Anneliese remembered Salno’s contention that she argued for argument’s sake, that some of her need to be strong for everyone stemmed from the boost of self-esteem it gave her.
It kept her mouth shut. She smiled at Nex and Salno as if she was grateful for their assistance. Their hearts were in the right place. What they offered was no less than what she would if their positions were reversed.
Trez finished treatment and helped Anneliese put her pants on. “You know what to do. Prop your leg up, apply cold compresses to the knee on the schedule I gave you, and no weight on it. Come back in a couple of days so I can make sure you’re healing to your previous level.”
Nex came close, arms extended to scoop her up like a helpless baby again. Anneliese felt he was far too happy to carry her around.
“This is humiliating,” she complained.
“I’m sorry.” Nex didn’t sound sorry.
As they readied to leave the examination room, Elder Ehar and the rest of Cas’s council entered. Everyone froze. As Salno put her hand to her chest, she and Nex chorused, “From my spirit to yours, Elders.”
The new arrivals echoed the greeting. “And ours to you.”
Ehar came close, her gaze evaluating. “Are you terribly hurt, Anneliese?”
With what had been torture reduced to minor irritation, Anneliese smiled easily. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. It will be better before long.”
“I am glad.” Ehar stared at her with an intensity that warned Anneliese something bad might be afoot. Was it to do with Mirtan’s ridiculous claim that Earth was somehow allied to the Monsuda?
With pain abating enough for her to think straight again, Anneliese felt a chill over the spy’s accusation. Maybe she should take the matter seriously. With Ehar’s attention riveted on her, maybe transformed to definitely.
It wasn’t just the head elder watching her closely. Most of the other elders eyed Anneliese as if watching a venomous snake passing a few feet away. Only the man she’d helped during the hive attack, Timnor, gazed at her with something less than wariness.
Ehar confirmed her suspicions. “We are calling a meeting of the entire village due to the information Mirtan brought us. What do you know of your fellow Earthlings collaborating with the Monsuda?”
Anneliese’s heart sank. “Nothing. I didn’t think anyone from my planet knew about the Monsuda. Those who’d been abducted usually had our memories of it erased before being taken to Earth.”
Nex’s voice was heated beneath a polite veneer. “Surely you don’t suspect Anneliese of anything untoward, Head Elder? She was victimized by the Monsuda. Many of her people were. We have the reports. I’m sure once we get into the other hives, we’ll find more are being used as lab subjects.”
Timnor nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, that’s exactly what I said.” He gave Anneliese a kind smile, which she answered with her own.
As usual, Ehar let none of her true emotions show. “I’m inclined to agree. However, this is troubling, Anneliese. Some of our people will question your presence among us due to Mirtan’s report. Be ready for the concern you will be greeted with.”
With that abrupt statement, Ehar turned and exited the room. The rest of the council followed in her wake. Timnor was the last.
He paused and told Anneliese, “It is imperative you be at the meeting. To do so will indicate you have nothing to hide. The council has agreed to divert as much suspicion from you personally as possible.”
“Thank you.”
Timnor hesitated for a moment before adding, “Once the meeting is over, it might be best if you don’t go out too often. At least for a couple of days. Emotions might run high among the warriors.”
Salno cocked her head. “Is there something besides Mirtan’s report to be concerned about?”
Timnor nodded. “New information has come to us. Even the elders are split on how we should handle what has been reported. However, it is not ethical for me to speak of it here. All will be discussed at the meeting.”
On that ambiguous note, he left. Anneliese wondered if something else had been discovered about human interaction with the Monsuda.
The day was getting worse by the second.
Nex squeezed Anneliese closer to his body, as if he felt the need to protect her. With a flash of irritation, she realized her knee made her far too helpless.
Salno suggested, “Let’s find a good seat in the hall so that Anneliese will be as comfortable as possible.”
She led the way out. Nex followed her, Anneliese riding ignominiously in his arms.
