Diamen happens -- Territory North

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Date Posted: 22:49:42 08/07/03 Thu
Author: Noni, Jhael
Subject: Diamen happens

Jhael's wounds are passably healed now as Noni takes her to the north and shows her where she will likely be studying. There will definitely be scars across Jhael's throat and chest, and it is a miracle that she is alive, let alone able to speak. Her eye is no doubt lost forever, the golden blade's furious downward arc having sliced it neatly in half and torn it from the socket. But Jhael is unnervingly calm. She's used to diamen like that happening to her. It just happened to be permanent diamen this time.
The two blacks sit now, facing each other.
"Tell me, Jhael," Noni says, gold eyes shining brightly, with tears perhaps.
"I was sickly as a cub," Jhael mutters, beginning to pace in a circle around Noni, never looking at her former enemy for shame.
"Ta'miri would have killed you."
"He tried. Someone showed up and interrupted him. I don't even know who it was. A short while later he ended up killing mri'mai. I had a brother who was striped, too, but I think he's dead."
"No. If you're really my age, it would've had to to be Zrego."
"He lived, then?" Jhael's voice contains no emotion, just a question.
"Yes, he lived, and he's here with the pack. I imagine you two are the last of your litter if the others fought."
"I won't say anything to him yet."
"A wise decision, I think."
"Hmph. Anyway, mri'miri gave me no name, as you guessed, figuring i would die soon enough. No one else bothered to until I did. Jhael means 'forgotten,' in that dialect. Appropriate don't you think?" She gave a derisive bark of a laugh. "I always liked to subtly contradict him when he had his back turned."
"Brave of you."
"Not especially. He was almost always eyeing me like a wounded Preda'Ben, anyway. But he trained me. I guess that's something, even if I was always just 'Hey, you!' But he has left me and the others for dead, and I do not care remotely for his ways anymore. Now, Noni, you tell me." And Jhael sits, single eye fixed piercingly on the other Korat.
"I though I had it rough. My people just don't like me. I imagine if I had been born with tan stripes it would be about the same. I never found out a reason."
"You're good with energy, aren't you? I saw what you did to three of my siblings. I heard them screaming. I've never heard any scion of my father scream. Are you sure they're not all scared to btsa of you?"
"They don't even know and probably won't care if Atumi tells them. Losing mri'fre Etharat was a great blow to them, but my death would likely have passed unnoticed."
"Likewise. I... I'm sorry..." The words and the full emotion are strange to her. Glimmers of it had pierced the iron exterior Wureshi's almost constant vigilance had lent her heart.
"I am sorry I took your eye."
"Where's my blade?"
"I took it from beside what I thought was your corpse. It's in the clearing. I hope you don't mind I... uh..."
"Carved it? I guess that's all right. I mean, you thought I was dead, didn't you?"
"Had me fooled."
"So what did you..."
"You. You as you should have been, and now as you will be. I think you will find a home here, even though the others won't trust you right off. I'm not exactly sure what to think either, frankly."
"I understand."
The pair continue to converse on far friendlier terms than anybody would believe had they witnessed the events of only a few hours ago.

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