Hi, folks! Thanks, as usual, for all the reviews. Here's part five. I'm
posting this AND part six at once. Keep your eyes peeled for part seven ---
it'll be here sometime next week. :]
***
Part Five: Sankra
***
The dawn came, foggy and quiet. Jack and Uta were having tea. There was a knock.
"That will be Sankra," Uta said, putting down her cup. "She is back from her journey."
Jack nodded. His face betrayed nothing, but he was looking forward to meeting her. He knew her teacher would be happy to see her after a week of separation.
Uta unlatched the door and it banged open, flooding the room with mist. A short, slim woman stomped in and held out her arms. She wore torn clothes and a dust cloud followed her in.
"Ho, Uta! I have returned!" she shouted joyfully. She was filthy, windblown, careworn, and LOUD.
Uta's reaction was equally boisterous.
"Ay ya!" the old woman yelled. "Thoughtless girl, tromping into my house all dusty and musty! Outside! Shoo! Get those clothes off! Clean the grit from your face! Wash the leaves from your hair! Why, you look like a wild animal!"
Uta was a human tornado as she shoved a protesting Sankra out of the house. She chased after her with a bucket of water and some lye soap. A few minutes later, she returned, irritated, and closed the door. Jack raised an eyebrow at his hostess.
"'Love her like your own daughter,' eh?" he teased.
"I yell because I care," she snapped.
Jack snorted in amusement. There was another knock.
"Are you presentable?" Uta yelled out.
There was a huge sigh outside. The accompanying eye roll was practically audible.
"Yes."
"All right, then. Come in."
Sankra entered, calm and composed, in clean gray robes and leather sandals. Her happy face was round. Her smooth skin was the color of brown sugar from many days spent outside. Twin orbs of sparkling amber blinked at Jack. A river of Indian ink cascaded down her head and fell over her shoulders in loose waves. She scratched the tip of her little nose.
"Hello," she said. "I apologize for earlier. I didn't know Uta had a guest." She gave him a keen glance. "And a *rare* guest. A man, and a stranger."
"I am Jack. It is a pleasure to meet you."
He stood up, off-balance. Sankra saw his ankle.
"What --- What's this?" she asked, coming over and taking his elbow. "What happened to you? Oh, I'm so sorry, I never introduced myself. My name's Sankra, and I'm learning to heal people. Hey, maybe I could help you! I've practiced my healing techniques on squirrels lots of times. And squirrels are so cute! I had one once ---"
Jack tried to speak a few times, but finally gave up. He couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Sankra!" Uta barked. "Enough!"
Sankra shut her mouth, mid-word, with an audible click. She gave Jack an embarrassed smile. Jack smiled back kindly and sat down on his cot.
"Jack was injured in the forest," Uta said. "He's been staying with me while you were on your walkabout --- but he can wait for a moment. Have you seen it?"
All Sankra's bubbly energy left her in a rush. She turned very serious and respectful.
"I have," she said. "I saw the face. It is a she. She is beautiful. Her image is imprinted on every leaf, shining in every drop of dew. Repeated ten million times in a single flower."
"Ah, good. And did she speak to you?"
"Yes," Sankra said, with quiet joy. "She said she knows me, and through me, others will know her ways."
"As I had hoped!" Uta cried, clapping her hands. "You are the one!"
She went over to Sankra, embraced her roughly, and kissed her forehead. The young woman's eyes were shining in delight.
Uta turned to Jack in explanation. "The earth has accepted Sankra into her service. She is already a fine healer, but now that she has connected fully with the land, she will be able to learn more secrets. And one day, she will have pupils of her own."
She looked back at Sankra and smiled. "Go ahead, child. Work the magic I have shown you."
Sankra bowed respectfully and sat down next to Jack. "Put your foot in my lap," she said.
Uta nodded at him. Supporting himself on his arms, he did as she asked, and watched her curiously. First, she removed the splint, then the bandages. His ankle was bruised and swollen, and very stiff. He suspected his foot didn't smell too great, either.
Sankra didn't comment or wrinkle her nose. She just cradled his foot in her hands.
"You'll have to lie back, Jack," she said.
He sank down onto his elbows.
"All the way."
With a sigh, he let go completely and stretched out on his back. But he craned his neck a little to see what she was doing. In the dim light of the hut, a faint blue glow appeared around her hands. It grew bluer and brighter, until it was nearly white.
For a bit, the warrior was more surprised than agonized. He felt the bones knitting. A jigsaw puzzle was coming together under his skin. The throbbing was incredible. A bit dizzy, he felt Sankra rise from the mattress, and listened to her conversation with Uta.
"Have they made the announcement yet?" Uta asked.
"No," said the young woman. "They're waiting until Ulele and Shoko return from their trading, which won't be for another hour. Then they'll call it."
"In the square?"
"Yes."
Then Jack craned his neck and looked. Sankra's hands had left his ankle red and enormously swollen.
"Sankra?" he asked.
"Yes, Jack."
"I, um, I mean no disrespect, but my ankle looks like a grapefruit. What did you do?"
Uta laughed.
"I channeled your life force," Sankra said, ignoring the old woman. "I drew it away from other parts of you, and added my own power to make you heal yourself. The swelling should go down soon. In an hour, you will be running."
"I will get some snow for it," Uta said, hurrying out. "Come, Sankra, help me gather it. And Jack --- Oh, heavens. You look like a ghost. Ay, girl, you never pay attention! How many times have I told you, 'watch the cheeks?' Look at him --- he's got no blood left in his face! Idiot! Jack, don't sit up. You'll faint."
Jack was offended at this. The two women left. Alone, he snorted in annoyance.
"Faint. Ha! *I* will not faint!" he declared, sitting up. "For I am a samur- --whoa." His eyes rolled up in his head and he fell back onto the mattress.