She’d fought to get the spy Mirtan safely into Cas. She’d been right there, side by side with the Risnarish warriors, putting her body on the line. That they could believe she was anything but against the Monsuda was preposterous.
* * *
Nex carried Anneliese into the central temple, enjoying her weight in his arms. His Earthling paramour wasn’t the only one who appreciated being strong for others. Nex wished she understood how rewarding it was to give and receive in equal measure. He’d face a thousand drones for the chance to show her.
She gaped at the main temple’s interior. “I was sure I remembered how vast this space is. I’m shocked by it all over again.”
Nex said, “It’s big enough to accommodate the entire population of this village, thirty-five hundred.”
The main temple in his home village of Hahz had been smaller, in proportion to the number of its residents. Cas’s was impressive in comparison, but there were larger auditoriums. The central temple of Risnar’s largest city Yitrow was big enough to house both Hahz and Cas’s entire temple complexes.
The triangle openings of the dome were opened to the blue sky. The view and the tranquility of the hall were disconcerting after the firefight at the border. Nex attempted to tune in with his calm surroundings as he readied for the meeting.
Anneliese eyed the wide swath of empty floor with suspicion. She wriggled in Nex’s grip. “I don’t care if I do have to stand. Put me down, Nex. I’m not suffering the embarrassment of everyone seeing me like this.”
Salno put a restraining hand on the Earthling’s arm. “You won’t have to. System, enable village seating.”
At her command, risers emerged from the floor, growing into curved tiers of seating that hugged the circular wall. The seats were interrupted at various intervals to leave passages between sections for the exits. The central part of the temple remained flat, from which the council would present their news to the villagers.
Anneliese’s tone said she was impressed. “Nice auditorium. Let’s get a lacrosse game going. Heck, this is perfect to host a First Nations’ powwow and a lacrosse game.”
Nex didn’t know what kind of activities she referred to, but he understood she was suitably amazed. He chuckled and took her to the lowermost tier of the nearest section of seats. He got her settled, turning her toward him and resting her legs over his thighs, keeping her knee elevated. Salno sat on the other side, letting Anneliese use her shoulder as a backrest. Anneliese frowned, but she didn’t resist.
Salno regarded Nex with her usual calm. “Whatever the news is beyond supposed Earthling collaboration with the Monsuda, it must be major. I can’t remember the last time the Elders Council called a village-wide meeting.”
Anxiety gnawed at Nex’s insides. He hoped the council’s concerns that Anneliese could fall under suspicion due to Mirtan’s report would be unfounded. “If their news has anything to do with the Monsuda, it can’t be good.”
“Ah, the call has gone out. We’ll find out soon.”
Risnarish women filed in, floating serenely over the floor and ascending the tiered seating. They nodded to Nex, Salno, and Anneliese as they passed, touching palms to their chests. Anneliese stared at the few who were buxom with milk instead of flat chested.
Nex whispered in her ear.
“They have given birth in the past year. Those females are still nursing our young.” Having enjoyed Anneliese’s softness, he had to make himself not stare at the bared breasts of his own kind. Before his lovely Earthling, breasts had been a strictly utilitarian feature. Risnarish who were nursing did not participate in sex, so enjoying a woman’s curves was a novelty to Nex.
Anneliese brightened with understanding. “Oh. Gotcha. It looks funny now that I’ve gotten used to women without them. Where are the babies?”
“In the nursery dome with their minders. The meeting will be transmitted to those tending the little ones there and the instructors with the young children in the Learning and Recreation Center.”
The flood of Risnarish women had dwindled to a trickle when the men began arriving. Jape was one of the first to come in, and he came over to sit next to Nex. He leaned close to mutter, “Emotions are running high. They’ll become more extreme when Elder Ehar reports what is happening.”
“Are you going to give us a hint?” Nex asked.
“No time. Be ready to take Anneliese out quickly, Nex.”
