Acaraho pushed his hands through his hair, waiting for the rest.
“They were talking about Oh’Dar, and Khon’Tor remarked that Oh’Dar probably had people somewhere who were still looking for him. And that Oh’Dar would bring disaster to the People. And something about if that happened it would be his mother’s fault. By the look on his face, the boy overheard them,” Awan explained.
“I am not going to ask who the other party was; it is enough to know that something made Oh’Dar decide to leave, as I suspected.” Acaraho got up and walked about to clear his mind.
“Commander, are you going to confront Khon’Tor?”
“No, Awan, I am not. Nothing will be served by that except to get your source into trouble. We all know that Khon’Tor has periodically taken issue with Oh’Dar’s presence. Thank you for your help.”
Acaraho knew he had to tell Adia, but he dreaded it. She would know how Khon’Tor’s words must have cut Oh’Dar to his soul.
Adia was with Nadiwani when Acaraho found her. He seldom did so, but this time he asked Nadiwani if he could speak with Adia alone.
“You found something out about Oh’Dar?” she asked after Nadiwani had left.
“Yes. I hate to tell you this. But it is as we suspected, something did happen that probably drove him to leave.” He sighed and told Adia what Awan had found out.
One. Two. Three. Acaraho readied himself to console her.
“Well, that’s great news,” she said.
A tiny white feather floating on the breeze could have knocked over the mighty Acaraho.
“Tell me why this is great news?” he asked gingerly, not wanting to break whatever spell had come over her.
“I had an experience while I was in the Connection with Urilla Wuti. I learned why I had to leave my home to become the Healer at Kthama. And in part, it had directly to do with Oh’Dar. Do you remember I told you that when I found him, I knew saving him was somehow going to be important to us all? Well, Khon’Tor is wrong. Oh’Dar came to help us, not to cause us difficulties. He is not going to bring disaster to us. Quite the contrary—
“This means Oh’Dar can come home. He only left because he was afraid that being here would cause problems. Once he knows that is not true, he will be free to come home.” Her voice was filled with hope.
“I just have to let him know. That’s why he left his bear. He left it to tell me he did not want to leave but felt he had to! Oh, Acaraho, I am so happy. Thank you so much!” Adia exclaimed.
Acaraho was relieved to see her reaction. And he was certainly not going to bring up the small problem of how in the world they would find Oh’Dar to tell him all this.
Oh’Dar had a chance to get to know a little more about Mr. Carter at dinner that night. He seemed quite proper—if that was the correct word. He was more formal than Miss Blain, and he didn’t laugh as easily, but then he was a man, so that was to be expected.
All in all, Oh’Dar decided he would be able to get along with Mr. Carter. Maybe his grandmother was right. It would be easier to concentrate on his studies without the distraction of Miss Blain, even in her baggy Mrs. Thomas clothes.
By spring, Oh’Dar had come a long way. He had learned a great deal under Mr. Carter’s instruction, and Mr. Carter said that Master Grayson would be ready to undergo specialized medical instruction sooner than expected.
Dr. Miller was more than happy to take Oh’Dar on as an apprentice. But since Oh’Dar had no experience at all, Dr. Miller preferred to wait until he had completed whatever specialized instruction was available. Based on the reports of both Mr. Carter and Dr. Miller, Mrs. Morgan started her search for a hospital that would provide such supplemental training.
Back at Kthama, spring brought an additional air of celebration as Khon’Tor called a general meeting about the upcoming pairing ceremony.
Everyone was seated as the Leader strode confidently to the front. As he always did, he raised his left hand before speaking, dropping it after everyone had quietened down.
“I will be brief, but I have a couple of announcements to share with you. The High Council will be gathering soon to review the pairing requests for the Ashwea Awhidi, next spring. If you wish to be considered for pairing and have not yet let me know, the time to do so is now. I do not know when the next opportunity will be. As you know, it has been some time since the last full-scale celebration. So far, we have twelve of our own who wish to be paired. Of course, we will be losing our young females to other communities, but we will also be gaining mates for our unpaired males.”
Khon’Tor walked a few feet away from where he had started. Adia and Acaraho looked at each other; he only did this when he was changing the topic in some way.
“At the last meeting, Kachina was brave enough to ask me about my situation. It has been many years since I lost my mate, Hakani. I have not wanted to take another mate; however, I do need to produce an heir. I will not live forever, and I must put my responsibilities above my personal preferences. So, I intend to select another mate, and hopefully at this celebration.”
Khon’Tor raised his hand to signal the end of the meeting.
“Thank you, that is all.”
He left the front of the room amid a great deal of excited conversation. The eyes of nearly all the females followed him even more closely as he walked by, no doubt imagining what it would be like for the lucky young female who would be paired with the magnificent and virile Khon’Tor.
Adia and Acaraho had been standing against one of the rock walls, but Nadiwani and Nootau were sitting together with Mapiya, Haiwee, and Pakuna.
“I wonder who has asked to be paired,” pondered Haiwee.
“I have asked,” said Nootau.
They all congratulated him.
