Training a Ha'tinre (5)

Author's Note:

So this is it. The final part of Shime's story. If I ever chose to have this professionally published, I will revise it. For now, I wanted it out of my way while I write Dragon Tamer. I hope you all enjoy it. And a new order is born!





Shime didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to move. Feeling Denzin's fingertips caress her back made her smile. He feathered gentle kisses over her shoulder, moving her long hair out of his way as he made his way up to her ear. He had woken her like this the last two days. They had not yet spoken of why Shime continued to come to his bed at night, slipping through the darkness with the stealth Higzashi had taught her. They had woken together, sneaking outside when no one else was looking, trained, then went their seperate ways until night again masked her return to his bed.

"We need to get up, now," he whispered.

"I don't want to," she whimpered, snuggling closer to his body.

Denzin chuckled. "I know you don't. I don't want to, either, but we have to. We don't want anyone else to know about this, especially my father."

She opened her eyes, peering up at him. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask the question that burned in her mind. "Will Master Higzashi be angry?"

"At me, certainly. You're safe, though." He smiled at her. "I don't think anyone with any kind of a soul could be angry with you."

She giggled. Turning, her arms reached out and wrapped around his neck. He held her tightly against his body. After a minute, she let out a despondent sigh. Denzin looked down at her in concern. "What's the matter, Shime?"

"I... I really don't know," she admitted quietly. "I'm just... confused."

"About?" Denzin asked with interest.

"It's not really important," she said quickly. Among the Ha'tinre, there was very rarely any love between partners. Sex was a biological need and when the desire was there, a pair would satisfy the need and then forget about it. That's how it seemed among the Ha'trin, too. And yet she couldn't help but wish things weren't so confusing. If Denzin was afraid of Higzashi finding out about what they had done, then obviously that meant Higzashi cared about her as more than just someone to relieve a physical desire. However, he hadn't said anything to her about it, so perhaps it was just the fact that Higzashi didn't like to share? That would make sense, and since he was the Grand Master, he could do whatever he wanted. Certainly, that had to be it.

"You sure?" Denzin asked, kissing the tip of her nose, which made her smile at him.

"Aren't you suppose to be training me?" she teased, changing the subject.

Denzin chuckled. "What should I train you in, hmm? How to be fast? You already are. How to be adorable? You do that quite well." He grinned wide as she giggled at him. "How to be deadly? You're a Ha'tinre, I'm sure you already know that one."

"Oh, you think I'm deadly?" Shime asked seductively. When Denzin snickered at her, she pressed against him, turning him onto his back as she stretched out atop his body, her arms under his pillow. She moved her smooth body over his in a sensual manner, feeling him stand at attention between her thighs as his hands held her hips.

"Ha'tinre are always deadly," he stated huskily as he caressed her sides.

Shime almost couldn't stop herself from laughing at his dumbfounded expression when he felt the cold metal of his own blade against his throat. "I suppose you're right in that one," she mocked sexily.

She let out a yelp of surprise when Denzin slapped her firm rump. "You should be careful with sharp toys. Don't want to hurt yourself, considering you're not trained how to use them!" he teased playfully.

"Oh?" Shime raised her brow. "I'm the one holding the knife to your throat. Takes no training to press harder...."

The next moment, the blade was against her throat. Denzin's arrogant expression made her tingle all over. "No, but it does take lots of training to keep your blade at someone's throat long enough to draw blood," he mocked proudly. His hand tightened over hers slightly, pressing down against her neck. She was forced down his body until she felt the tip of his shaft against her opening. Slowly, he pushed the dagger up, smiling as Shime sat up on him, his length slipping deeply within the heat of her body. She moaned loudly, not needing much assisstance to set a pace on him.

The blade was soon gone, its clattering onto the floor ignored by the two. Shime panted and moaned, feeling Denzin throb within her each time she came down his shaft. He was thicker than his father, stretching her pleasantly, filling her passage as he thrust up. Every time she came to climax, her whole body shivered as every nerve tingled with pleasure. She could feel his hands gliding over the valleys and curves of her body, tweaking her mostly flat nipples and stroking her thighs.

The sun shone brightly through the windows by the time they were done. Shime lay over Denzin's body, panting softly to catch her breath. She could feel his strong fingers running through her hair. Every time he touched her it made her long for more. Being with him felt somehow different than Higzashi. Laying there on Denzin left her with a feeling of contentment.

Finally, she couldn't resist the question that burned in her mind any longer. Laying her chin on Denzin's chest, she peered up at him. "Why would Master Higzashi be mad at you?"

Denzin glanced down at her. There was something in his eyes, on his whole face, that made her body turn cold for a second. Her instincts knew there was something wrong, but her mind overrode it, especially when Denzin stared back up at the ceiling. "He, uh, he's always been territorial. And, well, he would probably find it awkward to think his son was sleeping with the same woman he was."

Shime could hear the strain in his voice. There was a tension in his body that hadn't been there before. So much did she want for that to be the reason, she ignored the sensation that he was lying. "Oh," she said softly, laying her head on his chest again. She could hear his strong heart pounding in his chest.

Denzin let out a sigh, suddenly sitting up. He held Shime tightly to him, burying his nose in her hair. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Shime." His voice was a mumble.

"Why would I get hurt?" she asked quietly, one hand caressing his neck.

Something was bothering him deeply. His body almost trembled with it. Instead, he released her with another sigh. "Let's get cleaned up and dressed. It's pretty late in the day already." He picked up his dagger and replaced it before heading to the bathing room.

Shrugging off her instincts, she followed him to the shower. Together, they cleaned off the scent of their love making. When they were done, Denzin made them both a quick breakfast.

When they got outside, Denzin handed Shime a stick and they had their usual spar. As always, Denzin was clever and quick, anticipating her moves and countering her no matter what she tried. Finally, he decided that was over. After another meal, Denzin got an idea, and grinned sinisterly, glancing sidelong at Shime. She peered at him with wide eyes, unsure about his expression.

"Has Higzashi taught you how to track?" Denzin asked casually, turning to look at her.

Shime's eyes narrowed as she glanced him up and down. "My mother taught me when I was young. I've never been made to since. Why?"

"Have you ever played Hide and Seek?" Still he smiled at her with that kind of expression that made her want to slap him and then kiss him.

"I don't play games. I'm not a little girl anymore," she sneered back at him.

Denzin burst out laughing. He reached out his hand and patted her on the head in an affectionately condescending way. "Kid, I'm over 300 years old. You're what, 18? You are still a little girl."

Shime bared her teeth in a snarl, wrinkling her nose. Aiming well, she flicked out her tongue rapidly, smacking Denin between the eyes with a sloppy lick. She giggled when he cried out in disgust, wiping at his forehead.

"Next time I'm cutting that tongue out of your mouth!" he growled.

"You certainly enjoyed my tongue last night," she teased seductively.

With another growl, Denzin glared at her. Then he grinned again. "You wait here for five minutes. Then I want you to find me. If you can find me before I can sneak up on you, you'll win a prize."

Shime raised her brow. "Do I get to tell you what to do for a day?"

"Hmm, something like that," he chuckled, turning away. "Remember, five minutes and not a second sooner!" With that, he jogged into the woods around the village.

Glancing up at the sky, Shime let out a sigh, sitting down on the step of the small porch in front of Denzin's house. Placing her chin in the palms of her hands, her mind wandered to the morning. Why was Denzin so nervous? He wasn't a very good liar. Probably that whole "Ha'trin are noble and honest and fight for peace and justice" stuff made him feel guilty when he lied. To Shime, lying was a survival tactic. She had learned to lie without any outward indication of doing so because when Tarnrax had caught her lying... well, she just learned how to do it better. The world of the Ha'tinre was very different.

Another thought made her brow furrow. What if he wasn't ashamed of lying, but rather of what he was covering up with the lie? And on that note, the last time she had seen Malvala, she had had a similar expression. But instead of lying, she had changed the subject. Did Malvala know something about the death of her parents that she didn't?

Was everyone lying to her? Shime suddenly felt a spike of anger and fear rush through her. What if Higzashi was lying to her, too? What if he was pulling her strings? What if he was actually in league with Tarnrax? What if...?

Shime shook her head. That was a silly thought. With how much Tarnrax hated the Ha'trin, there was no reason to think such a thing. But she couldn't shake the thought that there was something on Denzin's mind that he wanted to get out but knew that if he did, there may be reprecussions.

