11 The Hunters (1/2)

When Richy wakes up the next morning, all six children, Talia's two nephews and his four little second cousins, are all on the rollaway mattresses on the floor sitting together, talking quietly and sharing information. The Water Tribe is as small as it was when it was first flown in from Hawaii nearly a century ago, but it was never a tribe with more than one or two guardians at a time. The last guardian before Fjord was his uncle, Chief Shark, who coincidentally died in the same rock slide as Talia's father. So the main example Richy's little second cousins have had for a guardian is Fjord.

Richy looks for what he thinks of as the internal switch for his guardian. He thinks of it like a dimmer switch. Not only can his guardian be turned off and on with it, but the intensity can be adjust with it as well, turned to maximum or set to minimum. Richy turns his guardian off as Otter calls the children for breakfast. Richy could maintain his guardian form indefinitely like any other guardian. Except the guardian form burns a lot of energy and he wants to eat with Talia.

”Do you want us to bring you something,” Beaver ask Richy as he pauses by the bedroom door.

”No thanks,” answers Richy. ”I'll come get something when Talia wakes up.” Beaver runs out after the other children. Richy watches Talia sleep for a couple of minutes. But the need to urinate makes him carefully slide out of bed so he doesn't wake Talia.

As he stands at the urinal relieving himself, he can still see Talia sleeping peacefully. Roar enters the bedroom carrying a tray of herbal tea steeping in a carafe style tea pot.

As he sets the tray of tea, honey, lemon and mixed nuts on the nightstand, Roar is staring at Talia still sleeping. Then he glances at Richy as he's urinating and is shocked by the size of what Richy is urinating with and exclaims, ”Mother Earth.”

Richy's brow furrow as he steps up to the sink to wash his hands and tells Roar, ”Shush, you'll wake Talia.”

It's not every day Roar sees a man as well-endowed as himself. And while Richy is tall and well built, he's still not as tall and broad as Roar, so that makes it look even bigger. He steps into the bathroom doorway and ask Richy in an outraged whisper, ”You put that inside my little sister?”

Richy shakes his head as he dries his hands and answers, ”Yeah, and she likes it… But I kind of wish I had known she was a virgin our first time. Not that I have a clue how to deflower one painlessly. I always avoided females with little or no experience.”

”So you were a ladies man before you met Talia,” says Roar as he watches Richy organize what he needs to change Talia's bandage.

”And I suppose you weren't before Zenith…,” responds Richy. ”I never tried to be a ladies' man. I spent the last few years before I met Talia celibate. I guess you could say I never enjoyed the game. I wanted something more, something special, something that meant something.”

Richy pulls the chair up next to Talia's bedside and sits. He carefully pulls aside enough sheet to have access to the soiled bandage. Then he carefully picks at the tape and manages to remove the bandage without waking Talia. He applies a generous amount of antibiotic ointment to the fresh bandage to keep it from sticking to the wound and tapes it in place without waking Talia.

Roar whispers, ”She doesn't usually sleep so late.”

”She'll wake soon to use the bathroom and eat,” says Richy as he throws away the soiled bandage. Then he steps into a pair of boxer-briefs, ”Then she'll go back to sleep for me.” He slips on a comfortable pair of sweat pants, ”Thanks for bringing the tea.”

Roar smiles with perfect straight bright white teeth even though he's never been to a dentist, ”Just an excuse to look in on my baby sister. I have to admit guiltily, that I had accepted she'd probably never have a mate. And the thought that she may have a true-mate in the world somewhere never crossed my mind. What kind of big brother am I to not have hope for her to find someone that would love her like she deserves… to let our own people shun her like a criminal just because they don't understand her?”

Richy clasp a hand onto one of Roar's broad shoulders. ”I think you love your sister very much and you love your people too. You spent a lot of time with your heart torn in two. But sometimes if you're patient enough, some problems solve themselves. I think you're a patient brother and a patient leader. No sense in feeling guilty over things you could not control.”

Roar nods thoughtfully, ”We'll keep the children outside during the day. They understand she needs rest, but they all insist on sleeping in here at night.”

”That's fine,” responds Richy pouring two cups of tea as Talia begins to stir.

Then Talia's black orbs blink open and focus on Roar and Richy. She tells them, ”Let me guess, I'm the last one to wake up again.”

Roar smiles. ”I'll run down to the kitchen and get you two breakfast.” And Roar leaves the bedroom.

Richy helps Talia up from the bed, but she walks to the bathroom on her own. After relieving herself, she stands at the sink washing her hands and face and brushing her teeth. Then she ask Richy, ”Could you find me a t-shirt or something, please?”

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”I kind of like you naked,” responds Richy from the bathroom doorway.

