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[Kiyevanie]

Again Ni'ka had to shake her head.  "Atreyu's party doesn't hate you...  Atreyu distrusts all Dreamwalkers, that's true.  But Kenten doesn't hate you, Renu and Meuia don't hate you either...  Yes, maybe you tried too much of what works for your People, and that probably annoyed people - but there's a difference between being annoyed and hating someone."  She sighed.  "It can't be helped now, and feeling guilty about it won't make things better."

[Random the Navigator]

"Oops...failed to explain," said Ash.  "When I said 'Atreyu's party', I didn't mean the pongu.  More like his 'faction', I guess; a group of people who feel the same way he does about how the Clan's being run.  He's had one for a while; the day Rick first brought you here, 'Iheyu laid into them for talking rot about the Olo'eyktan, and he's only become more set in his opinions since.  I know the fire-tender you talked to was part of his group; he's the one who kept Atreyu from provoking her even further.  You see, she'd already threatened to beat him blind..."  She smirked at the memory.

They arrived at Ra'nah's chamber, only to be told by a warrior that he wasn't there; indeed, that they seldom saw him in the Commons anymore, and that he was most likely in the care of a healer.  "And he's not what he was," the sentinel said sadly.  "In fact, he might be a good candidate for your little Dreamwalker's magic..."  Thanks to Tiye, few people by now had not heard of Enya's skill with the helpless.

[Kiyevanie]

"What?" Ni'ka blurted, her thoughts about the alliance immediately forgotten.  "What happened?  Is he at the healers' ward now?"  Her ears were perked up and her tail swished in worry.  "Quick, let's go there..."

[Random the Navigator]

All hint of Ash's smile vanished at the sentinel's description of his former chieftain, and it didn't get any better as the warrior continued.  "I believe he's in the downstairs ward," he said.  "I don't see how they could have gotten him up to the aerie, even though he begged them to.  I think he might have wanted to fly away and never be seen again...  But he was in no condition to do it.  He was bedridden until a few days ago, and he doesn't say much; and when he does, it's like talking to a very young child, one who needs soft voices and gentle touch.  He might or might not want to see anyone; the healers will have a better idea of whether he's up to having visitors."

Ash considered.  Had Ra'nah suffered some kind of mental breakdown?  A human might have, under that much stress...  She thanked the fighter and set her course for the ward--Tiye's ward, and she knew yet again that she was very likely to be reminded of her own frailties.

[Kiyevanie]

Ni'ka had nodded to Ash's explanation about Atreyu's opinions and the people listening to him - well, in the  meantime the stubborn hunter had met Brenda, and maybe that had shaken up his mind a bit.  But none of that was important anymore when the sentinel continued describing the former Olo'eyktan's condition.

"Oh Eywa," she breathed, concern shining brightly in her eyes.  "How could this happen in just a few days?"  The last she had seen of Ra'nah was a man who was deeply worried about his People, but still healthy and strong.  She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, but ignored it; instead she just picked up speed, hurrying along towards the healer's ward.

When she and Ash reached the place it was clear to see that it, too, was less crowded than it had been before.  Many of the injured or sick Clan members, the ones who were strong enough to be moved, had been evacuated, moved to other, hopefully safer places.  But there were still patients being tended to.

Ni'ka looked around, hoping to spot a familiar face, someone they could ask.

[Random the Navigator]

"Ni'ka, the meeting was almost ten days ago," Ash told her.  "A lot of things can happen to someone's health in that much time...especially if they were near the breaking point to begin with.  I'm going to keep my mouth shut about Sky People practices unless asked, but we have a lot of broken people on our world..."  Then she gasped; her hands flew up to her mouth and she looked even more anguished.  "Oh, my God...and I was sitting next to his mate all morning and I never even asked about him!!  What kind of person *am* I??"  And this time she did break into tears.

[Kiyevanie]

"Me neither," Ni'ka sighed, thinking about Ali'ite, wondering what the Tsahik was going through now.  Even if they were Tsahik and former Olo'eyktan, even if responsibility for the Clan had always been part of their life, they had also been mates for decades already.  Ali'ite had to be sick with worry, and still she hadn't shown it.  "Somehow it wasn't the right time and place for it."

