-Ruufarrl-

The trip down to the surface of the planet did not start as a gentle one. Sadly, for all the technological advances of all the known races, none had been able to develop a vessel capable of planetary landings that could make the entry into atmosphere a smooth one. Nor did it afford them with a view to compensate as only luxury vessels had windows for passengers.

Neither of these things bothered him too much, but a view would have been nice. This was a new planet for him after all, and one could learn much from simply observing a colonized planet.

From what Conrad had told him and what he had seen from the station, much of this planet was still wilds. There were three major continents, and all were colonized to an extent, though only one had a well-developed capital city. This primary continent, the one where the governing body of the planet was housed and where Conrad lived, was named Esperando Tierra by the original colonists. It was a grand continent with sprawling fields and forests, a large northern mountain range, a landlocked freshwater sea and diverse biomes. The Capital City of Cormorant was well situated to take advantage of many features the continent offered. It sat on the eastern coast, on the banks of a large river, just south of a peninsula that included the northern mountains. This positioning giving it ready access to ores and other materials from the mountains as well as the bounties and travel opportunities that the seas and river offered, while the mountains protected it from the worst of the weather that blew down from the north. Sea effect weather would still affect them, but they were on the leeside of the winds that created the powerful storms that sometimes formed further south and blew in between the continents. The initial colonists and surveyors had chosen the location well.

Large forests and fields were also nearby, and the colonists had taken full advantage of them as well. Farms and ranches spread out from Cormorant and other, smaller towns cropped up as the distance grew. They maintained the forests well to prevent over logging and clear cutting, but this also sometimes led to problems with the local wildlife that had not yet learned to stay clear of their interstellar visitors. The colony itself was still fairly new, and only just predated Humanity's contact with the Galactic Community. In fact, it had been from this system that their Survey ships had launched from and made first contact. Something that had shaken and startled the whole of GalCom.

They had not believed that it was possible for someone to cross what they had taken to calling the Barrier Expanse. It was a region of space that was farther across than their Jump drives had been able to push through safely, and wider than they had yet explored. They had accepted it as an impassable barrier and had decided that when and if expansion that reached around it occurred, then they would get to see what lay beyond it. It was this Barrier Expanse that had prevented Humanity and GalCom from reaching one another, and that had allowed the Humans to develop and expand on their own and without interference.

The Humans simply called this region of space The Gulf. A name that would notify an astute scholar or observer that they never considered it to be impassable, just a temporary obstacle. Wanting to find the source of the signals that they could detect on the other side, and not satisfied with being unable to cross it with their current engines and equipment, they simply got to work and eventually built new ones that could. Their arrival in, and sudden departure from, an occupied system from a direction that shouldn't have been possible sent many in the Community into a panic. The Humans had at least tried to communicate before leaving, but after a number of vessels began to approach them without any common ground being found, they turned around and jumped back out of the system. Thankfully they had left behind a quickly repurposed scanner probe with copies of their languages and a promise to return peacefully. That soothed some when it was eventually translated, but their method and direction of entry was still a concern.

Their return did not come in person. They had instead sent a small, unmanned ship with automatic communication and recording functions that returned after a set amount of time. Apparently, they had recorded quite a bit of comms traffic during their first, brief time in system and had been able to complete a rough translation of the local language, helping them communicate their intent. Only after confirming that they would not be attacked did they again jump in with crewed ships.

It took some time and bargaining, but in the spirit of maintaining friendly relations with the GalCom they shared their engine schematics, creating a flood of new trade and travel options on both sides of the Expanse. Though they had done so only in trade, requesting the tech for creating Grav fields. A feat they had yet to be able to reproduce themselves.

"It was also why they kept careful watch on arriving ships in all their systems. The galaxy is still big and largely unexplored, and they have no guarantee of protection just yet. Nor any guarantee as to who exactly got a look at their tech."

Ruufarrl waited patiently for the turbulence to smooth out into the descending glide of a returning shuttle. Conrad had been, quite literally, shaken up. He growled in amusement as he realized that this was likely the human's first planetary re-entry. The youngblood steadied himself with a laugh of his own. "Wasn't expecting that."

