Myka knew that the sky swimmers were on alert and would attack the ship at the slightest provocation, but he told them to wait and be calm.
Let me down, he instructed them. Myka knew that was the only way he was going to find out who the visitors were. The sky swimmers were very reluctant, yet, as always when he insisted, they yielded to his judgement.
When Elvene saw a human being lowered from the hovering creatures like a trapeze artist on a rope, she couldn’t believe her eyes. But as he came closer and was left standing in his canoe, she had no doubt as to who it was.
‘Alfa, let me out immediately.’
‘There is danger, madam.’
‘Fuck you, Alfa. The only thing that’s dangerous is your stupidity.’ Elvene could never remember calling Alfa stupid before, and for an uncertain moment she was unsure how he would react. But she was far from repentant. ‘Open the bloody door.’
Alfa obeyed.
Elvene ran out onto the deck and dived straight into the water. Myka didn’t hesitate and dived in to meet her halfway. When they met and tried to hug, they simply sank. Coming to the surface, they both laughed and then they swam to the canoe where Myka climbed aboard and then pulled her in after him.
Neither of them seemed to know what to say, and Elvene just hugged him and cried tears of relief and joy. All her fatigue and tension and apprehension was washed away in tears that wouldn’t stop. Myka was not altogether surprised at the way she clung to him, but he had never known her to be so emotional for so long.
‘I’m sorry,’ she finally said. ‘It’s just so good to see you again.’
It sounded feeble to her, but he just smiled and said, ‘It’s good to see you, too.’
Myka paddled back to shore while Elvene sat with her back to him. Alfa and the sky swimmers simply followed like an ill-matched entourage.
Even before they had reached the shore, Elvene was aware that Myka was a different person to the one she had left behind in the cave. Physically he was bigger and more muscular, but the biggest change was psychological. He was still taciturn, but he had the confidence of someone who had visited his darkest innermost self, and was comfortable with what he had learnt. He’s been tested, she thought, and what’s more, he passed.
Myka was quick to realise that Elvene had been through some sort of personal hell, and he knew that what she really wanted was peace and solitude. Physically, she was thinner than he remembered, but emotionally she was tightly strung like a wet cord that had been pegged out and left to dry in the sun. When she looked back at him, her smile made him wilt. He returned her smile and then she turned away again. Neither of them spoke during the entire journey to shore; it reminded him of the wordless communication they had often indulged in after making love.
By the time they had reached the shore, Alfa had discreetly sunk out of sight. There were only a few people about, and while Elvene’s appearance and otherworldly garb attracted stares and covert conversations, no one was bold enough to approach them.
‘These are the Salari people,’ Myka explained. ‘I will introduce you to Janella. She is their leader.’
‘They speak your language?’
‘Yes, though some words are different.’
It was a long walk up the valley and as they gained height, more and more people appeared out of the ground, and stared at their passing. Their clothes and hair had already dried in the morning sun, and Myka carried his spear and his catch of fish. Only when they got close to the top, did Elvene recognise Janella, by her bearing and her eyes that were fixed upon them. A woman of determination and courage was Elvene’s initial appraisal, and her eyes revealed intelligence, if not compassion.
Elvene also recognised Sendra, who was the only person to approach them as they reached the top. ‘Ocean Woman, is it you?’ He too had changed, much bigger than she remembered, in both girth and height, and much more forthcoming.
‘Hello, Sendra, it’s so good to see you. You appear very happy.’
He smiled broadly. ‘You’ve come to visit us.’
They had stopped walking. ‘Yes, I have.’
Sendra stepped aside and Myka led Elvene up to meet Janella.
‘Janella, this is my dearest friend, Elvene, though my people know her as Ocean Woman.’
Janella bowed and Elvene returned the bow.
Following Kiri custom, Elvene let Janella speak first. ‘Very pleased to meet you.’
‘Thank you and very pleased to meet you.’
If Janella was bewildered by Elvene’s exotic appearance and clothes, she was too polite to comment. She had too much respect for Myka to create a possible embarrassment by asking insensitive questions.
‘Elvene will stay with me,’ Myka explained. ‘She’s just completed a very long journey and she needs to rest.’
‘From where have you come?’ Janella asked.
Elvene looked at Myka before answering. ‘I’ve come from Myka’s homeland. I have messages for him.’
Janella looked slightly alarmed. ‘Is there anything the matter?’
‘No, no.’ Elvene assured her. ‘Everything’s fine.’
‘Will he need to return?’ Janella asked.
‘That is up to him,’ Elvene said and looked at him.
‘Do I need to return?’ Myka asked. It had never occurred to him that that was the reason she was here.
‘Only if you want to,’ she said. Then realising she was confusing everyone she added, ‘I really only came here because of you.’
‘That is what I thought.’ Myka was relieved, and then he bowed to Janella. ‘If you will excuse us?’
‘Of course.’
As Myka led her away, he said, ‘It will take them a while to get used to you. Perhaps we should change your clothes.
‘Yes, I think that’s a good idea.’
