“Tab’s fine, but I was….afraid,” Mali admitted, dropping her eyes. Salene set her food on the log beside her, then reached out, took Mali’s hand, and tugged her gently. Mali stepped closer, her eyes widening in surprise when Salene pulled her onto her lap. Tab leaned against her legs, his gray eyes watching the people around them with curiosity.
“Why are you embarrassed by feeling fear?”
“Because I want to be like you, and you’re never afraid,” Mali whispered.
Salene smiled. “Oh, honey, that’s just not true. I get scared just as much as anyone.”
Mali looked up at her in surprise. “But you weren’t scared today when you stopped those machines.”
“Yes, I was,” Salene said. “But I was much more afraid of what could happen to you and Tab than I was for myself. That’s the kind of fear that makes a person seem brave, because they face things that they wouldn’t dream of facing if they were only afraid for themselves.” Mali shook her head, not understanding at all. “Do you remember the day I came down into that pit below your grandfather’s hut?”
Mali nodded. “You were scared, weren’t you?” Mali nodded again.
“Even though you were scared you pushed the blanket back so you could see me, but you kept Tab hidden. You set your fear aside and acted bravely because you wanted to keep Tab safe.” Mali nodded thoughtfully as she began to understand what Salene was saying. “Fear is not a bad thing, Mali. Sometimes it’s only fear that stands between us and certain injury. Do not disregard your fear. But don’t let it control you, either.”
“Control me?” Mali asked, her forehead wrinkling as her brows drew together in confusion. “I don’t understand that part.”
“Well, you were scared, but you didn’t let being scared stop you from protecting Tab. You decided what you wanted to do, and you did it.”
“Oh, I see,” Mali said, nodding. Then she smiled and hugged Salene. “Thank you, Mom.”
“For what?” Salene asked, hugging her daughter back just as tightly.
“You always answer my questions and you always help me understand things. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome, honey,” she said, then released her and looked down into her eyes. “I’ll always listen to anything you want to say, and I’ll always do my best to answer any question you have. I want you to always remember that, Mali. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, I think it’s time to get some food into the two of you. Would you like some of this that I have?”
“Yes, please,” Mali said, relaxing for the first time in hours now that she knew Salene really was all right.
“I’ll get it,” Jon said as he helped Mali off of Salene’s lap. A few moments later Jon and Kar brought food for her and Tab. They sat on a thermal sheet that Kar spread on the grass near Salene and ate, surprised to find that their food was hot even though there was no fire that they could see.
Salene smiled down at the children while she ate her own meal, noticing that Jinjie was sitting on Tonka’s back eating lunch while they both kept an eye on her, Mali, and Tab. Between them and the Gryphons, one of whom stayed within arm’s length of her and the children at all times, she felt positively pampered.
“Where are we going?” she asked Talus.
“We’re not sure,” he replied. “Our primary goal was to put as much distance between us and the silo as we could, as fast as possible.”
“How much time do we have?”
Talus looked up at the sun. “About an hour. That battle with the Nomen ate up a good portion of the morning. We didn’t count on that, I’m afraid.”
“How far are we from the silo?”
“Far enough away to be safe.” Salene frowned. Talus knelt down beside her and lowered his voice so only she could hear him. “We can’t move any faster than we have been, Salene. There are several children too big to be carried, but too small to keep up at a faster pace. Three are too young to walk at all, and on top of that everyone is loaded down with food, blankets and other supplies.”
“I understand, but are you sure we’re far enough away?”
“Yes, Zerura, we’re far enough.” Salene looked into his eyes as he spoke, and knew that there was something he wasn’t saying. She thought about it for a few moments, the pain in her head slowing her down a bit, but she got it.
“This planet represents a significant investment in time and effort for the Doftles,” she said softly, mindful of Mali’s presence. “They won’t destroy all of this unless they have no other choice.”
“Yes, that was our thinking as well, but it helps to hear you agree.”
Salene smiled, pleased that he valued her opinion so much. Her smile faded quickly though. “I’m concerned about that storm heading our way,” she said, glancing at the sky. It was clear and pale blue overhead but there was a thick line of dark gray clouds all along the horizon. After three days she knew that meant a storm by late afternoon or early evening. “These people aren’t used to being out in the weather, Talus. I don’t think they’d fare very well if they got wet and cold, the children especially.”
Talus looked at the people sitting in the small grove, talking quietly as they ate and rested, then he glanced up at the sky and sighed heavily. “We should have thought of that, Salene, and I’m sorry we didn’t. We were focused on getting everyone a safe distance from the silo and didn’t stop to think about the damn weather.”
“Understandably so,” Salene soothed. She thought for a moment. “Can the Aegl still transport supplies down to us?”
“So far as I’m aware, yes,” Talus said, gesturing for Jon and Kar to join them.
Salene waited for them to come close enough to hear before continuing. “How many of those nine man shelters are in the Aegl’s hold?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll soon find out,” Talus said, frowning thoughtfully. “A lot of the people are carrying one or more of those rough gray blankets. We can supplement those with thermal sheets to help keep everyone warm inside the shelters.”