Talia spits toothpaste in the sink. ”If it was just the two of us in the house, I wouldn't mind. But we have a house full of people including my domesticated Uncle Bob.”

”I'll find you something,” Richy assures.

”Preferably something that's also comfortable to sleep in,” Talia calls after Richy.

Richy can see that pretty much everybody is outside as he walks past the sliding glass doors on his way to the kitchen where he finds his Aunt Seal and his cousin Otter helping Roar put together a breakfast tray for him and Talia.

”Talia's asking for something to wear that'll also be comfortable to sleep in,” Richy tells his aunt and cousin.

”What's wrong with being naked,” ask Roar.

Richy shrugs, ”Lots of people around and she already feels vulnerable… I'm not one to do much going about naked either when there's lots of people around.”

”Otter,” Seal recalling an outfit she has, ”go up to our room and get that stretchy skirt and top you never wear.”

Otter doesn't hesitate and rushes up the back stairs to their room over the garage. She's only up there for barely a minute, then she's right back down to the kitchen.

”Here,” Otter hands the two piece outfit to Richy, ”it's a tube skirt with matching tube top. It's made out of stretchy material that makes it hold tight without being binding. I traded for it because I like the color.”

”Thank you,” responds Richy gratefully. He test the stretchiness of the purple material as he heads out of the kitchen. He finds Talia looking out one of his bedroom windows.

”Try these,” Richy tells Talia as he decides the longer of the two items must be the skirt. He gets down on one knee by Talia and she steps into the skirt for him. It slides up easily hugging Talia's curves and holding itself in place. Then there's the top to deal with. The wound is preventing full range of motion for Talia's left arm. So, Richy slides it under and over Talia's left arm first. Then pulls it over her head and she pushes her right arm up and out as Richy slides the top down over her breasts.

”How does it feel,” ask Richy appreciating that the little outfit leaves the bandage uncovered as well as the way it hugs Talia's curves. She almost looks like she's on her way to a club for dancing.

”Comfortable,” answers Talia as she adjust the outfit a little here and there. ”Almost as good as being naked.”

”I was fine with you naked,” states Richy. Then he gives her a slow deep kiss.

”Breakfast,” Roar announces carrying in the tray of food.

Richy sets up the stand and Roar sits down the tray. Roar then hugs Talia and kisses her forehead, ”You're looking much better.”

”I slept like a rock,” shares Talia as she sits on the edge of the bed.

Richy sits next to her. ”Well, let's get you fed so you can go back to sleeping like a rock.”

Talia rolls her black orbs and sighs, ”Fine,” as Richy makes her a plate: scrambled eggs with diced peppers, tomato and onion, a slice of whole wheat toast, two links of his aunt's deer sausage and sliced strawberries.

”I'll be outside with everyone else,” says Roar heading for the door, ”Cougar, Wildcat and I have decided you need a picnic table and Uncle Bob's going to help.”

”Uncle Bob,” says Talia around a mouth full of egg with her eyebrows raised to the ceiling. ”I've never even seen the man hold a hammer.”

Roar's eyes are twinkling with amusement as he assures Talia, ”He'll be fine. We're gonna have fun,” and he leaves the room grinning happily.

Richy is just as amused as Roar by Talia's worried concern for Uncle Bob. Just because she's never seen the man hold a hammer, doesn't mean he never has. Richy's sure that's not the case because most men pride themselves in having some knowledge of tools and being able to fix some things around the home, even domesticated men. So Richy's sure Uncle Bob has held a hammer before. But to put Talia at ease he tells Talia, ”Eat up and sleep for me, and I'll go make sure Uncle Bob doesn't lose a finger.”

Talia stops chewing and gives Richy a hard stare. She swallows her food. ”That's not funny.”

”Uncle Bob losing a finger wouldn't be funny,” Richy agrees smiling on the edge of a laugh. ”But even if by some miracle the man has never held a hammer before, they're not going to let him get hurt.”

Talia concedes, ”I know… I just wish I could help. I love wood working, and you have a lot of cool tools in the garage.”

Richy kisses her forehead, her cheek and then her mouth. ”Then eat, sleep and heal so you can get in on the next project.” He takes a bite of egg and sausage he wrapped in a piece of whole wheat toast.

Talia nods her agreement and does as instructed. She eats heartily and after a quick trip to the bathroom goes to sleep. Richy then trades the comfortable around the house sweat pants for a pair of old sturdy jeans with lots of pockets for tucking tools into. He leans over his sleeping Talia and kisses her lovely neck. Then he gently scent marks her shoulder with his jaw. He'ld love to bury himself deep in the feminine warmth of her body, but knows with the wound, and even with him holding her still, that he wore her out last night. So he's going to be a good boy today; even though, she would gladly let him be bad and enjoy every nanosecond.

