by L M Lacee
Trina did not make any more comments and went to Peyton’s closet and pulled out a sleeping shirt, asking as she returned in an unusually serious voice. ‘So Darby, can we tell her she drools and snort snores?’
Darby’s sudden laugh caught her off guard and stunned her. Trina had always thought Darby was nice looking, in her quiet way but with that one laugh she disproved that theory, she was beautiful.
‘I think it is a requirement.’ Darby told her as they dressed Peyton in her sleepwear and pulled the covers over her. As they left Trina mused. ‘So when?’
‘Oh, at the most opportune moment, when she has driven you completely mad and annoyed the hayda out of you, or she desperately needs it. You, who is not Netta will know.’
On a laugh Trina said. ‘So, anytime then, cool, mine to keep!’ She hugged herself, like she was holding a prize which had Darby laughing again.
The days passed slowly as the regenerator repaired Willian’s back, but finally on the beginning of the fifth day. He woke to find Heather opening the lid of the tube and smiling. ‘Greetings Willian, it is 07:00 hours of the fifth day after you went into the regenerator, you will be a little weak, but otherwise you are whole and healthy. How do you feel?’
He smiled as he stretched right there on his stomach and nothing pulled or felt like it was tearing. He stopped mid-stretch and answered huskily, shock making his voice hesitant. ‘I am not sure?’
‘Understandable, Hawk and Lukkas are here to help you. So, I will let them get to it, Willian your back is whole and unscathed.’ She turned around and said as she moved away. ‘Hawk, he is all yours.’
Lukkas and Hawk walked over and Hawk asked her. ‘Thank you Heather, are you ready to leave?’
‘Getting there, just clean up and reports to write.’ Hawk nodded then turned his attention to the young Warrior. ‘Willian we are going to help you into the shower. If you are wondering where everyone else are, they are securing the ship and moon, as we are to leave today.’ Hawk leaned down and whispered. ‘There is a full Holo display in the cleansing room, for you to look at what has been done.’
With a jerky motion Willian nodded and with his heart hammering in trepidation, he allowed them to help him up and hold him steady as he walked or shuffled to the cleansing room, after they had entered Lukkas asked. ‘You ready?’
Willian gave him another jerky nod, words were beyond him at the moment. Lukas flicked on the display and a full length frontal Holo of a naked Willian appeared, slowly it started to rotate, so he could see his back for the first time in yentas. Shocked he stared at the screen that showed him his smooth, unscarred back, he shook his head in denial. ‘It is amazing, this...’
Hawk interrupted him. ‘Heather said the redness will fade in a weken or two, you are still on light duties and in one lunera you may start basic training again.’
His eyes did not move from the Holo as he asked. ‘I can train?’
Hawk replied with a smile. ‘In a lunera or less, when Dinas gives you the all clear.’
Willian asked, ‘Can you please…’ He swallowed as he tried again. ‘Commander, will you please just wipe your hand down my back just…’
Hawk nodded. ‘I understand Willian, I too would not trust my eyes after all this time.’ In saying so he pressed his hand lightly on the new skin and brushed it down and over the whole of Willian’s back. Both Warriors ignored the tears that fell from Willian’s eyes, as he felt the sensation of Hawk’s hand on his skin, it felt like every nerve was awake and alive for the first time since the incident.
His mind shield away from saying what had actually happened. Protection! Healer Heather had told him when he once voiced his thoughts or lack of thoughts on that time in his life. She had advised him.
‘Your mind is just protecting you Willian. One day you will know you are ready and then you will deal with the memories of that incident.’
So that is what he called it from then on the incident. Gently they placed him under a water shower, Heather was concerned that a sonic shower while in its own way was gentle, it would strip the skin of dirt and oils. So she ordered gentle water showers for the next lunera, he needed the natural oils that his body would secrete.
