Chapter Text
The AX-44 dropship stank of sweat, mud, and blood. Ninety plus firewarriors were packed tightly into the cargo hold; and the deck was now covered fore to aft with their weary and exhausted bodies. There hadn’t been enough transports when the evacuation order came; and so the kor’ui crew chief shoved in as many as he could. The tired firewarriors sat cradling their weapons; with their head on their knees, or on the shoulders of their comrades. The dropship’s four big thruster engines created a constant low thrum; which was not so much heard as felt. But most slept in spite of the constant vibration. Their bodies finally released from the strain of battle; and their minds from the burden of the Wild Cry.
‘At least we’re not breathing in promethium fumes, or the stench of burnt Green flesh any more,’ thought Gaxai.
The shas’nvre had been fortunate enough to grab a seat when he boarded; and now utterly exhausted, leaned back against the bulkhead. He rubbed his moustache, while his tired green eyes stared out at nothing. And unable to focus his thoughts, Gaxai’s mind now wandered off to places unknown. The AX-44 rolled slightly, but he either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. Then, just as the dropship levelled off, a faint smile crossed his face.
'Are you smiling at me Shas’nvre?' came a voice over Gaxai’s receiver.
'What?' he asked, tapping his comlink antenna.
'Shas’Nvre’Mont’kir, you’re looking at me and smiling? What’s that all about?' said the voice again.
Gaxai lifted his head and looked all about the cargo hold. He had difficulty locating the voice; but finally in the dim blue combat lights, he could see two firewarriors sitting directly across from him. One of them smiled at him.
'Shas’Nvre’Bortuya, I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were sitting there… And I didn’t know… I was smiling,' replied Gaxai speaking slowly, so his fatigued mind could get the words right.
'What were you thinking about?' she asked.
'What was I thinking about?' Gaxai paused. 'Xmm… a summer rotaa long ago… a summer rotaa when… when you and I were at the academy. That rotaa when we went… bird watching… and we ate the nectar from j’hal flowers. But, I have no idea what made me think of it?'
'Gaxai, were you thinking of the time we shared The Little Bower? What made you think about that?!' asked the shas’nvre, now addressing him by his prime name.
'I–don’t–know-Ysbril? I don’t know why that would’ve… popped into my head,' he replied, also using her prime name.
'Why that rotaa? We were so young back then, barely into adolescence Gaxai.'
'Yes, I know. But for some reason or another, that memory floated across my mind. There was this vivid image of you standing on the hilltop, with the sunlight coming down through the trees…' Gaxai closed his eyes thinking, '…You were wearing your academy summer smock, and that pink and yellow outdoor hat you use to have. I can distinctly remember looking up from the trail, and thinking, “She looks so cute in that hat”.
Suddenly Gaxai heard someone say, ‘Get up Shas’la. You can have my seat over there.’
Opening his eyes he was startled to see that Ysbril had made her way across the cargo deck. And was now, with some difficulty, stepping over and around the firewarriors seated on the floor. Speaking to the firewarrior sitting next to Gaxai, she pointed over her shoulder saying,‘Hurry up Shas’la or Shas’Nui Sha’kan will give your seat to another firewarrior.’
The weary firewarrior looked over at Gaxai, who shook his head to indicate it was alright, and so he gave up his seat. There was a bit of commotion with the exchanging of pulse rifles, power packs, arms shields, and helmets; before Ysbril, that is Shas’Nvre Bortuya, could sit down. Then as the young firewarrior turned to leave, Ysbril grabbed his arm and said, ‘Shas’la if you want Shas'Nui Sha’kan to shag you, just be sure to flirt with her the rest of the way back to the Forward Operating Base. Do that, and I guarantee she’ll give your shodoi a ride.’
Befuddled, the firewarrior blinked once and looked over at Gaxai, who just rolled his shoulders at him. And so deciding that was as good an answer as he was going to get; the young firewarrior then started the arduous journey across the cargo deck.
‘Why did you say that to him Ysbril? Rakuda’s a good firewarrior!’ complained an angry Gaxai.
