Sisters

by Laurence Dahners

  She considered the three young women, “When you’re studying anatomy, I’d urge you to study together. Open the ancient atlas and all three of you look at the diagrams together, discussing them so you can remember them better. Compare them to Tarc’s copy, paying special attention to the differences. Then do your best to make your own copy because I guarantee you,” Vyrda turned moist eyes to the west window, “even if he comes back, Tarc isn’t going to draw each of you your own copy.”

  Silence reigned for a moment, then Rrica said, “I draw pretty well. Unless one of you draws better, maybe I could copy the atlas of anatomy for each of us,” she grinned, “in return for you doing some of my chores, of course.”

  Vyrda said, “That might be a reasonable thing to do. However, the person who makes the drawings is going to learn anatomy the best, and, as an epidemiologist, Rrica’ll need anatomy the least. Even if you do decide to divide the labor that way, I hope it turns out that either Seri or Jadyn draws better than you do.”

  “Or Hareh,” Seri said softly, “when he gets back.”

  Rrica thought Seri didn’t want to consider any possibility other than Hareh’s return.

  Vyrda chewed her lip for a moment, “That may sound like a good reason to put off anatomy for now, while you’re hoping Hareh will return. However, you need to start learning anatomy right away. It’s enormously important for working in the clinic and you’re going to start helping in the clinic this afternoon. For your ghirits to tell you much you have to know what your patient’s anatomy is supposed to be like, and you need to know the names of each bit of anatomy so you can talk to me, and to each other, about what you’ve found.”

  Rrica said, “Maybe we should spend half of our study time copying other books and half of it studying anatomy from the copy Tarc made?”

  Vyrda nodded, “When you’re studying anatomy, be sure to compare what you see on the pages to what you find inside yourself with your ghirit. For now,” she picked up the epidemiology book and handed it to Rrica, “hide this in your room. Normally you’ll be studying every morning while the kitchen’s slow between breakfast and lunch. Then you’ll help in the kitchen or dining room during the lunch rush, then we’ll have a clinic during the slow period between lunch and dinner. Then you’ll help during the dinner rush.” She winked at them, “Then you can study some more after the dinner rush. Perhaps you could start copying this book then.”

  Vyrda laughed at the looks on their faces. “Learning medicine’s hard. But once you guys’ve learned the various kitchen jobs and can do them efficiently, we’ll work out a rotation so you can each get some time off. You need to realize though, that we’ve always got to be ready to care for emergency patients.” She frowned, “I’m worried that, without Eva and Daussie here, we might not be able to take care of everyone in an afternoon clinic. We may have to start seeing clinic patients in the mornings or the evenings just to be able to take care of all of them.”

  ***

  Norman walked to the tavern. Yesterday had been his day off. Today, he was scheduled for the shift that went from lunch through dinner. He very much preferred going to work than having a day off. Of course, that was because at work he got to be around his girlfriend. He thought, I’m going to have to talk to her again about how we should be asking for the same days off. He loved Daussie, but found her difficult to manage. She had a mind of her own on far too many things and didn’t accept his guidance well at all.

  She preferred working in the clinic instead of the kitchen where she and Norman could be together. She ignored his suggestions that they go into town together during the morning slowdown, claiming she needed to study. Even when they were both let off because the kitchen wasn’t busy, she usually wanted to go up to the clinic to study even more. Irritatingly, she’d only let him kiss her a couple of times. The first time had been wonderful, but the second time he’d developed some kind of sneezing fit. Frustratingly, since then an opportunity to kiss her just hadn’t come around. I’m just going to start putting my foot down, he thought. If she’s going to be my girlfriend, she’s going to have to spend more time with me and start doing things my way.

  He’d arrived at the back door to the kitchen. He got a strap of firewood and stepped through the door, opening his mouth to greet Daussie.

  She wasn’t there.

  Instead, three new girls were working in the kitchen.

