This story was written for publication in a fanzine many *long* years ago, before much of what we now know about the characters was revealed. Please keep that in mind as you read it. It was also my first fanfiction story, and it shows in places. But being my first, it holds a special place in my heart, so please go easy on me if you don't like it.

Disclaimer: This is an amateur work of fiction, written purely for fun. It is not meant to infringe on any copyrights.

Prophecy Of The Resh
by ysone

PROLOGUE

"Would you take a look at this and see what you think?" Major Kira Nerys transferred the information on her communications screen to the science station.

Lieutenant. Jadzia Dax read it slowly, then reread it to be sure she wasn't mistaken. "A distress signal from the Orinoco? I don't understand." She looked up at Kira. "The Orinoco is supposed to be in the service bay."

"That's just it," Kira announced. "It is." The Bajoran punched up a new display on the screen. "See? the computer shows it right where it's supposed to be. The Gangees left this morning for the T'Lani system. All other runabouts are accounted for."

"Have you checked the signal for authenticity?"

Kira brought up another display. "That was the second thing I did. The signal is coming from the automatic distress beacon on board the Orinoco."

Dax glanced at the closed doors to the Commander's office. "I think we should show this to Benjamin."

Commander Benjamin Sisko answered the summons immediately, happy for an excuse to set aside the stack of reports he had been reviewing all morning. He strode quickly to the communications console that had become the center of attention in Ops.

"What's the problem, Major?" he said glancing at the screen.

Instead of answering, Kira let him read the distress signal for himself. The Commander turned questioning eyes to her when he finished.

She quickly informed him, "The Orinoco is in the docking bay and has been for the past week, but the signal appears to be authentic."

Sisko looked back at the screen. "Well, it's obviously not authentic. The question is: Who is duplicating it and why?"

"Surely whoever it is would know that we wouldn't be fooled if the real Orinoco is accounted for," Kira pointed out. "If it is supposed to be a ruse, it's a foolish one."

Sisko rubbed his chin in thought. "You would think so, wouldn't you? Pin-point the location of the signal, Major, and put it on the screen."

It took only a minute for Kira to comply. The familiar star field around the wormhole was replaced by a less well-known one. The location of the source of the signal was indicated by a flashing point of light.

Kira glanced down to check the information on her screen. "The Lor-Y System."

Sisko stared at the flashing light for another minute. "Dax, find out what ships are in that sector."

The Trill quickly called up the requested information. "The closest ship is of Vulcan registry, the Wyst."

Sisko turned to his first officer. "Major Kira, contact the Wyst and inform them of our dilemma. Ask them if they would check the area."

It was several hours before they received a reply from the Vulcan ship. Sisko looked over their report with a sigh. As he had suspected, there was nothing in the sector to suggest that any ship had been in distress recently. The only thing even remotely out of the ordinary was faint traces of a radiation anomaly. The universe was full of such anomalies--almost all of natural cause.

The Wyst planned to stay in the area for a few days to study the anomaly but they did not expect to uncover anything that would shed light on the mysterious signal.

Commander Sisko leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. He would inform Starfleet, of course, then they could decide whether to follow up on it. As far as he was concerned, he had done all that he could.

It was a Starfleet problem now.

---

Chapter 1

*8 MONTHS LATER . . .*

Skal paused briefly beside the door. Commander Baruch was waiting in the room beyond and it was never a good idea to keep one's commanding officer waiting for very long. Yet, the young Romulan pilot was hesitant to enter. He had been surprised upon receiving the summons a short while ago. It was his off duty hours, and he could think of no valid reason for the commander to require his presence in his own private chambers.

Skal once more mentally retraced his actions while on bridge duty this morning. No matter how he tried, he could not locate one mistake that would draw the attention of his superior. All had been routine--merely maintaining present position while the science team did whatever scientists do in secret.

Drawing in a bracing breath, Skal reached a deceptively steady hand up to touch the chime that would announce his presence. The door slid immediately open. The young man stepped into the dimly lit room and stood, hands at his sides, until the Commander looked up and acknowledged his presence.

"I am honored to respond to your summons, my lord." Skal lifted his right hand in the Romulan salute, touching his closed fist first to his chest.

Baruch did not return the salute but studied the young pilot for a moment trying to find a sign of the nervousness that he was certain was just below the surface. The Commander allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction when he found none. His men were well trained.

"I am certain you are curious as to why I summoned you, Skal," Baruch said.

Skal remained silent, as was expected. It was not a question.

"I have been reviewing your service record." Baruch looked up in time to see the expression of confusion that Skal quickly suppressed. "You needn't worry. Your record is exemplary. You are very conscientious in your duties and your loyalty to the Empire has never been in question."

Skal looked at his superior in frank surprise. Praise from one's commanding officer was not only unexpected, it was exceptional. All a good Romulan officer could expect was to do his job to the best of his ability and then hope to be in the right place at the right time.