Thinking of Denzin, Shime glanced up at the sky again. It had been about six minutes. Standing, she had a quick stretch before bursting into motion. The world around her became almost a blur. Her vision tunneled down to directly ahead of her, ensuring she could avoid obsticles in her way. In order to avoid overload, her brain filtered out everything to the sides, leaving the forest to seem like a green blur.

She didn't go very far, pausing to glance around the woods. She didn't know where she was, but that wasn't so much the problem. Turning, she was able to notice the ground had recently been disturbed. There wasn't a foot print, but the leaves that carpetted the earth looked like they had been walked on. Shime smirked. Either Denzin was leaving his trail on purpose, or he was really bad at covering his tracks.

Her bare paw-like feet with their long prehensile toes moved easily over the leaves, leaving the barest hint to her passing. They were padded for this, adapted to a world where leaving traces of your existance was a sure fire way of getting killed by larger predators. So she moved quietly through the brush. Higzashi had taught her how to adjust her weight, how to move swiftly and silently, even how to avoid rustling her clothing. He had taught her to use what she was born with, whereas Tarnrax had always tried to deny her mother's side of her.

She followed the trail Denzin had left until it reached a small stream. This was an age old trick, Shime knew. The only real question was whether he'd gone up stream or down. Examining the streambed carefully, Shime decided it was most likely he'd gone upstream. The strong thumbs of her feet gave her easy traction on the slippery rocks. She moved carefully, aware that it was likely she was being hunted. It wouldn't surprise her if Denzin was making a wide circle on his own trail, intending to catch her from behind.

Once she'd picked up his trail again a short distance away, she figured he was indeed tracking back and intending an attack from the rear. The print of his boots led up a small streambank on the same side he'd gone into the stream from. Pondering this, Shime glanced around. She realized then that she recognized the area. Just a little further ahead was the deep pool she had run to when she had put the torture spell on Jabis.

Smirking, Shime hopped up the bank and headed along the top of the bank, easily hopping from rock to rock as the terrain got jagged. Just as she had suspected, Denzin's trail had taken a longer way to the same place. Glancing behind her and all around, she stalked forward, checking the ground, though there were no more footprints. Surely he must have been leading her on and now he was making things more difficult.

A single snapped twig let her know she was still on the trail. However, just a little further and Shime was unsure. It was as if he had vanished. She wandered a bit, zigzagging to see if she could pick up his trail again, but she eventually ended up back where the last evidence of his passing had been.

There was a rustle, only a single heart's beat worth of time for Shime to realize the branch above her moved. She was struck in the back with enough force to throw her to the ground. She turned over quickly to look up at Denzin's grinning face.

"I thought the Halkash were an arboreal race, and yet you didn't bother looking up!" He snickered at her.

Growling, Shime got to her feet, glancing up at the tree. "I bet I can make it to the top before you."

Denzin laughed. "Well, guess I should let you win at something! Readysetgo!"

Without any effort, Shime was able to swing up into the tree. Her strong feet, a mix of both her parents, were ideal for gripping the branches much more securely than Denzin's flat, booted feet. He had to watch himself, searching for branches close to him that were large enough for him to get traction on. He hadn't made it past halfway up the tree when Shime's ponytail appeared in his vision. He paused on the thick branch he was crouched on, looking up at her. She hung upside down from the branch above him, the opposable thumbs of her feet hanging on easily.

He chuckled between pants at her pleased expression. "I give you this one, kid. You are much better at climbing than I can hope to be."

"At least there's something I'm better at than you are," she mumbled mostly to herself.

Standing carefully, a hand on the tree's trunk, Denzin reached out, his hand cupping the back of Shime's neck. "I'm sure there are plenty of things you do better than I do."

"Like?" She cocked her head slightly, crossing her arms.

"Like being able to endear yourself into my heart." With that, he leaned forward, kissing her tenderly. Her arms reached down, clutching at his shirt to pull him deeper into the kiss. They stayed that way for a while, too engrossed in each other to really notice or care about the world around them.

Leaning against the trunk, Denzin raised his arms, cradling Shime's shoulders. Shime had never had nor showed trust in anyone like she did with Denzin. Her feet released the branch one at a time, slipping easily into his strong arms. He held her tightly against his body, their lips still locked in an embrace of passion.

Without a word, they were soon sitting on the branch, Denzin's back against the trunk, his arms around Shime's shoulders, holding her close. One of his legs hung off the side, the other bent up to help cradle Shime's lithe body against him. Together they watched the sun's slow decent in the sky. It wasn't close to sunset but it was still lovely.

"I have a crazy idea," Denzin suddenly said softly against her ear. He nibbled the edge of it for good measure, causing her to let out a sigh.

"What's that?" she asked quietly.

"Let's run away together."

Shime's head snapped around, looking at him in disbelief. "What?"

He shrugged. "If we both left this world, we could be rid of those who plague us both. You'd be far from Tarnrax, and I'd be far from my father."

Shime blinked a few times, still trying to process the proposal. "Where would we go?"

"Anywhere we like!" Denzin waved his hand up at the sky. "There's thousands of worlds. There's nothing that holds us here."

"But... then you'd be without a clan."

Denzin shrugged. "Unlike the Ha'tinre, Ha'trin can join any clan they wish to. We don't have to fight our way into clans, or anything."

Shime looked down. "I don't think any other clan would accept me."

"Of course they would," Denzin said softly. His finger caressed her cheek. "They would take you if you were with me. I can vouche for you. I can take over your training and help you become Ha'trin."

Shime sighed. "I don't want to be Ha'trin," she said softly. "I never wanted to be Ha'trin," she continued when Denzin raised his brow at her. "I just wanted to learn the pressure points Master Higzashi said he knew. But I don't want to become Ha'trin." Then she raised her eyes to him, suddenly scared. "You're not going to tell Master Higzashi, are you? He said he would brain wash me if I didn't become Ha'trin."

Denzin rolled his eyes. "I doubt that. But no, I won't tell him." Then he tightened his grip around her, holding her close. "If you don't want to be Ha'trin, then you don't have to. We can just find a world that doesn't have either Ha'trin or Ha'tinre. And no one will know or care. Hell, maybe we can start our own order! Recruit both Ha'trin and Ha'tinre. Can you imagine the kind of a force a Ha'tinre with a sniper rifle could be?"

Shime smiled, but shook her head. "I don't know. Why do you want to run away with me? Why don't you just leave on your own?"

Again there was something haunted in Denzin's eyes. He turned his face away. "I just want to make sure you don't get hurt."

Shime stood up abruptly, balancing perfectly on the branch. She placed her hands on her hips. "Why do you think I'd get hurt?" When Denzin shrugged after standing, she stepped up to him and grabbed the front of his shirt, pressing him against the trunk of the tree forcefully. Her eyes were narrowed. He could see that she was angry and frustrated. The hint of a green glow shined in her slitted pupils, bespeaking of the powerful magic that flowed through her. "You are a terrible liar," she growled.

Denzin raised his brow as a hot pulse of desire shot through him. A smile crept over his face even though he tried desperately to prevent it. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are just now?" he said softly when Shime sneered at him.

Blinking, she was taken by surprise. She felt Denzin's hands settle on her hips, drawing her against him. He had no fear of her, would much rather change the subject anyways. His hand cupped the back of her slender neck, leaning down to kiss her passionately. She didn't fight it despite the fact that she still wanted to know what dark secret he was keeping from her.

When he drew away from the kiss, Denzin held her tightly. "Dear little Shime," he whispered in her ear, "I fear I've fallen in love with you."

Shime jerked back to look into his eyes in bewilderment. "What?" She had heard him fine, but she didn't want to believe that she had. Among the Ha'tinre, love was considered weakness. It was why her parents had died. They had been weak because they had loved. It was why she was weak, she had been born of that love. Maybe it was why she was still weak, that she wished to love and be loved.

Denzin smiled at her, caressing her face. "I love you, Shime. Is that hard to believe?"

Blinking a few times, Shime turned her eyes away. "I... don't know what to say," she whispered.

"Say what's in you heart. You won't offend me. Let me guess, you love my father." There was a hint of contemptment in his voice.

