The UnFolding Collection Three

by S. K. Randolph

  She perched on a pine bough, immersed in a rush of memories so poignant she ached. Rethdun’s imprint in Aquila’s mind battered the walls of her fortress until she thought they might explode.

  The man stood beneath her, understanding in his gaze, urgency in his stance. His attention wavered, leaving her wallowing in the lack of it, then returned to wrap her in its protective warmth.

  “You can change, Rayn. We were not followed. You’re safe.”

  Tilting her head, she observed him from one galee eye, and then the other.

  He touched his chest. “I am Kuparak. I promised your mother I would rescue you and give you this.” He removed a silver locket from beneath his tunic. Moonstone capturing moonlight shimmered iridescent against his dark palm.

  She shifted. Soft sobs trembled on her tongue. Too many memories… Fighting for control, she slammed self-imposed doors and shook her mind free of remembering. A shaky breath filled her lungs. Unfamiliar scents assailed her nostrils. She touched the bark of a tree, broke a piece free, memorized its roughness, its smell, its message of life.

  Gradually her humanness took root. She sought the man who had called himself Kuparak. His face, his name, his love for her maman washed over her. She sighed. A silent plea for understanding brought a nod.

  “I know you have not spoken since you were captured. You need not speak until you’re ready, but we must go. The longer we remain close to Chunarrie, the more at risk we are. Nod if you feel ready to make a longer flight.”

  She licked her lips and whispered, “Rayn.” Surprise held her momentarily silent. She shivered and gripped the piece of bark until her palm stung. “I…am…Rayn.”

  He smiled and nodded. “You are Rayn.” Removing the silver chain from around his neck, he offered it.

  Her brow creased. She tried to find the words, shook her head, and pointed at him.

  “You want me to keep it?”

  Internal silence formed an answer, lathered her tongue with sounds, and finally shaped them into words. “You…keep.”

  He tucked it away. “It’s yours when you’re ready. We must fly, Rayn. Can you shift?”

  Aquila fluttered to the ground beside her. “Compeer.” It’s thought tingled through her mind. Her heart skipped a beat.

  Kuparak stepped to her side, touched Aquila’s head, hesitated, and then placed his other hand on her shoulder. “Rethet Ceerus.”

  Heat ran the length of her spine, pooled around her heart, and traveled through blood vessels to all parts of her body. A memory jolted to the surface: Kia flying beside her—Kia dead next to her mother’s motionless body. Tender threads of love encased the image until it faded into soft nothingness. Rayn knelt beside Aquila, and ran a hand along his glass side. An instant later, she flew beside him. Kuparak’s galee led the way and Toa flew behind them.

  I am protected. I am free. Relief buoyed her spirits and her galee form. For the first time in nine sun cycles, joy made a brief appearance.

  Kuparak felt a touch of surprise at Rayn’s level of endurance. Their flight to Cimondeli lasted from well past middle night until mid-morning. When they glided to a landing at the base of the cliff face, he observed her slight stagger as she shifted to Human. Instinct kept him still.

  Fatigue shook her slight frame. Her gaze flicked to the cliffs and back to him. Her brow raised.

  “We are at the Cliffs of Cimondeli. You were born here. When you are ready, we will enter the safe haven.”

  “Ready?”

  Her telepathic question caught him off guard. “Do you understand me?”

  Surprise registered in her face. “Yes. What?”

  “Telepathy. The connection you and Aquila have is a form of it.”

  An unexpected smile brought her remarkable beauty to life. She touched her lips, traced their curve, and laughed, a soft, self-conscious sound. A serious expression replaced her delight. “Who here?”

  Kuparak watched her closely. “Daar and Katareen, your mother’s brother and sister; Awinta, the Serveero of the safe haven; the families of other Vasrosi who work to save our people.”

  She seemed to shrink. “So many.”

  “Awinta has arranged a private place for you. You are important to everyone here. They understand you need time to adjust.”

  She stared at the cliff face, seemed to analyze her choices, and sighed. “I am ready.” A shaking hand reached out. “I…” She shook her head. “Tell them…not touch…” The hand pressed against her heart.

  “You prefer not to be touched. Correct?”

