Chapter 23

Healing Water's Cave

Boreth

Bi'Anka set the shuttle down near the foot of the caves that housed her family and brethren. Feeling the sting of her wounds, she sat back, closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. She should not have played with Paraquin she should have killed her. Her first mistake was over-confidence. Turning her seat around, she walked to the stasis tube where HmfiC lay. Opening the tube she waited for the mist to clear from over his body. Opening the back of the shuttle bay doors, she waited. She did not have long to wait, he came as she knew he would.

"Father, I am wounded and so is HmfiC we need the waters." The grey haired male wolf grinned seeing his daughter. He looked from her to the war tested old warrior who laid in his semi conscious state. He walked to his daughter, lifted her from the ground and let her lay her head on his shoulder, turning to those behind him he ordered they bring T'L'th's guard and follow him. Four large male wolfs looped into the shuttle and lifted the old man from his stasis tube.

Together they walked to the mouth of the cave and entered , following footsteps of those of many years passed had laid to the ground, they carried their two burdens to the pool that looked like a rounded mirror in the center of one cavern. Slowly, the old father wolf set his daughter down. Allowing her to remove her clothing. Guiding her into the waters, he turned and ordered HmfiC stripped. Bi'Anka waited for them to hand HmfiC over to her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she spoke softly. "Hold your breath old one. We need to submerge our bodies to be healed."

Bi'Anka watched him open his eyes and his grizzled features marked by years of service to the empire was marked on his face. "Once you go under, continue to hold your breath. Once you feel your body begin to tingle kick up to the surface and the clan will be waiting with a robe and help you out. You will need to sleep for a day before we begin our hunt again."

HmfiC looked into her hazel eyes and smiled. "I won't tell if you don't tell." He took a deep breath and held it. Bi'Anka had been in the pool before she had already taken her breath. Sinking them both down to the bottom of the pool she watched the old man's look of surprise when he felt his pain relieved and his body regaining its strength. When the tingling he inhaled briefly. Realizing he was not suppose to inhale, he held his breath and began to kick upwards to the surface. Once his head came through the water he found his footing and staggered towards the edge of the pool where others waited to cover his naked form with a long robe. The male wolves gathered around HmfiC supporting him.

He looked down to see there was no sign what so ever of his injury ever happening. Leading his large body to a rock chair, they seated him and waited for Bi'Anka to surface. She had been under longer than HmfiC because her wounds had gone deeper than even she realized. When the wounds sealed and the poison that had been introduced through the blade was cleared from her system, she kicked up to the surface and rose like a goddess from the pool, the moonlight shimmering over her wet body. Her hair plastered to her back she stepped forward, lifted her chin looked to the moon and howled.

The others joined her voice and they howled with her, she was giving their blessed one a tribute and honor of allowing her to be returned to full health. Her father stepped forward and covered her with a black robe that dropped to her ankles and covered her from head to toe. "Rest little one you and the old one need to rest and then we will see you safely to your temple in the Capitol city."

The small group walked on softened bare feet along the sandy floor to the rocks and into the deepest recesses of the cavern. HmfiC was taken to a small cavern and laid to rest on a bunk and made comfortable so he could rest and finish his healing. Bi'Anka found her own home among her people and entered the cavern that had been her sanctuary for years. Walking to her bunk she collapsed on the bed. Looking up at the stalactites on her ceiling she smiled. She was home a place that had belonged to her people for over a thousand years.

Bianka's birth

Closing her eyes she smiled, she was ready to embrace her heritage once again. Drifting off to sleep she began to dream walk through her life from the time of her birth to now. In her dream-walk she recalled her mother panting to give birth to her. It was something from her distant memories. The sweet face of the beautiful she-wolf was contorted and she began to pant again, grimacing she pushed and the sound of the howl of a newborn pup came forth. The mewling sound was not normal for most wolves bearing a single pup. The midwife that made the delivery became concern.

"It has no fur, it is not true Volkarian wolf as we know. Go get the father now!" She had turned to her assistant and looked at the newborn pup with concern. "Valania, your pup is not full Volkarian!" She had held the small pup up for her to see and waited for the mother to make a decision to have the pup killed. Instead she saw the mother reach for her new born female pup and pushed gently open her eyelids. She smiled.