  After stacking the firewood, he hung up the strap and walked through into the dining room. Daussie wasn’t in there either. For a moment, he considered going up the stairs to see if she was in the clinic. Though he hadn’t been specifically forbidden to go into the clinic, he’d never been invited either. Besides, he didn’t have any reason to give for being up there. He assumed that most of the people at the tavern weren’t aware he was Daussie’s boyfriend so they’d think it strange if he asked after her.

  He went back into the kitchen and sidled up to Grace. “I thought Daussie was supposed to work the kitchen for lunch today. Is she still up in the clinic?”

  Grace blinked at him as if surprised, “She left for Cooperstown with Eva. Can you refill the water tank?”

  A chill slid over him. “She what?!”

  Grace gave him a sympathetic look. “Oh, you were off yesterday, weren’t you?”

  Norman nodded slowly, wondering what that had to do with anything. His inner voice was screaming, Cooperstown?!

  Grace said, “Eva’s nephew showed up yesterday. He says her sister’s sick with cancer. Eva’s gone to take care of her.”

  “And,” Norman said slowly, “there was already a caravan going to Cooperstown?”

  Grace shook her head unhappily. “No. They’re going alone, just the four of them.”

  “Are they insane?!” Norman barked. “Who’s protecting them? Daum?”

  Grace’s eyes widened in reaction to Norman’s angry bellow. She spoke softly, “No, Daum’s still here.”

  Trying to control his emotions, Norman asked, “Who went?”

  “Eva, Tarc, Daussie, and the nephew, Hareh.”

  He blinked. Eva and a bunch of teenagers? That can’t be the whole party. “What?! Did they hire guards?”

  Grace shook her head.

  Wait, he thought, realizing he knew nothing about the nephew who might not be a teenager. “This nephew, is he some kind of warrior?”

  Grace looked uncertain. “I don’t think so.” She turned to the new girl next to her. “Is Hareh a fighter?”

  The girl shook her head. “He doesn’t believe in fighting. Calls himself ‘non-violent.’”

  “And Daum just let them go? Didn’t anyone tell him about the road to Cooperstown?”

  “I’m pretty sure he knew. He didn’t seem worried.”

  “When did they leave?!”

  “This morning.”

  Maybe it’s not too late. “Where’s Daum?!”

  Grace shrugged, “Probably in the brewery.”

  When Norman turned to go to the brewery, Grace said, “Can you fill the water before you go?”

