Quest for Freedom Read online

  Janai waited for Vala to finish her tea. “I still can’t believe it. I never really considered focus healers as a reality. They always seemed like legends or myths to me.”

  “Well, they exist.” Ash studied her. “I’ve met one, remember?”

  “Yeah, you told me.” She took the empty, bulb fruit cup from Vala. “What was she like?”

  “All I know is what I mentioned before. You know, about her eyes and hands.” He reclined against a rock. “She happened to be in a nearby village when my uncle had his accident. He had bad internal injuries and she stopped the bleeding so he could heal.” He ran his fingers through his dirty, white hair. “She put her hands on his stomach and stared. I remember the brightness of her eyes and the sweaty palms when she’d finished. That was pretty much all there was to it. She was quick and then she was off to another village.”

  Janai’s blood rushed through her veins as she envisioned this mysterious healing technique that could also cause harm. “What was her name?”

  “I don’t know.” Ash shifted his weight. “I was just a little boy. I hadn’t even thought about it until the other day when you—you know.”

  “Janai?” Vala said, stretching. “If you can do this focus healing, you could get Gryden ready for travel, couldn’t you?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t have any idea what I’m doing. I could make him worse than he is now. I mean, look what I did to you just because I got a little angry. Focus healers go through a lot of training. Much more than regular healers.” She wrapped vine tightly around the top of her sinsabe to close it. “Besides, I’m not convinced what happened was focus healing.”

  “I am,” Ash said with a smirk.

  Vala gave her a steady look. “You could practice on me.”

  Janai took in a deep breath and watched the younger children at a game of tag before answering. “No. I can’t take the chance.”

  “I could tick you off again.” Vala’s yellow eyes brightened just a little. “Would that help?”

  Janai laughed. Before she knew what was happening, Krav’n, Tish, and Penny were practically on top of her.

  “Wanna play tag?” Penny said, her face a combination of dirt and freckles.

  Lance bounded up behind his sister. “She’ll bug you until you say yes.” Penny shot a look at her brother and he gave her a mock bow. “M’lady.” The younger girl darted after him, followed by Krav’n and Tish.

  Janai, Ash and Vala looked at one another and together the trio got to their feet and joined the games. At first, Janai was concerned about Vala’s injuries. But the girl seemed to be having a good time, as much as an Aknidean would reveal, so she relaxed and concentrated on enjoying herself, running and dodging reaching hands. Soon Blal’k was in on the fun. His head ridges shimmered in the late afternoon sunlight, a sign he was recovering. Gryden propped himself up against a rock to watch.

  After a few moments, Janai and Ash took a seat underneath a tree, listening to the little ones squeal and laugh. She wished this moment could last for a long time, knowing all the while that it couldn’t. Not until they were free.

  19 ~ Search for Water

  They had left the clearing two days ago and Gryden’s injuries forced them to travel slower. They hadn’t had any more encounters with crawlers since they’d gotten into the mountains. Janai didn’t care what the reason was, she was just grateful not to have to deal with the nasty creatures, but they had more urgent concerns. They needed to keep moving to keep ahead of the Morgee and they were almost out of water. Mornings left dew on the ground and they’d begun to collect the drops of water from the leaves and grasses. This gathering was a tiring process but one they couldn’t live without.

  They had no idea how much progress they were making in their voyage because the map was virtually useless in the mountains. The group agreed that a new map was a good idea. Krav’n did most of the drawings for the animals and markers, and Tish labeled the map in English. Penny felt left out, so Janai suggested that she help by periodically climbing trees and showing where to place the twists and turns on the map. She was actually a big help with information on where they were headed. Janai and the rest supervised the map’s progress.

  There hadn’t been any sign of the Morgee but Janai wasn’t about to relax. Ash had tried to get information about them from his mind gift but hadn’t been successful. He still wasn’t sure where the messages were coming from or who might be sending them. The images were getting stronger, though, and he confided in Janai more. She was still trying to keep her emotions under control whenever she checked on her patients. She didn’t want a repeat of the incident with Vala and was determined to keep things that way.

  Vala teased her now and then about using her new talents to quiet an irritable Gryden. The Aknidean boy wasn’t happy being forced to rest often and took his frustration out on Vala most of the time. Janai was firm with him but careful not to give him any more injuries. Although there were times when she was tempted.

  The younger children played together quite a bit and the silent Tish became more animated every day. Blal’k was almost back to his old self, but Janai could tell that he thought about Sarah from time to time. She couldn’t help worrying about the captured girl’s fate, too, but she forced herself not to let those thoughts interfere with the immediate needs of the group. And right now, they needed to find a water source.

  After a cold breakfast and minimal amounts of water, they started off again. They had located another trail that led up the mountains. This one consisted of several different types of animal tracks, and they hoped it would lead to water. The days and nights were getting cooler as they climbed higher into the mountains, and that helped curb their needs slightly. But if they didn’t find water soon, there would be serious consequences with their health. Plus, Janai hadn’t had a bath in what seemed like forever and she and the others were beginning to get a bit ripe. There had been no clouds in the sky since that day at the rockdome and today was no exception.