[Random the Navigator]

"I think...I think Ali'ite was focused on my need, not her own," Ash surmised.  "You know, setting her own troubles aside and thinking only of the person in front of her?  Tangek says the healers do that all the time, which is why when it gets to him, he feels he has to take off for a while...  I've driven him to that at the compound, haven't I?  More ill-considered words...  But listen to me feeling sorry for myself.  If the Tsahik of the Tompa'tanhi doesn't want to talk about what's bothering her, it's not my place to insist...  But I could have asked."

Perhaps fortunately for Ash's composure, Tiye was not on duty this morning; and thinking about it, the Dreamwalker ventured a guess that this particular patient would likely not have been assigned to anyone but the healers' Elder herself.  And while *that* woman was a force to be reckoned with in her own right, she had her own brand of compassion; it was she who had finally allowed Tsanten to be treated at Hometree.

But Ash and Ni'ka weren't greeted by the Elder, either; only by Havi, the male healer who had attended Ash's surgery.  "Oel ngati kameie," he said kindly to the pair, noting the Dreamwalker's still tear-streaked face.  "If you seek the Olo'eyktan, he's not here; but if you've come to see Ra'nah, I can tell him you're coming..."

[Kiyevanie]

Ni'ka looked at Havi.  "We're looking for a friend," she said softly; she wasn't crying, but her voice was shaky.  "We just heard the news...  Do you think he'd want to see us?"

[Random the Navigator]

"I think much will depend on what sort of things you have to say to him," Havi replied.  "He's been asking for you; but he's been asking for other things that are bad for his health, so ask yourselves whether your visit is going to lessen his burden or increase it."

"We have hopeful news," Ash said.  "And we'd like to hear yours, too; I think we all could use some lightening of the heart."

"In that case, I'll be back in a bit.  He's in his family quarters, you see, not here; the man needs his privacy."  And the healer ducked through a bead curtain and made his way up the spiral.

[Kiyevanie]

For a moment Ni'ka looked after Havi, wondering if Ra'nah would want to see them or not.  "We should tell him about the Blessing," she said.  "I'm sure he'd like to hear about Enya and Tsanten; they are signs of hope, and they'll show him that he has done right to offer them a home.  Or about Kenten laughing again."  She smiled a bit.  "That warrior down there might have been right - if this is about lightening someone's heart, having Enya around would help too; somehow she feels what a sore heart needs."

[Random the Navigator]

"We shall certainly tell him about the Blessing, and ask him how it went here," Ash agreed.  "You and Tsanten especially are the miracle stories; imagine Eywa pouring Herself all over two Changed ones!  And I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear about Enya's trip to the Heart.  I'm not sure we should flat-out ask him about the oath, though.  And we're gonna leave the subject of our next trip up to the Tsahiks.  This probably isn't the best time to ask him to decide anything...  But Enya's story might bring his thoughts about the oath out anyway; we'll see how he reacts."

She pondered some more, her enthusiasm building.  "And we'll tell him how Na'vie and the cave are doing; and tell him about Brenda and her message; and, well, I don't know how much else he'll have the energy for, but we'll make a good bedtime story at least!"

[Kiyevanie]

"Let's start with the small things first," Ni'ka suggested, a part of her feeling a bit awkward at the thought of being part of a miracle story when she still hadn't completely sorted herself out yet.  It made her smile a bit, thinking about how she had listened to all the stories and songs from the Lorekeepers, wondering how the people in them might have felt.  "Yes, Enya's trip to the Heart should be a good story - especially the part where she and Na'vie were playing in the caves and the pool."

She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them.  "And let's see how he is, at first...  I still can't imagine him being as weak as they all say."  The anxiety was a solid knot in her stomach by now, although she was dead set not to show it.

[Random the Navigator]

"Umm, actually, since we don't know how much time we'll have with him, I think we should tell him the most important things first..." said Ash. "You know, so that if we leave before we get a chance to see him again, he'll at least know that the biggest things have gone right?"  Then she looked down, blushing a little.  "Only...I'm gonna need your help picking what's important, 'k?  Because I haven't done a very good job of telling people what they really need to know in their souls to have hope."