  Shyness shaped her nodded response.

  “I understand. I’ll tell Awinta to inform everyone.” Giving Rayn time to prepare to face new people, he sent a quick telepathic message. “Shift and we’ll get you to a safe place where you can rest.”

  Side by side, they soared upward, circled the top of the cliffs, and glided into a well-hidden crevice that carried them to a circular space lit with glow lamps. An older woman rose. He landed and shifted. Aquila alighted on a flattened rock. Rayn fluttered to her tukoolo’s side, studied the Serveero of Cliff Haven, and jumped to the ground. Disorientation accompanied her shift. Kuparak stepped to her side. She steadied. Confusion morphed to curiosity.

  Awinta did not move but observed her guest with quiet respect. “Welcome to Cimondeli, Rayn Jaradee Palmira. I celebrate your rescue. I imagine you’re tired. Are you comfortable coming with me on your own, or would you prefer to have Kup join us?”

  Rayn’s alarmed gaze darted from Awinta to his face.

  Recognizing the fleeting hesitation of a trapped animal, he smiled at the Serveero. “I will accompany you. When Rayn is comfortable, I can inform the others of her presence.”

  A tentative ‘thank you’ whispered in his mind.

  32

  Jaradee’s Legacy

  Part 3 - Conflict

  R ayn lay on a mat on the floor of an alcove carved in the wall of the haven—an alcove hidden from view by a sturdy screen and occupied by only one person—an alcove from which she could come and go at will. The strangeness of it, both thrilling and unnerving, held her motionless. She tried to keep her mind blank, to stay focused in this new moment in this new place. But memories came unbidden.

  Rethdun flying beside her the last time they were together; vague impressions of goats, of digging in a garden; giggling when she and her birth-mate destroyed their rock fort on the shores of a river—

  New memories crashed against her inner fortress. She rolled on her side and covered her head with her arms.

  Cold water drenched her small bird body. Currents sucked her beneath its surface. Talons gripped her, carried her, placed her on the ground. Consciousness fled. Rethdun’s call to awaken…seeing him from strelke eyes. She trembled and curled into a ball. Her outburst when her mother refused to search for her birth-mate…

  A torrent of guilt and self-blame pounded her. Dragging her body upright, she hugged her knees to her chest. I killed Momee. I ran away. If I’d stayed, she would be alive and Rethdun would be with us. Instead, they are dead.

  Tears splattered her arms. A hand flew to her cheek. She licked the salty wetness from her palm and gripped a handful of hair. I’m crying. She scrubbed the tears from her cheeks and lay down, staring at the stone wall. I do not cry. No one will ever see me cry again. No one will know what I am thinking or feeling. No one will hurt me ever, ever again.

  A shadow darkened the screen. She pretended to sleep. Soft footsteps drifted away, leaving her immersed in the private most parts of her psyche, the parts that would remain secret forever.

  Rayn awoke sometime later to the sound of stifled laughter. Tiptoeing toward it, she stopped to one side of a nature-made opening. Four young people huddled around a fire. A girl a few years her senior tossed a ball from hand to hand. A gawky, angular boy kept trying to catch it. Brushing wavy, russet hair back from her face, the girl tossed the ball in the air. The boy lunged forward, made an awkward grab, and knocked it away. It rolled to a stop not
far from Rayn’s feet. On hands and knees, they scrambled after it. The girl reached for it, saw the feet, and looked up.

  “Who are you?”

  Rayn contemplated running but held her ground.

  The boy hauled his friend to her feet. “It’s you, right? The girl everyone is talking about.” Curiosity brightened his bulging eyes.

  The girl nudged him aside. “Don’t mind Vygel. He’s always rude. I’m Rasiana. Don’t be shy. No one here will hurt you. The fire is lovely. Come and get warm.”

  Grabbing Vygel’s arm, she urged him back toward their friends.

  Rayn took a tentative step, contemplated a quick retreat, and took another step.

  Rasiana patted a spot next to her. “Join us.”

  A boy called out. “I’m Drue, and this is my sister Dyna. We’re fraternal twins…kinda like birth-mates but…”

  An elbow in his ribs shut him up. His sister shook her head. “Boys, do say the dumbest things. We were about to go to dinner.”

