Ghosts pt 5

Ghosts (pt 5)

After Kel had spoken to Leteetza she went back to the cosy chamber in the Korijin enclave to find the new family cuddled up asleep together under the furs, the baby tucked safely between his parents. Zorun, unsurprisingly, stirred awake when Kel came into the room, instinctively alert for any threat to his mate and cub.
       *We should leave.* Kel *spoke* brusquely to him. The big male growled, quietly, so as not to wake his mate and cub.
      Kelapa scowled.
      *Don't tell me this fucking planet's not making you feel like shit.*
      Zorun nodded, a small, reluctant gesture, his eyes hard and dark. Just then Mahrayne blinked and yawned sleepily.
      "Kel." The Hassinan's low voice was so full of love and happiness it made the Saiyan's heart turn over. "We're going to call him Kinu." She reached behind her and pulled back the furs. "Rest with us?"
      Kelapa hesitated, she and Zorun really did need to get off-planet soon, but - a couple more hours probably wouldn't make that big a difference. Mahrayne sighed happily when Kel snuggled in to her back, falling asleep again as the Saiyan's tail wrapped around her waist.

A couple of hours later, at Kinu's plaintive wail, both of the Saiyans woke up gritty-eyed and headachy. Mahrayne was already responding to her child, talking to him softly in the throaty Hassinan language as she put him to her breast. Pirum stuck her head around the heavy felt curtain covering the entrance to the chamber.
      "Good timing, Pirum." Mahrayne smiled at her little sister.
      Pirum sniffed. "I've been here all the time only Tzegh - " she pouted, " - wouldn't let me come in until the baby was awake."
      Mahrayne patted the bed with her free hand.
       "He's awake now, you can come in."
      Pirum bounced up on to the bed, happily wriggling herself between Mahrayne and Kelapa. She gazed adoringly at the baby in her sister's arms.
       "He's so beautiful," Pirum said wistfully. "I hope my babies will be beautiful."
      Mahrayne smiled.
      "They couldn't fail to be, sinam."
      Pirum stroked a finger lightly over Kinu's tail where he'd wrapped it firmly around his mother's forearm.
      "His tail is so cute! I'd like my babies to have tails."
       "But your mate will be a Hassinan - "
      Pirum, pouting, cut her sister off.
       "Rursus already has females, he doesn’t need me. Who says I can't have a Saiyan male, like you?"
      Mahrayne blinked, at a loss for words; beside her, Kel was sniggering quietly.
       "Well, that's something to consider in the future, sinam," Mahrayne said somewhat lamely.
       Zorun stroked his son's long, silver mane.
      "We have to go," he said reluctantly to Mahrayne, who looked at him guiltily - she'd forgotten about Hassina's effect on Saiyans.
       "How are you feeling?" she included Kelapa in her question.
       "Not too bad at the moment," Kel grimaced, "but much longer and it'll get really fucking uncomfortable."
      Mahrayne nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "But you'll be able to come back soon, yes?"
       "Yes." Zorun said firmly. "Very soon." He cupped Mahrayne's face in a large hand, and kissed her. "You'll be staying here."
      Mahrayne frowned slightly - was that a question, or an order?
       "I'm going back to the females' quarters, for a little while at least," she amended hastily at her mate's deep scowl. "There are people I'd like to introduce Kinu to, and I want to contact Chumie and Testa."
      "Hn. Very well, but you're not going on your own."
       "Dignusia and Peruro will –"
       "Not them," Zorun rumbled, "a Korijin."
       "What?!" Mahrayne protested loud enough to disturb Kinu's feeding. "A Korijin can't go into the females' quarters…"
       "Then you're staying here."
      "We are not in any danger there…"
       "You will have an escort or you will stay here until we can come back down and Kelapa can accompany you." Zorun's tone was finality incarnate. Mahrayne scowled.
       "How long will that be?"
      Zorun and Kel glanced at each other.
      "At least half a day."
      Mahrayne pouted, caught between not wanting to disrupt her people and wanting to show off her child now.
       "Can I at least have a female Korijin?"
      "Of course." Zorun said generously, either ignoring or not catching his mate's sarcasm.
       "You don't want to wait for me?" Kelapa asked, a little hurt. "It'll give you a chance to rest as well."
       Mahrayne was undecided. She was tired, and a rest and a long bath for Kinu and herself would certainly do no harm... She chewed her bottom lip in indecision, giggling when Zorun and Kel's fingers almost collided as they both reached to check her nervous habit.
       "All right," she sighed, "I'll wait for you."
       "Ooh!" Pirum's eyes lit up. "Does that mean I can stay here too?"
       "That's an excellent idea, sinam." Mahrayne pointedly didn't include the Saiyans in the decision.

