With one notable exception.
¨Well, that's it, then. Right?¨ Ren said, putting his arm around Lillith's shoulders, and hugging her close. He sounded definitely happier, and totally oblivious to the murderous stares both the girl's father and older brother were shooting at him. ¨Without the doctor's support we're not going to stage a rebellion, are we?¨
Sri winced at Ren's choice of words, and then looked at the young man thoughtfully, wondering where his loyalty truly lay. At that moment he seemed totally concentrated in running a soothing hand down the back of the young girl in his arms.
The boy must have a death-wish, he thought wryly, catching Yeshra's worried look in her husband's direction. The doctor couldn't blame her. Dinain's face matched any thundercloud outside, and was a true reflection of his thoughts.
¨Don't worry, Lil. This will just settle down.¨ the young fool said softly, oblivious to his surroundings as he allowed his eyes to be trapped by the young girl's soulful gaze.
¨No friggin' way!¨ Resnan snarled back. ¨We will just have to organise and present a united front. And stop feeling my sister up man, before my father whoops your ass and I help him do it!¨
Gasping in embarrassment, Lillith blushed beet-red, while Ren jerked both hands up in a reflex motion. Both of them looked so mortified that Sri shook his head and laughed outright, and he wasn't the only one. Everybody knew those two were probably dating, but they had never displayed their affection this openly before. The tension in the air must be bringing the boy's protective instincts to the forefront. The comic relief had effectively defused the tension in the room, thank goodness.
Biting a laugh off, Dinain threw the boy a warning glance but he did seem somewhat mollified.
The doctor watched the older man settle down, and thought wryly that he would have to get used to it, whether he liked it or not. Ren was a good person and Lillith could do worse.
At last Sri leaned forward, rubbing his eyes wearily. ¨Like I said, you guys aren't happy with the situation, and I can bet Leiren knows it. She's nothing if not perceptive. Postponing it will only make matters worse. I say we go over to her house and talk to her.¨
¨Wh....What, now?¨ Lillith's voice quavered, and Ren put his arm back around her shoulders, not without first sending her father a defiant look, young fool that he was.
But Dinain's mind was on other things now. Getting up the grey-haired man worked the stiffness out of his shoulders and helped Yeshra up before saying, ¨Yes, he's right. No time like the present. Let's get this over with.¨ Resnan seemed about to object, but his father cut him off. ¨Son, you started this. I agree with you on many counts. Now man up and finish it.¨ So saying he headed toward the door.
Sri smirked at him and raised an eyebrow, listening to the storm raging outside. The man's thoughts were loud and clear but....
Seriously?
And yes, he realised after everybody had risen and shuffled over to the door in Dinain's wake, grabbing whatever they had for cover.
They were totally going to walk over to the Healer's house right now.
In the middle of a howling storm.
Yeshra grimaced apologetically, but followed her husband without a second's hesitation.
His unbelieving glance caught Ren's resigned look. The boy saw his bafflement and chuckled.
Sri groaned.
CHAPTER 13
MEETING
She was ready for them, of course.
Yeshra had been able to detect the vibrant hum of the Healer's personal energy easily, buzzing like a wasp's nest above the roar and thunder of the storm, long before they caught sight of her. Waiting in front of her house Leiren's still form presented an imposing image, standing motionless under the pelting rain, apparently impervious to the wind and lashing water.
Wrapping her arm around her daughter's waist Yeshra held out her free hand and took Leni's, sensing the fear in the shy teenager. The least they could do was present a united front...and hope for the best.
Sri walked beside them, water trickling down his dreadlocks to merge unnoticed with the uncomfortable downpour falling on them all. He couldn't help wishing he could see into the wise-woman's mind. A quick peek, just this once...the doctor didn't need Yeshra's quick nervous whisper to tell Leiren was on edge, but he did wonder how she perceived the small group approaching her through the storm. Not as they saw themselves, of that he was sure, as three hesitant adults and five scared teenagers, wet and bedraggled.
No.
