20 What happened to the SwiftHoof
- - -
Jake did his best to stay very, very quiet. And very, very still. The cubical leaves of bushes above seemed almost eager to betray him further.
Suddenly a strong hand clasped over his mouth and another grabbed his shoulder.
Jake tensed instantly in half-panic, prepared to fight, but just in time he heard the faint whisper that said; "Be absolutely quiet. Don't move."
It was Rachel. She moved her hand away from his mouth, and let go of his shoulder. She settled next to him under the bushes. The Kelbrid, tired of waiting for sounds, began searching their surroundings, beginning with up in the trees. The humans were gone, and the young Kelbrid remained, uncertainly, where the three adults left her.
Having searched the trees, the Kelbrids' horns began whipping into the bushes, beating the branches apart to reveal what was beneath.
Rachel said nothing, did nothing, although she must have heard the characteristic sound of whipping horns coming closer and closer. Jake trusted her judgement, knowing that she knew the Kelbrid much better than he did, but as the search came closer he grew nervous and finally decided it was time to leave.
He yanked lightly at his cousin's shirt to signal for her to follow, but as he began inching away she took a hold of his wrist and gave a slight jerk of her head, clearly indicating "no". She was surprisingly strong. Even if Jake could have broken free, (although perhaps not easily) the movement would have caused the bushes above to crackle terribly, and reveal them to the Kelbrid.
By then the three Touched had reached the two hidden humans, and it was too late for Jake to figure out any sort of plan. The horns whipped at the bushes, brushing leaves and branches aside, displaying both Jake and Rachel...
But the Kelbrid simply moved on.
Jake's surprise was not far from making him raise his head in puzzlement to see why. But he stopped himself at the last moment, realising that would do more harm than good.
When the Touched and the young one had left – and their footsteps faded away – Rachel stood up, hearing Jake doing the same. She brushed some dirt off her shirt, and smiled, explaining; "Kelbrid have good ears. But their night-vision is worse than ours. They can detect movement, but not much more. So just stay still and quiet and they'll pass you by."
Jake nodded, filing the piece of information away in the back of his head for later use. He glanced around... and realised Tom was nowhere in sight. Then how had Rachel managed to get there?
"How did you get here?" he hissed, thinking the question could do with an answer. "And where's Tom?"
"Tom's guarding LuRi'il," Rachel replied. "At least he better be guarding her, if he knows his own good. And I got here the same way you did; crawling."
"Alone?"
"Do you see anyone else?" she snarled, and Jake suddenly realised he was out on thin ice. "Yeah, cousin; alone. What's so horrible about that?"
"Not horrible," he assured her, although a part of him though it was; Rachel or not, she was still non-morphable and completely blind. Not that she herself seemed aware of it. "Just surprising. How did you find your way?"
"Followed you, of course," Rachel snorted. "I'd have to be deaf as well as blind not to be able to do that. You breathe as loudly as Marco snores."
"That bad?" Jake said, downhearted.
She nodded. "Almost. Then again, I've had some practice. But now, Jake, you'll get to lead a poor blind girl back." She smiled – a half-wicked smile. "Maybe that'll sooth your overdone protectiveness."
Jake made a face, but took her arm and started back towards camp.
- - -
«Estrid! Wake up!»
Estrid's eyes flew open and she found herself staring right at Aralgo's face. His four eyes were shining.
«What? Has something happened?»
«Oh, nothing,» he said with a drawl, expression changed, and a sly stalk watching for her reaction. «Just wanted to see if that would wake you.»
«Very amusing,» Estrid commented. «Seriously. What's –»
«'Seriously'?!» Araglo repeated, taking a step back in fake-shock. «I thought you knew me better than that! I'm insulted!»
«Larynia was right. I should have let you sleep. You're as bad as Minalea! Has something really happened, Aralgo, or is this just your idea of a joke?»
«Come on, my jokes are better than this.»
«Doubtful. Very doubtful.»
Aralgo flicked his tail, but then his eyes began shining again. «We've located a ship,» he said. «A Dome ship. Everyone's meeting on the bridge.»
«Which Dome ship?»
