Trouble In Multiple Forms

Soraya floated on her back along the water's surface, relishing the relaxation this place provided her, the relief the water gave her swollen ankles and aching back... Not to mention the way she could hear nothing but her own heartbeat in her ears as she kept them underwater. If she strained hard enough, she could almost imagine she heard the babies' heartbeats as well, though of course this was in her imagination. Still, she liked the idea that perhaps she could hear them, just as she knew the rest of her vampire family could. She stretched her arms above her head languidly and propelled herself a little further, eyes closed.

Naitachel was stretched out on some soft glowing moss on his belly, wing-shoulders resting on it to either side and tail flicking idly as he read a book there on a bit of rock, as comfortable as a teenage kid sprawled across the bed with a iPhone and texting friends.

Soraya finally made the effort to stand in the water, rather than lay, and peered toward the seraph. "Is it considered ironic that I should marry a man so afraid of water when it is the one thing that seems to calm me these days?" she asked wryly.

Naitachel looked up from his book, blinking. "They do say opposites attract at times?" he offered with a helpless shrug. "I can hardly consider myself an expert in such matters."

The redhead laughed. "I suppose so," she agreed, "though I highly doubt I am in love with Vlad due to the fact that I love water and he abhors it. What are you reading?"

"Well, I would hope it is far more deep than that," the Seraph agreed. "Oh, some vampire novel. It is most amusing. The author writes with the descriptive skills of a robot."

"Vampire novel? Do they have at least half of it right?" she asked. "Duly noted," she answered, slinking backwards into the water.

Naitachel laughed softly. "None of it in the least." He arched a brow at her. "They sparkle in sunlight, it seems. And are very much for chastity..."

"That is preposterous!" Soraya exclaimed. "Vampires are certainly not for chastity." Of course, that wasn't counting Tommen.

Naitachel laughed again, enough to almost draw red tears to his eyes, nodding. "I told you it is most amusing! And the drama is... so terribly fake!"

Suddenly something large and black emerged from the downstream end of the cavern, roiling the water as it moved slowly toward Soraya and Nait.

"Given the drama we live through with our vampires on a regular basis, I doubt whatever is written in that book pales in comparison," Soraya laughed.

It took her a few moments to realize something was in the water with her, which scared her out of her wits. "What is that?" she asked, backpedaling as fast as the water allowed, trying to reach the shore nearest Naitachel.

"Ours is not badly written?" Nait countered with a chuckle, only for his eyes to widen in alarm and for him to leap to his feet, book forgotten at the odd dark behemoth. "Heavens!" he squeaked as he bounded to Soraya's side on the nearest bank of the stream. "I have no idea!"

The figure rose, revealing itself a man. A big man. Reaching up, he removed his dive helmet and waded to the bank. "What's the matter?" asked John Eagle.

It took several long, blinking moments for Soraya’s heartbeat to calm enough to realize what had just happened. "You scared the living daylights out of me," she told the Native American as she still held her stomach protectively. "What were you doing?"

The Seraph blinked slowly at Kahtenny, and he shook his head, starting to laugh. "You look so very odd!" he admitted innocently. "I fear you surprised us both terribly."

"Oh, just second guessin' Radu a little." John unzipped his wet suit, exposing a broad chest. "Just makin' sure the creek went where he said it did. It does."

Soraya was suddenly very aware that she had taken to swimming in her underwear and bra, for lack of a better option, and retreated under the water again. "Where exactly is that?" she asked innocently.

Naitachel nodded, and scratched the back of his head uncertainly. "I imagine they were very thorough when creating this facility, though I was not around at the time. He pays attention to detail very closely, usually."

After a brief apology, Kahtenny gathered his gear and moved to report his news to Radu. However, he evaded answering Soraya's question, offering a mischievous wink instead. Knowing their security man of old, both "vacationers" let it slide and waved their farewells to him as he headed out and left them to resume their relaxing pastimes.