When they reached his new underground home, she had a cursory look around in the darkened space. It had a very musty smell not unlike the cave he’d shared with his parents, yet stronger, possibly because of the earth. But what she liked most about it was that it left the world outside. When she spied his bed at floor level, she took off her boots and immediately sank onto it cross-legged.
‘Come and hold me.’
So he took off his sandals, and she shifted position so that he could sit down behind her with his legs either side and his arms around her waist. She placed her hands over his and leant back to kiss him. Then she lay over on her side and he naturally followed with his back against the wall. She nestled into him with his arms still around her, their legs curled up together. He thrust his nose through her hair so he could breathe in her scent, and she wriggled a little to make herself comfortable. He was not the least surprised when she so easily dropped into sleep.
He, of course, was not tired, but he was content to give her the peace she so desperately sought. She twitched occasionally and even murmured, but he didn’t disturb her. Just to be be able to hold her so closely, was like a gift to him, and he was happy to provide the warmth of his body and the security of his arms that she so obviously craved. He breathed in the scent of her skin and her hair, and felt the pulse in her neck, the curve of her body; he had forgotten what it was like to know a woman so intimately, and just to savour the physical essence of her.
Eventually he untangled himself and arose with extreme care. She rolled over as if to fill the space he had left behind, and he was relieved when she didn’t wake up. He went outside to get some air and also to prepare some food for them both. He knew that the fish he’d caught wouldn’t keep, but he didn’t want to cook inside while she was still asleep. So he built a fire outside and let it turn to coals before suspending his catch over the top.
When the fish was ready, he took it inside and garnished it with some fruit that had been collected from the forest. She was still fast asleep and he was reluctant to wake her, so he sat beside her and pushed his fingers through her hair.
She rolled over towards him and he spoke her name, ‘Elvene. Elvene, d
o you want to eat?’
She opened her eyes and looked at him as if perhaps he was a dream. Then she remembered and smiled. The smell of the fish evoked a hunger she hadn’t known she had, so she roused herself and sat upright. He brought her some water so that she could wash her face and refresh herself. Then they sat down together; she on the bed and he on the floor, with the food between them. To Elvene, it felt like the first food she had eaten since she had left his homeland.
‘I will miss the fish on this planet,’ she said.
‘So you’re not staying.’
She stopped eating mid-mouthful, having realised what she’d just said. ‘I can’t Myka. Even though I’ll miss you terribly, I cannot stay.’
‘Why not?’
‘It’s just not possible.’
‘Then why did you come back?’
Elvene put the food she had in her hand back on the clay plate that lay between them. ‘I had to see you, Myka. I had to find you and know that you were all right. I can see that you are very settled here, and what’s more I can see that you are a new man.’
‘But you could stay here and help me. They want me to be their leader.’
‘I’m not surprised.’ She looked at him but he refused to return her gaze. ‘I don’t know how to explain this. I cannot interfere.’
‘Interfere. What do you mean by interfere?’
‘I don’t belong here, Myka. Surely you can see that.’
He nodded his head but remained silent.
‘I’m sorry, Myka, you mean more to me than you can possibly know, but I cannot stay.’
She picked up a piece of fish and they continued to eat in silence, but she knew that whatever magic had existed was now broken.
Afterwards, he went and visited Janella to obtain some clothing that Elvene could wear, so that she wouldn’t appear so alien. But when he returned to his home, he realised that she had already gone back to her ship.
Elvene felt torn apart. She wanted Myka so much that her desire made her ache, yet she could not give him a false hope and trample on his affections.
When she reached the beach, she was going to call Alfa but at the last moment she relented. Instead she entered the water and started to swim. When she rolled over in the water she saw the sky swimmers directly above her. She knew that they were dangerous but she decided that the best she could do was to ignore them.
Myka caught a ride on a sky swimmer to the beach, and when he saw her in the water, he paddled his canoe out to intercept her.
If she was surprised to see him, she didn’t show it; she clung to the side of his outrigger and looked up at him, slightly out of breath.
‘It’s very dangerous for you to swim here without my presence.’
She nodded her head. ‘Yes, I can see that.’
He held out his hand, and she swam under the outrigger so he could help her aboard.
‘What do you want to do?’ he asked. ‘Do you want to come back with me or do you want to go to your ship?’
‘Myka, I don’t know what to do. I’m so lonely.’ She found she could not look at him even though she was half-turned towards him.
‘It’s okay, I understand.’
I wonder if you do, she thought, but when she looked at him she could see that there was a resolve on his face, and she believed that for the moment, he was willing to forego his own desires to maintain hers.
‘I will stay with you for the time being,’ she said, ‘if that’s all right?’
‘Yes, of course it’s all right.’
He was still feeling upset, but in his own mind, Myka had come to a compromise, even though the word didn’t exist in his world. He could see, that in the short term at least, there was no virtue in their time together being ruined by his obstinacy. He felt remorse at what had happened over lunch and he blamed himself. For the time being, he told himself, her needs came first.
The rest of their day was uneventful. Elvene changed into the clothes that Myka had obtained from Janella, though her height and her features still revealed that she was a foreigner. The Salari didn’t exhibit the same friendliness that she had experienced with the Kiri, but when Myka explained to her their recent history, she understood why.
