Runner's Moon: Yarrolam (19 page)

           
This time, she felt his response.
Take care,
t’korra
. Stay safe.

           
The vehicles pulled in next to each other in front of the cabin. Simolif had barely stepped out of the car, when a woman came running out of the building and across the yard to throw her arms around his neck. Cherron watched the two kiss passionately as a small thread of envy wound its way through her. Hopefully, soon, that would be her and Liam in each other’s embrace.

            “Cherron?”

            She turned around to see another woman approach her from one of the other cars. Reaching out, the woman wrapped her arms around Cherron and gave her a warm hug.

            “We’re glad to have you here with us. Don’t worry. We’ll get Yarrolam back,” the woman assured her. She released her and waved at the cabin. “I’m Hannah. Welcome to our home. Let’s go in, and I’ll see if I can’t rustle us up something for breakfast.”

            Cherron glanced at the others joining them, but exhaustion was turning her mind into sludge. The adrenalin had worn off, and the terror of the past few days was beginning to take its toll on her sanity. Silently, she allowed the woman to lead her inside, where she collapsed in the first available chair.

            A tall, dark-haired man stopped before her and held out a hand. “Cherron, my name is Jebaral Morr. You can call me Jeb. Welcome to Tumbril Harbor.”

            She looked up into eyes with those telltale flecks sparkling in their depths, and managed a weary smile. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

            A dark-haired woman took a stance next to Jebaral and sniffed, following it with a smile. She stuck out a hand. “Hi, Cherron. I’m Tiron. Or you can call me Roni. This is my husband, Thom.” A big man wearing a uniform and a badge stepped up behind her. He carried the suitcase with her and Liam’s clothes.

            “It’s good to finally meet you,” he said. “I’ll put this in the spare bedroom.”

            Cherron waved a tired hand. “Thank you all for your help. I’m sorry, but I’m a bit fuzzy at the moment.”

            “I don’t doubt it,” the woman who had hugged Simolif responded. She crouched down next to Cherron. “Hi. I’m Sarah, Simon’s wife. I know we’re throwing all of us at you all at once. It can get pretty overwhelming until you sort us out.” She reached up and tucked a lock of hair that had come loose from Cherron’s ponytail. “How about a hot shower? It’ll help you relax.”

            “Oh, God, that sounds like paradise.”

            “She really needs to sleep,” a young redhead commented from the sofa.

            Cherron shook her head. “I’m either too tired to sleep. Or I won’t be able to wake up when you need me.” She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Jebaral. “What’s your plan to free Liam?”

            “Whoa.” Sarah stood and held out her hands. “No talk or discussion until we’ve eaten, and Cherron’s had a chance to catch her breath. Come on,
falisi.
I’ll show you to the bedroom.”

            Cherron accepted her hand and rose shakily to her feet. With her body winding down, her knees were wobbly and threatened to give way. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus, but she knew she was losing ground.

            Sarah led her down the hall to the first open door on the right. Inside, Cherron saw the suitcase lying atop the double bed. Wordlessly, she crawled on top of the covers and dropped to her stomach.

            She was asleep within seconds.

            She had no idea how long she slept, but it was still daylight when she awoke. Dazed and disoriented, she sat up. She could hear voices. People talking. In addition, she could smell food, and her stomach clenched, reminding her of how long it had been since she’d eaten anything substantial.

            She stood and caught a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror. The person staring back looked to be half-drugged. “Geez, Cherron. You look like crap. Probably smell like it, too.” The call of sleep continued to tug at her, but she knew she could manage consciousness for a while. “First eat, then shower. Everything else can wait.”

            She spotted the bathroom through the partially-opened door, and quickly took advantage of it. After throwing some water on her face, she re-tied her hair back before leaving the bedroom.

            The voices were coming from the living room and kitchen area. Although she couldn’t differentiate who was talking, it was clear to her what they were discussing.

            “I honestly believe the Arra remain on the dark side of the planet, out of direct sunlight.”