‘Pbftt! Gaxai, I just wanted to be sure he got something for his troubles,’ she replied as she stored her power pack under her seat. ‘After all a good leader looks after all of her firewarrior’s needs. Right?’ she said putting her arm shield atop the seat to use as a head rest. Then sitting down, she turned and bit the tip of her tongue at Gaxai.
‘Tach!’ he groused at her randy gesture.
‘So you were talking about a summer rotaa long ago, when we were at the academy?’ she asked leaning close to him.
Gaxai looked at her tired blue face and noted the green Lub’grahl warpaint was still visible beneath all the grime and dirt. Ysbril’s whole life could be seen in her face. In the lines that were etched around her eyes and mouth; and in the scars that criss-crossed her face. Especially, the one deep scar that ran along the jawline, along the right side of her face. But one thing that was the same after all these tau’cyrs; and that was the light that shone in her amber eyes.
‘Alright Ysbril, just know that… I’m not… I wasn’t trying to start anything,’ said Gaxai fumbling with his words.
‘Gaxai, we’ve known each other since crèche school! I know you weren’t trying to ask me to, “turn down the quilt”? And—just so you know—it would’ve been quite alright with me if you had. We did graduate from the same academy after all. But, By the Dawn Blade, what made you think about our little excursion that summer?!’
Gaxai let out a sigh, and paused to pull off his Red Dragon cadre bandanna, and then wiped his face with it. ‘I don’t know really, I think I was just so tired that my mind just went to some random place. I haven’t thought about those times since we both became Shas’nvre.’
‘T’oh, your braids have come all unravelled Gaxai. Here you tell me what you were thinking about, and I’ll redo your hair,’ said Ysbril as she reached over to take the first of the two braids at his right temple.
‘You know there’s something wonderful about being that age. When you first notice that girls are this other kind of tau’la; but you’re really not old enough to understand what sex is yet. And that summer was really special, because those of us who were left at the academy, we all stayed together in the same barracks. Remember how we formed our own little family—our own little ta’lissera?’
‘I remember,’ she answered letting out a sigh. ‘You were there because your family had to relocate, when your foster-mother got employment in another city. And I was there because being an orphan, I didn’t have a family to go back too.’
‘Xmm, yes. That really was a wonderful experience wasn’t it? Having the whole academy grounds to ourselves; and having all the time to explore it and the surrounding countryside. I remember we all shared that one corner of the small guest barracks. It was so comfortable and cosy tucked in there near the commandant's quarters.’
‘T’aaah…’ she said wistfully. ‘T’oh, but I remember how annoying it was to deal with the younger cadets! Even with the help of the nanny drones, the little ones were forever refusing to go to bed on time. I especially remember you complaining about the younger boys rough housing after lights out.’
‘Aye, but Sarlugh and I, we fixed that,’ he said looking at her from the corner of his eye.
‘And as I remember that mob of boy shas’saal were afraid of the two of you for a whole rotexi. Well, at least you didn’t leave any bruises on them. We on the other hand never could get the little girls to settle down. They were always being obnoxious, and wouldn’t go to sleep until we read them stories, or sang songs to them.’
‘Who was that little girl that use to get into bed with you every night? That was Teva wasn’t it?’
‘Yes it was. And tee-ahh, do I remember Teva! After awhile I just gave up putting her back in her own bed. So, every night after lights out, I’d let her climb into bed with me.’
‘You, know I heard Teva was a right nasty little kir’e her final tau’cyr at the academy?’
‘Don’t you mean Teva was a straight up snae’tas kir’ejii! She went around hitting on every male cadet on campus. Err! Getting into fights with every female cadet in her class, and over boys she wasn’t even interested in. Gah! Pestering every male she met by shoving her big pair of sinya’memii in their faces, regardless of their caste or age. Hoi-hoi-hoi, and that mouth on her? Err! She use to be just the sweetest little girl when she was small. T’ach! And‒to‒think‒I‒use‒to‒let‒her‒sleep‒in‒my‒bed!’
‘Yao!’ yelped Gaxai, ‘Watch the braids.’
‘Sorry, I guess I’m still mad at Teva. I really liked her you know!’