Salno gazed at him with her eyes slightly widened...the equivalent of horrified shock. “Surely you don’t think she could come under attack from any of us?”
“Of course not.” Jape grimaced, his expression uncertain. “However, with two major issues arising, I would prefer to play it safe. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll remain close and keep an eye on everyone else.”
Anneliese’s face mirrored Nex’s disbelief that anyone would believe she had anything to do with the Monsuda. “What’s going on, Jape? I’m not working with those monsters.”
“I believe you. Those who have witnessed you fight will also. However, Mirtan is not given to wild stories. There may be some Earthlings who are working at cross-purposes to your race’s common welfare, and that could cast you in a bad light as well.”
Jape moved so that he sat on the higher tier immediately behind Anneliese. That the head enforcer felt it was necessary to act as a living barrier between her and the rest of their people worried Nex. The area just above the bridge of Salno’s nose creased, indicating she was concerned as well.
Risnarish continued to pour into the temple. The seats filled. Nex smiled encouragingly at Anneliese, but the truth was, he felt almost as alien as she. Though Cas had welcomed him, it was not his village. In this sea of strangers, he felt separate. They smelled different from him, a grassy note rather than his heavier, woodsy scent.
With unknown news pending, Nex missed the familiar faces he’d grown up with. Especially since many of the men stared frankly at Anneliese, as if evaluating her. Mirtan’s news had traveled fast throughout Cas.
At last only a few latecomers hurried into the temple in twos and threes. The swell of conversation died as the Elders Council entered and took their place at the center of the floor. Ehar stood in the middle, her circlet of leadership twinkling on her head under the sunlight.
She said, “System, enable voice amplification.” When the system said in its feminine tone, “Amplification enabled,” she touched her hand to her hearts. “From my spirit to yours, village of Cas, I bid you thanks for coming together so quickly. We, the Council of Elders, have much to tell you.” She nodded to Timnor.
The elderly man stepped to her side. “We have just received word from Yitrow that a large number of Monsuda and drones are moving in. They are assembling at the hive nearest the Assembly’s village.”
Anxious mutterings erupted among the men. The women remained quiet, but their rapt expressions evinced concern. Salno bit her lower lip.
Noting Anneliese’s confusion, Nex explained. “Our central governing body, the Assembly, is located in Yitrow. It is also the largest Risnarish village, with over five thousand people living there.”
Her eyes widened. “It sounds like the Monsuda are readying to land a major blow against the Risnarish.”
Ehar’s raised hand quieted the crowd. “All villages, including Cas, have been directed to send their warriors to Yitrow to defend it and the Assembly.”
A male’s voice rose from the seats across from Nex. “Cas has come under attack too. The hive near us is occupied once more by drones. We can’t leave our village unprotected.”
Most of the men nodded, though some looked scandalized. It was almost unheard of for the Risnarish to speak even mildly against their Assembly. No group was more highly venerated than the nine elders who made up Risnar’s central government.
Nex had been in Hahz when something similar had occurred. He was not surprised when another male’s voice rose. “Who will keep our council and women safe while we’re off protecting Yitrow? This makes no sense. Yitrow has warriors of its own. Let it protect the Assembly.”
This time the agreements were vocalized. Conversation, some of it loud, broke out once again.
Elder Timnor and Ehar’s raised hands quieted the villagers down.
The man Anneliese had saved from death—or perhaps worse—spoke in a strong voice that belied his advanced years. “It is true we cannot let our borders go unprotected. It is also important to retake the hive that has threatened our people for so long. But the Assembly is the heart of the Risnarish. We need to rally to our leadership.”
Ehar added, “As head of the Assembly, Elder Notlin would not call to us unless the situation was of the greatest concern.”
Another voice rose from the crowd. “Does Yitrow have a combined force of Monsuda and Earthlings at its border as we do? We have a new threat, and we do not know the severity of it!”
“Yes, what of her?” This came from a man sitting in the middle of the same tier Jape occupied. He stood and pointed to Anneliese. “How do we know she is not a spy? Why are her people talking like allies with the enemy?”
