Maya adjusted her bulging rucksack again and, as she headed down the track toward the Sehani Hall, cursed the extra pounds she’d managed to acquire over the years. “Wisa’s white wings, you’re puffing so hard anyone would think you’ve taken a jog around the entire settlement!”
She felt the same inside but whenever she caught a glimpse of her reflection she was shocked to see a fat old woman staring back. “How does Varaya manage to stay so slim at her age? It’s unnatural.” Or perhaps it was because Varaya didn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive and was a terrible cook to boot, whereas Maya loved cooking with a passion. “And you love eating even more,” she chided herself.
A passerby tossed her an odd look and Maya sighed. She was doing it again—talking to herself. So much for being looked up to and considered terribly wise in her dotage. She pushed open the door into the Sehani Hall and collared one of the young men milling by the entrance. “Have you seen Sehan Hopian, young man?”
The youngling peered down at her with a fierce frown. “I hope you haven’t been wandering around alone. It might not be safe!”
Maya opened her mouth to inform him she hardly thought this creature was going to swoop from the sky and carry her away, but relented when he snagged her rucksack from her shoulders. “Here, let me take that for you,” he said. “It looks heavy.”
“Thank you. Is Sehan Hopian about?”
“Maya!” Cayl elbowed his way to her side, a worried frown etching the lines deeper into his face. “Where did you disappear to? You know you shouldn’t be out alone. It might not be safe!”
She stifled a sigh. “I was perfectly fine. I needed to grab a few things we’d forgotten. And anyway, if the wyverna was slinking around, it would hardly be interested in a stringy old specimen like me.”
Cayl waggled his eyebrows. “On the contrary, dearling, a plump specimen like you would be a prime target for a hungry beastie.”
Maya poked him in the arm. “What are you trying to say?”
“Uh, nothing, dearling.”
“That’s what I thought. Now take my rucksack from this nice young man and let’s go find Hopian.”
The “nice young man” exchanged a sympathetic look with Cayl as he handed over the rucksack. “I think I saw Sehan Hopian talking to one of the elders up near the front of the hall not five minutes ago,” he said.
“Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” She pivoted on her heel and began to edge through the crowd, leaving Cayl to follow as best he could.
“Why do you want Hopian, anyway?” he asked when he’d caught up to her.
“I want him to transport us to the Second Settlement.”
Her life-partner frowned. “I didn’t realize you were afraid to stay here, Maya. You should have told me sooner.”
She glared up at him. “I’m not afraid. If the wyverna turns up and decides to eat me then with any luck it’ll choke on my old bones. Death doesn’t scare me. If my time is up, then it’s up.”
“And?” Cayl prompted.
He knew her too well. “I have a feeling about Merryn. She’s nearly full-term and I want to be with her when she goes into labor. I’m going to ask Hopian to transport us there now. We’re not much use to anyone here, but we can be of some use to Merryn, don’t you think?”
“Good idea.”
She worried at her lip with her teeth. “And I figured Hopian might be inclined to oblige, because then he’d have two less people to protect.”
“I agree.”
“I know you’d like to help defend the settlement but I’d like you to come, too, Cayl. It’d be good for Kraig to have a man around while his life-partner’s in labor. Young men are such worrywarts around birthing time.”
“Of course.”
“And—”
Cayl grasped her forearms and shook her slightly. “Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?”
“Er—”
“I agree with you. Of course I’ll come. It’s a good idea.”
She sagged with relief. “Oh. That’s good. Now all we have to do is convince Hopian to—”
“I’ve already spoken to him. He’s waiting for us now. And I’m banking on this damnably heavy rucksack being stuffed with clothes for both of us, otherwise I’ll have to borrow some of Kraig’s.”
Maya gaped at him.
“Well?”
She managed a nod while he basked in the glory of her astonishment.
“Nice to know I can still spring a surprise on you after all these years.” He grabbed her hand and led her, still speechless, to where Hopian was waiting.
The Second Settlement’s Sehan smiled with relief. “Oh, good. Here you are. Ready to go, Maya?”
Maya absorbed his bloodshot eyes and harried expression. “What’s wrong, Hopian? Is it something to do with the wyverna?”
