Bedelia's Dilemma

Keiley's Fa

"My son, I want to help." I mentally waved for a bowl of ea fae and got a handful. Held it to his face. This poor man had a scrape where someone slapped him. Slowly, I held the foam—it's blue? I guess we're doing tnshey, I hope it doesn't sting--

"Master, I work." He moved his legs apart. I'd seen that.

One at a time, I propped his legs back up. "My son, I don't do that. You lie in healing." As I did, I spread tnshey on his legs, only from the knee down, if they had knees. "This is as far as I go." I put my hands firmly at knee level.

Felt him shaking and looked at his face. He wept. "Master, thank you!"

His feet were a mess. Orange powder flaked off as I put tnshey. Former slaves always have foot injuries. I worked on them until they stopped bleeding and rolled up, then waved socks on 'em to hold them that way. If they move, there's a bone between the toes that can break, if they don't hold their toes right.

"O, warm! Thank you, Master!"

I put a blanket on him and he hugged it. Giggled. Zheien respond to any kindness, enthusiastically.

But, I should be talking more. "You are safe with us, my son. No one will hurt you. I have two rules that all should follow." Rest and see a healer. "When we land, we can contact family—"

"Jos, before I die! O, Father Of All, please bring my bae! I do anything!" His sobs wheezed.

Keiley ran out of our room with Elanapah on his heels trying to pick him up! "Fa!"

"O, dream, nae end!"

Keiley gently draped himself across the leiwege and grabbed two handfuls of black hair. "Fa, I am here. My prayers are answered!" He froze, then traced scars on Fa's head. Sobbed.

I pushed the bowl of tnshey against Keiley's leg. Shoved some out over his feet, in case he bruised 'em. In one smooth motion, he got some and used his arm to scrape it all over Fa's head. "Is pain terrible, Fa?"

"Jos, pain is nae in your touch. I love you, Jos."

"I love you, Fa." My poor husband sobbed.

"I love both of you." I cried and got more tnshey to rub on his arm. He had bruises and scrapes all over.

Elanapah looked at his points. "My son, rest. I am Elanapah, a h—"

"Elanapah? You were small when I left! Where is Napah?"

"Nae this fear! He is in our home."

"Nae in his chambers?"

"O, is late in our home. I think he probably sleeps now, and Bae Pahanasan is watching over unwell there. There are many now to help them. Do you know? King Challet gathered us, all of us, to a new world! There is Elshar Zheiea, and we have a city for Esta Faho. We are 400—"

He got upset! "Only 400?! We were a thousand! What happened? Tell me, quickly!"

She got a stricken expression. "I—nae know. Eae, my tutor taught us, a thousand, but—" I grabbed her arm. She's Ishah, and they are orange, but she went white! I rubbed some tnshey on her light brown curls and she laid on Keiley and his fa. So, I pulled a Molly.

"Fa, we have all sorts of beautiful flowers. Did you know Keiley married me? I am your new sae, Bedelia."

He stopped crying and pulled me against them all. "Jos, you married? O, happiness! You were very lonely. You married—an Elshar lady? Are you an artisan?"

I laughed. "Nae, Fa, I am a new member of King Nitomahan's Council. I am from a world called Earth. I hope she joins the Alliance Monday. Uh, in 5 days."