"We have another Greka, another shape shifting pup that will be bonded to the Cleric. Find her father and tell him the line continues." Greka had taken Bi'Anka and held her close to her chest, allowing her to root and suckle against her. Feeding her the milk she had made for her during her pregnancy. As the little pup began to nurse, her body shifted and she changed into full wolf form to the astonishment of Greka, the delivering midwife.

Valana smiled watching the old woman fall to her knees before mother and child and bow. "Then it is true, we carry the gene that was set down from the old ones?" Valana had whispered that the prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of this pup. She glanced up to see the mother of the first one nod.

"In her sixth year we shall take her to the fathers of the past and she will prove she is worthy to stand with the cleric and protect his young." She took her furred covered fingertips and gently brushed against the soft newly formed fur of her pup. "I pray to all our old ones she is strong enough to stand her test." Her words had held a thoughtful tone to them as she watched the lips nuzzle against her teat to draw her first nourishment into this life.

Bi'Anka rolled to her side and continued on her dream walk. She remembered her father entering the cave and most of what he and her mother had discussed was distant and soft, so soft she could not hear what they had said to one another. Her first impression of her father was the feel of his calloused pads lifting her from her mother to hold her aloft, allowing her legs to kick and the fear of possibly being drop going from her natural instincts to one of trust for this wizen face one that peered into her startled hazel eyes. "You will bring honor to our family my little Bi'Anka, for that will be your name, the name of the Honored Trust." Newly forming synapsis registered his voice and the words sounded important.

Six Years Later

A young and growing female Volkarian Wolf trotted excitedly at her father's side, she turned to peer back at her mother looking at the worry that was etching her wolfing features. Watching her father walk along the worn pathway they deviated to take a path she had never seen before. Her youthful play had always taken her in another direction. She followed happily by his side, finally noting he had seemed distracted and worried. Her small voice spoke with some newfound concern edging it. "Poppa? Why are you acting so different?" She had assumed her wolf form for this trek with her father who walked on two legs along the narrowing pathway.

He turned and lowered himself down on all fours and placed his nose close to her nose. "Bi'Anka what is about to happen depends on how you handle your abilities in the next day cycle. This is serious. I am taking you to the ancient ones in their hall and they will be testing you. You have aged faster than most you know and you are about to meet because of your special abilities those in the scared hall. Have you not wondered about the fact that you are different than most you live with and those that you play around?"

The little one looked thoughtful and smiled. "It is because of whom I am poppa, and for that I owe it to you and momma for all I am and will be." Her answer had come so naturally he had to wonder if it sounded rehearsed. "Poppa, what happens if I fail." It was inevitable she would ask and he turned and rose up on his hindquarters.

"You die. That is why you cannot fail. There is one your age that will need you for companion and guard. She is vulnerable and will need your steady hand and keen mind to help her eventually rule in her father's place." The thought of someone like her, close to her age excited the young pup. She trotted along not giving one further thought to what was about to happen.

The walk seemed to last forever and eventually they arrived in a huge cavern that seemed to go on forever. Bi'Anka had stood in the center of the cave and looked around. From above in various alcoves she began to notice there were others watching her and her father. She shifted to Klingon form and stood glaring around the cave at the yellow feral eyes that seemed to devour her. A deep hallow voice echoed about the chambers. "STAND FORWARD BI'ANKA OF CLAN VOLKARIAN WOLF PACK FALCOR." She wanted to cringe but she was more interested in the voice that was trying to make her afraid.

Stepping up to the center of the cavern, the voice then ordered. "LEAVE HER TO US PACK FALCOR!" She turned and smiled at her father as he bowed and backed out of the cavern. She was not afraid, she felt she should be but a part of her was upset over them making her father leave. From overhead a huge bat like creature with leather huge wings dove towards her with his talons extended. She did not flinch or move as the winged creature reached out with his razor sharp talons to cut her. She dodged the feet, rolling to the left and jumping up with amazing agility to turn and face the second onslaught of another attack by the creature.

Her father on her fifth year had given her a blade of honor after her initiation through the river of blood ritual. She had not liked going through that because it had annoyed her. The pain sticks were more of a nuisance than a ritual to accept pain into her young life. She had been forced to assume her Klingon form while undergoing this strange and stupid ritual but it seemed important to her father. What had made this worthwhile to tolerate this treatment was her father had given her the really great knife. Drawing that knife now she turned to face the large creature that tried to torment her with its wings hitting at her and the sharp talons that tried to cut her.

