Phwolfe Song (Golsidan Revival Series Book 1)

by Kimberly McLaughlin

  On the way up to the second level, Anna motioned Tamsi over to her. “I’m going to do greal first, to get the processors something fast. Once all six carts are full, you yell out “full”. When an empty comes back yell out “empty”. I’m going to try to harvest some tienara. Until I get a system set up, they’re going to be gaps. I don’t want the carters to have to wait.”

  Tamsi nodded. “That makes sense. I really miss tienara biscuits. Do you think you’ll get enough to make some flour?”

  “I hope to.”

  Anna hit the greal hard and worked as fast as she could. Four processing rooms sat idle waiting for this stuff from her. When Tamsi yelled out full, she straddled a limb and went after tienara. She grasped the cluster vine with her left hand, and then cut right under the limb with her right. The knife went between her teeth and then she swung the tienara cluster onto the scaffold with both hands. She slid and hopped down the limb, to the next cluster.

  Anna hopped up and down to the sound of empty, full. When the scaffold held mounds of tienara, she changed tactics. She jumped over to the rail and told Tamsi. “When you yell out “full”, I’m going to switch to korftu. Just let the nets pile up on the line. When you get a cart, pull all those nets before you call out “empty”.”

  Tamsi nodded and handed Anna back all of her empty nets.

  Anna did korftu till she heard empty, then she sent down tienara till she heard full. She filled and cleared the scaffold three times. The fourth time, she was leaned over a limb getting ready to swing a tienara cluster, when Des startled her, nearly off the limb.

  “What can I do to help?” He said from directly behind Anna. He had to grab Anna’s shoulders to help her catch her balance.

  “Desvren, one of these days you are going to scare me to death.”

  “I would never do that. How can I help?”

  “I don’t know. How are they doing in the processing rooms?”

  “They are totally buried and ecstatic about the tienara. Tienara biscuits are a favorite, and have long been missed.”

  “Really, if you could get some more carts up here, we could fill them all with tienara and run it in at the end of the shift.”

  “I will go get more carts.” Desvren brought up sixteen unmodified carts. He put boxes on the top layer and found Anna more nets to fill the bottoms with. He helped Tamsi unsnap, and load the tienara. Anna wasn’t sure if Jatlo would be happy or want to strangle her.

  At the end of the shift, as they pushed in the tienara carts, Anna was pleased to find out that tienara biscuits were also a favorite of Jatlo’s. The processing rooms were indeed buried. But they didn’t seem to mind. They knew they had the next day to catch up. Des and Anna stayed until twelve cutting the nuts out of the center of the tienara fruit.

  Anna was happy to go home, and Des had to prop her up to get her there. Tienara wasn’t easy to harvest. It was very heavy and very tiring.

  The next morning was more of the same. Anna harvested another maleka hive. She filled all of Heroes’ Hall’s drying ovens with crushed tienara nuts. She managed to put up the three rope ties stations at East 6. That managed to keep her hopping.

  Anna went home expecting to crawl into bed. But instead the Elders and Phsatorae showed up, she was exhausted and couldn’t keep up with what they were saying. The general gist was “Wow! The harvest was great, tienara biscuits. I can’t wait.” Finally, Desvren walked over and led her to the bed, tucked the blankets around her, and motioned the Elders and Phsatorae out. He went out into the hall. Anna felt a jolt of anger and then a peaceful calm. She was asleep, before Desvren came back in.

  Anna woke up thinking, “Thank goodness I don’t have to harvest tonight.” Setting up barriers was about all, she could handle. It felt both scary and funny to feel good about going over the rail to hang from a rope. She knew she’d tempt any takosund, who saw her. But there was no sign in the area and she was too tired to harvest again.

  Sato and Fienu came out to eat and looked pretty much normal. Desvren was still a little upset about whatever had set him off, before Anna went to sleep. She figured he would tell her what it was when he felt like it.

  Anna got to East 6 and started on the denua. She processed it every time her cart was full. Finally at fifteen of nine, she sat down to wait for the cool crew. She woke up, when Des tried to lift her up. He would have succeeded, if she hadn’t jumped out of his arms.