***

Days later, Kahtenny was working on his second helping of breakfast when Radu and Naitachel entered. "Morning," the big Indian said.

"Good morning," Radu answered quietly, pulling the stool out for Naitachel before seating himself beside him, looking at Kaht's plate a moment before finally asking, "What is that thing?"

The Seraph flashed his mate a grateful smile and settled neatly on the stool before giving Kahtenny a cheerful grin. "Good morning!" Yeah, a morning person... and afternoon, and evening... just not right after waking, no, but then, he rarely slept, so...

"That's one thing that hasn't changed," Kahtenny said. "The meals are as good as ever. Maybe better," he added, barely understandable through a full mouth.  "What thing? The steak or the flapjacks?"

Radu looked at what Kaht referred to as steak and shook his head. "I suppose it is what passes for steak now."

"Is that what they are? Which is which?" Nait asked brightly.

A tall, lanky Latina with a face that would have been alarmingly beautiful were it not always contorted into what appeared to be a permanent scowl approached the table. "Mister Prince?" she began.

"Now, you can slander that poor piece of meat, which probably pulled a plow most of its life, but don't go insulting Melanie’s pancakes. That reminds me, I've got a good stock of emergency rations in the truck. Pick them up in a day or two."

Naitachel simply smiled and shrugged. "Pardon, but I do not normally..." He broke off as the table was approached. Being a vegetarian the few times he ate real food, he'd hardly be a connoisseur.

"Yes, Miss Duarte?" Radu answered quietly.

"Chapman was wondering if you'd be down for training exercises today or not, sir?" the young woman asked.

"I am certain that one of us will, though I hesitate to say which," Radu answered, pouring a cup of tea as he did so.

"Very well." She nodded to Naitachel, looked at the Indian curiously, then headed back out the way she'd come.

Kahtenny watched her go, an appreciative gleam in his eye. "You've got an exercise room?"

"I prefer my meat fresher and redder," Radu admitted as he poured a cup for Naitachel as well.  Radu nodded. "We've actually got one more established, a cavern they use to train in and another place to swim where they do laps and underwater exercises."

Nait gave a small wave back, and blushed faintly at Radu's comment. "Thank you." He sipped from his cup quietly.  "Will we be showing John those?" he asked.

"I thought perhaps he might enjoy making use of them." Radu confirmed.

"Good. I'll likely be spending some time there. Wouldn't want to get out of shape," Kahtenny said with a grin.

Radu nodded. "When you're done with your breakfast I can begin showing you around."

Washing down the last bite with a swallow of coffee, Kahtenny rose. "I'm ready when you are."

Nait smiled. "I have yet to learn my way about, so this should be pleasant... I do not think I recall seeing that place before." Quickly finishing his tea, he rose to join them.

Radu sipped his tea a moment, quirking his brow in amusement before setting it aside and standing. "Very well. Let us begin."

Kahtenny sent a mind-call to Tsosie: <Come.> The wolverine met them at the door and followed along.

The first place he led him to was a control room lined with monitors, warning lights, speakers and keyboards. Matty sat there in a rolling chair sliding easily from one keyboard to the next, occasionally entering information as he took in the screens all at once.

The ex-Seal quirked an eyebrow. "Security Central?"

Chuckling, Nait offered a cheerful, "Good morning, Matty!"

Matty didn't bother looking up. "Morning..." he mumbled, peering closely at something on one of the monitors to his left.

Kahtenny stepped up behind him, peering over his shoulder. "Bandits?"

"This is our main security office. Matty is one of three who usually monitor things for us. He's here most of the time, but Kris and Jeff both take shifts, too," Radu informed him.

Matty shook his head at Kaht's question. "Not exactly. Those are their friend's clothes wrapped in towels. They just left them naked in the swimming area."

"I think he meant there," Radu gestured toward some blank screens.

Curious, Naitachel edged a bit closer to also peer over Matty's shoulder.

"Uncle and Vlad are both already down there checking out corridor 3. Min's with Tommen on Corridor 10," Matty answered.
"What's the problem?" Kahtenny asked.

