Wayfarers (Champions of the Crystal Book 1)

Chapter 4.1

A day later, Sabrina and Scotty found themselves transfixed by the images on the wallscreen, impressed despite themselves as Khediva displayed scans of the surface of the planet below.

"Nice place," Scotty said.

"Well, Tirqwin did say it was safe," Sabrina replied. "What's this planet like, Khediva?"

Khediva took a moment to reply. Sabrina wondered if Maratobia were nearing consciousness and interfering with the Ship's link to Tirqwin and resolved to go check as soon as her question was answered. "Allyria is famed for its tranquil and enlightened society. It is home to a group of philosopher telepaths known as the Héliros. They are noted for their mental powers and extreme self-discipline." Khediva paused, then continued, "It is Tirqwin's plan that you, as well as he and the Guardian, submit to the training. He says it will be useful for you to know how to shield your minds from telepathic probing, even though you have no abilities yourselves."

"Hey, I thought it was a break!" Scotty complained.

"Scotty, Tirqwin's got a point. If we're going to keep running into people like the Xoentrols—"

"Those don't count as people!"

"—and the Deltarrans and Miahns, we should know how to keep our thoughts to ourselves."

Sabrina thought of the meeting on Deltarr and doubled her resolve. "Now I'm going to check up on Mara. Let me know when Tirqwin checks in."

"I will," Scotty said. "As soon as he gets done greeting their Mighty High Pooh-bah down there."

Khediva said, "The proper title is Serene Thinker, roughly translated into your language. The correct form of address is 'your serenity.'"

"Don't much matter what I'm sayin' if he can read my mind," Scotty grinned.

"That," Khediva said, "is why you are going. If we were to continue our travels with your thoughts known to all we meet, we should assuredly be murdered."

________________

Sabrina went into the room she shared with Maratobia and looked down at her. Asleep, she looked defenseless and very young, more like the girl they'd rescued than the woman who had control of the Great Crystal.

"Poor kid," Sabrina said softly. "My mother always said I was growing up too fast, but she should've seen you. You didn't get those years at all. Adolescence had its down side, but I wouldn't have missed mine for the world."

She sat silently for a moment, remembering with a smile the world of her early teens, before her parents' deaths, beginning to come into the privileges of adulthood yet secure in the knowledge that she wouldn't have to fend for herself for years yet. It hadn't worked out that way, of course. Aunt Euphrasia had been a conscientious guardian, but she didn't believe in providing what she called "a false sense of security" for young people. Self-reliance was the pinnacle of all virtues to her, leaving Sabrina and Scotty with the feeling that they were no longer shielded from the world's harshness and that they must look out for each other, because no one else would.
Sabrina counted her adult life from that night the highway patrolman had come to the door, his eyes stricken when he realized there was no adult to break the news to the two teenagers or to comfort them. And she knew that Scotty felt the same. He missed more of his childhood than I did. Two years more. I don't suppose I looked like much protection to him, even when he was younger.

She remembered that night, spent at the home of a neighbor, when she had wept inconsolably through the dark hours, and Scotty had just sat there, silent, calm, almost frighteningly still, trying to be strong for them both. It was only after Sabrina fell into a half-drowse and exhausted her tears that she heard him vent his own distress, and she had reached out in the dark and clasped his hand, hard. And they had clung to each other from that moment, hiding their grief and bewilderment from everyone else, only lowering the masks of composure when they were alone.