‘Well, but Teva turned out alright in the end didn’t she? As Shas’Ui’Da’nan, she’s the latest firewarrior to earn the Hero’s Mantle in the contingent. I hear she’s now been assigned to the Mountain Daemon cadre. I also understand that she was quite the sexy young thing back at the academy; although that was long after both you and I graduated. But hoi, isn’t she a handsome young woman now!’ said Gaxai with a satisfied look on his face.
‘Pbftt! So, I’ve heard. I still want to put a hoof up that little kir’ejii’s backside! Here let’s switch seats, and I’ll do your other braids.’ Then, after they awkwardly changed places, Ysbril started in on his other braids. She worked away until all of a sudden, she grabbed him by the chin and turned his face towards her.
‘Wait a raik’an! Did you let Teva ride your shodoi? Did you hammer her kirsaal? You did didn’t you?’
Gaxai scratched the bullet scar on his cheek and said, ‘Well, so what if I did?’
‘T’ach!’ she grunted and yanked his braid.
‘Yao! I take it asking you to “turn down the quilt” is now out of the question?’
‘You‒were‒talking‒about‒a‒summer‒rotaa…’ said Ysbril through gritted teethplates, as she tugged on his braid again.
‘Yao, yao! Yes, that rotaa we went bird watching in the wilderness reserve south of the academy. You remember…yao! You made us box lunches…yao! And the we got up really early to get there before dawn?’
‘T’oh, that rotaa! I remember that summer morning vividly,’ said Ysbril getting a far off look in her eyes. ‘Sorry about yanking your braid like that. It was all tangled up and I had to…xmm…untangle it first. Go on.’
‘Are you sure it’s permitted shas’nvre?’ he asked, turning his head to look at her.
‘Go ahead, Shas’nvre, it’s permitted,’ she said, patting his shoulder and blushing..
‘Attention firewarriors! All eyes on me!’ shouted a voice out over the sound of the engines, that could be heard all the way to the rear of the dropship. No amplification was necessary whenever Shas’Nel’Kilaa’Qazdan, a cadre Fireblade spoke. Standing on the bow platform he stood looking over the cabin, he said, ‘We have received word to divert north to an ongoing engagement with a large mob of Greens is sector Blue-Red 115. We’re rendezvousing with an additional transport squadron on the way. At this time we do not know what will be required, we may be extracting the other contingent, or we might be covering their retreat. We just don’t know at this time. I recommend eating something and getting some rest before we arrive at the evac site. ETA is approximately one and a half decs. I will keep you informed as data comes in. That is all.’
There was a murmuring and a bit of rustling as cartons of rations were broken open and then passed around.
‘Do continue with recounting our summer excursion,’ said Ysbril, taking a ready-to-eat meal for each of them before passing on the carton.
‘I can’t believe how early we got up that morning. I remember that we skipped our morning physical fitness routine, thinking the long hike would be just as good. And it was, clambering up onto the cold rocks, hiking up hills and down ravines, and walking along the ridge lines. And all just so we could listen to the bird’s morning chorus as the sun came up. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a silver-throated hui’la or a sun-wing anuk’la! I don’t know about you, but I never seemed to get tired or cold that morning. It was all too much fun and exciting. And the best part for me, was that I got to do it with my best vesa,’ he said, breaking into his ready-to-eat meal of kootai egg dumplings in nugas sauce.
‘I was your best vesa? I thought Rak’e was your best vesa back then,’ she said, thoughtfully opening up her ready-to-eat meal of nim’ko’nai with vegetables and segeneka meat.
‘You were always my best vesa!’ he said with a little smile. ‘Rak’e was my second-best vesa. Wait, didn’t I ever tell you that? I seem to remember telling you that very morning, that you were my best vesa?’
Ysbril looked up at Gaxai’s scarred and lined face and could see the emotion behind his eyes. She paused to remember the face of a young fire caste boy from long ago. A young shas’saal with long auburn hair and jade green eyes, who loved birds, and hiking outdoors.
‘Sorry Gaxai, but I’d forgotten all about that; but I do remember now, you telling me that I was your best vesa. And when I look back at it now, I think you were my best vesa too. But I just didn’t know it at the time.’
