Sheffali's Caravan

From reading the book his mother left to him, he knew Ush were once a largely nomadic people who lived amongst the dunes of the vast deserts. They weren't by any means primitive. They had a rich culture of art and sciences which they shared amongst their widespread population. Advanced mathematics competitions were common, as were spirited philosophical debates. They'd never experienced war until a threat from the stars above drove them to develop a means to defend themselves. They captured the vessels of their foes and put their greatest minds on the task of creating a response. Within a few short cycles, they were venturing off the planet's surface to take the fight to their enemy. They captured additional vessels with tech that gave them the means to leave their system. They improved and adapted the tech to provide themselves with an advantage and learned the horrors of war.

At every stage, they'd tried to communicate with their invaders, to reason with them, but were met with only silence.

As Zell sat amongst the top branches, swaying in the breeze, he contemplated the Borrelians below. He listened to their raised voices, singing, laughing, trading good-natured insults as they left the fields after a hard day's work. On average, they were good people who favored conversation and closeness. Even those that hated each other made an effort to communicate before resorting to violence. This behavior made their genocidal war so puzzling to him. It seemed to go against their nature. He knew from firsthand experience that they had the capacity for deep empathy with a being who was not a Borrelian. The entire Sheffali family, from the most senior to the youngest, kept his presence a secret. That trust was precious to him. They were precious to him.

While he'd killed many Borrelians since that first group of bandits when he was eleven, it didn't give him any satisfaction or pleasure. It wasn't like he was getting revenge for his people. The bandits weren't the ones responsible. His violence was just a means to protect those he loved. He was good at it, and he ensured his targets died quickly and quietly. He never fed on them.

The sun reached the horizon, and he felt it slip down below the edge. All the wagons were well on their way back to the city, so he was in no danger of the field workers seeing him now.

It didn't take long for the skies to shed their remaining light and become an inky black. It was time.

He darted across the open expanse between the forest edge and the field, then began his ground-eating lope that was faster than any wagon or running avian mount the Borrelians had.

When he reached the edge of the field by the city walls, he waited for the last wagon to get to the gate. As the City Guard guided them in, Zell leaped from the field to the shadows of the wall, a distance of twenty strides, in one explosive pounce. Listening, he heard no cries of alarm, so no one had seen him. Scaling the tall wall was simple for one with claws like his. Within the shadow at the intersection of tower and wall, it took only seconds for him to reach the top edge. Guards no longer patrolled the path along the top, but he listened carefully and heard only the sounds of wind, leaves, and insects. He slipped over the edge and listened again--still nothing.

He moved along the top until he reached an area where the shadows were deepest inside and climbed down the inner wall. He paused, but there were still no sounds other than the distant singing of the field workers in the wagon.

It wasn't far to the Sheffali Homestead, but he made a circuit of the surrounding abandoned buildings before approaching. He spotted a watcher on the rooftop of the building across the wide avenue from the gate. Someone was keeping track of the comings and goings of the Sheffalis. Just the thing he needed to avoid.

He slipped up behind the spy and noticed it was a young male, underweight and quite odorous. Quickly and quietly, he grabbed the skinny neck of the struggling boy and squeezed until he felt him fall unconscious. He carried the limp body through the dark streets until he reached a row of hedges. There he tucked the boy under the branches and stuffed some credits into the pocket of the boy's soiled shirt.

He'd wake with a terrible headache, but he'd be alive. If he was smart, he'd get the message. Zell could only give him one warning. If he returned, he wouldn't wake at all.

Rushing back to the Homestead, he did another pass and found no more watchers. He went over the wall in a shadowed area and found himself quickly surrounded by guard beetles. He clicked at them, and they made snuffling noises.

They smelled the mushrooms.

Too bad for them. These were for Seela. He fired some angry clicks at them, and the group scattered.

He walked to the front door of his parent's house and saw a note saying everyone was in the formal dining room of the office building. He turned and hustled across the wide courtyard to enter the building. As he approached the room, he whistled to let them know who was coming.

"ZELL!"

