Arnica Page 22
After finishing the rest of their meal in silence, Horiku assisted in clearing the area of any trace of their presence. The soldiers were still unconscious, and their companions that left them behind had not returned. JG pointed up a tree. "Tonight we'll sleep where it's safe."
Horiku copied JG's stance with legs spread out and knees bent to leap up into the lower tree branches. It was not as easy as it looked she found out, and had to be hauled up with the warrior's rope. The next lesson was how to walk on branches and move from tree to tree.
In the morning, Horiku was feeling stiff from sleeping tied to a limb and using muscles she had not used before. It took a lot of work to move through the trees and used different muscles than walking on the ground. Much to the displeasure of her grumbling stomach, the warrior wanted to leave their sleeping area before having a morning meal, so they were on the move again. Grabbing the next branch Horiku wobbled and nearly fell from her precarious perch. The dark warrior swung lightly onto the limb above her and grabbed her collar, keeping her up. It was done so quickly, Horiku was sure her heart had only beaten once for all of that to have transpired.
The warrior silenced Horiku with a glance and pressed both of them against the tree trunk. At first, there were only the natural sounds of the wind moving through the trees with not even an occasional twitter from the curalies. Then a soft curse from below had Horiku slitting her eyes so that only her dark irises showed. Barely breathing, Horiku moved her eyes to watch soldiers move below them. There was over fifty fully armed men, some dressed in the black uniform of the off-world soldiers, moving almost silently in a sweeping pattern, covering a lot of ground as they searched for something or someone. They left bruised and battered vegetation behind them.
Even after they had passed the warrior held her close to the tree, unmoving.
Unable to see, Horiku strained to pick up any unnatural noises about them. She felt a thump on the branch they were on. It seemed like a long time passed before the warrior relaxed.
She gestured to Horiku that they were going to follow the soldiers. As they moved along the limbs, Horiku got a lot of practice on the new skill. By nightfall, Horiku was not only able to balance easier on the branches, but to move through the thick foliage without too much evidence of her passage. It helped that she could move silently on the ground… when she was not tired.
"We'll spend the night there." JG gestured to the temple that was carved into the side of the mountain.
"Do you know what that building is?" Horiku asked curious.
"A place those that are chasing me don't go in."
Horiku was surprised the warrior could endure the high energy.
JG led the young woman up the slope onto the stone stairs quickly, keeping low so that they would not be easily seen. The soldiers had set up camp not far from the temple grounds. JG and Horiku entered through a small side door. It was dark but the warrior walked confidently into the interior, seemingly able to see in the dark. Horiku was not that trusting, unable to see. She moved slowly with her hands stretched out before her.
"See that small line right there?" a barely audible voice whispered near her ear.
Horiku was proud of her reflexes in not showing her surprise at the sudden disappearances and reappearances of JG. She had a lot of practice being around the 9th and 10th level trainees that always liked to impress her with their antics on the road.
She stilled her thoughts, trying to see what was being pointed out to her.
"You are trying to see with your eyes," the soft voice explained.
Relaxing her eyes and letting her awareness shift, as Miyaki showed her so she could learn to move unseen, she found the room suddenly taking on tones of gray.
"Now, just imagine yourself…at the edge of where you can see."
Horiku felt a little disorientated and would have teetered over if a hand on her elbow did not hold her steady.
"No one's home. I guess we'll be alone tonight."
"It's the new moon. The monks are invited into the nearby villages, cities and towns, to cleanse buildings, fields, pets and the like. It's a two day ritual and they usually don't return to the monastery until they are finished with their area," Horiku said.
In the dim lighting there were four cots. Horiku liked the energy in the traveler's sleeping area. The warrior tossed her pack on one of the cots and proceeded to pull out bedding and blankets from the footlocker. Horiku followed suit. They choose their beds on the opposite sides of the room, more as a defensive measure than for privacy.
JG listened as the young woman settled for the night. When she was certain she was asleep, she quietly rose from her pallet and left the room.
Chapter 8
Alexandra woke to her stomach growling, probably due to the smell of cooking food. Stretching she looked around her. Her three companions were still asleep and by the sound of their breathing, still deep in the dream realm. A bit of her own dream lingered.
She did not remember what it was about but she knew it was a meaningful one. There was one particular dream she had the previous night that she remembered. Comfort from Jina Gari's arms that she had laid in left her in a considerably better mood. Irritation at the men was gone and her optimism of completing her mission was high. Then she thought of Vanstar.
Alexandra reached out and gave a respectful greeting to the spirit guardian of the cavern. As quietly as she could she left the sleeping area and found where the cave opened up into the main part of the cavern where they had eaten the previous night.