“I hope not. Aunty Hope’s disappeared. Along with Marc, Ryley and Chryss.”
“I gather this disappearing act wasn’t in the plans?” Cayl said.
“Definitely not. Blayne is livid. If he didn’t have his hands full with the elders, he’d have left the settlement to search for them.”
“I bet.” Cayl exchanged a look with Maya and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was right now. A worried, angry Blayne was not someone to cross.
“And no one can find Hunt-Leader Silas either,” Hopian was saying. “I’m beginning to suspect either Hope or Ryley Saw something and they all decided to go after the wyverna.”
“Shikari’s hairy paws,” Cayl breathed.
Hopian scrubbed his hands through his already unruly hair. Poor boy. Maya gave him a quick hug. “I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she soothed. “They have Marc with them.”
“I hope you’re right.” Hopian made a visible effort to slough off his concern. “Are you two ready to go, Maya?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Give Merryn my regards and tell her and I’ll visit her and the baby when this is all over.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I wish I could convince Romana to go with you. She’s still very weak but she insists she’s well enough to use her powers if needs be. I’m not convinced but she’s being dreadfully stubborn.”
“Life-partners can be like that,” Cayl said, provoking another well-deserved poke in the arm. “Ouch! You’ve got sharp fingernails, Maya. You should pare them shorter before you hurt someone.”
“Could you both do me a favor?” Hopian asked before Maya could think of a suitable retort.
“Of course,” Cayl said.
“If you’ve got a spare moment, could you find Matti and Lin and give them a big hug from me and their mom? Tell them we miss them and we’ll be back as soon as everything is safe.”
Maya blinked back sudden tears. Those poor children. They must be worried sick about their parents. “Of course we will.”
“Thanks.” Hopian closed his eyes and Maya felt a tingling up and down her body, followed by a truly awful sensation—like she was dissolving from the feet up. She squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them again, she and Cayl were standing in front of her daughter’s house.
“Here we are then,” Cayl said, stating the obvious.
The tart rejoinder that sprang to Maya’s lips died unuttered. A frisson of fear raised bumps on her bare arms. She stood frozen to the spot. Something was wrong. She didn’t know how she knew it but she did.
“Great.” Cayl sighed gustily. “We’ve come all this way and now you don’t want to go in.” A pause and then, “Maya?”
She felt his hands on her arms, turning her to face him.
“Maya? What’s wrong?”
She blinked as his face loomed, peering into hers.
“Why are you crying?” he asked. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Something’s happened to Merryn.”
“Rubbish. You worry too much, dearling.”
She shook free of his grip to blot her tears with the heels of her hands. “Something’s wrong, I know it.”
“Sweetling, please, calm down. If you go in there all distraught and worried, you’ll only upset her. She’s frantic enough about this gods-awful beastie that’s scaring everyone half to death.” He rapped on the door and in typical Cayl-fashion, opened it and walked right on in.
“Merryn?” He glanced around while Maya held her breath until she saw stars. “No one seems to be home.” He doffed the rucksack. “Maybe they’ve gone visiting.”
A muffled sound came from one of the partitioned rooms.
Maya lunged for Merryn’s sleeping room and shoved the heavy curtain aside. Her daughter lay on a sleeping platform. She was deathly pale, deathly still. And there was blood. Too much blood.
Healer Beryn glanced up, his mouth a shocked O. He flicked a blanket over Merryn and then caught Cayl’s gaze and held it, grimfaced. “I’m so very sorry,” he said. “I did all I could.”
“Oh gods, no! Merryn!”
Cayl made a grab for Maya but it was too late to prevent her headlong rush toward their daughter and he could only stand there and watch as she halted, and then bent to touch Merryn’s face with a shaking hand. “Merryn? Wake up, sweetling.”
Her plea broke his heart.
“Merryn?” Maya’s knees gave out and she crumpled to her knees beside the bed.
Cayl shook his head. No. It couldn’t be true. It was a bad dream, a waking nightmare. Merryn looked so calm, so peaceful. She was merely asleep. Please gods, let my little girl be sleeping…
Beryn’s quiet voice dashed all hope. “She went into labor yesterday but she insisted Kraig keep it from the healers. It was a long labor. By the time Kraig realized something was seriously wrong and called me in, I couldn’t stop the bleeding. There was nothing I could do, Cayl, nothing anyone could do. I’m so very sorry.”
