The Healer’s Mantle

by Leigh Roberts

  She returned to the little secluded cave with the shallows as often as she could. There she could think, ponder, and allow her feelings to flow.

  The role of the Healer was central to all the communities of the People, just as it was to the Brothers. It was not only the important nature of the Healer’s work. It was also the influence exerted by her position of Second Rank. The Healer’s role was meant to bring balance to the more authoritarian position of the Leader of the community. Whereas issues could appear more black and white to the Leader, who held the primary responsibility, the Healer’s view was counted on to soften that perspective so that a more holistic, well-rounded solution might be found to issues and—in the worst case—altercations with those not of the People. The problem must be solved but the repercussions of the solution had also to be considered.

  This was one of Adia’s great gifts—the ability to keep the broader perspective in mind. Just as she had given up the need for personal revenge against Khon’Tor to spare damaging the peace and cohesiveness of the community, so she embodied the first of the First Laws, that the needs of the community come before the needs of the individual.

  The position of Healer was not passed down through a bloodline. The Healer was critical to the wellbeing of the People on many levels; the possible death of a Healer through complications in carrying and delivering an offspring was never worth the risk. Anyone chosen as Healer accepted that she would never mate and never produce offspring. The requirements of the position also made it difficult to balance dedication to the community with the demands of personal life and family; the Healer was meant to keep the needs and welfare of the People foremost in her heart and mind.

  The Leader was required to mate and have a family, one reason being that this would soften a potentially heavy hand. Conversely, the Healer was forbidden to for the opposite reason. It was all designed to provide balance, point and counterpoint, and had proven effective through the generations.

  Alone in the small, secret little cave, Adia had realized that the impact on the community of her being with offspring was more important than how it impacted her personally. She could not make this all about her any more than her decision to turn Khon’Tor in was about her alone. She was with offspring, and as a result of that, her life and role as Healer were at risk.

  Adia sighed. She admitted to herself the truth she had been trying to push out of her mind. I have to tell the High Council that I am with offspring. It cannot be handled within the community. It is not something that our own Leaders can decide. My mother died giving birth. What if the same happens to me? The People need a Healer.

  The burden of this was almost more than Adia could bear.

  Under extreme circumstances, the High Council could be called by any individual, whether a Leader or not. However, it was a risky move, and most community members would never dare chance it. When a matter involved only one community, as Adia’s pregnancy did, usually a smaller number of the High Council members would come to hear the matter. Weighty cases affecting both the People and the Brothers, such as the threat of the Waschini, would be resolved with a meeting of the full High Council.

  Bringing an internal matter to the High Council is not a decision to be made lightly. It will remove the issue from Khon’Tor’s control, which will be uncomfortable for everyone involved. As angry as Khon’Tor is going to be over my carrying an offspring, bringing it to the High Council will inflame him to an unimaginable level.

  And she would have to deal with that, live with that, and bear up under that for the rest of her life.

  Adia never shied away from difficulty. She had learned from her Father that problems usually only became more complicated the longer they were ignored. No matter how hard it is, it is as easy as it will ever get, she told herself.

  The Council would most likely be made up of Ogima Adoeete, High Chief of the Brothers; Is’Taqa, Second Chief of the Brothers; Lesharo’Mok, Leader of the People of the Deep Valley, which was Adia’s birthplace; Harak’Sar, Leader of People of the Far High Hills, and Kurak’Kahn, the High Council Overseer. The High Council Overseer and Lesharo’Mok were involved in all matters, to provide continuity in how problems were viewed and handled. They always heard issues of this nature in private.

  Adia knew Khon’Tor would also sit in on the small group since he was not only a High Council member but also the Leader of the affected community. That meant he would hear about her being with offspring at the same time they did. How this would affect his handling of the news, she could not tell.

  Will the fact that this is his offspring—that I will be the Mother Of His Offspring—soften his anger toward me at all? A rational male would not blame a female for being seeded by a mating forced on her, but in violating me, Khon’Tor has proven he is not a rational male. He is a strong Leader, and in many ways, he has the best interests of the People at heart—but when his ambitions and goals conflict with the interests of the community, he is unable to set them aside. His own needs and desires will take precedence.

  Adia did not know if anyone else of rank would be involved in the meeting. It was not unheard of to have other influential members of a community participating in a hearing. She realized it might include Hakani. She shuddered to think of Hakani’s reaction should she ever find out that Adia was carrying Khon’Tor’s offspring.

  Adia had to get her request to the High Council. Ordinarily, this would be sent by the community Leader, in this case, Khon’Tor. But Adia felt it best if Khon’Tor did not know any more ahead of time than he did already. She preferred he find out the details when the hearing began.

  Because Acaraho was the High Protector, it would be appropriate for her to send the request to the High Council through him. She considered sending it through Is’Taqa of the Brothers but realized Acaraho would have to know ahead of time, regardless. There would be the matter of overnight arrangements and other logistics to put in place before the High Council members arrived.

