“It does,” Hannah assured him before she stuck the green stalk back in her mouth.


    Hannah stayed inside with me the rest of the day. She spent most of it sucking on a cold stalk.


    Once she was finally morefortable, I brought up the inevitable conversation.


    “You know what this means,” I said to her.


    “Once your teeth are fully developed, you’re supposed to go out on your own.”


    She pouted, “I don’t want to.”


    “Well, it’s just what’s done. Do you even see any other young women flying around here?” I asked.


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    She shrugged, “Some, the other young women I see are usually several mountains away. It is


    considered…well, tacky, to fly too close to the mountain housing the men. The women that Live in the


    area get angry if they find you too close and you’re not still nursing.”


    “What do they tell you?” I asked her.


    Hannah grudgingly admitted they told her about the ces they had been. She asked questions and


    the other girls just assumed her mother was very old.


    “They think I do not know the other ces because my mother hasn’t been to them in so Long. I just let


    them think that,” she said.


    “That’s a wise decision,” I admitted. “It wouldn’t do to have them think you are weak. Nu-reeh has said


    you are petite. I know you Learned to fight from your father, but I’m not sure it would be effective


    against other women.”


    Hannah smiled a wicked smile. “Oh, I’m small, Mama, so they think I am weak and I let them think that.


    I’ve y fought many girls in the mountains. I usually win.”


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    That was shocking information. I didn’t know Hannah fought. She never came back wounded.


    “I heal fast,” she admitted sheepishly, “like my father. My skin isn’t as tough as the other girls, so it’s a


    good thing. I didn’t think you would like it that I was fighting. On Earth, I know you avoided fighting, so I


    hid it from you.”


    I thought I had paid attention to her, but Hannah had been sneaky. She exined how she washed off


    the blood and let the wounds scab before she came to eat. Hannah alwaysy so I wouldn’t stroke the


    wounded side.


    “Very deceptive, Baby Girl, but I’m d to know you can take care of yourself,” I said shaking my head.


    “I use Dad’s moves,” she told me getting more animated, “the girls don’t expect me to fight like that.


    The way I fight is disconcerting to them. They all fight the same way, except me.”


    Hannah sucked on green stalks and we talked. I finally admitted to Hannah what Nu-reeh had said,


    namely that her staying with me would make her weak. Even if she wanted us to stay together, Nu-reeh


    would not let us.


    “I can see why,” I said straightening the room a second time to steady my shaking hands.


    “Compared to other girls you would have less experiences. I imagine that traveling alone Like that


    makes you more self reliant, also.”


    The tears wanted toe, but I fought them. I was asking her to leave the safe confines of this


    mountain. This world was wild and dangerous. ALL I could do was pray she would be safe in it.