Shime looked up at him. "Why do you hate Higzashi so much? And why shouldn't I love him? He's been nothing but kind to me. You came in and took advantage of the situation!"

Denzin cocked a brow. "You don't know a thing about that man, do you? Did he ever tell you about his twin daughters?"

"He said they joined the Torak Lakus and they hadn't spoken in years. Why?" Shime took a step away from Denzin, crossing her arms.

"They haven't spoken in 500 years. But they talk to us, their siblings. Higzashi killed their mother. He killed her because she had grown old and he wanted to move on. Vasena and Lurisa found out about it after their first mission for the Torak Lakus. That was why they stopped talking to him." Denzin sighed heavily, continuing. "He is as cold as he is kind. He makes up good logical reasons for his behavior, but that doesn't make him right. He tells me one day I'll be cold like he is, but I don't want that life that he thinks I will lead. I want to keep you from having the same fate as so many of his 'short lived' lovers."

"And why should I believe you?" Shime asked, though her voice was soft. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not. Higzashi had not said anything about loving her. Certainly he was nice, but Tarnrax could be nice when he wanted something.

Denzin let out a sigh as if a weight was being removed from his chest. "He wants to send you back to Tarnrax, Shime. He has been training you for the sole purpose of sending you back to your old Master. He plans for you to kill Tarnrax, but he knows you wouldn't make a good Grand Master so he has another Ha'tinre in your clan who will 'remove' you. He says he hopes you'll survive, but somehow I doubt that."

Shime stared at him for several moments, trying to process this. That had been her plan, but recently she had started thinking she didn't want to go back. If she became Grand Master, she would have to kill the Ha'trin, and they would have to kill her. She had made friends with the Ha'trin. She didn't think she could look any of them in the eye and kill them. Besides, if on the chance Higzashi cared for her, why would she go back to a world of lies and evil and the constant threat of death? She didn't want to be Ha'trin, but maybe she didn't have to be Ha'tinre, either.

"He planned on giving you his hand as proof to Tarnrax you'd killed him just so you could get into the village," she heard Denzin saying through her thoughts. At her shocked expression he shrugged. "We are Regeneraters. We can grow back any part of our bodies, and wounds don't last on us for long. It's why we age so slow, besides father being a Jrahkel. But we don't usually tell people about it because the surprise of us getting back up from a fatal wound is to our advantage." Then he looked into her eyes. "He's been telling me his plan from the start. At first I didn't care. At first I wanted him to kill you. But now, I want to take you away. I don't want you to get hurt."

Shime shook her head violently. If what he was saying was true, it was brutal rending of her trust. Even if she wanted to kill Tarnrax, the fact that Higzashi had been training her for this purpose, to play some kind of game. It was not acceptable.

Unable to think of anything else to do, Shime easily descended from the tree. She heard Denzin call after her, heard him try to follow her, finding it much more difficult to get out of the tree. Again she shook her head, walking away before Denzin could reach the ground. When he caught up to her, he tried to grab her shoulder, but she jerked away from him.

"I always thought you Ha'trin were noble and good. You're no different than the Ha'tinre! Playing mind games, trying to lurk in the dark, doing everything for your own gain!" she snarled, turning to glare at him.

"That's Higzashi. That's not me. I want to help you," Denzin said softly, trying to calm her.

Shaking her head again, Shime turned, her long legs making it difficult for Denzin to follow after her. She wasn't even running full speed. She needed to think, needed to get away for a little bit and think on what Denzin had told her. She needed to decide if she could believe him. She would have to ask Higzashi if he cared about her. Especially because....

Something was suddenly under her foot, jerking up to her ankle, tripping her. She let out a quick cry, falling to the ground. Turning to see what had been there to make her lose her footing so badly, a familiar drawl made her skin crawl.

"Why hello there, Shime."

"M-Master Tarnrax!" It came out as a squeak.

Tarnrax seemed to melt out of the shadows of the forest. Only the green glow that emanated from his pupils could be seen as he was wrapped in customary Ha'tinre garb. Shime stumbled to her feet, her face pale, her body trembling slightly as she looked up at him.

There was a rustle behind her. She could hear several other Ha'tinre leap out of the brush on top of Denzin. He cursed loudly, trying to fight them off. He had been foolish enough to leave behind weapons. The Ha'tinre jerked his arms over his head and back, laying his hands against his shoulder blades. They tied him securely as Tarnrax chuckled. It made Shime shudder all over.

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise? You bring me a gift. Another Ha'trin to add to the collection."

From the brush, more Ha'tinre appeared. "Higzashi!" Shime gasped, recognizing who they dragged with them.

Tarnrax waved his hand. "Put them together. We have someone else who I think will be far more cooperative in helping us find their little base." He turned to Shime and she knew he was grinning that twisted evil smirk of his.

He stepped toward her, making her cringe. He suddenly put his arms around her, holding her close. "My dear little Shime. I had worried about you. These Ha'trin didn't harm you, did they?"

Stunned, terrified, and unsure, Shime stood in Tarnrax's arms, her eyes wide, her face so pale she looked as if she might faint. She could barely see Higzashi and Denzin over Tarnrax's shoulder as they were forced to their knees beside each other. Higzashi glanced at his son with a curious and knowing glare, his eyes quickly turning back to see the event unfolding. "N-No, Master Tarnrax. I-I'm fine," she said in a small voice.

Tarnrax stood back, stroking her hair. "I'm glad for that. Malvala had told me that you had run away to prove yourself. I assume you came here to trick these Ha'trin into trusting you and allowing you into their village and learning their ways. Quite ingenious."

His evil drawl made Shime's knees feel weak. Her eyes flicked around, noticing Malvala's lithe, tiny form as one of those holding Higzashi at dagger point. The woman didn't look at her.

Then Shime felt Tarnrax's hand wrap around the back of her neck. Her heart pounded in her chest as his grip tightened. He leaned down to speak to her with just enough of a voice that the two Ha'trin could hear him. "I would assume you know where their village is, don't you, Shime?"

She could feel his hot breath on her ear through the thin fabric that covered most of his face. Trembling, Shime nodded. "Yes, Master Tarnrax."

"I told you she was a spy!" Denzin suddenly growled, jerking at his bounds.

Higzashi grunted. "Indeed. My folly." His eyes narrowed at Shime. She turned her eyes to her feet, gulping.

"You know how to turn off their shield, don't you, Shime?" Tarnrax asked, his voice cold and dangerously sweet.

"Yes, Master Tarnrax," Shime responded quietly.

"And you're going to lead us to their lair, aren't you, Shime?" Tarnrax drew nearer to her so that she could feel his hard body against her.

"Yes, Master Tarnrax," Shime said brokenly, her head hanging.

He rumbled in approval, standing upright. His grip on her neck loosened slightly. "Well, now that we have someone to show us the rest of the way, we won't have need of the other Ha'trin."

Before she could blink, one of the Ha'tinre drew his blade and slit open Denzin's throat. His blood poured down his chest. Eyes rolled back, he slumped forward onto the ground. Shime was already too shocked to fully comprehend the situation. Higzashi fought his bounds, snarling at Tarnrax. "You honorless bastard. You've killed two of my clan while they were unarmed! Do you know no shame?"

Tarnrax laughed heartlessly. "A conscience is for the weaklings like you, Ha'trin. Now come, bring him. His clan will drop their weapons when they see their Clan Master at my mercy. Another of their weaknesses." Then he turned back to Shime. "Lead the way, my dear."

In a dazed state of shock and fear, Shime turned, walking toward the village. Her uncle's presence behind her left her too afraid to try thinking of a plan to get out of this. Tarnrax would not have a second thought about doing the same to her as he had done to Denzin. She had no choice but to obey him and pray he would not torture her to death after this.

When they came to the place Shime knew the shield wasn't solid, she paused. Before them was what looked like an impassable tangle of barbs and rocks that rose out of the forest.

"Well, Shime?"

Shime jumped, turning to glance back at Tarnrax. Looking back at her feet, she pointed at the illusion before them. "In there, Master Tarnrax," she said softly, painfully. She wanted to cry. How could she betray people who had treated her so well? But when she felt his strong large hand grip her shoulder, she remembered why. "Where it shimmers a little, it's not solid."