  Adia was certain that Acaraho would immediately know what it was about, once he knew it was she who had requested the meeting. On the day she had told him about her condition the last words he had spoken to her, just as she was leaving, were, “Does he know?” to which she had replied, “Not yet.”

  * * *

  Khon’Tor walked down one of Kthama’s paths to the valley. For a change, he was having a better morning.

  Finally, I have Adia under control. The incident is now a thing of the past. Everyone in the community has accepted it was an accident, that she tripped and hit her head on the rocks. I worried they would question why she was outside after I expressly forbade it, but it has not been an issue. They have probably assumed that in her delirium, she was not thinking clearly.

  And Akule. He seems to keep to himself, but he has never brought up that evening. The few times I have seen him, it seemed it was not even on his mind.

  And so Khon’Tor put the matter of Akule out of his mind as well.

  Khon’Tor’s main problem now was his mate, Hakani, and the offspring she was carrying. The offspring of another male. Hakani was right; Khon’Tor could not stop trying to figure out which of the males had betrayed him. The other matter he could not put out of his mind was how Hakani had tried to incite him that evening into breaking the First Law: Never Without Consent—luring him, enticing him, inflaming him, leading him on—and then rejecting him at the last moment. Hoping he would not be able to stop himself and so mate her without permission. Khon’Tor felt smugly that Hakani was not as smart as she thought—even if he had not stopped himself, it would be his word against hers.

  Our union has been unsatisfactory from the very beginning. She has carried ill will toward me almost from the day of our pairing. And I still do not know why.

  He tolerated her because he had to, but if the opportunity were ever presented to free himself of Hakani once and for all, he would not let it slip by.

  Khon’Tor calculated that her offspring was still in the first third of dev
elopment, which meant she would deliver near the end of the warm days. He also knew she was enjoying the attention of the other females in the community.

  Offspring were always a cause for celebration, and even more so because they were raised with everyone’s help. As uncomfortable as Khon’Tor’s life was, it was going to be far worse when he had to raise another male’s offspring as his own. And if it is a male, that PetaQ—not of my blood, not of my making—will inherit my leadership. Hakani will have the last laugh after all. She will have fulfilled her role to produce an heir, and only she and I will know the truth.

  A chilling thought shot through Khon’Tor’s mind. Did the other male know he had seeded her with his offspring? Would she go so far as to include him in the deception? Khon’Tor did not know. It would depend on what Hakani felt she could use against him more—he was sure of that.

  * * *

  But Khon’Tor had underestimated Hakani. Getting him to mate her against her will was not her end game. She had counted on inciting him to hurt her. A he said, she said situation was nothing in comparison with real, verifiable physical wounds with which to discredit him. Her gamble was that she had not enraged him to the point where he would kill her. But the watcher who came to their quarters had foiled her elaborate plan.

  Hakani was worried. Time is running out. I will not be able to keep up this lie of being with offspring much longer. But once I lose the offspring and have no more leverage over him, Khon’Tor will only ride out the public sympathy before he disposes of me.

  Try as she might, Hakani could not figure out how to regain leverage over Khon’Tor. She knew he would not fall for the Never Without Consent seduction scene again. She doubted she would be able to incense him back to a level where he might hurt her. He had made it clear he no longer trusted her, and that her only purpose was to produce an heir. And if she would not or could not provide an heir for him, he would find a way to set her aside.

  The only way I could gain power back over him would be to bear his offspring. But giving him that satisfaction is the last thing I want to do. What is worse? Submitting to him, or having him take another mate? I would rather one of us be dead than go through either!

  Hakani had given a lot of thought to how she would fake a miscarriage. Her primary problem was that females in her condition would ordinarily be enlisting the aid of the Healer. Seeing that she hated Adia and that she was not actually carrying an offspring, this was an impossibility.

  She knew she did not have to convince everyone she had miscarried; convincing one was enough, as long as that one would make sure everyone else knew. And it would have to be someone who would not know a real miscarriage from a pretend one. Who better to achieve both those purposes than Khon’Tor? No one would be happier about this miscarriage than he. No one would be quicker than he to make sure the word spread like wildfire. And no one probably knew less than he what the results of a miscarriage would look like.

  Hakani and Adia were running against very similar deadlines. Hakani was running out of time to end her pregnancy; Adia was running out of time to announce hers.

  * * *

  Adia again sent word that she needed to speak with Acaraho.

  Acaraho was in his quarters, lost in thought when Awan brought him the message. He assumed she wanted to talk to him about mentoring Oh’Dar.

  Acaraho’s quarters were orderly and peaceful. They were his place of respite and the only place where he felt able to drop his guard. Here, he could think about Adia; here, he would replay their few conversations, or remember the times they had spent together when he was assigned to be her Protector. He was looking forward to being inserted back into her life. He knew that as Oh’Dar’s mentor, their interactions would be far more personal than before, when he had observed her only from his post against the wall.

