‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘No, Elvene. It has nothing to do with you. I don’t even know what it is that I’m worried about.’
At least that part of his answer, she was ready to believe, but it gave her little sense of relief.
Later in the morning, the sky swimmers gathered in enormous numbers, enough to darken the ground below them. Everyone came out of their homes to watch, and Janella approached Myka directly.
‘What’s happening? What’s wrong with them?’ she asked
For the first time since she’d returned, Elvene could see that Myka was having trouble maintaining his composure. ‘I really don’t know.’
‘You’ve been waiting for this all morning, haven’t you?’ It was Elvene who asked.
‘Yes, I think you’re right. Janella, tell everyone to get inside. Don’t stay out.’
Janella called out a command and it was passed down the whole hillside, but people seemed unsure as to what to do.
Elvene looked at Myka, her face was deeply furrowed. ‘What’s wrong? What’s going to happen?’
‘I don’t know, Elvene. I only know that it’s not safe.’
Elvene saw them first, far out on the horizon over the sea; they were just specks in the sky, and she was immediately horrified because she realised that everything she held dear was suddenly in jeopardy.
‘Omigod,’ she said with terror in her voice. ‘We’re all going to die.’
‘What are you talking about, Elvene?’
‘They’re marauders, Myka. They are my enemy, and now they are yours.’
Elvene thought quickly about what she could do. Alfa was under the ocean somewhere, but even if she called him, it would be futile. Her only thought was to run up the hill into the forest behind her and hopefully take the marauders with her.
‘Whatever you do, Myka, don’t follow me.’
‘What are you doing, Elvene? I’m not leaving you now.’
‘No, I’m leaving you.’ She kissed him, not in a sensual way, but as a last strong contact that he would never forget. She looked at the horizon, they were getting closer; she estimated that there were twenty, at least, perhaps even thirty or forty.
‘Get everyone inside. Yourself included. I have to go.’
‘What can you do, Elvene?’
‘I can save your people. Get them inside,’ and she said it with such force that he knew she was right.
‘Janella,’ he said with added urgency. ‘Get everyone underground. Now.’
But it wasn’t until the lightning started that people actually moved, and then it was blind panic.
Elvene had already taken off up the hill like she was in a sprint race. When Myka looked back he saw her throwing bolts of blue lightning into the air like it came out of her fingers. He knew what she was doing and he wanted to stop her, but then he looked at the sky swimmers and he realised for the first time why they had assembled.
The marauders came low across the ocean so that as they approached the shore, they were actually below Myka’s line of sight. They moved faster than anything he’d seen except Elvene’s ship, and he could already hear the buzz in his ears that could spell his death.
Elvene heard the buzz as well, and realised that her strategy was all in vain. But she had not counted on the sky swimmers and they started to glow like storm clouds prior to a downpour. When the bolts of lightning fell, the thunder cracks were deafening and continued to echo around the valley, so that they became an endless rumbling accompaniment to the destruction being wrought.
The marauders were caught like insects trapped in a curtain. She actually saw some of them explode. Some of them tried to retaliate, and she saw missiles fired at the sky swimmers, but it was too little too late. As their numbers dropped, the marauders tried to retreat but it only made matters worse for them. Some even crashed into the hillside, creating minor craters as they exploded in spectacular fire balls.
The sky swimmers had timed their attack to perfection, and she now saw a nest of tendrils lash what remained of the marauders and they simply dropped out of the sky as useless pieces of junk, many of them falling into the ocean. If she wasn’t witnessing it with her own eyes, she’d never have believed it possible. A swarm of marauders, who reigned supreme in the cold stretches of space and could destroy a fortified battle ship, were being decimated by a monstrous force of nature.
It was all over in a matter of minutes. Some of the sky swimmers were injured and their companions took them out to sea, where they later died and fell into the ocean. It was a sad sight for Myka to watch. The rest of them simply dispersed leaving a clear sky and a rampaged trail of destruction on the ground.
Elvene had the presence of mind to contact Alfa, and let him know that she was alive. Otherwise, she thought, he might leave the planet or, more embarrassingly, come looking for me.
People came out of their homes very tentatively and surveyed the damage. Nothing had ever prepared them for such a cataclysmic event.
For her part, Elvene was convinced more than ever that she could not stay. She walked back down the hill to where Myka stood.
He put his arm around her shoulder. ‘I know what you were trying to do.’
‘It wouldn’t have worked.’ Elvene was in tears. ‘I’m really sorry, Myka, I should never have come here.’
‘I don’t want to hear such nonsense.’ The tone of his voice alone made her take notice. ‘You’re not leaving here until you have recovered.’
‘Recovered from what?’ she asked.
‘From whatever it is that ails you.’
This was a different Myka to the one she had known previously. She knew now that she owed him, not only for what had just happened, but for his belief in her and his generous heart.
People roamed over the hillside looking at the junk that lay on the ground. Elvene realised that a major cleanup was required.
‘We need to collect all the bits and dump them out at sea,’ she said.
‘Okay, I will organise it,’ and she watched him walk away to take charge.
