She cooed and held her arm out to us, her fingers fluttered. “Cumin, cumin.” I couldn’t help but appreciate how quickly she grasped words and gestures.
Everyone fell back in line, trying to keep our eyes on the ground beneath us, rather than on the highway over our heads. We needed to be careful with no paths to follow and only dim light breaking through the trees.
After several hours Yinet stopped by a stream. Gerret reappeared with LR bearing leaves filled with berries. It was a break we needed, especially Lizzy. Hiking wasn’t her sport and the new government-issue boots were blistering her feet.
Even so, she didn’t complain when Yinet urged us to continue. I caught Schaeffer’s eye. He noticed Lizzy’s limp too. Bringing up the rear, he’d help her out. All I could do was hope our route didn’t get any rougher.
Of course it did. The deeper into the forest we went, the higher into the mountains. I kept checking on Lizzy and could see by late afternoon she wasn’t able to take much more. Schaeffer helped her up the rocky path and offered to take her pack, but she was stubborn.
When Lizzy’s eyes watered up, I turned to get Yinet’s attention, but she and Gerret were gone over the rock wall above us. I looked up into the trees and there were no more flying LR. Remy moved past me, pulled himself up over the rock shelf. “Remy, where are the LR? Can you see them?”
“Yeah… I can see them.” He stared at something for another few seconds before turning back to me. “You’re not going to believe this.” He started to reach for my hand, but looked past me. I followed his gaze and saw Lizzy barely clinging to the rocks below me, her face pale. Schaeffer steadied her. “Geez, pass Lizzy up to me, now.”
She was ready to collapse. I hoisted my pack up to Remy and braced my feet in the boulders. I grabbed the straps at the top of her pack, giving Lizzy a pull up the wall while Schaeffer pushed. We got her high enough for Remy to lift her over the ledge. Schaeffer scrambled up after her and gave me a pull up. I joined him where Lizzy sat exhausted.
Remy already had her pack off and Schaeffer pressed a bottle of water at her. Her hands shook as she tried to drink and I could see her fingers were scraped from the rocks. Schaeffer took the bottle, holding it to her lips. I dug out a first aid kit. “I’ll let Yinet know we have to make camp.”
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue.” Remy pointed up the mountain.
I turned to look at what mesmerized him and was drawn to my feet, drawn past Remy. “You two help Lizzy.”
“I can walk.” Lizzy protested, even as Schaeffer lifted her in his arms.
They followed me to where the trees opened up, revealing purpled-hued cliffs, terraced cliffs, carved cliffs. Cliff dwellings.
Not caves, but artfully carved, terraced homes. Immediately my mind went to ancient Petra in Jordan and to the intricately carved temples in Thailand. Did the LR do this? How? This place completely conflicted with the simplicity of life they’d let me see.
Sitting at the edges of the terraces were LR, hundreds of them. At the base of the cliffs, Yinet and Gerret sat upon a raised stone. Yinet’s long fingers wriggled and curled towards herself. “Ara. Cum.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
It wasn’t often Lizzy was quiet, but then we all stood tongue-tied. Yinet beckoned and I had to break the trance to go to her.
Remy caught up with me, juggling our packs to grab my elbow, slowing me down. “Shara, do you think this is wise?”
“I’ve worked too hard winning their trust to lose it rejecting their hospitality.” I pulled his hand free, but wove my fingers between his when my inner Batista protested. “Come on.”
Remy hung onto my hand. Schaef fell in behind carrying Lizzy, despite her squirming around to look at the cliffs, at the LR, at Yinet. No doubt her artist mind absorbing every minute detail, despite her condition.
When we reached the stone dais, Yinet’s fingers still fluttered at me. I interpreted it as an offer and reached out my hand as well. Remy resisted, but let go as her long digits, strong enough to break mine with the slightest squeeze, pulled me up onto the stone.
She made me sit on the stone bench beside her. I felt like a rag-doll next to her, but she invited the rest of my party up to join us. No sooner than we were seated, other LR appeared with more berries and water.
We ate ravenously, except Lizzy. She leaned against Schaeffer, trying to nibble on the berries, but too exhausted and hurting.
Seeing the raw sores on her hands and feet, a female LR approached with what looked like large leaves, but soaked until they were soft and mushy. She was polite, gesturing to Lizzy’s feet and the leaves.
“Oh, okay.” Lizzy flinched as the LR draped the first leaf around her foot. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Ahhh, that’s good.” She smiled and nodded, letting this impromptu doctor wrap both her feet.
Curious, Schaef pulled on the corner of a leaf, smashing it between his fingers, then rubbing it over the back of his hand. “Cooling, and some sort of analgesic quality. Hope there’s no side-effects for humans.”
“Nice that you bring that up now, but frankly, I don’t care.” Not suffering, she picked up a leaf of berries, offering them to her doctor as a gesture of gratitude. “Thank you!” The creature took the leaf, chittering something as she disappeared back into the crowd.
This was a food of abundance, but it was the gesture that counted.
