Kallah Sitkohn's loss, more Tos and Sray, Kenbin and Sherod
Kallah is responsible for the Klamon strategy of targeting Humans who hold knowledge rather than just focusing on military retaliation. They stripped her of everything, she would do the same to them.
I don't know if Kirrei and Kallah are siblings or lovers, but you don't mess with Brehtsoln Klamon.
Kallah had stepped outside, just for a moment. Kirrei had finally settled into sleep and Kallah needed some quiet outside to process the last few days. For the first time in months Kallah felt hopeful for the future. She wasn't quite a mile away from home and had started to arch back when she heard the first whistle. Her large ears trained on the noise, it was moving fast, whatever it was. Then another, and another, by the time it registered what it could be it was too late.
The world exploded around her, she tried to run back home, but at some point she was knocked down and when she came to the air was thick with dust and the sounds were no longer whistles and explosions, but wails and sobs.
Kirrei, she had to get to Kirrei. "KIRREI!" Kallah screamed as she struggled to her feet. Everything hurt, her head was bleeding, but she had to find Kirrei. She staggered around the rubble that was strewn across the street and paused to put her hand against a wall that was just half standing. She coughed the dust out of her lungs and blinked her stinging eyes before looking up to try to find something familiar to guide her home.
It felt like hours as Kallah half staggered half ran home, calling Kirrei's name as she went. There were other names being called, she'd help after she found Kirrei. Kallah had to know Kirrei was safe before she did anything else.
The house was in ruins, splintered wood and stone lay everywhere. She was frozen for a moment before she lept onto the pile, digging frantically. "Kirrrei! Can you hear me? Kirrei!" Kallah couldn't feel her. The power was out so there was no background current to distract her senses. No, no, no, she had to find Kirrei. After all this she had to be okay.
Finally something was visible, a hand, Kallah dug harder, her fingers full of splinters and knuckles scraped from the rough edges of debris. "Kirrei! Can you hear me? I'm getting you out, hang on." Kirrei was curled up, hands over her head.
Kallah knew, but she couldn't accept it. She finally touched Kirrei, nothing. No breath, no warmth, no impossibly small pulses of electric life coursing through her nerves. She touched Kirrei's belly where the lumpy bulge of her pouch lay still as well. The joey too. Desperately she tried to revive them, sending electric pulses into Kirrei. One, two, three times. After four attempts Kallah gave up, she was too late. She lifted Kirrei onto her lap and wrapped her arms around them both.
Kirrei's disappearance nearly a year ago had been bad enough, but this? This days after they were reunited? Kallah's hair stood on end as the charge gathered, sorrow and pain turned to rage and culminated in a earth-shaking BOOM as Kallah released what she had left in a final lightning-bolt charge. The sound was the only thing that could drown out her wail of agony and despair as she mourned the loss of the things most precious to her.
"If I could avoid it, I would." Kenbin admitted.
"Would you want me to deliver it?" Sherod offered.
"No," Kenbin shook his head, "strict instructions it needs to go into Kayrin Hillenbohn's hands from mine, but speaking of the Hillenbohns, there is something you must know."
"What more could there be?" Sherod asked, curious about what else he would need to know.
"They all know about the Brotherhood."
Sherod's brows shot up in surprise. "I thought Mishor said Kayrin Hillenbohn was never chosen."
"She wasn't." Kenbin confirmed. "The Klamon know about the Brotherhood."
Sherod stared hard at Kenbin. "You mean all of them do?"
"That's the best assumption. Sray knew the name of the order, that there are multiple schools, and more. The knowledge came from her father's people."
Sherod raised his brows and folded his arms with a soft "Hm." He then shrugged his shoulders, "I guess that makes my job a little easier then, doesn't it? I don't have to worry about her telling her family anything and unlike a young teenager I don't think she's the type to show off or abuse her abilities. Shoot, she's half Klamon and if I didn't know it I may never have guessed."
"Well, you'll find out in a week's time. I best get moving, I didn't ride all night to deliver late."
"Would you like to have some company?" Sherod offered.
Kenbin waved it off. "No, I'm fine.
(And then I just realized this is supposed to be right after the DeMyur incident and not Ashtim so it's another two days before they know she knows about the Brotherhood, but whatever, it gets me words and I'll fix it later.)
"What happened to 'us', Sray?" Tos looked casually over at Sray. "We aren't as close as we used to be. I don't know why you insist on pushing me away."
"You stopped treating me like your little sister." Sray replied simply.
"Well, you stopped looking and acting like my little sister." He explained.
She looked at him with his dark, tightly curled hair and hazel eyes as if what he said was absolutely absurd. "I never looked anything like your sister."