«We don't know. We intend to find out. Are you coming or not?»
Estrid sighed and followed the aristh to the Phantom's spacey bridge. The 'spacey' part was lucky, because – with six Andalites – any smaller would have been very crowded.
«Okay, what have you found?» she questioned, taking a place next to Olana by the consoles.
«A friendly ship,» Olana said eagerly, all four eyes fixed on the screens and fingers dancing over the controls.
«Aralgo told me that much,» Estrid said. «Anything else?»
«I'm trying to open a communications channel, but so far they aren't responding. Just a moment...»
«'Just a moment' is an excellent phrase,» Carali commented. «And during that moment, how about figuring out what to tell them? How do we explain what we're doing here?»
Larynia sent an annoyed stalk-glare at him. «We tell them the truth. That we are a group of arisths, without a Prince or warrior, looking for –» She stopped speaking and her main eyes grew wide. «Oh.»
«Oh what?» Minalea asked.
«Arisths,» Larynia said. «Only...»
«Only what?» Minalea demanded.
«We were sent off the Daybreak,» Carali said. «But if we can't prove that, they might stamp us all as deserters.»
Larynia shifted her weight to another set of hooves. «Arisths are not allowed – as we all know –» she remarked dryly «– to start making decisions for themselves. We need to prove that we were sent away, not just went away. Without a Prince or warrior, that can get tough.»
There was a moment of silence as the words sank in. Estrid moved closer to the controls and stood watching the screens that clearly displayed the nearby ship.
«With other words, we are in serious trouble,» Carali concluded grimly.
«What about me?» Estrid wondered.
«You? You're not an aristh,» Aralgo muttered. «You've got nothing to worry about.»
«No. I mean, I can testify. I can –»
«You're not in the Fleet,» Olana said, tugging nervously at a stalk. «It doesn't count for much – I know that. At the Academy they made us study trials and laws until we knew them forwards, backwards and from both sides.»
«They did?» Minalea said, confused.
«Yes, they did,» Larynia explained patiently. «Third lesson in the afternoon.»
«Oh,» Minalea laughed, eyes twinkling. «Now I remember. Nap-time.» A concerned wrinkle appeared on her forehead. «Were we supposed to be listening to that babble?»
Everyone ignored her.
«They'll accuse us of theft, too,» Olana said.
«Theft?» Carali said.
«The Phantom. It is, technically, still Captain Kandion's ship.»
Minalea let out a heavy sigh. «Great.»
«'Great' in general, or 'great', you thought of something else they can imprison us for?»
Minalea scraped at the floor with a front hoof. «In general. But also...» Another sigh. «Well, here I am, in the best trouble of my life, and I didn't get to plan it.»
«Yep,» Aralgo said, staring at her as if she was mad. «Yep. That is obviously our biggest problem.»
«Planning it is half the fun,» she declared, somehow sounding completely serious.
«I am sure it is. Now could we get back to saving our tails, please?»
«Well, actually...» Olana began timidly. «It isn't that bad... remember what our Captain told us. He said... he said they'd last months besieged on the Daybreak... with a shred of luck. So all we have to do is make sure someone goes to save the Daybreak, and Captain Kandion can confirm our story himself.»
The arisths exchanged glances.
«Then open a communications channel, Olana,» Larynia ordered. «Because we haven't got all day.»
Olana went to work, but Carali swivelled a stalk to Larynia and said; «No. Stop.»
Olana hesitated, looking from one to the other, and then at Estrid.
«Maybe we should rethink this one more time,» Carali said authoritatively.
«Rethink what?» Larynia snapped back. «Rethink that we'll run out of life support again in another day and this friendly ship might be the only one we'll ever find?!»
«Rethink what we're going to say,» Carali corrected. «And, also, who'll be speaking? Or did you plan that for yourself, Larynia?»
«Does it matter who speaks?» Larynia replied.
«Matters to me,» Carali growled.
Estrid rolled her stalks in exasperation. The term 'agreeing' had never occurred to those two.
And worse. Aralgo, of course, had to join in. «Matters to me as well,» he said, following Carali's example of glaring at Larynia.
