Little Blue children and the hybrids who mentor them.
In proper Klingon style, a yarn of epic proportions, unlikely to actually much resemble the reality it sprung forth from, was told of Kahless and Sto-vo-kor. More than once, Blue did have to nudge her to remind her she was telling the tale to a group of children, not drunken bar companions, but the end results were received well. Even some of the parents keeping a watchful eye on their children seemed enthralled by the end of the tale. When she wrapped up, there was a respectful silence for a minute before the children started clamoring for more tales of Kahless.
"First there is this ritual dueling ground for you to show me," Diziara quieted the clamoring by saying. She was still standing from telling the tale, and she offered a hand to Blue to stand up. The more enthusiastic of the group rose to their feet also, and Diziara clasped Shlev on the shoulder. "You lead us," she told him with a firm but friendly pat on his upper back.
As a result of the attention drawn to him, Shlev's antennae stood on end and quivered a bit. Forgetting the manners he was reminded of earlier in the story telling, he looked up at Diziara and made eye contact. "Y... yes," he said, straightening up proudly. She smiled encouragingly down at him.
As the group headed for the exit from the dinning hall, Shlev taking up the lead position in the group and Diz falling to the back with Blue, Therav started to stand to follow. Noelle noticed, and laid a hand on his shoulder with a soft shake of her head. "Let him go. Dizi knows what she's doing," she said to re-enforce her silent message. Therav stopped, but didn't sit down again, still keeping half an eye on the procession. "Besides, pull Shlev away and he'll never hear the end of it from that bully and his friends." This further explanation was enough, and Therav sat down again.
Across the room, Shlev turned to see Therav watching him and the group, and when his thavan nodded to him silently, the child seemed more comfortable and happy for it. Diziara hadn't noticed the exchange, and was having a soft conversation with Blue as the group made its way out of the dining hall.
"What did Shlev do to make that zhen tell him he wasn't being polite?" Diziara asked Blue.
"Our people consider it disrespectful to stare into another's eyes, especially if the person is their elder or above them in rank or status," he explained.
"Klingons find it disrespectful when one does not make eye contact," Diziara replied. "I'll have to mention is, such things only cause fights."
Back in the dining hall, having lost its main source of excitement, it was quiet again. Spiegel was staring at the door the group had left through, the look on his face indicating he wasn't sure if he should follow or not. Therav looked around, checking on each away team member still here. He saw Tallana talking to his zhavey, and Quinn was finishing another bowl of porridge.
"We'll have time for the briefing," Noelle said, "Why don't you show me around the keep?" As she said this, Quinn noticed Therav looking at him, and elected to join the group. He unceremoniously plunked himself down next to Spiegel, either oblivious to, or ignoring, the look Spiegel shot him.
Therav silently agreed to Noelle's suggestion of a tour to the keep, and they both stood. Spiegel wasn't paying much attention, but Quinn stood also. Noelle and Therav exchanged a look, then looked at Quinn curiously. Spiegel stood up and muttered something about going to find Diziara, and headed for the door. Therav's antennae indicated a mixture of confusion and annoyance, and he cleared his throat before speaking. "Lieutenant, I need you to keep an eye on the rest of the team, especially Diziara," Therav explained to Quinn. Spiegel stopped dead in his tracks, halfway across the dining hall, as he heard this. A silent curse crossed his lips as he turned back to see how Pukey responded.
"Gee, Boss, you never told me that was my job," Quinn said, disappointment clear in his voice. "I don't think she likes me much anyways, and she clearly thrives on having an audience..."
"That is an order and it is not up for debate," Therav said firmly without raising his voice one bit. Noelle just stood silently nearby, knowing that one does not get into the middle of something like this. Spiegel elected to attempt to slip out the door before Pukey realized the debate was over, unfortunately Pukey was too good of a soldier and it only took a moment of slack jawed silence before it sunk in and he saluted Therav before marching up behind Spiegel.
"So, any idea where this ritual dueling ground is that Red's herding the flock of children to?" Pukey asked Spiegel as he slapped a friendly arm across his shoulders. Spiegel extracted himself from Pukey's grip and kept walking as if he wasn't being followed by the lunk head, the two of them leaving Therav and Noelle behind in the dining hall. If Tallana happened to look up, she would have seen Therav offering his arm to Noelle as he told her that he'd start the tour with the family shrine.
Walking down the hallway, headed away from the dining hall and trying his best to ignore Pukey prattling on next to him, Spiegel turned a corner to find Thil headed in the direction he'd just left behind.
"Hey, Lady, how goes it?" he addressed her, and she looked at him.
"I saw Diziara headed off with Blue and my thei. Where are they going?"
"She's taken a shining to the kid, seems to want to take him under her wing, they're headed up to the ritual dueling grounds. She and Blue want some exercise, and this exercise she can let the kids watch, unlike the display of last night," Spiegel answered. "I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to show Pukey and I to these ritual dueling grounds, would you?"