Timing its next action she used her instincts to wait and smile as the large birdlike creature dove straight over head and then towards her, having assessed her surroundings she rolled to a larger rock, put her knife in her mouth, climbed and launched herself in wolf form changing in mid air to land on the creatures back and she dug her claws into his neck and back and snapped at the face that had turned to peer at her. Bi'Anka held on and felt the bird turn upside down dislodging her, falling towards the ground she shifted to Klin form and balled herself up to land and roll to a standing position.

From over head a soft pitched whistling noise filled the cavern and the bird in mid dive swooped down and then up and disappeared back into the cavern. She was barely winded for one so young. She had shown an amazing command over her abilities and her reasoning was so far impeccable, she had two more tests to complete before she could be sanctioned as the true bearer. She stood in the center of the cave and felt her feet slip from under her and she was falling again, this time below the floor she had just done her battle with the winged creature.

Standing up she looked around and frowned. This was different; she appeared to be in the center of a maze. "YOU DID WELL BI'ANKA, NOW YOU MUST AVOID TRAPS THAT WILL END YOUR LIFE AND FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO THE CAVERN YOU WERE JUST IN." The deep hallow voice from earlier now called down from above and she looked around where she was. This was ridiculous. She smiled, ran and used the tall walls to run up them, flip over backwards and land in the center of the cavern where she just had fallen. Avoiding the maze all together and accomplishing what they had asked of her.

This unorthodox way of solving the maze sent a clatter of arguments from the upper caverns until once again the deep voice called out. "SILENCE! SHE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT WE ASKED, WE SAID AVOID THE TRAPS AND COME BACK HERE AND SHE DID IT WITH LITTLE THOUGHT!"

From the number of voices she had heard, she surmised there were at least ten of them in those alcoves and it was their yellow eyes that peered down at her watching and assessing her and her abilities. She folded her little arms over her chest and sighed finding this all very boring to her overly bright mind. As suddenly as she relaxed, she was knocked to the ground, and two large male wolves stood over her with snarling curled lips. Her father's body was dragged into the room and she watched in horror as they cut his arm. "YOU HAVE LESS THAN ONE HOUR BEFORE HE DIES BI'ANKA, FIND HIM AND WE WILL HEAL HIM." They drug her father off and she was now beside herself.

Her father's life was the one at risk and this was frightening to her, she loved her father and she wanted to make sure he did not die, when they told her to go for him, she shifted to Klin from sniffed the air, shifted again to wolf form and began to follow the blood of her father. She paused in the middle of her tracking and shifted back to Klin form.

The scent had changed and now she was not sure what she should do. Then she remembered something her mother had done. When she went for her ritual of the river of blood, her mother had bitten into her arm and tasted her blood. "My little one, if ever you are lost, mother can find you now, your blood has been tasted, you can find me or your father just by biting your arm. Once you taste your own blood you are a part of us you will find us with no problem as we can find you too."

Nodding remembering that little talk, she bit into her arm and drew her blood, then it all became clear, she could shift her direction and she began to run, sniffing the air and smiling she was closing in fast on her father's bleeding form. She arrived in under forty-five minutes, finding him in a weaken state. "Poppa! Come we will get you healed." She tried to lift him and found he was far to heavy for her. She frowned. Looking around she saw the mat he laid on was big enough she could tug on it and began to pull him as fast as her tiny little legs could move to get him back to the center of the cavern. She was aware that the clock was ticking down and she felt frustrated but not distracted from what her objective was.

She shifted to wolf form and began to tug on the blanket and found she was stronger in Klin form. Shifting back she was tiring from shape shifting so much but she was determined to save her father. The clock was sounding the one-minute count down as she tugged his body into the center of the room and demanded in her firm and angry voice. "Fix him now!"

The four wolf males that had attacked her and her father earlier stepped into the room walking to pick up her father to carry him from view. She started to follow and the voice halted her steps. "HALT AND MOVE NO FURTHER OR WE WILL NOT HEAL HIM!" Bi'Anka about had enough of that pompous sounding voice from overhead and she turned to glare up at the eyes that peered down at her.

She growled low and glared around the cavern when from the far side of the cavern two men stepped walking with a little one at their side. Bi'Anka looked at the two large male Klingons that led the young one by her hand. Bi'Anka looked definitely at the three until she looked into the young female Klingon's eyes. She smiled and then she felt it in her mind a nudge. "Hello. My name is M'lar and you are Bi'Anka. You were very brave and you must love your father very much."

