*
Graydon watched theyoung woman intently. She was different than he expected. Much different.
She held a self-possession startling in one so young. He suspected it had been hard-won on many battlefields, something their own young wouldn't have any experience with. War had a way of changing you and it was almost impossible to escape its grasp unmarked in some way.
Her scars might not be on the surface, but they were there. It made him curious to know what had so shaped her.
What had she been like before all this? Had her smiles come faster? He saw glimpses of the person she'd once been when she engaged with him, but when she thought no one was watching, sadness and loss clung to her like a cloak.
When the humans had told him she'd been part of their military, he hadn't thought much of it. They preferred a type of warfare the Tuann disliked, shooting their enemy from great distances, the further the better. Unfortunately for them, their weapons were weaker than their enemies’ defenses.
However, the way she moved made him doubt his former beliefs. She'd taken down the war drone in less than two minutes. Rarely had he seen someone dispatch one so cleanly. It had been like watching moving art, unbearably beautiful and deliciously lethal. He suspected it only took that long because of her shock at its realism.
Yes, she was not as he believed. He'd do well to remember this lesson. Humans had proved deceptively capable in the past, and for all that she was Tuann, her time with the humans had left its stamp.
"Tell me about these people you claim are my family," Kira said, not lifting her gaze from thechaterling.
Graydon tilted his head. It was the first time she'd expressed interest in her people. Baran and Amila had kept him informed of her movements and any conversations she had. They'd said she avoided the subject of the Tuann any time they brought it up.
"They are your family," he said.
"Says you."
He arched an eyebrow. He was not used to such doubt in his word. "You bear their mark. Also, several of their children were taken many years ago."
Her head jerked toward him. "Taken?"
He hesitated, unsure how much of his people's private pain to share with her. It was a dark spot in their history that had affected many. That still affected them.
"Yes, around the time of what we suspect was your birth. We faced great betrayal. The young of many Houses were stolen, you among them. Until we found you, we assumed they'd all been killed." His voice was flat and unemotional as he relayed the information.
She blinked at him, her thoughts hidden and her expression guarded. She held his gaze for several long beats before she turned to thechaterling.
"It was a bloody period. Many died. Among them my friends and those I considered as close as family."
There was silence between them as they watched as onechaterlingtackled another, both crashing off their perches to roll around on the ground as high-pitched squeaks filled the air.
"I'm sorry to hear of your loss," Kira said softly.
He inclined his head. "It was a long time ago."
"You believe I'm one of these children," Kira stated.
"We know you are. The mark on your forearm proclaims your birth House; there are no other marks like it."
"Are my parents alive?"
He hesitated, falling quiet for a moment. "I don't know. We know you are from that House, but your exact lineage is in doubt."
Her eyebrows climbed. "Can't you do a DNA test to find out?"
Graydon gritted his teeth. She didn't know what she was asking. He could forgive her, her ignorance. It wasn't her fault she'd grown up separated from them
"It's more difficult than you assume."
She looked taken aback, her mouth opening before shutting on her questions.
Graydon felt regret as she withdrew. He probably should have found a better way to put that.