Somehow Cayl found the strength to walk to his daughter’s bedside and gather his sobbing life-partner into his arms.
“I can’t wake her, Cayl. She won’t wake up!”
“Shhh, dearling. I know.” Over Maya’s head he sought Beryn’s gaze. “And the baby?”
Beryn summoned a tired smile. “She’s a fighter, your granddaughter. She’s doing fine. Kraig’s taken her to the Child-Minding Center to find a surrogate mother to nurse her. He’s named her Rynna.”
“Did you hear that, Maya?” Cayl whispered, tilting her chin until she raised her tear-streaked face. “We have a granddaughter. Her name’s Rynna.”
Maya smiled crookedly through her tears. “Rynna. That’s a beautiful name.”
“Would you like to see your granddaughter? We should go and find Kraig.” Because he couldn’t bear to stay here, trying to be strong, while his daughter lay dead on the sleeping platform. All he wanted to do was find a private place to howl his grief to the world.
“You go, Cayl. Kraig should know we’re here. I’ll stay with Merryn for a bit.” She drew away from him to brush a lock of bright red hair from Merryn’s forehead and placed a kiss on her pale cheek. “I’ll come find you in a little while, Cayl.”
Beryn walked him to the door and ushered him outside, well out of Maya’s earshot. “There’s something else you need to know, Cayl. I don’t quite know how to tell you this but—”
“Don’t tell me there’s something wrong with Rynna, Beryn.” Cayl knew his tone was savage but he couldn’t help it. “I can’t deal with that right now.”
The healer stared at him aghast. “No, no! She’s a fine, healthy little girl, Cayl. Gods, I didn’t mean to— Gods. I’m sorry. No, it’s just that when Kraig finally sent for me….” His mouth worked as he searched for the right words. “Find Kraig and ask him to tell you what happened. Make sure you talk in private, though. It would be best.”
Cayl hunched his shoulders and nodded, even though the last thing he wanted to do right now was have a heart-to-heart talk with his son-by-Joining. He knew it wasn’t fair to blame Kraig for Merryn’s death but if the man had only called a healer sooner…. “All right, Beryn. I’ll talk to Kraig.”
The healer eyed him sympathetically. “Thank you. I know you’re grieving but something very strange is going on.”
Cayl managed another nod before he trudged off, head bowed. With each step another tear trickled down the seams of his cheeks. With each step he prayed Merryn’s spirit would finally find the peace she’d never been granted in life.
By the time he’d reached his destination Cayl had regained a little composure. Enough to fake it, at least. Wiping his face on his sleeve one last time, he squared his shoulders and prepared to face Kraig’s grief.
He walked through the gate to the outside playground in front of the Center and asked the first child-minder he spotted if she’d seen Kraig.
The woman’s lower lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. “He’s inside with the baby. I-I’m so sorry about Merryn, Cayl. She was such a lovely girl.”
He knew he should remember the woman’s name but his brain was fuzzed with grief. He patted her hand. “Thank you.” He felt her watching him as he walked into the building. Her sympathy mantled him like a suffocating shroud. He wondered whether everyone who knew Merryn and tried to comfort him would make him feel like this. And he wondered how he could possibly bear it. He felt very old and incredibly weary.
“Kraig?” He peered through the doorway, trying to distinguish his son-by-Joining amidst the organized chaos. Children of all ages bedaubed with paint, scattered toys, women whose forced smiles were marred further by the anxiety and worry in their eyes…. Coming straight from his daughter’s deathbed, the hustle and bustle of life shadowed by a gods-cursed creature intent on slaughtering them all seemed wrong. He quelled the need to yell at them all to stop what they were doing and show some respect.
The woman in charge of the Center spotted him, visibly paled, and hurried over. She took one look at his shattered face and the words of sympathy died on her lips. Instead, she took his hand, squeezed it gently, and led him to an area that had been screened off from the main room. “Kraig and the baby are through there, Cayl. And by the way,” she gave him a gentle smile, “congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter. She’s absolutely beautiful.” She ushered him inside and departed.
