want you to chew on a few leaves as we approach the cave dwellers.” Ciel pulled out the herbs she’d picked while passing them, immediately recognizing their anti-inflammatory qualities. “I’ve rolled them into packs. Chew them until they liquefy in your mouth. Spit those out and chew one more. I have more for later if you need them.”
Gemma glowered at the small green bundles in Ciel’s hand. “You’re not joking, are you?” Eyeing the first little roll suspiciously, she then popped it into her mouth and began chewing as they hurried to keep up with the marines. “At least it tastes all right.”
Ciel merely smiled, knowing full well that these particular leaves were tasty.
A female voice called out in Gantharian. “Soldiers. Go back, go back!”
“Ciel!” Gemma pulled at her. “Tell them we’re here to help.”
“Listen to me. I’m Ciel O’Diarda, druid and Gantharian. My comrades here are from the Supreme Constellation. We’re here to help you. So are the SC soldiers. The weapons are only for our protection, so unless you attack us, you have nothing to fear.”
“Collaborator!” The woman, a very young, dark-skinned girl, stood before the others, her arms full of firewood. “We have sick people here. We’re in no shape to fight anyone. Just leave us alone!”
“We can’t do that.” Ciel forced herself to sound calm and reassuring. “Please, let us closer. We have reason to believe that you’ve been poisoned while in the hands of the Onotharians.”
“Why would you think that? And why would the Onotharians poison us? We’re of their blood. We’re Onotharians too.”
Gemma had clearly been able to follow the gist of the conversation. “All the more reason, if they were incarcerated for being Gantharians at heart.”
Ciel repeated what Gemma had just said. “We mean you no harm.”
“Let us help you.” Gemma spoke Gantharian with a thick accent, but it wasn’t hard to understand her. “Listen. One of my friends is Boyoda, a code name for the resistance leader who now also is known as Andreia M’Aldovar. You might know that she’s Onotharian by birth also.”
The young woman dropped the wood and began to stagger sideways. Ciel didn’t think. She simply hurried forward and caught the girl in her arms before she hit the uneven ground. “Gemma!”
“I’m here. Let me scan her.” Ciel held on to the emaciated woman as Gemma ran the scanner all over her body.
“She’s dehydrated, her fever is more than 40 degrees Celsius, and she’s jaundiced.”
“Her liver is impaired.”
“That’d be my estimate also.”
“Raviciera!” A pale woman, equally thin, stumbled out of the closest cave. “Get away from her.” She sank to her knees in spite of the sharp rocks. “What did you do to my child?”
“The Onotharians running the camp poisoned all of you over a period of time. Gantharian and Onotharian prisoners alike. We have medication, food, and shelter set up down at the pass. How many of you are here in the caves, and can you walk?”
The woman gazed back and forth between Ciel and Gemma. “You…you’re not here to take us back?”
“Not at all,” Gemma said. “We’re here to assist with the medical emergency and to help you reach your home.”
“Oh.” The woman still looked hesitant, but at least she wasn’t trembling in full-blown panic anymore. “I’m Pomaera. This is my daughter, Raviciera.”
“I think the shock of seeing our soldiers was simply too much for her,” Gemma said, sounding reassuring. “She fainted. I’ll infuse her with a stimulant with enough of a boost to keep her ambulatory during the time it takes us to go back down to the pass. So, how many of you are up here?”
“Sixteen. We’re all Onotharian by birth, but they define us as naturalized Gantharians. This is our home planet. We were all born and raised here.”
“Anyone too ill to stand?”
“Perhaps old Jemo. Everyone else…they’re sick, but not to such a
Gemma glowered at the small green bundles in Ciel’s hand. “You’re not joking, are you?” Eyeing the first little roll suspiciously, she then popped it into her mouth and began chewing as they hurried to keep up with the marines. “At least it tastes all right.”
Ciel merely smiled, knowing full well that these particular leaves were tasty.
A female voice called out in Gantharian. “Soldiers. Go back, go back!”
“Ciel!” Gemma pulled at her. “Tell them we’re here to help.”
“Listen to me. I’m Ciel O’Diarda, druid and Gantharian. My comrades here are from the Supreme Constellation. We’re here to help you. So are the SC soldiers. The weapons are only for our protection, so unless you attack us, you have nothing to fear.”
“Collaborator!” The woman, a very young, dark-skinned girl, stood before the others, her arms full of firewood. “We have sick people here. We’re in no shape to fight anyone. Just leave us alone!”
“We can’t do that.” Ciel forced herself to sound calm and reassuring. “Please, let us closer. We have reason to believe that you’ve been poisoned while in the hands of the Onotharians.”
“Why would you think that? And why would the Onotharians poison us? We’re of their blood. We’re Onotharians too.”
Gemma had clearly been able to follow the gist of the conversation. “All the more reason, if they were incarcerated for being Gantharians at heart.”
Ciel repeated what Gemma had just said. “We mean you no harm.”
“Let us help you.” Gemma spoke Gantharian with a thick accent, but it wasn’t hard to understand her. “Listen. One of my friends is Boyoda, a code name for the resistance leader who now also is known as Andreia M’Aldovar. You might know that she’s Onotharian by birth also.”
The young woman dropped the wood and began to stagger sideways. Ciel didn’t think. She simply hurried forward and caught the girl in her arms before she hit the uneven ground. “Gemma!”
“I’m here. Let me scan her.” Ciel held on to the emaciated woman as Gemma ran the scanner all over her body.
“She’s dehydrated, her fever is more than 40 degrees Celsius, and she’s jaundiced.”
“Her liver is impaired.”
“That’d be my estimate also.”
“Raviciera!” A pale woman, equally thin, stumbled out of the closest cave. “Get away from her.” She sank to her knees in spite of the sharp rocks. “What did you do to my child?”
“The Onotharians running the camp poisoned all of you over a period of time. Gantharian and Onotharian prisoners alike. We have medication, food, and shelter set up down at the pass. How many of you are here in the caves, and can you walk?”
The woman gazed back and forth between Ciel and Gemma. “You…you’re not here to take us back?”
“Not at all,” Gemma said. “We’re here to assist with the medical emergency and to help you reach your home.”
“Oh.” The woman still looked hesitant, but at least she wasn’t trembling in full-blown panic anymore. “I’m Pomaera. This is my daughter, Raviciera.”
“I think the shock of seeing our soldiers was simply too much for her,” Gemma said, sounding reassuring. “She fainted. I’ll infuse her with a stimulant with enough of a boost to keep her ambulatory during the time it takes us to go back down to the pass. So, how many of you are up here?”
“Sixteen. We’re all Onotharian by birth, but they define us as naturalized Gantharians. This is our home planet. We were all born and raised here.”
“Anyone too ill to stand?”
“Perhaps old Jemo. Everyone else…they’re sick, but not to such a
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