Tarnrax chuckled darkly. He patted her shoulder. "Good girl, Shime. You've done well." The condecending tone he used made her feel as broken and small as before she had come to this place. Then Tarnrax turned to those holding Higzashi. "You two go first. Make sure they see...."

One of the Ha'tinre holding Higzashi cried out abruptly, falling to the ground, a crossbow bolt lodged in his eye socket. The Ha'tinre moved quickly, knowing they were under attack. Malvala shoved Higzashi forward, causing him to trip over. She crouched down beside him, hissing something to him. Shime backed up against a tree trunk, watching as the Ha'tinre she knew and feared found out the two Ha'trin guards that had been hidden up in the trees. She recognized both Ha'trin.

Tarnrax reached down, grabbing Higzashi by his hair and dragging him to his feet. "If you care for your clan, you will tell them to drop their weapons when we go through the shield. I have reasons for keeping your kin alive, but I'll have no qualms with slaughtering any who oppose me."

To prove his words, Tarnrax reached into the folds of his clothing, flicking out his wrist. The Ha'trin who had fired the fatal shot grunted in pain as a knife buried into his gut. The Ha'tinre who held him let him drop to the ground.

Higzashi glared at Tarnrax in defiance, but he knew his best chance was to do as Tarnrax instructed. Maybe he could discover what the madman had in mind for his clan if it was not to wipe them out. "Fine," Higzashi snarled. "If you give me your word you won't kill anymore of us."

"Would you even trust my word if I gave it?" Tarnrax laughed. He turned, jerking Higzashi forward. Crouching slightly so he was behind Higzashi, Tarnrax started toward the shimmer in the shield, the other Ha'tinre following behind him, dragging the other Ha'trin guard with them.

Shime jumped when she felt a hand touch her. She looked down to see Malvala's silver eyes looking at her. "It's alright, Shime. You did what you thought you had to. We were trying to keep him walking in circles, but now we'll need a new plan. Just try not to anger him." Her voice was a gentle whisper as she turned Shime, guiding her through the shield as well.

There was no fighting. Higzashi called to the Ha'trin to drop their weapons and cooperate. The Ha'trin listened to their leader, allowing the Ha'tinre to bind them and put them together, surrounding them. Tarnrax shoved Higzashi toward the rest of his clan, chuckling. "Well, that was easy. Wish I had thought of this long ago." He glanced about, taking in the layout of the village. From within the shield, it was clear and bright, no hint of the illusion it produced on the outside.

After a moment, Tarnrax turned. "Shime!" His voice had the kind of tone that guaranteed violence.

Slowly, Shime obediently came to Tarnrax's side, her head and eyes down. She could feel Higzashi's stare. Not only was she a weak coward but she was traitor as well. Maybe it would be better if Tarnrax would just get it over with and get rid of her. Then she couldn't find out what else was wrong with her.

"You know their little village here better, Shime. Where would be the most secure place to keep them until I have need of them?" Tarnrax smiled behind his mask.

Swallowing hard, Shime turned and pointed at trap house. "In there, Master Tarnrax. It has all kinds of alarms."

"Excellent!" He motioned to his clan to start moving them into the house. However, he reached out and snagged Higzashi, jerking him back by his hair. Higzashi grunted in pain, but he knew better than resist. "I want this one seperate from his clan brothers. He's too clever to leave with them. So I want him to stay near me." Then he chuckled. "Well, since we're going to be here a while, we might as well make ourselves at home. Shime. Which one is Higzashi's home, hmm? I would like to see how the Ha'trin live."

"Keeping me with you would be the greater risk, Faulkmusir," Higzashi sneered.

Tarnrax burst into laughter. "You know a little Halkashian, do you? I consider being compared to the Devil as a compliment, Higzashi. Don't think it would insult me. Now come along, my apprentice here is going to take us somewhere we can sit and have a chat, aren't you, Shime?"

Shime didn't bother to look up. She didn't think she could ever look Higzashi in the eyes again. Instead, she turned and led her Master to the house she had been staying in for the past couple months. This had been the stuff of her nightmares, what Higzashi would soothe when she would jerk away in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her chest. She had started to feel safe here, thinking that nothing bad could happen as long as she stayed here. But Tarnrax was here, shattering her last sense of safety and contentment.

Once they were inside the house, Tarnrax glanced around, smirking. "How quiant." He then tossed Higzashi onto the couch as he strode about, looking at the various shelves.

While his back was turned, Higzashi sat upright, his arms still tied so that his elbows were over his head. He peered over at Shime. She looked so terrified and depressed, completely hopeless. He moved a little, trying to draw her attention. She glanced over at him, but didn't meet his gaze. He saw her silently mouth, "I'm sorry."

Higzashi shook his head. If it weren't for the situation, he would have drawn her into his arms and told her it wasn't her fault. He had witnessed Tarnrax's violent nature first hand. Simply because Valenis was too tall, Tarnrax had removed his legs and had enjoyed watching the Vorishki bleed to death. He did not blame Shime's fear in the slightest. But he had to keep her from sinking back into a state of blind obiedence. He needed to let her know that he wasn't angry with her for bringing Tarnrax here.

His thoughts were cut short when Tarnrax turned back to him. "Interesting collection you have. Quite a learned man."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Higzashi stated coldly.

Tarnrax smiled. "As you should."

Higzashi suddenly relaxed, leaning back in his couch and crossing his legs, looking up at Tarnrax unconcerned. "As a learned man, I will make the guess that you did not put all this effort just to come to my house and see what kinds of books I like to read."

"Heh," Tarnrax grunted. "In that you're correct, Grand Master. I recently came across an ancient artifact. One with magical properties."

"Yes, the one Eldris was protecting," Higzashi nodded. "Your Ha'tinre clan mates killed him as well."

Tarnrax was still smiling. "It was foolish to send only one Ha'tirn for the job. If you had known what the artifact held, you might have been more cautious."

"Do enlighten me. I do love to learn," Higzashi said with a hint of sarcism.

Chuckling darkly, Tarnrax walked around the room, taking a look at the kitchen, curious about the various technologies he saw there. "The artifact was from many years ago, around the same time the Ha'trin first broke away from our order and formed their own. In those early days, our battles were far more brutal. And then the Ha'tinre clans began to grow soft, no longer actively seeking out those of your order, prefering not to come into conflict with you. Well, it was around that time that a great man rose up, a Paszshneer Olafik."

Higzashi raised his brow. "You believe he was a great man? Even the Shadow Clan consider him a reject of the order."

"Well, I never did think the Shadow Clan were very bright. They have puppet power, but that's all. Their authority has diminished greatly over the centuries." Tarnrax's voice was sour, full of hatred as he spoke of the clan. He had walked around the room, finding the small radio Shime had fixed. He picked it up, turning it over and over in his hands as if trying to figure out what it was. "But I digress. Olafik discovered that children born of the two orders had a natural resistance to magic, specifically to Ha'tinre magic. So he had the brilliant plan to make himself immune to other Ha'tinre, to become the ruler of the whole order."

Higzashi stared at Tarnrax. "And that's why you need us alive, is it? You found the artifact that Olafik used, which, by the way, killed him."

"Not the exact artifact but one nearly identical," Tarnrax said as he walked over to Shime, who had remained silent and staring at her feet the whole time. "What does this thing do, Shime?"

Looking up at it, she took it from his hands and pressed the button to turn it on. The ball-like machine with it's little legs turned on, filling the room with soft music. Tarnrax took it back from Shime, peering at it closely. "You Ha'trin have too many luxuries and far too much time on your hands to come up with gadgets like this." He handed it back to Shime to turn it off, looking over at Higzashi. "As an intelligent man, I'm sure you can see where I'm going with my story."

"I can. You want to become immune to the magic of your peers and take over the Ha'tinre order. Your ambitions are as tall as you are insane."

Tarnrax laughed. "I've done a lot of research. I've learned a lot about the ritual that can infuse me with the anti magic of the Ha'trin. Though there is a high risk, there is a greater reward."

"Are you planning on doing this ritual with all of your clan?" Higzashi asked, still showing very little emotion. "I assume that's your plan since you are keeping the others alive."

"Very astute," Tarnrax snickered. "First I plan on seeing if the ritual works using my useless clan mates. If it works, I will be a Ha'tinre who can cast spells, but will be immune to return fire. However, it will kill the Ha'trin. Your lack of magic leaves us nothing to draw out but your life force. So don't worry. You'll all be dead soon enough."