After the descent smoothed out, the rest of the trip was uneventful. The shuttle retained its glide pattern for about another 15 minutes before banking into final approach. Ruufarrl braced himself but found it to be unnecessary. The landing went as smoothly as the rest of the glide. As soon as they had come to a complete stop the loading hatch opened, letting in bright sunlight and loud noise. One of the crew came out of the locked forward section to get them ready to disembark, yelling to them over the sound of the Pulse Engines of other craft lighting up and taking off.

"As soon as you are off, you need to head to the Customs Office! It is the large building with the red doors to your left! Let's get you and your cargo out first!"

They both acknowledged that they understood and began unstrapping themselves and their items from where they were secured, a fairly quick process considering their light loads. The longest part was waiting a few minutes for a loader to grab Ruufarrl's cold storage crate. Conrad looked outside while they waited then, disappointed, turned to speak to Ruufarrl, "Oof, its mid-morning. We are in for a long day."

Ruufarrl made to respond but then they heard the loader coming, in the time it had taken the worker to arrive the engines and their crafts were far enough away that they could hear normally again. The voice of a human male came to them as they rounded the corner.

"Aight gentlemen, which of these items are yours? Wait... Conrad?"

Ruufarrl saw Conrad smile in belated recognition of the older human with white hair in the loading rig, "Mr. Davidson! What are you still doing working the docks? I thought you were due to retire last year."

"HA! Someone has to keep these young fools in line." He paused a moment before becoming more somber. "Ehh, Beth took ill again not long after you shipped out. We needed to hold on to the medical benefits 'til she gets better."

"Ahh damn... Did she go into remission again? How is she doing?"

The man maneuvered his loading rig into position and clamped onto the indicated crate, "Yes, but with luck, this'll be the last time. It didn't hit as hard this time around and the meds have been working well. So, she's recoverin' steadily."

Conrad let out a sigh, "Well, let her know I wish her well, will you? I don't know how long I will be back for, so I may not get the chance to do it myself."

The older human smiled and nodded, "That I can do kid. She'd be happy to know you're doin' alright. Speakin' of..." He looked pointedly at the Mantles the two of them were wearing and at Ruufarrl in particular. "Looks like you have been quite busy and have made some interesting acquaintances. I'm smellin' one hell of a story. If you do have time to visit, you'll need to bend my ear." He then turned to Ruufarrl, "Master Ruulothi, my apologies for the rudeness of the delayed introductions. My name is Isaiah Davidson. I was this young man's Trainer and Supervisor while he worked the docks here."

Ruufarrl nodded his thanks to him. "No offense taken; it is quite understandable. Your lessons have certainly served him well in his work skills and ethic." He gestured toward the man and his exo-suit. "It takes talent, ability and admirable determination to stay active in a field dominated by youngbloods. You move well in the suit. It doesn't seem to be of standard make though?" He left off with an inquisitive tilt of his head and one ear turned back.

"Hah! You speak too nicely of me. I'm just an ornery old coot that doesn't know any better. As for this thing... Heck, this rig is nearly as old as I am. But you have a good eye. She's human built but based off the rigs we bought from you lot to try and match-up some of our shipping. We humans have a tendency to... tinker with things and try to improve them. Tryin' to find a way to put our own mark on things, I guess. I s'pose humanity as a whole is never content with just sittin' around with their thumbs up their backsides if they can tinker and improve. Or...well... search for improvements at least."

They were almost to the Customs Office when he slowed, deep in thought about something, and turned to Ruufarrl again. "I hope you don't mind my askin', I know it says, 'Personal Cargo', but I figure that you aren't going to be wantin' to haul this thing around with you all the time. What's in it? We have some different storage facilities available dependin' on how you need it stored."

"That... is the remains of my former subordinate. I am transporting them back home for a funeral."

Conrad looked back and forth from Ruufarrl to the crate in surprise. "Wait, that's Kiiroth? Hold on... umm Mr. Davidson. He's a... He's a fallen warrior. He was killed in an attack on our ship, protecting us."

Isaiah looked down at the crate again, then stood up as straight as he could. "We have just the place. Gentlemen, if you would follow me, please."

He turned away from the Customs Office and headed off towards the outer reaches of the complex and on the way he called for another loader on his comm unit to continue unloading the shuttle. A few minutes later and they stood in front of a small warehouse style building with the abbreviated insignia of the Sol Systems Alliance: A White winged Silver Delta on a field of Navy Blue, with nine Silver eight-point Stars arrayed around it on an orbital indication line, and a single Golden eight-point Star in the center of the Delta. Flanking the building's door stood two human soldiers in what appeared to be Dress Uniforms of Black with Red and Gold trim. They carried aggressive looking modern rifles held at Shoulder Arms that had sharp, forearm length blades attached to them and combat harnesses with spare combat gear and storage pouches.

