The Quest for the Heart Orb (7 page)

Straightening with the branch in her hands, she looked up to see a tall man with shoulder length black hair appear from around the next bend, running toward her with a spear poised at his shoulder.  She froze, caught between shock and fear.

“Down,” he shouted, emphasizing his command with a sharp, palm downward gesture of his free hand.  Ren didn’t hesitate.  She flung the branch aside and dropped to her stomach, the heavy pack slamming painfully into her back.  A blood curdling roar sounded from behind her, matched in fury by an answering roar from the man still running toward her.  She dared a peek back over her shoulder in time to see an enormous bear-cat crouch down, readying itself to lunge.  She knew with an odd, cool clarity that there was no escape.  She was seconds from death, and there was not one single thing she could do about it. 

The man’s spear abruptly blossomed from the animal’s wide chest.  The bear-cat screamed in pain and rage, then leapt off the trail, the spear still in its chest as it disappeared into the ravine.  The man ran to the edge of the trail and stood there, his back to her, marking the bear-cat’s progress through the heavy brush. 

Her near death in the jaws of a vicious animal was momentarily forgotten as she gaped at the vision of sculpted male flesh incased in tight black leather.  Never in her life had she even imagined such a creature existed.  She’d seen men before, of course.  There were no adult males in Sanctuary, but there were many in the village.  None of them looked remotely like this one, though.  Or, if they did, their manner of dress certainly did a commendable job of hiding it. 

The man turned around to face her and she immediately faced forward, her face burning with embarrassment at being caught staring.  She struggled to her feet somewhat clumsily with the heavy pack, then busied herself with brushing the dust and leaves from her cloak while trying to collect herself.  She heard him walking toward her, but kept her eyes on her hands.  After reacting as she had to his…back…she was almost afraid to look at his…face.  Her cheeks burned hotter with her wayward thoughts.

“Are you injured?” the man asked, stopping several feet away from her.

She automatically looked up when he spoke, straight into the most haunted pair of eyes she’d ever seen.  Her breath caught in her throat and all of her nervousness and awkward embarrassment slipped away as, without stopping to consult her common sense first, her whole heart went out to him.  She had no idea how long she stood there, staring into his deep black eyes, not even noticing that he was just as ensnared as she was.  Eventually she remembered that he’d asked her a question.

“I’m fine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  She cleared her throat.

“Are you seeking the Orb Quest?” he asked.

“I am,” she replied.

“You are the Maiden of the Heart Orb?”

“Yes.”

“And you travel alone?”

“Yes,” she said, sensing his growing disapproval. 

“Why?”

Ren opened her mouth, then closed it.  The story was rather a long one, and this, surely, was not the time for it.  But, how could she answer in a few words without sounding rude?  Before she could decide how best to answer, he either ran out of patience, or decided she wasn’t going to answer, because he spoke again.

“The Orb Quest is camped a few minutes’ walk up this trail,” he said.  “You should be safe enough since few predators would dare encroach on a bear-cat’s hunting grounds.  I apologize for not escorting you, but I must track the bear-cat.  A wounded animal of that size and temperament will be a danger to all, and I cannot allow his suffering to continue because of my poor aim.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Ren asked, relieved that she’d managed an entire, coherent sentence consisting of more than two words. 

“When you reach the settlement, please tell them that I’m tracking a wounded bear-cat through the ravine off the western trail and would not object to help.”

“Of course,” she said.  “May I ask your name?  So that I can tell them who you are.”

“I am Marl.”  He looked as though he was about to say something else, but after a long moment he closed his mouth and remained silent. 

“Thank you for saving me Marl,” she said.  “My name is Ren.  I’ll go as quickly as I can.”

“Thank you,” he replied.  He stood there silently for another moment, then abruptly turned around and ran off in the bear-cat’s wake.

Ren stared after him in surprise, then began looking around for the branch she’d tossed aside earlier.  Spotting it, she picked it up, determined to be ready should another predator dare to show itself to her.  She took off uphill, walking as fast as the heavy pack allowed. 

While she walked, she tried to sort through the wide range of emotions careening through her.  She was grateful to Marl for saving her from what would have been a truly awful death.  For that she owed him her heartfelt thanks.  Her physical reaction to him was surprising, confusing, and extremely disturbing since she had no idea why she’d reacted that way or what it meant.  But, most startling of all, was the sure and certain knowledge that Marl was very important to her future. 
No
, she corrected herself.  He
was
her future.