"And corridor seventeen?" Radu asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"How you tell one from another is astonishing," Nait murmured in an undertone. "They appear all the same to myself."

"Badger and Michael," Matty answered Radu before replying to Kaht. "Someone's been bypassing or cutting our security feeds and stealing things. So far it looks like they didn't get anything this time. We had help ready the moment the feeds went down."

"They are numbered according to where they are located in relationship to the main entrance," Radu explained to Nait. "The further from the exit, the higher the number."

Kahtenny asked, "Hmm. Is it the same location every time?"

"No. So far it's all over the map. Literally. I'm trying to determine their next hit by feeding the data for their actions in and letting the mapping triangulation programming sift through it. Maybe it'll have a hint where to meet them next," Matty answered, trying to bring the cameras back online.

Nait tilted his head and studied the screens like a bird. "I fear numbering still has lost me when from within they appear much the same. Ah well..." He arched a brow at Matty. "How often has such incidents been occurring?"

"Every three to five days and always in one of the corridors where we are not, despite our best efforts at securing ourselves within the darkness. Night vision goggles would not have surrendered our position. I can only assume that someone we trust is involved."

"Maybe we ought to take a little stroll down that way," Kahtenny said, "I'd like to see just what they're doing. Just a newcomer taking the 50-cent tour, you might say."

"Nobody has been hurt during such incidents, though, yes?" Nait asked.

"Nobody's been hurt yet," Radu concurred, nodding to Kaht. "Good idea. Follow me."

Radu led him out of the office and down a long, narrow, rough carved hallway.

Naitachel followed, gliding a step behind. He was curious as well about these incidents, and here was a chance to see the scene of a crime.

They approached Mircea and Vlad, who were inspecting a cut feed closely.

As they reached the first damage site, Kahtenny held back a step or two, observing the layout of the area, noting where the camera was placed and its range of vision. Leaning against the wall, he unobtrusively slipped a tiny mechanism, no bigger than a penny matchbox, out of the cargo pocket in his coveralls and set it in a chink in the wall.

Naitachel held back out of deference to their work, not wishing to interrupt their concentration.

"It was definitely cut again," Mircea concurred. "Jina was just in the next corridor. Whoever did it was either silent enough or familiar enough to bypass the alarms and avoid even our attention."

"So, then... someone in our midst," Nait observed, shoulders slumping a bit. <I... do not wish to have to "clean house" again,> the Seraph told Radu uneasily. He still was haunted by what he had done in New York years ago. <Besides which... just interviewing might cause unrest, as most are already uncomfortable with myself.>

"Comes to housecleaning, I'll take care of it, amigo, you won't have to," the big Indian reassured him.

The Seraph blinked, frowned slightly in confusion, then blinked again and smiled hopefully. "You... heard me? I thought you only heard your furry friend, but this is wonderful!"

"Well, yes, you said it, I heard it." Puzzled, Kahtenny said, "You mean you weren't talking out loud? Well, I be go to hell. It must be rubbin' off."

"Ah, but I was not using my true voice, John. This shall be very useful, I think..." Nait beamed brightly at this new discovery. "We shall have to teach you to use it discretely."

Kaht smiled. "Fine with me, but let's sort this out first, eh?"

Mark had heard rumors of a cavern in the depths of fantastic beauty, a place the Prince family kept secret and many a teenage couple looking for privacy made a game of trying to find for their fumbling explorations of each other. Those who found it usually couldn't get in, though, as it was locked. But Mark was not the usual guy when it came to locks. He knew how to pick some of the best, due to a past in jail. Amazing what skills you picked up during lockup, though he'd learned it in return for educating others in how to stalk their girlfriends.