Isaiah looked at the soldiers as they arrived. "Gentlemen, I apologize for the short notice as we were unaware of the arrival. I have a fallen soldier here, may I enter?"

One of the soldiers nodded and put a finger to the soft spot under his ear and spoke so quietly that not even Ruufarrl could hear what was said.

"Implanted comms? Interesting. These soldiers may look striking, but their weaponry looks is in excellent condition and their harnesses, though polished for parade readiness and cared for, are well broken in and practical. They look the part but are fully prepared and ready to act as soldiers as well. They must be Veteran Honor Guards."

The soldier listened to a response before addressing the group. "Please wait for the Officer On Duty to arrive and escort you." He then returned to his almost statue perfect position. Isaiah nodded to him, "Thank you Marine."

They did not have long to wait.

Bare moments had passed before the door was opened by another soldier, Marines they had been called. This Marine was also in a Dress Uniform, but he carried no rifle, instead he had a small handheld weapon attached to his belt. "Gentlemen, I am Lieutenant Havers. Please, come in. We will be going all the way to the back."

"That was a very quick response. I did not notice it, but they must have seen us coming and notified them of our potential arrival in advance. Sharp, precise, and prepared. Good Soldiers."

Ruufarrl and the others followed him in as he was thinking this, and the outer guards saluted as they passed. The room inside was a small vestibule, meant to hold a couple of offices and a greeting area and waiting room. On the far side of this vestibule was another set of double doors and another pair of Honor Guards. The Officer motioned towards four other Marines in Dress Uniform, and they fell in behind him. The door guards then hit a button on the wall next to them and the doors opened automatically, letting in a blast of chilled air and revealing a storage area. The guards on the side of this door also saluted as they passed.

Ruufarrl counted only three other crates in the area, "No... these are not crates. They are draped in flags bearing the symbol from the entryway and shaped differently, and made of wood... No, these are coffins. An Honored Hall of the Dead, awaiting transport home. Thus, the Honor Guards."

Lt. Havers led them to an empty section a few spaces away from the last of the coffins before turning and nodding to the four who accompanied him, who then turned and took up positions on either side of the crate that Isaiah was holding and grabbed onto it using the recessed holds. With a nod from them he released the crate, and they took the weight. Turning as single synchronous unit they lined the crate up to the slot and gently worked it in until it was seated in place. Finally, they all stepped back and saluted the crate as one. With a brief command from Lt. Havers they snapped their salutes down, then turned and marched single file out of the holding area.

The Lieutenant walked up to and saluted Ruufarrl after the brief ceremony and the men had left, "On behalf of the Sol Systems Alliance, I wish to extend our sorrow for your loss. He will be safe here until such a time as you are ready to transport him home. May I have his name and rank for the records? Also, was he a Ruulothi?"

"Of course. His name was Kiiroth, a Bloodclaw, and yes, he was. Thank you and your men for your Respect and Honor."

"Thank you, sir. It is only our Duty. If you would please follow me, I will complete the paperwork so you may continue your visit. Are there any special considerations for his keeping that we need to be aware of?"

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"No and thank you for asking. Those will be taken care of when I get him home."

"Understood sir." They had spoken while moving and had left the chilled holding area and returned to the vestibule. Lt. Havers gestured toward the desk on the side, "Here we are."

Completing the necessary files only took a few minutes and a few more questions. As far as official paperwork and filing goes, it was a relatively painless procedure. "Likely developed to minimize the effect on grieving families. A notable consideration and one too often overlooked."

While Ruufarrl was filling out paperwork he noticed Isaiah and Conrad step aside for a few moments and Isaiah hand him a small device that looked similar to the portable Terminal that he had seen Conrad use from time to time during their lessons. He used it as one would a handheld comm, and handed it back to Isaiah after a short conversation.

After they left Isaiah escorted them to the Customs Office before heading off to continue his shift. But before he left Ruufarrl spoke to him again, "Thank you for that. It was unnecessary but appreciated."