Bi'Anka frowned and then she felt the feeling of elation wash over her. The feeling was coming from the small female child. "We are going to be very good friends Bi'Anka." She withdrew her blade and slid it across her palm bring her blood to the surface she handed the blade to Bi'Anka who without flinching or blinking her eye drew the blade over her palm, looking at the little female Klingon she watched her extend her hand. "Together we will travel and together we shall be as we are suppose to be, and now we can do it as sisters of blood and heart." She took her hand and pressed her bleeding palm into Bi'Anka's.

Kahless smiled slapped his son on the back and turned to the watching ancient ones. "To you we give tribute and thanks, we have another Volkarian to tie to the House of Kahless and T'L'th." There was a smattering of voices that hissed and hummed from overhead and Bi'Anka wanted to climb those walls and see who they were. She was filled with anger at those silly old ones that had hurt her father and she felt a wave of calm sweep over her tiny form as she released the hand of the small female Klingon before her.

"You should not worry about them, they are silly old ones that have to test and they have been alive longer than most. I accept you and so does my father. That is he, the younger one, the other one is my grandfather, and only he is a clone. He is not the first Kahless but the second one to be brought back by the priests of QuinLat." Again she was in her mind speaking with her and she smiled and winked. "Poppa tells me that when you turn on your twelfth year that you will come to live with us. I am happy then I will have someone my own age to be friends."

Bi'Anka felt she was sad and very alone; she studied her by tilting her head and studying the young one before her. "You are not like the rest of your kind." It was said in typical Bi'Anka fashion. She stepped back and folded her arms and studied the two men who were to her nothing more than older Klingon males and not that important to her or her race. From overhead the voice spoke again but not in a booming commanding form.

"She is filled with spirit and will do your house honor. We thank you the Supreme Cleric and you oh Holy one for bringing the little cleric to the temple of the ancients, we sanction this bond between the two young ones today and know they will bring honor to the empire by their good work together. Two spirited young ones with the heart of a Volkarian and the heart of the Empire cannot go wrong." There was a shift and from overhead the huge large bird creature that had attacked her earlier began to descend. Bi'Anka without thought or concern for herself, threw her body in front of the young female ready to take the swipe of the leathery wings or the crush of the razor sharp claws.

What had caught Bi'Anka by surprise was the fact the little one had stepped forward past her protective form, held her hand out and spoke softly, "True form!" The bird began to shimmer and transform into that of a young and handsome male warrior in golden armor and a huge bird headdress. He smiled looking at little Bi'Anka then to the Cleric. She smiled and bowed to him. "Hello Janqin. It is nice to see you again." She curtsied to him.

Janqin lifted her up in his arms and hugged her. "Hello my little cleric, I see your powers develop more and more each time we meet. So do you like our newest initiate?" He set her back down feeling she was uncomfortable in such a compromising position.

"I like her Father Janqin, she is like me different." She turned to her father and her Grandfather. "I wish we could let her come live with us now. I like her to live with me." She had been so open and honest that she did not sound like a spoiled little rich child.

T'L'th turned to M'lar. "My little one she has to learn her trade and to do that she needs to continue her training until she reaches her twelfth year then her father will bring her to us at Temple and she will begin to train with you. Now we must allow the ancient ones to complete their initiation of one so young so she can be reunited with her mother and her father."

Present Day Caverns of the Volkarian

Bi'Anka's eyes opened and she sighed, she had remembered how sad she had looked when she turned while being led out of cavern she had given Bi'Anka a small smile as she disappeared into the encompassing shadows. Bi'Anka was taken to her father after that meeting and her father had been healed and had in stoic silence brought her back to the cave that was their home. Her dream walk was nearly complete as the last of her wounds began to heal. The purpose of her dream walk she knew was to heal herself emotionally to prepare for the next leg of her journey.

If anything she was ready to go on the hunt again she just needed HmfiC to heal so they could complete the blood oath. Closing her eyes, she finished her dream walk and found her spiritual healing was complete. Her concerns were her separation for such a long time from M'lar and her duty to the one person that had been there to help her and protect her after she was separated from her mother and father and the pack. It had been a painful separation and she was not sure she wanted to leave and go be with the two grumpy Klingon males and the spoiled little girl, but she did as she was instructed and had not regretted one day of her duty to her friend.