  Panic caught Rayn unawares. She curled trembling fingers into fists and looked away.

  Dyna jumped to her feet. “I bet we could bring it in here, so you don’t have to meet everyone at once. Shall I ask?”

  Rayn let out a soft breath and nodded.

  Dyna grabbed Drue by the arm. “Let’s go. You can help me carry the trays.”

  Grumbling about bossy sisters, he scurried after her.

  Rayn sat next to Rasiana, staring into the fire. Vygel sprawled across from her. “Tell us about…”

  Rasiana shot him a warning look. “You don’t have to tell us anything unless you want to, Rayn. People will ask because they’re curious, but we all understand you need time to adjust.”

  Dyna and Drue returning created a welcome distraction. While her companions ate, engaged in light-hearted teasing, and burst into spontaneous laughter, Rayn kept her eyes on her plate and nibbled at the food. A stab of envy caught her by surprise. I wish I had the courage to join…maybe someday.

  Overwhelming shyness propelled her to standing. Conversation ceased. All eyes turned her direction. Heat flooded her face. Stammering a whispered thank you, she fled.

  In her quiet space, she flopped down on the mat and buried her head in trembling hands. Will I ever feel safe with other people? At least in the Children’s Residence, no one expected me to join in. Here—

  The whisper of bare feet on stone stopped at her entryway. Rasiana peeked around the screen. “May I come in?”

  Her gentle calm eased Rayn’s tumultuous emotions. “Please.”

  Sitting cross-legged opposite her, Rasiana pressed her palms together. “I know how hard this is for you.” A hand fluttered to her throat. “I was kidnapped by the Pheet Adole when I was three. Unlike you, they placed me in the children’s sector of the servants’ residence to train as a kitchen aid.” Memory captured her.

  Rayn regarded her with interest…tawny nutmeg skin; dark, wavy hair; eyes reminiscent of Kuparak… She struggled to speak.

  Rasiana encouraged her with a small smile.

  “You.” Rayn looked around. “Here?”

  “When I turned six sun cycles, the residential matron took four of us to the market place, where we were to be placed on the auction block. I waited until the auction began and snuck away. A bearded man caught me. I was so frightened I couldn’t move. I thought he would take me back. Instead, he hid me in a wagon along with Dyna and Drue. We were taken to a safe haven in the foothills and then brought here. We are the lucky ones…you and I; Vygel and the twins. Many children remain in captivity.” Her shoulders drooped. A tear dripped. She sighed and looked at Rayn. “I want to be your friend. Even though I wasn’t there as long, I still know how it feels to be free after time in captivity. Let me help.”

  The alcove, quiet but for their soft breathing, soothed Rayn’s agitation. She studied the Eleo Predan girl, did a quick mind touch, and found no sign of deceit.

  “She’s telling the truth, Rayn.”

  The voice from the entrance yanked her gaze from Rasiana to a woman waiting just outside. Rayn sought Rasiana and saw only warmth and trust. She shaped a silent word… “Who?”

  Rasiana smiled. “This is your mother’s sister, Katareen. Can she come in?”

  Although the woman remained in the tunnel, Rayn felt her calm and something else she did not recognize. Curiosity canceled her angst. She nodded.

  Katareen sat next to Rasiana. Rayn studied the porcelain skin, large, honey-gold eyes, and raven-black hair of the Thornlandian Eleo Preda and furrowed her brow. She recognized the gentleness so like her mother’s in her aunt’s expression but not the stronger emotion flowing out to her.

  The beautiful features brightened. “Kup told me your resemblance to me was uncanny. You have your maman’s eyes and beautiful tanned skin, but you could be my daughter. What you are feeling from me is my love for you; my gratitude that you are at last here among us; my delight that we will get to know each other.”

  Rayn searched her fortress. She found a faint memory, reached for its source, and lost it in the chaos of overwhelming loss. The walls slamming into place left her panting. She glanced at the woman. A tender tingling invaded her mind.

  “Use telepathy.”

  Rayn drew in a breath. “What…love?”