Cayl got his first glimpse at the infant Kraig held in his arms and his world turned upside down again. Amidst the anguish of his daughter’s death there was wonder and even stirrings of joy. He was a grandfather!
His son-by-Joining glanced up. His face was ravaged by grief and loss, but there was intense love and pride there, too. “Her name is Rynna.” Kraig held the infant out to him. “Would you like to hold her?”
Cayl took his baby granddaughter and cradled her gently. He pushed back the swaddling cloth. She was tiny, perfect—a miniature of her mother as an infant, even down to the fuzzy cap of flaming red hair. His heart swelled with love. And loss. He wept again and Kraig didn’t say a word until the bout of grief had run its course.
“I’ve found a surrogate mother—a young woman who was just about to wean her child. She’s happy to breastfeed Rynna for me. We’ve come to an arrangement that suits us both. She’s got no ties with anyone at the moment, so she and her little one are going to move into the spare room at home until Rynna is weaned. She’ll move in today and to quell the gossips I’ll have the arrangement announced at the next settlement meeting. She’s very sweet—caring. She seems to know just how to soothe Rynna when she’s fretful. She’s just finished nursing Rynna so she’s probably still around. Do you want to meet her?”
Cayl stared openmouthed at his son-by-Joining. The man had suddenly grown a backbone. Before, he’d always deferred to Merryn. Always. And now he’d arranged care for his newborn daughter in the blink of an eye. Even more unusual, he was not asking for approval, he was telling Cayl how it would be from now on. About time. Rynna would need a strong man in her life.
He handed the baby back to her father and sat down. “Maybe later, Kraig. If you’re happy with this woman then I’m sure she’ll be perfect for Rynna.” He observed the careful way Kraig put the tiny baby over his shoulder and expertly winded her. As he rubbed her back with a gentle palm, the baby drifted off to sleep. Astounding. Such a change in the man.
“Where’s Maya?” Kraig asked, snapping Cayl from his thoughts.
“She’s with Merryn. She… wanted some time alone. Beryn is keeping an eye on her until I get back.”
“Cayl, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“Beryn mentioned something. What happened?”
Kraig’s mouth tightened and Cayl could see a muscle working in his jaw. “Spit it out, Kraig.”
“After Beryn got here there was a visitor. A woman.”
Rage tightened Cayl’s throat but he kept his voice low for the baby’s sake. “Are you trying to tell me you were seeing another woman?”
“Gods, no!” Kraig scrubbed his spare hand over his face. “Look, Cayl, Merryn wouldn’t let me call in a healer. She swore she’d leave me if I did. And after she had the baby, I thought everything was fine. Then she started bleeding but she didn’t tell me. She didn’t tell me!” His voice hissed those last words viciously.
Cayl shook his head, all the fight draining from him. “I know my daughter. Merryn could seem very meek and mild but she had a streak of pure stubbornness as large as this settlement. When she’d made up her mind nothing could sway her.”
Kraig managed a snort that sounded suspiciously like a sob. “Sounds like her.”
“Do you know why she was so set against calling a healer? I thought she liked Beryn.”
“He and Blayne threatened to call in Ryley if she didn’t slow down and take it easy. She found it hard to trust him after that.”
“Ah.” That made sense. “Then it doesn’t surprise me she’d have kept how serious things were to herself until it was too late. She wouldn’t have wanted to risk Beryn calling in Ryley for a second opinion. I’m sure you know what she thought of— How she felt about him.” Guilt washed through him. If he’d tried harder to make Merryn understand about Ryley and Aryn…. No. It would have done no good. Merryn’s fear and loathing had been too ingrained. She’d never have let Ryley near her.
Kraig exhaled with a pain-laden sigh. “I guess you’re right. I left her alone to fetch Beryn, but when we got back she was already unconscious and Rynna was howling the place down. Beryn said….” He squeezed his eyes closed. “He said Merryn was bleeding internally and there was little chance he could save her. It was awful, Cayl. Rynna wouldn’t stop screaming but I was too scared to leave Merryn’s side, even for a minute.” He stood, pacing the room and cuddling his child close. His gaze was haunted and he seemed battered inside and out. Gods knew Cayl didn’t want to hear this, not now, but he let Kraig talk. It was the only comfort he could offer his son-by-Joining right now.