If he could take a guess she probably saw a girl who could see through the eyes of animals, a telekinetic, an older boy whose sense of smell enabled him to understand the secrets of his surroundings, an older woman who could sense all living energy, a chit of a girl who could materialise things out of thin air, and a fire-starter. Oh, and don't forget the mind-reader, he thought dryly.
No wonder she was on the defensive.
The Healer was respected not so much for her psychic abilities, which though undoubtedly added to her mantle of mystery had paled into insignificance in the light of the recent shit-storm, as for her sheer strength of character and charisma.
In that respect, she was formidable indeed.
The question now, he thought as they approached her, was whether she would even take the time to listen to the kids. Her usual modus operandi would be to steam-roll over any opposition, and in this case this would just harden Resnan's resolve and worsen the situation. The youth's thoughts told him he had decided to follow his father's forceful advice and see this through to the bitter end.
Sri intended to do what he could to defuse the situation, but even he knew he tended to become over-verbose under pressure, always trying to find a compromise that everyone would be okay with. He could feel the muscles in his shoulders bunching up under the rain.
He didn't think his style would cut it today.
A crack of thunder added a certain melodramatic touch to the moment when the small group came face to face with Leiren. Lightning lit up the scene and cast her stern features into dark granite. Turning, she opened her door and wrapping her shawl closer around her said over her shoulder, ¨You'd better come in. Hell of a night you've chosen for this.¨
Silently they followed her into the small sitting room until she turned and faced them. An uncomfortable silence hung heavy in the room as they huddled together, the only sound the soft dripping of their sopping clothes on the flagstones.
Lillith resisted a childish urge to duck behind her mother's protective back as her teacher's piercing eyes picked them out one by one. Her brother, on the other hand, appeared to have no such fears and stepped forward just as Sri's voice made itself heard over the storm.
¨Leiren, it seems that in order to continue with what is being required of us, we should hold a meeting and clarify some points which are…¨
¨We want to know what your intentions are, Leiren.¨
Resnan cut in brusquely. ¨Sorry Sri, but you're just beating around the bush, man.¨ he added apologetically, looking at the tall blond man. Sri just shrugged and nodded. The Healer snorted and said in a barely audible undertone, ¨Always does it, boy.¨
The youth confronted her again. ¨We won't continue training with you unless we're part of the decision making. We won't be used,¨ he said point blank.
The Healer's expression didn't change as she broke her silence. ¨Lillith? Ren? How do you feel about this?¨
Lillith restrained herself from shuffling her feet, and forced herself to hold her chin up high. She would not hang her head like a child caught out.
¨It just doesn't feel right, not knowing...¨ she paused, swallowing nervously, and then her young voice grew a bit stronger as she felt Ren stepping up beside her. ¨You are our teacher and we've learnt a lot thanks to you, but...¨ thankfully the tall boy put her out of her misery, wrapping her hand in his big warm one and cutting in.
¨I think what Lillith wants to say, and at least what I feel,¨ he said, valiantly trying to look at the Healer straigh
t in the eye, ¨is that we want to continue learning from you, training with you,¨ Resnan humphed and Ren heard Dinain shush him quietly. ¨Yes we do, Resnan, you bearded lummox. We can't do this by ourselves, or at least it will be much harder....It's just that although our grip and understanding of our gifts has improved, we're not really in control, are we?¨ His teacher's pale grey eyes glinted in the candle-light, and he knew she thought she had him.
¨Which is why you all need someone to steer you in the right direction, obviously.¨ Leiren paused, suddenly pressing her lips together in irritation, and avoided Sri's amused gaze. Even to her own ears her words had sounded rushed and condescending.
Ren looked around at his companions in frustration, unable to find the right words with which to express himself. He looked over at Sri beseechingly. The doctor just shook his head but then, with a small secretive smile said,
¨Maybe Terrell can help us out with this dilemma.¨
Terrell looked up at him, aghast, big eyes framed in long eye-lashes made even larger by the shock of betrayal. Sri almost felt sorry for him. Almost. The situation was going to hell in a hand-basket and from what he could read in the room Terrell had the clearest ideas here.