"Unnecessary my geriatric ass. I served myself once upon a time, as has most of my family. Ask any military man and they will tell you the same thing. We don't leave men behind." He looked behind him at the loading areas, "Now I'm ‘fraid I have to get goin'. Enjoy your visit Master Ruufarrl. Conrad, good t’see you again young man."

Conrad opened the door and held it for Ruufarrl to enter as the man left. "Mr. Davidson lent me his comm unit earlier, so I was able to contact my parents. They should have a place ready at home by the time we get through the Customs process and make our way there. I also called Sensei Silva. She will be expecting us tomorrow afternoon."

"I am to be a guest of your Clan then?"

"I... If... You are ok with that? We have some spare rooms that we can convert to guest quarters. Were you planning on something else?"

Ruufarrl stopped as he considered the room he now stood in. Several manned desks stood along a wall with lines of people waiting to be seen in marked rows. Those that were seen were sent to another room beyond this one through a set of manually unlocked doors next to which stood two guards, different from the ones he had already seen in both uniform and mannerisms. These were far less formal and sometimes spoke idly with each other and passing civilians. Ruufarrl assessed them as planetary or city security forces as opposed to military.

His presence had started to gather growing attention as people began to talk amongst themselves about the surprising new arrivals. A few tried to respectfully avoid staring, but most attempted to take in as much detail of the new figure as they could. There was one human child in the room, and his eyes went nearly as wide as his head as he looked up at the towering Ruulothi before him with a whispered, "Woooooaaaahhh." The child then excitedly turned to grab at his mother and point, "Mommy! Mommy! Look an alien!"

The boy's mother looked around and, seeing Ruufarrl, panicked slightly, "No! Honey, that is rude! You can't point at people like that and talk about them." She then looked up apologetically at Ruufarrl. "I am so sorry for my son. We don't get many... umm... non-humans here."

Ruufarrl gave a closed smile while nodding at her and waving his hand, "It is nothing of concern." The woman gave a stressed smile of gratitude and tugged on the boy's arm, "Thank you. Now come on Charles, it is our turn."

He watched them quietly a moment before turning back to Conrad as they moved to get in a line, "I had not yet given it my attention. I had wanted to learn of the state of things firsthand before deciding how to proceed. But if you are offering, then I shall of course accept."

The youngblood let out a breath he did not seem to realize he was holding. "Hmm, he must have thought he overreached, but he came to the correct answer on his own. I could not have held such a breach of hospitality against him regardless, this sudden and unplanned situation is my own doing after all. But one must let the Huntwinds blow as they will when testing and learning of an entire species, otherwise one can't truly accept the results as accurate."

Their wait time saw those around them acclimate to his presence and either lose interest or regain control of their curiosity. Ahead of them, the young mother and her child finished their interview and went to leave through the doors, with her carrying the boy. He looked back over his mother's shoulder with a big grin and waved at Ruufarrl as they exited the room. He smiled at the boy and waved in return, growling softly to himself in amusement. "Strong and brave. That cub has no fear."

Then it was their turn. Conrad went through the process first, giving Ruufarrl a way to watch the process and formulate his own answers. He checked the majority of his luggage as tools and various spare parts from his job, including parts that Ruufarrl recognized as having been separated from the Stun Staff the youngblood had appropriated. A few minutes later and it was Ruufarrl's turn to step up to the counter to speak with the receptionist. He was surprised by how simple the process was, merely a bunch of questions. He would be using Galactic Marks instead of local currency and using a Galactic Banking Chip, he was cleared for interstellar travel by GalCom, he was here on Clan business, his living and transportation arrangements had been made, his immune system was bolstered by bioengineered fortifiers, he was in good health, and more.

The only issues he had were in checking his long case, and with food. In the case of his lockbox, he simply had to leave it here in secure storage. The captured stun staff held inside, while not a lethal weapon, was still considered to be a weapon by local authorities and could not be brought in without explicit permissions at the Government level. Since he was not an acting ambassador, he did not have those permissions. Thankfully, Conrad had been paying attention and brought up using his release forms from the ship to acknowledge his position as a Security Chief, giving him a plausible reason to have such a device. This information served to defray any concerns of his intending to cause harm or smuggle weaponry and opened up the option of having it kept here.

The food was a different issue. As Humanity did not often get visitors to their planets outside of a few capital worlds, they did not yet have the systems in place that the rest of the GalCom did.