In the evening they joined in a communal meal and she spent some time with Sendra and his new partner, Vestra. She was shy in Elvene’s presence and Elvene found it hard to put her at ease. Sendra didn’t seem to mind, and he described some of the adventures that he and Myka had encountered on their trans-ocean voyage. When he asked her about her journey, she was evasive and said that she had got lost before being able to find his home again. She told him that she had met his family, and that on her return she would give them a message saying that he was both healthy and happy in his new life.
After the meal, Janella took Myka aside saying that she was concerned about Elvene, although she referred to her as the Ocean Woman, as the Kiri had done.
‘I don’t like to tell you this,’ Janella said, ‘but she will bring danger here.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Myka asked.
‘I am a seer, I know these things.’
‘What do you know? What can you see?’ he asked.
‘You think I am making trouble,’ she said, ‘but I can see a great calamity.’
‘A calamity to whom?’
‘That I don’t know. Possibly to you or possibly to herself, or possibly to us all.’
That was all she would say, and then she started to walk away. Her words troubled Myka deeply, but he knew that he could not repeat this conversation to Elvene.
He held up his hand as a gesture to wait, then approached her more closely. ‘Have you told this to anyone else?’
‘No.’
‘Then, for my sake, I ask you not to.’
She looked at him very closely.
‘I will take full responsibility for her.’
‘That may not be enough.’ This time she walked away and he didn’t stop her.
When they left together to return to his underground home, Elvene could see that Myka was deeply troubled; she naturally thought it was to do with the events earlier in the day.
‘You didn’t tell me what happened to you.’ He said as they were walking along one of the hillside paths; it seemed like there were small fires lit all over the valley.
‘I’m not sure I want to tell you.’ She tried to read his eyes in the half-light but his face remained enigmatic.
‘It must have been very bad.’
‘Yes, it was.’
And he looked at her, knowing that was all she was going to say.
It was not the Kiri way to probe, and so the subject was dropped. Elvene knew that if he wanted to know, she would have to volunteer.
So when they reached the entrance of his home, they sat outside under the stars while she told him her story from the encounter with the marauders, to her journey through the labyrinth, and finally her winter ordeal in the cave where she finally gave up all hope of life. Myka listened attentively without asking any questions. When she finally finished, his only comment was, ‘You have good spirits, Elvene.’
‘What spirits? I know no spirits. I only know that I was extremely lucky.’
‘Precisely. The spirits were on your side, Elvene. For whatever reason, you are blessed. Your coming to my homeland was a blessing to me, and now you have been returned to me, so I’m doubly blessed.’
Elvene knew better than to argue with Kiri logic. ‘Well, Myka, maybe it’s you who has good spirits, not me, and I just happen to be part of your good fortune.’
‘Don’t mock them, Elvene. You may still need them yet. Maybe we both do.’
Elvene felt a shiver and wondered if his words were getting to her. ‘I think we should go inside.’ She stood up and looked out at the starlit sky stretching over the valley and the ocean beyond. ‘I won’t argue with you, Myka. If your beliefs have got you to where you are now, then I am in no position to contradict you.’
Myka stood up himsel
f and entered his cave-like home ahead of her. Once inside, he lit a small oil lamp that he set on a shelf above the bed. She knew that he wanted to make love, but he was leaving it up to her, even though nothing was said. He had a large furry skin as a blanket, which reminded her of the skin she’d worn when she had been stranded under the snow. She quietly took off her clothes and lay down under it. He did the same.
When they touched it was electric, and at first he just held her close; to her surprise she was trembling.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
She managed to smile. ‘I’ve never been better.’
His hands stroked her back and she felt his arousal but it was not like before, because the eagerness and the hunger was kept in check.
‘Don’t enter me,’ she said, ‘I’m not ready for it yet, I just want to hold you.’
‘It’s okay, Elvene, I can wait.’
‘No you can’t.’
He heard the smile in her voice, and then she lowered herself below the cover and kissed his nipples one by one, which elicited an audible gasp. Then she moved down his body so that his member nestled between her breasts and she began to massage him with delicious intent. In time she heard him moan, which encouraged her to prolong the experience by changing rhythm; she could share his pleasure if not his desire. When she sensed him imminent, she kissed him on the chest and held him tight, his orgasm pressed against her heart.
Afterwards, she lay in the crook of his arm, and he caressed her forehead and her hair.
‘Thank you,’ he said, which surprised her enough for her to lift her head; his face was still visible by the lamp burning above their heads.
‘It was the least I could do.’ She kissed him again, and then she lay back down, her face against his chest. For a long time they said nothing, but savoured the intimacy of their bodies and the peace of mind they gave each other.
There was something strange about the next day, though it dawned like any other. Myka could not forget his conversation with Janella. He and Elvene ate some fruit outside, enjoying the early morning sun.
‘Something’s troubling you,’ she finally said to him. ‘Is it me?’
‘No,’ he lied. But the answer came too quick for her to believe it.
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