Kraig hesitated as though carefully considering what to say next, and then he continued in a rush. “I was at my wits’ end when a woman appeared from nowhere. She had the strangest eyes—blue, like the sky. And her clothing…. She tried to talk to Beryn and me but we couldn’t understand a word she said. And then she picked up Rynna, and Rynna stopped crying immediately.”
Cayl’s brain was whirling, trying to make sense of it all.
“The woman put Rynna back in her crib and stared at Merryn for a bit. She seemed very agitated. Then she lay on the ground and seemed to go to sleep. I couldn’t wake her, though, no matter how hard I tried. And about a minute later, Merryn suddenly opened her eyes.”
“What?” Cayl sat up a little straighter.
“She talked to me, Cayl. She told me a lot of things she’d never admitted before. She asked me to promise to love Rynna and take care of her. It was her idea, the name.” Kraig’s voice was soft with wonder. “Then… then she closed her eyes and… passed on.”
“And the woman? What happened to her?”
“She woke up. But we still couldn’t get any sense out of her.”
Cayl leaned forward in his chair. “Where do you think she came from?”
“I don’t know. She’s at home right now. I left her there because I didn’t know what else to do with her.”
Cayl’s stomach flip-flopped as his brain suddenly made the connection. Blue eyes. Weird clothes. Gods. “Uh, I need to get back to Maya. She shouldn’t be alone right now. Can you bring Rynna to the house a little later? It’ll do Maya the world of good to see her granddaughter.”
“Give me an hour.”
“Thank you, Kraig. For everything.” Somehow Cayl waited until he’d left the Center before breaking into a run.
~~~
Maya helped Healer Beryn strip the sleeping platform. The bloody blankets she bundled into a corner to dispose of later—when she could bear to look at them. She’d believed herself strong enough to handle anything but after only a few minutes she had to leave Beryn to finish cleaning Merryn’s body on his own. Although she hadn’t hesitated to perform the ritual for her father, she couldn’t bear to do it for Merryn. A mother shouldn’t have to prepare her own daughter for burial. It wasn’t right.
She wandered into the main living area to prepare some tea for Beryn. The poor man would doubtless appreciate a cup. As she prepared the brew small sounds of distress pierced her thoughts. She stilled, angling her head. They were coming from the spare sleeping-room.
She tiptoed to the room, held her breath, and tweaked the curtain aside. A young woman lay curled up on the sleeping platform. Her eyes were closed, cheeks streaked with tears. Maya only had the briefest moment to register the strangeness of her attire before the woman opened her eyes to gaze directly at her. And those eyes were the most incredible blue Maya had ever seen.
No, that wasn’t strictly true. Romana’s eyes were like that. And Maya knew that before Hope’s Sehani transformation, her eyes had been blue, too. So alien and strange in a land where everyone’s eyes were brown.
She jerked and gave a shocked squeak as the significance of blue eyes combined with the very strange clothing registered. “You’re from Earth!”
The woman sat bolt-upright and nodded. “Earth!” she said clearly, followed by a stream of unintelligible gabble.
Maya shook her head. “I’m sorry but I don’t speak English. I know a couple of people who do, though.” She smiled to encourage the young woman to trust her. “I’m Maya.” She tapped her chest. “Maya.”
Comprehension dawned in those sky-blue eyes. “Rowan.”
Maya held out her hand. “Come with me, Rowan, and I’ll make you some tea.” She mimed sipping from a cup. “And then we’ll find someone who knows what to do with you.”
The young woman shuffled from the sleeping platform to take her hand.
Beryn stuck his head through the curtain. “Ah. I see you’ve met our guest. She—”
Cayl erupted through the doorway and skidded to a halt. He stared at Rowan, his gaze raking her from head to toe. “Shikari’s hairy great paws, she’s from Earth, isn’t she? It’s Hope all over again!”
“Her name is Rowan,” Maya informed him.
“Gods. What are we supposed to do with her?”
~~~