Clues...? K'luha felt herself sinking to the floor under K'takka's dark gaze. She felt like a child confessing her misdeeds once again. Such a pitiful feeling... K'luha tugged and twisted on her tail in her lap, feeling like boiling under the sun would only be a minor punishment for her crimes.
"There were... he didn't say anything. He only left a message with the carriage driver that he would meet us in Drybone, and then didn't. I... but it's may fault he probably ran off." K'luha dropped her eyes to the floor, grasping her tail hard enough to bend it lightly and have it ache up her back. But the pain was a good distraction. "With K'aila's leaving I was... I wasn't totally right in my mind. We also ran into K'haz and I accepted aid from him, even though K'ile reminded me of our laws regarding deserters... not only that, but I... I forced K'ile to kiss me as well. If he had not been so true to our ways, I fear I may have done worse and shamed our people further. I think that he may have left to meditate and cleanse himself of my shameful acts." K'luha kept her head low and her ears flattened. It was a lie, most of it. She didn't force herself on K'ile. Even he had said she hadn't. And she hadn't actually ever gotten close to really seducing him. And K'ile hadn't told her not to accept help for K'haz, but this was the best lie she could come up with. It took the blame off of K'ile. Because if the elders had really known that he just walked off on his own with those gemstones... he might have his stupid hand cut off. Or worse. So there it was. Her lies and shame and half-truths on the table for the elders to question as they would.
"There were... he didn't say anything. He only left a message with the carriage driver that he would meet us in Drybone, and then didn't. I... but it's may fault he probably ran off." K'luha dropped her eyes to the floor, grasping her tail hard enough to bend it lightly and have it ache up her back. But the pain was a good distraction. "With K'aila's leaving I was... I wasn't totally right in my mind. We also ran into K'haz and I accepted aid from him, even though K'ile reminded me of our laws regarding deserters... not only that, but I... I forced K'ile to kiss me as well. If he had not been so true to our ways, I fear I may have done worse and shamed our people further. I think that he may have left to meditate and cleanse himself of my shameful acts." K'luha kept her head low and her ears flattened. It was a lie, most of it. She didn't force herself on K'ile. Even he had said she hadn't. And she hadn't actually ever gotten close to really seducing him. And K'ile hadn't told her not to accept help for K'haz, but this was the best lie she could come up with. It took the blame off of K'ile. Because if the elders had really known that he just walked off on his own with those gemstones... he might have his stupid hand cut off. Or worse. So there it was. Her lies and shame and half-truths on the table for the elders to question as they would.
![[Image: urVhoNf.png]](http://i.imgur.com/urVhoNf.png)