Kelapa and Zorun had left after Kinu had finished feeding, Zorun tenderly cuddling his drowsy son before kissing Mahrayne goodbye. Kel brushed a soft kiss over her cheek - Mahrayne frowned slightly, the warrior hadn't kissed her properly since she'd come back to the suite…
       Vinas arrived shortly after the Saiyans had left, wanting to examine Kinu. Mahrayne let him but watched the biotech like a worra, growling threateningly at him when he took a sample of Kinu's blood, making the child cry. Vinas apologised quickly, if absently - he was already absorbed in the readings he was getting from the hand-held medical scanner he was holding to Kinu's forehead.
       "Interesting." the alien muttered to himself. "The child's ki is unchanged; he might have immunity to the planet's ki-draining properties. Though his ki is significantly lower than his sire's, it might just take longer for him to be affected."
      Mahrayne's eyes widened apprehensively; she hadn't thought about that. If Kinu, with his Saiyan heritage, was going to be adversely affected by being on Hassina, then she'd have to get him off-planet quickly, mourning or no mourning.
      Pirum had watched the proceedings with intense interest, peering over the bio-tech's forearm at the scanner's read-out.
       "That's the reading you took after Kinu was born?" she asked, pointing to a section of the small screen. Vinas raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "And this is the reading you just took?" Vinas nodded again. Pirum's silver eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. "Why is this bit different?" The young female was indicating another part of the screen. Vinas looked surprised, but he gave the child an explanation. Well, Mahrayne assumed it was an explanation, it was all gibberish to her - something to do with… blood?
       "Oh, I know, I remember!" Pirum was excited, "Nearts explained that to me!"
       "Who is Nearts?" Mahrayne asked at the same time Vinas asked Pirum when she'd spoken to his colleague. Pirum's expression slid from one of open enthusiasm to a certain slyness that her elder sister knew all to well.
       "Pirum?"
       "But, 'rayne," Pirum whined defensively, "the Feeodorean's have got such interesting things in their enclave, and they're always willing to talk to me. I'm learning such a lot!"
       "Does Olla know?" Mahrayne switched to Hassinan, no need for the alien bio-tech to be privy to this conversation. "Does anyone know you go there?"
      Pirum looked decidedly shifty. Mahrayne shook her head despairingly.
       "You must tell people where you are! How would it be if something happened and we couldn't find you?"
       "I'm sorry." Pirum mumbled, hanging her head contritely. Mahrayne wasn't fooled.
       "You will tell your mother where you go." the elder Hassinan ordered, "Or tell Nonnia, but tell someone."
       "Yes, Mahrayne."
      Mahrayne pursed her lips. "You're not making a nuisance of yourself with the Feeodoreans are you?"
      Pirum shook her head vigorously. "No! In fact Nearts and Galias have been teaching me."
       "Teaching you what?"
      Mahrayne managed not to gape as her youngest sister rattled off a list of nigh-incomprehensible subjects, certainly subjects that Mahrayne didn't have a clue about.
       "And you're happy learning these sort of things?" Mahrayne asked doubtfully.
      Pirum nodded, her silver eyes shining.
       "Well, all right. I can't see a problem with you continuing your 'lessons' there, as long as you're not making a nuisance of yourself, and your mother says you can."
      Privately, Mahrayne knew Olla's compliance was no obstacle for Pirum, the child could talk just about anybody into anything when she truly wanted something. And all Olla wanted was a quiet life, even if she wasn't happy with Pirum going to the Feed's she'd say 'yes' just to stop the nagging.