[Kiyevanie]

Ni'ka swallowed.  "I'm not sure if I'm the best in picking either," she admitted.  "It's easy when it's about reporting on a herd of Talioang I've spotted, but these things?"

She went through the options, then nodded finally.  "I think, we should start with the Heart first - that Na'vie is alright and even playful and the Heart is still alive."  Again she regretted that Enya wasn't there, who could describe the place so colourfully.  "And then tell about how Tsanten got blessed."  She smiled shyly.  "They didn't say that Ra'nah's eyes weren't sharp anymore, so maybe he'll notice my tanhi?"

[Random the Navigator]

When Havi stepped back through the bead-curtain, he was wearing what looked like an affectionate smile.  "He's actually feeling a lot better today; his eyes lit up when he heard you were here," he said.

-:-

The Olo'eyktan's private quarters were neither as large nor as fancy as Ash expected.  For the number of people who would usually be in it at a time, it was nearly as cozy as Enya's alcove; indeed, it seemed to be three or four such alcoves strung together.  There were comfortable mats to sit on, a small firepit, a large guest-hammock in one chamber and several hanging-beds.  There were toys here for the youngest; craftworks he'd received as gifts; and little things here and there, with textures of wood and stone, fabric and ivory for those who liked to explore with their hands.  What personal mementoes there were tended to be small or simple things of sentimental value, some of them very old and plainly much-loved.

Ash could imagine raising a family here; she could imagine having a few friends over to share the fire; she could imagine unwinding after a stressful day.  There were no trophies of war or the chase here, nothing to indicate high rank or the need to impress.  The Clan leader had the Great Room and the Commons for that.  Up here, he was just Ra'nah--mate to Ali'ite, father of seven, grandfather of twelve, great-grandfather of seventeen, all of whom had taken a turn at rumpling the place just enough to make it feel lived-in.

Ra'nah was sitting cross-legged not too far from the fire, tended by a healer who was handing him one knick-knack at a time and asking what the story was behind it.  "Good idea, Eyaye," Havi smiled; then, to the former Clan leader, he said "I've always wanted to hear some of those stories."

"I've always wanted to tell them," said Ra'nah carefully, as if assembling the words was an effort for him.  Ash noted that one corner of his shaky smile was a little higher than the other; that one hand shook as he took each object, and the other one didn't; that his eyes were a little unfocused; and that sometimes he wavered sitting up, and had to be braced by the healer for a moment before his sense of balance kicked in again.

Then, before she could reel off a formal greeting, he spotted her and Ni'ka and his eyes lit up.  "Welcome...welcome!" he said with all the enthusiasm of a child whose best friend had just shown up for his birthday party after all.

"I feel welcomed," Ash replied, smiling and bowing her head before seating herself at his invitation.  She made herself think of his coherence, of his obvious attention to people and his surroundings, and of the memory exercise Eyaye was coaxing him through...anything else besides the strong suspicion that the old Olo'eyktan had suffered a stroke.

"You are welcome," he repeated.  "But I've been telling stories all morning.  Have either of you got one for me?  'Old-Bones' is tiring, you see, and there are others to do the work."  He mock-glared at Eyaye, jaw set and ears tipped back, looking for all the world like Tsanten copping an attitude; then he reached for the bowl of Angtsik stew that rested to one side of him, whereupon Havi knelt next to him and steadied his hands.

[Kiyevanie]

"I feel welcomed too," Ni'ka smiled and sat down besides Ash, then made the traditional, formal greeting gesture.  "I See you, Ra'nah," she said.

And indeed she did.  Her keen hunter eyes and her heart Saw the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the nook, that it was a place for a family, for people who loved and cared for each other, who lived the life of the People.  She Saw the ages of love and life that had seeped into the walls of the nooks as well as the precious belongings in there...  The way this nook looked spoke volumes about the people Ra'nah and Ali'ite were.  Not the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahik, but just simply Ra'nah and Ali'ite, the couple, the parents, the grandparents, the oldest members of this family.

