Day 11

Nikki was woken up with someone shaking her. The room was bright with a blue light. The fire had died out long ago. She was sleeping right up next to Fiona. She was cold but not cold enough to wake up.

The man with the blue hair that shined was shaking her, waking her up.

She looked at him bewildered. The adventures of the night before came back.

He said something to her. But she didn’t understand.

Glisson looked at the women laying on his floor.

Where are you from? he wondered.

Then he remembered the rumors that he didn’t believe about the sugs getting opened again. About two women killing the queen’s guards and the peace conference which all of a sudden was called.

Are these the two killers? he asked himself.

He looked at them. If they were killers then they played scared and stupid well. He felt they were afraid of him, hiding behind a chair and holding his water ladle as if it could help them. No these were not the women who killed the queen’s guards and gave hope to the dying rebels.

He dried himself and opened the windows.

“Fiona, wake up!” Nikki said shaking her.

Fiona’s eyes opened and she reached for a weapon. Then where she was come back.

It was still dark outside. But the women could hear the water lapping at the shore.

“Come now it’s time to leave.” Glisson said.

Fiona and Nikki looked at one another.

“What is he saying?” Fiona asked.

Glisson opened the door and gestured to leave.

“Off you go now.” He said.

“Oh… we don’t know where to go?” Fiona said.

He gestured at the door.

“You have made a mess of my home. Please leave.” He said again gesturing at the door.

“He wants us to leave.” Nikki said.

“But where must we go?” Fiona objected.

“Back to the castle” Nikki replied.

“I think we are too lost for that.” Fiona said.

“We follow the path and we will find someone to help us.” Nikki reassured.

They got up and walked to the door.

“Bye.” Fiona whimpered with big sad eyes like a dog getting kicked out into the rain.

Nikki smiled at him.

“Thank you.” She said.

She took Fiona’s arm and left the cabin, heading to the path.

Glisson closed the door. As he was cleaning, he saw they were walking on the path that would take them to the docks. He had presumed they had come from that way.

They will be fine, he told himself unconvinced.

They are not my problem. He argued with his conscience.

“Who in this world doesn’t know the basics?” he argued with himself.

He looked out the window the women where far in the distance.

Fiona and Nikki walked briskly. They were hungry and thirsty. Sunrise helped them see where they were going. They had left in the dark. The orange sky glowed as a red sun rose.

Fiona looked back over her shoulder.

“This isn’t very nice. My feet really hurt.”

It started hailing, hail stones the size of a tennis balls fell from the sky. The women covered their heads and ran.

“Ouch!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!!” they screeched as they got bashed by hail stones.

They ran for the big tree. But it’s didn’t offer as much protection as hoped for. Bits of branches broke off and hit them. Then a large branch came tumbling down breaking off more branches as it fell. It hit Fiona knocking her down and pinned Nikki’s legs. Both pushed and tried but with no success. It was too heavy and more kept piling on.

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* * *

Ranger after healing those in the castle that Spice had asked him too, he decided to go after Fiona. He hoped it had been enough time and she would be happy to see him.

He headed out after her.

Early the next morning he continued his journey. He found that Fiona’s trail was all over as if she was lost or running from something, but nothing was chasing them. Then the hail began to fall he lifted his coat over his head and ran.

Ranger reached the girls. Both were unconscious. Branches had fallen on them and hail had beaten their bodies. Ranger removed the branches and freed them. He held Fiona close and healed her.

Healing so many so quickly was not good for him. Each time he needed time to recover afterwards. He sheltered both women from the storm and waited under the tree.

Fiona opened her eyes. Her body didn’t hurt anymore. Ranger was sitting with her, holding his coat up protecting them from the storm.

The hail stopped.

“You came for me” Fiona said she was happy to see him.

He sat down next to her. Put his forehead against hers.

“Always” he replied.

Fiona didn’t care, she kissed him.

Nikki opened her eyes. Her head pounded. Her whole body hurt like a tree had fallen on her. She could hear strange sounds behind her.

An animal, she thought.

She slowly turned and through groggy eyes saw Fiona kissing a man.

“Get a room.” Nikki moaned.

“This is Ranger.” Fiona said “He saved us. He came for me.” She added with glee.

“Owwwwww” Nikki groaned in pain.

She sat up. She wiped the blood and water off her face.

“Please tell me he can get us back to the castle?” Nikki asked.

“Yes, he can.”

Then Glisson arrived under the tree.

“Who are you?” he asked Ranger.

“I am Ranger. This is my woman Fiona. Who are you?”

“I am Glisson, I live in that cabin.” He pointed to it.

“I must apologize, I thought these were runaway slaves and I send them away as I didn’t want trouble. But when the hail fell, I couldn’t leave them. So as soon as it stopped, I came to find them.”

“Are they talking like they understand one another?” Nikki asked still groggy.

“The earth is moving.” She added putting both hands on the ground as if it would steady her.

“Yes, there is a language on this planet that everyone speaks.” Fiona replied.

“Come to my cabin, there you may care for your women.” Glisson said.

“I understand you sending them away. Thank you for coming after them and being willing to let us use your home.” Ranger said.

“Which tribe are you?” Ranger asked seeing the blue hair and how his skin glowed whenever water touched it.

It was still raining hard but the hail had stopped.

“I am Tskhali. Which tribe are you? I have not seen yellow hair before?” Glisson inquired.

“I am a Mystic Healer and this woman is not from my tribe.”

“Oh…” Glisson said trying not to judge.

Mixed species was not accepted and those who were getting involved with inter-tribal breading were usually shunned and avoided as if their bad choices were a contagious disease.

