Collateral Trade (16 page)

Chapter VI

Farisa knelt by her husbands. Sharell was supposed to kneel beside her. It had been her first training order, and she blew it. When Tian and Chaya sat in front of the shuttle Enilian used to dock with the Cathisis, Sharell shuffled forward, kneeling between them.

Danilo was about to speak up, until he heard her exclaim, “This is so cool. Can you teach me to drive it?”

Chaya glanced down at her in shock, and Tian patted her head. “Mates do not operate space craft. They do not leave planet once we surface. Mother made an extreme sacrifice to join us.”

Sharell looked back. “Hey Farisa, you gotta’ admit this is way cool.”

Farisa controlled her laughter and looked up at her husbands while Chaya called back, “I know. She needs to be trained.” He rolled his eyes when she climbed onto Tian’s lap as they glided out of the shuttlebay. “Kneel.”

“I can’t see.”

“Tian?’

Tian looked at the excitement on her face while she stared out the viewport. “She can’t see. She
is
a second twin mate, so things might be a little different with her training.”

And how far will we push that one?

Ah, Chaya. See her delight. It is like looking at things through first twins’ eyes.

“Make it go faster.”

Chaya glared at her. “No, mother is on board.”

“Oh for god sakes,” Sharell pouted. She watched the duplicate controls on her side and pushed a button. The shuttle sped forward and Chaya clenched his jaw, turning at as wide an arc as he dared while they hurled towards the surface.

“Sharell,” Danilo bellowed. “My mate is on this shuttle.”

She cringed. “My bad.” She whispered to Tian, “Where’s second gear?”

He squeezed her, utterly delighted to have her bottom resting on his erection. A mate and space. This was a very good day.

Stop groping her.

I am merely keeping her away from the controls.

Make her kneel.

She can’t see.

“Are you winning?” Sharell whispered.

“Keep your hands in your lap.”

She did, until they broke through the cloud rings, and then she leaned forward and gripped the dash, staring around the viewport. “Farisa, you’ve got to see this.”

Enilian was watching Sharell. Danilo watched their mate and whispered, “Go ahead, Farisa. It is a sight you will not see again, and one you should enjoy through her eyes.”

Farisa stood beside Chaya. She watched Sharell’s wonder as much as the view of Actana. “Those are the outlands, where the big ships are kept.”

“Outlands for us are deserts. Yours are carpeted with color and streams.”

“They are the jeweled sands and much prettier to look at than walk on.”

“Over there. What are those?”

A forest of giant trees with a colorful canopy of leaves rose in front of them, with waterfalls splashing down jeweled cliffs. “That is your new home, Sharell.”

Tian said, “You will know your neighbor.”

“How?” Sharell asked, leaning back while Chaya maneuvered them into a surface bay.

“Jifa’s family hierarchy is in the finion next to ours, and Ayana is his sons’ mate.”

They left the bay and were soon walking on trails under the giant trees. Sharell stood between Chaya and Tian, with Tian prepared to burst calmness if she needed it and Chaya searching the trees for danger. Their parents walked behind them… a minor break in formality… enjoying Sharell’s fascination with her surroundings.

“Vistanza, Tian, look.” Sharell pointed to the bushes filled with the fruit that surrounded almost every finion trunk. She squinted and stared down the pathway. “Where is everybody?”

“It is sixth hour. They are in their gathering room, sharing their day,” Tian answered.

“I’m sure some are looking out windows to get a glance at the new mate,” Enilian suggested. Chaya and Danilo’s eyes immediately traveled up the trunks, searching for a threat they knew was not there but would not chance. “You are the first to come to surface. The rest will not be here until the Cathisis lands tomorrow.”

Sharell stopped and looked around. She frowned. “What windows? Where are the houses?”

Chaya shrugged and continued scanning the trees. “Up in the finons. I told you this.”

Sharell stared up. “When you said family tree, I didn’t think you meant family ‘tree’. Why do you live up there?”
God, from a cave, to a spaceship, to a tree house?

“The view,” Chaya answered.

“Well, I’m sure it’s awesome, but wouldn’t a visit do once in a while?”