  “Huh... What?” was as far as Anna got, before a yawn overtook her.

  “You are coming home and going to sleep. The cool shift can harvest denua without you. The barriers can wait a couple more days. You will do better, if you get enough sleep.” Des was using his, “I am medic/healer” voice, which meant Anna would lose any argument, she had about his decision.

  “I’ll see you all tomorrow cool shift. May your blood stay strong.” Anna took Des’s hand and walked out. She felt his shock that she left voluntarily without a fight. “You are right Des, they don’t need me. The barriers can wait and I am tired.”

  Des smiled, wrapped his arms around Anna, and led her home.

  Anna woke up the next day feeling great. She set out the mewu traps, packaged the leka, crushed the tienara nuts, and put them back in the drying ovens. She went in search of Jatlo and found him verifying the harvest of two days ago. Everyone turned to her, when she approached. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just came to ask Jatlo a question. Jatlo, did Gresa drop off the crossbow?”

  “It is in Northwest 3 supply closet. It is on the back edge of the top right shelf.”

  “Thank you, Jatlo.” Anna turned to walk away.

  “You don’t stay, to verify the harvest?” The Phsatorae asked.

  Anna shook her head. “That’s Jatlo’s job, and he’s much better at it than I am. May your blood stay strong.” She found the crossbow. Right where, Jatlo said it would be. It had six bolts with it. But the bolts didn’t have arrowheads. She went to the takosund armory and rummaged through the back of the closet. She found a quiver with sixteen arrows, five broken arrows, and a box with seven arrowheads in it. They were high-quality, with three blades that swung forward on impact, making a wider cut, ideal for takosund hunting.

  Anna went to East 6 and ordered up twenty-two more bolts. She didn’t know how to fasten the arrowheads to them. But she knew somebody who would know how to. She dipped and processed one hundred and seventy-seven mewu. Then she went to visit Sato and Fienu with the crossbow, bolts, arrows, and arrowheads stuffed in her pack.

  Fienu greeted Anna enthusiastically at their door. “Come in, come in. Sit, I will get you something to drink. Relax! You stop early today? Good! You work too hard. You must take it easy, yes. Sato, come out here. We have company.”

  “Good, you come to see us. This is very good. How do you feel?” Sato said. He and Fienu stared at Anna.

  “I’m fine. I didn’t work yesterday cool. Des brought me home, and I slept all through the shift and the night. I woke up this morning feeling great. I got a lot done. I even had the time to pick this up. I traded with Gresa to have him make it. What do you think Sato?” Anna handed the crossbow to Sato.

  “You are thinking of hunting takosund with it.”

  Anna nodded and pulled out a bolt and arrowhead. “There isn’t much metal in these. If the takosund gets away, it’s not like losing a knife. Plus, I plan on using the crossbow from the trees, aiming down. These arrowheads are plenty big enough to take out a nerve node.”

  “You think they will go deep enough?” Fienu asked.

  Both Sato and Anna nodded.

  “Sato, could you mount these arrowheads?” Anna asked.

  “I could do it. I still have five days before the healers will let me go back to work. This would give me something to do.”

  “I have twenty-eight bolts and these arrows to remove the arrowheads from. Can that be done?”

  Sato nodded.

  “What would you like in trade, to do this?”

  “I would like a promise from
you.”

  “What promise?” Anna smelled a rat, or a mewu, or something decidedly sneaky.

  “Every other day, you go over the rail, right?” Sato asked. Anna nodded.

  “I ask that on the days, you don’t go over the rail. You go home by ten. It is acceptable. You are carrying a child. You don’t have to work at all, if you don’t want to. But a little extra rest will give you more energy for when you do work. No one will think less of you. It is expected that you would need more rest now. That is the promise I would ask for in trade.”

  “The healers are thinking, just thinking mind you, of upping the workday to three hours. You have been working nine hours every day. Would it hurt to cut back just a little?” Fienu said.

  “Just until the retrieval?” Anna asked. Sato nodded. “I just have to be home. I don’t have to go to sleep.”

  “You just have to be home, so you can go to sleep if you want to.” Sato said.

  “All right, deal! Did Des put you up to this?”

