For this chapter, I listened to a certain playlist. I always listen to this playlist when writing, but really this chapter has been in my head in one form or another and was inspired by this music. The entire Paladian culture was and so to experience what music drives me and thus the Paladians you can listen 'with me' here: htpp:/www. youtube playlist?list=PL124E1666A3AF3186 (with no spaces of course).
Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
By the time dinner came around, Nia was plenty worn out. She'd lost a race and as a result lost her first place position to Sunti. Sunti then lost to Kelo, who then lost to Nia as she reclaimed her title. Then she lost her second race to a female named Vaise who then finished out the competition with the most wins. Nia came in second, but was satisfied. It was the closest she had ever come to beating Vaise, Nia's fiercest competition. Nia hadn't even realized that that woman had been on NiPila.
The Paladian scientist hadn't yet pushed to the limits of her endurance either, something she was grateful for at the end of the racing. Otherwise, dancing in the evening might have gotten a little interesting. As it was, Nia cleaned two plates at mealtime before catching Spock discreetly watching her make her way through a third.
Kirk was less discreet as he tried to keep up with her.
Shaking in suppressed laughter, McCoy warned him "I wouldn't do that. Paladians have a healthy appetite on a lazy day, nevermind one where they climbed the same tree ten times."
"Eleven." Nia corrected.
"That didn't count." McCoy responded.
"Of course it did."
"You didn't even go up half way!"
"Only because you gave up."
"I fell off the tree!"
She waved away his statement. "Same difference."
McCoy glared at her as Kirk attempted to both hide his face and muffle his laughter with his shoulder. Nia's face was as straight as Spock's until McCoy turned to the captain and snapped, "Oh shut your gob. It ain't that funny. You didn't do any better against Myla."
Nia giggled. "McCoy, Alabama or Georgia?"
Rolling his eyes, he said, "Georgia. Don't start making fun of my accent now."
She shook her head, chuckling. "Oh please, like I have any room to judge your accent."
Wena agreed. "Yeah, you should have heard her when she first arrived. She sounded like everyone one of the individuals you've spoken to here." She glanced at Nia. "She worked pretty hard to get rid of it."
Uhura leaned forward. "I had wondered why you spoke Standard with so little of an accent. I mean, all races have their own way for speaking Standard."
"See," Nia blushed, "my big reason for getting rid of my accent was, well, Henry." She shrugged. "He enjoyed teaching me how to speak like a Terran."
"And it was an excuse to spend even more time together," Wena pitched in.
"Oh please, we were engaged by that point. As if we needed that excuse." Nia replied. She sighed.
Uhura's expression softened as she misinterpreted the sigh. "Do you miss him?" The dark-skinned woman asked carefully, glancing at Spock as she did so. She saw his jaw twitch, the only sign of his sudden tension.
Nia frowned, not catching the exchange. "Not in the way you would think. He was a good man, a very good man. But he's gone. Nothing can change that. And if nothing can change that, then any time spent yearning for the situation to be different is just a waste of time and my emotional resources."
"What is, is." Uhura stated, glancing again at Spock.
Nia caught it this time, and followed her gaze with a slight frown of confusion. "Yeah, that's a good way to put it."
Noticing Nia's confusion, Uhura smirked. "Vulcans agree."
Delighted, the Paladian turned to the half-Vulcan. "Really?" she asked, interested but finding she wasn't really surprised.
"Uhura is correct." Spock told her. "Kadith. What is, is." He supplied.
She smiled. A logical race would find it illogical to spend an exorbitant amount of time dwelling in the past without it pertaining to the future.
Was Nia happy that her husband died? No, of course not. Will she miss him? Yes. Had she moved on? Had she let Henry go?
Yes.
And that night, she would dance to prove it to her kin, blood and non-blood. She would prove it for all who wished to know.
It was not what Spock expected when he learned that Nia would be dancing. Knowing her tendencies on level surfaces, he wondered the wisdom of her choice. He understood the purpose behind it, but truly if walking was managed with difficulty, how much more difficult would dancing be?
As was traditional, the males participating in the evening festivities arrived first. The majority of the tables and chairs had been cleared out after the evening meal, some replaced by wide benches and a wide and large platform elevated only a couple inches off the main floor.
