AKLESH (Under Strange Skies) (19 page)

Leather leggings and loin clothes were not an option.

Over a week had passed since the incident with the off-worlders. There had been some changes in the tribe, but over time things had fallen back into whatever was considered normal for the Aklesh people.

Gar, too, was finding a schedule to occupy himself. How long it was going to last seemed uncertain.

Just as he was slipping the grey shirt over his head he was accosted by his morning invader.

“Gar, Gar, you’re awake!” said Tilo, bounding into the hut. Bright and cheerful, the young boy had taken to Gar. “Come and see!

Mamma has Wetchberry for breakfast!” He held up an orange piece of fruit about two inches around with green blotches on it, then shoved the whole thing in his mouth and chewed greedily. Gar hoped it tasted better than it looked.

Tilo grabbed his hand urgently and dragged him out of the hut before he could pull on his boots. Groggily he followed along. He didn’t mind the boy. Tilo was one of the only people in the tribe who didn’t look at him sideways and stare as he passed.

Although at times he did feel a little like the kid’s exotic pet.

Outside at a small work area between the four huts Seema sat with some fruit laid out on a red mat while she sat mending a piece of clothing.

Tilo let go of Gar and ran to his mother, sitting down beside her. She gave him some more of the fruit before continuing with her task. The pair of them looked very picturesque as they sat enjoying the morning. The sun made the bluish pigment in their skin brighter.

On occasion Gar had seen the tribesfolk rubbing a salve on their skin. When he had asked what it was Seema had told him that it kept their skin soft. She had given him some a little later. It seemed to help him from getting burned during the warm, cloudless days out in the open. They were just entering their summer season. Seema looked up at him and smiled, as she had been doing ever since he had been there. He picked at some of the left over sleep in the corners of his eyes.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

“Not just yet,” said Gar. “Maybe later.” She smiled again as the young prince made his way to the railing and looked over the Keep. From their second tier view he could see all of the hustle and bustle of the day. Some hunting parties were preparing to go out while other folk worked at different daily tasks that made the tribe function.

Some were fixing or making weapons and tools while others were weaving. Many were preparing food from previous hunts and harvests for storage and future meals.

“Zaela was by earlier,” said Seema as Gar watched the Aklesh daily life unfolding before him. “She would like you to go down to the school hut sometime this morning. I was half ready to send Tilo in to wake you”

The young prince was grateful she had resisted. He was already acutely aware of the subtly in Tilo’s wake up calls.

Gar sighed. This task of going to the school hut had also become a ritual. The Healer had been helping him delve his mind.

She had told him that only when he gained control of his new mental ability would they be able to do something about the condition affecting him. Eager to be separated from Kai’s thoughts, Gar did everything she had asked. But, it did make him feel that he was a little kid again. He never liked tutoring on Orestus, a change of location didn’t alter that fact.

He walked over to Seema and Tilo and picked up the orange and green fruit. He felt willing to experiment today and bravely took a bite. There was a sharp sour flavor that made him wince at first but then became very sweet and tasty. If he hadn’t already been fully awake before he ate the fruit, its bitter taste would have woken him up the rest of the way.

“I might as well head down now,” he said, grabbing a few more of the fruit to take along the way. “It’s not like my day is booked or anything.”

“Can I go down with him?” asked Tilo earnestly of his mother. “Please?”

She checked with Gar to make sure that the boy wouldn’t be a burden. Gar didn’t mind.

“Yes, but just to the school hut, then come right back.”

The boy giggled then grabbed Gar by the hand and pulled him down the ramp.

***

Tilo was one of those children that had an abundance of inexhaustible energy. As Gar made his way down one of the many long stairways the young boy skipped around him in circles, yammering about everything and nothing, like most children his age. Gar couldn’t understand how such exuberance and stamina could fit into one little body. The giant tree was just a big jungle gym for him to climb on.

On the other hand, Gar’s calves had been killing him having to constantly climb all those stairs.

As they made their way down the he got the usual looks of curiosity from those they passed.

Few of the people were brave enough to address him directly, although he could see them talking softly to each other as he walked by. He mostly chose to ignore him.

Even now, he could see some of the older tribes people looking on with disapproval. Gar could only imagine what they were thinking: that perhaps his being around their children was a bad influence.

He wondered what Seema’s friends and family thought of her and Tyro keeping the

‘stranger’ as their guest. Gar hoped they weren’t experiencing any problems in regards to him. He made sure to thank them on a daily basis for their generosity, but it was apparent that sort of courtesy made them uncomfortable. Seema would simply say that her tribe was grateful for the service he had done in helping return their kinsman and force the Others to leave.

Gar and Tilo entered the large village that surrounded the great tree. He walked by a group of warriors muttering among themselves, getting ready for a hunting trip. As he passed they stopped and politely nodded their heads.

At least with the hunters Gar had gained a bit of acceptance. Even Vol, who was sitting by the door of a hut looking grim, as usual, gave him a respectful tilt of her head. Caen, on her left, actually smiled and waved. The archer got a severe glare from Vol, but his friendliness was still appreciated by Gar.

The prince laughed to himself. The ridiculous thought crossed his mind that if he let more Aklesh hit him he might have more friends among the tribe.

He wasn’t sure he was ready for that kind of commitment.

The school hut itself was located a little ways back from the main huts, near the garden area and tucked within two of the larger tree roots. It was about the size of three regular family huts and had many windows cut into the framework. There were large logs just outside the entryway, about five rows deep on three sides, set up like pews.

