Chapter Seventeen
One Flesh
I walked along the hidden village’s main corridor with Ellanara by my side holding my hand. We weren’t alone in our walk. Loric and his wife Kana walked along behind us at a slower pace. I was making a very clear and definitive statement to my people, as to my acceptance of these Vallian survivors, as well as to our permanent alliance with them by blood.
It had been a bit rocky to start out, but my people were coming around to the idea, because of several things. They had seen the map key glowing brightly on Ellanara’s hand, which was all the proof that most needed to accept the new order of things. The ship itself was another indicator. Such a ship could make it to the Haven Worlds. A great deal of optimism such as there had not been for many years was beginning to fill them with hope of a future not dominated over by Orlandian aggression.
Lastly my people had never seen their Guardian ever walk hand-in-hand with a woman before and the woman I had chosen was no ordinary woman. Nor were the Vallian survivors with her. They were of Tadias’s blood and kindred and that still meant something to my people, even after so long a time had passed.
I could feel the excitement that was building up within my people. I could feel it too, but I kept reminding myself that there was a lot to be done yet and I still didn’t know what Ellanara’s side of the plan was. It wasn’t that I openly doubted her or didn’t trust her. I just wanted to know!
Ellanara tugged at my hand and I let go, as I saw the little boy come running up with a bunch of blue dot lalia flowers. The little boy looked embarrassed and mesmerized by Ellanara all the same time. He thrust the fancy blue speckled flowers out and upward to Ellanara. He then pointed at her eyes and then at the flowers in an obvious reference of meaning.
Ellanara smiled, as she knelt down to him. To say that she smiled wasn’t a descriptive enough word for it. When Ellanara smiled, really smiled, it was with the radiance as if the sun had just come out from behind a cloud on an overcast day. I had known only a few people during my long lifetime that had a smile with such great effect to it.
We reached the end of the village and I was about to turn back to go to the ship, when Ellanara pointed out towards a straw roofed dwelling situated out and away from the village. “What’s that one so far from the others for?” She asked inquisitively.
I hesitated briefly before answering, “It’s where I’ve stayed, when I’ve visited the village in the past.”
She looked from the dwelling and then back to me, “You stayed all alone out there? Why not closer to your people?”
I looked at the horizon above the treetops for a long moment before answering. “I learned early on in my seemingly continuous existence not to get too close to anyone. The closer the bond the more pain I felt at having to watch them fade away over the course of their lifetime. I’ve kept distance between me and my people ever since then.”
She tugged on my hand to bring my eyes back to her. She had a curious expression on her face that I wasn’t sure what to make of.
“Well you’re not alone any longer Salanicus. Does anybody live there now?”
I shook my head no not understanding her interest in the humble little dwelling.
“Come on then. I want to see it.” She said tugging my hand and then releasing it when I didn’t move. She walked several steps closer in the direction of the dwelling gesturing back at me to follow her.
“There’s really nothing special or worth seeing about it.” I said completely puzzled now.
She gave me one of those special smiles and said, “I’m worth seeing aren’t I?”
I blinked. What did she mean by that?
She walked on several more feet before she half swung around with an arched eyebrow, “Do I have to spell it out for you Salanicus?” She finished with a little grin before she turned back around and walked the rest of the way to the small hut and ducked inside of it.
I glanced off to the side and saw an old woman standing there. She arched an eyebrow at me and said, “If I was you I’d do as she says and keep the fire a’going! That girl sure enough has plenty of it and you sure could use some after all this time!”
The old woman stepped forward and prodded me with a stick in the middle of the back and grudgingly I started out for the dwelling not daring to look back. The whole village was probably watching and it was kind of embarrassing.
Embarrassing or not I was more than ready for what Ellanara seemed to be offering me and in a way I guessed that this more than anything else would go the farthest to convincing my people that two peoples had just become one.