"Good to know," Higzashi stated. He then leaned forward slightly. "You wouldn't mind cutting these bounds, would you? My arms are getting cramped."

Tarnrax glared at him. "Do not mistaken me for a fool."

"I hardly think you a fool. Just a perverted, cowardly little boy hungry for power."

There was a loud crack as Tarnrax's fist contacted Higzashi's long jaw. Then Tarnrax grabbed Higzashi by his hair again and turned, smashing him face first against the wall. He did it a second time before Shime couldn't take it anymore.

"Please stop!" she cried, taking a step toward the two. "Master Tarnrax, please...."

Tarnrax whipped around, backhanding her. "Weak little child," he snarled at Shime. "Stay out of this."

Then he turned Higzashi around, his hand wrapping tightly around Higzashi's throat and slamming him against the wall. "Do not try my patience," he growled.

Though there was blood dripping from his nose, Higzashi grinned. "Oh, darling, this is just foreplay!"

Tarnrax suddenly screeched, arcs of electricity dancing over his arm. Higzashi's whole body was electrified, reaching out for Tarnrax, causing the taller man to convulse, falling to his knees. With an angry snarl, Higzashi kicked Tarnrax in the chest, knocking him over.

"This is my home!" Higzashi yelled at him. "You made a mistake coming here."

When he tried to kick Tarnrax thinking he was incapacitated, the Ha'tinre snarled, grabbing Higzashi's leg. Showing his strength, he brought his legs and whole body up so that he was on his shoulders for a moment, kicking Higzashi across the face with his foot curled in a fist for he did not wear shoes like Shime. With his arms trussed and his leg held, Higzashi had no balance and fell over, crashing through his small table next to the couch.

Leaping to his feet, Tarnrax stood over Higzashi. "I will enjoy killing you. I think I will enjoy it more than I will enjoy putting my apprentice back in her place."

A shudder ran through Shime, looking up at Tarnrax. He, however, didn't even glance at her. Instead, he reached down and forcibly dragged Higzashi to his feet, tossing him back on the couch. Shime wanted to cry and run to his side. His attempt at tricking Tarnrax had drained him and his tumble through the table had left him with splinters.

"I suppose it would be dangerous to keep you here," Tarnrax said, going to the door.

Shime hurried over to Higzashi, trying to reach over and touch his face to pull out the splinters. He jerked away, looking at her. As Tarnrax stepped outside to call for a few of the Ha'tinre to come to him, Higzashi smiled at Shime, his voice quiet. "Keep yourself safe. Stay strong. Whatever he makes you do, I forgive you, dear heart. "

"Shime."

Shime cringed when she heard Tarnrax's voice before she could respond to Higzashi. She looked up, seeing Malvala and Dasbol standing behind him. She moved away from Higzashi, allowing the two Ha'tinre to drag him to his feet. Tarnrax sneered at him. "Put him seperate from his clan members. I don't want him coming up with some kind of plan with them. And make sure you have nothing metal. He can produce quite a shock."

"You didn't enjoy the foreplay?" Higzashi chuckled as he was pulled out of his own house.

Once they had gotten Higzashi behind the trap house, Malvala shoved him up against the wall. "Are you insane?"

Higzashi shrugged nonchalantly. "I had a chance. I had to try. Besides, it gets me out of the house. I don't think I would want to be in there right now."

"Yeah, you just left Shime alone with a very angry demon," Malvala snarled. She drew her dagger, taping it against his throat. "I've half a mind to slit your throat, for all the good it would do. Where would your son hide away in a situation like this?"

Higzashi smirked. "You will make a very good Grand Master with such keen observations. Denzin probably will scout the area and try to stay hidden. Should you make contact with him, tell him his father wants to know what happened to his family ring."

Malvala snorted. She glanced over at Dasbol who was watching out for any of the other Ha'tinre. He nodded to her. No one was coming. She glared back at Higzashi. "Things have gotten way out of hand. If Dasbol had known what he was bringing back to Tarnrax he wouldn't have bothered finding that damned amulet. You better be willing to do what it takes to get rid of that lunitic!"

"Sweet heart, if it means I have to kill you to get to him, I'd do it in a heart beat. Don't worry about that. Now if you'd be so kind, I'd like my hands back."

With a growl, Malvala reached up and unbound Higzashi's arms. He stretched his shoulders briefly, picking out a few of the splinters left in his face. "I'll tie them behind your back," she told him. "Tarnrax would not be happy to find you free."

Frowning, Higzashi allowed his arms to be tied securely behind his back. He was then led into the house. The Ha'tinre had used their magic to unlock everything and turn off all the sensors. Dropped into a sperate room, Higzashi leaned back against the wall, nodding to the two as they left him alone. Malvala told the guard to keep an eye on him. Closing his eyes, Higzashi could only pray that things would not get any worse. The little nymph was right, he should not have angered Tarnrax. Now Shime would have to bear that burden.

Even Shime knew what was to come as soon as Higzashi was dragged out. Once the door was shut, Tarnrax turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "Now, as for you," he hissed, coming toward her.

Shime put out her hands in an attempt to stop his approach as she backed against the wall. "Please, Master Tarnrax, I can explain...."

Tarnrax chuckled in that sadistic way of his, causing her to go quiet. She had nowhere left to go, her back against the wall. "There is nothing for you to explain. I know why you left. To prove your worth. But all you've managed to prove is how worthless you are!"

Shime whimpered in pain as Tarnrax grabbed her hair, jerking her away from the wall and dragging her after him into the bedroom. He threw her forcibly at the bed. He shoved her head down into the mattress, his rough hand against the back of her neck. His other hand ripped the pants from her.

She whimpered when she felt the head of his member at her opening. This was a nightmare, she tried to tell herself. This was just another nightmare, and she was going to wake up and Higzashi would be there to make it go away.

Tarnrax leaned over her, snickering softly next to her ear. "Did you miss me, Shime?" he asked breathily. He then pressed into her, letting out a low grunt. "Did this little excursion show you that Master's been right all along? Do you see now what I've been trying to do? See that you belong to me, no matter where you run to?"

Shime squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately not to cry while Tarnrax pounded her mercilessly. He continued to speak to her, telling her how weak she was, how she would never escape him. It seemed to her that he was right. For all the training and the knowledge she had accumulated, the fact that she had been here surrounded by well trained, deadly Ha'trin, and yet Tarnrax was still here, raping her, and she was powerless against him. What he said had to be true. She had tried to prove herself, but all she had proven was what a loser she really was.

Yes, her place was with Tarnrax. He told her the truth. Everyone else used her, behind the masks of kindness and caring. Only Tarnrax told her the truth. She should have known all along. He was only trying to make her better, trying to drive the persistant weakness out of her.

She felt him speed up and then the warmth she knew too well. When he withdrew, he sneered at her. "These Ha'trin have been feeding you too much. They just give you food whenever you want, don't they? Pathetic. I've got more important things to do. Try to make yourself useful and get things cleaned up. We're going to stay for a little while." With that, he strode out, slamming the door behind himself.

With a sob, Shime slid to the floor. She clutched her knees to her chest, the sobs wracking her whole body. She wanted nothing more than to try and rid herself of his scent, to scrub the sensation of his touch from her flesh. Crawling to the bathing room, she turned on the water, curling up under the spray. She would be happy enough to just drown now and save herself from the humilation and remorse. She had never felt so close to breaking under the weight of his abuse.

A touch on her shoulder made her jump, her heart pounding. New tears flooded her eyes, lost in the water that coursed down her face. She threw her arms around Denzin's neck, holding him as if letting go meant she would die. Denzin's arms wrapped around her protectively as she sobbed against him.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpered between sobs. "I-I didn't mean to...."

"Shhh," Denzin hushed her. "Don't. There's nothing for you to be sorry for. You did what you had to. I think Higzashi has some kind of plan considering he allowed himself to be captured alive. I'm going to see if I can't reach him, but I wanted to see if you were safe first."

"I'm so worthless...."

Denzin's hands cupped Shime's face, forcing her to look into his eyes. The water rolled off his soft golden feathers, the blood from his shirt spreading as his clothing got wet. "Don't you dare think that. Don't believe his insanity. I want you to remember how you've felt the last few weeks while you've been here with us. Think of how happy you've been, how powerful you've felt, how strong and fast and deadly you've felt. That is the truth, all that you've accomplished here, all that you felt, the friends you've made, that's all true. How you feel now, that's not what is reality. You're a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman, and you're not going to let him win, right?"