Richy joins the other men to find them organizing wood he stashed away in the shed for a projects like this. Every time he comes across a fallen or dead tree, he collects it. Small branches and limbs get put into the burning pile for use in the cooking pit or fireplaces. The trunk and good sized limbs get stored in the shed for later use.

”So what are we up to,” Richy ask the other men.

Wildcat informs Richy, ”We've decided on two picnic tables.”

”A kids' table,” supplies Bass.

”And an adult table,” supplies Cougar.

”Uncle Bob has drawn up plans for us,” Roar informs Richy.

Uncle Bob hands over his sketches to Richy and asks, ”What do you think?”

Richy nods approvingly as he looks at the sketches, ”These are excellent Uncle Bob. I think you may have missed your calling.”

”This one is for the children,” Uncle Bob points out, ”and this one is for the adults.”

”I like the way the corners are rounded off for the kids,” shares Richy, ”and the fact that it's all one unit. No separate benches for them to tip over on. And this raised dais in the center of each table for ketchup, mustard and stuff is a cool feature. Maybe we can find a way to make the one on the adult table rotate.”

All the men's faces light up. They like the rotation idea.

”You know that woman sleeping in my bed,” says Richy smiling humorously, ”has never seen you with a hammer in your hand Uncle Bob. She's actually worried that you might get a splinter.”

Roar puts an arm around Uncle Bob's shoulder and tells him jokingly, ”You can't get a splinter.”

”No splinters,” throws in Wildcat.

”What happens if he gets a splinter,” asks Bass as if this is a serious issue.

”The woman in Richy's bed is what'll happen,” answers Cougar, ”and we don't want that.”

”That would be bad,” says Wildcat scanning the other men's faces.

”Very bad,” adds Roar.

”What'll she do if he gets a splinter,” ask Bass.

”Unspeakable horror,” answers Cougar.

”Unspeakable,” repeats Uncle Bob shaking his head vigorously.

Richy tells them, ”She's up there in my bed looking beautiful and lovely like she couldn't hurt a fly, but don't be fooled men.”

Cougar raises his hand, ”Sorry, I'm already a fool.”

”It's ok,” Richy tells Cougar, ”you're excused. But the rest of you men stay sharp. Uncle Bob, if you get a splinter, no bleeding.”

”No bleeding,” Uncle Bob nods giving the thumbs up.

”Not a drop,” Richy stresses, ”because if she smells it, she'll punish us all…”

”All of us,” says Cougar ominously.

”Now men,” Richy puts his hand out and the others lay a hand on, ”let's build us some picnic tables.”

The women glance over at the barking men.

”What are they up to,” ask Amazonia helping peel potatoes, something that one of her male consorts would usually be doing. In the Amazon Tribe, the women are still usually taller than the men, and the cooking, cleaning and child care, except for nursing babies, is done by the men.

Otter tells Amazonia, ”Just releasing some stress. Looks like they found themselves a project.”

”Good,” says Seal, ”it'll keep them busy. If we get lucky, the boys will take an interest in whatever the men are up to and it'll keep them out of mischief.”

A couple of hours later, lunch is roasting in the fire pit and Richy checks on Talia, who's sleeping peacefully. He rejoins the men outside. They're making excellent progress on the children's picnic table. They expect to have it finished by lunch time. They have the pieces for the children's picnic table cut and predrilled and are carefully sanding the pieces. Can't have the children getting splinters in their bums.

A squabble breaks out between the three youngest children, an argument over whose turn it is for the board game they're playing. The adults won't interfere unless it looks like it's going to get physical. Plus, if it looks like it's going to get physical, the three older children will intervene.

Shell is not happy with the solution Clam and Talon have come up with. She thinks the two boys are cheating. So she grabs the game pieces and runs with them. Clam and Talon chase after her, but she manages to elude the two boys. And Shell forgets that they're supposed to stay outside except for trips to the bathroom, and that they're to use the downstairs bathroom so they don't disturb Aunt Talia while she's resting. Shell just knows Aunt Talia will listen to her. She slams the sliding glass door open and dashes upstairs with Clam and Talon not far behind her.

Talon yells, ”Not upstairs!”

But Shell doesn't stop. She dashes into Richy's room and leaps onto the bed landing on Talia. Shell's little knee shoves deep into Talia's wound.

Talia had been in a deep dead sleep. She just barely registers that the sudden and excruciating pain is caused by Shell. And manages to keep from lashing out violently at Shell.

Squirrel and Otter rush in after the three young children, but it's too late.

Otter grabs Shell off the bed as she ask, ”Shell, what did you do?”

”She jumped on Aunt Tali,” answers Talon.