She also Saw the little signs which told her about Ra'nah's breakdown; the slight asymmetry in his face and movements and his problems with balance and finer movements.  But they didn't matter, because she also Saw the warmth of the welcome, the light in Ra'nah's eyes and the enthusiasm he showed about his visitors.

So she chuckled.  "I've seen this expression lately," she said with a wink, "from a certain Lorekeeper when he disagrees with the healers mothering him too much...  And that's part of one of the stories we could tell you today.  And as long as you're talking about 'Old Bones', the one who called you that is part of this and another of our stories, and they're all good ones."

She slightly tilted her head and smiled.  "Maybe that's the one we should start with.  The one about my not-so-little-sister and her visit to a place she calls 'the Pretty Place', where she talked and laughed and played with a certain 'Blue Lady'.  Can you imagine?  Enya gave her back how it feels to be a carefree child again."

[Random the Navigator]

Ash had to laugh at the torrent of words that tumbled out of Ni'ka's mouth.  It seemed that neither of them quite knew where to begin!  But she couldn't leave the huntress to tell the tales all by herself, so...

"We have indeed been blessed, revered one," she began.  "And in a little while we're going to bug you to tell your story too.  You Have Been Warned!  But we'll probably babble long enough that you'll be begging for your turn."  She winked, then went on:

"But our Blessing didn't begin the other night.  No, it was our little friend Enya who kicked things off...  She went dreamwalking, you see, and in her soul she visited the Heart."  She thought she should spare Ra'nah the distressing details of just how Enya had come to the point where she had nearly given up her hard-won consciousness.  "You know she's been sad; well, Na'vie's been sad too, even though she has visitors sometimes and already has most of the pieces of the crystal--I'm going to pretend you've heard about me and Rick's last expedition too."

"Indeed," Ra'nah nodded.  "And Rick spoke to me of Enya's troubles.  But say on; I take it neither of them is sad anymore?  I've always felt compassion for the First Child being down there all alone for so long, cut off from the People..."

"And I as well," Ash concurred.  "But I don't think Na'vie is *as* sad anymore, and Enya isn't sad at all."  She thought for a moment, then quietly added "Let me back up even a little further: Na'vie seems well but weary; the blue Loreyu flowers still lead the way; I found the water in the cavern to be cold, but when Enya went, it was warm, so something's gone right since my last visit.  The crystals of the cave still glow and grow thickly on the walls, and they are strong enough for an adult-sized child to do chin-ups.  And whatever went on down there between Enya and Na'vie, it seems to have been good for Na'vie's morale.  I think between Enya's actions and ours, we might have finally made a positive difference...  If nothing else, Na'vie now Sees her home in a new light, through the eyes of another child who'd never been there before and never known it as a prison."

[Kiyevanie]

"They were swimming in the pool," Ni'ka added, smiling, the outflow of her words becoming calmer and more steady.  She too didn't mention the fact of why Enya's spirit went to the Heart in the first place - this was about telling happy stories, after all.  "And I think Enya once mentioned something about a splashing battle.  They were talking, having a heart-to-heart...  From all that Enya told us, I think they kind of became friends there.  And that makes me happy, because I just can't imagine how alone Na'vie must have been.  Enya must have been like a ray of sunlight there.  I've never been in that place, besides listening to Enya telling about it, but it must be beautiful..."

She hesitated.  "Actually, I think it was a real ray of sunlight, 'cause for the next few days it wasn't as cold and the clouds weren't as dark as the days before.  That, and that Ash and Rick brought back the crystal shards...  Yes, Ash is right; the Blessing started before the other night."  The smile turned into an impish smirk.  "I like to think it all might have sent up some ray of hope to the Great Mother, giving Her the strength to kick some txim up there."