  Her mother’s sister folded pale hands in her lap and smiled. “Love is the deep tenderness and affection we feel for someone else: a sister, a friend, a parent, one’s tukoolo…”

  “Birth-mate?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Birth-mates.”

  “Rasiana?”

  Katareen put an arm around Rasiana. “I love Rasiana. She is gentle and caring. If you decide to let her be your friend, she will never abandon or betray you.”

  Rayn thought hard. Since her capture, no one had befriended her. Solitary and alone, she had navigated her life in the Residence. She licked her lips and wrapped her tongue around the letters R-a-s-i-a-n-a. Taking a breath, she whispered, “Rasiana…friend.”

  Tears slipped down Rasiana’s cheeks. “Rayn…friend.”

  A rush of emotion left Rayn smiling. She looked at her mother’s sister. “You friend?”

  Katareen nodded. “You are my niece. You are my older sister’s child. I was present at your birth. I held you after you took your first breath. You are part of me, and I am part of you. Yes, I am your friend, but I am also your family.”

  Rayn hugged herself. “So much…”

  Katareen rose. “You’re tired. Rest. Rasiana and I will visit tomorrow.”

  Rayn reached out and touched her new friend’s knee. Surprise made her blink, then smile. “Rasiana, stay?”

  “Of course, I’ll stay, but I’ll need to get my sleeping mat.”

  “Katareen moved to the entrance. “I’ll have Drue or Vygel bring it. Do you need anything else?”

  “Not for now. Thank you.”

  Whenever Rayn woke on her first restless night in Cimondeli, Rasiana sat by her side. She whispered assurances of Rayn’s safety, and then sang Eleo Predan lullabies to soothe her back to sleep. The next few turnings, much like the first, allowed her to get her bearings. Rasiana and Katareen helped her to speak with more confidence and introduced her one by one to other residents of the haven.

  Several turnings after her arrival, Vygel, Drue, and Dyna offered to show her around Cliff Haven while Rasiana fulfilled her time commitment in the nursery. A winding passage worn smooth by many feet took them to the bottom of a stairway. Soon, they stood on a catwalk surrounding the uppermost level of the cliff dwellings.

  Although the turning had only begun, Vasrosi practiced combat maneuvers one on one and in groups. At the opposite end of the space, men and women worked to perfect their skills using knives and swords.

  Transfixed, Rayn watched the flash of metal against metal. The world blurred. The training grounds faded.

  Run, Rayn! Run! Her mother’s scream chased her into the trees, away from the bad men, away… She slammed into a hard body. Rough hands
seized her, lifted her. A soldier’s leering features mocked her. Attempts to squirm free only increased the strength of his hold. She went slack. He relaxed. She bit his arm, fell from his loosened grip, and dropped to the ground.

  Scrambling to recover her footing, she tried to run. He snatched her up, flung her over his shoulder, and marched back toward his comrades.

  Her mother’s scream pierced the air. A tukoolo’s screech ended abruptly. Rayn pounded her captors back with small, frantic fists. “Momee! Momee!” She wiggled and kicked until he set her down. His iron grip on her arm sent pain thrumming through her. A slap in the face knocked her to sitting, her head spinning. He jerked her to her feet and dragged her into the clearing.

  A man dressed in black and purple knelt over her mother. Blood dripped from her mouth. A knife protruded from her stomach. Screams of terrified rage burst from the deepest part of Rayn’s soul. Again and again, they cut through the night. Again and again—

  A hand clapped over her mouth suffocated the sound, shoved it down her throat, kept breath at bay until she sagged to her knees and collapsed. The last thing she saw…Kia, her beautiful tukoolo, deflated of life, shards of crystalline glass scattered around her.

  A distant voice called her name. She blinked and swallowed a sob. Rasiana knelt beside her prone body. Vygel, Dyna, and Drue huddled further along the catwalk.

  Rasiana’s fingers brushing her cheek sent relief rushing through her. The memory faded. Numbed sorrow fled beyond her inner wall.

  “Can you sit?”

  Rayn stared up at her friend and reached for her hand.

  A short time later, Rayn and Rasiana reclined on their sleeping mats in Rayn’s special alcove. The walk from the top level had given her time to sort through what had occurred. She regarded her friend.

  “How did you…”