Tava had taken up pacing. After the initial rush that morning to follow Jornea out into the arena, things had become boring. The first three females had managed to get their mounts saddled and running and the others had decided to stay and break down camp. Tava had already packed up Jornea's and her own supplies, but the riders weren't back yet.

"Come sit and calm."

Tava sighed and stalked over to plop down into the grass next to Yggdrasil. "What if she doesn't manage to catch him, even with the lead?"

Yggdrasil shook his head, a calm shade of green that wasn't quite into amusement. "Trust her."

Tava propped her chin in her hand and stared off over the sandy steppe terrain. She trusted Jornea, and she trusted Kartk. She just didn't trust them to work together.

~ ~ ~

Jornea whistled a cheerful tune as her mount ambled along, slowly following the ravines towards the edges of the arena. She hesitated in her song when she heard galloping behind her and glanced back. A grin stretched across her face as the Amzonite woman she had insulted the night before pulled along side with a sneer.

The alien woman put on a haughty smile as she spoke. "It might have been a clever maneuver if the arena was a mile bigger. You had to have known we would catch you before you could make it out here to catch the last male."

Jornea just smiled. "Of course I knew. But I'm still going to win, even if I gave you a head start right now." Her grin turned malicious when the other woman gave her a skeptical look. "My maneuver accomplished exactly what I meant it to. My mount is warmed up and fresh. Yours is not."

The alien woman's eyes widened in realization just as motion caught both their attention. They both spurred their mounts into a run, eagerly pushing and shoving for the lead. But as Jornea had said, her mount was eager to run while the other woman's mount quickly lagged after the hurried trip out to the edge of the arena.

Jornea took the lead, tugging her bola out and getting it spinning. She spotted an opening as Kartk darted for a narrow opening where the lizards would be unable to follow. The bola went flying, wrapping around Kartk's legs and sending him tumbling to the ground. Jornea leapt off her lizard, already uncoiling a length of rope.

Kartk rolled to work at freeing his legs and abruptly had Jornea sitting on his stomach. He gasped under her weight, and by the time he had recovered, Jornea already had his wrists tied together. She scrambled up and off of him, leaping back up onto her mount as she wrapped the rope about the saddle horn.

Kartk snarled as he kicked free of the bola and found he was unable to wiggle out of the ropes on his wrists. Jumping to his feet, he tugged and fought. Jornea merely reeled him in every time there was a little slack in the rope, content to play the long game and let him tire himself out.

Behind her, the other three alien women were watching, waiting for Kartk to pull free and resume their chase. Jornea wasn't about to surrender her hard earned opportunity.

Finally, Jornea had Kartk tight up against her lizard's side. She glared down at him when he continued to struggle against the bindings attaching his wrists to the saddle horn, hissing. "Would you quit?"

Kartk snarled and tugged even harder. "No! I refuse to be caught and subdued by a brat. I had my freedom! It was mine and you stole it from me!"

Jornea sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the women watching with morbid amusement. "You can ease back on the acting you know."

"Who's acting?!"

The vehemence and frustration certainly sounded genuine. Jornea grumbled as she twisted a little, reaching back to dig into a saddlebag. "You knew you were going to be caught eventually. This blasted game doesn't end until every male is subdued by a female. Be thankful it was me instead of that alien woman back there. She was going into some pretty gruesome details about how she wanted to break you."

"I'll never break!" The angry struggling hesitated as Jornea hauled a water skin out and uncapped it to take a drink. He licked his lips, betraying how much he needed to hydrate.

Jornea slowly drank in a mouthful and glanced back down again as she swallowed. "I'm sure you believe that. However, that doesn't change the fact that you wear a collar and belong on Athena with us. So stop fighting me so we can all get back to the ship and resume Tava's little mission. Okay?" Kartk grit his teeth, still eyeing the water. He slowly nodded when Jornea held it up in a silent question.

She smiled as he stopped fighting and lifted the skin, pressing the opening to his lips and elevating the bag so he could drink. He drank eagerly, trying to get as much in as he could before she took it away. He grumbled in protest when she slowed the flow of water.

"Take your time. It's not going anywhere."