‘T’aaah,’ he said looking at her and sighing. ‘Do you remember our walking up to the top of the hill next to the creek? We laid out the blanket to eat our box lunches under the shade of the beakewood trees. And for some reason that’s the image that keeps coming back to me. The sunlight coming through the trees decorating your face in dabs of sunshine and shadow. And I remember how your bronze hair was always escaping from under your hat; and that you were forever pulling it away from your face. And that was the first time I realised that I liked you as much for being a girl, as for being my vesa.’
The AX-44 juddered and everyone grabbed a hold of something. Ysbril and Gaxai smiled at one another as the dropship rocked back and forth.
‘Turbulence,’ said Ysbril, taking his hand and squeezing it.
‘Ai,’ he answered and squeezed it back.
Ysbril spoke in between bites of her nim’ko’nai noodles, ‘Gaxai, I remember we both had already taken off our uniform smocks; and I had my undertop open so I could get some more sunshine. You on the other hand were wearing nothing but your hat and short summer breaches. So, I reached over and took your hand in mine. And we sat there holding hands and looking over the valley for the longest time. We held each other’s hands for what seemed like forever.’
‘It did seem like we held hands forever, didn’t it? Ysbril, holding your hand was the most calming and satisfying thing I’d ever experienced in my life. Well, up to that point in my short life anyway. I remember thinking that although you and I were just friends; I couldn’t help but…’ laughed Gaxai; but then looking down at his rations said blushing, ‘…Want to be closer to you.’
‘Xmm, I remember how happy I was that I still had a male friend! After all so many girls in our class were starting to pull away from their male friends. And all because they were all starting to get “boy crazy”; and thought they couldn’t be friends with a boy they really liked.’
‘T’ah, that’s true. I was happy that I didn’t have to put up with all the…’
‘All the crazy girl stuff?’ laughed Ysbril.
‘No, I was going to say, all the silly courtship stuff.’
‘Xmm, Gaxai I remember thinking how much I wanted to be…’ said Ysbril, but then burst out in a fit of giggling. ‘...Naked with you!’
‘Well, that rotaa you certainly got your wish. Didn’t you?’ said Gaxai putting a dumpling in his mouth.
Ysbril giggled but then starting blushing, and so hid her face behind her packet of nim’ko’nai.
‘I knew something was up when I saw you giving at me that, “I’m-thinking-of-something-naughty” look of yours!’
‘What look is that Gaxai?’ giggled Ysbril.
‘The same look as you’re giving me right now. Like you’re about to say something inappropriate or sassy.’
‘Well, it wasn’t hard to get your clothes off was it? All I had to do was ask, and you took them off.’
‘I didn’t know what you wanted, because it wasn’t like we hadn’t ever seen each other naked before. Just a rotaa earlier we had all gone swimming with the little ones. And even though we older cadets were suppose to be wearing swimming clothes, the little ones still didn’t have to wear any. And they were constantly pestering us about why we had to be “dressed up” to go swimming. You remember how annoying it all got, so we eventually just gave up, and took off our clothes too.’
‘Of course we’d seen each other with our clothes off; but we hadn’t ever been alone together with our clothes off. In any case you still didn’t have to take off your clothes, just because I asked you to?’ said Ysbril, putting her chin on his shoulder and giving him her “naughty” look.
Now it was Gaxai’s turn to laugh. ‘Well, you didn’t ask me to take my clothes off. It was more like you ordered me to take them off, “Gaxai take your clothes off!” It was more like that.’
‘No, it wasn’t!’ laughed Ysbril.
‘Yes, it was!’ laughed Gaxai.
‘Well, you still didn’t have to do what I told you to!’
‘Really?’ I thought you were going to tear off my hiking shorts, if I didn’t comply!’
‘Tsiq! You make it sound like I was bullying you,’ laughed Ysbril. ‘I just asked, “Take off your clothes Gaxai?” And guess what, you did!’
‘Attention firewarriors! All eyes on me once more,’ the voice of the cadre Fireblade rang once more through the cargo hold. ‘We have confirmation that our mission will be an extraction of an encircled contingent. When you’re done eating, do your weapon and equipment checks. Get yourselves ready now, so you can get as much rest before we hit the landing zone. We’ll have a mission briefing thirty raik’ans before our ETA.’
‘Gaxai, you were the first boy I ever “tissed”,’ said Ysbril turning to look into his jade eyes.