The platform's purpose was easy to deduce as its surface was considerably smoother than the surrounding floor. This would clearly aid in the sliding required in more challenging footwork.
As Spock studied the platform, Jacek joined him.
"Are you prepared to dance tonight?" The Paladian male asked.
"I was not aware I would be expected to participate. I know not of this Paladian custom." Spock informed the male.
Jacek frowned. "Do you not intend to honor the celebration?"
Spock's jaw twitched. "I do not intend to dishonor."
The Paladian's frown deepened and he nearly growled at Spock. "That is no answer."
It was to the Vulcan's great fortune that Kirk appeared just then.
"So, Jacek." He laid a hand on the male's shoulder. "What do we need to know about this event? Nia only gave us the barest details and of course Spock wants to do right by her. I figure you are the best person to ask."
While the statement wasn't entirely accurate, Spock decided not to speak against Kirk. Jacek had calmed considerably after hearing what the captain had to say.
In fact, the Paladian near preened under the captain's comments, chest puffin out as his shoulder raised proudly. "Tonight we celebrate the return of the last settlers, and we do so by dancing. I do not believe this to be dancing you have seen on Earth." His expression turned decidedly sheepish. "Wena was quite startled by her first celebration and has not forgiven me for my part in her embarrassment that night."
"Oh really? We didn't hear about that at dinner." Kirk smirked at Spock. "We heard about Nia nearly catching the curtains on fire."
Jacek chuckled. "Yes, that was an interesting time, but the curtains did catch on fire. It was put out quickly and no one was harmed. In fact, afterwards when Nia was horrifically embarrassed, Drella and Makol found vast amusement in the resulting singe marks."
"That's great. And something special will be happening for Nia, right?" Kirk asked rather pointedly. The Paladian female had given them too little information to satisfy his curiosity.
"Yes, the calliga." Jacek looked at Kirk and Spock expectantly.
Spock asked "And what is the calliga?"
Eyebrows rising, Jacek looked between Kirk and Spock in surprise. "Oh, I apologize. It is a symbolic dance that is meant to honor the past life of a loved one and the mourning that took place for two years after."
"So it's a dedication?"
"Of a sort. There will be a dedication for those who recently died, but the calliga will be a separate dance. I believe Nia is the only one it will be for." Jacek told them.
Kirk frowned. "But I thought two names were listed for that… calaga, was it?"
"Calliga."
"Calliga. Weren't there two names listed?"
Jacek clearly hesitated "Yes, there are two names."
Kirk waited for Jacek to clarify, but it was Spock who spoke.
"Are both the names Nia's loved ones?" Spock asked, putting together the pieces from the earlier conversation with Wena and the current one with Jacek.
The Paladian male sighed. "Yes, yes they are."
"I don't understand." Kirk stated.
Spock glanced at his captain briefly. "Jacek, for clarification, what are the names and ages of those listed?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected inquiry, Jacek fumbled for a moment. "Um, Henry Sargent was… 29 when he died and Joshua Sargent died as a babe in the womb."
Compassion softened Kirk's features. "That's unfortunate. I'm sorry for your loss."
Jacek shrugged. "I thank you." Jacek turned to Spock. "I am unsurprised that Nia did not tell you. Such a thing is a quiet hurt amongst the women and she will discuss it with you in her own time."
Both men just nodded uncomfortably. It wasn't a topic that could be discussed easily in many cultures.
Lightly tapping Spock's elbow Kirk muttered, "When you get the chance I need to speak with you. Pike contacted me again, had a couple updates."
Spock's eyebrows rose "Indeed?"
When Kirk had first contacted the admiral, the older man had been shocked. Narsow was one of the two Federation Council members that Palad had, and was of great influence. Such illegal actions as Narsow was suspected of committing could cause an abundance of diplomatic troubles for the planet. Promising to look further into the situation and double check Wena's information, Pike had agreed to Kirk's plan to return to Earth with Wena with the agreement that the two keep in contact.
Kirk nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell you more afterwards once we can speak privately, but it looks like we might have another problem to deal with."
"If it is important we should speak now." Spock pressed.
Shaking his head, Kirk told him "If we leave now, the wrong person might notice. It's better to wait."