Why does a good deed never go unpunished, Glisson thought to himself.

Ranger picked Nikki up effortlessly as if she weighted nothing.

“Ooowwwww! Put me down, I am too sore to get carried.” She moaned.

Ranger didn’t put her down but carried her to the cabin. The blue haired man was there. Nikki sat on the floor.

“Why aren’t you sore?” Nikki asked.

“Because Ranger healed me.” Fiona said.

“What!?!” Nikki exclaimed.

“Why didn’t he heal me?”

“Because he has to go into your mind and he will only do that with your permission.”

“What do you me go into my mind?”

“He can see and know anything. You can also communicate. I guess the heart only has one language.” Fiona replied.

“Fine he can heal me.” Nikki said reluctantly.

Glisson and Ranger were talking in the other room.

“Why are you bonded to women from another tribe?” Glisson asked.

“I am not bonded yet and only Fiona is mine. The other I met today under the tree, and I choose her because she faced the queen and asked for my people’s freedom. The queen has made it law that all mystic healers are now free and are never again to be sold, all because she has the bravery to face the queen and ask.”

Ranger didn’t mention that the queen was not the queen anymore and someone else was now queen who came from the same world as Fiona.

Glisson was stunned.

“Faced the queen. That girl met the queen and lived and got her request?”

“Yes, she asked for my people’s freedom for me.” Ranger said.

Glisson was speechless. Such a big act of bravery and love. Does every inter-tribal bonding have a big wow story like that? If a woman risked her life for him and his people, he would also ignore the tribal barrier.

He walked into the main room with Ranger and looked at the girls. Fiona was smiling so big her eyes shone. Nikki sat on the floor clearly in pain.

Glisson fetch the orange goo.

Fiona grabbed Ranger

“Heal her she is willing.” She told him

“I am not strong enough to heal her.” Ranger said.

“Why?” Fiona asked.

“I have healed a few people within the past day.”

“Can you ease her pain then?” Fiona asked.

“I will try.”

Ranger told Glisson to wait before giving Nikki the orange goo. He knelt down next to Nikki and put his hand on her heart.

“You didn’t mention the inappropriate touching!” Nikki hissed at Fiona.

Fiona just smiled.

Then Ranger’s dark brown eyes glowed red.

Nikki squealed and pulled away.

“That’s too freaky” her big eyes not leaving Ranger.

“Relax, he is not going to hurt you. It’s all part of it. Close your eyes” Fiona advised.

Nikki closed her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she left Ranger’s hand over her heart. Then he took her hand and put it over his heart. Then he put his forehead against hers.

“Where are you from?” Ranger asked.

Nikki tried to hide the answer but it came up like a memory that he could see.

“That’s invasive.” She objected.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

Her mind raced and every conclusion and thought about it come up.

“Stop!” Nikki said firmly.

“You are being invasive. Heal me and get out of my head.”

“Why are you afraid?” he asked.

That she didn’t even know the answer to. But as he asked and saw, so did she. She realized she was afraid of never getting home. Everything that had happened while on Chayim was like an open wound, bleeding out. She was traumatized and felt insufficient in that world. She was unable to protect herself and communicate with the locals.

“Why are you showing me this?” she asked.

“There is healing in truth even when it hurts at first.” Ranger answered.

“Please get out of my head.” Nikki said. Ranger broke the connection.

Nikki pulled away.

“Your boyfriend is creepy!” Nikki stated.

“That’s unkind, has he not healed you? Don’t be ungrateful.”

Nikki realized she was feeling a lot better. Her head didn’t hurt and her legs only hurt a little. The cuts on her skin from the dance with the thorn bush was gone. She had no open wounds anymore.

“Wow!” Nikki said looking at her arms.

“Please thank him. I am grateful.” She said.

Glisson had just watched. He had never seen a Mystic Healer, heal before. He had never met a Mystic Healer before. Since there was now no need for the orange goo, he packed it away.

He went outside and collected fish. He was not use to visitors.

This was just his fishing cabin not his home and at his home only a few friends visited no one ever slept over. Tskhali culture was not one for having guests in your home and never did someone stay in your home. There were gathering points and messengers that would invite someone to join someone at a meeting place. Sometimes sprouts would sneak off and meet up in other places. But one’s home was a private place.

Glisson started a fire. The wood was wet so it took a while and it smoked a lot. Then he made fish. It was all he had at the cabin. He also offered them some of his dried fish.

Fiona and Nikki declined but Ranger accepted and enjoyed it. He gave them curds and waves to drink. Ranger drank but Fiona and Nikki only wanted water.

“The queen is holding a peace conference tomorrow. People from every tribe will be there. You should come and speak for your people.” Ranger said to Glisson.

“No, I am no one. The leaders of our people from the village Fish will be there. They will speak for our people.” Glisson replied.

“Fish is far away and they don’t know how you are living here. If nothing else you can meet people who can better your situation.” Ranger said.

Ranger could see he wanted to come but he was hesitant for some reason.

“Well maybe just see the castle then. It is bigger than it looks.” Ranger suggested.

Glisson agreed.

He fed his visitors and he was surprised by the girls and Ranger.

The four headed off for the castle. Nikki and Fiona talked while Glisson and Ranger talked.

It was a long walk back and they finally reached the lower castle village at sunset.

Fiona held Ranger’s hand most of the way and when they arrived in the lower castle village. Fiona wanted to stop and look at all the beautiful things being sold. Jewellery, clothes, hats and shoes. Nikki however was still tender and wanted to eat and rest. She wondered how Tẽra was doing and what had happened while she was away.

They finally made it to the castle.