¨Well?¨ Leiren's pointed stare did nothing for the poor boy's nerves, and he licked his full lips apprehensively.
¨I guess…I'm thinking,¨ he cleared his throat and Dinain laid a steadying hand on his shoulder. ¨Well, how can we truly learn to be in control...I mean, if someone else is always telling us what to do?¨
¨As Ren has said, you need guidance now,¨ the wise-woman pointed out, looking at him with a gaze that made him feel like a bug on a pin. ¨Eventually, when you have learnt total control...¨
But Terrell pressed on desperately,
¨How can we control our powers, if somebody else is always in control? Now it's you, and we have to trust you have good intentions, but, but...¨ he stuttered to a stop, his dark eyes pleading in intensity.
For the first time Leiren actually looked nonplussed.
¨And that really,¨ sighed the doctor, ¨is all this is about.¨
Once he had fished that idea out of Terrell's head he realised that was what was behind everyone's motives, even Resnan's belligerence.
¨It's not that we don't trust you, Leiren.¨ Ren said slowly, glancing at the nerve-shaken Terrell gratefully, ¨It's just that we're dealing with talents that are far too dangerous to give up control over them. We have to learn...you have to teach us, to be completely autonomous, or no-one, not even us, will ever be safe.¨
A loaded silence fell on the candle-lit room, punctuated by the rumbling of receding thunder. The storm was moving on.
¨So tell me, how is that any different from what we have been doing until now?¨ The little group before her stared back uncomprehendingly, except for Sri, who suddenly looked like he was enjoying a private joke.
¨If you still want me to train you I can do so, and explain the procedures better, be more transparent...¨
The four younger kids still looked baffled, but understanding had dawned on both Resnan and his parents' features. The young man stepped forward, nostrils flaring like a hound on a scent. Yeshra put a hand on his forearm holding him back as he spat out, ¨Don't act as if you didn't understand what we were talking about here. We will not be manipulated any longer. This will be a joint project or you will simply not be a part of it.¨
The Healer stood her ground, chin raised, pale eyes glittering. ¨Is this you threatening me, Resnan? Or simply rejecting my authority?¨
¨Authority? What authority?¨ Resnan's voice rang out, outraged. At some level he understood he was playing into her hands, allowing her to goad him into losing his temper, and was grateful for his mother's calming hand on his arm.
She wasn't done, of course. Turning to the adults, Leiren fixed them with her unnerving gaze. ¨And you're okay with this? As they themselves admit, these kids handle extremely dangerous skills, and they want to go merrily their own way? Under no authority? With no supervision?¨ Leiren's eyebrows rose in apparent incredulity. ¨We destroyed civilisation not so long ago, who knows what these kids could do.¨
¨We already saw what you did to the world.¨
The quiet voice surprised everyone, as Leni moved out from where she had been trying to hide behind Yeshra, her almond shaped-eyes wide yet strangely direct. ¨The hatred. The bitterness.¨ Her breath hitched in a barely contained sob. ¨The evil. Many of us had to live through the fall-out. Maybe we don't want to repeat your mistakes.¨
¨We won't,¨ Resnan said curtly. His father laid a calloused hand on his shoulder and held him back a pace, firmly yet gently.
¨It would definitely be a disaster if you kids lost control,¨ Dinain looked straight at the Healer and though his words seemed to be playing in her favour this time she held her peace, the small crease between her eyebrows the only crack in her façade betraying her irritation. She could feel the vibe in the room and didn't like the way this was headed, obviously.
¨We definitely don't need a repeat of yesterday.¨ Dinain finished, stroking his wife's pale hand in a rare gesture of affection.
¨That's why we need Leiren.¨ Ren spoke up then, ¨But not as puppets for your manipulation.¨ he added, facing her squarely. ¨You are a wonderful healer, and a great teacher...we're all proof of that,¨ Dinain nodded grimly. ¨but in this I agree with Resnan, we must all be together in this, or it will blow up in our faces...individuals, working as a team under no one person's control.¨
For a beat, the only sound in the room was the now soft pelting rain on the roof. Sighing Leiren walked over to a chair and sat down heavily.
