Lavender & Ice

22. The Brothers

"You almost beat Kahal that time, brother."

"There's always tomorrow." Kietnan said, trying to quickly end this conversation.

"We didn't see you during the rest period. Are you avoiding us?"

"Of course not. I simply had things to attend to."

"Things that involve your new alien friend?"

Kietnan stopped walking and turned to face his brother.

"Ah. I see I have your attention now."

"Othen, simply tell me what it is you need, so I may return to my dwelling to rest, eat, and study for tomorrow's trial.

"We want to meet her."

"We? Why would all of you be interested in meeting her?"

"Oh, so it is a her? Interesting. I will let you go rest and study for tonight, but on the next rest day, Kahal expects both of you to join us for breakfast in his dwelling."

Kietnan watched as his brother turned his back and walked away from him, a sense of dread filling him.

But nevertheless, he quickly turned and headed towards his dwelling. Using his last bit of self-control to keep himself from jogging there. When he reached it, he quickly opened the door and rushed in, his eyes scanning the tent. Only for his brows to press together, and his mouth to open. "Shima?" He called loudly.

No answer.

"Shima?" He called again as he rushed through the tent. He even looked through the chest where she had hidden before. "Shima!" He yelled.

As he scanned the dwelling again, his eyes spotted a slip of paper on the floor next to the door where someone had slipped it under.

Come to the medical tent

Is all it said. But it was all he needed. Without a thought, he rushed out the door and ran down the pathway.

~~~~~~

"That really happened?" The female medical attendant, Jal, asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Ashima said, laughing. "I had to return home with a shirt full of holes from where all of the animals had been nipping at me. Ashima had told her a story when she was a young girl on a school field trip. She was so eager to have all of the farm animals' attention, that she had stuffed carrots, apples, and lettuce into her back pack. Once they were at the farm, she stuffed the vegetables in her clothes and climbed the fence where the goats were. It had ended up being a terrible idea. But she was six at the time.

"My father was absolutely furious, and my mother almost fainted. Yet I still begged them to let me have a pet goat afterward." She giggled, and she noticed the other woman smile slightly.

"OK, you win." The woman gave in. "You were a bigger animal lover than I was as a child."

Both women flinched as the door to the room flung open loudly. Kietnan barged in, his eyes roaming the room as his hands balled into fists.

His eyes met hers and she noticed his chest swell as he drew in a breath. He rushed to her side. "What happened? Are you injured?"

"I'm fine." She offered him a small smile of encouragement.

"Do not lie to me, Shima." He said angrily as he turned to the attendant. "What is wrong with her? Why is she here?"

"She will have bruises, and will be sore for a while, but she is otherwise fine. Perhaps she is not as fragile as I first thought." She turned to Ashima. Her voice sounded impassive, but she didn't miss the hint of a smile on the corner of one side of her lips.