Guards were posted outside the men's quarters.
Finished with her morning adulations she approached one of the attendants.
"Blessings and a goodmorn to you. Is there somewhere where I can exercise without disturbing anyone?"
The robed figure smiled and pointed to a passage.
In the dim lighting, whose source she still could not locate, she saw elaborate carvings around doorways of rock and murals adorning the walls. The room at the end of the passage way was large and had a clean outdoor smell as if it was in the heart of a forest. She began her morning exercise with raising her qi. After about a stan hour, she switched to Tai Chi, moving slowly, concentrating on her balance, placement of her hands and smooth movement that generated energy as it was meant to. At the end of the exercise, she stood still waiting for her senses to ground. She was feeling disconnected but reluctant to break the overlapping vision. She was seeing the energy fields of everything around her.
"Commander."
The sound created a discord in her head. Resisting the impulse to shudder she turned to see Vanstar leaning against the wall. Alexandra could feel the soldier's usual discomfort at being around her but there was another feeling coupled with it. Sexual tension. Vanstar was sexually attracted to Wetfoot, however, Alexandra knew it was because Wetfoot was the only one around she would form a liaison with.
"Care for a work out partner?"
"Don't mind if I do. Any style in particular?"
"Cho?"
"A soldier's basic style." Alexandra's grin matched Vanstars. From their workouts on Trojan Horse, they had an idea of each others weaknesses and strengths and expended a lot of energy attacking the others weaknesses.
Both took their stances, bowed, and for a few hours pressed each other's skills, adding some personal moves from other disciplines to keep the other on her toes. By the end of their workout they were breathing heavily, and sweating enough to know they had a good workout.
Vanstar laughed gustily as she held her side, the last place she was kicked. "I have again underestimated you, Commander Montran."
Alexandra sank to her knees tired. Vanstar's comment was loaded with unspoken messages and Alexandra did not feel either of them was up to facing what they were.
They had other things to attend to than personal matters. "That worked up my appetite…but I think we need to freshen up first."
"Y
eah." A relieved Vanstar replied, grateful that her commander let her slip of tongue go unchallenged.
A native was waiting for them when they finished. Fresh clothes were handed to each. "These are what our travelers wear. Until your own clothing is cleaned..." She bowed slightly and indicated where to dump their soiled clothing.
"Thank you." Alexandra bowed back. After cleaning out her pockets, she tossed them in the receptacle.
"Commander, does this mean we're staying a while?"
Alexandra shrugged her shoulders. "Let's wait and see. Maybe they have fast laundry service."
"Or see if we have anything hidden in our clothes," Vanstar muttered as she changed.
The two women looked at each her and nodded. It could very well be that too.
The others were already eating quietly. When the two entered a plate was prepared for them. Amonic did not take his eyes off them from the time they entered.
"You've got new clothes." Amonic's voice was tinged in resentment.
"And so do you. Travelers clothing, isn't it?" Alexandra asked. "Good morning everyone."
"So, you had a workout…" He nodded to one of the natives, "They wouldn't let us watch. You would think it was something special, like one of those dance routines practiced by the warrior class," he snorted derisively.
Vanstar looked up interested. "What kind of a routine is that?"
"Twirling weapons and jumping in the air…"
"…and cutting your opponent's head off in one swipe," Jer snorted wolfishly.
Vanstar gave a short laugh. "Then you didn't miss anything with our exercises.
Jumping in the air and cutting someone's head off is not my style."
"What is your style?" Jer asked a little too slyly.
"Keeping my Commander alive," Vanstar replied as she bit into the flat cake, looking disinterested. She chewed a bit then asked, "Why? Are the black soldiers and their friends warriors?"
The men were silent as if they did not hear Vanstar.
"Not one in the whole lot of them," Wetfoot answered. "They use swords and knives, which are outlawed weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and they can set some mean trail traps. But nothing the common soldier can't handle."
"So what warrior class are you talking about?" Vanstar asked.
"The Malagro officers belonged to a secret warrior class and then there's the Kiuzi," Amonic supplied. He looked like he was going to spit after saying Kiuzi but stopped when his eyes spied one of their hosts. He turned his eyes back to Vanster, and stared at her hard as if he were trying to read her mind.
"Kiuzi?"
"The highest honor of a warrior is to be Kiuzi," Wetfoot explained with a grin.
"Not like the Malagro officers at all. They're in it for power over others."
"Do tell," Vanstar drawled.
Jer leaned forward. "You think you can take out a Kiuzi warrior?"
