“What’s up, doc?” she asked in English settling on my Lap.


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    “Oh, I have this bratty kid,” Iughed shakily in our privatenguage. “She keeps dipping out on me, but


    other than that, not much.” “Well, best I can tell you,” she said, “is like mother, Like daughter.” I met the


    teasing glint in her eye and rxed some.


    “If you weren’t armed like an army tank, I’m spank your butt,” I threatened with a smile, poking her in


    the ribs


    She Laughed and then rolled her eyes Looking at Damien. He was staring openly at us.


    ninjanovel


    “Can I help you?” she asked exasperated.


    “You are both speaking in your mother’s firstnguage and we don’t understand you,” Damien patiently


    exined.


    “Daddy,” Hannah sighed, “it wasn’t anything top secret. I just like to speak English with Mama. It isn’t


    like I could speak it with anyone else.”


    “I don’t like it when I can’t understand you. Speak in our Language around us. You may speak English


    when you are alone with your mother,” he said with authority.


    Hannah grinned and Looked at me. “So now Daddy decides to put his foot down and begin raising me.”


    The men went to the sorting room and I went with Hannah back to our rooms. We sat and talked, but


    the confined space started to make her anxious. We walked in the caves and eventually found a nice


    ce to sit.


    We talked about Earth and we talked about here. Neither of us really knew what it would be Like


    growing up the way Hannah was going to do. She had opinions and I made suppositions. It wasn’t


    really the subject matter that was important, though.


    I ate Lunch with the men. Hannah sat with us and picked at her food. It made me feel guilty.


    “Hannah,” I whispered, “you shouldn’t starve yourself when you are upset.”


    She grunted a short Laugh.


    “I prefer my meat raw,” she said simply.


    “Cooked just isn’t appealing. I caught several gapu this morning and ate them. Also, I don’t think I need


    a midday meal. The other girls I met in the mountains never took one. They only ate in the morning and


    at the end of the day.”


    I shook my head. “There is just so much I don’t know about you,” I told her sadly.


    “One day I’lle back and share it all with you, Mama,” Hannah said decidedly. “I promise one day I’ll


    be strong enough to get you back.”


    The next days passed in a rush. Hannah spent all her time with me. She only left once a day to go and


    hunt. We were as close as any mother and daughter could be for the time we had.


    Nu-reeh came at the end of the fifth day to our quarters. Hannah had packed a bag to take with her.


    Inside were several nkets I had knitted. I had also stitched her name in English into a piece of my


    ornamentation. I had nothing else to offer her.


    There was no preamble and Nu-reeh just told her simply to leave. If she came back the women would


    attack her for being near their men. Nu-reeh warned her to get far away before the morning sun broke


    the sky.


    I dropped to my knees and hugged Hannah tight.