“We’ll also need as many thermal tents as they can send us, too,” Salene said.
“Why?” Jon asked. “One of our nine man shelters will probably hold a dozen of these people. More if they’re children.”
“If we can get back to where we stayed last night, we can set the shelters up in the grove. Those trees are really tall, and have heavy foliage up high, but bare trunks below about seven or eight feet, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Jon agreed, nodding.
“We can set the shelters up in a circle, then spread the tents out flat and tie them to the trees above the shelters, overlapping the edges.” They looked at her blankly. “The thermal material will act like a ceiling over the shelters. A ceiling that’ll block heat signatures. Just in case someone decides to use that satellite on us.”
“That’s brilliant, Salene,” Talus said, his eyes shining with pride. “If we do a good enough job with the ceiling it’ll keep the rain out, too. Then they can have a nice fire in the center of the circle that’ll stay lit and provide some warmth.”
“That would be great since they’ll need to be able to cook, too,” Salene said. “If we can set it up the way I hope, we should be safe enough to stay there until our ships arrive as long as everyone stays under cover.”
“Unfortunately, that material is difficult to work with,” Kar said. “It’s a great idea, but it might be more difficult to implement than it sounds.”
“Jinjie do be helping,” he said from Tonka’s back.
“Thank you, Jinjie,” Talus said. “This is a good solution, Salene. The biggest problem we have now is getting there and setting up before that storm reaches us. Keeping people dry after the rain hits will be easier than getting them dry after we set up camp.” He turned to Tonka. “Do you think we can reach the grove in time?”
“At the pace we’ve been moving, yes, but it will take most of the afternoon,” he replied.
“
That’s a relief,” Salene said. “We should speak with the people first and let them know what our plan is in case they have some objection, or better ideas.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Tonka offered.
“Thank you, Tonka,” Salene said. While they’d been talking Jon had contacted Captain Royce and was speaking to him about what they’d need. He turned back to them as Tonka and Jinjie walked away.
“Royce says the manifest shows four more nine man shelters, and half a dozen six man shelters in the hold.”
“With the shelter you guys have, that’s enough for everyone,” Salene said with relief. “What about tents, Jon?” Salene asked.
“There are twenty tents, and since thermal sheets are so thin and lightweight, there are several hundred of them in various sizes.”
“If they have enough thermal sheets for us to make a ceiling to cover the shelters, we won’t need the tents,” Talus said. “Tell him what we want to do, and ask him to figure out how much we’ll need to accomplish it and send it down to us along with enough rope to tie them to the trees. We’ll also need blankets, sleeping bags, containers for eating and cooking, and probably more, but we’ll let him know exactly what we need once we get an idea of what the people already have.”
“Don’t forget water purifiers,” Salene added as Jon started to walk away. He nodded, then began speaking rapidly as everyone started to get ready to move on. “We can stay in the petrified wood tree, can’t we?” she asked Talus in a low voice.
“Yes, Zerura, if that is what you wish,” Talus replied, watching Tonka and Jinjie return.
“It is,” she said. “Do you think the people will mind?”
“I don’t think so, but if they do it’s not our problem,” Talus said. “We’ve freed them, and we’re providing them with shelters, protection, and whatever else they need. That does not mean we must sleep with them.”
“I know, I just don’t want to insult anyone.”
“They will not be insulted,” Tonka said. “They appreciate and admire all of you, but they will be more comfortable with each other for now.”
“Thanks, Tonka, that makes me feel better,” Salene said. “I know we’ve only been together a couple of days, but I feel like the eight of us are a family. An unusual family, true enough, but a good family.” She looked up at Talus. “Do you mind?”
“Mind?” Talus asked with a wide smile. “No, Salene, we do not mind in the least. We feel the same way. The uncles and Aunt Ash have always welcomed us as part of their family, and we love and honor them for it. But this is our family.”
“Jinjie not do be having family for many centuries,” the Jotunn said as he leapt from Tonka’s back to Salene’s shoulder. “Until now. I do be thankful, and my heart do be full. But do be also worried of Rayne. Me do be pledge loyalty to her.”
“Rayne won’t feel abandoned or betrayed that you’re a member of our family, Jinjie,” Salene said. “I promise you that. And besides, you can still be loyal to her while being family to us.”
“You do be right, Salene,” Jinjie agreed, smiling. “Lady Bear do be only happy for Jinjie to be happy.”
“That’s right,” she agreed. “And while I do have family, a very good one that I love very much, I was still completely alone just a couple of weeks ago. Alone, and lonely. But I’m not alone anymore thanks to all of you, and I love each and every one of you. Like you said, Talus, this is our family.”
“My pack was my family, and I shall never forget them,” Tonka said, his ears drooping for a moment. Then he lifted his head and straightened his ears. “Oberto was my good friend, a man I admired, and will always remember. But I have missed having a family of my own. Until now. I too feel as though we are family. It’s a feeling I treasure, and do not want to live without again.”
“Then it’s unanimous,” Salene said, smiling widely without even noticing the pull of the scar on her face.
“Are me and Tab part of the family too?” Mali asked hesitantly.