More might have been said, but a noise behind the men distracted them. Turning, they discovered the source.
The females had arrived.
Uhura reached them first. Kirk was surprised to find her dressed according to Paladian custom. Her skirt was long to the top of her ankles, revealing the Starfleet boots she wore underneath. The high waist of the skirt was covered by a red blouse with long gossamer sleeves patterned brightly in fiery orange, yellow, and gold. Her makeup and hair were done to her normal standards, though.
"Looking good, Uhura." Kirk said, as his voice came back.
She smiled cheekily at him. "Thank you, Kirk." Her dark eyes glanced at Spock, then back at Kirk. "Wait until you see the others." She told him as McCoy sidled up next to the blond captain.
Kirk grinned and turned to Spock to make a comment, only to find the other man's attention diverted elsewhere. He followed his gaze, and saw Wena and another Paladian woman approaching them.
Wena wore and outfit that matched Uhura's, only green. In fact, Kirk wouldn't be surprised to find that Uhura had borrowed the outfit from the half-Paladian woman.
Besides the color of the outfit, Wena's hair was also styled very differently. It was pulled smoothly into two Celtic looking knots on either side of her head, like barrettes, before half the strands from each knot were pulled to a third larger knot at the crown of her head. A braid extending from the third knot wrapped around the loose strands and lifted the hair from the nape of her neck. The locks that spilled over the dark braid were curled, braided, and adorned with glittering strands and beads.
Hearing an odd sound next to him, Kirk shifted his gaze from the half-Paladian to his CMO only to find the man looking shell shocked as he took in the female doctor's appearance. In fact, the doctor didn't even appear to be breathing.
Huh. Kirk hadn't thought of that.
Leaning closer to his friend, he whispered "Bones, you might want to close your mouth. You are looking a bit like a large-mouth bass."
Spock, meanwhile, had not torn his gaze from the Paladian female that Kirk had mistakenly not recognized.
Her skirt was full and long, the colors signifying a person who could not choose a single color to stick with. The dark teal and purple swirls that dominated suited her though. Unlike the other two women, her skirt was belted across her hips and the fabric flowed seamlessly into a solid purple that darkened on its way to her shoulders. The dark purple fabric continued into half sleeves ending at her elbows and matched the dark purple toed slippers on her feet.
Spock was… pleased to see that the thick mass of her hair had been successfully tamed. Delicate coils curled from her hairline at even intervals, extending an inch before dark purple ribbon was integrated in wide, flat braids. Indeed, her hair looked much like Terran lacework as it was pulled to the back of her head and joined to a larger braid, the ends of which were curled under and hidden.
When Nia noticed Spock's careful study, she blushed. The fuchsia color of her cheeks fit well with the colors of her outfit.
With a smile, she teased, "Why boys, you look surprised. I don't know if we should be flattered or offended."
Kirk gaped at her. "Nia! Wow, I didn't even recognize you."
Wena leaned over to whisper in Nia's ear, "Definitely offended."
Giggling, she shook her head.
"So what should we expect at this shindig?" McCoy asked.
"Dancing. Duh." Wena told him.
He glared at her. "Yes, well anything besides dancing?"
"Probably," Wena shrugged. "It will only be live music, with the performers changing out intermittently. The platform is the dance floor, obviously. If you don't want to dance, there are benches available for use and there will be refreshments available."
"What kind of refreshments?" Kirk asked.
"Drinks and sweet things." Nia told him.
Wena laid a hand on her arm. "'Drinks and desserts' might be a better way to put it."
"Oh, right." Nia shrugged.
"So, will we be expected to dance?" McCoy grumbled.
"Of course." Wena replied, face a little too innocent.
Elbowing her in the ribs, Nia said, "Only if you want to. Some of the dances have very simple steps if you wish to learn. Others are more complicated and if you decide to try them, please tell me so I may record and save the image for future use." She paused and looked pleadingly at Wena who nodded.
With a soft breath, Nia asked Spock, "May I ask you a question?"
"If you mean an additional question, yes you may. Otherwise you have already asked me a question." He replied.
