Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector

by Cheryl Johnson

  "What’s so funny?” He growled, lowering the crystal and glaring at her.

  "A drawbridge? … and a battering ram?” Kierin struggled to control her giggles.

  "I thought you said you couldn’t read my mind."

  Dak’s accusation brought another round of giggles. "I can’t. You were projecting with such fierce concentration a dead crystal witch could read your mind. It’s just a little doorway."

  He shot her a ferocious glare before turning back to the portal, mumbling under his breath.

  An image of a tiny rodent hole brought a fresh round of giggles from Kierin and a rare smile from Dak before he turned his full attention to the portal. Within seconds, an opening appeared in the force field.

  "By all the Ancient Prophets, I don’t believe what I’m seeing."

  A cobbled trail twisted between dark fir trees where moments before he saw nothing but an endless wasteland. The rustle of a gentle breeze brought the rich smell of pine through the strange opening.

  "Welcome to my fortress, Dak.” Kierin stepped through the opening and off the path to allow room for Dak and the horses to follow.

  The horses eagerly pushed ahead following the enticing aroma of fresh grasses. Knowing they wouldn’t wander far, he released the reins and turned back to the open portal. From this side he could see the intricate maze of energy waves that formed her force field. He could see the wasteland through the undulating bands but it was fuzzy and distorted.

  "I’ve never seen anything to compare to this, Kierin. Your father built this?” He indicated the dome of gently pulsing bands of pastel-colored rays with a sweep of his arm.

  Kierin removed the crystal key from his hand and closed the portal. "My father was a renowned scientist on our home planet but it was his determination to keep his secret hidden that gave birth to the security system."

  "You were going to tell me about those secrets of his when we got here. Let’s hear it."

  "Dak, I’m tired, sore, dirty and hungry. I’ll answer all you questions, but not before I change clothes and prepare dinner."

  With a toss of her head, she grabbed the trailing reins for her horse and stomped off along the cobbled path. Dak followed at a slower pace. He needed the extra time to get his bearings. For the past two days, he saw nothing but mile after mile of desert wasteland. To suddenly be surrounded by thick stands of fir and other trees he couldn’t identify; skeletal bushes waiting for the return of warm weather to blossom again; and a towering mountain of pale, gray rock generously sprinkled with the first snows of winter was disconcerting.

  The trail twisted through the forest following the natural land formations. Clusters of crystals grew among the vegetation, their colors as varied as the plants around them. He gave the stones a wide berth. He wanted nothing more to do with the insidious rocks. He rounded a bend in the path and stopped. The sheer beauty that surrounded him left him stunned. A mammoth cave opened beneath the canopy of evergreen trees. Steps carved into the rock swept up and around a small waterfall that had its origins somewhere inside the cave. Thick steam swirling around the pool at the bottom meant the water was considerably warmer than the air around it. Thick rope provided a handrail and prevented the unwary from stepping off into the tumbling waterfall.

  Spotting Kierin’s saddled horse wandering through the trees, Dak shelved his fascination with her mountain and went in search of a barn or stable. He’d pushed the horses hard the past few days and they needed care.

  It didn’t take long for him to spot what he assumed was a corral. Built of fallen trees and piles of rock, it looked more like an accidental landslide than a planned enclosure. The fact that the fence began and ended on either side of a cave opening convinced Dak that he’d found the right spot. The small cave was L-shaped with four stalls built along one long side and feed sacks and hay bales stacked opposite. Judging by the odor emanating from the moldy straw, cleaning wasn't high on anyone's list of things to do. Leaving the horses in the corral, Dak grabbed the shovel he found in the rear of the cave. By the time he’d cleaned the stalls, groomed, fed and watered the horses it was almost dark. He would have to ask Kierin where to dump the muck, but that could wait until tomorrow. Grabbing up his saddle pack and weapons, he headed back to the main cave. The little witch wasn’t the only one who wanted a bath and something hot to eat.