Most peoples living in the GalCom were Carbon based life forms, as such they usually had similar dietary and nutritional needs. The differences were in their natural tolerance levels to certain elements and compounds. The Galactic Universal Diet put caps on the levels allowed for things like Arsenic, Alcohol, Capsaicin, Caffeine, Lead, Mercury, Salt, certain acids and other potentially poisonous or damaging elements. This usually meant that GUD food tended towards blandness. It was edible and nutritious, but generally tasteless and forgettable. As a creature with a primarily carnivorous diet, Ruufarrl had some natural resistance to most of the concerning elements but had a lower tolerance for the manufactured and strictly vegetarian compounds, such as Alcohol and Ethanol based items and Caffeine. The Ruulothi had never developed a need or use for those compounds and chemicals. He could consume them, but they would affect him heavily, and no sane person wants a drunken and/or hyper Ruulothi on their hands. Not even other Ruulothi.

He was able to supply the answer to this quandary himself this time. Due to his travels as a Sheathed Claw and his time on the ship he had created a basic list on his wrist terminal that included his needs should the problem ever arise. He had also discovered, through both Kiiroth's reports and his own interactions with Conrad during mealtimes, that Ruulothi and humans could consume most of the same foods. He showed his list to the woman checking him in and, when she asked if this was typical of his species, he answered that it was. She then asked if he could transfer the list to a notation terminal so that she could share it and have it on hand as a reference for any future Ruulothi visitors.

Ruufarrl internally applauded her initiative and shared it freely.

After they were fully screened, they exited through the locked doors and entered an even larger lobby area, filled with shops and food vendors and the noise of mingling people waiting to travel or waiting to meet travelers. Again, he drew a great many stares, but here many people were busy and those that weren't often lost sight of him through the shifting crowds, so it wasn't quite as noticeable or obvious as before. Those that were persistently obvious about it were primarily just curious or interested, though there were a few that were cautious, or even fearful of his countenance. He summarily ignored them all and continued on his way. He knew this would be the best method to establish himself as "just another visitor".

He wasn't the only non-human, there was a Klendigal attempting to interest passersby in chartered tourism in GalCom Space in a small shop off to the side. Its light green skin, slim body, long limbs and large head gave off the impression of a stick puppet. But he was the only other that Ruufarrl could see. His observations supported what the woman had said earlier, they don't get many non-human visitors here.

Conrad seemed to either be politely ignoring all the attention or was just plain unaware of it. He focused on their movement and led them toward a sign that appeared to indicate vehicles of some sort, though Ruufarrl did not recognize the type.

"Alright, one last stop before heading home. Just need to get a taxi to take us there."

"Hired transport? Do Humans not have volunteer vehicles for use?"

The youngblood seemed confused at this, "Volunteer vehicles... you mean like rentals? As in, you pay for their use for a length of time before returning them?"

"That... Sounds like an appropriate approximation." Ruufarrl replied, slightly bemused himself now. "Though we do not need to pay for them. They are simply returned when the user is done."

Conrad looked at him in surprise, "Woah, free transport? Nobody tries to steal them or keep them for extended lengths of time?"

"They are tracked and monitored. Such things do occur, but they are rare. The vehicles themselves are often unwanted donations or refits, so the loss of one is minimal. The Proprietors that run the operation use it to train upcoming mechanics and engineers on large fleets of various vehicles."

"Huh. Yeah, no. Anybody who tried that on most human worlds would find themselves without a vehicle fleet within short order. Sadly, too many people still think only of themselves. Using the Honor System is something reserved for trusted clients or between friends and family. I'm afraid Humanity is still a little behind you in that regard. Too many freedoms and not enough of a rigid social structure. But the rest of it sounds like a good idea. We do have some similar things, but they are on a much smaller scale. Usually just a single school or class, and they are never given to the public for use. Just returned to the original owners. It is more of a... loan option for training than a donation. Well, usually, at least. Besides, I have my own vehicle at home, we just need to get a one-way ride there."

Ruufarrl considered this development as Conrad stepped up to the unmanned kiosk they had arrived at and accessed the terminal there to input his destination. He had to remind himself that Human Space was large, nearly half again that of what the largest groups in GalCom controlled. They were also a brand new race to the Galactic Stage. Until just over 200 years ago, they still thought they were the only ones in space. They had not had that outside catalyst to bring them together as a single people. Now that it had occurred it would still take time to work, several generations even for those that adapted the fastest to the news and didn't have a fraction of the population that Humanity supported. "Not yet, but the bones are there, the support is in place for it. It will happen, eventually. But it is still something to keep in mind when dealing with them."