"We are not here for making challenges," Alexandra said.
"There's plenty of black soldiers and Malagro warriors up the mountain," Jer tempted.
Alexandra rose from her seat. She had her assignment and it was not chasing after Alan's soldiers. When her Sha'Kar returned, she would have enough information on the colonists to know what to do next. She nodded to their host, "Good morning. I would like to have a word with the elder I spoke with last night."
"Are you planning on leaving us here?" Jer asked.
Alexandra turned toward him annoyed with his tone of voice. The colors swiring around him were going from one color to another, as if he were struggling between panic and menace.
"Until I speak with the elder I don't have any plans."
Their host nodded. "The Diendow is awaiting you."
"Commander?" Vanstar rose to her feet quickly, noting that this native was not like the others. The figure was twice Vanstar's weight, was all muscle, had so much hair on its face she could not tell if it was friendly or not, and this one had writst bands with embedded stones. What probably annoyed Vanstar most was that she had not noticed he or she was in the corner.
Amonic also rose, "perhaps I should accompany you."
Alexandra felt his interest peak in this soldier, as the other two men. "Why don't we all come along?" Alexandra looked up at the tall warrior in askance.
The warrior bowed respectfully not taking his eyes off her.
Alexandra glanced toward Vanstar and gave her a warning look. Standing closer to the warrior, Alexandra found this Kiuzi warrior had the same feel as some of Jina Gari's sister warriors.
The group was led through a tunnel that opened to a city carved in the crystals and rock of the mountain. Their guide stopped in front of an entrance way to a room and waved Alexandra through.
There was a group of twenty-two figures of various species sitting around a table with one seat available. Alexandra was shown to the vacant place. Her group was escorted to seats against the wall. The energy around the table was so profound, Alexandra could feel her heart open up. There was another type of energy and that was power.
Alexandra placed her hands flat on the wooden table, trying to ground the energy that would give a shaman great joy, but she was not a shaman. Empaths were not made of the same stuff.
We understand the distinction.
A tall nearly translucent figure rose from one of the seats. From this person, she could feel absolutely nothing. The figure bowed to her politely.
"I am called Kaili Maipuga among the People. We will use your language to communicate, to make you feel comfortable. Your group will not hear this conversation, nor see what is occurring around this table. They can move about, but they will be limited in where they can go. Is that agreeable to you?"
Alexandra was going to say she had no right to speak for the others, but instead,
"That is. Thank you. I am called Lady Alexandra Harriet Montran among my people on the planet Menoca, in a galaxy sector, we call Eckron, about one of our standard years from here. I am also a Commander on the flagship Ziggy…a police vessel that protects the citizens of the Collective territory in another galaxy sector, called Getty. I have offered my services to the wise woman I spoke with last night in finding a way to resolve problems that are arising from the colonists that had arrived many years ago from another galaxy sector, that was at one time called Galactic Committee of Families and Communities."
"We know of them both. And just what would that assistance be?" Kaili Maipuga asked.
"I wish to assist in the healing of what has been damaged."
Kaili Maipuga nodded.
"Evanstar. How did you know?"
Kaili Maipuga bowed toward her respectfully.
"I'm sure Evanstar is not here to get involved in violence."
"I am Tologa, Lady Alexandra. We believe, as you, that the Sha'Kar will not assist in anything that is violent or that which concerns the physical plane. The Sha'Kar are enlightened entities that are present but not seen by many because of their vibratory rate. However, their vibratory rate would change if they become more involved in dross matter or by someone naming it in the physical realm."
Alexandra drew back in her chair, wondering if he was telling her she was not to call the Sha'Kar by name. She held her thoughts on this, knowing that whatever Evanstar's business was, it was not any of theirs, and since they could read thoughts...
Tologa bowed to an apparition of a slight young girl that quite suddenly appeared…the same time Alexandra felt a warmth and joy touch her. The rest of the members all rose and bowed a greeting to her.
e of your companion the sha'kar unless asked> The apparition approached her until she stood before her. It was odd to see an apparition that defied the physics of solid mass and took up space where the table would be. The Queen waved to the others to be seated and gestured for Alexandra to also be seated.
She waited a moment to let Alexandra think of what she was saying.
"You are evolving as...like the Sha'Kar?" Alexandra asked slowly, not feeling she was getting the whole picture.
The young girl laughed happily.
Arnica
I. Christie
bless and honor differences of all life forms on this planet and wherever else we meet them>
So, just what is this jump in evolution then?
Like us. Then she smiled, realizing that that could also include the guardian spirit of the space they were in.