END PART FIVE.
***
Part Five: Sankra
***
The dawn came, foggy and quiet. Jack and Uta were having tea. There was a knock.
"That will be Sankra," Uta said, putting down her cup. "She is back from her journey."
Jack nodded. His face betrayed nothing, but he was looking forward to meeting her. He knew her teacher would be happy to see her after a week of separation.
Uta unlatched the door and it banged open, flooding the room with mist. A short, slim woman stomped in and held out her arms. She wore torn clothes and a dust cloud followed her in.
"Ho, Uta! I have returned!" she shouted joyfully. She was filthy, windblown, careworn, and LOUD.
Uta's reaction was equally boisterous.
"Ay ya!" the old woman yelled. "Thoughtless girl, tromping into my house all dusty and musty! Outside! Shoo! Get those clothes off! Clean the grit from your face! Wash the leaves from your hair! Why, you look like a wild animal!"
Uta was a human tornado as she shoved a protesting Sankra out of the house. She chased after her with a bucket of water and some lye soap. A few minutes later, she returned, irritated, and closed the door. Jack raised an eyebrow at his hostess.
"'Love her like your own daughter,' eh?" he teased.
"I yell because I care," she snapped.
Jack snorted in amusement. There was another knock.
"Are you presentable?" Uta yelled out.
There was a huge sigh outside. The accompanying eye roll was practically audible.
"Yes."
"All right, then. Come in."
Sankra entered, calm and composed, in clean gray robes and leather sandals. Her happy face was round. Her smooth skin was the color of brown sugar from many days spent outside. Twin orbs of sparkling amber blinked at Jack. A river of Indian ink cascaded down her head and fell over her shoulders in loose waves. She scratched the tip of her little nose.
"Hello," she said. "I apologize for earlier. I didn't know Uta had a guest." She gave him a keen glance. "And a *rare* guest. A man, and a stranger."
"I am Jack. It is a pleasure to meet you."
He stood up, off-balance. Sankra saw his ankle.
"What --- What's this?" she asked, coming over and taking his elbow. "What happened to you? Oh, I'm so sorry, I never introduced myself. My name's Sankra, and I'm learning to heal people. Hey, maybe I could help you! I've practiced my healing techniques on squirrels lots of times. And squirrels are so cute! I had one once ---"
Jack tried to speak a few times, but finally gave up. He couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Sankra!" Uta barked. "Enough!"
Sankra shut her mouth, mid-word, with an audible click. She gave Jack an embarrassed smile. Jack smiled back kindly and sat down on his cot.
"Jack was injured in the forest," Uta said. "He's been staying with me while you were on your walkabout --- but he can wait for a moment. Have you seen it?"
All Sankra's bubbly energy left her in a rush. She turned very serious and respectful.
"I have," she said. "I saw the face. It is a she. She is beautiful. Her image is imprinted on every leaf, shining in every drop of dew. Repeated ten million times in a single flower."
"Ah, good. And did she speak to you?"
"Yes," Sankra said, with quiet joy. "She said she knows me, and through me, others will know her ways."
"As I had hoped!" Uta cried, clapping her hands. "You are the one!"
She went over to Sankra, embraced her roughly, and kissed her forehead. The young woman's eyes were shining in delight.
Uta turned to Jack in explanation. "The earth has accepted Sankra into her service. She is already a fine healer, but now that she has connected fully with the land, she will be able to learn more secrets. And one day, she will have pupils of her own."
She looked back at Sankra and smiled. "Go ahead, child. Work the magic I have shown you."
Sankra bowed respectfully and sat down next to Jack. "Put your foot in my lap," she said.
Uta nodded at him. Supporting himself on his arms, he did as she asked, and watched her curiously. First, she removed the splint, then the bandages. His ankle was bruised and swollen, and very stiff. He suspected his foot didn't smell too great, either.
Sankra didn't comment or wrinkle her nose. She just cradled his foot in her hands.
"You'll have to lie back, Jack," she said.
He sank down onto his elbows.
"All the way."
With a sigh, he let go completely and stretched out on his back. But he craned his neck a little to see what she was doing. In the dim light of the hut, a faint blue glow appeared around her hands. It grew bluer and brighter, until it was nearly white.
For a bit, the warrior was more surprised than agonized. He felt the bones knitting. A jigsaw puzzle was coming together under his skin. The throbbing was incredible. A bit dizzy, he felt Sankra rise from the mattress, and listened to her conversation with Uta.
"Have they made the announcement yet?" Uta asked.
"No," said the young woman. "They're waiting until Ulele and Shoko return from their trading, which won't be for another hour. Then they'll call it."
"In the square?"
"Yes."
Then Jack craned his neck and looked. Sankra's hands had left his ankle red and enormously swollen.
"Sankra?" he asked.
"Yes, Jack."
"I, um, I mean no disrespect, but my ankle looks like a grapefruit. What did you do?"
Uta laughed.
"I channeled your life force," Sankra said, ignoring the old woman. "I drew it away from other parts of you, and added my own power to make you heal yourself. The swelling should go down soon. In an hour, you will be running."
"I will get some snow for it," Uta said, hurrying out. "Come, Sankra, help me gather it. And Jack --- Oh, heavens. You look like a ghost. Ay, girl, you never pay attention! How many times have I told you, 'watch the cheeks?' Look at him --- he's got no blood left in his face! Idiot! Jack, don't sit up. You'll faint."
Jack was offended at this. The two women left. Alone, he snorted in annoyance.
"Faint. Ha! *I* will not faint!" he declared, sitting up. "For I am a samur- --whoa." His eyes rolled up in his head and he fell back onto the mattress.
END PART FIVE.