‘Ysbril, you were the first girl I ever “kissed”.’ But then added, ‘You know that’s a Gue’la word, and it’s pronounced with a hard “k” sound and not with a soft “t” sound.’
‘YES, I know!’ she laughed biting his cheek.’
‘Yao! What’s with the biting?’ he laughed.
‘“It’s pronounced with a hard “k” sound and not with a soft “t” sound!” You haven’t changed a bit have you, Gaxai! Even back at the academy, you were forever correcting me on things. That’s probably why I chose Fyai to be my consort for the Sheheiin't'yi – The Trial by Flowers.’
Gaxai sat up in his seat, and his face lost all of its joyfulness.
Ysbril pulled back and stared at Gaxai. ‘What? Are you still mad that I chose Fyai and not you? After all of these tau’cyrs you’re still upset about that?!’
Gaxai said nothing, but set his jaw and looked at her from the corner of his eye.
‘You snae’tas fra’k! From our first cycle at the academy, you knew I wanted Fyai to be my consort for my Trial by Flowers!’
‘Still hurts. Besides I was the first one to give you… you know… to give you…’
‘What? You were the first boy to give me an orgasm?! Yes-you-were. And you’ve been reminding me of that ever since! Here are you done eating yet? Because we need to start our equipment and weapon checks.’
Ysbril quickly finished her nim’ko’nai; and bundling up the remnants, then turned and yanked the ration packet out of Gaxai’s hands. But then snatched his quick sticks, saying, ‘Here give me those too!’
‘Hoi, I wasn’t finished with that!’
‘Well finish it then,’ she said turning and squeezing the last dumpling into his mouth.
A female shas’la sitting on the floor at their knees then asked, ‘Excuse me Shas’nvre, but are the two of you bonded in ta’lissera marriage?’
Gaxai was too busy choking down his last dumpling to answer; but Ysbril gave a resounding, ‘No!’
‘Pardon me for asking, but the two of you do act like brother-husband and sister-wife,’ said the firewarrior.
‘Pbftt! Thank goodness we’re not. Why we’ve never even been in the same squad since we joined the cadre.’
‘And you can see why, can’t you Shas’la?’ said Gaxai after taking a drink from his water bottle.
‘Is there a problem Shas’nvre? Because, if there is, I can move back over to the other side of the cabin if you like?’
‘No problem, Shas’nvre,’ he answered, looking at her again from the corner of his eye.
There was a buzz of activity as ammunition crates were opened, and there was a loud clacking and snapping as firewarriors replaced their expended ammo clips and power packs. Others checked and re-checked their comlink antennas; while still others inspected their armour and helmets for damage and defects.
Gaxai stared at the counter on his ammo clip; and with a look of consternation on his face said, ‘Says here that I only have 800 fuel pellets? I couldn’t have killed that many Green-hand-foots could I?’
‘No, you probably only started out with half an empty clip; either that or you swapped clips with a team member,’ said Ysbril checking her carbine’s power pack.
‘Xmm…I had only 1,300 when we landed. Wait… now I remember… I did swap with La’Yowlas so she could have a more rounds in her rifle.’
‘Just swap it out with the clip in your pulse pistol,’ said Ysbril slamming home a full clip into her rifle.
‘Of course, Shas’nvre. ‘Swapping ammo clips is one of the first things a firewarrior learns when he joins a frontier cadre,’ said Gaxai, smiling sarcastically at the female shas’la.
‘Ai, it is Shas’nvre,’ said the shas’la, blushing.
‘What squad are you with Shas’la?’ asked Ysbril, now checking her comlink antenna.
‘Fourth squad, but we were decimated ma’am. There’s only four of us left now.’
‘What’s your unit? You aren’t from Lub’grahl are you?’
‘No, ma’am, we’re 4th squad, 44th Wind Sword cadre, 101st Blue Tsunami contingent from Salash’hei,’ piped up a male firewarrior sitting next to the female firewarrior.
‘Nvre'Mont’kir, do you need any replacements?’ asked Ysbril, turning to Gaxai.
