said. ‘The Star Daughter will make sure that we try to save as many as we can.’
It was easy to hear the skepticism in his voice as he asked. You can promise this, Lady Darby?
‘Oh yes, do not fret, Rave. We will save the Turquall.’
‘Darby.’ Peyton said softly. ‘You cannot guarantee that.’
‘Madam Peyton, I know I cannot but you can and will. This is one reason we are here in this Universe. You told us that, and the Star Child showed us that. Just scare the crap out of them, and if that doesn’t work, ask the Star Child to help. They like us and I am sure they do not like what is happening here.’
We do not gentle Darby, sister of our daughter’s heart. We will endeavor to see as many amazing Turquall as we can find, reach our Daughter.
Amazing! The Turqualls said together.
Trina smiled as she said quietly. ‘See Rave, even the Star Child likes your race.’
We are indebted.
Darby smiled shyly. ‘Please do not be, you should just come home with us. We will really like that.’
We will, our Pride Leader has said so.
‘Oh yeah, he did.’
Fanharr told Peyton. Rave trains our kits. They like and trust him, they know he will always protect them as he protects us all.
Peyton did not have time to answer as the tunnel they had been walking opened up into an enormous cave. Immediately her attention was on the numerous openings in the walls. They seemed to be connecting tunnels that went to what she presumed would be nests or small caves. In truth it wasn’t the tunnel openings themselves that grabbed their attention, it was more the well-used stone platforms or balconies, which were full of Turquall.
There was very little lighting making the cavern feel oppressive, the floor was worn smooth from many yentas of use. Melody wondered how many feet had passed over the stones to wear them so smooth. The cave was uncomfortably warm and humid, there seemed to be little ventilation. A large bowl shaped from rock sat in a corner with what looked like a bubbling a spring in the center. Obviously this was their drinking water and added to the humidity of the cavern.
Rage stated. Welcome to our nest.
Peyton and the others stopped just inside the entrance and bowed as they all said as one. ‘We thank you for your hospitality.’
Rage let out a growl, it was long and low and seemed to flow up through the soles of their shoes. Suddenly hundreds of Turqualls came out of all the openings and tunnels. Darby drew in a breath when they saw so many multi-colored Turquall.
Some had loose skin that hung from bones, they were so malnourished and others looked worn and unwell. The kits that hesitantly came forward were underfed, and had dull, lank fur, signaling ill health. None would raise their heads, but Heather bet their eyes would hold nothing but hopelessness. Her heart cracked as she sucked back a sob, saying what they were all feeling. ‘Oh my stars Peyton, this is not right.’
Huskily Peyton agreed. ‘I know give me a min… I need just a min.’ The cavern shook causing dust to tremble in the air.
Melody quickly stood in front of Peyton and looked deep into her burning eyes. ‘Listen to me, you will hold it together. This is no fault of yours or ours. It is a travesty which has been established long before we arrived here. Now sister of mine, it is our time to bring change, and I believe we can do so. But not if you lose it and let lose your anger. Stay calm and be our Peyton. Show these wonderful people how graceful you can be. Or am I wrong, are you just all brawn and no brain?’
Peyton sucked down the anger and grimaced as she assured her she was not wrong. ‘No, you are not wrong. I have this and thank you.’
Melody nodded seeing the flames leave her eyes. ‘Good, now let’s get busy.’
Peyton once again looked at the hundreds of Turqualls, she had known Rage, Fanharr and Rave were thin, not skin and bone but close. It was easy to see the other Turquall had worn their lives hard. Despair and hopelessness hung heavy in the air, choking the breath in her and her people’s throats.
Unable to bear it any longer, Heather demanded. ‘Now… We get them out now, this is intolerable.’
‘Yes Heather.’ Peyton’s face hardened as the words fell from her lips like blocks of ice as she told the waiting Turquall. ‘I am appalled this has been allowed to happen to you. The ones in power have been remiss to lessen your value because you do not conform to their ideal. My people and I find this is outrageous.’ She took in a shuddering breath, trying to regain her balance as the ground moved once more.
; Hawk queried. ‘Madam.’
‘I am alright, just disappointed and saddened.’
‘Understandable, this is not at all what I expected.’ He looked out over the cavern and muttered. ‘They should be ashamed.’
Peyton nodded and quietly replied. ‘They should be, and I will show them how to be.’ Then in a louder voice she said. ‘Alright, I think it is time we did what we came here for and left this place.’ She asked Rage. ‘Where can our shuttles land?’
Rage motioned to a female who slowly walked closer. She was noticeably older than Fanharr. Respectfully, he said. Star Daughter, this is Citri. She will take your Warriors to a safe place not far from here. Where your shuttles may land, I would ask, if it is possible, for her to go in the first shuttle.
Peyton looked around at the Turqualls who were still arriving, then asked the female. ‘Heather will make it possible. Greetings Citri, how far away is this place?’
Greetings, Beloved, it is forty kilto’s away.
‘I see, thank you dearle, but that will not do. I feel we have limited time to succeed in our plan and forty kiltos is far too great a distance. I believe time will not be our friend.’
Citri sighed, then agreed with her. That is probably so, Star Daughter.
Peyton reached over and smoothed the fur from the female’s face as she had done with Rage, she too stilled at her touch. Sweet Citri, your time is near, is it not?
Maybe so, Star Daughter, but it will not be here or now.
Peyton smiled at the older female. Maybe not at all, if I can persuade you to remain with us.
I thank you, Star Daughter. I realize it is in your nature to try. With that Citri wandered off and sat by the wall, she seemed very content.
Sadness gripped Peyton’s chest, but she sighed it away and turned toward the outside wall. Mind-sending to all the Turqualls she could see and feel in the caverns. I formally ask now, are all the Turqualls deemed rebels and Castque by the Ruling Pair and their Prides willing to leave Porquiel?