            “Not on the back side of the moon?” a male voice questioned. Cherron guessed it was Jebaral.

            “No. Considering how quickly they managed to track you down at the truck stop, they have to be sitting out there, practically invisible.”

            “
T’korra,
have you figured out what kind of ship it is? Or if there’s more than one?” It was Simolif’s voice.

            “No. Sorry. But if there were more than one, wouldn’t they send all of them down?” a female voice wondered aloud.

            Cherron saw they were all gathered in the kitchen and living room area. A low bar sat as a partition between the two rooms, allowing everyone to see each other as they conversed.

            “If they’re focused on trying to get Cherron, they most likely would send one ship to pick her up,” a male voice noted.

            “There are two ships up there,” Cherron spoke out. As the group turned their attention to her, she stepped out of the hallway. “And they’re orbiting on the dark side of the planet, out of direct sunlight.”

            “And you know this for certain?” the man who’d introduced himself as Jebaral inquired.

            “Yes.”

            “How?” Tiron asked.

            “Liam told me.”

            There was a momentary hush in the room. Hannah walked up to her. She had a dishtowel and a plate in her hands, evidence she was doing the dishes. “He told you? When?”

            “Last night. I think it was last night.” Cherron winced and glanced around the room, searching for a clock. “How long was I asleep?”

            “Just a few hours,” the young girl with flaming red hair told her.

            “Cherron?” Simolif stood and gestured to his seat, offering it to her. “What else did Yarrolam tell you?”

            “Wait. Wait.” The younger man sitting beside the redhead held up a hand for attention. “I want to know how Yarrolam is able to speak to you. I mean, I understand the connection and all, but I didn’t know there were mental abilities linked to it, too.”

            “Some blood mates have that kind of link,” Tiron told him. “In some ways, you and Challa can also converse telepathically. It takes time.”

            “Maybe so,” Cherron said. “But I’ve known Liam less than a week. If what you say is the norm, it’s a miracle we’re able to stay in contact with each other that way.”

            “You said there were two ships?”

            Cherron turned to find Sarah sitting at the kitchen table, a laptop in front of her. “Yes. A big mother ship, and a smaller one.” She closed her eyes and concentrated on the images Liam had fed into her subconscious. “The big one looks like a giant tube of some sort. The other one like a…” She snorted. “It’s weird. It’s rectangular. Tall, wide, but thin, like a book.”

            “Cherron, I’ve sat a plate for you in the kitchen. Come serve yourself.” Hannah waved for her to follow.

            “The big one sounds like the same ship that came down after Challa and I mated,” the young man noted. A couple of others murmured their agreement.

            Cherron sat and listened as she ate, picking at her meal as she paid as close attention to the conversation as she could comprehend. To be honest, she didn’t feel that hungry. Although the food tasted good, she had little appetite.

            “Well, one thing is clear. The Arra know Cherron is among us. They also know we’ve regathered. If they’re smart, they know it’s because we plan to protect her.” Jebaral walked over to the bar and leaned over, placing his arms and elbows on the counter. “The hard part is just beginning, starting with the town council meeting tonight.”

            “What are we going to do if they vote no?” Tiron asked. She looked over to her husband. “What if they decide they no longer want to have anything to do with us, and we have to leave? Where would we go?’

            “Wait. What are you talking about?” Cherron interrupted.

            “We’re talking about possibly losing our home,” Hannah informed her.

            “There are some townsfolk who are adamant against the Ruinos living here,” Thom continued. “When Challa and Compton became blood mates, the Arra tracked them here. This was before we knew about the homing chips. Many of the men who worked at the mill came to help us fend them off. This town now knows there are aliens living among them. For the most part, they’re okay with that. But those who are protesting the loudest—”

            “Emil Timmons is the most vocal,” Hannah inserted with bitterness. “I swear, if that man lived in the eighteen hundreds, he’d protest against the automobile and the telephone.”

            “So, what’s this council meeting for? To decide whether or not you can live here?” Cherron surmised.

