Alien Warrior's Wife (Brion Brides 2)(3)

A gerion lying about the bond?

Urenya looked around to see who had asked about the fairytale. Seleya’s eyes were fixed on a girl roughly her age sitting a bit to her right. She was honestly relieved, because she’d been about to ask the same and judging from the Elder’s face, it wasn’t a good question.#p#分页标题#e#

“True,” Seleya said. “Very, very rare, but it has happened. Which is why the Elders have decided to make everyone believe it’s only a story. People don’t tend to do things they believe are impossible.”

Her eyes were burning when she went on.

“You are called healers, but that is a deceptive term as well. It is not your job, nor your duty to only preserve life, although it makes up the most of it. Should you ever discover such a deception, the punishment is death. The Elders have sanctioned all healers to carry out the execution by any means necessary. You must, of course, be absolutely certain beyond any doubt. We understand it’s nigh impossible to be sure, the best any of us can do is guess not know, but by the end of your studies we trust you to make that call. Of course, should you ever be discovered to have made a mistake, the death will be yours.”

Dead silence rested heavily on the room.

“Do you understand?” Seleya said. When they nodded mutely, she went on.

“Good. Because not all of you will be healers. Don’t get me wrong. You’ll pass your studies, and you’ll get all the credits, and you’ll be a healer in name. But only those I and the other Elders deem fit are true healers. You don’t know this, because you don’t need to know this, but the battle ships and big centrals only take on the healers the Elders recommend. The rest work on simple things, anyone can fix bleeding. We want those of you who can see inside someone without the tools to cut them open. Some of you will get stationed with the generals. Battle ships are bursting with warrior egos, and bloodlust, and trouble. It will be your job to fix those things before any blood gets spilled.”

That was Urenya’s first real lesson with Seleya. After that lecture, she decided she liked the Elder. She was tough, but at least she didn’t treat them like they couldn’t handle the truth.

They learned everything, it seemed to Urenya. The classes had begun with breaking them all down, but it quickly dawned on her it was so they could determine the strongest. After that, she made it her business to take her aunt’s warning truly to heart and never missed a single sentence from Seleya, even when she got mean, nor when she became cruel.

They took Brion physiology apart to its tiniest pieces, sometimes literally. Once they’d done that, they learned to put it back together. Then they learned how to look over someone else’s work and find mistakes they’d made. Even later, bodily modifications. Urenya learned how to build reinforced bones, how to strengthen the skin, and some horrors she couldn’t imagine anyone ever letting be done to them.

“If you’re commanded, you’ll do it,” Seleya said.

So that was it.

Whatever they did, Urenya tried to stand out in the only field she thought truly mattered. On every possible occasion where someone’s mental state counted for something or a counseling question arose, she tried to answer correctly. It was her proudest moment when Seleya smiled at her presentation of a test, which consisted of meeting a person and making a quick judgment on what was wrong with them.

“Nothing,” Urenya said when the Elder held her in the grasp of her piercing eyes. “He’s fine both in mind and spirit.”

“Hmm,” was all Seleya said. “And why do you think I presented you with a healthy exemplar?”

“To see if I’d be so tempted to find flaws that I’d invent them without taking into consideration the most easily forgettable possibility.”

And there was the approving smile she’d been hoping for. Urenya beamed.

“Ah, you truly are a natural,” Seleya said. “One of the best, I’d say. A pity.”

Seconds after being on top of the world, Urenya froze. They were alone, the test an individual evaluation, and someone had just pulled the world from under her feet. If the Elder meant what she thought she did, then… No.

“I’m sorry,” she said, forcing her voice to be calm. “What is a pity?”

“That I can’t recommend you,” Seleya said, her eyes ruthless and unforgiving. “I hear you’re friends with Diego Grothan, our newest general. Nothing would please me more than sending you to him. My warrior brothers tell me he will make all Brions proud. We expect much from him, so he will get the best we have to offer.”

While Urenya searched for words to keep her world from crumbling apart, the Elder went on.

“Or I might. The Triumphant needs ordinary healers too.”

Anger bubbled to surface in Urenya’s heart.#p#分页标题#e#

“Why?” she demanded, uncaring of talking to an Elder. “You just said I’m one of the best. What did I do wrong? When did I disappoint you?”

“On the first day,” Seleya said.

“But...” Urenya began.

“You’re a child,” the Elder cut her through. “A rebellious child, which would be fine. We are Brion. We have a temper. But for all your talent, all your skills and knowledge, you’re still unfit. Tell me why, young healer.”

Urenya stood, stunned. Her mind was in shambles, spinning, reeling. She tried desperately to grasp on to something, to think of why she was being scorned.

An image came to her. A smiling, joyful face, bright with life.

“My gerion.”

Seleya looked sympathetic for the first time Urenya could remember.

“I will ask you a question so simple even non-healers know the answer. What would you do if someone lost their fated?”

“Offer to listen,” Urenya said miserably, knowing where it was leading. “Observe if they’re showing signs of losing the will to live. Talk to them. Let them mourn.”

The healer Elder was nodding.

“I was very excited to have you in my class. All I had heard was that you were very smart, kind and lively. I was assured you would excel, and that I should book you a place on the battle ships at once. Then the tragedy happened, and I thought it would take time for you to be happy again, but it would happen eventually. Do you want to explain why you didn’t listen to your parents when they told you a person mourns for the one they were supposed to spend their life with?”

“Brions are strong,” was all Urenya could think of saying, but it sounded weak even to her.

For once, Seleya didn’t mock her.

“Child, running away isn’t a sign of strength.”

“I didn’t run away,” Urenya tried to protect herself. “I wanted to hold my head up high.”

“You literally ran away,” Seleya said. “On your first day.”

“You shouldn’t have asked me that in front of everyone,” Urenya said. “The bindings are private.”

“As if I don’t know that,” the Elder said seriously. “You were supposed to show your grief. If you’d told me any of the things I’m sure you thought at that moment, it would have been a lesson for your companions and a cathartic moment to you. But you ran.”

For a long moment, Urenya was silent. Then she said quietly,

“I… I didn’t even know him.”

“That happens sometimes,” Seleya said. “Did you try to find out what he was like?”

“No. I didn’t think it mattered anymore.”

“Don’t lie to me. You didn’t do it, because it hurt too much to find out something good and promising about someone who was gone.”

Urenya burst out crying, for the first time since she’d been a very young child. Seleya’s arms came around her, which would have been shocking on a whole separate level, but her barriers had finally broken down.

“Better late than never,” Seleya said. “Let this be a final lesson to you. Even the strong mourn. We are the Brions, our bindings are everything. You can’t brush it off like that.”

It seemed like hours had passed when Urenya finally dried her eyes and stood up straight. Something very heavy had lifted, but she was still drifting.

“Will you make me a lower healer?” she asked.

Seleya shook her head.

“No,” the Elder said. “I think you’ve punished yourself enough. And Diego has asked for you personally. But you have to promise me that you will keep in mind that when there is no one else around to diagnose you, you have to be your own healer too.”

“I promise,” Urenya said, relieved beyond words. “I swear.”

“Then I believe you will do great,” Seleya said.

When Urenya was already at the door, the old woman called to her.

“And I believe happiness is coming for you. You never had the binding. I doubt fate had that in mind for you.”

The Triumphant waited for her. While she’d spent her learning years studying all the ways to heal a Brion, Diego had been learning how to take their enemies apart. There wasn’t much theoretical to learn in fighting, but he had had to sit through tactics classes as well. After that, the young warriors were released into battle to learn by doing. Diego had done exceedingly well, so much so the Elders had taken notice.#p#分页标题#e#