While Conrad worked on the terminal Ruufarrl took another look around. He still saw people watching him, so he decided to test them as well. He gave a half smile and a small bow to the closest of his watchers. They startled and their skin flushed red before turning to what they had been doing beforehand. This seemed to set off a chain reaction through the others and they all returned to their own business now that he had taken notice of them. Though he could see some still sneaking glances at him. He growled quietly in amusement. "They have social decorum, but shocks to the system can make them forget about it briefly. It is indeed as he said, not as rigid, but still present."

Conrad finished his work soon after and collected an access card spat out by the terminal. The card gave them access to the door behind the kiosk, and he led them into a large, open garage like structure that echoed with sounds from outside and within and smelled of engine fluids. He checked the card and looked for the signage painted on the walls before picking a direction and heading off.

The vehicle they arrived at looked strange to him, but he did not figure out why until they had packed their bags and gotten in. There were windows on all sides and a door on two opposing sides, like many personal vehicles. The interior was roomy enough that he did not need to scrunch himself, it seems that the youngblood had considered that need when choosing a vehicle. The seats sat facing one another though, front and back. Once Conrad made sure they had everything secured and were both inside, he inserted the access card into the receptacle and the vehicle rose up on a Grav field and started off on its own.

The vehicle was automatic. It apparently used the location programmed into the card to reach its destination.

"Will we not have to return it ourselves?" He asked, now curious.

"Not at all. Once we are there we disembark and remove our stuff, then push a button for it to return itself. If that button isn't pushed, it does so on its own after ten minutes or if something is tampered with."

He tilted his head at this, considering. "Hmm, efficient and cost effective. Solves the problem of staffing and theft as well as operator errors." Despite his understanding of the idea, he did not feel as though it was something that would take root in Ruulothi culture. Too much of a need for personal control. He knew of other races that did things in a similar fashion for all their public transit, but they were few among the many.

That having been announced, he wasn't averse to sitting back and enjoying the ride, looking out at the bright and lively city. The Shuttle Port was a fair distance from the edge of the Cormorant City to protect it from the noise of the engines, but the Taxi turned to take them straight through the core of the city itself. He watched as people and vehicles in bright colors flashed by below and alongside, he saw natural parks filled with families that broke up the segmented and ordered lines of the city. He watched the city change as they passed through the various districts, slowly growing in height until he couldn't even see the tops of the buildings from within the car. Now that they were all around him, he studied the buildings more closely.

The architecture was primarily a practical affair of simple boxes, but mixed in this forest of thin, sparkling metal and glass trees were buildings of sweeping lines, angular deflections, ovoid viewing platforms and arches, wide complexes with ornate bracework and the occasional building that stretched the imagination and boundaries of natural physics. There was no singular ideal behind the designs, they were an eclectic gathering of ideas given life. The pure chaos of individuality.

There was a certain charm to it, in being able to see their creativity and potential given form. Though he preferred the ordered lines and unified idea of Ruulothi architecture, he understood the draw of being able to create something from nothing. He understood how their architecture tied directly to their own deeper natures as a race. Their Freedom of Spirit, of Expression and Thought.

He knew that the Founders would not allow that Free Spirit to be given a place in GalCom. Not unless brought to heel or crushed. It represented too much of a threat to their way of life. It would be a wild blaze that could not be tamed and would spread to others. It would show others that there were other options for life beyond that which the Founders had shown them.

"This freedom to choose is what we must remember that we once had. This is what we must strive for, and what we must now find a way to defend. Even if it is not yet our own."

The city was changing again. The buildings were becoming smaller and giving way to smaller business style buildings before turning into what appears to be a housing district with clusters of dwellings were built around twisting streets. Then they went further, where the roads became more spread out, the buildings fewer and worked fields and scattered copses of trees started to appear. It was here that the car turned again, heading towards a tributary of the great river that ran by the City.

Conrad noticed the change as well, "We are almost there. We don't have a huge ranch or anything, but we have enough land to have some fun on and work on small projects and such. A little bit of woods for hunting and camping, some fields and some shoreline along the river for fishing and swimming. Ah, there."