Vinas had only just left when Tzegh came into the chamber, carrying a covered dish on a tray.
       "Hungry?" she asked the Hassinan females. Pirum nodded enthusiastically and Mahrayne grinned; she was hungry, hungrier than she could remember being for quite a while.
       "Have you decided on a name for your cub?" Tzegh asked as Mahrayne settled him in her lap.
       "We'd like to call him Kinu," she said, glancing shyly at the Korijin. "If that's all right?"
       Tzegh was astonished, then delighted, breaking in to a ferocious smile.
       "Kinu, eh?" She gently stroked his cheek with the back of one of her claws. "I don't think that will be a problem so long as he knows, you tell him - " Tzegh said with mock severity, " - where his name comes from and what it means."
       "It will be the very first story he hears." Mahrayne avowed, her eyes shining.

And it was. After she'd eaten her fill, Mahrayne lay down with her child and Pirum, with Tzegh sitting comfortably at the end of the bed, and told Kinu - in Korijin - the story of the Korijin warrior-explorer he was named for.
      Tzegh was visibly moved by Mahrayne's retelling of the ancient tale.
      "You should come to Kori one year," the lead female said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "and enter the story telling competitions. You're sure to win, I could make a fortune betting on you."
      "I would like to visit Kori." Mahrayne said softly.
      "You'll always be welcome," Tzegh petted her thick white hair, then stood up and stretched. "But I must go, I've got a stack of paperwork this high!" She indicated a point in front of her broad, muzzle-like nose.
      "Thank you for bringing the food," Mahrayne smiled up at the Korijin, "and the hospitality."
      Tzegh waved a hand dismissively.
      "You just win one of the competitions and we'll call it even!" She pulled back her upper lip in amusement, and left.

Mahrayne had slept then, along with Pirum and Kinu, waking again when, predictably, her son wanted to feed. Afterwards, the three of them had headed down to the bath room - and Mahrayne was disturbed at how long the short journey had taken her. It hurt to walk and Kinu was very heavy, his weight dragging the sling down across her shoulder. Mahrayne relaxed back into the bath; the hot water stung her still tender groin, but the heat was going a long way towards soothing the residual aches and pains.
       Kinu enjoyed being in the water, that much was obvious by the happy noises he made as his mother gently swished the hot bath water over him. The cub kicked his legs, making small splashes and Mahrayne marvelled at her little son, not yet a day old and already he was more coordinated than Hassinan children several seasons older than him. Pirum took great delight in tickling the baby's tummy, giggling when he wriggled and squealed noisily.
       Asond diffidently entered the bath room.
       "Mahrayne? I have a message for you."
      The Hassinan looked up from her rapt absorption with her child.
       "Yes?"
       "Your brother - Malum? - will be leaving on a hunt shortly. He was wondering if he could see you and your cub before he goes?"
      Mahrayne considered. "I was going to wait for Zorun and Kelapa to come back before I went to the female's quarters -"
       "I can accompany you if you like?"
      It would be a shame to miss Malum, Mahrayne thought, and given how long a hunt could go for she might not be here when he got back. Mahrayne beamed at the female.
      "Thank you. I accept."

Asond helped Mahrayne out of the bath, then gently held Kinu - who stared up in fascination at the grey-furred female - while his mother got dried and dressed.

Malum was waiting for them in the meeting area between the female's quarters and the administration zone. Her brother was dressed for the hunt, wearing heavy fur-lined boots, and stout leather clothing over softer, felted undergarments. His long, pale-gold hair was banded back out of the way, and if he was wearing any jewellery it wasn't visible. The male was surprised to see Asond, but he bowed his head politely to the alien before turning his attention to his sister - or rather, sisters: Pirum hadn't wanted to be left behind.
       Malum clasped Mahrayne's shoulder lightly, beaming delightedly at her.
       "I am so happy for you, 'rayne. Can I see him?"
      Mahrayne grinned and removed her sleeping child from the cloth sling that held him securely against her body. Malum gently took Kinu from his sister and cuddled him, stroking the cub's spiky mane. "I'm looking forward to being a father."
      "May I give you some advice, Malum?" Mahrayne asked her brother. The male tore his gaze away from the child, and nodded. "Spend as much time as you can with your children. Let them know you, even the females."
      Malum nodded thoughtfully, then sighed.

"I have to go." Regretfully, he handed Kinu back to his mother, but not before he'd softly rubbed his beaded cheek against the cub's mane. "Thank you for coming to see me."
       "My pleasure."
       As she watched her brother leave, an almost overwhelming concern for him swept over Mahrayne: it felt as if she was never going to see him again...
       "Please be careful, Malum." she called after him.
      Malum waved confidently at her, then disappeared through the doorway that led to the males' quarters.

