The flickering clouds were framed by walls of basalt. P'Nem dabbed at Juliette's cheeks with a damp cloth. Juliette struggled to sit upright and yelped as her palms blazed with pain.

"We are in the ravine, and for the moment, between the two storm fronts," P'nem said as she eased Juliette to her feet. "The monastery is not far, but the incline is steep. We will take many breaks."

Juliette looked at her hands mummified in gauze. The pain had dulled to a throbbing itch. "How-"

"Lorot carried you. We must keep moving. Injured sehlat are even more dangerous. Just walk. This way."

Juliette forced herself to move as Danek took her arm to guide her and together they drifted through a dimly lit haze of upward sloping switchbacks until one turn ended at a pair of blackened doors sunk into a basalt wall. The doors were twice as tall as Lorot, their imposing uniformity interrupted by discolored sections where the stippled metal surface was bowed and melted.

The air was clear enough for them to remove their masks and goggles. Juliette followed a pattern of eruptions in the metal with her gaze. "Is this a fortress?"

"It was a fortress," Denak answered with a quiet reverence. "One of the few that remain standing. Now it is our monastery."

"House Renat was a fortress on Betazed."

"Is it a monastery as well?" Danek asked.

"No, more of a park..." Juliette answered sadly, her voice trailed off in memory. Renat was filled with scenic cafes where vacationers gathered to watch the sun set over the ocean. Matron had reserved the top of the ancient gatehouse for Juliette's celebration of emergence - extravagant sure, but most Betazoids became present in their teens, not at six. House Sri could not have been prouder.

Juliette sighed. One sweet year of presence before the headaches. Then nosebleeds. Then seizures.

A flat, electrical hum brought her attention back to Lorot. A brilliant green beam angled down from the top of the doors and swept back and forth over his form. The door made several clicks and clunks as it grudgingly slid apart. Juliette stared down the cavernous hallway. Would she ever see Renat again? Would she ever see this side of the gate? She stopped, pulled her arm from Danek's hand, and said, "I'm sorry."

The Vulcans stopped. "For what?" Lorot asked.

Juliette clasped her hands in front as she tried to arrange the words tumbling in her mind. "You have been most - gracious hosts - and I'm - I regret - deeply - deeply regret if I had done anything to cause offense to the point you would go through a storm-"

Lorot looked at P'nem. P'nem looked at Danek with an arched brow.

Danek stared back, shaking his head. "I do not think it is anything I have said, Mother."

P'nem took Juliette by the shoulders, her eyes, searching, inspecting.

"Is she injured?" Lorot asked.

Her eyes are bloodshot, but she seems otherwise unharmed. Juliette, could you explain?"

Juliette felt her grasp of the situation slide away like loose sand under her feet. "Isn't that why we came out in the storm, to leave me at the monastery?"

P'Nem's brow furrowed. "No. Your family has to depart for Betazed soon. I made a promise to your mother that you would contact them when you were able."

"My-My family is still on Vulcan?"

"Of course. They did not wish to depart after your episode without speaking to you, but you are still very sensitive to emotion. The monastery has the closest holo-projector. I... misjudged your ability to travel and the speed of the storm."

"And you're not leaving me here?"

"Don't you want to stay? You asked about having your things sent."

"I asked about my things because I thought you wanted to leave me at the Monastery."

"That was not our intent. But, If the storm persists, it would be wise to stay a few days until the Science Academy is ready for you. You may stay if you wish or you may-" She looked back at the doors, then back at Juliette. Her tightly knit brow softened and the words that followed had a patience Juliette had not heard before. "Juliette Sri, Vulcan children have been attending this monastery for centuries. I assure you, the overwhelming majority have returned. Danek has been doing so for two -"

Juliette fell forward and threw her arms around P'nem's shoulders. She squeezed so hard and was so lost in the moment she did not feel P'nem's sudden physical and psychic stiffness. She ended the embrace and stepped back, clasping her hands in front after she wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's what we do on Betazed."

P'nem straightened her robes as she stood. " I suppose Betazoids have a greater need for so much contact. It is not something we do on Vulcan."

Juliette's gaze slid toward Danek and Lorot. "Ever?"

P'nem's mouth open just slightly, then closed in a tight line. She looked away, batting at a dusty sleeve. "Betazoids clearly have a different view of what is personal. Try not to engage in such activities too often."

Juliette nodded, then paused. "The questions or hugging?"

"Both."

Juliette pursed her lips and nodded.

"Come. Your family is waiting."

#

The hall opened to a dimly lit courtyard. A Vulcan in pale robes held a long torch, its stave made to appear as gnarled wood. Instead of burning, its end cast a soft glow that left most of his form in shadow.

"Master Surot, live long and prosper," P'nem said.

"Peace and long life, Lorot and P'nem," His voice was soft and gravelly. "You have traveled through inclement weather and bring a guest at a late hour."

"We were delayed." P'nem said.

"It is no matter." He indicated with the torch to a small table that held a plain earthenware jug and cups next to a basin and towels. "There is water."

Lorot nodded to Danek, who filled cups and gathered towels for everyone. He surveyed the courtyard before asking, "Are the power couplings out again?"

"They are. At least this time, it is confined to the courtyard."

"I shall take a look before we return. Where are your attendants?"

"I thought it best to get a sense of your guest first."

P'nem took a cup and towel from Danek. "Our thoughts do not seem to hurt her."

"It is not just her I seek to protect."

"I see."

"I do not," Lorot said.

Juliette stopped herself from speaking. Vulcans didn't seem to like too many words. When she looked up from wiping her face, Surot was staring down at her. He was several centimeters shorter than Lorot and his face held a round fullness she'd never seen on a Vulcan. Compared to his fellows, he seemed almost stocky in his robes. His shaved head shone in the torchlight.

"Live long and prosper, Juliette Sri."

"Peace and long life."

"I would get a sense of your mind. May I?"

Juliette swallowed as her pulse pounded in her head. She didn't trust her voice to remain steady, and part of her screamed no. She forced herself to nod.

Master Surot's fingertips were cool and slightly rough against her flushed face. She expected to feel the rush of his presence, but there was only the sensation of a cool droplet that ran down from the back of her head to the soles of her feet. She tried to connect with it, but it wavered like quicksilver and danced out of the way.

"Do not." It was strange to hear his voice as he verbalized, rather than used his thoughts. "Keep your mind still. It is all new, I know. It will all be new. From now on, use your voice first and foremost, Juliette Sri. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," she paused, and then remembered, "Master Surot." It seemed proper.

"I sense a weariness in body and mind. Have you recently used your abilities?"

"Yes, Master Surot. There was a sehlat that hunted us on the way here. She was hungry."

"She." Surot repeated in a way that Juliette couldn't help but feel she had missed something important. "You injured yourself scaring it - her - away."

"P'nem might have killed her if I didn't."

"P'nem is quite skilled with a rifle, Juliette Sri. She would have only killed as a very last resort. You must be careful. One does not connect with the sehlat lightly. They are intelligent and strong-willed. You will not heal if you use your abilities recklessly."

Juliette nodded. She could feel the faint echoes of something that padded in the shadows of her mind.

The shadows blew away on a breeze, leaving her and Surot. "When your hosts and I were talking, you were going to speak. What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say you didn't have your attendants with you because you were protecting them from my emotions."

"You would have been correct."

Juliette shivered. "Am I that dangerous to them?"

"Not so dangerous, but you must never reach out to anyone without permission." She did not notice the transition from presence to reality until his fingers left her face. "There is much for you to learn, but that can wait. Your family would very much like to talk to you."