  He was also happy at the thought of being back in the company of both females. In a way, being around them felt like coming home. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed watching the Healer and her Helper together. They were very close, with a friendship far deeper than a working relationship.

  But seeing Adia, meeting with her, talking to her, will all test limits of my self-control. From how she fell into my arms, I believe it will also test hers.

  * * *

  Adia had arranged for Nadiwani, Honovi, and Oh’Dar to be elsewhere. She did not want to be seen too often speaking with Acaraho on a prolonged basis. Once it became known that Acaraho was going to be Oh’Dar’s mentor, it would not seem so out of the ordinary for them to interact frequently.

  Acaraho arrived, and Adia invited him in. She asked him to pull the stone door closed—another affront to protocol and another signal that whatever they were about to discuss was either very personal or very important, or both.

  “Acaraho,” she began. “I will not take long with this because of the unusual nature of our meeting here alone.

  “The matter of my condition is greater than the personal problems it presents me with. Because of my role as Healer, because of my position in authority here, it warrants consideration at a higher level than within our community. I am asking to convene a session of the High Council to inform them that I am with offspring. Considering certain aspects, I do not feel it prudent to send such a request through the normal channel, which would be Khon’Tor. Also, because there will be logistics to arrange, I know you will ultimately be involved in this matter anyway,” and she finally paused for a moment.

  “I am asking, Acaraho, if you would convey my request to the High Council without Khon’Tor’s knowledge. If this puts you in an untenable position, please let me know, and I will find another means to ask for their intervention.”

  Adia assumed Acaraho would realize she was speaking formally to add a sense of propriety to their meeting here in private. She was addressing him in an official capacity in her role as Second Rank. She was trying to keep her personal feelings out of this, and she trusted he would honor her intention.

  “I will take care of that for you, Healer,” Acaraho said, replying in the same tone she had used. “I will let you know as soon as I receive word of their proposed arrival date. I will also take care of any other arrangements you may need,” he added.

  “Thank you. I appreciate your assistance, and your discretion.”

  “Will that be all for now?” asked Acaraho.

  “Yes. Thank you for coming,” and Adia rose as Acaraho turned to leave. When he made it to the door, he turned back to look at her. And when their eyes met, all the words unspoken between them were said.

  * * *

  The People did not have a written language as such, but they did utilize symbols to represent significant events or commonly recognized terms. Each family had a marking of its own through the father’s line. And the markings on the tunnel indicated the junction, and which branch led where. They also used symbols to transmit high-level messages between their communities, with the Brothers, and in this case, with the High Council.

  Acaraho went back to his quarters, took out a large piece of treated hide, and drew the message out with the same clay ochre pigment used for the tunnel markings. He made the symbol for the High Council, a collection of three ovals representing people, which hovered above a smaller group of circles that represented a general assembly, then underneath he made a representation of an outstretched palm signifying the request for help. The symbols had been in use by the communities for ages past, so there was no mistaking the meaning of a message when sent.

  Acaraho rolled up the skin and secured it with a binding of treated sinew. He gave the scroll to his fastest and most reliable messenger, with instructions as to whom it should be delivered. He also told the messenger to wait to hear who would be coming, and when they could be expected, even if that meant it might be days before he could bring the answers back. Acaraho was sure to select an unpaired male so as not to create family hardship through such an extended absence.

  Once the message was on its way, Acaraho went about deciding
where the meeting would be held, where the High Council members would be lodged, and the other hundred details that he had to work out ahead of time.

  * * *

  In the meantime, Hakani had assembled what she needed to fake her miscarriage.

  Most of the living quarters were designed to include a general open area, separate sleeping area, food storage and preparation areas, and one for personal care. They differed in size and location. Once allocated, most were occupied by the same family for generations, though sometimes the older members would move to separate quarters or those on the higher levels so they could access the outdoors more easily and were closer to the community areas. Community members who preferred a quieter environment often chose quarters in the lower levels. Most of the quarters were of similar size, with only a few being larger and more elaborate. The Healer’s Quarters were an example of a more spacious combined living and working area, which reflected the need for privacy for both the personal and professional aspects of her calling.

  The Leader’s Quarters were among the largest, though still not large enough to make living with Khon’Tor bearable. Fortunately, he stayed away a great deal of the time, which gave Hakani the privacy she needed to hide the monthly evidence she was not with offspring, as well as to stage her miscarriage.

  I do not need an elaborate performance to fool Khon’Tor; it is the other females in the community I need to convince. I doubt anyone suspects I am lying about being with offspring, so I do not expect a great deal of scrutiny, but it is still best to be prepared. Khon’Tor is not going to question something he will welcome so much, as long as there is reasonable proof.

  She knew what items she wanted to collect; however, Hakani had to wait until she was ready to present the evidence and deliver her performance. She also needed Khon’Tor to be around as her witness, and with his extended absences, the timing was a challenge.