  “No! We’ve got to stop them!”

  ~~~

  Norman slammed open the door to the brewery room, so hard it bounced off the wall. He thought he should apologize, but there wasn’t time. “Mr. Hyllis! They’ve got to be stopped! The road to Cooperstown’s extremely dangerous! I’ll… We’ve got to ride after them before something horrible happens!”

  The corner of Hyllis’s mouth actually quirked up momentarily, as if he were amused, but suppressing his smile. Then he became somber. “We’re all aware of the risks Norman.”

  “But…! But… You can’t let them go! We’ve got to go after them and bring them back. Even big caravans are afraid of the Cooperstown road.”

  “I appreciate your concern Norman, but they’ll be okay. They really will.”

  The man has no idea! Norman thought. He turned and exited the door of the brewery, racking his brain for some other authority he could appeal to. The Guardia? he wondered.

 
Norman jogged to the guardhouse at the town gate.

  The guardsmen there just laughed at his requests.

  Chapter Five

  Hareh was “on watch,” or, as he preferred to think of it, “on ghirit.” After all, what they could see with their eyes was a very minor part of what they were doing on watch. He pointed, “I’m detecting a warm spot at the limits of my range. I think it’s a deer.”

  “Right,” Tarc said happily, sounding as if he were proud of Hareh. “I swear you’re already improving your range. That deer’s farther away than you were finding things when you started your shift. I’d say ten to twenty percent farther.”

  Feeling great to be doing well, but weird to be pleased by a compliment from someone so much younger, Hareh tried to shrug it off, “Eva said everyone improves if they work at it?”

  Tarc nodded, “But saying ‘everyone’ makes it sound like we’ve got a lot of experience with new people expanding their ghirits. Remember that the only new people we’ve encountered since me are Daussie and Kazy.”

  “Didn’t you teach Vyrda how to use her ghirit too?”

  Tarc shrugged, “She was already using it to examine patients and treat a few things. I just helped her realize she could use it to watch for danger.”

  Hareh frowned, “Eva said even she and Daum weren’t really using their ghirits to watch for danger until you pointed out how important it could be. She says she only expanded hers after you told her it could be done.”

  “Well,” Tarc said slowly, “I guess that’s kind of true. But I think they would have figured it out by themselves once they were out on the road.”

  Feeling somehow inordinately pleased by his teenage cousin’s humbleness, Hareh said, “I’m pretty sure they’d already been out on the road on the way to Walterston and that they hadn’t figured it out without you. Eva says you’ve got a real genius for figuring out what our talents are good for and that I should pay careful attention to what you have to say.”

  Tarc snorted, “That’s just a mother’s pride talking.”

  A bolt shot through Hareh making him sit up straight on his horse, “There’s a—”

  “Another deer,” Tarc said, “You did pretty well. When Kazy’s talking she misses things like that a lot longer than you did.”

  “But,” Hareh said, feeling embarrassed, “I think it was well within my range before I noticed it.”

  “True,” Tarc said, with a little laugh. “I’m hoping it’s a valuable lesson. It’s hard to pick things up at the extremes of your range, so if you really want to do it, you’ve got to be paying attention. That’s why the person on watch shouldn’t be talking.”

  Hareh rolled his eyes, “So I should have asked you to shut up?”

  “Now you’ve got it,” Tarc said, sounding smug.

  Hareh had more questions, but rather than asking them, he focused on pushing his ghirit out to the extreme limits of his range.

  They rode along in silence, a little way in front of Daussie and Eva so they could ignore the quiet conversation the two women were having. Suddenly Daussie said, “Tarc! Ahead on the right.”

  Hareh strained his ghirit ahead and to the right but couldn’t detect anything. He looked at Tarc, who’s eyes were focused in the same direction. Heart thumping, Hareh asked quietly, “What is it?”

  Tarc put up a hand, telling Hareh to wait. Then he turned in his saddle, “Daussie, ride a little ahead to see if you can detect anything else.” He unslung his bow, put one tip on his stirrup, bent it, and settled the string into its notch. Holding the bow in one hand, he pulled an arrow out of the quiver on the right side of his saddle and set its nock on the string.

  Daussie trotted past them and ahead another twenty meters. She stopped there and waited for them to catch up.

  Hareh turned and looked behind him, Eva was leading the mules but looked like she was concentrating fiercely. She has her ghirit out too, Hareh thought, then realized his own had collapsed. He closed his eyes and send it out sweeping around in all directions. He could detect a warm body, but it was close enough that his ghirit could show him the shape of another deer.

  Tarc stopped beside Daussie so Hareh did too. They waited for Eva to catch up with them. Trying not to sound frantic, Hareh asked again, “What was it? It’s beyond the limit of my ghirit.”

  “A kid. Waiting up at the end of this straight section of the trail. As soon we came around the bend so he could see us, he disappeared back into the brush, got on a horse and rode away.”

  Hareh frowned, “And that worries you because…?”