‘Our squad is at half-strength, so I could use them. How about you, Nvre'Bortuya?’ he said, pulling the ammo clip from his pistol and inserting it into his rifle. you,
‘We need a couple of replacements, but I’ll let you take as many as you want of these Salash’hei corsairs.’
‘We’ll take them all then,’ he replied. Then, turning to the Salash’hei firewarriors, he asked, ‘Are all of you armed with carbines?’
‘Yes sir, we’re an assault squad… excuse me… we were an assault squad, sir,’ answered another male firewarrior.
‘Well, after I go to the latrine, I’ll see what I can do about getting pulse rifles for each of you. Would you see to getting all their names and ranks Nvre Bortuya?’ he said, standing up.
‘Yes Shas’nvre.’
The Salash’hei firewarriors watched as Gaxai picked his way through the throng of seated firewarriors; and when he was out of earshot, the first female leaned over close to Ysbril and whispered, ‘Was the shas’nvre really your first? Did the two of you really go to the Egegal – The Little Bower together?’
Ysbril crinkled her arrow-shaped nasal slit, and then smiling whispered back, ‘Yes, we did, and it was really very sweet. Just wonderful!’
On his way back Gaxai saw that all of the Salash’hei firewarriors and Ysbril had their heads together, and were trying to hide their laughter.
‘Hoi, there he is!’ whispered one of the Salash’hei.
‘There are no available pulse rifles, so you’ll have to keep your carbines…’ he said, sitting down again. But then, looking at the little clutch around Ysbril, he asked, ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Shas’Nvre Bortuya was telling us about a certain summer rotaa, and how the two of you rolled down a hill into a creek?’ giggled the second female firewarrior.
‘So, she told you about our time in The Little Bower, t’eh?’ said Gaxai, giving Ysbril a knowing look.
‘Well, of course I did,’ she answered, trying to suppress a laugh.
‘It’s all true. We were on top of this small spur overlooking this creek. It wasn’t very high, but the sides were really steep. And you see, she had gotten me to take my clothes off…’ said Gaxai, pointing at Ysbril.
‘All I did was ask, and you were nice enough to oblige me,’ complained Ysbril. ‘After all, isn’t that why you asked me to go with you that morning? So we could be all alone in the woods and take our clothes off?’
‘No,’ said Gaxai.
‘No?! That was the first thing I thought of when you proposed we go out early one morning. I was thinking, “Xmm, we’ll be all alone together! Maybe I can get him to take his clothes off? And then we can have some intimate exploration,” said Ysbril.
Gaxai just furrowed his nasal slit in confusion and stared at her.
‘Wait, you really weren’t thinking about that?’
‘No. I just wanted to go bird watching,’ said Gaxa, rolling his shoulders.
Now it was Ysbril’s turn to furrow her nasal slit and stare at Gaxai. Then turning to the first female firewarrior, she asked, ‘I don’t believe him, do you?’
‘T’aah, sorry ma’am but I do. When it comes to sexual stuff, boys at that age are kind of behind us girls.’
‘The two of you would have thought of that wouldn’t you?’ she asked the two male firewarriors.
‘No ma’am. At that age I was mostly into sports… Velu mostly,’ said the first.
‘Sorry ma’am. I was too preoccupied with building and painting miniatures for my table-top war gaming club,’ answered the second.
‘Pbftt!’ said Ysbril and sat back in her seat.
‘Nvre'Mont’kir, so once she got your clothes off, then what happened?’ asked the second female firewarrior.
‘What? T’oh, so we took our clothes and we sat down on the blanket together… and the next thing I know, I’m on my back and she’s on top of me, and she’s like… touching me! Like touching me all over! And I’m thinking, “Is this really happening?” And then… she took my hands, so I could touch her body… ’
The two female firewarriors smiled and giggled, but the two males just nodded their heads in sympathy with Gaxai.
‘Stop, you're making it sound so overly dramatic,’ said Ysbril embarrassed.
‘It wasn’t dramatic, it was wonderful and… very sweet. It was just… you know… unexpected was all,’ said Gaxai with a far-off look in his eyes. ‘There you were with your cerulean lips next to mind, with your large amber eyes looking into mine. And your hair was like this golden-brown canopy that surrounded us both. And you had the smoothest skin that was so delightful to touch. Your sinya’meem were just little buds then, and it was so exciting to put my lips on your small blue nyosha… How silky they felt on my tongue… And then the sensation when you became aroused in my mouth…’
‘Gaxai, that’s enough intimate details!’ said Ysbril, blushing an indigo blue and sitting up in her seat.
