Chapter 259
“You humans make the worst sounds of any creature we allow the men to play with,” she commented. “Now pay attention.”
We flew into the mountains. She pointed out caves and crevices hidden in the rocks. Nu-reeh explained which ones would be good to rest in and which ones would not be. Certain creatures would eat me if I slept in the lower caves. The higher caves were safer but good places were contested.
Nu-reeh swooped into a cave she could fit into and caught a thing that resembled a huge spider, she called it a Scar. I was revolted by the appearance, but stood stoically as she talked about it. Nu-reeh explained how it would sting and paralyze me. It had razor sharp pincers it would use to take me apart and store for later. All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
Nu-reeh killed it and one other like it that had been hiding. She then showed me where all the dangerous parts of this creature were.
“You can kill one like I just did with your claws,” she said. “If you don’t have claws a large stick will suffice, the men kill them with their swords. You must anticipate where the creature will jump. If you can destroy the eyes on the front, you will easily kill it after that.”
Nu-reeh demonstrated with a large stick how to jab out the eyes.
“They often attack in packs of two or three,” she continued to explain.
“You never want to turn your back on one.”
Once she was done we were off again.
As we flew, my men remembered killing those creatures several times. Scars were a real nuisance. The Warriors did the “pest control” whenever they suspected these things had gotten anywhere near the Warrior compound or shopkeepers’ village.
We stopped in a smaller set of hills and Nu-reeh hunted with me on her shoulders. She showed me how to kill and eat the flesh of the small animal she’d caught. It was tough, but not inedible and we ate it raw. Certain organs had to be avoided, they contained poison. I was made to point them out on the next one she killed.
A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y
After Lunch she spent hours in the windy hills with me. I soon knew the names of all the creatures that lived here. She told me which ones I could eat and which ones would eat me. Should I need to find shelter, I also knew where to Look. It was a Lesson in survival.
Through the bond I knew my men were confused. Some of the animals she showed me would make a human violently ill if they ate it and I’d never be able to overpower others. The places she talked about resting were all at the top of steep slopes that even they would be hard pressed to reach. None of this made any sense.
The prevailing opinion was not to question her, though. Nu-reeh was showing me this for some purpose, so just go with it. The big woman hated to answer questions
My men left the sorting room at lunch and were assigned to mate with a group of females. Dinah threatened them and warned them to preform well today for this group. In true male form they rose to the occasion without difficulty, a good fight would be fun.
I rede back with Nu-reeh toward the end of the afternoon. We flew into the caves and she took us to where my men were mating.
The prescribed matings took place in what was essentially an amphitheater. The participants took each other on in the center and any interested parties could look on. Nu-reeh and her sisters were watching.
“Do you see,” Nu-reeh pointed out to me, “how that woman did not inject venom in the man when she bit him.”
I saw the woman sink her teeth into Master Evan and he grunted. I felt the tearing pain in my own arm and winced.
“Yes, Mistress, the venom is toxic to the men,” I said quietly.
“Even a drop is deadly to them, slave. They do not do well without the whole family. I know you have met Ronal. He and his Brothers are special to Live Like that. Most men that lose a Brother would pass on. It is a waste to use venom on them during mating. Men must be protected.”
“Yes, Mistress,” I said watching Master Damien pushed to the ground by a large woman. “I heard from my owners about the woman who killed a man with venom.”
Dinah hissed and Nu-reeh growled.
“She is no more,” Nu-reeh told me. “A woman without control is not tolerated. We dealt her justice swiftly.”