The Book of Ominiue: Starborn (18 page)

‘What was that about?’

‘What do you mean?’ Kíe asked with perfect innocence.

‘Is that what you believe? Honestly do you think that I will come and save you?’

‘You give yourself too much acclaim Afra’hama, who is to say the story is about you? Or is even about a single
oríde
?’

‘You are setting yourself up for major disappointment.’ Shayne’s eyes narrowed, betraying his malice.

‘You do have a role to play Afra’hama, but that was just one prophesy, there were many more, and that one, believe it or not, has mostly come to pass long before your kind came here.’

‘I cannot do anything for you. I cannot save you. I cannot even save myself!’ the tone in Starborn’s voice was harsh but his voice as always remained soft. Hanniver came over and knelt by Kíe and Shayne. His resolve was strong enough for him to look directly into Shayne’s eyes, a firm warning in his gaze.

‘Do not try and change their position towards you Forrester,’ he cautioned. ‘Do not jeopardise this colony!’ He rose back up with a relaxed expression upon his face; calling goodnight to his men, he then made his way to his bivouac.

Kíe glanced from Shayne to the Brigadier and back again, ‘What did he say?’

‘It is not important. He was reminding me of my duty, is all.’

‘Sounded like a firm reminder,’ Kíe paused for a moment as he watched the Brigadier retreat to his camp. ‘I understand the words ‘
do not’
you do not have to worry about fulfilling the words in the text Afra’hama, for it has already happened in the eyes of the Kéaran, your choices will be your own but ultimately they will serve as events already occurred.’

‘What you just said is a contradiction in terms.’

Kíe gave one of his carefree smiles and slapped Shayne on the back. ‘One day you will understand.’ He then made his way to the base of the tree, where he lay down; resting against the old trunk.

All but two warriors had retired by the time Shayne decided to do the same. The light from the moon faded as the phases retreated into the night. Most of the light now came from the dying embers, with the remaining glow casting short shadows through the willow. Shayne had not set up his bivouac-swag to sleep in so instead he just unrolled his sleeping bag and lay on top of it. He did not have a good view of the stars, but he caught glimpses as the wind came and rustled the leaves. He lay there for a while looking up at them, desiring to see them from space once again; to be rid of this world for a while. Eventually he fell asleep to the sound of the wind and a couple of horses slowly moving in the night.

***

He stood in the open field, it was dark, the moon was new and stars shone above. He looked out at the plains, watching as the grass shifted in the wind; moving in waves as the field searched and swept out into the emptiness beyond. A black fox came into view. He had come to expect it. The fox turned its head as it regarded him.
We must go
, she said with words that rang inside his mind.

‘Go where?’ Shayne asked just as a light appeared on a distant rise.

We must go and find him.
They both began walking side-by-side towards the light. He knew what was waiting for them; he knew that the man with the eyes of light would be there.

As they drew closer to their destination an old man crossed their path; he was ancient and bent with a walking stick. It was the native from the ruins.
What is he doing here?
Shayne wondered, but the man was now focused and intelligent. His eyes brightened when he saw Shayne.

‘It is you!’ he exclaimed with joy. ‘It is you!’ he repeated and began to cry as he hobbled to Shayne and pawed his clothes with frail old hands.

‘I have to find him,’ Shayne insisted while gently pushing the old man aside. ‘He is up there,’ but the frail man followed and though his shuffling clearly pained him, he managed to keep up with them.

‘No,’ he said with urgency. ‘It is you! How can it be another? It is you!’ but Shayne and the fox sped up, leaving the old man behind. Shayne grew fearful, he did not know what to do, he looked up at the light and dread crept over him.

Do not falter
, the fox called out with fear for Shayne.
We
must
find him!
With that final remark, they broke into the light. Shayne covered his eyes, flinching at the blinding pain. Gradually the glare dimmed to reveal the strange man, he had his back turned and was looking up at the stars. Shayne twisted his head to follow the man’s gaze. He saw the
Oxford
Colonyship flying overhead and though it should be just another star he saw it as if he himself was in space and when he looked back at the stranger it was once again a small light up in the sky. The man continued to study the ship in mild fascination before he slowly turned to Shayne. The Starborn found himself drawn to his eyes of light. The man’s face broke into a wide smile. He took a step forward with his arms outstretched. He opened his mouth to say —

***

Shayne snapped awake shaking all over. His breathing was laboured with sweat running down his face. He sat up and rubbed the side of his beard. Their camp was shrouded in a heavy mist, the hanging branches a few metres away were hard to see and dew covered everything. Shayne looked around, many people were still asleep but some were up and about. As he scanned the camp he saw Kíe standing by a hanging branch, watching him. Shayne locked eyes with him, the young lionman maintained his hard and thoughtful gaze before he turned away into the fog.

Shayne rose, his clothes and sleeping bag were drenched. He shivered in the coldness, pondering why it did not wake him. He packed his damp sleeping bag and changed into his light armour utility uniform; now looking just like the other Starborns except for the extra patches and his colonial epaulets. He was glad for the uniform change, he felt more comfortable and certainly less exposed. By this time almost everyone was up and about. The sound of voices were dampened by the mist. Everything felt distant, as if they were in a dream. By the time the horses were packed the sun was high enough that everything was a bright haze, the growing warmth allowing the mist to slowly lift.

The horses had been herded to the tree where they waited patiently for their riders.

‘I wonder how long it took them to find them all,’ Omar asked, patting his horse on the nose, he had become very fond of his beast.

‘I think they are trained to stay near the camp,’ Rae said as she secured her pack to the back of her saddle, the Bohanese warriors had spent some time showing the Earthmen how to put a saddle and bridle on and how to look after them. The horses were already prepared for them except for their own gear and rifles. Hanniver was mounted and talking to Pan’arden, he was one of the early risers and he helped retrieve and clean them.

