Part IV – Rena
An old knife lay in Saavik's outstretched hand, no more than a broken piece of metal with rags wrapped at one end. The dull blade gleamed in the soft, golden light of the flickering torches. Just one of the makeshift weapons she had used on Hellguard. She glanced up at Spock in silence, her eyes locking with Spock's dark eyes. It was time to put these things behind her.
Spock's upswept eyebrow rose out of curiosity. He did not question Saavik's intentions to place the memory offering with the others he put into the compartments. Silently, Spock allowed Saavik to place the small knife into one of the compartments to commemorate the lost souls from Saavik's past.
It was well done, she realized as a new feeling of peace settled about her. Saavik met Spock's calm gaze, her own alight with a gleam of mischievous humor. "Did thee not say something about a celebratory dance, my Adun? The plateau above the amphitheatre seems a most logical place to practice our steps..."
Saavik and Spock retraced their steps to the domed Hall, allowing the mourners to pass through in the other direction toward their families' vaults. Saavik felt peace settle into her soul as if a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders, thinking back to the memory offering she placed inside one of the compartments to commemorate the lost souls of Hellguard as the Romulan guards once called the forsaken planet of her birth. She had seen approval glimmer in Spock's dark eyes earlier. The knife served its purpose as an offering this night. Saavik finally understood what Katra fi' Salan was about....
The booming drums still vibrated in the Vulcan night as the two newly bonded adults traversed the precarious rock path to the cliff top. Their palms barely touched, fingers loosely locked together. An acceptable form of public affection. There were other Vulcans ahead of Saavik and Spock making their way back to the top as others made their way down. Their ornate robes brushed along the dusty path, small peebles falling off into the depths of the domed Hall. The feverish music still pounded in the background, sending electrifying currents throughout the souls of ShiKahr's residents including Saavik and Spock.
Under the stars, the couple overlooked the open-air amphitheatre once more before she turned to Spock with a questioning look on her face.
"Spock, if we're to celebrate tonight with a dance, I have a question to ask", Saavik's voice got lost in the continual sound of booming drums below the plateau.
"Tonight is ours to celebrate, Saavikam", Spock replied, holding up one finger to silence his wife's lips, the question she was about to ask did not come forth. He still mused over the old habit Saavik still carried with her from her younger days, but this night, he wanted to celebrate life with his new wife and show her, in his own way, how he felt about her.
And the dance would honor Amanda, their teacher, for her humanity, Sybok for his passion, Kirk for his friendship and the lost souls of Hellguard for their innocence.
Saavik thought she saw a glimmer of something akin to humor in his eyes. Her eyebrow shot up in question. Spock never ceased to amaze her, one moment he's totally Vulcan in every aspect and the next moment he's totally human in another aspect. She watched him reach forward with an open hand to take one of her hands into his gentle but strong grasp. Saavik sucked in a breath sharply from the warm touch of Spock's elegantly long hand, powerful emotions swirling in her soul as she still gazed at him. His eyes mirrored those same emotions.
An orchestra of booming drums ceased in the background as they became lost in their own world, Spock taking the lead in their dance with Saavik. Nothing else mattered to them except their own eyes locking in a steady gaze. His palm pressed against hers, they started out together with sweeping sidesteps, their bodies not quite touching but close enough for them to feel each other's movement along the dry ground.
The husband and wife waltzed to their own music, thoughts and emotions flowing freely between the two. Oblivious to the booming music and the Vulcans in their long procession to meditate upon their own deceased, Spock and Saavik danced beneath the stars as one.
The night was still quite young and far from over in their celebration....