Teresa floats almost weightlessly in the large hot spring tub. Her head is reclined backward, eyes closed, arms resting on the tub's stone rim. A passerby might think her asleep. She is far from asleep. Thoughts of N-Vorl, P'taal, Mau-Nis, the other yautja hunters aboard the California, and Weyland Station Thirteen race through her crowded mind.

  After several moments, Dr. Boyd raises her head and drops both arms from the tub's rim. Using one hand to pull a hairband from her opposite wrist, Teresa ties up her hair. Surprise forces a gasp from her lips as bluish-white sparks erupt at the far end of the tub. Even knowing what--or who--it is, Dr. Boyd jumps slightly, bumping her back against the stone ledge. Elder Scar is upon Teresa in seconds, drawing her close.

  "Hello, My Love," Scar says in a deep whisper.

  He buries his face in the flesh of Teresa's neck, breathing in her clean scent. Teresa runs a hand through Scar's beaded braids. A sigh issues from her parted lips.

  "That wasn't funny. How did you get in here without Mifbon or Vor'ti noticing?"

  "You should know by now, Teresa. I have my ways."

  "Hmmm."

  Teresa allows Scar to pull her into a tender kiss. His hands glide over her back, paying special attention to the path of her spine. Teresa is secretly grateful she is not a human male. Halyiis has explained the adverse history between human males and their yautja male counterparts. Doesn't make for light-hearted reading.

  Separating his mouth from Teresa's, Scar massages the soft flesh of her stomach with one hand, while exploring with the other.

  "There is something I must ask of you, Teresa." Scar says.

  Teresa opens her eyes, meeting his amber gaze. Something about the tone of Scar's voice tells Teresa she may not like what is coming.

  "What?"

  "It is time that Vor'ti began thinking and acting like a yautja. He has learned enough of what it means to be ooman. I am taking out a team for a vildif beast hunt. I wish for Vor'taalnis to join us."

  "Oh. He's much too young, Elder...Um...Scar. A hunt? Really?" Teresa stammers.

  "One is never too young to learn. He will not be in any danger. He will be with me. The vildif on this planet are much tamer than those found elsewhere. He will be safe. I would not lie to you."

  Teresa considers rejecting the suggestion. However, Scar's arm wrapping around her waist distracts her from fiery thoughts. Dr. Boyd fixes her stern gaze on the yautja warrior's crafty face.

  "He will be safe with me," Elder Scar repeats. "Please...Trust me."

  "I do trust you. It's my own judgment I question," Teresa confesses.

  Scar places both hands at the nape of Teresa's neck. For only a brief moment, it is Lex's face Scar sees. Her full ooman lips, her gently sloping nose, and her soft brown eyes. All of it lovely. The next moment, it is again Teresa whose face he holds. Also beautiful.

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  "Don't. You are a good mother," Scar says.

  "Okay."

  "I think, Vor'ti will be happy. I have a special surprise for him. His own mask and shoulder caster. He will look every bit the part of his hunter kin."

  "Wait. You made Vor'ti a mask and a shoulder caster? How the hell did you do that?"

  Scar kisses Teresa behind the ear before whispering softly. Teresa chuckles as his hair tickles the flesh of her moist neck.

  "Very craftily," Scar whispers.

  With a laugh, Scar separates from Teresa and climbs out of the stone tub. Teresa places her hands on her hips and glowers playfully up at Scar. He studies her partial form from where he stands, enjoying the wet shine on her skin.

  "You have no need to worry. Vor'taalnis' caster does not function as mine does. It merely emits a beam of light rather than a burst of plasma. He will not shoot holes in your walls and ceiling. I will see you later, Teresa. When we have concluded our hunt."

  "Hmmm."

  -

  -

  "Are you sure that letting Vor'ti accompany the hunt is a good idea, Teresa?" Yau-tala says.

  The female settlement leader enters the small kitchen and crosses to where Dr. Boyd is packing a light meal for Vor'taalnis and his adult hunting companions. Teresa glances up from the y'ha root she is slicing and offers Yau-tala a tiny smile.

  "I don't know, Yau-tala. Scar's your father. Should I trust him? Or should I not?"

  "It's not about trusting my father. It's about Vor'ti. I worry he may try to impress my father. He may get hurt. He's not quite two cycles of a season old. He shouldn't be on a hunt. Not yet. Even I'm stumped as to why my father thought this was a good idea."

  "I think it has something to do with that incident with Ronnie. Elder Scar wants to be sure that Vor'ti can protect himself. I understand where he's coming from. I worry about Vor'taalnis too. I'm his mother. I have to believe that he'll be safe."

  Yau-tala peers at the food spread out on the table and snatches up a drask berry. A fruit which resembles a grape, with skin the texture of a strawberry, and a large seed like a plum pit. She stabs the fruit with a talon and bites into one side. Pink juice squirts out and Yau-tala stifles a childish giggle.

  "It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a drask berry. You must have gotten these from Halyiis' vineyard. He never shares his drask berries with anyone. Why did he decide to share them with you? Should father be jealous?"

  "Of course not," Teresa exclaims. "It's nothing like that. He offered them to me as payment for my work as an assistant archiver. And also, because he may now have a new vil'par."

  "A new vil'par? Halyiis? Who? We've had no new arrivals."

  "Not a new arrival. An old one. Mifbon."

  "Oh my. You mean...? That is interesting. I never knew Mifbon was fond of Halyiis. Or he, of her. Otherwise, I might have tried to play matchmaker as well. Teresa...Sometimes, you are too much."

  "Thank you," Teresa says, exaggerating her movements.

  Vor'taalnis wanders into the kitchen, followed by Mifbon, who is pushing the wooden stroller. Erilnis' round gray eyes immediately roam towards the table. He flexes the tiny clawed fingers of one hand. Drask berry juice. A glass bottle of the sweet drink is situated at the center of the table. This is what Erilnis wants.

  "Not now, Erilnis. Mommy is making food for Vor'ti and d`oij's hunt party. Be patient."

  Enil'ka laughs at her brother and pokes him with a clawed finger. Not one to take jokes, Erilnis pokes Enilka back. He pokes her entirely too hard. Enilka utters a small yelp and then bites down on the offending digit. Erilnis let's out a shrill cry. Which causes Enilka to giggle.

  "Oh my! Are you kidding me? What has gotten into all of you?" Teresa gasps. "What has happened to all of my sweet little childlings?"

  Yau-tala chuckles and grabs Erilnis from his seat in the stroller. She holds him up in the air, making calming noises until he stops chittering.

  "They're growing up," Yau-tala says with a touch of irony in her voice.