Nia fought down a grin as she caught the minute twitch of his lips. "Then I will ask an additional question. Tonight I will dance calliga. Later than traditional, but nevertheless I will be. It is a simple dance, meant for one alone or a pair." Wena rolled her hand, subtly telling Nia to 'get a move on'. "Would you dance with me? I am capable alone, but admittedly, I would prefer not to."
Spock didn't answer immediately and Nia chewed her lip as she waited for his answer. The dance that night would be for Henry and Joshua. The song, however, the song she'd hoped would be for herself. Herself, and her future. Something she was definitely wanting Spock to be a part of.
As he debated the choice in his head, music began to play.
Nia squeaked in surprise. "Oh no, it's starting. Where is my father?" Her gaze was almost frantic as she looked around. "He insisted on the first dance. Where is he?"
"Right here." A gruff voice sounded behind her. Makol grinned when his daughter turned around. "Come," He said, holding his hand out. "We are missing it."
Nia placed her smaller hand in his and he pulled her out on the dance floor.
McCoy sighed. "Well, I believe there is a bench calling my name."
"Sounds good to me." Kirk replied. "You joining us, Spock? Wena?"
Spock inclined his head, but Wena didn't even spare them a glance.
"In a moment," she said. "I don't want to miss my favorite part."
Kirk shrugged and he and McCoy made their way to a nearby bench. Spock stood beside Wena and watched Nia and Makol as they danced.
And so, the Vulcan saw when Nia stumbled during a particularly quick turn and Makol chuckled. She stumbled again during another step, and finally Makol paused and uttered a few words to her. Shaking her head, Nia stepped closer to him, and up. Spock realized that Nia was now standing on her father's feet as he danced, much like a child would.
"Nia always tries to dance on her own, but she's so clumsy on the flat ground. It's pretty much a given that she ends up on Makol's feet by the middle of the dance." Wena smirked at Spock. "I think it's cute."
And with that, the brunette spun on her heel away from the stage to join the others.
A few dances later, Wena had successfully dragged McCoy out onto the dance floor to stumble along to a moderately complicated dance, while Jacek kept Uhura very busy in what became 'their' corner of the dance floor. Kirk had a different partner for each dance, and Spock merely sat on a bench watching them and the woman near him.
Nia had been intending to sit next to Spock after dancing with her father, but then her mother and couple other women had dragged her back onto the floor for a type of line dance.
Once Nia had finally stepped off the dance floor, she was stopped by Layla who had immediately burst into tears and lost all coherent speech. All Nia heard was "Henry", "Joshua" and "Nethi" paired with rubbing across her swollen belly. Guessing what was upsetting the hormonal woman, Nia tried to comfort Layla as best she could while keeping a straight face. After all, it wasn't everyday that she comforted someone else for her own loss.
Eventually Nethi arrived and settled Layla down on a bench. "Oh Nethi, I'm not feeling so well. Do they have any tea here?"
He shook his head. "Not any hot tea that you can drink. Likely it will upset your stomach even more." Nethi frowned and glanced fretfully at his wife. "I will get your tea from the house."
"What?" Layla protested. "No, Nethi. I will be fine without. I want you to stay with me."
He sighed. "Layla, we should not risk you nausea getting worse. Otherwise you will not be able to eat or drink properly tonight." He looked pleadingly at Nia.
She held up her hands. "Don't look at me. I know just how finicky Paladian stomachs are during pregnancy and I know just how stubborn the owners of those stomachs are." Chuckling, Nia decided to leave the couple to their discussion. Her presence wouldn't help either way.
As she straightened up, she noticed the quiet that had fallen on the dance floor. Nia glanced at the musicians, wondering why they had stopped playing, and discovered that female who sang was staring straight at her.
Nia's breath caught and hitched as she made her way across the platform to where the musicians were set up. The vocalist was slightly taller than her and had to bend slightly as she leaned over to speak with Nia. The discussion was very quick and ended with the other woman gripping Nia's hand in a silently mixing of emotions. The crowd on the dance floor thinned out some as Nia stepped away and released the vocalist's hand. Only close friends and family remained on the platform, a sign of support. Others could join later during the dance.
The first couple of notes began to play and Nia turned in the first step of the slow dance with her eyes closed.
She didn't expect for a hand to gently catch her wrist and halt her movements. Startled, Nia opened bright gray eyes to meet gentle brown ones.
