Avellach
Chapter Seven
He was unconscious for only minutes, but when Spock opened his eyes and stared into the darkness, he knew immediately that T'ashaya had left. He was alone. It should not have come as a surprise to him, for he had been expecting something of the sort ever since the two of them had entered the caves. But the knowledge still did not lessen his momentary sense of loss.
Then, he heard the unmistakeable sound of nimble footsteps returning and seconds later her sweet, cinnamon breath fanned his cheek as she leaned over him. Warm fingers fluttered lightly over his face, his open eyes, and he heard her quick sigh unquestionably of relief. Her delicate touch brought an unexpected welter of conflicting impressions to him. So, even to that detail, was she entirely Vulcan. He masked his fascination, and strengthened his mind shields, as she gently lifted his head and held something cool and smooth to his lips.
The object turned out to be a hollow stone filled with a mouthful of water. He drank thirstily, wondering where she could have found it – and instantly the image came of fast running water. A river. Apprehension stirred fitfully within him.
"Can thee swim, my brother?" She asked him softly.
He considered the implications of that question, his uneasiness peaking abruptly. His home planet was a desert world, Ti-Valka'ain, named after Ayen-Valkathi the god of fire, change, and the burning sands. Water was scarce in most areas, the people of Vulcan having been tempered by the fires of Ah'hrak, the forge. It was not their way to use the precious commodity in a frivolous way. Of course, he had taken the obligatory swimming instruction while at Starfleet Academy, but he had never excelled at the sport.
According to T'ashaya, the river was not far away and would take them only a short time to reach. On further questioning his initial anxiety increased as she told him the river needed crossing before they could continue on their journey.
"Is there no other way?" He asked at last.
"None that I know of, sa-kai."
She described how the walls of the cavern narrowed until they formed an arch over the swift moving tributary. Beneath was a submerged tunnel that led to another series of caves. They would need to dive beneath the arch and swim the length of the tunnel until they emerged on the other side.
"This will be difficult for thee, hurt as thee is, sa-kai Spock. Perhaps, it would be wiser to return to the surface and forget these others who are not of thy kind --"
"No," he objected forcefully and felt her both mentally and physically withdraw from him. "They are my friends, my companions. I cannot leave them here to die."
"Ah, yes. Cease to exist, discontinue, perish."
Again, Spock felt her fingers flutter over his brow and cheek, and lightly make contact with his katra points.
"I would learn more of this. May I join with thy mind, sa-kai? Show me this termination--"
He hesitated but the thoughts he sensed through his shielding, her touch, was only enquiring. She meant him no harm. Spock obligingly lowered his mental barriers and allowed her access.
She reached into him, down to the heart of him, and he showed her what he knew of death, the pain of loss, the end of a precious and unique life, gone forever. At her urging, he revealed his innocent memories of the actual T'ashaya's passing. He recalled the grief of his parents, his father Sarek's agonizing detachment, his mother Amanda's utter despair, and his own simple, childish, anguish. He had missed the companionship of his gentle kokhai for many months. T'ashaya had been his first friend, his only friend, for the first years of his life. The recollection of her tender camaraderie, the way she devised games to entertain him, never wearying of his company, had profoundly impacted on his young mind.
A tremor shivered through the child kneeling beside Spock as she suffered the recollection along with him. He heard her moan softly, a catch in her voice as if she might be weeping. Weeping for him, for his pain, he wondered, or for the spirit of the young girl, whose form she had assumed? Somehow, it did not matter.
Her thought came to him with enormous gentleness. This is a grievous thing my sa-kai. How can thee bear such sadness?
He sent back, with distant calm, Death is part of our lives. We learn to accept its presence.
After a fashion --
Indeed, he acquiesced. After a fashion, and almost never willingly.
Before, I would not have understood, but now -- T'ashaya's mental voice, speaking in his mind held a fresh clarity, a knowledge that had been absent before, as if she had awakened from a long sleep. Her face appeared before his inner gaze, sapphire eyes glowing, her soft mouth curving with a mysterious smile, reminding him of his mother all over again. Her small fingers tensed on his katra points along brow and cheek. They relaxed once more, as she appeared to come to some decision.