‘He seems to have made new friends,’ Omar indicted his superior with a tilt of his head.

‘And so has Rae,’ Dominic joked.

‘Get up on your horse,’ she said as she pushed him out of arm’s reach. Shayne finished fixing his pack; his eidetic memory ensured he mastered any skills shown to him the first time. As they were talking amongst each other he admired his horse’s saddle and the sheen of its coat, she was truly a beautiful creature. He ran his hand down her a few times; she nuzzled him in return before he lifted himself up into the saddle.

‘Where’s your lionman anyway?’ Dominic teased Rae. ‘Is that how you like them: Big and strong with a nice coat of fur?’ Both Omar and Dominic burst out with laughter.

‘Yeah, yeah, very funny. Don’t forget that I’m your superior officer and that I could make you dig a hole; I hear you’ve become quite good at it!’

‘Any joke is worth it, oh, and look who’s here!’ Dominic pointed as the lionman soldier emerged from the fog on his warhorse. ‘Hey, hey!’ Dominic called, waving at the warrior who cast his eyes across at him in surprise; he turned in his saddle to see if Dominic was calling someone behind, at seeing no one he gave an uncertain half smile and waved back. Rae hissed at Dominic and hit him in the leg; he reached down and rubbed his leg, laughing and cringing at the pain at the same time.

‘What’d you do that for?’ Dominic complained while he rubbed his leg, Omar also laughed and the lionman watched them with a very confused expression on his face. Rae blushed as he rode passed; she found that she could not look him in the face after the boys’ banter. He smiled at her but was still confused. Hanniver rode up to them.

‘What do you three think you’re doing?’ He glared at them, Omar and Dominic looked up at him, their smiles now gone.

‘Nothing, sir,’ Rae called.

‘Sir,’ Dominic stood at attention. ‘I feel compelled to tell you that Lieutenant Rae has fallen in love with a native, sir!’ He then saluted in the Eridani fashion, Hanniver shook his head.

‘This isn’t a holiday Corporal, please maintain some professionalism and some respect for superior officers, or I will have you dig another hole when we get back.’

‘Yes Sir,’ Dominic saluted again. The Brigadier stared at him for a moment, waiting for another comic remark but Dominic learnt a long time ago not to push your luck,

Hanniver then added, ‘Where is the robotic mule?

Dominic was taken by surprise. ‘Sir?’ he automatically replied.

‘Remember the equipment on the mule is your responsibility; don’t let it out of your sight,’ Dominic saluted again, an honest salute this time and he ran off into the mist to find the mule.

Hanniver then turned to Shayne, ‘You ready?’ Shayne answered by leading his horse beside the Brigadier-General. ‘I don’t know what to do with those boys sometimes,’ he said shaking his head.

‘I don’t understand them,’ Shayne simply replied.

‘Neither do I.’ They rode together until they found the head of the pack.

As the hours past the fog lifted to another bright and sunny day, the warmth reminded Shayne of something, but he could not fathom what, occasionally a sentence would pop into his head. ‘Remember how she said that, “we would meet again, some sunny day.”’ When he recalled this sentence other words would invade his mind, but he could not make them out. He did not know where this phrase came from, he had never heard it before and it was frustrating that he could not remember the rest, so to distract himself he would watch the other riders around him.

Kíe, as usual was lost in thought; the simplest things seemed to amuse and please him: like the pattern of shadows made by the tree tops, or the structure of a stone fence line, or the way the wind blew through the grass. At times when the company was silent he would begin to sing, first quietly to himself and then his voice would rise as his mood lifted. The sound of his songs would travel through the hills and gullies lifting the spirits of the small party. Sometimes he sung in the common dialect, other times in Kadalian;
The Language of Kings
. Shayne did not know that language but he heard some similarities with the common speech. The scholar sung one song when they came close to the boundary of the great forest, and as he sung it the lionmen fell silent and gazed dreamily out to the forest.

Vang more va myluf nor vandamor

my va mun mando ganda ham’nu

mara my ha ten Markees ka amdo na’din mynarda kama

thera Varda ten a’ra my ha.

No more will I be left here alone.

I will rise to see the sunrise.

Markees blood I am and to war I fight again,

for a King of old I am.

Their road crossed a major highway that connected two cities within the Afradinman Province, but they continued to follow their small dusty track, occasionally passing tiny farming communities. Their path wound around the landscape and they followed it to the edges of the Wayel-Éaa, where it met another track that traced the border of the great forest. Shayne found himself drawn to the woods; always looking in at the darkness within. The road became no more than an old path, used only by farmers and the occasional merchant that ventured to the more remote villages. After a few hours riding they took a break for a late lunch. Shayne unpacked his sleeping bag and parade uniform and draped them on a branch, with all the others following his lead. The lionmen seemed at ease in the shadow of the forest, but they spoke very seldom and always in hushed whispers.

‘Funny, when we were in there your people could not wait to leave,’ Shayne commented, ‘but now we stand on the edge and they all look — happy, as if it were an old friend.’ The forest itself seemed unusually dark as if the light was denied access, yet the space between the trees was wide enough to drive a ground vehicle through.

‘The forest serves as protection,’ Pan’arden spoke as she placed a heavy blanket on the branch next to Shayne’s sleeping bag. She looked up at the forest with a very slight smile and a faraway gaze that was reminiscent of Kíe. ‘It is a reminder of the olden days. There is deep respect for the forest and the people who once dwelt there, as well as a deep fear. You will find all love the forest provided they do not have to step forth within.’