  “He’s probably a scout for a group of outlaws. He’s gone to tell them someone’s coming.”

  “Shit!” Hareh said with feeling. He looked around, estimating the relatively straight section of the trail was about two hundred meters. “I thought you were going to shoot those people?!”

  Tarc snorted, “He was just a kid. Besides, I thought you were nonviolent.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Hareh said disgustedly, “You’ve pretty much rubbed my face in the fact that I only preach nonviolence when my ass isn’t on the line.”

  Tarc grinned at him, “Don’t worry. I’m also nonviolent when my ass isn’t on the line.” He barked a little laugh, “Or my family’s asses. I get violent for them too. He turned and grinned at Daussie, “I even worry about my sister’s butt, despite how annoying she is at times.”

  Hareh’s anxiety was threatening to bubble over. Still trying not to let it show, he said, “What’re we going to do?!” Then he thought, I didn’t say that very calmly. He’s got to know my head’s about to explode.

  “I don’t know yet,” Tarc said. He turned to his mother, “What’s the plan?”

  “First you’ve got to tell me what’s going on,” Eva said.

  “A kid was waiting at the end of this straight stretch. He got on a horse and rode away to the west,” Tarc said waving further down the trail.

  Eva’s clear grey eyes looked down the trail, though Hareh would have sworn they were focused much farther away than anyone could possibly see. She said, “So we don’t really know anything yet, right? How many there are? What exactly they plan to do?”

  “There’ll be more of them than there are of us and they plan to kill us and take everything we’ve got,” Tarc said equably.

  Eva snorted, “You have a pessimistic world view.”

  “Realistic.”

  Eva sighed, “Let’s wait until we know more.”

  Tarc imitated her sigh, “Let’s at least come up with a plan A and a plan B so you can tell us what to do without another meeting and a bunch of discussion.”

  “Such as?”

  “Plan A means we’re going to try to disable them so you can alter their personalities.”

  “And plan B?”

  “Kill ’em all. Let the devils and the angels decide which ones they each want.” He shrugged, “I’m betting the devils will get all these bastards.”

  Eva got a distasteful look on her face.

  Tarc raised an eyebrow, “I don’t see any reason to be namby-pamby about it. I don’t want to kill them either, but if there's a lot of them, we’ll need to get to it right away or they’ll start killing us.”

  “And how are you thinking we should decide?”

  “If they’ve got bows, I should start shooting.” He sighed, “It doesn’t matter if they’re any good with their bows. A lucky shot and one of us will be dead.”

  “Okay,” Eva said. “If they have bows, you start shooting. If not, I try to decide whether we can try plan A.”

  Saying, “If in doubt, don’t hesitate about calling for plan B,” Tarc calmly turned his horse and started back down the trail.

  Hareh didn’t want to be at the front, but he realized a safe place for him didn’t exist out on the road. He kneed his horse until it was almost up beside Tarc, “What if one of them shoots you first?”

  Tarc grinned. “Then you’ll be in a world of shit,” he answered matter-of-factly. “But, I won’
t have to worry about you anymore.” A few seconds passed. Hareh tried desperately to think of something brave to say. Then Tarc continued, sounding more sympathetic, “But, if that happens, I’d try to get really close to Eva. She’ll be able to hide you.”

  Hareh searched again for something calm or fearless to say. Unable to come up with anything, he gave in to his weakness and asked, “What do you mean, ‘hide me’?”

  “Her telepathy can make them ‘not notice’ you. It works great if none of them can see you from farther away than she can influence them, so if she’s trying to do that kind of thing, you should all be trying to get out in the trees where the line of sight’s short.”

  After riding in silence another minute or two, Hareh asked, “Did Daussie detect that kid before you did?”

  Tarc nodded.

  “But how? She was behind you and she was talking.”

  “Don’t tell her I said anything good about her, but her control of her talent’s pretty amazing. She can send her ghirit out farther than any of the rest of us. She also seems to be able to think about more than one thing at a time.”

  “But—”

  “If there was ever a time you didn’t want to be distracting me,” Tarc broke in softly, “it’d be now.”

  “Sorry…”

  They rode along at a steady walking pace for what seemed like forever. Hareh’s thoughts whirled with anxiety. Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer. “Sorry, but shouldn’t we be trying to hurry along a little faster?”

  Tarc shook his head, “The mules and wagon couldn’t go enough faster to make a difference.”

  Shouldn’t we just leave them here and run for our lives? Hareh wondered, but managed not to ask. He checked his knife to make sure it was in its sheath. He wished he had some other weapon. He was about to push out his ghirit again when he had a thought. “Should I string your spare bow and hold it ready in case there’s a problem with the one you have?”

  Tarc reached back and plucked the two knots that held the bow to the back of his saddle. He held it out, “String it if you know how, but then I’ll tie it to the back of my saddle again. If my bow breaks and you’re thirty feet away with the spare, it’d be a disaster.”