Willian let the warm water wash the tears from his eyes as he soaped his body and cleaned his sweat dampened hair with arms that did not have the sensation of skin pulling or tearing. Mins later he turned the dryer on, then Lukkas handed him sleeping pants, as he dressed in them, he looked enquiring at Lukkas who grinned and explained. ‘You will crash, we are told. Unbelievable as it seems the regenerator makes you hungry and tired.’
Hawk led them from the cleansing room as he told Willian. ‘We will see you to your cabin where I am told Esther and the ladies are ready to fuss over you, which I order you to allow. They have been worried. Madam is sorry she cannot be here, she had an emergency on the moon.’
Willian was relieved, he had been disappointed that she had not been there when he woke, although he was pleased she had not seen his tears.
‘Madam will be back as soon as she can and definitely before we leave, or I will want to know why?’ Hawk muttered as he walked along the empty passageway followed by Lukkas, who smirked with Willian at their Commanders tone.
When they arrived at Willian’s cabin, sure enough the ladies were there. Lukkas saluted him and left. Hawk told them. ‘He is all yours Ladies.’ He looked seriously at Willian and ordered. ‘Willian, eat, sleep and recover. We leave orbit as soon as everyone is back on board. I will see you tomorrow morn.’
Willian bowed his head. ‘I thank you Commander.’ Hawk saluted him and the ladies then left.
Willian turned and could not help his smile as he asked.
‘Ladies what has happened since I have been asleep?’
As they eagerly swept him into his cabin where he was greeted by the aroma of wholesome food. He sat on the edge of his bed as they pulled a table into place, then they passed him plate after plate of food, and proceeded to fill him in on the happenings of the ship and what was taking place on the moon. He even allowed Lady Brenda to smooth the scented oil, she assured him Heather had said he needed for a weken or two, on his new skin.
He reveled in the smooth skin she touched and the warmth of their care and love that seeped into places of his heart and needar he never knew he had, continuing the melting of the core of ice he lived with daily.
THIRTY-FOUR:
Just before Willian woke from the regenerator, Peyton had danced around in her cabin as she slowly dressed, interspaced with sips of her first cup of coffee for the day. The best one as far as she was concerned, although honesty prodded her to admit she thought each cup she had was the best.
This was the morn Willian’s treatment was completed and she could not wait to see his face when he saw his back for the first time. She expected shock and awe as she had felt when she looked at his smooth skin last night. She was so happy it worked and so pleased he could now start to be the male he was always meant to be and maybe… just maybe he could start to put it all behind him.
Dinas told her he already had a list of people waiting to use the regenerator at home. He assured her he had made them aware that it would not fix everything but they were very happy to have their scars removed, apparently, Kerol and Jorge were at the top of his list.
Peyton thought it would be quite strange to see both males without their scars but she was happy they wished to leave the reminders of their pasts behind them as she hoped Willian would do, at least their outward scars.
Heather told Peyton that the regenerator would regrow limbs and other parts of a body, unfortunately not everything. There had to be some limb or organ for it to be able to regrow but essentially it would become an invaluable tool and save lives. It was an exciting piece of equipment, and Heather told her that she felt it would change the whole scope of medicine as far as she was concerned but it could never take the place of surgery or good old-fashioned doctoring.
Her words, not Heath
ers that was for sure. She sipped her coffee and sighed inwardly, as wonderful as today was going to be. The day would have its hard parts as well, they were leaving orbit. The Solverea family were in their part of space and would be at the rendezvous in two days. So it was time for her to start fortifying her shields around her heart. Heather was leaving, she would be gone, and there was nothing to stop that happening.
Darby had shut herself in the communications alley ever since the message from the Solverea family came through. Melody was busy helping Kate with the Turqualls on the moon, if the truth was to be told, she was hiding. Trina was vacillating between sadness for Peyton, Darby and Melody and happiness for Heather.
