A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Thirty One-

The air was growing colder on the mountain, Etu knew they would need to leave very soon, or they wouldn't leave at all. He thought back to their battle with the bear, thinking it was probably doing nothing more than returning to its cave to hibernate.

Aponi and Etu had the last two weeks to practice their speaking, and in those two weeks, they had come a long way. Aponi had almost erased her struggle with speaking, the practice with Etu had exercised her voice better than any other thing she had done.

Synopsis:
A trio of roommates who find an alien transformation device which allows you to change into anything you want and play with it. A ruthless criminal who wants to use the device for his own shady goals. Two government agents on a desperate race to stop the device's hapless users from making a mistake they'll regret for the rest of their lives. All of them want to gain control of the device, and all of them will be in for a night they'll never forget - they'll be in for Monster's Night.

Thanks @ ElrodW for checking the story beforehand and confirming that it's not violating any of the MAU universe's rules! :)

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Seven-

Her hair was in disarray, she had blood on her arm. Etu was unsure whether the blood was from an injury or the bears. He slowly entered, her terror filled blue eyes followed his every move. "Are you injured?"

She said nothing, only tipping her head slightly as he spoke. He glanced around the cave, Etu could tell that she had been living here for quite some time. He saw a pelt laying on the ground and started toward it to ease the bleeding from his wound. Having only taken one step, the female threw herself between he and the small pile of pelts.

The sudden move caused the warrior to pull up, it was evident that the female did not want him any nearer. Like the wild animal he just fought, she showed her teeth at him and brandished a sharpened piece of thin stone. He backed away slowly, at the same time she held it menacingly toward him.

Confused, Etu moved back and crouched upon his haunches. Under furrowed brow, he studied the woman he had spent so much time searching for. She glanced over her shoulder quickly and then backed toward the pile, still holding the stone knife toward the man.

Atalanta's Story - Chapter 2 Revised. Written by Katelyn and Edited by William Durr.I want to thank Bill for editing and proofreading while admitting any errors left are mine. The setting and character were inspired by a story Julie O wrote; Frseh Start. The first 2 or 3 chapters were too close and I apologize to the readers, Big Closet, and Julie O. I have re written chapters 2-6 to avoid that as much as possible.

I also wanted to apologize for taking so long to get this out but medical issues and frozen water pipes will do that to a schedule. It is mostly edited and ready to go. You may need to read chapter 1 again.

In this chapter Atalanta adjusts to living as a girl. Both mother and daughter struggle with their new relationship and Atalanta is given a brief look at a mystery of her transformation.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Two-

After half of a day, including a bit of trial and error, the beautiful young 'mother to be' discovered if she put feathers upon the opposite end of her arrow shaft, she would have much more control. It took several tries before she realized that there was only one way that they could be positioned to prevent them from being shredded off each time they were shot.

Attaching the feathers was simple enough. She went only as far as a nearby pine tree and utilized the sap as her glue of choice. Satisfied that it would work, she began to create over two dozen of the straight little wooden sticks. First by notching out one end allowed it to rest on the string, then she began the tedious task of gluing the feathers to the shaft.

She took a walk to her favorite location to find little shards of slate, she carefully placed the sharp stone into a leather pouch she had and carried it back to the cave. With a rounded stone, she would break off pieces to create a definite point at one end and a relative square on the other to attach it to her arrow shaft.

Her only problem from this point forward, aside from working around her distended stomach, seemed to be coming up with the correct weight of the actual arrow-tips. Too heavy and it would impede the accuracy, to light and it had no knock down power. It was a fine line between success and total failure, her very life depended upon the ability to provide food for her and her yet unborn child.

Alex Steinert’s strange new life continues to develop as the ‘Empress of Time and Space’ spreads her wings and enlarges the crew of Sand Dollar. She learns firsthand what her newfound ‘gift’ can do even as one crewmember’s developing gift may have tragic results.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Eighteen-

Etu stood at an unfamiliar edge of a meadow, he was preparing to hunt for deer. The area he was in was new to him, for it was directly in the middle of a very thick wood. Animal trails crisscrossed the entire open area, and he felt as if he were patient, a sturdy young buck might pass within a relatively close distance.

It was his way of trying to repay Kutkutuk's family for their kindness, and for nursing him back to health. He noticed a game trail that crossed the meadow and then slowly skirted the woods. Scouting the trees, he found one that would be easy enough to climb, allowing him to scale perhaps the distance, high enough above ground, where he could use it to his advantage.

He sat quietly in a low hanging limb, perhaps the height of two men upon each shoulders from the ground. He was watching the outlying area for any movement that would alert him that deer were in the area. At the far end of the meadow there were three deer quietly nibbling at the green shoots.

Sixteen Feet of Steel Chapter 3

Chapter 3

*Before…

She steps away from her rig and over to me and she takes my hand. “I’m Nicole McKinnon squire to Lady Tatiana, Knight Marshal of The West and I swear to you Lady Lyonnes I will see you safely to Serenity.”
It’s a handshake and my mouth’s dry again and she said it with utter seriousness and real conviction.
It’s time…I guess, time for me to face this.
“Christian, Christian Lyonnes last son of the house of Lions.”
Hawk does this stop-look-stare mid packing and she huffs out a chuckle that kind of makes me angry and Nicole looks at me and she holds my eyes. There’s a look in her eyes that actually seems compassionate.
“We had better then get you to Lady Tatiana and The Fortress.”
I nod and swallow… “Can I help?”
Hawk’s the one that responds first. “Aye Ladyship, get to the fire and snuff it well before we leave.”
Ladyship…

*And Now…

In the not too distant future, evolution has taken humanity down a different path. In a society where gender is controlled with numbers, one young man finds that being evolved might not be such a good thing.

Sixteen Feet of Steel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*Before…

I see breasts…and trousers?
Women aren’t rangers?
And the Squire….it had chest mounded details.
Again breasts.
Women are neither knights nor Squires?
The Squire’s rig pops open in the chest and sure enough is a girl in there…older than me, young but where she should be married off at a close fifteen years at least and she looks at me.
“Sorceress are you hurt, did they strike you?”
Sorceress?
I turn and look around.
I hear the ranger a girl of an age close to this squire chuckle. “She’s more like an apprentice Nik.”
She…Me?
They think I’m a woman?

*And Now…

In the not too distant future, evolution has taken humanity down a different path. In a society where gender is controlled with numbers, one young man finds that being evolved might not be such a good thing.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Four-

Etu retraced his steps until once again he emerged in the area where the Sky Dancer spirit arose from within the cloud. As he passed the spot where she had been slumbering, he noticed a few of the tiny dancers as they flit and fluttered as though looking for where their queen had gone. Now, he didn't actually think 'queen' but the translation would be intelligible, however the meaning is quite the same.

Even at a slow jog, Etu was a half a day from his tribe, that return trip and his meeting with the Sky Dancer queen, gave him a great deal to think about. He replayed their meeting over and over again in his mind. Each time, he would pause his memory on her naked form. Almost unable to forget her beauty.

In nearly nineteen seasons, he had never witnessed such great beauty and feminine grace possessed by a single form. This pale Spirit, or as he would call her, Aponi which literally translates to Butterfly, held him transfixed as he watched her disappear right before his very gaze. He marveled at the speed of the beautiful nymph of the forest, eluding his pursuit as only one with the forest could.