A runaway chicken had led to his inadvertent discovery of the door in question, the soft sound of a stream and waterfall echoing through the door giving away the treasures beyond. Radu had reserved this place for only a special few. Well, Mark had a bone to pick with one of those few, after his last meeting ended up with a wolverine almost eating his crotch. He wanted a bit of revenge.  If a second figure tagged along, he might not mind picking with that one, either. So, having made a bit of preparation, Mark snuck into the cavern in question, and used a flashlight to get ready. He'd seen Soraya and Naitachel coming back from there with Soraya's hair all wet... so he had a feeling they might come back. And when they did, he'd be ready.

Soraya had been looking forward to this swim all day. She was exhausted and stressed with everything going on, and wanted some time to relax and decompress. She could almost feel the stress leaving as she entered the sanctuary, and even more so as she changed into her shorts and t-shirt she used for bathing. "I do not know what I would do without this place," she sighed aloud.

Naitachel chuckled as he brought in the picnic basket and set their camping lantern on the floor by the stream. "It is a wonderful place to rest, relax, and recover, yes? A sanctuary in truth."

"Indeed," the redhead sighed as she dipped her toes into the water. She glanced down at her stomach and sighed. If she was this size already, she hated to think of how she would end up by the end of this pregnancy. "I might have to live here in a few months," she commented wryly.

Naitachel snorted, amused. "And be away from your peanut butter and ketchup? I do not think you would endure very long, then," he shot back, sitting on the side to dangle his odd feet into the water.

Mark edged up, smirking, and finally walked up behind them to throw in smugly, "Mind some more company? The scenery's rather spectacular, I gotta say..."

Soraya's eyebrow shot up. "Vlad is perfectly capable of making my requested snacks and bringing them to me..." she said, before Mark's voice made her jump and whirl.  "Mark? What are you doing here?"

The Seraph jumped at Mark's voice, twisting where he sat, surprised. He'd dropped his guard on entering, not expecting any to be able to enter here. Immediately he blushed. <Did I leave the door unlocked behind us? Heavens!>

<I... thought we had locked it,> Soraya answered, stepping out of the water to try to edge closer to the seraph.

The gardener grinned and folded his arms across his chest, looming over them both. "Oh, just saw you two come in and thought to see what's up," he commented smugly. "I didn't know it was the swimming hole around here. Nice place, though, I gotta admit." He made a show of looking around, then winked at them slyly. It would be all too easy for him to spread word of it and where it was.

Soraya gritted her teeth. "I think you should leave." She didn't much like the implied threat in his voice, and she wasn't one to fall to a bully's every whim, either. That only encouraged them.

Nait quickly drew his tail closer under his robes, having to lean back to peer up at Mark. "This area is... not exactly for public use," he tried hesitantly, not liking what he could pick up from the man.

Mark smiled broadly. "Oh, I can leave... and tell everyone how to find it and get in. I'm sure the teens'll have loads of fun in here, catching fish and trying to knock down some of the stalactites with rocks."  The gardener leaned closer to Soraya, purposely trying to use her discomfort and his increasing proximity to make her back up towards the stream... and leered.

"What exactly is it you want, Mark?" Soraya asked, trying to calm herself, though she stood her ground and looked up at him fiercely.

Naitachel glared up at Mark. "You know you will be causing trouble that way... and Radu shan't stand for it," he warned.

Mark reached out a hand to touch Soraya's belly with careful, teasing fingers. "Want? You might guess, but I don't generally go for pregnant women," he murmured slyly, smirking. He arched a superior brow at Naitachel, and snorted. "I'm already in trouble any time I meet them, it seems, so what difference does it make?"

Soraya couldn't stop herself. She slapped Mark's hand away. "Do not ever touch me again," she warned, desperately wishing she could simply set him on fire right then and there. She knew she shouldn't let him see her become agitated, that it would encourage him, but that he would touch her stomach, an implied threat to her children, that she would never have.

Naitachel started to get to his feet, frowning. "Leave Soraya alone. And you know full well Vlad would go for your very hand to dare such," he told the man.