That terrified her nearly as much as the bear-cat.

***

Karma sat alone after Zakiel left to meet with Bredon, Garundel and some of the other men, sipping her tea while wondering what she was going to do with herself for the day.  Strange as it seemed, she was getting tired of staying in one place.  Or maybe not so strange, she thought.  After all, she’d spent her entire childhood moving from place to place on New Levant.  She’d left that life behind when she’d gone to Earth, but the Orb Quest had brought it all back.

She emptied her cup and politely declined Lashi’s offer of more.  She had to find something to do with herself.  Unfortunately, she was still too weak to begin sparring with Kapia again.  Unlike Lashi and Caral, she had no talent for sewing, nor any inclination to learn.  What she really needed to do was build her strength back up.  She got up to fetch her cloak.  A walk around the settlement once or twice would be a good start.

As soon as she stepped out of the tent she saw Nikura trotting toward her. 
“Is something wrong?”
she asked silently.

“She comes,”
Nikura replied, stopping in front of her.

“Where?” Karma asked, looking in the direction he’d come from.

“She’ll reach the village in a few minutes,”
Nikura said.  “
She’s alone and on foot, coming up the western trail.”

“Alone?” Karma exclaimed in surprise as she began walking toward Kapia’s dwelling.  “Why is she alone?”

“Why ask me?”
Nikura asked. 
“As I’ve told you repeatedly, I cannot read minds.  Nor would I if I could.  Why is it that you have so much trouble remembering that?”

Karma rolled her eyes.  Apparently the Sphin had gotten up on the wrong side of his red velvet cushion this morning.  Not long ago she would have tried to soothe his testy mood.  Now she knew better, and just ignored it.  “Nikura, will you give this news to Zakiel for me please?”

Nikura made a point of sighing heavily.
  “Since you said
please
, I will,”
he replied. 
“This time.  Just don’t get in the habit of sending me on errands.  I’m a Sphin, not a courier bird.”

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Karma said dryly.  Nikura turned away, then paused and looked back over his shoulder.

“Do not push yourself, Lady Techu,”
he warned.

“I won’t,”
Karma she replied warmly.  She wouldn’t embarrass Nikura by saying anything too directly, but she did appreciate his concern.

Karma knocked on Kapia’s door as she watched Nikura trot toward one of the larger buildings in the settlement that Zakiel used as a makeshift meeting hall.  The snow that had covered the Hidden Sister for the Argiari’s comfort had long since melted, but it was late in the season, and quite cold most days.

She turned around when Caral answered the door.  “Tell Kapia that
she’s
arrived, and I’m going to get Tiari,” Karma said shortly, then hurried away, heading for Tiari and Tomas’s place.  By the time she reached it, Kapia had already caught up with her.

“Where is she?” she asked while Karma knocked on the door.

“Nikura says she’s walking up the western trail, alone, and will be here soon,” Karma said.  Tomas opened the door in time to hear the last part of her reply, carrying Tiari in his arms.

“She’s here?” Tiari asked, only catching the last few words.

“Yes, or will be in a moment, according to Nikura,” Karma said, then turned and headed toward the western side of the settlement.  Since the Argiari had been very large beings, their houses and furniture were also big.  On the other hand, there had only been eleven of them, so the settlement itself was rather small.  It didn’t take them long to cross to the western edge of it, which they reached at the same time that the newcomer did.  The woman tossed a large branch aside as she paused to look around, then walked straight toward the small group of women.

“I was nearly attacked on the trail, just a few minutes ago, by a bear-cat,” she said in a breathless rush.  “A man named Marl wounded it with a spear and requests assistance in tracking it through the ravine.  It’s just a few minutes fast walk from here.  There’s a deadfall at the side of the trail across from the place he went into the ravine.”

Tomas immediately called to the nearest Hunter on duty, Sir Jenz, who hurried toward them.  He spoke quickly, and moments later Sir Jenz rounded up a half dozen men who took off down the trail at a run.