“Nootau, you are growing into a fine young male. You are going to be as strikingly handsome as Acaraho. And let’s hope that taking a mate will improve Khon’Tor’s disposition. He has been so irritable lately,” joked Mapiya.
“Well, it certainly cannot hurt!” said Nadiwani.
Hearing the laughter, Adia and Acaraho walked over and joined their makeshift extended family.
They took a spot next to each other. Even though they were not openly joined, Adia could not have asked for a better mate than Acaraho. Animated by the news that Oh’Dar had left based on a misunderstanding, she was in high spirits. She pressed her leg against Acaraho and entwined her feet around his. Making every effort to be discreet, she slipped her hand under the table and ran it purposefully up his thigh, threatening to make it impossible for him to leave the table for some time. Acaraho raised his eyebrows and gave her a warning look as if to say, “Keep it up, female, and I’ll clear this table and take you right here and now!”
Of course he wouldn’t. And since they had discovered a way to be together in the Dream World, they had relieved a great deal of pressure. Knowing they had a method of release, they enjoyed flirting and teasing each other. With no threat of seeding, it was the perfect solution. They had all the pleasure of being with each other, and to Adia’s great joy, their convoluted relationship no longer denied Acaraho a male’s satisfaction of mating. As Healer, Adia had abandoned the possibility of having a mate or offspring. Yet somehow, by the grace of the Great Mother, she had both.
Adia had thought long about what her father had told her in the Corridor; that there would be great struggles ahead and that she needed to bring herself into balance with all three of the gifts of the Great Spirit. Adia was known for her big heart, and it was her blessing to others. But her father’s words had hit home. That was only one of the three aspects of the Great Spirit. There were also the Great Will and the Great Mind. Adia knew that her father’s words contained profound knowledge and within his statements were innumerable gifts of insight and wisdom if she would invest the time to pursue them.
Brought out of her thoughts by the laughter, Adia glanced around the table and counted her blessings.
Soon Nootau will be paired and have offspring of his own.
It is harder for Nadiwani to have him leave to establish his own family, as Nootau shares her quarters with him. But he will not be leaving the community as Oh’Dar did—he will just be moving out from under her roof. Watching him grow from a tiny offspring to the male he is becoming has been an amazing experience. And hopefully, not long after he is paired, there will be offspring to celebrate. So, all-in-all, my family is growing.
But in her heart, there would always be two empty places at the table, one for Oh’Dar and the other for Nimida, Nootau’s sister. All she knew about Nimida was that she was healthy and well—the Connection Urilla Wuti had created between herself and her daughter gave her that much at least. But as to her whereabouts or the conditions of her life, Adia was not able to receive any information.
As for Oh’Dar’s empty spot, at least she now had hope that he would return home. Once he understands that he is not a threat to the People, there will be no need for him to stay away. Perhaps with Urilla Wuti’s help, I could find out where he is and get a message to him. Oh, how I wish I knew what he is going through.
Of course, Urilla Wuti could only tell her that he was healthy and adjusting to his new life. Any more than that, she would not share—Urilla Wuti was always concerned about interfering with fate and would reveal only the information necessary to ease Adia's mind.
The time between now and the Ashwea Awhidi would be a joyful one. Yes, there would be sadness as the newly paired females left their community. It was hard for families to give up their daughters. But it was necessary for the health of the People, and the First of the First Laws was clear. The needs of the community took precedence over the needs of any individual.
Adia was jolted out of her reverie by Acaraho’s tantalizing revenge taking place under the table. It was her turn to give him an incredulous look. They both knew they would be turning in early that night!
Nootau was watching his parents, and though he did not know what precisely was going on between them, he knew their playful lovingness was what he wanted in his pairing.
All things considered, Adia had made it through every trial so far. Despite the hard times, the attack by Khon’Tor, her having to give up Nimida for her own good, Hakani’s kidnapping of Nootau, and Oh’Dar’s leaving, she not only had come out enriched by all of it—she had hope for the future. The currents of life would always bring challenges and blessings; she realized that now. And no matter how difficult a situation might be, the Great Spirit had a way of bringing good out of every hardship. No longer merely believing, but now knowing this to be true, a quiet peace entered Adia’s heart.
Back in his Quarters, Khon’Tor sighed heavily, deep in thought. Announcing that he would be taking a new mate had stirred up his appetites. There was another year to go before the pairing ceremony.
Once I have her, I cannot exactly indulge myself immediately. I will have to work up to it over time. And I might have to wait until she produces the male heir I need, and her dependence on me is assured before I can bend her to my tastes.
Khon’Tor did not know if he could wait that long. He had allowed his thoughts to dwell on his attack on Adia, which had started him down this dark path. He began to consider how he might be able to meet his needs without exposure. And the more his plans began to gel, the more the tension within him started to build.
No, there was no way Khon’Tor was going to be able to wait that long.
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Acknowledgments
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To you, who continues to honor me with your interest in my writing.
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To my brother Richard who continues to be one of my staunchest supporters.
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And to everyone else who put up with me through this.
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Oh'Dar's Quest Page 19