Mark huffed, smirk fading to a bit of a frown as his hand was slapped away, and turned to make a face at Nait, his other hand reaching out to push the Seraph backwards even as he got up. "Hey, I've other options," he returned snidely.

Not expecting the push, Naitachel flailed, off-balance, his wings trying to open to help regain it but not in time to save him as he tumbled backwards into the stream with a yelp.

"Hey!" Soraya protested, trying to come between Mark and the seraph. "What do you think is going to happen here?" she asked him, "That we will simply just let you have your way with one of us just to protect this place? Are you insane?"  As Naitachel fell in, Soraya spent no time thinking. She jumped in after him to help him up. Thankfully, he'd fallen into one of the shallower areas, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to handle standing him up, awkward as she was.

Mark snorted, not bothered by either of them being upset. "Oh, I'm not thinking of that far, really... Though just a kiss might be nice, you know," he laughed.

Nait flailed in the water, wings utterly useless as he tried getting his feet under himself in the shallows (luckily only shallows!), those feathered pinions batting in the water with slow and heavy moves, which was probably just as well or Soraya might have been hurt by just trying to get close enough to help. As it was, they brushed roughly against her legs. Nait grasped at her offered hands desperately, and struggled back to his feet, coughing heavily and gasping, wet hair hanging in his eyes... His robes hung soaked, but between them and the water at least they kept his wings and tail mostly hidden in the limited light.

Luckily Mark wasn't the most observant with such limited lighting, and he folded his arms, smirking at them. "You know, just this view makes coming here all worth it," he teased slyly.

"A kiss?" Soraya spat. "I am sorry, but I require much more romancing before I ever even offer that." She remained near Naitachel, desperately looking around her for something she could use to defend them, or for an escape route, whichever was more convenient. <Maybe we can get out the way Kahtenny got in?> she suggested, knowing it was a dim hope.

<Did he not swim into here?> Nait answered warily, those coughs shaking his whole body as he tried to clear water from his lungs. <I cannot... and besides, that would leave us outside! Radu and Vlad would be most upset by that, I am certain... How would we ever get back?>

Mark pouted like an annoyed kid. "Is kissing that hard? Besides, there are two of you--if you won't, maybe he will?"
"I... have higher standards," Nait hacked, gold eyes narrowed as he peered up at Mark between wet locks.

<I do not know, I am merely trying to think of a way out,> the expecting mother answered, placing her hands over her stomach protectively. "Mark, I am trying to understand, here," she then reasoned, "You are merely looking for a kiss? I get the impression you are looking for more than just that... that you expect a kiss would lead to something else."

<I suspect that leaves just the door,> Nait told Soraya uneasily. <Besides... I... do not think I could go Kahtenny's way with you. I cannot swim, and you are in no shape to bring me along.>

Mark grinned with a dark sort of triumph. "Well, a kiss would be nice now... Later, well... we can see, eh?"

Soraya moved sideways, dragging Naitachel with her a few inches, trying to get a clear line for the door. "So you are saying you want a kiss now so that it leads to more later..." Soraya answered, trying to put her best listening skills to work. "Why?" she then asked him not unkindly. "Why do you think you have to force yourself on someone to get what you want out of them?"

Mark snorted. "Who's forcing? Kissing isn't so bad, just a smack of the lips in fun. You just don't realize it until you do it, is all. C'mon, lots of girls are that way. All protest, and when you finally get the kisses started, they go all mushy and demand more." Mark smirked knowingly. "I got ya all figured out, you know. And Nait's not so different from a girl, so it's easy enough there, too, to figure out." He stepped between them and the door, grinning as if enjoying this game. "Hey, now--you gotta pay the toll, missy. One kiss, and off you go."

The water dragged heavily at Nait's robes and feathers, and he struggled to wade with where Soraya directed. "And what if we decide to stay here?"

"Well, you might get a bit cold after a while, all wet like that," Mark pointed out, scooping a roll out of the basket Nait'd brought to nibble on. "And maybe hungry... Mmm... good stuff. Melanie makes great bread."