Kartk took in a breath as the water skin was pulled from his lips, panting. She gauged him until he had caught his breath, then offered him the water again. He drank again, in long swallows, until he needed a breath and tipped his head back. She gave him a break, and true to her word, offered it again when he leaned in for more. He licked his lips as he drained the last of it and Jornea put the skin away.

"Now. Would you like to walk or ride?"

Kartk grit his teeth, then wilted in tired defeat. Jornea grinned when he set a foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up behind her. She ducked a little to situate his arms around her waist, then reigned her lizard around to head back to camp. She held her head high as she let out the reigns, feeling even more prideful when her lizard pranced past them.

They rode in silence for a long moment, before Kartk quietly murmured. "Thank you." Jornea only smiled.

~ ~ ~

Tava looked up as the riders began trickling in, looking grim now that the hunt was over. She waited nervously until she saw Jornea come riding in, a smug expression on her face as she paraded past with Kartk behind her. Tava slowly smiled at the gentle pace Jornea had set, obviously meant to allow Kartk peace after his furious running for so long. The big man had his chin propped on Jornea's shoulder and his weight leaned against her back, eyes closed in sleep.

Jornea pulled to a halt and patiently waited as Tava mounted up and pulled Yggdrasil up behind her, then they were turning for the wide path back towards the doors. The other women would be a little longer as they strung their males together, but Tava was eager to put this whole ordeal behind her.

They returned the lizards to the stables that they had rented the beasts from and Tava's attention was diverted when someone called her. She cocked her head curiously when the council woman she had talked to before the game came towards her. Jornea lightly tapped Tava's shoulder.

"We're going back to Athena. Meet you there."

Tava nodded and turned back to the council woman. "What can I do for you Ma'am?"

The Amzonite woman cast a glance over Tava's shoulder as Jornea led Kartk and Yggdrasil off into the crowds. "Congratulations on reclaiming your males. I wanted to ask, your subordinate, she was acting under your orders?"

A cold feeling of dread settled in Tava's stomach. What had Jornea done now? "Yes, Ma'am, she was."

The council woman slowly nodded, seeming almost impressed. It eased the ache of nerves in Tava's gut, but increased the curiosity.

"It was a curious tactic. She has set a new record for score, though I don't believe anyone will resort to her methods to break that record in the future."

Tava's brow furrowed. "How did she manage to break the record? She didn't bring in any male but ours."

The council woman shrugged. "Catching them still earns her the points, even if she does release them at the end of the day." She chuckled a little. "I must say, some of my friends thought it an outrage, that she wouldn't take our hunt seriously, even if she was an outsider. I could only be impressed at the dedication. Sadly, it isn't many women that guard their males to such extremes. May I ask what drives this dedication?"

Tava slowly relaxed as it became clear she wasn't in trouble, nor was Jornea, and slid easily into the conversation.

~ ~ ~

Tava walked back onto Athena a couple hours later, feeling slightly overwhelmed. She slowly brought her attention to the present as she slid into her seat on the bridge and Jornea chirped at her.

"Finally! I thought we'd have to mount another rescue."

Tava lifted her gaze to the pilot, already working to get them airborne. "Jornea."

She stiffened, though Tava's tone had been far from warning, or even upset. Jornea shot a glance over her shoulder. "I can explain."

Jornea blinked when Tava smirked, shaking her head. "No. I understand why. You wanted some leverage to trade if someone caught Kartk before you did. And then you released them again to keep the game going as long as possible to give yourself every chance. It was a good strategy, even if it was a game that used lives as pawns."

Jornea gave Tava a suspicious look. "I expected more scolding."

Tava could only snort in amusement. "I can't scold you. You earned me another ally."

"You allied with the Amzonites?! I thought you didn't like slavery? Why would they ally with someone whose view's are opposite to their culture?"

Shrugging, Tava sat back in her seat with a smile. "Because even they can figure out that a council with the peoples preferences in mind is better than a single man they don't know. Especially when he's got an army of Turnyinites at his back. They don't feel the need to pledge fealty, nor do they want to get into a war with no allies."

Jornea turned back to her panel. "Huh." She shrugged a little and finished getting the engines running. "Well then, where to next Cap'n?"

Tava considered for a moment. "Canddes."

Jornea cocked her head. "Isn't that a Militia base?"

"It certainly is."