He smiled as he heard the excited voices of the kids. He pushed his hood back as they came charging. Brann, son of Drema and Geega, and Koobi, daughter of Treeg and Grunda, were both ten and the first to appear. They rushed forward to get hugs.

Cragg, son of Murro and Challa, was only five but a little ball of energy and right on their heels.

Shortly, Penna and sister Kaytesh, who was just a single cycle younger at fourteen, joined their cousins.

"You heard the signal with no troubles?" Penna asked eagerly.

This told Zell it was the boy who'd used the whistle. "Yes, crystal clear and strong. Thank you!"

Penna's proud smile made his sister roll her eyes.

Zell picked up Cragg and carried him into the next room, where the adults were all seated around a long table. Mycha and Bollo quickly waved to him with grins. The boys were both fifteen cycles old, so they'd remained with the other adults when he'd whistled, but he saw their excitement at his arrival too. Cragg grasped his ear, so he gently tugged it free from the young boy's small fingers. He was fascinated with Zell's upright and mobile ears, which flicked to point forward and back, picking up the faintest sounds.

The Ush noticed that all the windows were covered with their security shields, preventing light and sound from leaving the room.

Lorrenz walked forward to meet his son. "Thank you for joining us. Did you encounter any trouble on the way in? There's been an increase of bandits in the neighborhood."

Zell gently set Cragg down and faced his father with a look of concern. "Bandits inside the city walls?"

Lorrenz nodded. "Your mother and I dealt with a team of six this morning on our way to the Trader's Guild Hall."

Zell's fur stood on end as his eyes widened. He couldn't be here to protect them, and they were in danger. He looked to Olle, who nodded with a frown.

"They left the Homestead before Murro and I knew they were gone. We arrived just after they finished the bandits off," Olle sighed.

"Please, Father! Mother! Let Olle and Murro protect you while you are in the city!" Zell pleaded.

The two seniors looked at each other and shrugged. They knew Zell might do something desperate if they didn't agree. They needed him to be safe as well. "It will be as you say, and they insist."

Olle and Murro smiled and nodded to Zell gratefully. He returned it.

"On the way in, I spotted someone watching the front entrance from a rooftop across the avenue. It was a street child. I rendered him unconscious and left him back by the hedgerow. I don't believe he'll have the nerve to return."

Olle and Murro frowned as surveillance was a new ploy. They would discuss options later.

"Come, join us for a meal," Lissan asked.

Zell nodded and took a seat at the table next to his mother. He wasn't hungry, having just devoured a large portion of the bull pig he'd killed the day before. He knew she enjoyed the ritual of having a meal with her family, and he rarely got to take part in them at the Homestead. He could see the gleam of happiness in her eyes. It reminded him of the joy he'd seen in his birth mother's eyes when he'd proven to her he learned one of her survival lessons.

"Thank you for including me, but what's the occasion that warrants such a risk?" He scooped a small portion of raw fish onto his plate, a delicacy he couldn't resist. He caught Lissan's grin at Seela for including it. Her smile reminded him of the bag he was carrying for the chef. He tugged it out from inside his robe. "These are for you," he added, handing the bag to her.

Seela peeked inside and made a little squeak of happiness as she lifted one of the delicate mushrooms from the bag. Cheers went up down the table as they knew she would prepare their favorite soup with these.

Zell looked to his father, who described the situation with the captured caravans and how the other trading house families and the surviving Krattos members wanted them to take on this mission.

"There will be an increased risk to you," Lorrenz said to Zell. He looked at the others. "There is increased danger for all of us. While Lissan and I believe the value of delivering the medicine warrants the attempt, we won't force this risk upon you. Everyone gets a say."

"I have no concerns for this mission. Should you choose to proceed, I will be more proactive in scouting the route and will address any dangers swiftly and decisively. I will protect my family."

He looked up and saw Noola watching him with an odd expression. He faced her directly, and she immediately looked down at her plate. He didn't get to ask her what the look meant as the other members of the Caravan team began chiming in their support with proceeding with the mission, and he looked back to the proud expression on Lorrenz's face.

"This is going to be a difficult enterprise for the entire family as we just returned and have nothing prepared for heading back out. Additionally, we'll be taking five wagons."