Minalea stepped in between them all. «Fine. I'll talk, if you're going to disagree about it.»
«Even worse,» Aralgo grinned, but while Carali raised his stalks in surprise, Larynia was smiling smugly.
Minalea saw that, of course, and said; «If you have any complaints, I suggest you deliver them directly to Larynia's tail-blade, because personally, I have a speech to prepare.»
Larynia cocked her tail – and raised her eyebrows questioningly at her friend.
Minalea was all innocent. «What? Do you actually mean I'll have to fight them about it, when you can do it in half the time?»
Again, Estrid rolled her stalks in exasperation. Hopeless youngsters.
«Opening communications,» Olana announced. «Whoever is going to speak, now is the time.»
Minealea took her place, but Carali stepped in determinately next to her. They both turned to the holographic screen, where the face of an Andalite warrior appeared.
«Who are you?» he drawled in a voice drenched with annoyance. «And what do you want?»
The lack of courtesy and proper addressing when opening a communications channel made Carali forget what to say. Minalea did not have that problem.
«We are a group of arisths sent by our ship to find help,» she said, taking on a remarkably meek tone of voice. «May I ask your name and rank, and what ship you belong to?»
«This is the SwiftHoof,» he snapped back. «I am the First Officer, Jarathur. And we have no time for female arisths playing warrior. Return to your ship at once!»
Minalea's face went purple with anger, but Carali quickly nudged her away from the screen and said; «FO Jarathur, our ship is far away and in need of assistance. Our own craft will not last in space more than another day – we are overtaxing life support with six passengers. We respectfully request docking permission.»
The FO:s strict face seemed to think that over. «Where is your Prince?»
«No Prince or warrior was able to join us.»
«Arisths, without a Prince or warrior?!» the FO cried, almost disbelieving – and disappointed, Estrid noted to her surprise. But no... she must have heard wrong. Why would he be disappointed?
More important things to worry about, she thought to herself.
«No, FO Jarathur,» Carali continued. «Only five arisths...»
«You said there were six passengers.»
«Yes. There is also a scientist, FO.»
The Andalite's eyes sparkled suddenly with renewed interest. «Very well, aristh,» he said quickly. «You have permission to dock. Send your scientist our humblest apologies for keeping him waiting.»
The channel was suddenly cut and Carali blinked in surprise as the face disappeared.
«'Him',» Estrid muttered in a sneer, tail twitching. «Typical warriors. Just wait until –» Then she caught herself, seemed almost embarrassed, and took a deep breath to calm down.
«You heard the FO, Olana,» Carali said. «We're going in to dock.»
Larynia watched through the windows as the Dome ship appeared in the distance. She suddenly shivered.
«What?» Minalea wondered.
«I have a bad feeling,» she said.
«Whatever for?»
«Oh, it's nothing. Except that... the FO was not behaving... naturally. And that sudden interest for Estrid.»
Estrid agreed silently. Most Andalites had a natural respect for science and scientists – but most warriors grew past that, and ended up on a level of almost annoying, forced courteousness, in her case always accompanied by that mocking tone of voice.
The FO had displayed neither.
If it had not been such a detail, and she had not been so relieved at finally finding a friendly ship, Estrid would have pursued that thought.
- - -
"LuRi'il."
At midnight, when they had finished sleeping, the Touched prisoner was still sitting motionlessly in her place. She did not move for two reasons; firstly, the kii-raja who watched her so intently he might have been born for the task. Secondly, she had promised not to escape.
"LuRi'il?"
And she was going to keep that promise, Touched or not, for as long as she could.
She searched her mind again. To her relief, He wasn't there. 'He', being the One, the Whole. If He did appear, she would have to hide what she was doing, and who she was there with – and that would be a problem.
"LuRi'il!"
She realised someone was calling for her, and her eyes snapped open. It was actually nice to be among people who used names again. She had not heard her own since she was only a child... and she was far out of the habit of listening to it.
It was the young one who had called. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
LuRi'il – yes, she had missed using names – gave the food in his hand one look, and replied; "Yes, thank you."
The young one left her the food and returned to his mother.