  The woods grew thicker and the trees were changing the higher they traveled. The messages Ash received guided them somewhat but were so disjointed that most of the interpretations were simply guesswork on his part. Nights grew colder and they slept in a huddle with heat rocks surrounding them. They still weren’t sure the area was safe to build fires, so they relied solely on the rocks.

  Occasionally, Penny found the type of nuts the leapers had traded with Vala back at the clearing. They treasured the new food source, which seemed to give them energy to continue their travels and reduce their need for water. They harvested as many of the nuts as they could find, which grew scarcer as they moved higher.

  After another half a day’s travel, Janai finally heard something familiar. Vala and Gryden had stopped with earflaps extended, but she didn’t need to be told what lay ahead. “Water.” Relief flooded her and she turned to the Aknideans. “Where?”

  After a moment, Vala pointed down the trail. “Straight ahead.”

  The trail led to a waterfall, which fed into a good-sized stream, and the younger children squealed with delight when they saw it. Janai sighed with relief. All drank from their hands, filled the bladders and cylinders with the precious liquid, and then went for a swim. Once again, Blal’k and Krav’n amazed Janai with their ease and speed in the water.

  Most of the trees in the area had rough, sturdy leaves and the group used them to scrub dirt from their skin and hair. They scrubbed and slammed jumpsuits against rocks to get them clean. Janai wished she had some soap but she certainly wasn’t going to complain. She simply treasured the feel of water on and in her body.

  Vala enthusiastically used her bow and arrow to kill a couple of small, furry creatures that Blal’k made a stew of for lunch and dinner. Janai normally wouldn’t have allowed them to eat strange animals, but Ash was convinced he got a message saying they were safe. They hung clean skins to dry and would use them to keep feet warm in the coming colder days. According to Vala, the rounded, short-legged
animals were fat, slow, and easy targets. Janai hoped they would keep her group in food and shoe skins for the remainder of the trip.

  Krav’n had seen Vala kill one of the animals and said that it seemed to waddle away from her. Vala liked the term and named the furry creatures waddlers. Krav’n was so pleased with that decision that he gave himself a knot right on one of his head ridges while he was dancing about celebrating. His injury wasn’t serious but it dampened his festivities and left him with a headache.

  Janai put a cold, wet cloth on the little Ronarian boy’s bump and then forced him to rest. It was all she could do to keep from laughing when his head had bounced off the tree limb and he’d landed on his backside. He hadn’t been badly hurt, but he didn’t stop wailing until she picked him up and rocked him.

  By the time they’d finished bathing and eating, the suns were nearing the horizon. They agreed to camp here for the night. Krav’n had rested a while but was now back to his antics with Penny and the silent Tish.

  “Be careful, Krav’n,” Janai called.

  The little Ronarian boy stopped and gave her a sour look. Then he held up the backs of his webbed hands and blinked his vertical eyelids several times. He’d never done that before and the motion shocked her. She remembered Blal’k’s advice on Ronarian growth stages back at the first cave. She turned to Blal’k and he offered a smirk. Krav’n tested her authority and if she ignored his behavior, he would challenge her further.

  She rose, made her way to the little boy and firmly took his webbed hands in her own thin, gray ones. She pulled to her full height. “You heard me, Krav’n. And you’ll do as I tell you.”

  Krav’n’s face relaxed to a smile. “Okay, Janai.”

  She released his hands and made her way back to sit next to Ash. She thanked Blal’k for his earlier coaching.

  “I told you he’d do that sooner or later.” Blal’k studied the little boy. “I’m surprised he took so long. Now that he’s contested you, he’ll probably do the same to the others very soon. We’d better let them know tonight. There’ll be no living with him if he wins against an older person.”

  Janai watched the younger children at their games. “What about Tish and Penny? Will he challenge them?”

  “No. They’re too close in age. You don’t contest your friends.” He nudged her playfully.

  She smiled. He’d accepted her as a friend long ago, just as she had with him. Well, it wasn’t really that long ago, just seemed that way.

  His black liquid eyes seemed to sparkle. “There’ll be more contests from him, you know. And he may not back down as quickly. Better be prepared.”

  “What about you?” Janai gave him a questioning look. “Has he—”

  “Not yet. You’re like a big sister to him, so you’re first on his list.”

  “Great.” Janai sighed. Although part of her was beaming at the thought of Krav’n accepting her as a sibling.

  ****

  That night, just as darkness approached, the group heard strange animal calls in the distance. They’d never heard them before, a reminder that this planet wasn’t always a friendly place. They voted to use fire. Their safety from the animals seemed to be more immediate than the threat of the Morgee. With the Morgee’s bad night sight, they took comfort in knowing the soldiers would probably search only in the daylight hours. And they weren’t even sure if the Morgee had the ability to locate them in the mountainous terrain. The aliens weren’t very good on rough ground but they had ships that could compensate for that lack of progress. They’d been rotating watches since the night in the clearing and continued that practice.