Danne's face lit up with a broad smile, while the others looked less enthused.

"Where are we going to get the crew for managing the extra wagon?" Laalaa asked.

"What extra wagon are we going to use?" Treeg asked.

Lorrenz nodded. "We'll take a wagon from the Krattos Homestead, pulled by one of their teams, and Bonna will manage it."

Eyes locked on him now. "Bonna?" Noola asked in surprise, recalling her sister's tearful departure from the family.

Lissan nodded. "She deserves to join the caravan to find out the fate of her husband. Noola, we'll be asking you to ride with her." The Master Vet just nodded.

"What turn around are you asking for?" Danne asked. He had some potential customers who would jump at the chance to get in on the run to the west coast's largest city since that's what they were tacitly being given permission to do. Taking five wagons and successfully getting through while the larger trading houses held back in fear would set them up nicely for future business.

"Two to three days, maximum."

Voices were raised in surprise and dismay, as they typically had two weeks to get the caravan back on the road.

"There is a rescue mission component. We can't delay," Lorrenz reasoned.

Zell shook his head. "The odds of the Krattos crew being alive are too low to be a reasonable expectation. Will we be carrying the ransom credits?"

Lorrenz sighed. "There's no ransom money as the last heir has no legal access to the estate's funds. While we agree the chances are very poor, we must treat this as a rescue mission to get the other trading houses to take part in preparing us for the rapid turnaround. I will let them know we expect them to assist in this way. This will give them a sense of involvement and may diffuse their hostility while we establish our customer base in the west coast cities. We must determine the fate of the heads of the Krattos family, Axell and Indri, for their surviving son Stron and his wife, Illia."

"The Druug are going to be cranky with such a short period of rest. We'll have to take the freshest eight unless there are sufficient beasts at the Krattos Homestead we can borrow," Lorrenz offered.

"What about the energy weapons?" Zell asked.

Lorrenz nodded. "I've asked Shalee to contact the Commander's office to see if I can speak with her." He turned to face the female.

Shalee beamed a smile at the patriarch. "I've managed to arrange a fifteen-minute meeting tomorrow morning. That makes you the only trading house owner she's agreed to make time to see."

Lorrenz bowed to Shalee to show his appreciation for the magic she'd worked. She returned the bow, and her wide smile showed her joy at his acknowledgment. "I will endeavor to make those fifteen minutes count."

"You'll be taking the western route to Washtan or Norsha?" Zell asked.

"Washtan," Lorrenz confirmed. "We'll be running the Druug until the desert." Zell nodded as he agreed with the wisdom in that.

"I'll signal you from the forest's edge, this side of the mountains, to let you know I'm there. I'll shadow the caravan over the pass and won't contact you again until we're a good day into the desert beyond the plains," Zell said.

Lissan took his hand in hers. "You won't join us during the day? That's quite an extended period without resting," she said in concern.

"I've learned how to take smaller naps along the way. The plains will be relatively safe because of their increased range of visibility. However, I will ensure nothing threatening hides in the tall grasses, other than me," he said fondly.

Conversation at the table quickly became one of logistics and how they'd prepare the caravan for another trip so quickly.

Zell finished his fish, rinsed his mouth with fresh water, and ate some scented greens to eliminate the odor of fish from his breath. He was too aware of how scent was used by the predators in the night.

He looked to Lissan and Lorrenz. "I should be going. There is too much risk for you with me being here. I will be ready in the west." The two stood with him and gave him hugs. Once they released him, he nodded to the others, hugged the kids, and noticed Noola was missing.

That felt odd. She was his best friend in the family as she also remained hidden behind her coverings in public, and they enjoyed the same music and stories. He wanted to say good night to her.

With a sigh, he waved and headed to the door, pulling his hood up over his ears once more. Letting himself out the back door, he rushed across the property to the shadows by the back wall. Before he got there, he detected the presence of another standing by the wall. Noola!

He slowed and approached with a smile. "You disappeared from the dinner before I could say good night-mmmph!"