Mahrayne glanced over at the doorway that led to the females' quarters.
       "I'm here now, I may as well go in." she said contemplatively, then looked up at Asond. "You don't have to come in with me, we're in no danger there."
       "Your mate – your mates - will kill me if they knew I let you go in there unescorted."
      "They won't." Mahrayne smiled.
       "They will." Asond insisted. "Mahrayne, you just don't understand Saiyans."
       "I promise we won't be long, Asond. You can wait for us here, yes?"
       "No."
      Mahrayne sighed, settling Kinu comfortably in the sling. "Oh, very well."
      Asond's upper lip curled back in disgust however, when Mahrayne held the heavy felt curtain open for her.
       "Gods, Mahrayne, do your people have no sense of smell?"
       "What?" The Hassinan was mystified.
       "The rest of the planet smells bad enough, but in there is ten times worse!"
       "Ah." Mahrayne remembered now that Asond, as part of the administration staff, had rarely left the Korijin enclave, and in there they had methods of heating other than burning the combustible rocks, which, admittedly, were less than fragrant. The Korijin also used air filters of some description in their quarters - there were none here…
      "Are you sure you want to come in with us?" Mahrayne solicitously asked the huge female. Asond looked uncomfortable.
       "You won't be long?"
       "We won't."
       "All right, I'll wait here for you."

Mahrayne became - uneasy, as she and Pirum walked through the settlement towards Astolan's household. She couldn't pin it down exactly, but Mahrayne felt vulnerable here, exposed - maybe she should have waited for Kel.
No, she was just being silly - she told herself firmly - there was no threat to her or her child here.

Nonnia, still in her mourning drab, was startled but pleased to see Mahrayne, as was the rest of the household that were there, crowding round her eager to see her child.
"It's good that you're here, Mahrayne," Nonnia hugged her terteria, "they're dancing for you. Can you hear it?"
Mahrayne nodded, her eyes brimming with joyful, humbled tears. The Household was celebrating the birth of her child - it was the most public display of acceptance she could ever have from her people.

Reclining comfortably on a pile of colourful cushions at the 'high point', the place of honour, in the central meeting chamber, Mahrayne - with Pirum snuggled in happily at her side - watched the swirling dance. Kinu watched as well, wide-eyed, his gaze fixed on the eddying colour and movement in front of him. Mahrayne had to laugh; the cub was so fascinated by the dancers he was neglecting to feed. Maybe he'd like to dance one day? She knew she'd love to teach him...
      To Mahrayne's delight, Nonnia had come with her to the celebration. Traditionally, mourners didn't leave their household, or interact with any one from outside of it until they'd finished mourning. The exception to this 'rule' of isolation was for birth celebrations, because, when it came down to it, it was better to dwell on a new life than death. But not every mourner felt that way, and often someone who was recently bereaved wouldn't participate in a celebration. Once again Mahrayne was struck by how much regard her tertera had for her if she was willing to effectively break her mourning for her.
       Not everyone from the Household was there, of course, there was still work to be done, but the turnout was sizeable nonetheless, and there were many people there that Mahrayne called friends.
      Mahrayne danced for a little while, slipping smoothly into the flow of the celebration, Kinu tucked securely in the sling, the movement soothing the cub back to sleep. But she wasn't able to dance for long. Grimacing slightly - how long was it going to take her to heal? - Mahrayne settled with a sigh back onto the cushions next to Nonnia.
       "Persicum will want to check on your and Kinu's progress." the older female said with a smile. Mahrayne nodded; the dance could happily continue without them for some time yet. Leaving Pirum asleep on the cushions, Mahrayne and Nonnia slipped out of the meeting chamber.