Mark's words actually appalled Soraya. <He sounds... as if he has... oh. Oh my, this is worse than I thought,> she shared with Naitachel. <Do you think you can make it to the door?> "So women really mean yes when they say no?" Soraya asked Mark, incredulously. "You realize we are both in committed, loving relationships. I am pregnant for crying out loud. Why would either of us seek to go to anyone to kiss them other than our mates, or want to?"

<Not fast like this,> Nait warned.

Mark waved the bread roll in his hand as if teaching a lesson. "When did that ever stop anyone? Hell, just look at the celebrities before things collapsed. If anyone stayed together past having kids, it was a fluke in the industry! Besides, a kiss is a kiss, eh? You just pucker up and go 'Muwah!'" He imitated with a laugh.

<So I might have to distract him somehow,> Soraya said, trying to think of a strategy.  "A peck? That is all you would require?" she asked him, furrowing her brows.

<Too bad we cannot pelt him with the food,> Nait mused. <He might decide that means no.>

"The right kind of peck, but yeah," Mark teased slyly. "One each, you know..."

<If I give him what he wants... perhaps you can make your escape?> Soraya suggested, rather revolted at the idea but hoping at least one of them could get by unscathed. "You realize our mates would in a most literal sense want to kill you if you go through with this," Soraya warned.

"They would be very upset," Nait agreed, eying Mark disgustedly. "They did threaten to make you lose... appendages... before, remember."

Mark waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, they hate me anyway. We all know that. What's new? Besides, they'll know only if you tell them, right? And if I find out you told..." He frowned darkly, leaving the threat unfinished.

<Think you could make it?> Soraya prompted Naitachel again.

<He would still catch me first, I fear, unless you go into... ah... a serious kiss... I would not wish you to try that on my behalf, however. I fear I am just too slow as it is right now.> Naitachel's wings drooped unhappily. <If I give in, however, you might make a break for it? You would be swifter than I, perhaps.>

Kahtenny moved slowly through the tunnel. For the time being, his controller was silent. No alarms for the last few hours. Maybe he'd have time to meditate a little and work the tension out of his soul. Nice of Nait to let him have a little corner of the cavern for his own.

<I do not really like that solution any better,> the redhead answered with a mental sigh. "If you find out we told, what?" she prompted as she began wading toward him.

<I think it has better odds of success?> Nait returned unhappily, accompanying Soraya to the edge of the stream, though moving through the water was clearly difficult for him, almost like wading through mud for other people.

Kahtenny opened the door, grinning as he saw Soraya and Naitachel in the water, but stopped short when he got a glimpse of Mark. "What the hell are you doing in here, punk?"

At the sound of Kahtenny's voice, Soraya stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, thank the gods," she breathed, her knees nearly buckling in relief. She actually had to reach out a hand to Naitachel to steady herself. The thought of ever kissing someone else, let alone Mark, had left her clearly distressed.

Mark shrugged. "I haven't decided yet, but I'll be pretty mad," he warned. His smirk was swift to slide back up. "See? Even you know the magic of kisses..." he murmured triumphantly as they finally came to the edge, grinning down at them. But the opening of the door and Kahtenny's shout made him jump almost three feet into the air, whirling, dismayed and suddenly... afraid. "Aw hell... The Indian again! I haven't done /anything/ but just come in here, yeesh!" he protested.

Nait almost staggered as he reached to steady Soraya, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank Heaven... Kahtenny, your timing is absolutely wonderful!"

"And who gave you permission, tl'iish, to desecrate a holy place?" All Apache now, he crossed the stream and confronted Mark, his black eyes like those of a predator.

Soraya took the opportunity of Mark's distraction and climbed out of the stream. Once she had managed the task, she turned and offered Naitachel a hand out. "He caught us off guard by appearing unannounced," Soraya shared with Kahtenny, knowing he would understand that he hadn't been given permission by anyone present.