“No, Sharell. He means the view for attack,” Tian said.

Sharell stumbled. “Attack from who?”

“Not who, what. There are nighttime creatures that run in packs. You remember the pelach? Unless we want to keep guard all night, it is easier to live up top. It is another reason we gather at sixth hour. If someone is missing, we have daylight left to go find them.”

Chaya put his hand on her shoulder and stared at her. “You will never leave without our protection, but you should never for any reason be out in the dark.”

Sharell gulped. “Okay, Chaya.”

They resumed walking a few minutes more and rounded a group of finion trees. “There is a single lift in the center, that serves six trees,” Tian said.

Sharell stood behind Chaya with Tian behind her and his calming hands resting on her shoulders. He remembered the uncomfortable sensation that rolled off her in the tube on the Cathisis when he brought her to the bridge. Her fists gripped into Chaya’s tunic and he smiled the entire ride up.
She is seeking my protection.

This is good, Chaya. I know you were worried she would be upset with you for her episode.

She is not though, right?

No, Chaya. She is not upset about anything, except this height. I do not think we have to worry about her exploring on her own.

I will not leave her alone, anyway.

The lift stopped, and Sharell kept her eyes closed and continued to hold Chaya’s tunic while he walked forward. He stopped after a few steps and turned and took her hands in his strong grip. “Open your eyes, Sharell.”

She found herself on a large, sturdy, circular platform that led to doorways of houses on six sides. There was a railing around the open spaces, but he could not get her near the edge. “It’s going to take a bit for me to get used to this.”

“There will be plenty of time,” Tian answered.

“More than two years, and I got, what? Twenty minutes on the ground?”

“There will be plenty of time for that, too,” Tian laughed.

Danilo said, “Chaya, it is best to get Sharell inside. Jifa’s light twin is watching us, and I do not want to spend my first gathering night home explaining Ayana to him. I feel certain he expects a daughter of Sharell’s beauty, and it is best left to Jifa to explain.”

Sharell looked up at him and her quizzical expression made him laugh. “You are quite beautiful, and need much more training,” Danilo said.

Sharell’s eyes narrowed. “Do you even know how close you came to being nice to me?” Sharell turned to follow Chaya, leaving Danilo shaking his head.

“I know, father. Training,” Tian said, and hurried to catch up to them.

Chaya stood in front of the closed door, straightening his shoulders. He shook his mane of hair.

“Tian, what is he doing?” Sharell whispered. “He looks like he’s preparing for battle.”

“In a way, he is. It will be all right. He has waited a long time to present his mate to our brothers, and he is nervous they will snub you because you are a primitive.”

“Oh.” Sharell straightened almost as much as Chaya, although a foot shorter. Her eyes slowly flashed emerald as the insult took hold. “
Oh
. Oh, hell no. Chaya, you take the dark one and kick his ass if he looks down on me. I’ll handle blondie.”

“Our mates don’t fight,” Tian panicked.

“This one does.” Sharell scooted under Chaya’s arm and opened the door. She watched two surprised men jump to their feet and a poor girl almost topple to the floor. Sharell stared into Laiya’s eyes. “You got something to say to me?”

Tian and Chaya were too dumbstruck to twin-speak. Danilo burst between them and stood behind Sharell. It took her a moment to recognize his presence and she looked up over her shoulder. He glared down at her with an arched brow.
Oh, shit. My bad, again.

Sian walked forward slowly. “Welcome to our family gathering.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to see someone with manners.”

“And that would not be you, Sharell,” Danilo remarked.

Laiya watched Chaya carefully and tried to figure out what to say. His brothers’ mate was stunning, in an exotic tiny way. “Her eyes… they are green?”

Sharell narrowed them on him. “You got a problem with that?”

Tian walked forward and took her hand. “Sharell, calm down. Brothers, it is nerves from all this excitement.”

Sian looked at her uneasily. “You feel threatened?” Light father had prepared them, but not for an aggressive species. “You are in family gathering. No one will hurt you here.”

“Chaya, are her eyes truly green?” Laiya was captivated. “They look like brezan gems.”