Kinu protested being woken up and unwrapped from his snug little nest while Persicum efficiently checked him over; the disgruntled child settled in Nonnia's arms though, while the teverdia examined his mother.
       "He's very heavy." Nonnia said, smiling down at the cub.
       "He takes after his father." Mahrayne smirked, trying not to wince as Persicum gently probed internally.
       "It must be said that Kinu is doing a lot better than you, Mahrayne," Persicum said thoughtfully after she'd finished. "You're going to have to take it easy for a while."
       "For how long?" Mahrayne was thinking about 'tiisaan's dance lessons, and dancing in general... and sex.
       "Until it stops hurting," Persicum laughed, then she sobered, looking seriously at the younger female. "You have taken a lot of damage from this birth, after a hard pregnancy. You must give yourself time to heal."
      Mahrayne nodded, sighing.
       "But it's worth it," Persicum grinned and kissed Mahrayne's cheek, "Kinu's fine and strong, and so beautiful!"
      Mahrayne chuckled, flushing with pleasure. She gently nuzzled her child's cheek when she reclaimed him from Nonnia.
       "I still can't quite believe he's mine." Mahrayne gazed lovingly at her cub while he cooed, awkwardly tangling small fists in her hair.
       "He's very advanced," Persicum mused, tickling Kinu under the chin. "No one would believe he was only born a short time ago."
       "Saiya-jin children mature extremely quickly," Mahrayne said, "they're already full grown by three of our years."
      Persicum's mouth fell open. "Three years?"
      Mahrayne nodded. "I don't think – I hope – that Kinu won't grow that quickly." She glanced at the teverdia. "Could I visit Pinguis?"
      It took Persicum a moment to catch up with the change of subject - she was still boggling over the astonishing piece of racial information Mahrayne had given her – then she smiled.
       "I think so. She seems to be mostly lucid at the moment, and I've told her about Kinu - she'd like to see him."

The ancient teverdia was asleep in her alcove within the healers' quarters, the brightly coloured curtains partially closed. Persicum peered in past the curtains, murmuring something, then she beckoned Mahrayne and Nonnia over. Persicum helped Pinguis to sit up, then she excused herself and went back to her work.
       "Hello, Pinguis" Mahrayne smiled warmly at the old female, "I've brought my baby to meet you."
      Pinguis's pale eyes brightened and she held out her arms for the child.
      "Born already? Time passes so quickly when you're not paying attention."
      The teverdia clucked and cooed over the baby, her face creasing up into a wide smile when she tickled him and he giggled.
       "What's this?" she said, stroking the child's soft, silver tail.
       "Kinu's father is an alien, a Saiyan – they have tails."
      Pinguis frowned. "Ah, yes, I remember now." She raised an eyebrow at the younger female. "Your mother isn't very happy with you."
      Mahrayne smiled uncertainly; had Pinguis forgotten that Tella was dead?
       "No she's not happy with me." Mahrayne agreed quietly.
      Pinguis patted her arm kindly. "I wouldn't worry about it, Mahrayne, your son is wonderful and I'm sure Tella will love him." Pinguis sighed and handed Kinu back to his mother. "Such a pity your sister isn't alive to see him."
      Mahrayne nodded, blinking back tears, Licium, her oldest, most loved sister had died in childbirth almost twenty years ago.
       "Yes, Licium would have loved him, no doubt."
      "No, not Licium," Pinguis lay down, wriggling herself comfortable on the furs, "the other one – your twin."
      Mahrayne blinked. Her twin? Oh that was rich, Pinguis was obviously slipping out of her lucid state. She glanced over at Nonnia, a wry smile quirking her lips, ready to share the joke with her tertera, only to freeze at the look on Nonnia's face. The female, both hands clapped over her mouth, had paled to the colour of ash, her eyes wide and horrified - she looked as if she was going to be sick.

Mahrayne experienced a tearing lurch deep inside, her eyes involuntarily squeezing shut against the sudden spear of pain behind her eyeballs...

... in her arms, unnoticed, Kinu whimpered and squirmed...

... on the transport in orbit above Hassina, Zorun and Kel were seated – backs to each other - at opposite ends of the small dining room. Abruptly, as one, they stiffened, rich brown and ebony tails fluffing out in alarm. Without a word they abandoned their meals and literally flew out of the canteen towards the air-lock, grimly unsurprised that the other was moving as well...

... Hijau jolted awake, staring wildly into the darkness, heart pounding. What the fuck…?

... 'tiisaan whimpered, his eyes flashing open, a sudden vision of gold dancing in his mind…

... Zha'zhasaan bolted upright, one hand gripping 'miiron's wrist tightly - then screamed…

Huggles to Joules for Hijau's, 'tiisaan's and 'zhasaan's reactions, and for her selfless guiding of me as I stumble about in her universe ...

Heh - hardly selfless! SelfISH is more like it, nit picking to make sure everything's consistent…. But thanks.

Fun, isn't it? >;-D