[Random the Navigator]

Ash nodded and smiled, then sat up a little as another thought struck her.  "There was something else about Enya's visit, too...Na'vie seems to have given her a few prophecies.  Small ones, the kind you'd entrust to a very young mind and a soul that, on the First Daughter's scale, was born just yesterday...  Enya doesn't actually remember them as foretellings; it's more a matter of recognising what they are when they begin to happen.  Tsanten, for example; he woke up the day after her dreamwalk with an itch at the root of his queue, and she told him that's because he was growing a new one.  And up on your Iknimaya mountain she found a cave that she's sure holds a story-stone for him to find...  Things like that.  She also chewed me out good and proper about the way I talk to her, telling her and anyone who'll listen how unique she is.  I had no idea how much her onlyness was bothering her; she said every time I mentioned it, it made her feel like she wasn't supposed to exist..."

"A child's deepest need is to belong," Ra'nah said gently.  "But this one is not so 'only'.  I hope Ngatapa's told her the story of Toruk Makto by now; he said he was going to...  While Sully came to it by different means, he got the same result.  She's not the only Dreamwalker-Awake there ever was, and she's in some fairly distinguished company."

"It never occurred to me to look at him that way," Ash admitted.  "It never occurred to me to look at Dreamwalkers the way she does at all.  And it never occurred to me to ask her what being one is like; and it never occurred to me to take her seriously when she talked about it without being asked.  I've fallen short that way about a lot of things...  So for me, the most affecting thing about her dreamwalk was that it made me reconsider how much I've gone through life without thinking."

[Kiyevanie]

"Maybe it isn't 'not thinking'," Ni'ka said.  "You are thinking a lot.  It's about finding out what the right things are to think about."  She smiled a bit ruefully.  "I'm not too sure about those myself all the time."

She beamed at Ra'nah then.  "Oh yes, Ngatapa told us the story, and it was great talespeaking he did there.  The place I was born is far, far away from here, and our Clan never joined in that fight...  But the songs that are sung at our campfires - maybe I don't remember them right anymore or things got lost along the way, but I've never heard the story being told that way.  By someone who has been there!"  Her eyes were almost as wide as in the moment she had listened to the story, and she blushed a bit.  "Ngatapa told that story to more than one eager listening 'evi that night.  And Enya, she loved it; she loved it so much, and not only because it's a great tale, but because there's another Dreamwalker-Awake out there...or at least there has been."  Nobody had mentioned what had become of Toruk Makto nowadays.

Now she wrapped her arms around her knees and let her head rest upon them, her eyes getting contemplative again.  "It was a story of a miracle...and still, when I think about it, there have been so many miracles happening at our camp, big and small ones.  Enya being called to the Heart was one of them.  Hearing about a place like that, it was..."  She looked up at Ra'nah again.  "Just hearing about that place, imagining it, it made light shine into places of my spirit I had forgotten about.  And then...just a few days later, I could really feel it!  The Great Mother still does See me!"  Her few, precious tanhi glowed softly at the memory.

[Random the Navigator]

Ra'nah reached over, traced the small stars on Ni'ka's arm and smiled warmly.  "I was waiting for you to realise this," he said kindly.  "Enough of the People in this Clan have Seen you, and we only get that ability from our Mother.  A mother never loses Sight of her children.  You were part of Eywa's body before you were born; how could She *not* See you?  I don't think She could have gotten away from you if She'd tried."  He chuckled a little.  "And Tsanten?  Surely he knows that he is loved?"

Ash nodded.  "I think since the very first day, the day he awoke to Ni'ka's face and learned that people were still willing to touch him, he has never doubted it," she said sincerely.  "And while I've had my disagreements with Tangek, I think he and Enya love Tsanten most of all.  Tangek's Gift was merely being there when the Lorekeeper was healed."

"Ahh, Tangek," Ra'nah said.  "How *is* he, anyway?  I think I knew he and 'Iheyu had a thing going before he did!"  He actually flashed an impish grin.  "And he has been a wonderful Sempul to her children, Enya especially--I saw them when she came down for her riding lesson."

Ash shifted in place.  "I, uhh, haven't been on the best of terms with him, and I'm not sure that's going to change even now that I understand that the things he said that offended me were only the truth.  But 'Iheyu talks to me, and she is very concerned that they will not be able to become mates until this is over.  She has also mentioned the unnaturalness of life in our camp, as have Kenten and some of the others.  They basically have to be a whole Clan all by themselves, and it's really wearing on them...even Enya, who misses this place badly.  'Be much was s'posed to happen for me at Hometree,' she says, meaning lessons and crafting and getting stronger as she climbs, and she is so sad about that..."