Hawk and the other Warriors were stoically avoiding the subject. Esther, Brenda, and Helen were philosophical about what was to happen, to them this was a time of joy not loss. Peyton knew they were right it was a better way of looking at it and she was truly happy for Heather, but she could not shake the fear that they would never see her again. That was the hardest part of saying goodbye, it stimulated the loss they had all felt at one time or another. She knew as long as they stayed in contact, it would mitigate that feeling, not that Darby believed her. She just grunted and left the room when she tried to talk to her about it. Peyton could not see that getting any better over the next day or so.
She stared blindly out her window sipping her coffee, trying to think of something other than Heather’s departure, thankfully she was rescued from the attempt, when she heard a tap on her door. ‘Come in.’
The door opened, but no one entered, turning she looked at Trina who stood in the doorway. Her face pale and set, her eyes were dull and sad as she looked at Peyton who with fear clutching at her heart asked. ‘What has happened, is it Willian?’
‘No, Willian is okay, the pride leaders ask that the Star Daughter come to the moon.’
‘Why?’ Peyton asked carefully, her heart clenching in pain.
Trina took in a breath and braced herself to say the words her heart cried over. ‘Citri has decided to stay.’
‘Oh I see.’ Peyton looked out her window then softly said. ‘Give me a min, please Trina, second to Fanharr.’
Trina bowed her head at the title and the respect she had addressed her with and stated before she took a step back and closed the door. ‘I will wait for you Star Daughter.’
Peyton finished her coffee and changed her clothes, she dressed in her dark black pants suit with a long sleeveless dark blue and silver floor length vest. Her crystal rope dressed her hair in a coronet of sobriety and with pain etched on her face and her eyes dimmed in sadness, she took her small statue of the kits and placed it in a pocket by her heart. Why she did so, she could not say it just seemed right, then she spied her small six inch rose crystal tear drop, which her grandfather had given her on her sixth birthday. It was the first birthday present she had ever received, and it was the first thing she had wished to take when they had left Earth, she placed it securely in a pocket and left the cabin.
Trina fell into step next to her saying quietly. ‘Hawk and Lukkas will see to Willian, Heather is waiting for the regenerator to finish with a patient; then she will set the medical unit ready to travel. Darby is securing her comps and the security of the ships. Melody is with Kate. We are only awaiting the Turquall to vacate the moon and return to the ship, to leave orbit.’
‘Thank you Trina.’
They used the lift to the shuttle bay where Nikolas was waiting, they strode into the shuttle and she said quietly. ‘When you are ready Nikolas.’
‘As you wish Madam.’
Peyton buckled herself in, she and Trina did not speak, the time for words was not now. She clutched the small crystal and thought of a future where the Turqualls wanted to remain with them and became a powerful presence in the universe. Ten minutes later they touched down and Nikolas opened the door saying. ‘I will wait for you here Madam.’
‘Thank you, Nikolas.’
They stepped down from the shuttle and were met by Rave and Fanharr who bowed to the Star Daughter. They did not speak as they walked to the middle of the grassland where a small pond of sparkling green water lay.
Peyton looked around and let her senses flow over the small moon, she found the Warriors had almost returned it to its pristine state. They had left a fully stocked cave for the next Turqualls who may arrive, there were blankets and buckets to scoop water with as well as many other items, Rage and Fanharr assured them the Turqualls could use.
Apart from the trees that had been stripped of berries and the few that had been taken, the surface was barely disturbed, it was almost as though they had never been here. As though the Turqualls had not rested, healed and played on the moon’s surface among its trees and bushes or sniffed out treats and hunted game, reducing the population of roments. An animal that was a pig like creature, with eight legs.
She so did not want to do this, did not want to say goodbye to someone, who in a short amount of time had become dearle to her. Someone who had shown her so much of what it was to be Turquall. She closed her eyes and asked for strength to get through this.
Standing beside Melody was Kate Evans, the Artar. Every time Peyton saw her she was hard pressed to believe she was around thirty-five yentas old, she honestly looked twenty. She told Peyton when she had commented on her youthful appearance, that aging slowly was a gift from her Jamaican ancestors as was her long black hair with red highlights, which according to her were natural, her eyes were normally a sparkling green but today they were flat and filled with sadness.
