Rion packed the camp into his belt pack. Though the crystal he'd used were fading, they still had enough life in them to keep the frequencies from building in Kara as she healed. He gathered her to him, into the frontal carrying sling he'd devised. It left both arms free, but he did feel burdened.

His next stop was a lotica room closer to the surface. This one was drier, considered a dead cave by his people, so it was rarely searched. It connected to the surface through a long broad tunnel used by Shadow-Eaters as they came and went inside the mountain. Odds of getting through it to the outside and not encountering Shadow-Eaters weren't great, but Rion knew he had limited time left to get them both outside.

Kara was Harpyiae, he'd seen her transform. She would be able to breathe the toxic air on the surface. 

The ascension out of the lotica chamber was grueling and left him panting with exertion. He was not used to carrying anything as unwieldy as another person. He braced himself against the walls of the small tunnel he'd achieved, his goggles using the bioluminescence in the dripping cave walls to see by. These would not be visible to his human eyes, as the frequency was beyond his range, but with the help of these goggles--

For the first time, he wondered where they had come from. Their technology was superior to anything Galantyne's searchers used. He'd never a searcher using eyewear. A shiver ran through his body. There was too much he took for granted. If he was to make his break with Quildor-- literally strike out on his own--

He was unprepared. Desire alone didn't lead to survival. He would be outcast. Quildor would hunt him down. If he went to his foster parent's home in Granite Fears, they would not harbor a wanted fugitive.

He had to be honest with himself, while Crevan was cautious and would probably help him-- others would not. 

Life on the planet's surface was precipitous. The villages near Castle Quildor had only been there less than two decades. They were all truly exiled settlers. And the planet had been harsh to them. Indigenous species were hostile-- the soil itself held toxins. Growing things meant filtering, cleansing, sterilizing. It was back breaking labor. Lifespan on the surface was short. Adaptations were prevalent, and the use of Zalez barely understood.

Rion felt his heart sink.

Leaving the safety of the established routine would put him at risk of early death and starvation. His stomach growled to let him know what it thought of that idea and he grimaced. 

The dry cave entrance was just ahead. He checked for occupation, and finding himself alone, deposited Kara on the ground to build his camp again. He would have to forage soon, perhaps leave the mountain. The thought of fresh air, and fresh vegetation-- the sea was close, and he was a good fisherman.

Kara's eyes blinked. He was startled and watched in the darkness for signs that she was coming to.  He projected calm and applied fresh lotica leaves to the bandages. Many of her cuts and bruises had already healed. The broken bones were another story. Her neck especially couldn't be moved.

"Rest, little one." He said out loud.

"Gal--."

"Yes, your brother is--"

What could he say? Aware she had not left the mountain? Even now he would be searching for her. Perhaps he had already met with Quildor. The time for their meeting had passed. Had Galantyne found another way to contact Quildor? If so, the whereabouts of the Princess would be in question by both men, and Crevan may be forced to divulge--

"Galantyne..."

"You are safe, little one. Lie still. You need to heal."

"Healer?"

"I'm your healer. You are gravely injured. Lie still, trust me."

"Galantyne..."

Rion stroked her forehead and projected peace. Her fists relaxed and dropped open and Rion traced the lines on her palm. Keeping connection with her curled fingers, he gently lowered himself to the ground. In seconds, the cold had seeped through his clothing. He realized Kara was lying exclusively against this cold as well. That wouldn't do.

He lifted her carefully, too tired to do more at the moment. She lay across his lap, her back molded to his chest and arms, her cheek against his neck. He could share his own body heat while he figured out what to do.

Figured out what the life of an outcast healing an Aquarian Princess was likely to hold for him.

*******

Evian docked the shuttle and leaned back to stretch. "I am tired, brother. Perhaps you could go find Berk and Averil and get the results of the first batch of delivered virus. I could take a nap."

Tylar nodded without question. Evian had been working very hard to train for the rescue mission. The day would soon be there when he was required to lead.

"Should we wear hazard suits in case the virus is defective?"

Evian opened his eyes and gave his brother a disgusted glare. "And alert the populace to their early demise? Nothing has gone wrong, Tylar!"

Tylar nodded and then turned to Lailoken, Faherdin, and Conn. "All of you will be safe. It is designed only to infect those who have previously been to the land. As none of you have, it will be perfectly safe for you."

"What about Draggar?" Lailoken was looking around at the few guards on the dock, and the small contingency of personnel milling about. Usually, when they came to Etrusia there were quite a few more people lined up to head back to Carrigah or Aquaria. 

Evian closed his eyes. "Draggar will be infected already. This virus is airborne."

"He will be no threat to us, boys. Come on." Tylar announced as they exited the shuttle, and another one docked down the pier with only one occupant. The boys hid behind a pillar, noting that the pilot was none other than Archer Valdemar, ambassador to Aquaria.

"What is he doing here?" Tylar whispered. "Has Taan sent him here to take over the provisional government? I thought Evian had reassured us that no government officials had been here in years!"

"They haven't." Lailoken said, watching as Archer made his way into the main hall leading to the city. "Come on, let's follow him."

Inside the shuttle, Evian donned the hazard suit he'd stuffed under his seat and then sat back and waited.

*****

Ranging Shadow Eaters lined the halls of the main tunnel leading outside. Rion hid in the aven near the entrance to the dry cave room he'd stayed the night in. He hadn't realized how many Shadow Eaters lived outside the mountain and came in to hunt rather than staying outside near the villages. For some reason, he'd assumed the ones inside lived there most of the time and the ones outside had adapted differently. By the long slow procession before him, he realized his mistake. They left in shifts, they came in shifts. There was a continuous flow of them.

He bit his lip. He would have to fight his way out.

He went back to check on Kara, even being away from her for minutes allowed their connection to wane and she drifted to consciousness more often than not. He checked her automatically, feeling for abnormalities. Her back and neck remained the most severe of her injuries. Keeping her straightened though was detrimental. She needed to be awake and to walk, but he suspected the knowledge that he was her healer would send her into such a frenzy, she would injure herself worse. 

"Healer?"

He'd bound her eyes as the gray light from the long exit tunnel glimmered just enough that she might have the capacity to recognize him.

"I'm here, little one." Dialects had developed in the villages south of Sentinel. The term for little one, or little love in this case, was na' shilean. His mind found the right phrase, knowing he'd never used it in connection with a living soul. It came to mind when he used the endearment little one. Kara was small, he thought vaguely justifying his thoughts. She could not be his love.

He was tense with anticipation of her wakefulness every minute he was in her company. He was tense with expectation of others finding them before she woke. He knew where the entrances were to Galantyne's fortress. All of this could be solved if he would simply leave her there. Galantyne would find her and complete the healing. Kara would live to see another day of searching for her treasured Talisman.

He could go back to Quildor, claim he'd fallen. Crevan would keep silent.

"Water."

He loosened the flask he carried at his side and tilted her head back against his chest to support her as he gave her water. Kara tried to raise her hands to reach the flask herself.

"No, na'shilean." He whispered. "Let me do it for you."

Her hand fell away, and she allowed this ministration. When she'd taken as much as she wanted, the fingers fluttered in a way that he understood. 

"Healer, where are we?"

It was the first full and complete sentence she'd spoken since her injury. He realized she was fully cognizant. What should he tell her? Lie to her? Say they were in the fortress and give her peace? He bit his lip again and said nothing.

"Sleep, little one, sleep." He mind brushed her gently and firmly, cradling her next to his body. She didn't resist, safe and warm in his care.

*******