Salene looked down in surprise, a lump rising in her throat at the hopeful, but cautious expressions in both children’s’ eyes. Even though she was now their mom, they obviously still worried about being left out. Once again she tried to think of some way to reassure them for good, but all she could think of was to keep doing what she’d been doing all along. “Of course you are, honey,” she said. “You’re very important members of our family.”
Tab and Mali smiled, apparently needing no more convincing than that since they happily returned to their lunches. A short while later, when everyone had eaten and rested, Talus announced it was time to get moving again.
“Tonka, can me and Tab ride on your back for a while?” Mali asked.
“Of course,” Tonka agreed readily. “If Jinjie won’t mind putting those holding straps on so you don’t fall.”
“Jinjie do,” he said, already waving his hands with a flurry of orange sparks. A moment later Mali actually walked up to Talus and asked him to help her up. Grinning from ear to ear, Talus lifted Mali onto the Brun’s back, then gave the top of her head a quick kiss which earned him a brilliant smile from Mali and Salene. Kar set Tab in front of her and kissed him as Talus had kissed Mali. Salene wanted to laugh out loud at the happiness that seemed to radiate from not just the children, but from her men as well.
“By the way, Tonka, how did the people react to the idea of camping in the trees?” she asked.
“They’re quite happy and relieved to know they will have shelter for the night,” Tonka said. “I would add that, even though they’re used to working long hours every day, they’re not used to walking like this. Between the walking and the fact that most of them have not slept for a couple of days, they’re energy is fading.”
“Is there another place we can camp that’s closer than the river?”
“No, there isn’t,” Tonka replied. “I’ve considered very carefully, but you were correct that the best place is the grove where we camped last night. I also told the people how long it would take to reach our destination. They understand that it won’t be easy, but they’ve decided that they’ll walk there no matter what it takes.”
“They are not short on determination or courage,” Talus said. “If it takes us longer to get there than we expect, then that’s the way it is. Once we reach the grove, the people can rest while we put the shelters together and set things up.”
“They’ll be glad to help with that,” Tonka said. “They would prefer to help, actually, if you’ll but show them what to do.”
“Don’t worry, Tonka,” Talus said. “We’ll teach whoever wants to help, and we will be patient.”
“Of that I had no concerns,” Tonka said.
They’d walked a little less than an hour when Talus stopped and looked up into the sky behind them. “There,” he said, pointing to a thin white streak high up in the pale blue sky. Everyone watched as the streak slowly grew longer, and thicker.
“Why is it moving so slowly?” one of the men asked.
“It isn’t,” Talus replied. “It’s just so far away that it looks that way to us. The closer it gets, the faster it will appear to move.”
They continued to watch in silence as the streak grew, moving faster and faster as Talus had said until all of a sudden it seemed enormous. Even though they’d been waiting for it, the moment it hit the ground was still shocking. Everyone ducked a little, then straightened in relief. A cloud of thick dark smoke rose in the distance, and after a few seconds the sound of the explosion reached them.
Jon’s hand terminal beeped and he took it from his belt, then tapped his vox so he could speak with Captain Royce. A moment later he disconnected and faced the crowd who’d shifted their attention from the distant smoke to him. “The Aegl tracked the missile launch and got a reasonably good fix on the location and orbit path of the satellite that launched it. They laid down laser area fire and scored a direct hit. The satellite’s been completely destroyed.”
A wave of relief swept thr
ough the crowd. Talus considered telling them that there was no telling how many such satellites were orbiting the planet, but Salene caught his eye and gave her head a tiny shake. He thought for a moment, then decided she was right. What good would it do for them to worry about something that they couldn’t change? He nodded to Salene, then turned his back on the smoke still rising in the distance and resumed walking.
Tonka’s comments about the people from the silo not being accustomed to walking prompted Talus, Jon, and Kar to slow the pace as much as they dared, and to keep a closer eye on them. They spent time chatting with some of the men, learning names and getting to know them a little. They also carried children, sometimes two or even three at a time to give their parents, or the children themselves, a bit of a rest. Mali received much praise and approval from them when she offered to walk so that some of the other children could ride Tonka with Tab. She walked beside Tonka to keep a close eye on the smaller children, her shoulders back and chin up, happiness radiating from her.
It was late afternoon when they reached the river where the grove of trees grew. Everyone was tired, but more relaxed thanks to the Gryphons’ efforts. A small clearing deep within the grove was selected as the best site for the shelters, and they were informed by the Aegl that they had about two hours before the storm reached them, which was a relief.
With nothing else to do while they waited for the Aegl to transport all of the requested supplies and materials down, everyone found a place to sit and rest. Salene noticed that most of the children sat with the women in one circle, while the men sat apart with the Gryphons. With Mali and Tab each holding one of her hands, Salene walked over to the women and was immediately invited to join them. She sat down with Mali at her side while Tab decided to climb into her lap.
Once she and the children were settled, Salene realized that the women seemed nervous, which made sense after what they’d seen of her she supposed. “My name is Salene,” she said. “I believe you all know Mali, and Tab.”
Salene's Secrets Page 40
