Thia passed an amused smirk to Hauk and Chayden. “Not my clothes.” With a grand harumph, she threw the switch on the crate and opened it.

A giant black cat leapt out, ready to attack as it skimmed them for a target. Darice squealed and jumped up on the seat behind Hauk.

Chayden tsked. “Damn, bud. Your nephew just callously threw you to the lorina he pissed off.”

Hauk glanced at Darice over his shoulder. “I noticed that.” Clicking his tongue, he called the vicious predator over to him. “Hey, Illyse.” He patted the huge cat on her head and allowed her to lick his chin, then stepped aside and pointed to Darice. “Eat my nephew!”

Darice glared at him as the cat moved to lick Hauk’s fingers and nuzzle his hand, instead of attacking on command. “You’re not funny. Why is that thing here, anyway?”

Thia sighed heavily. “Because my father’s overprotective, and lacks any semblance of a sense of humor. It was either bring his cat or half his army. I personally told him I wanted the army, so long as they were young, cute, male, and virile… which is why the cat was sent.”

Chayden draped his arm over Hauk’s shoulders. “Brother, I don’t envy you the next six weeks.”

“Brother, I don’t envy me the next six minutes.”

Chayden laughed. “You sure you want me to leave you alone with them?”

“Don’t tempt me.” Hauk went to grab his survival pack and gear. When he picked up Thia’s too, Darice hissed. He glared at his nephew.

“How is this an Endurance test when she doesn’t even carry her own pack? Huh?”

Hauk leveled a cool stare at Darice. “Trust me, son. This is definitely a test of my endurance.”

Chayden and Thia burst out laughing while Darice stormed off the shuttle, cursing them all and their ancestors under his breath.

When Hauk started for the large haul bag, Thia rushed in to grab her rucksack from his shoulders. “I’m not really helpless, Uncle Hauk. I’m only going along with this to watch the smoke come out of Darice’s ears.” She slung the large bag over her shoulders and buckled it, then called for Illyse to follow her off the shuttle.

Hauk met Chayden’s amused look and whimpered. “Please don’t leave me here… alone… with them.”

Chayden grinned without sympathy. “You’ll have communications for three more days. After that…”

“We’re on our own for the next month,” he finished for him.

He inclined his head to Hauk. “If you have to eat one of the young to survive, or to salvage your sanity, I would suggest Darice. He’ll give you more indigestion going down, but the ensuing torture that comes afterward will be a lot less painful, I think.”

“Again, don’t tempt me.” Hauk took a deep breath for mental strength. “You know, I would rather walk naked, with my hands cuffed behind my back, into League headquarters and tell Kyr that I was one of the raiders on his prison than do this.”