  “No, Des took on the Elders and the Phsatorae.” Fienu said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The other day, when they kept you awake, Des told them not to come back to your quarters, unless they called and got permission first. He told them they had no right to show up and keep you awake. Especially when they knew, that one you were working very hard, and two that you are carrying a child.” Fienu said.

  “They apologized and left. I think Des would have gotten really nasty, if they had stuck around.” Sato added.

  “I knew he was mad about something. But I fell asleep, before I could figure out what. Is it normal to be more tired? I wasn’t this tired with Anthony until the third trimester.”

  “It is normal to be tiring quicker. The child you carry is half human, half Golsidan. Des is using his healing ability and guiding your healing ability in the development of the child. It is crucial that the child’s genetics have its human and Golsidan qualities melded properly. It is a natural talent for a neuter to guide a child’s development. But your children will need extra help and Des will use both his and some of your strength to do this. So you will tire easier. It is nothing to worry about.” Fienu said.

  “All right, I won’t worry. Sato once you get those arrowheads on the bolts, I’m going to start practicing. I want to shoot from limb level down. I don’t want to lose my bolts. Any ideas on how I should practice?”

  “Two, first set up targets in the supply depot. Line the floor with mattresses, so you won’t damage the bolts. Shoot from the second level girders. Once you are hitting the targets, all the time. Make oversize targets on ropes. Lower them to ground level in the jungle, tie the rope to the tree limbs. Do your shooting, get used to running limbs, and shooting. At the end of the practice, pull up your targets.” Sato said.

  “I wouldn’t have thought of the supply depot. Will you hunt from the trees with knives?”

  “I will only throw for the braincase or top node. I will only hit the lower nodes, once the top ones are taken out. I don’t want to lose my knives either.”

  “I could have Gresa, make up another of these. Would you like one?” Anna patted the crossbow.

  “I will wait and see how effective it is. I am good with knives. I will have to learn the crossbow.” Sato shrugged.

  “I’ll have to learn it also. But I hope it will be worth it. I must go now. Des doesn’t like it when I’m late. He worries too much.”

  “It is a healer’s prerogative to worry. Also, it is a tai’twains.” Fienu smiled and shrugged.

  Anna nodded. “See you later, thanks Sato, thanks Fienu. May your blood stay strong.” She waved and trotted out the door. The child she carried was going to have really awesome parents. She beat Des home and had food waiting, when he showed up. “Ah... you feel better. You eat, before you sleep.” Des smiled widely.

  It dawned on Anna that Des was right, again. When she felt tired, she went to sleep without eating. Golsidan main meals usually took place thirty minutes previous to sleeping. She, on the other hand, snacked all day and skipped the big meals to get to sleep quicker. “Okay. Once again you have a good point. I went over to Sato and Fienu’s earlier. Sato’s going to fasten some arrowheads to my bolts for me. We made a deal, that you are just going to love. Every other cool when I don’t go over the rail, I will be home by ten.”

  Desvren picked Anna up and hugged her. “You are right. I love this deal. Sato and Fienu are geniuses.” Des gently put her down and rested his forehand against hers. He had indeed, been worried.

  “Don’t worry any more love. I will take it easy, or at least a little easier.”

  Des smiled. “Good one less thing to worry about. Now I want you to try these?” Des held out a piece of greal that dripped gesar syrup.

  Anna sighed and ate it. It wasn’t that bad or that good. But it tasted better, than the unsweetened version. “I’ll take them over the plain, any day. So if you have to feed me unripe greal, serve it like this, deal.”

  Des nodded, smiled, and laughed. “You should eat some every day, while you are carrying.”

  Anna groaned. “Every day?” Des nodded. She sighed. “Maybe we should throw some gesar, oesla, and catronu in there. Make sort of a fruit-vegetable, sweet salad. If we can get it to taste good, I wouldn’t mind eating it, every day.”

  “I will make salads. Now finish eating. I am tired and I wish to hold you when I sleep.”

  “You’re a sweetie, Des. Can I tell the cool shift about the baby?”

  “Of course, you can. They will be very happy. It has been a long time since we have had a child onboard. The whole crew will celebrate the child’s birth.”