Mark blanched and waved his half-eaten roll at their surroundings. "This is holy? I don't see no cave paintings or anything. It's just a stream and glowy weird moss, c'mon!"

"Did he touch you?" Kaht demanded.  Suddenly a foot-long bowie knife was pressed against Mark's stomach, its point making a deep indentation in his hide. "Because if he did..."

Naitachel leapt to get a knee on the stone edge, having to almost double up to get his weight forward, sodden wings and tail trailing behind with his robes, so heavy with water in his feathers that he couldn't even fold the wings to his spine. The weight almost pulled him backwards back in, even then, but Soraya's grip on him helped him try crawling further out. "Not as he had hoped to," Nait told Kahtenny with a grunt as he struggled out of the water.

Mark squeaked, backpedaling away from Kahtenny. "Jeeze, man, what the hell is with you! I didn't do nothing!"

Soraya's hands went instinctively to her stomach, where he had laid his fingers, albeit gently, though she merely turned silently, unsure of how to answer. Angry as she was, and as forceful as she had been before, she wasn't sure she actually wanted to see him gutted here, now that it seemed a very real possibility. She allowed Naitachel's answer to stand. "You did manage to corner us in the stream at the exit price of a kiss," she pointed out. That much she wouldn't let pass.

Naitachel almost yelped as Soraya let go, rocking back a bit from the weight, and grabbing tight to a stalagmite to regain his balance and finish dragging himself clear of the water. Breathing hard, he decided he might rest there a minute, rather than stand, leaving his sodden robes to hide his wings for now. If he stood, it might be more obvious, and he didn't want Mark catching on if he hadn't noticed yet.

Turning back to Mark, Kahtenny hissed, "Yess, this is a holy place. Something you, Gochi Indaa, white pig, would not understand. And some profanings require more cleansing than others. Some require the blood of the intruder. Soraya! Did he touch you?"

At John Eagle's insistence, Soraya bit her lower lip. The more she stalled answering, the worse he would interpret the events to have been. "He simply laid a hand on my stomach," she answered unhappily.

"Which hand?"

"What the heck!" Mark protested desperately. "I get in trouble for just asking for a kiss or two, and you don't for trying to gut me? Or sacrifice me to some stone in a cave? I mean, hell, how was I supposed to know what this place was, even? I saw them come and go, swimming and stuff, so who'd swim in a holy place, anyway?"

The redhead looked at Kahtenny, rather startled. "His left, I think," she answered weakly, blanching.

Nait glanced from Soraya to Kahtenny. <He watched us?> he echoed, surprised and a bit alarmed by that.

"Please, Kahtenny--he shan't learn from violence," the Seraph sighed. "He is quite convinced what he did was harmless, at least in his own mind."

<So this was all planned, then,> Soraya answered Naitachel as she gathered her towel and wrapped it around herself.

The knife disappeared as Kahtenny grabbed Mark's left hand. "You were told, gochi, Mircea warned you and you did not listen. I warned you. Warned you in a way that any human would understand and remember. You did not listen. Now you will have something to make you remember." Taking the gardener's hand in his, he began to squeeze, tighter and tighter, feeling the joints give and the bones break. Mark's screams stopped suddenly as he passed out from the pain.

Soraya covered her ears with her hands at the sound of Mark's screams and shut her eyes not to see the scene before her.
Naitachel winced and looked away, huddling where he rested, his empathy echoing Mark's vocal screams as his hand was crushed. It was enough to set his tail trembling, those cries of pain. Once the man fainted, he set to trying to squeegee the worst of the water from his wings and tail, and wring water from his robes a bit at a time.

When the screaming stopped, she allowed herself to look up again, pale as a sheet. Well, at least this was less bloody than if he had cut an appendage off, as she had suggested in her anger during an earlier confrontation. Still, the sight of the mangled hand made bile rise to her throat.

Impassively, Kahtenny picked him up by the belt and dunked him in the stream until he regained consciousness, then unceremoniously dumped him outside the door. "Better put something on that," he said, "it's gonna sting for a while. And it's not a patchin' to what you'll get if you even come close to these two again."