The car headed towards a tan building with two stories. There was a pair of large outbuildings and a couple of small ones dotted around the immediate area around it, and as they drew closer Ruufarrl could see a few well-worn paths head out back to the woods and down the hill to the river and a large garden next to one of the larger outbuildings, which now appeared to be made of some sort of opaque glass.

Conrad's family must have been watching for their arrival, as a middle-aged male and female human stepped out of the entrance to wave as the car came down. Once down the car gave a 'ping' through its speakers, announced that they had arrived at their destination and automatically opened the doors. They stepped out on opposite sides of the vehicle and gathered their things before Conrad pressed the Return button on one of the doors. The car shut the doors itself then rose up and banked away to begin its return trip. Ruufarrl scratched his chin at the disappearing car before shaking himself and turning to his hosts.

The youngblood's parents had already embraced him and were talking excitedly, smiling and leaning into one another. This gave Ruufarrl pause, and he worked his brain to reconcile what he saw but decided to wait until he had more information to reach a conclusion. He chose instead to observe them as they reconciled.

The male had short cut brown hair shot through with gray, and was built in a similar manner to Conrad, tall and on the large side of average, but fit in a way that made him appear to be used to hard labor. His mate was about a hand shorter than him. She was slim and had long black hair swept back over her shoulders. When she turned Ruufarrl noticed a decorative clip of some sort in the back of her hair, seemingly keeping it from flowing freely and getting in her way.

Once he noticed that Ruufarrl was waiting Conrad pulled himself back and introduced them all to one another. "Mom, Dad, this is Chief Ruufarrl. Chief, these are my parents, Dianna and Gregor McLaughlin."

"Yehk, Greg, please sir. We only use my full name for official documents... or when Dianna is mad at me." The man smiled and held out his hand in greeting. This wasn't a Ruulothi custom, but it was one in which Conrad had already schooled him on.

Ruufarrl met the hand with his own and gently shook them. His paw was nearly half again the size of Greg's, but they managed it. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. You have raised a fine child, and I am not the Security Chief anymore, just Ruufarrl."

The female, Dianna, stepped forward then, putting her hand on her mate's shoulder and leaning into him. "Conrad has told us at least some of what happened. Thank you so much for looking out for him. I don't really know what I would have done if we had lost him."

"Mom..."

"In truth I did very little. Conrad did the vast majority of the work; I merely placed the keystone into that which he had built."

"Even so, thank you. It helps me to know that someone is looking out for him. He has always been too independent to ask for help. Now, how is everyone feeling about lunch? Mr. Ruufarrl, I'm afraid I don't know what you can eat, do you have any restrictions or allergies?"

"I have found that I can eat most human foods, though I must ask if you would avoid using any intoxicants like alcohol or stimulants."

Dianna furrowed her brow and pinched her lips in thought at this. "Hmm, no alcohol won't be a problem. But stimulants... Right! Ok so no coffee and only certain kinds of tea with permission, understood. Please, everybody come in. Conrad, if you would please show him to the old sitting room? We have it set up."

"Can do mom."

His hosts turned and waved them forward before preceding them. As they walked, he noticed that they slid their heads together. It was then that something clicked inside Ruufarrl's mind.

"Of course. Humans do not have claws, so they would use their arms and hands first, and then move to the head and face for intimacy. The opposite of Ruulothi, where our most trusting gesture is to allow another to put their arms around us and submit to their claws. That is something that will take a certain amount of getting used to."

Ruufarrl shook himself and refocused, following the family into the home. Conrad led him up a wide flight of stairs just off the entryway to the second floor and through a door at the end of a short hallway.

"This is kind have always been an extra room, so we swap it out as needed." He paused a moment before laughing, " Oh hey! Heh, this bed should be big enough and strong enough to hold you. My Dad and I built it a long time ago. We kind of... over-engineered it a little bit for human standards. I had forgotten all about it."

Ruufarrl nodded and smiled. "It is good to make things one's self. You always have a greater understanding of it after."

He dropped his bag next to the bed, then started as he heard a scurrying from underneath, and then a low "mmmmmrrrrrrrrrhhhhh".

Ruufarrl looked up and saw, glaring and growling at him from a chair on the far side of the bed, with black fur, a long tail, ears back, hackles raised and tail puffed out... a tiny quadruped Ruulothi.

Slowly, he turned toward a suddenly very stiff Conrad, raised an eyebrow and turned one ear back.

"Ah... shit."