While the Maiden of the Heart Orb watched Tomas and the other men, Karma took the opportunity to study her.  She was young, maybe twenty, and taller than herself, Kapia, and Tiari, but Karma had known many tall women so gave little thought to that.  The three gemstones she wore on her forehead were unusual and attractive.  Her face was narrow, with a generous mouth and bold nose, her eyes large, almond shaped and light, clear green.  Her hair was several shades of blonde from almost white to nearly brown, worn in dozens and dozens of thin braids that hung to her waist, each one ending in a shiny silver bead, and her skin was so pale that it appeared to have a light greenish tint.  Although some of her features seemed a little unusual individually, the overall effect was one of striking, if not classic, beauty.

Karma noted the growing wariness in the young woman’s eyes once the men were gone, as well as her stiff, almost defensive posture when she realized she was being stared at.  Karma offered her a friendly smile.  “Are you injured?”

“No, not at all, thanks to that man,” the young woman replied.  She took a deep breath and met Karma’s gaze steadily, then pressed her palms together and bowed her head briefly.  “I apologize for my bad manners.  My name is Ren.  I seek she who is known as Lady Techu.”

Karma reached for the Ti-Ank at her waist where it was covered by her cloak and squeezed the retractable rod in the center so that it expanded into a five foot long staff.  She set the bottom of it against the ground with the winged ankh at her shoulder and said, “I am Lady Techu, Ren, and your manners are perfectly fine.  Are you the Maiden of the Heart Orb?” 

“Yes, I am,” Ren replied.

“You are very welcome, Ren,” Karma said warmly, wondering why she hadn’t given a surname.  “This is Princess Kapia, Maiden of the Moon, and Lady Tiari, Maiden of the Sun.  The man carrying Tiari is her husband, Sir Tomas.”

“We’re so happy to meet you,” Tiari said.  “We’ve been waiting for your arrival for days.”

“I apologize if I kept you waiting overlong,” Ren said.

Tiari’s eyes widened.  “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant,” she said quickly.

Ren’s expression didn’t change, but somehow Karma knew that she was painfully embarrassed.  The ability to hide her feelings so completely gave Karma a glimpse into Ren’s life that made her sad.    

“Come, let’s go inside and get you settled,” she said, stepping closer to Ren’s side and urging her forward without touching her.  “Have you been walking all morning?”

“Yes, Lady Techu, since sunrise,” Ren replied.  Kapia and Tomas, holding Tiari in his arms, fell into step behind them.

“Did you come from very far away?” Karma asked.

“From
Nu Senna
,” Ren replied, gesturing to the west.  “Just a couple of day’s journey.”

“You travelled so far alone?”

“No, Lady Techu, I had companions from Sanctuary who accompanied me to the foot of the
Hidden Sister
.” 

“And they left you to climb the mountain alone?” Karma asked in surprise.

“They had no choice, Lady Techu,” Ren explained.  Lady Techu’s disapproval was making her nervous, but she owed the
Braii
too much to let her think badly of them.  “It’s forbidden for the
Braii
to step foot on the
Hidden Sister
until the Orb Quest leaves.  As Maiden of the Heart Orb, it was my task to come the final distance alone.”

“I see,” Karma said, though she didn’t.  Not really.  Sending a young woman who was so important to the future of Rathira to walk up a mountain alone was, in her opinion, foolhardy and extremely dangerous.  She’d nearly been killed!  One glance at Ren’s face told Karma that she was growing increasingly nervous, so she set her outrage aside.  What was done was done.

“Shall we go to my place?” Kapia asked from behind Karma.  “Caral was putting a large kettle on for tea when I left.”

“Good idea,” Karma agreed, veering toward the larger house that Kapia would share with Ren until they left the
Hidden Sister
.  Just as they reached it Zakiel and Nikura approached them.

“Zakiel, please meet Hara Ren, Maiden of the Heart,” she said.  “Hara Ren, this is my husband, Prince Zakiel of Isiben, and Nikura the Sphin.”

“You are welcome to the Orb Quest, Maiden of the Heart,” Zakiel said.

“Thank you, Prince Zakiel,” Ren replied after pressing her palms together and bowing.  Then she turned toward Nikura and bowed again.  “I greet you, honorable Sphin,” she said.  Nikura stared at Ren for a long moment before dipping his head in a regal nod.