  Kierin’s fortress must be built inside the cave. Smart thinking on her father’s part. Even if the security system failed and someone actually found this remote spot, he wouldn’t immediately know that Kierin lived inside the cave. It would give her time to escape. If she has a back door.

  He slowly climbed the curved staircase. Memories of his last two trips into the bowels of a cave washed over him. He tried to isolate the myriad emotions battling inside his head. Rage and humiliation from Murdock’s slave market. Joy so intense that it hurt when they found JarDan’s mother alive in a sleep chamber after fifteen years. Sadness when he discovered Tiana’s body. Relief, that Morandoni would never again threaten the House of Tor. One-by-one, Dak sorted and labeled what he was feeling until there was only one sensation left. Home.

  The word exploded through Dak’s mind, buckling his knees. If not for his grip on the rope railing, he would have fallen into the cascading water. Not bloody likely. Home is Anderas. Home is the south tower of Castle Tor. Home is anywhere but here. Kierin has something to do with this! I’m picking up her thoughts. That’s got to be it. She’s glad to be home and I’m getting the same signals. Must be all these damn crystals.

  Taking several deep breaths and forcing his shoulders back, he continued into the cave. The wide opening of the cave narrowed to a single tunnel about twenty feet long before opening into a central chamber with other tunnels branching out like the spokes of a wheel. Glowing crystals illuminated the walls of the chamber creating a warm, cozy living area. There was no sign of Kierin but he could see evidence of her recent handiwork. A fire crackled beneath a natural flue and an assortment of pots hung from long hooks around the edge of the fireplace, each giving off an enticing aroma. Three wooden chairs sat facing the fire, each with a padded cushion for comfort. A small, square table was set with wooden dishes and snowy white linens.

  "Kierin?” Dak didn’t want to wander around uninvited.

  "I was beginning to think you were going to bed down with the horses."

  He turned to see Kierin standing at the entrance to one of the tunnels. She looked … different. Her gown was dark blue with a dark gold belt. High necked and long-sleeved, there was nothing provocative about her attire but every cell in Dak’s body went on instant alert. By the Beard of the Prophet, she was glorious. That magnificent mane of snow white hair fell in gentle waves around her shoulders and--God, give me strength--the ends nearly touched her ankles. He had a weakness for long hair. He loved the silky texture as it brushed across his naked skin. The way individual strands took on a life of their own to twist and curl, binding him closer. Never in his life--on any planet or Pleasure Station in the galaxy--had he seen such magnificence.

  "Is something wrong?"

  Dak swallowed hard and prayed she wouldn’t glance down at his throbbing groin. Get a grip on your sanity. It took three tries before he could force a single sound past the constriction in his throat.

  "N-n-o. I’m … I just had to … uh … taken extra care of the horses. You know … they were … uh … you know, really worn out and …." Dak closed his mouth with a snap. He was rambling like a love-starved teenager. Taking a firm grip on his hormone induced fantasies he scowled at Kierin.

  "Where can I clean up?” The crystal witch had the sense to control the grin twitching her lips. If she laughed, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

  "I’ve prepared my father’s room for you. It’s through the tunnel at the far side of the chamber. It’s the only room with its own bathing facilities. Be careful with the water. It can be extremely hot this time of year."

  Dak nodded once and headed away from Kierin’s
disturbing presence.

  "Dak?" Kierin’s soft voice stopped him cold but he refused to turn around.

  "Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Will that give you enough time?"

  Again, Dak acknowledged her statement with a nod. The tunnel she indicated was spacious enough that he didn’t have to stoop but several times he felt small protrusions snag the hair on the top of his head. It was shorter than the halls of Falcon Tor, probably not more than fifteen or twenty feet from the main chamber to the sagging wooden door that once must have been set into the rock. Pushing the door open, he found a moderate size room, sparsely furnished with mattresses stacked in one corner; a wardrobe and another straight-back chair just like the ones in the main chamber. There were several thick quilts folded and stacked on top of the wardrobe. He felt the delicate brush of fresh air against his skin but could find no sign of a ventilation system. There were no tapestries to soften the starkness of solid rock walls, no carpets to cushion his feet. Nothing to tell him about the man who last slept here. The only decorative touch was a large folding screen in one corner of the room.