“Only when she’s angry. When she is calm, if I remember correctly, they are more like the Actana Sea.” Chaya grinned, realizing his brothers did see his mate’s beauty. “Mostly, they flash like brezan.”

“Very funny.” Sharell looked at the girl. She remained on her knees, staring back at her. “Hi.”

The young woman looked up at Laiya, and Sharell whispered to Tian, “Can she speak?”

“She is in training. She must wait for permission. It is part of the reason they wanted you instructed before you surfaced. You have confused her, and it will take my brothers some time to reassure her.”

“To speak? They don’t let her speak?”

“You see how well it is working, breaking this rule with you,” Chaya chuckled. “You have managed to reassure our first twins of the necessity for our structure.”

“Oh bullshit, Chaya. The girl can’t even tell me her name.”

“Milana,” Sian replied.

Sharell straightened. “I want her to tell me.”

“Sharell, that’s enough,” Danilo exploded.

“What did you do today?” Sharell asked the girl. “They have told me this is where you gather to discuss your day. I can tell you a whopper of a story, but I’d rather hear what you did.”

Enilian held Danilo’s arm.
Let her go. This might be interesting.

Milana looked up at Laiya. She was confused and about to cry, so Sian sent them a wave of calmness.
Let her, Laiya. I think our fathers want this.

Laiya sat down. “Share with us, Milana.” Sian pulled down a shimmering cloth rolled up against the ceiling and it spread in the center between the group. It was semi-transparent, and Sharell glanced between it and the young woman. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling.

Colors swirled on the cloth and became scenery. It was Enilian and Farisa, worried and excited. They were leaving down the lift. Next, Milana was walking behind Laiya, with Sian behind her. There were dozens of such groups walking among the finion trees.

They walked to a beautiful waterfall where men were bathing the women. Sharell’s mouth dropped open as she watched. She could feel Milana’s joy while Sian washed her hair and caressed her body.

Okay, little too much information.
Sharell glanced around the room. Everyone was watching the screen and smiling. She turned back in time to see Sian drying her with a towel and slipping her shift over her head. He took time combing her hair and re-leashed her. The whole time, Sharell felt the overwhelming adoration the girl had for the men.

They walked through a garden to a large stone building. Milana stayed under a canopy with lots of other women while Sian and Laiya walked inside. She fast-forwarded to scenes of laughing with other girls while they worked on baskets, embroidery, painting, and other hobbies. She fast-forwarded again to Sharell’s bursting entrance into the room, and Sharell felt an overwhelming sense of joy from her.

Sian smiled and stroked his mate’s head. “You are pleased to have a sister here at last.”

“Yes, Sian. I am very happy.”

Sharell stood and ran her fingertips down the screen. “When you said you shared… I didn’t know.”

Farisa said, “It is the most important time of our day.”

“I won’t be able to do that,” Sharell whispered.

Tian walked up behind her, and soft long hair fell over her shoulder when he reached out to hold her hand. “We don’t know, yet. But, it is as I told you when we spoke of your books.”

Sharell looked over to the young woman. “I’m very happy to meet you, too.” As an afterthought, she added, “Wait until you meet our neighbor. Ayana is a hoot.”

Danilo groaned. “Please don’t ask. It is a matter for council to take up.”

“She’s invisible.” Sharell watched Milana’s eyes widen. “Not all the time. She blends into the background whenever she wants to, though. It is so cool.”

“It is not cool,” Danilo stated.

“Milana, let’s show Sharell how to help prepare dinner.” Farisa stood and took Sharell’s hand. They entered a small room to the side of the gathering room. “The men have council things to share, and sometimes it’s distasteful.”

“It’s also boring,” Milana added.

Farisa smiled, and curled a dark wisp of hair behind Milana’s ear. “We share a little secret of speaking quietly in here. The men can be a bit overbearing at times.”

“My sixth year is up next month, though,” Milana said.

“Farisa, there is no way I’m going six years asking for permission to speak,” Sharell gasped.

Farisa laughed quietly. “I think the men are aware of this, in your species. It will give them something new to speak of in council.” She smiled at Milana. “And maybe worth watching at family gathering. They get quite impassioned when their structure and rules must be adjusted.”