Crystal Healer by S.L. Viehl

Author:S.L. Viehl
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US

When we emerged from the chieftain’s personal kiafta, the crowd of oKiaf waiting outside surprised me. I had thought the tribe would continue to keep their distance until word that we had been made welcome by their leader had been passed around the encampment.

Then there was their unnerving interest. Hawk and Qonja should have received the most attention, as they were the most exotic-looking members of the team, but everyone seemed to be staring at me.

I held on to Reever’s hand. “Why are they looking at me like that?” I murmured to him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But whatever happens, stay close to me.”

One young male stepped boldly in front of us, stopping us in our tracks. He moved past Jylyj, Qonja, and Hawk and approached me. I studied his pale gray pelt and the many scarification marks he had on his arms before I realized I was staring. I quickly ducked my head and bit my lip, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

The male went down on his hands and knees as he sniffed at my footgear and leggings. He did the same to the front of my long shirt, rising slowly until he loomed over me. He bent to sniff my hair, his breath blowing some of it over my eyes.

Reever pushed me behind him and uttered a few words in oKiaf. At the same time, Jylyj moved in and bumped his shoulder into the young male’s as he said something in a challenging tone.

The young male stepped back, looked me over one more time, and then rejoined a group of males. They cuffed him on the arms and chest and talked very fast.

“It’s all right,” Jylyj said. “Some of the younger men of the tribe like to test certain boundaries. It’s usually tolerated unless it gets out of hand.” He turned to my husband. “How did you know what to say?”

“I absorbed some of their language during my contact with Dnoc.” Reever scanned the faces watching us before giving the Skartesh a flat, unfriendly look. “I hope I made my meaning clear.”

“You have,” Jylyj said.

I had the feeling they weren’t talking about the young tribesman anymore.

“I’m getting a little hungry,” I said to my husband. “Jylyj, will they bring our packs to the guest shelter? We need our rations.”

The Skartesh nodded and turned to speak to one of our escorts.

Reever gripped my hand a little more firmly. “Nicely done,” he murmured.

“I think enough challenges and meanings have been dealt with for one day,” I said. “And, as it happens, I am hungry.”

I slowed my steps as we walked past the large central cooking pit to look in some of the pots and see what the tribeswomen were preparing. Thick, rich-looking stews filled about half of the pots, but others were covered with leaves. I saw one female uncovering a pot, and watched as she used two short-handled, hand-sized versions of the pronged weapon the men carried to lift a browned haunch of meat from the pot.

Jylyj told us to wait there, and he went with Reever and one of our escorts to retrieve our packs.

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