Shime whimpered, clutching his shirt so hard her joints turned white. "Please don't leave me with him."

Denzin didn't know what was worst, having to look her in the eyes and tell her she had to stay, or having each of his limbs cut off after being skinned alive while he swallowed liquid fire. He could imagine they both would hurt equally. He leaned down and kissed her, holding her tightly. He kissed her as if it was his last gasp of air and he never wanted to stop inhaling. When he did release her, he held her close, cradling her for a moment, his ears ever alert. "Listen to me closely, Shime," he said into her ear. "You won't let him win. You won't give in. You're going to stay strong for me. We're going to leave here together, but first we're going to kill that bastard. Just remember, he's living on borrowed time, he'll get what's coming to him. Can you stay strong for me?"

Shime tried hard to stop her sobs. She remembered the techniques Higzashi had taught her to calm herself through her panic attacks. Slowly, her breathing deepened, her sobs softening. She peered up into Denzin's eyes. Sniffling, she nodded slightly.

"Good," Denzin said quietly. "Now I have to go. You just play along, do whatever he says, just don't make him angry. Stay safe. I love you, Shime. Don't forget that."

After another quick kiss, Denzin easily squeezed out the window as silently as he had entered. Left alone again, Shime whimpered, shivering as the water had grown cold. She turned off the water, dragging herself out of the shower. She changed her clothes, brushing out her hair slowly. She could hear Tarnrax's voice outside as it grew dark. He was breaking up the dozen or so Ha'tinre that he had brought with him into small patrols, everyone getting a few hours of sleep as they were given rotation schedules.

Denzin had told her to stay strong. So had Higzashi. They were not afraid of Tarnrax. He had beaten her once like he had Higzashi, and she had been too afraid to speak for a week. Higzashi had acted like it was some kind of game. Denzin had had his throat slit open! None of the other Ha'trin seemed to be afraid as they had been herded. She needed to remember that they had been training her, that she could be strong like they were. With Tarnrax she had never laughed or felt any sense of accomplishment as she had with the Ha'trin. She had never felt accepted among her own clan. The other Ha'tinre had kept their eyes averted, though now Shime knew it was because they were ashamed that they couldn't do anything about Tarnrax. But among the Ha'trin, they had accepted her without judgement. In fact, when they had looked at her as they were being led into the trap house it wasn't in accusation or betrayal but more of sadness and concern.

Shime jumped when she heard the door shut behind her. She could see him in the mirror as he leaned against the doorframe, watching her. She continued to brush her hair, hoping that he would decide he'd done enough damage for one day. The one thing she didn't expect was his voice that came out much more quietly than usual, almost longing.

"The older you get, the more you look like your mother."

Slowly, Shime looked up at him in the mirror. "I do?" she asked meekly, not sure what else to say.

"I would have given her the world and she threw that away. But you aren't going to betray me like that, are you, Shime?" He stood upright, coming over to her. Though she tensed in expectation of the abuse she was sure would come, Tarnrax didn't seem to notice. He sat down behind her, his long fingers running through her straight, silky black hair. "You're my good girl, aren't you, Shime?"

Gulping, Shime stared at the brush on her lap. She nodded slightly, feeling Tarnrax touch her in the mockery of tenderness. She closed her eyes, willing herself to imagine it was Denzin's fingers. She would rather it be anyone else but Tarnrax.

"You're my good little girl," he said into her ear as he breathed in the scent of her. "I'm going to make you strong. You'll have rule over the whole Ha'tinre order beside me. I'll give to you what your mother gave up for my failure of a brother. Would you like that, Shime?"

"Yes, Master Tarnrax," Shime whispered. Her throat was too constricted to speak any louder.

Tarnrax rumbled his approval. He patted her back, laying out on the bed. "Then you shall have it. Now I think it's time for bed."

It took only a few minutes for her to hear his breathing become deep in sleep. With a shudder of disgust, Shime stood up and fled the bedroom. Exhausted, she slipped onto the couch, curling up into a tight little ball. She wished someone was there to soothe her and tell her it would all be alright. Instead, when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Tarnrax's face, the sharp angles of his face distinctly contrasted in light and dark. He grinned sadistically at her, always that evil drawl hissing in her ear.

*******************************************************

Higzashi was dozing. Or at least he thought maybe he was. There wasn't anything for him to do in the little room. There wasn't much to listen to or look at. He knew better than to try and talk through the wall to his brethren.

The presence in the room was not lost on him, though, no matter his state of sleep. He opened an eye, looking at the shadowed figure that squeezed through a hole in the floor. "Brat," he scoffed.

"Now is hardly the time," Denzin hissed, crouching beside him. In instinct he looked his father over for injury though there was no need.

"Even had time to change your clothes." Higzashi sniffed the air. "How is Shime doing?"

"Not well. And neither will we if we don't figure out a way to get out of here. I've put out a warning to the other Ha'trin so they know to stay away. There aren't enough of them to make much of a force to fight back. I sure hope you've got a plan."

Higzashi nodded. "Look for a tiny little female among the Ha'tinre. She has silver eyes. Her name is Malvala. You could say she's on the hunt for a promotion and Tarnrax is in her way."

"Can we trust her if she's so power hungry?" Denzin asked skeptically.

"Right now, she is the only one we can really trust. She has two more here that she says are with her on overthrowing Tarnrax. With their help, we should be successful."

"That Tarnrax fellow looks quite imposing. I wasn't expecting that," Denzin admitted in a whisper.

"Sharp fellow, too," Higzashi snorted. "I think I got a paper cut when he touched me. He's gotten even stronger since the last time I grappled with him."

Denzin chuckled curtly, heading back to the secret hole in the floor. He paused a moment, his upper body still within sight. He glanced at his father. "When this is over, I thought I should give you fair warning, I'm taking Shime. She deserves someone who loves her, not just a concern for her well being."

Higzashi raised a brow. "If you care that much for her, then I would give you my blessing, though I know you neither need it nor seek it. You certainly didn't care to wait before expressing your feelings for her. I wasn't even gone that long."

Shrugging, Denzin vanished into the dark hole, placing the floor back in its place securely. His timing was perfect as a Ha'tinre seemed to ooze out of the wall, glancing around. With a glowing glare at Higzashi, he melted back into the wall and out of the room.

As Denzin skirted the town, he thought about how he would find one Ha'tinre among the many. They all looked the same to him. They wore those black clothes that covered all but their eyes making them hard to see in the night.

Denzin stopped behind a building, peering around the corner. He quickly drew back behind the wall. Two Ha'tinre stood at the other end, speaking quietly. It was two females, though their backs were to him. No way he could tell if either had the silver eyes his father had described. Well, that didn't matter, maybe he could knock them out and tie them up if neither were the female he was looking for.

A slight breeze made Denzin snap back around, reaching for his blade only to find the cold metal of a short sword against his throat. It was a male Ha'tinre. In reaction, Denzin tried to move, but the Ha'tinre slammed him back against the wall, placing his sword blade against his lips to indicate for Denzin to stay silent.

"I heard something!" Denzin could hear the two females head toward them.

The man holding Denzin against the wall peered around the corner. "Can't a man take a piss without nosy women coming to take a peek?"

The two women snorted. "Piss quieter and we wouldn't need to come take a look, Dasbol." They turned away, walking off.

Once they were gone, Dasbol looked back at Denzin. "Keep quiet and come with me."

"How can I trust you?" Denzin sneered, though kept his voice low.

"Your father would like to know what happened to his family ring. Quite frankly, I'm curious, too."

His sneer turned into a wry grin. "When I was 12 I used it to go fishing. A big fish ate it. I told father and he spent the next year hunting for that fish. Best tasting fish I've ever had."

Dasbol snickered quietly. "Entertaining. Now come. It's good I found you. Malvala is waiting."

Together they slipped through the darkness. They went through the back door of one of the houses which Denzin knew to be Eldris's. Dasbol entered first to make certain there was no one else not of their little rebellion group in there. He then motioned for Denzin to come in.

Malvala stood up, looking up at him. "So you finally show up. Enjoyed laying in the leaves, did you?"