  The empty wardrobe offered no clue as to what kind of man Kierin’s father was before he died. It took Dak less than ten minutes to unpack his purloined clothing. There wasn’t much variety but the fit was good and the rugged material would hold up to the roughest treatment. If he wished for some of the finer garments from his closet at Castle Tor, it was to satisfy a desire for something soft and comfortable. It absolutely was not because he wanted to impress the crystal witch.

  With a snort of disgust at his wandering thoughts, he looked around for a door that would lead him to the bath. The trick to surviving the rest of his month with Kierin was to stay so busy that he’d have no time or energy for the temptation of the promise of mind-blowing sex.

  The solid rock walls gave no hint of a passage. The only corner possible was behind the folding screen. A large bowl-shaped tub, carved from the mountain and worn smooth by untold eons of flowing water, shared space with an inci-n-can. His ship, and most every space travel craft he’d ever been on, contained the same devices. Designed to reduce human waste to a fine powder that could be expelled without harm to the environment, their invention put an end to the bulky holding tanks and messy disposal of earlier forms of sanitation. Somehow, he never expected to see something so … modern in the bowels of a mountain.

  There were no faucets, no visible means of filling the tub with water. Dak would cut out his tongue before he asked her for help. He was a reasonably intelligent man. How complex could it be to take a bath?

  The only items not made from the same pale grey stone were three large, black crystals placed along the rim of the bowl where it met the wall. What did you expect; a crystal witch designed the place. A genius crystal witch. Dak reached for the first crystal. With just a slight hesitation, he gripped the stone and twisted his wrist. Nothing. It didn’t even wiggle. He tried to pull, tilt and lift the crystal. Nothing. He repeated the actions with the other two crystals with the same results. Nothing happened. With a snort, he paced around the end of the tub and back. A bathtub would not outdo him. A flash of memory no longer than the blink of an eye brought a grin spreading across his face. Flexing his fingers, he reached for the first stone again only this time he let his mind do the work. Just like with the key to the fortress, he imagined hot water filling the tub.

  If he hadn’t recently experienced the opening of the security system, he would have missed the slight pulsing between the black crystals. As it was, he barely had time to jerk his hand back before steaming water erupted from an opening in the wall.

  "A little hot this time of year? Little witch, your flair for understatement is astounding." The pool of water forming in the bottom of the bowl bubbled and boiled as though heated by a hidden flame. Clouds of steam blurred his vision, making it virtually impossible to see the crystals. Dak knew he had to slow the flow of hot water, and to do that he had to touch the crystal. Swatting at the thick fog with one hand, he inched closer to the stream of water. Water didn't cover the crystal, but there was enough of a splash over to scald his hand if he weren’t careful. With quick jabs at the black crystal, he tried to slow the water.

  "Dammit.” He jerked his fingers out of the range of hot water. The tub was filling rapidly. If he didn’t get the water under control soon, he’d have to call Kierin. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his hand into the steam. He only had a few seconds at most so they had to count. At the same instant he felt the faceted stone, he yelled, "Stop!"

  The flow of water stopped. "Now. There’s got to be a method to this process that doesn’t boil you alive.” Remembering Kierin’s reaction to his over-kill when opening the gate, Dak tempered his thoughts. Fingering the crystal farthest away from where he stood, a trickle of cold water dripped into the tub. A grin spread across his face as he increased the flow of water until the water was cool enough for a bath. Peeling the clothes from his body, he climbed into the tub, a deep sigh of satisfaction mixing with the rising steam. Strange how something as simple as figuring out the mechanics of a bathtub could make a man feel like he’d conquered his world.

  * * * *

  Kierin knew her home well--every sound, every shift in air flow. She’d lived here for more than twenty years. The unique physical properties of the mountain prevented her from actually tapping into Dak’s thoughts, but she knew where he was by the changes around her. With him occupied for several minutes, she made one last check on the dinner simmering by the fire before slipping back to her own room.

