Taryn had jerked awake at the sound of the screeching metal but Jax had held her paw out to her to be silent.  She tensed but held her concrete form rather than slipping into the Water that defined her talent. Taryn watched the Hase as he pressed his body to the door, ears alert and paw pressed to the knives at his belt. Throwing knives were n't much good at close range and Taryn could only drown one at a time. The danger outside the walls of the box van was riveting. Voice could be heard. Angry, demanding and with the snarl that punctuated the Kuguar tongue and a defensive whine in the cackling voice of a Hyane.  That was three of the Beastkin in less than 24 hours. How many more threats were lurking so close to the walls of Home? she wondered.<br/><br/>Taryn's blood quickened as  Kuguar's brilliant eyes flashed through the square glass panes on the back of the van. She knew he had seen them but for what ever reason, he had not sounded the alarm at their presense. If the Hyane were trespassing, the Hume were no less trespassers, she thought. They were not there to hurt anyone but treaties were still treaties. Shaking her head, Taryn ground her teeth when she thought of her father's orders of 48 hour exile. He was an ass but she dared not say that aloud,  not even to Jax and not even here in the Warren.<br/><br/>There were many things she dared not say out loud and one of them had to do with the news she had received three days before. In an effort to boost the population of Home, the Elders wanted to go on an aggressive breeding program with the residence. However, they wanted to increase the number of Talent only, so had decided that each Talent would be mated not from personal compatibility but based on the traits desired to make the Warrior Talents stronger. She had been paired with a bullock of a Talent who was like Chemical warfare in a body. Together, a child of theirs could prove to be a toxic water. Taryn shook her head. Just what this defiled world needed, more poison.<br/><br/>"All clear," Jax whispered after he and the Kuguar had exchanged looks. He made a mental note to talk to that scout. The Hase knew that this one had been observing them for several hours and he didn't know whether to be alarmed or relieved. "What are you muttering about?"<br/><br/>"Nothing," Taryn was quick to answer. Too quick. Jax narrowed his eyes as he hunkered down next to the red head.<br/><br/>"You are a poor liar." he commented, breaking the scorpion in half and offering her the other. They crunched in companionable silence for a while.<br/><br/>"When you have rested and are ready to take that first watch, we will go back to Home. I know a secret entry. Hase are good like that," he winked at her with his round black eye. "I have had all of the Warren I want with you in tow."