"Hey, you try getting your throat slit sometime. It's not a fun experience," Denzin shot back. "You're Malvala I'd presume."

She nodded. "So you already spoke to your father. Ha'trin do quite well without magic. I would love to know how you sneak around so efficently some time, though right now is not that time. We need to figure out how to take Tarnrax by surprise. He is always on his guard and all previous attempts have been miserible failures."

Denzin smirked. "I do believe I have an idea for that."

**************************************************************************

Shime woke up from a restless sleep. She snapped awake when her mind remembered what had occured the previous day. Just in time as she heard Tarnrax come out of the bedroom. He stretched briefly, glaring at Shime. "Good, at least you're awake. Go out there and make yourself useful. I have things to discuss with Malvala about the ritual before we try to get started." With that, he walked out the door.

Sighing, Shime got up, stretching out her stiff muscles from staying curled up all night. She glanced out the window, making sure Tarnrax wasn't going to come back. She hurried to the food cooler, managing to make herself a quick breakfast. She didn't want to go back to the starved state she had been in for most of her life.

Shime had finished her food when she heard a knock on the door. Before she answered, there was a shadowed figure standing in the doorway. Even through the cloth wrapped around his head, Shime recognized Dasbol. She knew all those in her clan even in their outfits.

Dasbol glanced around almost nervously. Then he peered at Shime. "Malvala sent me. She wants you to make food for the Ha'trin. It would do no good for them to go hungry if they plan on fighting back."

Shime blinked in surprise. "But... Tarnrax will kill them."

Dasbol shook his head. "Get food made and we'll take it to them. Simple stuff. You'll see. There's a plan."

"A plan?" Shime peered at Dasbol in confusion.

"You'll see. Oh, and Denzin is waiting, so hurry. I'll be back in a short time." With that, he went right through the door.

Thoughts of seeing Denzin again made Shime's heart flutter. She should have taken his offer to leave. Then she could be far away from Tarnrax. Thoughts of that carried her through the motions of making food enough for all the Ha'trin. It was simple, just a gruel really, each sweetened with a bit of sugar that she mixed in.

Another thought crept its way into her mind, a dark slithering doubt that wrapped itself around her hopes and strangled them mercilessly. As long as Tarnrax lived, she could never be free of him. No matter where she went, no matter what she did, he would come after her and force himself upon her.

She wasn't sure how she knew but the sensation that there was a presence in the room made her turn. Dasbol had returned. Though he hadn't made a sound, Shime had known he was there. It was an odd sensation, the knowing that someone was nearby.

With a word of magic, the ninteen bowls floated up into the air. Dasbol motioned for Shime to follow him. Glancing around the village, Shime felt uneasy. Normally, the place was lively. Now, it seemed like a ghost town.

They made it to the trap house without any interference. When Dasbol reached for the door, however, the one voice that made any clan member's blood run cold stopped them.

"What are you doing?" Tarnrax seemed to come from nowhere.

"Malvala ordered that the Ha'trin be fed once a day to keep up their strength for the ritual, Grand Master," Dasbol said in his elegant way. He was another of the slender and beautiful races, perfectly sculpted as if from the purest marble. Shime knew that he and Malvala often shared a bed mainly because they fit well physically.

Tarnrax sneered. "We will see. Carry on."

Dasbol bowed with grace, turning back and entering the house. Shime followed him, feeling Tarnrax behind her. He stood there as the food was distributed. The young apprentices were kept in the middle, the rest of the Ha'trin blocking the way in case there was a fight.

A wisp of golden hair made Shime's heart leap. Denzin sat among the Ha'trin. Had he been captured? He took his food without looking at her after Dasbol spoke another phrase of magic, causing all the bonds to release them so they could eat. However, his head tilted slightly as if he was indicating for her to leave.

There was one bowl left and Shime took it from the air, slipping away while Tarnrax was paying attention to Ha'trin. There was a room full of loose assassins, the last thing he needed was some kind of rebellion among them. Around the room were a few more Ha'tinre, but that didn't guarantee that the Ha'trin wouldn't start a fight, or even that they could be subdued for they were well trained at hand to hand combat.

Stealthily, Shime weaved her way around the walls that made up the maze of the house. Softly murmuring a spell under her breath, Shime felt her body itch and crawl. She took a step forward through a wall, a moment of darkness and nausea and a strong resistance to her momentum forward. Then she was on the other side, looking at Higzashi.

Higzashi clambered to his feet at seeing her. "Shime!"

With a soft sob, she nearly threw herself at him. "Master Higzashi!"

He put his chin on her shoulder as she threw her arms around his neck. "Are you alright, little one?"

What kind of a question was that? Shime shook her head, trying to keep her tears from falling. Higzashi turned his back to her, wiggling his arms. "Untie me, dear heart."

She put the bowl of food down and pulled his bounds loose. He then turned and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"I... I'm pregnant, Master Higzashi," she whispered. She was so scared that it was almost suffocating to his sensitive nose. "I'm so afraid if Tarnrax finds out."

"I know," Higzashi responded softly.

Shime looked up at him in surprise. "You... know?"

Higzashi nodded. "I don't have this broad nose for no reason. I could smell your hormone change, little one."

Shime felt shocked. He had known she was with his child before she did and didn't say anything about it? Her head lowered slightly so that she watched him under suspicious lashes. "Denzin told me your plans for me. Was he telling the truth?" Her voice was very quiet. She wanted so much for him to be wrong about his father.

For a moment, Higzashi was still and quiet. He looked like a statue. Then he let out a sigh. "Denzin has always been a bad liar when he thinks the lie is wrong."

A cold numbness washed over Shime's entire body. Higzashi had been using her all this time? She suddenly stepped away from him, her breathing short and shallow. The stab of betrayal made her feel sick to her stomach. Higzashi knew he had lost her in that moment. And it was probably for the best.

"Listen, Shime. Now is not the time to let this fog your judgement...."

The glare she gave him made him feel a spike of dread. There was something truly deadly in her brewing. There was a power trying to boil up. That's what they needed now. All he had to do was figure out a way to turn that anger back onto Tarnrax. In the dim glow of the artifical light overhead, he could see the dull green glow of Ha'tinre magic in her pupils.

Then he cocked his head, listening intently to the brief noise outside. "Listen to me, Shime. You have every right to be angry at me, but for right now, it's not my life at stake."

Shime shook her head. "You are cold and heartless. There's not much difference between you and Tarnrax." The callous anger in her voice made Higzashi sigh.

"For the sake of the other Ha'trin, let us put this aside for now." Shime could hear the pleading tone in his voice. Though she trembled with anger and hurt, she nodded once.

Relieved a bit, Higzashi took the bowl of food from the ground and stepped back. Just in time, the wall Shime had passed through slid open and Tarnrax stood at the entrance, forcibly dragging a very uncooperative Denzin after him.

"You bastard killed my twin!" Denzin growled, trying to break Tarnrax's iron grip.

"Tell me, Grand Master," Tarnrax snarled as he jerked Denzin forward by his hair and forced him on his knees in front of him ruthlessly. "How often do twins become Ha'trin together, and end up in the same clan?"

Higzashi raised a brow. "Not too often, but it does happen. Are there no twins among the Ha'tinre?"

"No. We make them fight to the death. Only the strongest twin makes it," Tarnrax sneered. "No wonder you Ha'trin are so weak. Now there will be neither of them."

Pulling a blade from his belt, Tarnrax drew it across Denzin's throat. With a gurgle, Denzin fell forward, his blood quickly pooling on the ground. Higzashi looked down at him with a frown. "Trying to put me off my breakfast?"

Shime let out a squeak, covering her mouth with her hand. The first time she had seen his throat slit, she'd been too shocked to even notice. Now, though, was different. Despite all her training, Shime had never killed anyone. She had never seen anyone killed in front of her until recently. Seeing Denzin lay there in his own blood, motionless, made her feel sick to her stomach.

Tarnrax glared at Shime. Then he snickered, stepping over Denzin's body into the room. "Don't tell me that makes you sick, Shime, darling."

"I... I.... N-No, Master Tarnrax," Shime stuttered, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Denzin would be alright. He was going to get up from this. It had to be part of the plan. Yes, the plan Dasbol had commented on. Steeling herself, Shime tore her eyes away from Denzin's seemingly lifeless body and stared at Tarnrax.