The center area was a place for lecturing.

Although the children could have fit inside the structure with no trouble, it was clear that a lot of classes took place in the out-of-doors. The large roots helped shield the area away from the activity of the tribe outside and afforded some privacy.

This was either to keep easily distracted children focused or nosy parents out. It was an ideal place for learning.

Gar turned to his small traveling companion. “You have to go back, my little friend.”

The boy scuffed his bare feet in the dirt, not wanting to go.

“Go on,” said Gar. “Your mother expects you.” Again, Tilo swayed from side to side, not really moving in any direction.

“We can play a game when I get back. I promise,” said Gar, smiling. “Now go.”

Tilo returned the smile and brightened. The little boy giggled and ran off around the large root on the left and into the village.

“You have a way with children,” said the familiar voice of the Healer, who stood in the doorway as they both watched Tilo run off.

“They want nothing more than affection,” said Gar.

“That’s easy to give.”

She waited a moment before she spoke again. “Are you ready?”

“As much as I’ll ever be,” he replied, and followed her into the hut.

The lessons had been a one-on-one affair between him and the Healer. They consisted of concentration exercises and meditation. That was fairly boring to Gar.

He would be asked to concentrate on a single object and empty his mind for long periods of time. Or, he would be asked to sort his thoughts, like separating the part of the mind that concentrates on listening to another’s voice from the meaningless rabble of “Did I wash my hair today?” and “I wonder if I’ll eat some fruit later?” Sometimes during meditation he would be asked how he was feeling from moment to moment and whether he could tell if those emotions were his or someone else’s. A day or so earlier he’d been asked to describe any dreams he had been having.

The dreams were always the same in nature. They all usually involved hunting, but unlike his first dream the people that inhabited them were people of the tribe and not the court of Orestus. Some he recognized, others he didn’t. And the animals they pursued were always huge, terrible grey and white creatures with fierce, sharp claws and enormous mouths.

Each session ended with the Healer telling him he was doing well and that he should return the next day.

As time passed Gar could feel his mind becoming clearer, but the process was slow. He had no idea what he was gaining from this or how it could help his situation. He didn’t want to have to deal with it, he just wanted it gone. Mostly, he was frustrated.

Today Gar expected much of the same. He was therefore surprised to find that they were not alone for the lesson that day.

In the center of the large room, sitting on the floor with both legs crossed and his eyes closed, was Kai. The young native opened them slowly and looked at Gar with a neutral expression. The prince had stopped in the doorway. Kai seemed peaceful and unalarmed at Gar’s presence, apparently expecting him.

The prince, on the other hand, had been doing his best to steer clear of him.

He saw Kai’s wrapped arm and a pang of guilt struck his heart. For the first few days Kai had worn a sling to keep the appendage still, but as it healed he’d gone to a simpler dressing.

Gar had felt the acute pain when the Healer had set the bone back at the camp. Pain like that you couldn’t exactly lock out of your mind. His own guilt most likely had amplified it as well. But sharing Kai’s pain in that moment was alright. He considered it punishment for getting Kai caught on the ship, something for which he still felt responsible.

Kai touched his own arm lightly, sensing Gar’s discomfort. This had been just the sort of interactions Gar had wanted to avoid.

Since they had returned from the spaceship Gar’s personal feelings towards Kai had definitely changed. He no longer resented Kai as he had before. The young Aklesh had only done what he thought was best at the time and Gar was indeed indebted to him for his life. Still, their brief encounters over than week were cool at best. Gar wasn’t sure whether or not Kai blamed him for his current injuries.

The problem for Gar was the involuntary sharing of information and feelings between them. It bothered him deeply that his thoughts weren’t his own any more. He could feel Kai even when he wasn’t near by. There was no privacy for him and he couldn’t bear the thought of doing the same thing to someone else.

The Healer sat down on the smooth, sandy floor near Kai and motioned for Gar to sit across from him. The prince sat down tentively, waiting to see what she was expecting of them.

“You have learned much control, young prince,” she said to him. “Now it is time to put some of that into practice.” She placed a shell between them.

Oh great,
thought Gar when he saw this.
The shell,
again.

It gets better,
came a voice into Gar’s head. He looked up and saw Kai’s gazing at him with an amused expression, as if he knew something funny and wasn’t letting on. Gar cursed under his breath that Kai was able to hear his thoughts. He was not finding it funny at all.

The smile dropped from Kai’s lips.

The Healer seemed to be aware that they were conversing mentally and shooshed them.

“Let me guess,” Gar said, aloud and with much sarcasm. “You want me to concentrate on the shell?”

She thumped his leg with her finger.

“Yes. I want you to concentrate on the shell. But this time, do as we practiced and shut everything else out.”

“We’ve done this before,” Gar sighed, bored with the monotony of the exercises.

She could sense his reluctance but kept going.

“This time Kai is going to try and Send to you.”

“You mean, I’m going to block him out?” Gar asked. This was definitely something new.

“In a way,” said the Healer. “Don’t think of it like repelling him. It’s more like enclosing yourself.

You’re on the inside, he’s on the outside. Think of it like wrapping yourself in a blanket.”

“Or a noose,” commented Gar.

“Who is the one here that actually has control over her own mind, you or me?” retorted the Healer, losing her patience a bit.

Considering she had a point Gar grumbled, but buckled down to the task anyway.

“Good. Now focus on the shell.”

As she spoke he cleared his mind and stared at the small shell between him and Kai.