That brought a thunder of debate, most of it too loud to follow. Numerous angry faces looked Anneliese’s way.
For her part, Anneliese stared around at everyone, her expression filled with disbelief. Her face darkened with anger.
Nex was more frightened than mad. He exchanged glances with Salno and Jape. It was as bad as the head enforcer had feared.
Ehar called for quiet. Nex jerked when she spoke his name. “Nex Clauhahz Ekra was there when Anneliese was rescued from the hive near Hahz Village. He saw how she was victimized, as so many Earthlings have been discovered to be. He witnessed the horror she was exposed to. We do not have reason to suspect her of any activity that undermines us.”
Nex froze. In truth, Anneliese had been running free by the time he saw her. He had observed none of the torture she’d undergone in the Monsudan labs. He did not doubt Anneliese for a single second, but he hoped Ehar would not ask him to speak.
To his relief, there was no request for him to expound on Ehar’s assertions. The suspicious looks continued, though there were no further accusations. Anneliese sat stiff and unhappy, her lips pressed tightly together. Nex had no doubt she struggled to hold her tongue. In this instance, he didn’t blame her. The urge to defend her sat like a glowing ember in his gut.
Nevertheless, staying quiet for now was the best course of action. Nex took her hand and squeezed it. Anneliese gazed at him. For an instant, there was something in her eyes, a brightness he hadn’t seen before. His hearts hurt to witness that fleeting expression, that momentary luster. It was something he hoped to never glimpse again.
For the barest instant, Anneliese looked as if she might cry.
* * *
Anneliese fought the blow to her pride. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked away the sting in her eyes as the discussion raged on. Ehar steered the conversation toward the situation in Yitrow Village, taking most of the attention from Anneliese. However, there were still those glaring in her direction. No longer leaning against Salno, she met the stares, her back ramrod straight.
Jape leaned to whisper in Nex’s ear.
Her lover nodded, then gathered her in his arms and stood. Anneliese bit her lips together at the flare of fiery pain from her knee and a lesser grinding ache in her hip. Controlling the urge to yell at the agony kept her from protesting as Nex carried her out of the temple. He rushed her from the suspicious gazes, as if she had something to hide.
Anneliese caught her breath and glared at him as they traveled through a tunnel that led to one of the outer domes. “Why are you taking me out? I haven’t done anything wrong. It looks bad for me to leave early.”
Nex scowled. “We need to, so they’ll stop accusing you. That sort of attitude feeds on itself. With you gone, they won’t find reasons to question your innocence.”
Anneliese realized they had come into the science lab dome. Nex directed them through a second tunnel, leaving it and moving toward another dome. She didn’t realize Salno had followed them out of the main temple until the woman spoke. “My berth would be a quiet place to talk about what is going on. I can make an herbal blend drink.”
“Like last time?” Anneliese’s tone was hostile, but she didn’t care. She was in pain. She’d been reproached unfairly. Both factors made her angrier by the second.
Salno caught up so she walked at Nex’s side. She gave Anneliese a puzzled gaze. “If you’re asking if I will sedate you, the answer is no. I told you I wouldn’t do that again.” She moved ahead, leading their progress.
With a little privacy afforded to them, Nex said, “I could tell how much you wanted to defend yourself in there. I was impressed with your control.”
Anneliese was stiff with the effort to hold pain to a minimum. “It smacked of cowardice, which looks like guilt. I should have spoken up, told them they were wrong to suspect me.”
They entered Salno’s room. She busied herself with her store of leaves and herbs while Nex settled Anneliese on the pallet she’d slept on her first night. Another flash of terrible agony caused Anneliese to inhale sharply. Nex looked at her, his eyes narrowed.
Salno didn’t notice. As she brewed their tea, she asked, “What good would it do to confront everyone?”
Worlds Apart (Warriors of Risnar) Page 18