He laughed, a fiendish sound that Shime had never grown accustomed to. Reaching out, Tarnrax mockingly caressed her pale cheek. "That's my good girl," he snickered, suddenly pulling her close to him.

Glancing up, Tarnrax noticed the micro expression of disgust and murderous rage that wrinkled Higzashi's nose for less than a heartbeat. He then grinned behind his mask. "Tell me, Grand Master, did you enjoy Shime's body as much as I do?"

Shime tensed, feeling Tarnrax's hands move over her body. She heard Higzashi's deep, enraged growl as his lips drew back to show his fangs. "When I had her, she wanted it. It is quite obvious she does not want you."

Tarnax burst into laughter. He pressed his hip against Shime, his lips next to her ear, one hand holding her upper arm so she couldn't draw away, the other reaching between her legs. "Do you want me, Shime?" he mocked wickedly. After a moment of her trembling silence, he sneered, pressing Shime against the wall. "Would you prefer Higzashi here?" Shime gulped, glancing at Higzashi. That apparently gave Tarnrax his answer. "You know, I often think I should have killed you when I killed your parents," he stated in a cold tone.

In that moment, Shime realized how tired she was of being lied to, how tired she was of being used, of being afraid, of being a victim, and how tired she was of him! Her lips peeled back in a feral snarl, her voice low and dark. "You probably should have, Master Tarnrax."

The surprise on his face was replaced by the twisting of pain when Shime snapped out the spell she had dreaded from him for so long. Tarnrax shrieked in anguish, every nerve and fiber of his being laced with agony. He had never felt a torture spell quite so powerful. The sensation of Shime's powerful kick to his gut was lost in the convulsions of his muscles as he was thrown back, trying to pull his mind together to counter the spell.

Barely able to speak, Tarnrax mumbled the counter spell through the froth that had built up in his mouth. Though the spell dissipated, his body still trembled with the intense pain. Panting, he glared up at Shime. "You little bitch," he snarled, standing straight and coming at her.

Higzashi blocked his way then, his strong hands going for Tarnrax's throat. The two strong men grappled, each intent on killing the other. They grunted as they struggled with one another, their bodies braced. However, due to Higzashi's shorter, stouter form, he was able to use his lower center of gravity to push against Tarnrax's taller, slimmer frame, causing him to take several steps backward... and into a blade.

With a howl of pain, Tarnrax threw Higzashi away from him, whipping around to face this new attacker. Denzin gave him a tilted nod with a sarcastic grin on his face. "Surprise!"

It was probably the fact that his muscles were slowed from Shime's spell that allowed Denzin the chance to plunge his blade into Tarnrax's chest. Snarling, Tarnrax punched Denzin across the face, throwing him back. With an angry yell, Tarnrax pulled the dagger out of his chest. "I will kill you," he roared.

He felt another sharp pain in his back, spinning around with another cry. Shime glared up at him, his own blades in her hands. "You tried that, Uncle," she hissed. "You tried to kill my spirit. But I was the snake in your bed, waiting for you to make a mistake. It wasn't until now I realized that just the fact I'm alive was your mistake."

Before, Tarnrax had always been able to stop her movements. But Higzashi had taught her that she didn't have to move slow like she had been previously trained. She was a Zaz, and the speed of her movements were a blur in Tarnrax's eyes. Stabbing him with both hands, Shime gave him another kick to the torso, throwing him across the room. Coughing, Tarnrax slid to the ground, his body shaking with pain and blood loss.

Shime moved as if she was going to start toward him, but Denzin closed the distance between them in a few leaping strides, gathering her into his arms. "Enough, Shime," he said softly into her ear. "Leave his death to another."

Higzashi walked toward Tarnrax as he tried to gain his breath and his feet, but only managing to get to his knees. "As I said, you made a mistake coming to my home."

"I do not... die... so easily!"

Higzashi yelped in pain as Tarnrax drew a dagger from his body and stabbed it through the side of Higzashi's knee. Hobbling back a step, Higzashi pulled the blade out, snarling as he raised the blade.

Tarnrax grinned up at him. "Knives won't kill me," he mocked.

In that moment, a shadow melted through the wall. A look of shock was the last expression on Tarnrax's face when he felt the barrel of the pistol against the back of his head. "No, but a bullet can." The angelic voice full of hatred was the last thing he heard. Malvala pulled the trigger, the gun quieter than Tarnrax's body crumpling to the floor. "Burning in Hell is too good for you, devil," she spat.

A shudder ran through Shime. She buried her face against Denzin's chest, a sob so powerful shaking her body that her knees nearly collapsed under her. Denzin had to hold her up, stroking her hair. "It's over, Shime. He's gone."

With a deep breath, Higzashi allowed his body to relax for just a second before he looked up in surprise. Malvala pointed the gun she held to his head. "It would do me well to get rid of you now while I have the chance. In the chaos of a leaderless clan, I can wipe your Ha'trin off this world."

Higzashi raised his brow, trying to think of something to say. However, he didn't need to. Malvala slowly lowered the gun. "But, for the sake of all that has occured, I will leave you all in peace long enough to move your village somewhere new. It would be very boring if we didn't have you to keep us sharp and flush out our weak."

Smirking, Higzashi bowed sweepingly before Malvala. "I look forward to our future encounters, sweet heart."

He yelped, grinding his teeth when Malvala shot him in the foot. "I'm hoping you'll learn I'm far from sweet." With that, she turned to Shime and Denzin. Her gaze softened, nodding to them. "Be well, Shime. You are stronger than any of us. I think we would have broken long ago. And you take care of her or I'll hunt you down."

Denzin smiled. "No worries about that."

With a glare at Higzashi, Malvala stepped back and through the wall.


************************************************************************

All the Ha'tinre had simply vanished. They had walked right through the walls and turned to shadows, flinting away into the woods. The Ha'trin merely smiled when they were left alone and free. When Dasbol and Malvala had snuck Denzin into the trap house, he had quietly told the plan to the one next to him. The message had murmured through the group which was the only reason they had not bothered trying to fight when Dasbol had freed them to give them food. Now, after a brief announcement from Higzashi, they got about to getting their homes emptied.

Denzin had packed his things and, slinging his pack over his shoulder, went out to the edge of the woods where the shield ended. There was a mound of dirt there. Shime knelt beside it, a scraggly wildflower in her hand. There was a thoughtful look on her round face.

"I don't know why you think he deserves to be buried," Denzin said softly as he came up behind her.

"He was still my uncle. No matter what he did, he was the last family I had. For that alone I wanted him buried." She stood up slowly, dropping the flower onto the mound and looking up at Denzin. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead, holding her close.

"I'm ready to leave when you are," he said lovingly as he stroked her hair.

"Where will we go?" She peered up at him.

"Wherever we want. We can make a whole new order!" He grinned at her.

She giggled. "And what would we call it?"

Denzin shrugged. "I don't know. Well, Ha'tinre means 'killer in shadow.' Ha'trin means 'counter to shadow.' You know the language of the ancient Ha'tinre better than I. What do you think it should be called?"

Shime thought for a moment. When she shrugged, Denzin just smiled. "C'mon. We have plenty of time to think about it. A friend of mine has a shuttle waiting for us to take us to a ship."

As they started away, they heard their names being called behind them. Turning, they saw Higzashi come toward them. Denzin sighed. "We're leaving, father."

"I know," Higzashi said softly. "I don't blame you." He then looked at Shime and there was a pain there she had never seen in him before. "I just want to know if I'll get to see my child?"

Shime stared down at her feet. Sighing, Higzashi took a step closer, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry for all that you have been through...."

In proof of her speed and recent training, Shime reached out, pulling the large dagger from Higzashi's belt. He roared in pain, jumping back, clutching his wrist to stop the bleeding. Shime held up his severed hand, her expression calm and cold. "You did say this was going to be mine."

Without another glance, she turned away and slowly started toward the woods. Denzin smirked, shaking his head. "Don't worry, father. I'll take care of my sibling." Tipping his head, he followed after Shime.

She paused a moment, looking up at him. "I know what we'll call it." She held up Higzashi's hand. "Ha'tib. 'The hand of shadow.'" Tossing the body part aside, she reached out and took Denzin's hand, both of them vanishing into the woods.