Richy comes in just expecting to shoo the kids back outside with Squirrel and Otter with a reminder that they need to let Aunt Talia rest so she can heal. But Otter shouting tells Richy that something is very wrong. He rushes up the steps and the scent of Talia's pain hits him before he's even in the room. He steps into his bedroom to see Talia's body bowed on the bed with pain. He attempts to make eye contact with Talia, but her eyes are glazed and staring at the wall behind her. Her mouth is open in a silent scream, but she's not breathing.

”Tali… Baby, can you hear me,” ask Richy ready to panic. He orders, ”Get Cougar!”

The two boys run out of the room. A minute later, Cougar runs into the room followed by the other men. The first thing Cougar notices is the sheet pushed into the wound and he carefully pulls it out. Then as he's carefully pulling the bandage out of the wound, Talia's skin ripples as her body vibrates.

Richy informs Cougar startled, ”Her eyes just turned white and her lips are starting to turn blue.”

Before Cougar can take a look at Talia's eyes, her claws lengthen and punch holes onto the mattress and sheet below her as her face and ears reshape themselves. Her tail spills out beneath the tube skirt and she becomes at least a head taller as her feet lengthen and shape into a cat-like hind paws.

Talia-guardian collapses back down onto the bed unconscious. Her chest rises slowly and the lips in the reshaped face become a healthy vibrant dark pink again, Cougar lifts an eyelid to find a completely white orb. He asks his father, Wildcat, ”Dad, have you ever seen anything like this?”

Wildcat looks closely at Talia's white orbs and shakes his head no as he answers, ”Never. Her scent's changed too… She smells less human, more… like a big cat.”

”What do you think's happening,” Roar ask Wildcat worried.

Uncle Bob shares, ”Talia told me something about wounds affecting control over the gift.”

Wildcat nods, ”And I think that's just what happened. I think the pain was so intense that the gift took over. It's not going to allow her to spend any more time than necessary in this vulnerable state. But when she wakes up like this, there may not be much of the Talia we know present. We have to keep the children out of here until she comes down from this state. She may be very dangerous until she's herself again. One child has already caught her off guard. She won't let it happen again. Squirrel, Otter, get them kids out of here and keep them out.”

”Come on children,” Aunt Seal commands, ”All of you out.” Squirrel and Otter help Seal usher all of the children out of the room. Angel leaves the room, takes a dining chair and sits outside the bedroom door.

”Fresh blood,” says Cougar unhappily as he carefully recleans the wound.

Talia's white orbs pop open and focus on Cougar. She starts to emit a low warning growl and Richy's arm comes across her chest. He tells her softly, ”Its ok. It's just Cougar. Let him clean and rebandage the wound.”

The growl stops. But Talia's eyes don't leave Cougar until he steps away. Then those strange white orbs scan the room.

”Talia,” questions Richy.

She looks at him, but doesn't answer. She snuggles closer to him, closes her eyes and goes to sleep. Richy looks at Wildcat hoping for an explanation.

Wildcat shrugs, ”All I can do is speculate. Richy, you're her mate. She seems to recognize that and associates it with safety. Right now, I assume how she's perceiving us is very basic: mate, relative, non-relative. Anyone who falls into the non-relative category will likely be seen as a potential threat. I recommend anyone that falls into that category stay out of the room unless accompanied by Richy or a close relative like Roar.”

The phone rings, Richy's direct line for the peace office. Richy answers it unhappily, ”Someone better be dead or dying, because I really don't have time for anything petty.”

Margie sighs unhappily, ”I'm sorry, Richy. Talia not doing well today?”

”Not exactly,” answers Richy.

”Well, there are three men here claiming they were just camping yesterday when a big crazy wild man invaded their camp babbling about his little sister being shot and threatened them.”

Richy looks at Roar, ”There are three men at my peace station who are complaining about a big wild man threatening them over his shot sister when they were only camping.”

”Camping my ass,” says Roar.

”You should both go,” Zenith tells Roar and Richy. ”I'll stay here with her until you get back. I'm Roar's mate. She'll accept my presence.

”I'll stay too,” Uncle Bob firm.

”But you're domesticated,” says Wildcat unsure, ”I don't know that she'll recognize you as a relative.”

”I'm her uncle,” states Uncle Bob positively. ”She'ld never harm me.”

Roar looks at Richy, ”I'll come with you.”

”Margie,” says Richy calmly, ”tell our guests that I'm on my way.”

”Yes sir,” responds Margie and she hangs up.

Richy steps into his closet to throw on a uniform. ”Roar, do you have any pants? Like some jeans?”

”Yeah,” answers Roar, ”I brought a pair with me. But I only usually wear them during cooler weather.”

”Throw 'em on,” Richy tells Roar, ”for appearances sake.”