‘Xmm…’ he said, arching an eye ridge. Then looking at the Salash’hei firewarriors, he said, ‘Bet she shared a lot more intimate details about me, when I was in the latrine didn’t she?’
The two male firewarriors snickered and wagged their heads in agreement, but the two female firewarriors just giggled nervously.
‘I thought so,’ said Gaxai, looking over at Ysbril, who just turned and looked the other way.
‘Well, so we spent some time “exploring” each other’s bodies, until we had gotten ourselves so worked up that we were going orqa-yo'l all over each other. You know what that’s like right? You’re too young to know what you’re doing, but you’re so excited that you’re going in every direction all at once.’
The little clutch of firewarriors started to laugh again.
‘Then, she decides that we should have full-on beyii—intercourse. But neither one of us had any idea of what we’re supposed to be doing…’
‘I decided? Why was it my idea? You were there too!’ complained Ysbril loudly.
‘Because, just like us taking off our clothes, it was your idea.’
‘Pbftt!’
‘In any case shas’fann, we knew in theory what we were supposed to do… and it was hard at first to get the rhythm right. Which we sort of finally did… but then we had forgotten where we were. And the next thing we knew, both of us were rolling down the hill. And as we came apart, I immediately did a forward roll onto my hooves. But like I said, it’s a steep hill, and I end up running at a full tilt, straight into the creek. When I hit the water, I did a belly flop; and because the grass was still wet from the morning, the Shas’nvre here, comes sliding down the hill on her butt. As I come up out of the water, I can hear her screaming as she does a really big splash… ka-ploosh!’
‘You don’t have to go and tell them everything Gaxai!’ complained Ysbril, crinkling her nasal slit.
‘I didn’t tell them everything,’ he answered looking at the firewarriors. ‘Believe me, when I tell you, shas’fann, that I left a lot out… an awful lot out. Like we were “doing it” for quite a while before we rolled down the hill,’ said Gaxai, clacking his teeth plates and touching his chin at the young firewarriors. ‘Alright, so we hit the water, and it’s very cold…’
‘Like really, really cold! But the Shas’nvre here was chivalrous enough to pull me out of the water. And we sat together on this big flat rock.’
‘The rock was already hot from the morning sun, so we lay there and hugged to warm ourselves up. And when we were nice and warm, we started… you know… we started doing it all over again,’ said Gaxai, glancing over at Ysbril.
‘Did you have to tell them that too?’ huffed Ysbril.
‘Wasn’t it dangerous for the two of you to be having sexual contact before The Trial by Flowers?’ asked a male firewarrior.
‘Yes, but we were in between our second and third tau’cyr at the academy. So, neither of us were at full sexual maturity yet,’ replied Ysbril, matter-of-factly.
At the moment the shas’nel sounded off, ‘Attention, all squad leaders finish your weapon and equipment checks. Then I want silence throughout the cargo hold for meditation and rest. You’ve got another five raik’an before I order quiet time. You’re going to need some rest shas’fann.’
‘So, to quickly finish answering your question. If we had been at The Little Bower, say later in the school cycle, then it really would have been dangerous.’
‘And besides we didn’t know enough yet, to know that it could be dangerous. Did we Shas’nvre?’ asked Gaxai, taking Ysbril’s hand.
‘No, we didn’t Shas’nvre,’ she replied putting her other hand over their clasped hands. ‘Instead, we had a lot of firsts. We had our first “kiss”. See I know how to say that word! Our first time being alone and naked with someone of the opposite sex. We gave each other our first dur—orgasm. And it was the first time for either of us to had our cir’etz scales caressed…’ Ysbril looked down at the shas’la with half-closed eyes, and said, ‘And it was the first time for either of us that someone performed the vio’sha technique— hot wind over our cir’etz scales…’
‘TEE-yahh!’ squealed the two female firewarriors, ‘That’s pretty advanced lovemaking for second tau’cyr cadets!’