  “I’m going to tell them tonight.” Anna yawned and headed for bed. She woke up feeling energetic. She realized that not eating before she slept, had been half of the reason of why, she felt so tired. She’d make sure to eat before sleeping from now on.

  Anna decided to run some rail shelves, before the cool shift began. If she got volunteer watchers to begin at seven sixty tomorrow, she would probably finish the barricades at East 6. She started running the shelves at Northwest 4. Northwest 4 had only small crossing limbs with no sign of takosund, also no jump out spot. Northwest 5 and Northwest 6 both possessed big crossing limbs, but no sign. They could be saved with a lot of work.

  Northwest 7 was safe; no crossing limbs, two jump-out spots, and fourteen trees that could be barricaded with only a little intercrossing to be cut out, to make them safe. Northwest 8 was dangerous with four big crossing limbs, two of which showed sign. Anna ran the dividing wall in, so one side of her was protected and decided she had checked enough rails tonight. She headed up to Northwest 3 to meet the crew.

  Jatlo was already there. “Jatlo, I’m going to make an announcement tonight. I’m going to need volunteer watchers, every other night from seven sixty to ten. I’m going to concentrate just on barricades, on off-rail nights. The crew doesn’t need my help, harvesting denua.”

  “I will think of something. Here they come.”

  Anna waited until everyone arrived. “Okay, people we’re going to do it just like last time. But before we head in, I have an announcement to make. Five nights ago, Des and I entered into a birth contract with Sato and Fienu. In light of that, I’ve decided that on the nights when we harvest denua, I’ll be leaving at ten. I’m looking for volunteer watchers, for those nights between seven sixty and ten. I’ll be concentrating on just putting up barriers on those nights. Jatlo will make an offer to those volunteers after we finish tonight. Okay sign in and let’s go to work.”

  “You carry a child?” Brema asked. Anna nodded and smiled.

  “This is very good news.” Shalo smiled.

  “We will watch for you.” Mapao said.

  “As will I!” Doru yelled.

  “And I!” Tafka shouted.

  “All right, set up your fees with Jatlo. We’re going to have another good night people.”

  They had a very good night. Anna finished
the tienara under her rope. She unhooked the two far ropes of the scaffold, flipped it over, and tied it under the next set of branches. She had to walk down a limb to snap on the tienara. It was worth doing. Each tienara cluster filled six to nine nets. Plus, everyone wanted those biscuits, which got made from pulverizing, drying, and grinding center nuts. You had to harvest a lot of tienara, to get that flour. Some people liked the nuts plain. Anna didn’t, chewy nuts never appealed to her.

  The night went fast and so did the harvest. The carters trotted the whole shift, one running ahead to get the switch, so they didn’t have to stop. They buried the processors again. At the end of the shift, Anna cut out tienara nuts till twelve. “I’ll meet the watchers at East 6 tomorrow at seven sixty. May your blood stay strong. Goodnight, everyone.” She even had enough energy to trot home.

  Des had made a salad to go with their meal. Diced gesar, catronu, and oesla, mixed with the presoaked greal. He had drizzled leka over the whole thing. Surprisingly, it tasted good. “Des, this is real good. I mean it. I could eat one of these every day.”

  “Excellent! We have invalids, who don’t like greal. We will try this with them, too. It is good!” Des said as he munched away.

  “Where did you get the fresh ingredients? Cool shift hasn’t harvested gesar, oesla, or catronu in days.”

  “Warm shift has. They are harvesting fresh gesar, oesla, belao, and catronu for the whole ship now.” Des said. “They stay in the garden rooms and use the carts.”

  “Have they modified the carts yet? It makes a big difference.”

  “No, they haven’t. Maybe you should show Tanake, the crew chief, how to modify them.” Des said.

  “Let’s call him and see if he wants me to show him.” Anna got up from the table.

  Des nodded and pointed to the communication board. “Go ahead. I am finishing my salad.”

  Anna called Tanake’s cabin. “Hello, is this crew chief Tanake?”

  “Yes.” The deep voice said.

  “Hi, this is Phwolfe. The cool shift modified their carts and it’s a big help. I was wondering. Would you like me to show you how to modify your carts?”