In a move too quick for her to follow, Spock reached an arm around her waist and lifted her up into the next slow turn. Again, Nia was surprised. This time it was because she found that she no longer stood on the flat platform, but instead had her feet braced on Spock's. She blushed, but pulled him closer.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Since this dance is being observed by many, it should be performed to the best capability. Therefore, it is only logical that you follow my lead. I am a better dancer than you." He pointed out, logically.
Nia smiled softly, but didn't reply. She hadn't been thanking him for that, and they both knew it.
Across the dance floor, Wena watched the couple, sniffling.
McCoy looked down at her, appalled. "You aren't crying, are you?"
She shook her head. "You don't understand." She pulled her hand off of his shoulder to scrub at her eyes.
"You're right, I don't understand why the woman I am dancing with is crying." He gripped.
Wena glared at him. "You didn't have to dance with me, you know."
He rolled his eyes. "Like you didn't drag me out here to make a fool of myself."
"Oh hush." She said. "Why would I do something like that?"
Hazel-green eyes glared down into vibrant green eyes. "Alright, so I did. But just look at them. And this song, it's so perfect."
"Are there any lyrics to this song?"
"There are." The bickering pair spun smoothly. "Listen, she's about to start singing."
McCoy was surprised to find the song was sung in Standard. He listened as he continued to dance, and grudgingly had to agree with Wena. It was perfect.
This glancing life is like a morning star,
A setting sun or rolling waves at sea
A gentle breeze or lightning in a storm
A dancing dream or all eternity
The sand was shimmering in the morning light
And dancing off the dunes so far away
The night held music so sweet, so long
And there we lay until the break of day
We woke that morning to the onward call
Our camel bridled up, our howdahs full
The sun was rising in the eastern sky
Just as we set out to the desert's cry
Calling, yearning, pulling home to you
As the woman's voice rose and crested, Nia stepped out from Spock's arms and spun. When her voice dwindled, Nia flowed back into his embrace and they spun again in time with the music.
The tents grew smaller as we rode away
On earth that tells of many passing days
The months of peace and all the years of war
The lives of love and all the lives of fears
Calling, yearning, pulling home to you
This time Spock expected the move as she spun away from him. The significance of the timing of the move was not lost on him.
We crossed the river beds all etched in stone
And up the mighty mountains ever known
Beyond the valleys in the searing heat
Until we reached the caravanserai
Calling, yearning, pulling home to you
Calling, yearning, pulling home to you
What is this life that pulls me far away?
What is that home where we cannot reside?
What is this quest that pulls me onward?
My heart is full when you are by my side
As the chorus was sung a final time, Nia didn't spin away. Instead she almost clung to Spock as they continued to turn. By now many dancing pairs had returned to the dance floor and Nia hid her face in Spock's shoulder to prevent being seen. Or at least, that's how she justified pulling him so close.
Uhura watched from the bench where she relaxed. The African woman wondered if all the unspoken messages being passed were getting caught. Not in the least, she wondered what it meant for Spock to conform to such a physical display with so many watching.
Spock had never claimed Uhura like that.
The communications officer allowed herself to grin as the tall, lean male reached for the Paladian female's hand, even though she was still in his arms and had no need to grip his hand.
When his hand gently gripped hers, Nia felt the connection that Vulcans were capable of creating. A mental bond versus an emotional one.
And so, that mental connection was how she figured out that Spock, for all his logical tendencies and mental pathways, knew the significance of the lyrics and the dual nature Nia had intended for them to have. And it was how she learned what this dance meant to Spock.
The music ended, and he released her to move away from him.
Nia opened her mouth to speak, to say something, anything-
A scream tore through the air.
A/N: I know, I know, I know. Cliffhanger. At least this gives you something to look forward too. The title of the song used is "Caravanserai" by Loreena McKennitt. And yes, it is one of my favorite songs. It's gorgeous.
Many thanks to those who have reviewed and I'm sorry for not saying so last chapter. So again, thanks to Laura, elliemaeemerson38, fallenfaeangel, and ilovemedia
Thank you to everyone who as added this story to their alerts and/or favorites and thank you to everyone who is hanging in their despite the recent delay in chapters.