17. Parting Gifts
ELVENE STAYED A NUMBER OF DAYS AND NEVER ONCE VISITED ALFA. She occasionally contacted him to let him know she was alive, and told him to be patient. Over a period of time the people got used to her, though she felt that she was never accepted in the same way she had been accepted by the Kiri people. But then, the circumstances were quite different, and the Salari would be suspicious of strangers for at least another generation, considering their background. She knew that they really only accepted her because she was Myka’s woman, and they held him in too high esteem to ever confront him. Janella was the only one who treated him as an equal and that suited Myka. Whether she considered Elvene as some sort of interloper or not, Elvene didn’t ask and Janella kept her own counsel.
More significantly for Elvene, she had started menstruating again, and she was more than willing to encourage Myka in his lovemaking.
For his part, Myka observed the slow metamorphosis in Elvene, both physically and emotionally, and was conscious of his contribution to it. She was becoming more like her old self, and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before she’d start thinking about going home. Ever since the attack, he had learnt to accept and understand her desire to return to her own world.
Instead of waiting for her, he decided to broach the subject himself. They were eating their evening meal outside, the weather was turning warmer, and the twilight was becoming the most enjoyable time of day. They were eating a delicate meat from a small creature that had been caught in the forest, along with some tuber-like plants that were dug out of the ground. The glowing coals of the fire were only just starting to compete with the fading light.
‘When are you going home?’ he asked.
‘What makes you ask that?’
‘Call it intuition.’
She was glad that he could make a joke about it. ‘You’re right. I’ve been thinking about it.’
‘I want to ask you fo
r something.’
‘Yes?’
‘Will you give me something I can remember you by?’
‘That’s fair enough. I will need to think about that.’
She wanted to give him something that would last a long time, like a jewel but she didn’t have anything. ‘I should give you something that only comes from my world.’
‘Like Alfa,’ he joked.
She laughed. ‘No, you will end up all neurotic.’
‘What is neurotic?’ he asked seriously.
‘Neurotic is what I was before I met you.’
But her smile made him think that she too was joking, so he didn’t pursue it further.
‘I know what I can give you.’
‘What?’
‘I will give you this,’ and she pulled out her ceramic clear knife from her boot.
She handed it to him and he looked at it in awe. It wasn’t very long but the handle and blade appeared cast as one and both were curved to complement each other.
‘It will never need to be sharpened and it will never break. The only way you can destroy it would be to throw it into a volcano.’
‘You would give me this?’
‘Of course, I wouldn’t offer it otherwise.’
‘I’ve nothing like this to give to you.’
She reached out and touched his hand. ‘You don’t need to give me anything. I owe you more than you can possibly know.’
Myka didn’t know what to say and looked down at the blade with the firelight shimmering through it.
‘Are you going to visit my family before you leave?’
‘Yes, I promised them I would.’
‘Then I would ask that you give this to my mother.’ He took an amulet from around his neck.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a lock of hair trapped in addler, that she gave me when I left. I want you to give it to her so she will know that I am all right.’
Elvene looked at it against the firelight, black and silver strands suspended in an oval shaped ornament that looked like ice. She put it in a special pocket in her utility belt, which she wore under the tanned skins that Myka had borrowed from Janella.
Before the fire died completely, Myka took an earthenware bowl and heated some water in it. By this time the stars had taken over the sky, and Elvene and Myka retreated for the night. Myka took the bowl, handling it with a cloth made from tanned skin and put it on the floor next to their bed. He lit an oil-based lamp and set it to one side.
He undressed Elvene and washed her all over with a cloth soaked in the warm water, then dried her off. It was obvious to Elvene that he wanted this night to be special, so she was happy to be the passive partner.
He asked her to lay down on the bed and then undressed himself. He got her to roll over on her stomach, then he massaged her from her shoulders to her legs, kneading her muscles with his fingers and the heel of his hand. As a final treat, he covered her entire body with his as if he was a blanket and kissed her neck, then tickled her ear lobes with his tongue.
Then he rolled her over on her back and she couldn’t help but pull him down and kiss him sensuously on the mouth. Elvene found that even his smell was enough to arouse her now, and his body was both stronger and harder than she had remembered it. But Myka was in a teasing mood and he pulled himself away so that he could move over her entire body at his leisure.
He was exquisitely patient, taking pleasure in her response, and sensing control over her ever-increasing levels of arousal. With fingers, lips and tongue she felt herself being played like a musical instrument; sensations that teased, tingled and lifted her, both physically and emotionally. She cooed and moaned and writhed under his touch, before once again he stretched his entire body over her and nibbled her neck and ears and lips, only this time she wanted him all.
When he coupled with her, it was her turn to gasp and then his chest kissed her breasts and he moved slowly, exquisitely, while nibbling at her neck. She clenched his taut body with her fingers, her breath quickening, and then she felt the pulse of his manhood and found herself surrendering to a tide of sensation that swept over her in wave upon wave.