"Now, on that subject I have some very good news of my own," the former chieftain said, smiling.  "Is it all right if I take an early turn?  Because you did say you wanted to know how the Blessing affected me...and it's not something I'm ready to share with just anyone."

[Kiyevanie]

At those words, Ni'ka's ears perked up.  She had listened to Ra'nah's comment about how Eywa still Saw her with a soft, happy smile and moist eyes, deeply touched; now she raised her head.  "If this would be good news for my family, we wouldn't mind an early turn," she smiled.  "They have given so much to me already; if we could bring them good news it would only be a small thing in return."  She looked over to Ash.  "Because Ash is right; living there for a longer time is hard for them all."

[Random the Navigator]

Ash similarly bowed her head.  "Honored Elder," she began formally, guessing that he was still considered one, "you hardly need my permission to speak as soon and as long as you wish.  I would be more than honored to, as we say, 'yield the floor'."  She looked up again and smiled.

"Very well," said Ra'nah, seeming to settle into a more comfortable position.  "Everyone here will have their own story of how Eywa's appearance after so long has affected things for them.  I cannot tell you those stories, only my own.

"You see me in difficult times," he acknowledged, but his voice was strong and clear.  "My Clan is lost, or so it would seem.  My life was nearly lost, and I confess that for a while I was hoping someone would come in and finish the job.  The night before last delivered me from those thoughts, at least, and the next morning was the first time I've been able to leave my sleeping-mat since after the meeting--you know the one.

"But it is not my body which bears good news for your little group.  You see, the Great Mother shared something with me, something I have taken to heart.  It is this: I have not lost my Clan, only the leadership of it.  The Tompa'tanhi still exist as a cultural and spiritual entity.  How, you may ask, when so many have left Hometree, which grows emptier by the day? --The life of the Clan is no longer with me or with Hometree.  It is with its outliers.  What you two have told me about your group being so tight-knit confirms this, as if I'd doubted it.  So does the reported sentiment that they must function as a Clan.  This they are doing, both your batch and Atreyu's, whether they know it or not.  They are a more cohesive group than we are at Hometree.  The unity of the Clan, the persistence of the Clan, the future of the Clan, is not here; it is with them."

He waited for that to sink in, then added with a smile: "If you truly want Enya to have a well-rounded upbringing, I recommend that your two parties find each other and join forces if you can..."

[Kiyevanie]

It took a few moments for Ra'nah's words to sink in, but then a whole storm of emotions washed over Ni'ka.  The first one being relief - relief that the Clan wouldn't be lost, that there was still a future for the Tompa'tanhi.  They might go through hard times and get roughed up, but they wouldn't lose themselves as a Clan.  The song of the Tompa'tanhi would still be sung when Vrrtep was beaten - and for some reason for Ni'ka that was really a 'when' and not an 'if'.  And all this meant that she'd still have a Clan to belong to.  She wouldn't lose another home...

"That...that..."  She swallowed down the big lump in her throat; but this time it wasn't made of sadness, but of hope and a spark of happiness.  "That means Enya will have a place to grow up...she can have all those things she's been waiting for so badly.  And 'Iheyu and Tangek will have a chance to be mates..."  She sniffled slightly, a wide, wide smile appearing on her face, like the sun going up on a clear morning.  "Tangek and 'Iheyu were thinking of maybe moving their family towards Atreyu's camp for Enya's and Tali's sake, but weren't sure if it was the right thing to do...  They'll be so happy to hear this news!"

And another rock slid off her heart: "Yes...yes, we should try to join forces - we know more or less where they are; Brenda and I met Atreyu just this morning on the way there.  Kenten wants to see them too; he misses his pongu, his friends."  She swallowed again.  "And me, I wouldn't have to decide or try to split my heart between two places," she finished very quietly.

She bowed her head to Ra'nah.  "Irayo, revered Elder, for sharing this news with us - it seems miracles were happening everywhere that night."