Noola pressed herself against his chest as her arms went around him and her mouth found his. His mind flashed to a memory of the two of them playing, experimenting in the dark corners of the barn, learning about their sexuality in innocent ways. This felt different. There was a desperation in her touch, her kiss. He took her face gently between his hands and slowed the kiss, then pulled back to look into her eyes in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"I-I can't help but have this feeling that something bad is coming," she said as her body trembled.

He held her tight against him and felt her trembling quickly fade.

Noola sighed. She always felt so safe in his arms. While everyone outside these walls treated her like a pariah because of her stupid skin markings, Zell's feelings for her remained as true and strong as the day they'd met when she was only an infant. They'd grown up together as siblings of a sort, but her feelings for him were... complicated, much like his situation of being trapped on a world that feared and despised his kind for some unknown reason.

He leaned back to look into her eyes. "Know you are always in my thoughts and my heart. I will see you in the western desert." He paused for a second as his emotions flared, then leaned forward to kiss her gently once more.

She sighed happily, a sound he treasured.

He released her, and with a smile, he sprung upwards and grabbed the top of the wall to pull himself over.

She touched the wall and listened, but she knew he was already far away. Lifting her fingers to touch her lips, she smiled as she could still feel his soft kiss there.

Chapter 5

Julla cursed under her breath as she read the report from the hospital. The sniper who attacked the Sheffalis yesterday died sometime during the night. She wouldn't be getting any answers from her. The female's stitches had torn open, and she bled out. She'd talk to the doctor about how that could happen when she managed to scrape a few minutes out of her day.

She looked at her calendar and saw she had a meeting scheduled with the Sheffali Family Patriarch... now? Where was he? She didn't have time to waste!

She stood and opened her office door and saw Lieutenant Heltas in her outer doorway, arguing with an older, dark-skinned male with an interesting mix of markings on his skin. They clearly identified the male as a Spotted caste, and Pinorra's body language made it clear that, as a Mixed caste, he wasn't pleased to have a lower caste speaking back to him. She glanced at her secretary, who looked back at her with wide, nervous eyes.

"My office arranged a fifteen-minute meeting with the Commander, for this morning!" the older male insisted.

"I don't know how you managed to work around official channels, but you aren't on my calendar, so you can sell your ratty carpets to someone less busy!" Pinorra snapped.

"Lieutenant Heltas!" Julla barked, and the male jumped and almost reached for his weapon. He restrained himself at the last second, then turned to face her, controlling his expression.

"Yes, Commander," he said stiffly.

"I wasn't aware you've been screening my calendar appointments," Julla said.

"It's-it's one of my duties. I did this for the former Commander to eliminate the nuisance requests," he said to justify his interference.

"I'll be the judge of what I consider a nuisance. The screening stops now. Is that understood, Lieutenant?"

Pinorra's jaw muscles were jumping, but he nodded. "Yes, Commander."

"Then stand aside and let my guest inside."

Glancing at the suppressed anger in the Lieutenant's face, the older male stepped by, carrying a tall rolled-up carpet.

Julla now understood Pinorra's reference to the ratty carpet. This one really wasn't to her taste. It was horrid. She hoped he wasn't planning to try selling it to her.

Looking at her secretary, she scowled. "No more screening for meetings. You are the one who brings them to my attention. Understood?" The young female nodded quickly.

Julla went back into her office, and the older male followed.

"Please close the door behind you," she said, watching a small device on her desk as the older male passed through her doorway. The device remained dormant, so she relaxed.

The Sheffali senior closed the door and turned to face her. She braced herself for the pitch.

"My name is Lorrenz Sheffali. My wife Lissan and I run the Sheffali Trading House. I understand you are tremendously busy, so I won't waste your time with flowery words. I'll get right to the point. On our return trip from the east coast, we were set upon by bandits three days out from Mnemmesh. That in itself isn't anything of note. The routes are becoming more dangerous with the criminal element forced to find new ways to earn a living." He paused to look at the carpet with annoyance. "Would you happen to have a knife I might use to cut the strings tying the carpet closed? Everything that could remotely be used as a weapon was confiscated from me when I entered the building."