  A firm hand on her shoulder awakened Janai. “Wha—”

  “Shh.” Ash said. “Sit up quietly.”

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness and the firelight, she saw why he had awakened her. Through the nearby trees, she could see movement. Dark shadows of some unknown animals. She thought she saw tiny red lights but shook them off as apparitions.

  “Their eyes are reflected by the firelight,” Ash said. Then she wasn’t seeing things. They seemed to be circling the campsite. Ash sat next to her. “They won’t come any closer. I think they’re afraid of the fire.”

  “Lucky for us. How long have they been here?”

  “I’ve been watching them for quite a while.” He scratched his neck spots. “Or they’ve been watching me. Depends on how you look at it.”

  “What’s going on?” Vala’s voice made them both visibly jump. “Never mind. I see them.” She reached for her bow.

  “Don’t threaten them, Vala,” Ash said. “They’re keeping their distance.”

  Vala cradled her weapon on her lap as she sat and said, “Maybe we should wake the others.”

  “No,” Janai said. “Not unless they get hostile. We don’t want to panic the little ones.”

  Gryden moaned quietly in his sleep, and Janai turned to the boy. He simply changed position without waking and she relaxed. Her ankle had been healed for several days now, and Vala’s arm was stronger. New skin was growing and no other infection had set in, thanks to the continued use of the orange sap. The Aknidean girl had rapid healing abilities, and Janai was able to remove the stitches in her wrist a couple of days ago. But Gryden was still mending. She wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to get away from an attack if these animals got hostile.

  She scanned the skies. They were filled with stars and she reveled in the sight, not at all the way she’d felt just days ago when the expanse left her nervous and wishing for fog or clouds that were common on her world. Two of the moons were nearly full and the smallest of the three was beginning to wane. All three were near the eastern horizon and would be up part of the day with the suns.

  “Another hour or so,” Ash said quietly.

  “What?” Janai looked at him.

  “First light.”

  “Oh.” He was receiving her thoughts again.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s all right.” Janai smiled at him. “You’re still adjusting. How’s it going, anyway?” She focused on the red eyes of the animals. “Anything to explain them?”

  “I’ve been trying.” He sighed. “Nothing yet.”

  “You’ll get there.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “But I think I’ll stay up with you and wait for first light.”

  “Me too,” Vala said.

  The trio sat together keeping watch over the others. Janai found the crackling fire and sounds of the night insects comforting, despite the glowing, threatening eyes of the nearby creatures. The animals remained until just before dawn then disappeared into the forested area. They never got a good look at them, just shadowy figures. Once the night creatures were gone, they felt safe enough to move about and wake the others. After breakfast, they set out again and filled the others in on the previous night.

  “What are you gonna call them?” Krav’n said.

  Ash put his hand on the little boy’s head ridges. “I don’t know, yet. I want to think about it.”

  Krav’n shrugged and ran to catch up to Janai, who was in the lead this time. She’d been watching the exchange and was hoping Krav’n wasn’t going to contest Ash. She was relieved when Ash smiled at her and Krav’n slipped a webbed hand into her reaching one. Watching this little one was going to be top on her list from now on. He’d picked a fine time to enter the next stage of Ronarian growth.

  Janai rolled her eyes, shook her head, and led her refugees through the mountains.

  20 ~ Brush with Death

  Janai felt refreshed today and led her little group with pride. She kept an eye on Gryden, making sure he didn’t aggravate his broken ribs any more than necessary. He was upset she’d forbidden him to hunt with Vala and Blal’k, but she didn’t back down. In fact, she got support from the others on that decision.

  Since they outnumbered the Aknidean boy, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. Janai had told him she would tie him to a litter and drag him along if he didn’t take it easy. His
pulse was strong and his sprained arm nearly mended, so she allowed him to do light exercises for strength, but that was all. That news didn’t sit well with him and he trudged along, refusing to speak to her.

  “He’s still mad at you,” Vala said, walking at Janai’s side.

  “Yeah, I know.” She smiled at the Aknidean girl. “You weren’t very happy with me, either, when I wouldn’t let you hunt.” She secured her white curls behind her head.

  Vala studied her a moment. “But you were right. My arm needed to mend. I’m stronger now.” She flexed her arm a couple of times, showing the healthy golden color of new Aknidean skin. “And the pain’s almost gone.” There would be scars but at least she had some strength and muscle. She was able to use her bow and arrow, which was important for her. Vala put a hand on Janai’s shoulder. “He’ll mend.”

  “I know.” She smirked. “But he’ll take longer if I throttle him.”

  Vala’s yellow eyes brightened, and the beginnings of a smile formed on the girl’s mouth. She leaned close. “Not unless I get to him first.”

  Janai couldn’t help chuckling. She glanced back to see Ash smiling at her. His hair was clean and white again. He was quite handsome and her face grew hot. Quickly, she turned back to Vala and focused on following the new trail. This trail followed the water up toward the lowest peak of the mountain. Someone tapped her elbow and she looked down to see Krav’n.