Mark whimpered as he was dumped outside, soaked, cold, and aching enough to be nauseated and dizzy. He clutched the wrist of his crushed hand, glared murderously at Kahtenny and those behind him, then staggered off down the hall quickly.

"Thank you," she told the Apache, "For once again coming to the rescue." As she spoke, however, she began gathering her things, not sure how long she would make it before she lost her earlier snack of green beans and caramel. "We can only hope he has finally gotten the message." Truly, she was grateful for Kahtenny's interceding, unsure of what might have happened had he not appeared.

"Sorry you had to see that," Kahtenny replied, "but it needed doing right then. We'd better have the lock changed on this door, and I'll put a crawler in the hall so you won't be surprised again. Yeah, I hope he learned something from it, but with that kind, you never know. Wish we could get the doc to implant a tracer in his hand when she fixes him up."

Naitachel staggered to his feet finally, still sodden, and moved to help Soraya with the towels and such. "Perhaps you should go tell Vlad what happened," he suggested to her. "Before he comes up with some wild rumors or some such." He nodded to Kahtenny, and sighed. "I suppose even sanctuaries require extra protection nowadays..." He didn't answer on Mark's injury. There was nothing to say. He did not like violence or harm to any, not even the most vile, but he had made his plea for mercy. He was certain Kahtenny's answer was kinder than any Mircea might have chosen then, certainly... or Vlad, if he'd heard.

Soraya nodded. "I know. And thank you. But please, I need to excuse myself," she said, giving the Indian a smile.

Taking her tiny hands in his big ones, Kaht replied, "Sure, little sister. I'll talk to Vlad and Radu."

The redhead nodded again, and quickly kissed Kahtenny's cheek before hurrying down the hallway with all she could manage to carry, certain Naitachel would manage the rest, even in his sodden state. She certainly hoped Naitachel would be alright after this close call as well.

Nait watched Soraya go, and sighed. <I am fine, but I need to dry out some before I follow,> he assured Soraya as she left, mentally hugging her.

"Thank you, Kahtenny, for your intervention," Naitachel told the big man quietly.

"I know it was hard on you, but like I said, it needed doing." Kahtenny watched the Seraph trying to dry himself. "Maybe we better leave a curry comb in here to strip you down with."

Naitachel shook his head, smiling. "I am not a horse... Though it is difficult to wring feathers. I but need a bit of time to dry off, enough so it will not be so obvious under my robes. I had not intended to become wet, myself, so I brought no blanket or towel for myself."

Stepping around a rock ledge to his hidey-hole, Kahtenny pulled out his dive bag and dug a large towel out of it. "Here," he said, tossing it to Naitachel, "see if this works a little better."

Catching it, the Seraph shook it open and tried toweling down one wing at a time, doing his best to get the worst of the water out. It worked better than merely trying to squeeze and wring it, by far. "Thank you, it does. I fear he did not feel so admonished, injured or not... What if he decides to try such against another again? What can be done about him?"

"Kill him," Kahtenny said flatly.

Naitachel blanched. "Heavens... He does not understand why what he does is wrong, however. Is it fair to slay for a crime he cannot comprehend?"

"Neither does a mad dog or a killer horse, but you put them down anyhow, to protect other people from them."

"I... suppose you have a point," the Seraph sighed sadly, finishing toweling his tail. Done, he fluffed his feathers, making them stand up to help finish drying them, a rather amusing thing to see.

Kahtenny chuckled. "You look like a big meep."

Blushing, Nait couldn't help a bit of a smile. "I suppose I do. But they do not get wet, not with all their fluff, somehow. Perhaps it is something to do with static, or why they are so puffy at all."

"Could be. If you're ready, we better go tell the boss what happened. We'll probably have to hog-tie Mircea to keep him off the schmuck."

Nodding, the Seraph scooped up the picnic basket. "You are likely right," he agreed wryly.