Anya stood with impatience as Jonal, Tonas, and TeZaron waited for the people on Brightstar to disembark. She worried over Tonas’ leg, still encased in a semi-hard cast, the outline of which showed through the loose trews. As the Admirals of the Sarran Fleet, it remained their duty to see that the two dead Warriors and those wounded in the Zyptz attack were attended to first and to dismiss their crew for leave before they could make a formal report to the Elder Council. TeZaron, an Elder himself, and senior member of the council, stayed to bear witness. A council PGT pulled up onto the landing field. The door swung open and a boy came barreling onto the runway.
To Anya’s surprise, the stern countenance of the Elder broke into a huge smile as he knelt and opened his arms. The child ran straight to him.
“Poppie, Poppie, you’re finally home!”
A distinguished gentleman in his late thirties followed the child, escorted by two security officers. TeZaron stood with fire flashing in his eyes as the Warrior came directly to his side. Anya could see that the other man shed tears of joy from his deep golden orbs.
“Watch it, Pa Mici, or Tonas and I might be tempted to slug an Elder.”
“I’m surprised. I didn’t think TeZaron knew how to smile. He seemed to me to be a very cold man.”
Jonal raised his eyebrow.
“TeZaron and TeBron dealt with great tragedy from an early age. Appointed to the Elder Council during Zyptz war, they took charge of strategy and tactics. With the peace, they looked forward to the easy governance of Sarran. Instead, the Zyptz brought us the virus and TeZaron and TeBron coped with the aftermath while engaged in their private grief for their fem, unborn bebe, and fempring. Although they are both in their mid-thirties, they carried the weight of this world now for ten years,” Jonal concluded.
“I see. The burden aged them both. They look older than their years.”
“The responsibility for the fleet lay heavy on our shoulders; so much more so must be the responsibility for the entire civilization. Yet they fought for the survival of the Sarran race with fortitude and courage. I hope they find a fem among the Earthen women. They deserve to be as blessed as we are.”
Tonas bent over and kissed Anya at the juncture of her upper and lower lip. Anya smiled back, counting her blessings.
“Our offspring has regained his exuberance, I see,” TeZaron remarked.
Anya barely glimpsed TeBron, and their son, Nafer. As soon as her mind formed his name, the child turned to her with his hands extended upward. Anya, a trained pediatrician, picked him up right on cue. He was an armful. She knew his age from her bonded, but he looked at least four inches taller than an Earthen six-year-old child and a good twenty pounds heavier.
“You are Anya. You are my Mommie’s friend and you are going to have a fempring. My Mommie likes you.”
“Who is your Mommie?” Anya asked gently. Although his body belied his age when measured against an Earthen child, his actions were akin to his years.
Anya watched as TeZaron raised an eyebrow at TeBron. She felt a mental poke and suddenly the small voice jumped into her head. ::You know my Mommie, she has a beautiful beast with long white hair; but Zadda and Poppie don’t see her yet. It’s the shield. Mommie will fix it. She’s a mind healer; I don’t know your word.::
Before Anya could answer, Naffie espied her bonded from the corner of his eye. “You better put me down. Your Warriors are fierce and look worried about their fem and their future fempring.”
“Femspring?”
“Yes.”
“The word is psychologist. Jonal and Tonas will be pleased.”
Nafer’s feet touched the ground. ::You can call me Naffie.::
Naffie shook his head. ::”Psychologist” isn’t the right word. I don’t know if the word exists yet in either language. It’s an “almost.”::
Tigger chose that moment to make his presence felt and jumped from his place next to Anya into Nafer’s arms, his claws digging slightly into the shoulder pads of the child’s leather vest to provide purchase. Nafer wrapped him in his small arms and put his nose in his coat. Tigger purred loudly. Anya looked down to Naffie and her cat and wondered. Could Tigger speak to the little boy?
::Of course he can. Oops, I forgot the dirt.:: With a leap that almost knocked Naffie over, Tigger took off across the field a mot before Anya heard a scream from the processing line. She watched in horror as Syn Sinclair fell to the ground. Tigger ran toward Syn and Naffie followed right behind him. Worried about the child getting lost in the crowd, Anya took up the chase.
Anya couldn’t run as swiftly as Nafer who, despite his shorter legs, sprinted like a cheetah. She reached the fallen Syn after the child had thrown himself on her, crying aloud and trying to drag her away from the line. Tigger and Duchess attempting to help him.
She felt deep fear and loss projected from Nafer and the anxiety of the cats purring to calm him. Anya got hold of herself and snapped at the other women who had simply stepped away when Syn fell. “Give me space to work; or I swear I will set the admirals down on all of you.”
Several women immediately offered to help.
“Just clear the area.” Anna knelt and checked Syn’s pulse.
“Syn, can you open your eyes, it’s Anya.”
“Anya, clear the area, there is something wrong here— Smoke, from the line in the dirt. f**k, my head hurts!”
Anya watched Jonal and Tonas followed the boy along with the cats and the Elders.
Her pulse was a bit rapid, but slowed as Syn opened her eyes. Nafer already cradled Syn’s head in his lap, his trembling hands awkwardly soothing her brow. “It’s all right now, Mommie. Poppy, Zadda, and I are here, that fem won’t be mean anymore, I promise. Everything will be all right. Don’t leave me, Mommie.”
Still in physician mode, attempting to soothe both the child and her patient, Anya looked up to see who blocked her light. She didn’t run alone, her anxious BondMates stood behind her.
::Look at the line in the dirt! Something is wrong!:: Syn blasted out to anyone who could hear her, then fainted for the second time.
Anya looked up and surveyed the land around them. Syn was right. Something was wrong with the dirt.
She sent out the second psychic scream.