¨And what about you, Sri?¨ She sounded defeated and those who knew her well thought they'd never seen her look more tired. Not even during the virus at the settlement, mused Ren. Lillith crossed a worried look with him and he tried to appear more confident than he felt, for her sake.
Sri had walked over and was kneeling in front of her, the Healer's slim dark hand between his two large ones.
¨Why is this so hard for you?¨ he murmured, almost too softly for anyone to catch.
¨It's a pipe dream.¨ Leiren answered, but she sounded distant, the fire gone from her words. ¨A dream utopia thought up by naïve children...¨
¨Maybe it's a brave new world, Leiren. This time for real. And we are the guardians, all of us. No-one must be left behind, no-one will be less than anyone else.¨
She lifted her head and looked into the blond man's blue eyes, a glint of what could have been hope in her eyes. Then her natural practicality re-asserted itself. Forcing herself to share her secret, her biggest fear with this charismatic young man was the most difficult thing she had done in a long time.
¨A new world, you say. I knew, I have always known, even during the conflagration. It was just another event bringing me closer to what I had seen in a vision as a child, for what I could feel in my bones. All my life getting ready, waiting for this time to come. And now, after this, will they follow me? Can they trust me?¨
His deep voice resonated in the quiet room, his words waking feelings within her she had believed long dead.
¨That is to be seen. Maybe the question is, can you walk by their side, instead of expecting them to follow? But for now…use your gifts, Wise-woman. They are needed.¨
¨Will you be staying behind, Garand?¨
The question caught him unprepared, lost as he was in his own thoughts. The young woman next to him had seemed intent on nothing more than foraging for medicinal plants for the last half an hour, which had left his old mind free to wander.
When an uncomfortable-looking Benton had asked him to accompany the beautiful red-head to the forest out-skirts he had figured it would probably be a good workout for his sore joints, which were definitely feeling the change in weather, and had thought no more of it. His brother was definitely busy enough, having taken over a lot of his own duties as the pain in his leg had increased. Leiren needed herbs, and he didn't mind the outing. Bes
ides, the forest was beyond their perimeter patrols, the girl would need a companion, and he was pretty sure he was still up for that much.
The young woman had made no comment when he had picked her up at the Healer's cottage, though she did appear a trifle sad as she walked out of the village by his side holding a big wicker basket. What such a pretty girl had to feel sad about was beyond him. It wasn't like all the available males in the village hadn't flocked to her door as soon as her single status was known...that cheeky young rascal Resnan had definitely tried hard enough, thought Garand to himself, and all to no avail. Maybe she just didn't swing that way, though Garand had seen no evidence to that at all.
As for her question...
¨I'm not really sure, Lorenna. It would seem my wandering days are over, though, so it will definitely either be the village or the community for me.¨ He sighed, trying to walk so as not to over-strain his leg.
The ointments the wise-woman and Sri had come up with were effective, but didn't take all the pain away. One would have thought, he pondered sarcastically, that among so many wonders one of these kids could have turned out to be a miracle worker and healed him. He definitely remembered dozens, if not hundreds of such people before the conflagration. At that time he had regarded them all as crackpots, of course, but now he would be more than interested in pursuing a lasting friendship with one of them, he reflected bitterly. When he had mentioned this aloud Sri had said it was probably just a matter of time before somebody gifted like that turned up. After all, this new ´evolution´ phenomenon they were going through was probably widespread. Who knew what was out there, beyond the borders of their perimeters?
Being the old war-dog he was this worried him, though he said nothing to his friend. Sri was so enthusiastic about all this, and he didn't want to rain on his parade. He sincerely hoped the upgrades were accompanied by positive attitude changes and prayed his fighting expertise would not be needed. He knew first hand there were some mean motherfuckers out there, and he was honestly too old and tired for this. He shuddered to think the damage somebody like Quentin could inflict on humanity if he or she were gifted.
Aftermath Page 18