  This was the first time anyone except family had been in her home and she tried to see it as Dak would. While her father was a brilliant scientist, he was rather lacking in the practical skills necessary to provide more than the most basic of necessities. The few pieces of furniture they owned were payments from the villagers who had more skill than gold to pay for the herbs and medicines her family provided. Even the linens and blankets came from grateful patrons.

  Knowing Dak was used to more comforts than she could offer, she’d taken advantage of his time in the stable to drag the two mattresses from her brother’s room into her father’s. With four thick layers of moss and lichen, he should sleep comfortably. Her own bed was a rock ledge with a single mattress. The only other items in the room were a mirror, a three-legged stool and a large chest. It was this chest that was her destination. Beneath the layers of clothing, wrapped in the faded remains of her swaddling blanket, lay the answer to her problems.

  She made Dak a promise not to place any crystals on him and she would honor that pledge. Kierin stroked the soft pink material, wishing. Wishing her mother was alive to tell her what to expect. Wishing her father and brother were alive so she wouldn’t have to lie to Dak. Wishing she could make him understand. Wishing dreams could come true. Wishing ….

  Knowing she was running out of time, she quickly unwrapped the small bundle. Nestled in the folds was a necklace of finely woven copper threads. Suspended from the chain was her birthstone. Her mother selected the deep orange crystal and her father charged it. Every female crystal witch received a similar stone on the day of her birth. The stones, chosen specifically for each baby girl, would be carefully stored until the day of her wedding.

  Her father would stutter and turn red when he tried to explain the details and effects of the stone, usually ending by telling her he wished her mother were still alive. Kierin felt there was much more to the tradition than what her father managed to impart, but she knew enough to know that the stone magnified all that was feminine in her. Her limited knowledge of the sexual side of marriage was considerably richer since Dak came into her world. Were men from her home world different from Anderans? Did they require special stimulation? Nothing in her experience with Dak made her doubt his interest. It was his honor that was her problem.

  Slipping the chain over her neck, she felt the last of her foolish dreams and wishes shatter. Blinking rapidly to prevent the tears burning her eyes from falling,
she sent a silent prayer to the Goddess of Goodness and Light. Please, oh please, give me the strength to go through with this. I never thought it would end this way. Help him to understand. I have no choice.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dak felt good. The hot bath had eased the ache of overused muscles and Kierin’s dinner was delicious even with no meat. He’d have to work on that tomorrow. He was finishing off his third helping of dessert when he noticed Kierin’s grin.

  "What?” He demanded, feeling self-conscious. Did he have food on his face?

  "You don’t strike me as a dessert-fanatic. There’s not an ounce of fat on you anywhere."

  "Been checking out the territory, little witch?” Dak winked, a slow smile spreading across his face when she blushed. "I’ve always had a serious sweet tooth and it’s been a long time since I’ve been offered anything so tempting."

  "It’s just stewed fruit and dumplings. It was Rian’s favorite."

  "Well, it’s very good. The whole meal was great. Thank you."

  Her voice softened when she mentioned Rian. Dak didn’t like it and it took every atom of will power he possessed to prevent him asking her about Rian. So what if she has a man in her life. It’s none of your business. Let Rian give her the son she wants so badly. He refused to think about why that idea soured his stomach.

  "One of the villages on our route is famous for their pastries. Rian would always volunteer to make deliveries there just in case someone wanted to barter. My brother was a shameless beggar when it came to anything sweet."

  Her brother? Rian was her brother!

  Dak pushed his plate aside and settled back with a sigh. Kierin cleared the dishes from the table and brought him a fresh cup of hot tea. At home, on Anderas, he seldom drank anything but the sweet, dark, red wine made famous by the earliest settlers. In just a few days, he’d come to expect the comforting warmth of Kierin’s teas. Strange, the way life’s paths suddenly changed without any warning, altering all the plans and goals that seemed so solid just heartbeats before. Time to throw a detour into Kierin’s life.