She was one of the most beautiful and spiritual people Peyton had ever met who possessed on occasion a temper. Everyone enjoyed her immensely and like Peyton, they appreciated and adored her wicked sense of humor. She was neither happy nor smiling now as she stood in front of a long, shallow indentation carved into the moons crust.
Kate and Melody moved aside as Peyton arrived to where a contented Citri lay. Her head resting on her paws, her body surrounded by flowers and long yellow grass which waved gently in the crisp air.
Ringed around the large pond sat all the Turquall, even young kits were there, all to pay their respects to gentle, loving Citri.
Fanharr told her. She waited for you Star Daughter.
Peyton replied formerly. ‘I am honored.’
Fanharr and Rave with Trina stood either side of Rage who stood at the head of the shallow grave. He bowed his head to Peyton before saying formerly.
Star Daughter, I greet thee.
‘As I greet thee, pride leader.’
After the greeting, Peyton sat next to who moved a little and placed her head on her lap. She automatically stroked the old Turqualls head, and Citri purred or what passed for a purr from a Turquall. ‘Hello sweet lady, so this is the time and place?’
It is. She said in her normal sweet tones although Peyton could hear the tiredness in her voice. I am happy to have seen the sun once more and to have hunted and played with my family. I am thankful my pride have found a new home with worthy pride leaders. She sighed and smiled saying. I am especially happy that I had time to meet and converse with the Star Daughter, our Beloved.
‘The honor was all mine sweet Lady.’ Peyton told her as she stroked her fur.
Citri sighed contently. You will let them reach for the stars as you and your people have?
‘If they choose to stay. I will welcome them to live on my worlds and follow their destinies.’
They will stay and then they will grow and become extraordinary.
‘Yes they will, Citri are you saying goodbye now?’
Yes dearle one. I have said goodbye to my family and to our leader and his mate and their seconds, as well as to the talented Artar Kate and the honorable Melody, I see great things in both their futures. Now I will say my goodbye to you Beloved. So say your words, sing your song and let me go. I hunger to release my burden and join in the song of the Stars.
Peyton sadly whispered. ‘So be it.’
She ran
her hand down the length of Citri’s soft furred back and lifted her face filled with sadness to the sky and called out the words of honor and release. Last spoken by the Star Son, millions of yentas ago for the last Tuarillian.
‘We are here to say goodbye to Citri, who is ready to release her honor and love back to our universe.
We will miss her wisdom, grace and her guiding hand on our journey through life.
For those of us she leaves behind, listen as her voice sings on star-filled nights.
I ask the Stars, please shine your light on this most precious one, so she may find her way home.
Goodbye sweet Citri, join with the Stars and may your light shine for eternity!’
Peyton then closed her eyes and tipped her head back and glowed as the most beautiful song ever heard, sung by the Star Child spilled from her lips. The soft golden voices were joined by the voices from all the Turqualls, they sang until tears ran from eyes that thought they had cried their last, until hearts were filled with love and needars were filled with starlight. When Peyton opened her eyes, they were black and filled with the stars of the universe, the Star Child smoothed Citri’s head and softly murmured. Come our dearle Citri, we await you.
Instantly her body became a shower of stars which rose into the sky, as a sound filled with millions upon millions of voices chorused in beauty. Once the sound of their song faded, Peyton rose to her feet and moved to where Trina, Kate and Melody stood, she assured them quietly. ‘She is happy I promise.’
They turned to watch the Turqualls walk past the shallow grave and drop flowers in before they headed to the waiting shuttles. When the last flower filled the grave a crystal cover appeared. On it was an etching of Citri standing beneath a moon and the following words.
For all who may visit Citri’s moon.
Do not stand here and weep.
Know that Citri’s journey has just begun.
Her memory is now our keepsake.
Raise your needar toward the stars and rejoice.