Afterwards, they lay wordlessly together, their bodies still flushed, and let the balmy night air wash over them. He rolled over so that his neck nestled into the crook of her shoulder and she put an arm around his back so that she could feel his musculature. She wanted to tell him how she felt but there were no words she could find, so she squeezed him closer instead.
In response, he nuzzled his chin into her breast and she bent forward and kissed him on the forehead. She couldn’t remember a sweeter time, and she wanted to hold onto it forever.
The next morning they both knew that she was going to leave. They went together while she made her farewells to Janella and then to Sendra.
‘What do you want me to tell your parents?’
‘Tell them that I’m safe and well, and that I’ve found the light of my life.’
‘The light of your life,’ she repeated, and bowed in acknowledgement to Vestra.
When they reached the beach there was a huge entourage of followers and even some sky swimmers overhead. She looked up and remembered what she owed them.
‘Look after those creatures, Myka, they saved your life and that of your people.’
‘Yes, twice. I have a special relationship with them.’
‘So I’ve noticed and I’m not surprised. Under other circumstances I might have been jealous.’
‘It’s good to see you as your old self again,’ he said.
She looked at him and smiled, putting a hand against his face, as she had done once, on another beach, a long time ago. ‘And it is good to see you as your new self.’
They got into his canoe and and he paddled her out to Alfa who waited patiently on the water a little way out from the shore.
She kissed Myka one last time, and then climbed up on Alfa’s deck. The gangplank door opened.
He stood up in his canoe. ‘Thank you, Elvene. May the spirits always befriend you.’
‘Myka, I will never forget you. As long as I am alive, a part of you will always be with me.’
Then she turned her back and boarded Alfa. She looked back one final time and gave a brief wave, just before the gangplank raised and sealed itself, and then she was gone. Shortly afterwards, Alfa cruised out into the open water and then lifted vertically before spearing off to the western horizon.
Myka didn’t paddle straight back to shore, because he was in no mood to face anyone. Instead, he paddled further out in an effort to increase his solitude, and to temporarily turn his back on the community that had so recently adopted him. Central to his thoughts was the knowledge that he would never see Elvene again, but instead of dwelling in that emotional desert he reminded himself how lucky he had been to meet her and befriend her in the first place. To know a woman so brave and so passionate, who had loved him without inhibition, and whom he had loved so passionately in return, was a gift that life may never give him again. He unsheathed the knife, which he now had in a skin scabbard of its own, and let the sun’s light play on it like it was crystal. He remembered her parting words, and thought, How true. He knew that her memory would never leave him as long as he lived, and that was the greatest gift she could have given him.
It was still night when she arrived at the Kiri archipelago, and so Elvene entered the lagoon and patiently waited for the dawn to catch up to her. Of course, Elvene could have brought Myka and Sendra back to their homeland, but she had not even discussed it with them, and besides, she believed that would have been unnecessary interference. It would have created a conflict for them that they could well live without. She was grateful that it had never been raised, and maybe they had thought about it and come to a similar conclusion.
On this occasion her reception was not as big nor as formal, but for all that, it was no less enthusiastic. In particular, both Myka’s and Sendra’s family were eager for news, which she gladly passed on.
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When she finally was able to talk to Sefta and Lenya in private, she produced the addler amulet containing Lenya’s lock of hair and presented it to her. Elvene was not surprised when it brought tears to her eyes, but was absolutely astounded when she handed it back to her.
‘You take it,’ she said.
‘No, I can’t.’
‘You should take something from this world, in our memory.’
Elvene realised that she couldn’t refuse, and was completely overwhelmed. ‘I am so privileged,’ she said. ‘You are generous beyond words.’
Lenya smiled, and Elvene could see that it gave her enormous happiness, so she took it and placed it back in a pouch in her utility belt.
‘It’s a great honour. And I shall never forget you, all of your people.’
Elvene stayed long enough to eat with them, and then she went and spoke to the Elders. She told them that she would never return, but one day they may see their seafaring sons again.
It was late afternoon when she left, with a huge gathering on the beach to see her depart in her flying ship for the last time. A fire was lit on the beach in the fading light, and some smoke was captured in a skin pouch. It was presented to her, and she was told it would ensure her a safe journey back to her homeland. She was also told, that it was the lack of this ceremony that had kept her from departing successfully the last time. She took the gift, which was tied around her neck, and bowed to everyone present before stepping aboard her craft.
When Elvene finally left atmosphere and broke free of the gravitational pull, not only of the planet but its whole system, she asked Alfa to put her into hibernation and then hyper-jump to their Base at Terra UY1216c.
Alfa’s return with Elvene aboard created quite a stir amongst the Corps, not least because Roger had been demoted for going against his higher command when he had sent Alfa out in a newly-configured ship to search for her.
But he had succeeded, and therefore no one could deny him the right to debrief her without adding to the controversy. It was Essayas who called him to his office to let him know.
Roger did his best to hide any feelings he might have had; he knew that making it hard for Essayas was not going to help anyone, least of all Elvene. When he entered the office, he stood stony-faced until Essayas offered him a chair. He noted, that on this occasion, Lin was conspicuous by her absence.
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