Such a sweet child. And lucky, to be born free; born in the resistance. Unlike her own daughter, who was born among the Chosen – and when she was old enough, would become one of them.
If LuRi'il was to save her, she would need to be quick. The ceremony for the youngsters was barely days away. But now, she had to prioritise telling the resistance about Arnaha. Her daughter was only one of many, after all. And both were warriors; her daughter, if she knew, would understand.
But she knew nothing about Arnaha. For her own good: it would have gotten her into trouble.
LuRi'il stretched a hand down for the food KEdi'ir had left her and lifted it to her mouth. The kii-raja saw the movement and his great muscles twitched, but then relaxed again.
A nervous one. LuRi'il smiled, cheek-slits widening and ears leaning outwards, as she began eating.
When she was finished the human sat down in front of her. Not just one of the humans, but the human – the one who spoke her language.
"Could you tell us about Arnaha?" she asked.
LuRi'il felt a fleeting thought about the Whole and his opinions pass through her mind, but pushed it firmly as far away as she could and immediately began constructing an excuse. The pain still grabbed hold in her chest, but like so many times before she ignored it.
The Whole had chosen the wrong species. Kelbrid were the ultimate warriors; they had no chance at defying His direct orders – no-one did – but they could and did learn to overlook a lot of pain.
"Arnaha is everywhere they are Chosen," she said, cheek-slits flared open for breath. Pain she could deal with; but that grip on her lungs that made her feel like she was choking was very unnerving, and harder to ignore. Kelbrid were not used to choking. They avoided water, and their throats and necks were so packed with muscles that strangling them would be practically impossible. "And the Whole knows."
"Knows?" the human repeated, and even LuRi'il – who had no practice reading human expressions – could see her alarm.
The Chosen smiled weakly to calm her. "Did you expect us to be able to hide it, cer y'yhan?" However a human could come to be called that was beyond LuRi'il; and not her concern. Still, a title was a title. "He knows what we know – more or less."
"And he lets you live?"
"Why not?" LuRi'il felt the great claws on her feet tense in irritation at how easily her group was dismissed, but kept them from snapping. The kii-raja might interpret that as a threat. "He considers us no threat. We are below His concern – far below it. He only cares about those who are directly involved in his plans." Her claws twitched in bitterness despite her attempts to stop them. "Keh-na," she spat.
"Watch your tongue," the human warned.
LuRi'il smiled approvingly. If the human had been among Kelbrid long enough to know swearwords – that were very unusual, considering their eternal politeness – she had certainly been there long enough to earn a promotion to cer y'yhan. "Forgive me. The Whole... ignores us... as long as he does not need us. He keeps an eye on us, but no more."
"Does he know you are here?"
"Not yet," LuRi'il assured her, again making the sure the Whole's presence was not making another visit. "I will know when he finds out. And... take care of it. He will give me no orders against you."
"You can't control that," the human said.
"No, I cannot," LuRi'il agreed. "But I will – for a moment, at least – still be able to control these." She lifted her wrist blades, and made a stabbing motion at her chest. Meeting the human's gaze – remarkably calm such, for a human – she added; "That is all I need."
There was a moment of silence. The other humans had stopped what they were doing to stare at the Chosen. One of the adult Kelbrid – Sira'aki, was her name – came to sit next to the human, and whispered something in her ear. The human's expression switched to a mix of surprise and shock, but then she nodded in understanding – a gestured LuRi'il had learned to interpret by watching the humans brought by the Yeerks.
LuRi'il suddenly had a burning suspicion.
Blind? The human was blind, and unable to see her?
The Whole's part of the mind immediately drew a thousand advantages and possibilities out of that thought. Suppressing them made her lungs and heart feel like they were being torn out through her ribcage – in pieces. She closed her eyes and rocked forwards, trying desperately to focus on something else.
"LuRi'il, are you feeling unwell?" Sira'aki asked from somewhere far away.
LuRi'il said; "I... should tell you this before it is... too late. Arnaha... they will rally behind you... if you call them." With that she closed her eyes, clasped her arms around her waist, jerked forwards and threw up. Threw up blood.