| |
Peleguin-Rookery-By-The-Lake: Kahali
As Kahali inhaled his first breath of blessedly cold air, he swore never to enter the human den again. Due to the injuries they’d received in the horrible, dank lair, Kalakanya had star beamed them all—Ayanna, Bleu, himself—directly to Bahujnana’s ice hut.
“Sorry to barge in, Bahujnana,” Kalakanya apologized, “but these two”—she motioned to Bleu and Kahali—“need some checking. Me, too, but first, I’ll take Ayanna back to the guest hut, where she can rest.”
No problem. Bahujnana grinned at Kahali and Bleu. Boys, you do know you can visit me without collecting injuries, right?
Kahali grunted. The humans are determined to kill me.
“That’s because they don’t know you,” Bleu said. “You terrify them with your power.”
Kahali rolled his eyes. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. Besides, you’re human, and humans don’t do it for me. He grinned as Bleu processed his words.
Bleu blushed and then chuckled. “I meant it. You can do stuff we wouldn’t dream of.”
Your dreams must be squalid. I can barely stand. He limped toward Bahujnana and plopped down on a fur. Where’s Rana? Is she okay? I thought she’d be here.
She’ll be fine, and she asked about you as well. Bahujnana gave him a knowing smile then turned and nodded farewell as Kalakanya and Ayanna left.
Turning back to Kahali, he added, Rana’s maha helped her to the bath house, but she’ll be back soon.
“Don’t let me pass out and miss her, okay?” he said, because Bleu didn’t need to know how weak he really was.
“You have my word.” As the healer examined him, he muttered about humans and their penchant for violence in their native tongue, and then handed Kahali a cup of tea. This will clear those toxins you inhaled. I’m sorry, I have nothing pleasant to wash it down with. All these injuries have depleted my stores. Tsking, he turned to Bleu and began checking his gunshot wounds from two days ago and today.
Kahali, awash in the safe familiarity of Peleguin Rookery, sipped the acidic brew. The wood smoke and herbal tinctures combined with distant peleguin squawks, laughter of children, and someone’s joyful song lulled him. Feminine voices drifted in from the pathways.
“Rana!” He bolted upright, sloshing his tea. Her voice was headed this way. Gulping down the remainder of his brew, he half-ran, half-stumbled across the hut as she entered.
“Kahali!” She grabbed his cloak and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Oneness, it was good to feel her warmth against his chest, to feel her breath on his neck, to truly know she lived. “Balavati and Eka found you? You’re okay? What happened?”
Clinging to him, she laughed. “Are you going to let me answer or keep tossing me questions?”
Everything disappeared except her laughter against his cheek and their bodies pressed together, until she tensed in alarm. “Who’s this?” she asked, pointing over his shoulder.
He turned. Bleu, being examined by Bahujnana, smiled like a fool at them. “Oh, that’s Bleu. He helped Kalakanya and me when we tried to stop the sky poison weapon.”
Rana gave the human their traditional bow. I’m Rana. Thanks for taking care of my best friend here. She patted Kahali on the chest. Her natural switch to mind talk for Bleu’s sake made Kahali uneasy. She’d just been stolen by these humans.
Bleu’s grin widened. “We took care of each other.” He cocked his head. “Are you the one who helped Ayanna?”
Rana nodded. We helped each other.
“Then I owe you everything. You saved her life.” He motioned toward his face. “We don’t look that much alike, but she’s my little sister.”
You smile alike, Rana noted and then gave Kahali a smile that made him want Bleu and Bahujnana to get lost. We’re so connected, that even when we’re apart we end up with siblings, eh?
Kahali nodded. Intertwined. Seems like you’re stuck with me.
Bahujnana cleared his throat a bit more loudly than necessary. Bleu, I think your leg is fine. Maybe I could point out some features of our village and we could give these two a moment of privacy? And with a parting nod, he led Bleu out.
“Ooh, we get privacy.” Rana laughed. She stood so close he could have just tipped forward and lowered his lips to hers.
“Rana,” he began.
“You’re not going to apologize for me being stolen instead of you, like Balavati did, are you?” Her playful grin melted him.
He shook his head slowly. “I wanted to apologize, but not for that.”
“Huh?” Her eyebrow arched, accentuating those deep-blue eyes he’d feared he’d never see again.
Falling stars, he wanted to kiss her. “I’m sorry, I’ve been misleading. I joke and flirt with everyone else, because I’m awful at being serious. A bad joke can be waved off, but if someone says something serious, and it’s not accepted...”
“Kahali,” she whispered, “have I ever rejected you?”
He bit his inner cheek to avoid cracking a joke. “No...” When had it become so hard to talk to her? “What I’m trying to say is that I love you.”
Her eyes widened, and her gaze drifted to his mouth. She smiled, her face mirroring back his own feelings. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Hmm. Personally, I recommend telling me how you feel about me. Or”—his grin widened—“maybe showing me?”
“You know how I feel, Kahali. I’ve always loved you. First as a friend, and now as...” She bit her lip. “This isn’t good.”
His heart lurched. “No, it’s better if you bite my lip.” He laughed, but she didn’t. “Sorry, no more jokes. What’s not good?”
She frowned. “We need to go get Eka.”
“I’m pretty sure we don’t. This is between you and me.” He grasped her hand, his breath caught in his chest.
“But it’s not.”
He sighed. “You just met him. Did he even tell you it was my idea that they go find you?” He was being a jerk.
Tears welled in her eyes, and he swallowed the lump in his throat as he struggled to gain control over himself. But he had loved her forever. Eka was a shooting star; his interest in her would burn out in a flash.
“He did.” She glared at him and dropped his hand. “So, either you come with me and we all talk, or you and I drop this conversation like it never happened.”
“But why? I can tell you feel the same way.” A horrible thought gripped him. “Is this because of my arm?”
“What?” She grimaced. “Of course not. How could you even think that?” She sighed. “Look, I’ve had a bad few suns, and I’m only going to have the energy to do this once. I want all three of us to understand each other. Please?”
This was not the way he’d imagined this playing out. Maybe he should have stuck to jokes. “Okay, if it’s what you want.”
“Thank you. It’s not what I want, but it’s the best I can do.”
With no idea what that meant, he followed her out into the bright pathways between huts. To his disgust, he realized she knew exactly where they had to go to find Eka.