‘Third tau’cyr shas’saal… Well almost third tau’cyr,’ interjected Gaxai.
‘Still, how did you even know about that?!’ exclaimed the second female firewarrior.
‘It wasn’t hard, I was really good at being where I wasn’t supposed to be. And the older female cadets talked a lot. Sorry, but we female shas’saal blab way too much! So, I learned an awful lot from just overhearing the older girls talking. In hindsight… I probably knew too much.’
‘Well, that explains a lot,’ said Gaxai looking away.
‘Explains what?!’ she shot back.
‘Nothing, my tev’la.’
‘What did you just call the Shas’nvre?!’ asked the first female firewarrior, as her mouth dropped open.
Ysbril narrowed her eyes and looked sternly at Gaxai and said, ‘Xmm… tev’la is it?’ She then leaned forward to the four Salash’hei firewarriors and whispered, ‘It was also my tev’la’s first time to “eat the little fox”. And he took to it like… Well, let’s just say he enjoyed himself thoroughly!’
The four Salash’hei gasped and looked up at Gaxai in fear, not knowing what he was going to do or say. But then Gaxai stroked his moustache and let out a sigh.
‘Ai, it was, and I did! The taste of kirsaal is the food of the Celestials in the Fifth Heaven! Xmm…’ he smiled, puckering up his mouth as if savouring some delightful taste.
Ysbril looked annoyed, as if her words hadn’t had the desired effect. So, she added, ‘Later that tau’cyr, the girls gave him the courtship name of Kau’kirsa—Fox Hunter. You should have seen how he’d blush when we called him that name. We’d yell, “Hoi, there goes Fox Hunter! Did you catch any little fox today?” And the Shas’nvre would turn the brightest cyan blue you ever saw!’
The four Salash’hei now burst into laughter but then got very quiet when they saw Gaxailaughter was indeed turning a bright cyan blue.
‘We weren’t supposed to be having any sexual contact before The Trial by Flowers, but somehow or another, all the girls at the academy knew about our time in The Little Bower. They knew enough to give me that name. I wonder how that happened?!’ said Gaxai, glaring at Ysbril.
‘I don’t know how that happened, but the name did seem appropriate to me. Of course that might be because I’m the one who gave it to you.’
‘You-gave-me-that-name?!’ he shouted.
‘Attention all personnel as of 12:67:22 decs, I am declaring a period of noise and light discipline. No unnecessary talking or noise making. Communicate only if you have to, and then as softly as possible. Silence begins now,’ announced the shas’nel.
A hush fell over the cabin of the dropship, and the lighting dimmed noticeably. Firewarriors then curled up to sleep, or sat in quiet meditation. Ysbril and Gaxai sat back in the near darkness, but neither of them slept. The dropship rolled as it changed heading towards the landing zone; the engines’ vibrations seemed to lull many to sleep.
Gaxai felt Ysbril lay her head over on his shoulder, and then gently reached up to take his chin in her hand. She whispered directly into his ear, her breath feeling like a hot moist wind on his cheek, ‘I’m sorry Gaxai for embarrassing you in front of your new squad members. But you do like eating kirsaal, and you do it so well too! And you were good at it from the very first time. From that first time when you ate me on the rock that afternoon. And that’s why I gave you the courtship name Kau’kirsa.’
Gaxai didn’t speak for a while, but then reached up and stroked her face with the back of his hand.
‘Ysbril, I’m sorry for implying everything was your idea that rotaa; and for being so cheeky as to address you as my tev’la. What happened between us was eighteen or more tau’cyrs ago now. Pretty stupid of me to be mad about anything that happened that long ago. Or to think that there could be anything… anything between us now,’ he whispered as the eur’ii moisture fell from his eyes.
‘It wasn’t cheeky to call me your tev’la. In fact, it’s how I’ve thought of you for a long time Gaxai. You really are my tev’la.’
‘I’m your tev’la? Do you mean that Ysbril?’
‘Ai, I do. Now get some rest Gaxai. This might be a desperate fight we’re heading into.’
‘Ai Ysbril.’
The two veteran firewarriors now leaned on each other, and slept as best they could. The memories of a summer rotaa long ago, when they were both young and in love, still floating in their minds.