Thee knows I believe, my sa-kai, that I – we – are not thy kokhai, T'ashaya. We chose this shape only because our true form is very different from thine. Some of us believed this would be a source of fear to such an opaque being. Now we are aware that thee is startlingly receptive--
Her image in his mind's eye swirled, reformed, and coalesced into a tall, shimmering column, like twisted strands of transparent crystal.
Our name is Rukhtharwar'e'tirilandahrar but thee call us Avellach. Her voice rang like wind chimes in the cool breeze of first light on Vulcan.
That is our name for this planet, certainly.
But we are the planet and the planet is us. There cannot be one without the other. Her laugh tinkled delicately. When the ships appeared we rejoiced, but it seemed that our presence distressed thy -- instruments. Thus, we withdrew to where we had first begun, in these caverns beneath the mountains, in order that we might still observe the opaque ones.
"Of course," Spock murmured aloud. "The reason for the high magnetic field --"
Alas, we were too hasty, our return too violent. Rock fell, stresses were produced that we were unable to control. We feared for the ones above. A warning had to be given --
The earth tremors were a warning?
Indeed. But in this, we also miscalculated. They failed to understand. And so, thee arrived. Thy memories are clear and strong, so we appeared to thee in the form of T'ashaya. Only one other was able to see us so clearly and he was beyond all our help.
Spock frowned. "T'ashaya --"
She spoke again, the same beautiful melodic ringing, like the notes of a song.
Rukhtharwar'e'tirilandahrar is our true name, sa-kai Spock. Thee may call us Rukhthar, however – if that is more -- to thy taste.
Spock reproduced it as best he could, then continued, One of my companions carries a device, an instrument that will stop the stresses from exploding into an earthquake. This may harm thy people. We must try to reach him before it is too late.
Indeed, we also see this necessity. But thee is not strong, my brother Spock.
"Strong enough, I believe --," He heaved himself to his feet, wavering back and forth until Rukhtharwar'e'tirilandahrar lent him her shoulder to lean on. With linked hands, they moved off into the darkness.
Moments later, the sound of fast moving water grew perceptively louder.
"We are here, sa-kai."
Spock explored on his hands and knees. Directly in front of him, the river began, rushing strongly towards the arch of stone and the submerged tunnel they must swim through.
Rukhtharwar'e's soft voice reached him even above the roar of the underground river. "If we go first, thee will follow?"
"I will follow."
He felt her warmth leave him and then there was silence until she called out again, voice no less soft, yet he heard her still.
"Come, sa-kai Spock. Let the river guide thee. We are here."
The water closed over him in a surge of icy blackness, leaching the heat from his blood in one swift gulp. He gasped in reaction but the river had him in its grasp. There was no need to dive. The water carried him under, careless of him as it smashed him into the arch. He hardly felt the pain through the cold, then the need for self preservation made him react. He dived, struck out clumsily with his arms, the constricted space hemming him in. After the first few strokes, the hissing in his ears became a roar. His heartbeat hammered against his lower ribs and his lungs cried out for air. Pain, like a knife-thrust, pierced his chest. Spock jack-knifed spasmodically, and lost the rest of his air. He lashed out in panic, thrashed wildly for the surface, but could not find it. All about him was rock and water, water and rock.
A small hand grasped him around the wrist with incredible strength. He was yanked physically forward and then up. Abruptly his mouth was gasping air.
Rukhtharwar'e, with an arm around his waist dragged him from the water and onto slick, cold stone. He lay on his side, sobbing for breath, gasping, his body one great agonizing hurt. Only half conscious, he reached for the small hand, found comfort in her touch, in the warmth of her fingers. She raised him gently, cradled his head upon her lap until his breathing steadied.
How much further?
Only a short way, my sa-kai. She brushed the wet hair tenderly back from his brow, her fingers gentle as they settled upon his katra points. Do not concern thyself now. There is time for thee to rest. Sleep a little --
Warmth stole over him, his heartbeat slowed, his breathing stabilized, and soon he slept.