            Jebaral nodded. Behind him, Hannah went over and slipped an arm about his waist, and pressed her cheek to his shoulder in support.

            “To get Yarrolam back, we’ll have to draw the Arra back here and confront them. Those of us here may not be able to do it without the help of some of the townspeople. But at our last confrontation, a few men lost their lives. That’s why there’s a protest scheduled tonight during the meeting.”

            “All right. Worst case scenario.” Cherron put down her fork. “Let’s say the council votes you off the island. Tells you you have to leave. That won’t stop us from trying to get Liam back, will it?” The idea of failing to free Yarrolam from the Arra was enough to twist her gut. The food she’d eaten churned nauseatingly in her stomach as she searched their faces for an answer. “Please tell me we’ll still try to save him.”

            “We will, Cherron,” Simolif promised. “We’ll do everything we can to rescue him.”

            “When? When will we rescue him?” she countered.

            “Tonight,” Thom told her. “Right after the council meeting is over. Regardless of how they vote, we’re going through with our plan tonight.”

            “So the vote won’t affect us rescuing him?” Cherron asked, looking for clarification.

            Jebaral sighed loudly. “It won’t affect our attempt, Cherron. But if the council votes no, then we’ll be all that stand against the Arra. Nobody else will step up to help us.”

            Cherron glanced around the room as a chill went up her spine. “Okay. There’s nine of us. How many Arra will we be facing? Any idea?”

            Sarah spoke up from the table. “If the mothership’s still out there, we could be looking at at least a dozen or more of them.”

            “That’s almost even odds,” Cherron quipped, trying to sound hopeful.

            Tiron shook her head. “Wrong,
felisi.
The odds are always in their favor.”

            “Why?”

            “When you see them, and you realize what kind of weaponry they have, and what they can do, you’ll understand,” Compton informed her.

Chapter 28

Meeting

            “Cherron? Wake up. It’s time to go.”

            A gentle nudge on her shoulder roused her from her exhausted state. She couldn’t tell if the nap had been worth taking. She didn’t feel any more rested than she had after she’d dropped off that morning. She gave Hannah an apologetic smile.

            “Sorry.”

            “Don’t be. You’re worn out. Plus, I’m guessing you don’t know this, but when your blood mate is in distress, he may draw on your energy to help him with the healing. I know I’ve done it a few times with Jeb.”

            After the group had discussed their options for another hour, Cherron had dismissed herself to take a shower and change into some clean clothes. Afterwards, she’d asked Hannah if she could use the washer and dryer to do some laundry. But Hannah had insisted Cherron go ahead and lie down a bit more, and she would take care of it. Glancing around the bedroom, Cherron spotted the clean clothes already folded and lying on top of the bureau.

            “Thanks for doing the laundry.”

            “No problem. Would you like something to take with you? I usually take a soda with me.”

            “A soda sounds fine. Thank you.”

            Hannah left the bedroom. Cherron followed her into the living room where Jebaral was waiting.

            “You’ll ride with us,” he informed her. “The others will meet us at the town hall.”

            She glanced outside, then checked the wall clock. “It’ll be dark soon.”

            “Yes, we know.” Hannah sighed, handing her a canned drink. “Hopefully this meeting won’t drag out.”

            “Don’t count on it,
t’korra,
” her husband remarked.

            At the sound of the endearment, Cherron felt a squeezing around her heart. Although Jebaral’s voice was not as deep as Liam’s, the accent and timbre were almost identical. Like Hannah, she hoped the meeting wouldn’t take too long. She wanted to get on with their plan. There was an emptiness in her soul she knew only Liam could feel, and it gnawed at her like a hungry animal.

            “It’s the withdrawal.”

            Cherron glanced up in surprise to find Hannah smiling sympathetically at her from the front seat. The blonde-haired woman nodded once.

            “The longer you’re away from each other, the weaker you’ll get and the more desperate you’ll feel. It’ll get to the point where it’ll become a physical pain, like a bad headache or stomach problems. But it won’t be anything like the pain your blood mate will feel.”