Baruch ignored the lapse in the pilot's reserve. It was understandable. "You have been selected from among the entire crew for a very special mission, Skal." He let that sink in before continuing. "We need someone that can be counted on for discretion and loyalty above all else. Beyond that, you are a very competent helmsman. This mission will require that skill and more, but I am convinced that you are the proper choice."

The Commander stood and walked forward to grasp the young man's shoulder. "You have no idea how great an honor you have been awarded, Skal. If this mission is successful, not only will you earn even greater honors for yourself, but the entire Romulan Empire will be speaking of the Zaccur and her crew for generations to come."

Baruch dropped his hand from Skal's shoulder and turned away for a moment. When he turned back, his expression was once again that of a commander before one of his crew.

"I know that you have many questions but I must ask that you hold them until you have been briefed by Lord Tinik. He is in the science laboratory awaiting your arrival. You are dismissed."

Skal once again raised his hand in the Romulan salute and left without another word. He waited until the door slid shut behind him and then leaned his head against the wall, mentally replaying the commander's words.

This must have something to do with the secret project that the science team was working on. The whole ship was buzzing with speculation about the project. Of course, they were cautious enough with the rumors not to let the commander find out. That the project was important was well known. Why else would the top Romulan scientists assemble in such a remote corner of the Empire?

Now, he had been chosen to take part in that project. It was a great honor, as Commander Baruch had pointed out, but Skal was under no illusion as to why he had been chosen. He was expendable. That was his only advantage over the more experienced crew that Commander Baruch had said were passed over for the 'honor'. That meant that there was a certain amount of danger in his part of the project. That was to be expected, of course. Good Romulans were expected to risk their lives at the whim of their superiors.

Skal drew in a deep breath and pushed away from the wall. Lord Tinik was waiting for him and, if he were expected to risk his life for one of the Praetor's pet projects, he should at least find out what that project was.

* * * * *

"I've never been so glad to be headed home in all my life," Major Kira Nerys announced. She set the controls on automatic and went into the back of the runabout, dropping tiredly into one of the seats.

Doctor Julian Bashir looked up briefly from the medical reports he had compiled while on Diferl III. He looked back at the reports before answering. "We've only been away for a few days. I thought the time went by rather quickly."

Kira made a face at the top of the handsome young doctor's head. "That's because you had plenty to keep you busy. You didn't have to play diplomat with a bunch of--" She stopped, fumbling for an accurate description.

Bashir continued on as if he hadn't heard a word she had said. Kira didn't know what irritated her more--when he talked incessantly when she wanted silence, or when he wouldn't talk when she wanted to.

She watched him for a minute then reached out and took the data padd from his hand and switched it off. "You've been knee deep in this stuff for four days. I would think you would be tired of it by now. I know I am."

Bashir smiled. "I tend to get a little carried away sometimes."

"You can say that again. But right now I need to hear a sane voice."

"Even if it is mine?" Bashir said with amusement. She had often made it clear that he talked too much to suit her.

Kira chuckled. "After four days with a bunch of--" she struggled again for a word, "politicians, I would even welcome a conversation with Quark."

Bashir opened his mouth to answer but quickly closed it again as the piercing cry of an alarm filled the confines of the small ship. Kira was already on her feet, running for the cockpit.

"What is it?" Bashir shouted over the noise. He slid into the seat next to Kira.

Shutting off the alarm, she punched in a sequence of commands. "It's the proximity alert. According to sensors, there is something directly in our path."

Bashir peered at the star field in front of the runabout. It appeared calm enough. "I don't see anything."

Kira frowned up at the view. "Neither do I and I can't find any evidence of it other than the sensor readings. It may be a malfunction in the system but I'm going to change course just to be on the safe side."

Before she could enter the command into the helm, Bashir's exclamation drew her attention back to the viewer.

"Oh, my God! Look at that!"

Kira's mouth fell open as her mind raced to find an explanation for what her eyes saw. Directly in front of the small runabout the lights from the stars began to shimmer and dance. From a point in the center of the view screen a blue light appeared and began to swirl into a whirlpool. As they watched, the whirlpool expanded until it encompassed their whole view.

Kira shook her head to shake the hypnotic hold of the light show. "I think that's our cue to leave.

"I agree."

"Thrusters on full reverse," Kira ordered.

Bashir entered the command and waited for the slight change in inertia that would signal the activation of the thrusters. It never came. "There's no response," he reported.

"What? That's impossible." Kira quickly consulted the computer. "Every system is on line. Why aren't the thrusters working?"

Bashir glanced up at the blue spiral. It was drawing closer with every passing second. Turning back to the control panel, he announced. "It's pulling us in."

Kira shot a quick look at the window. "Nothing is responding, but the computer is still showing all systems operational."

The runabout began to buck and jerk as the turbulence of the whirlpool wrapped around them. Kira reached for the safety harness on the seat and quickly secured the buckle. Bashir immediately followed suit, locking it into place just as the small craft pitched into a roll.

"Initiating emergency stabilization control." Kira hit the button and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the panel light up, indicating the computer was trying to respond. After a minute, the light blinked out and the pitching increased. "Activate the emergency distress signal," she ordered, praying that, at least, was operational.

Bashir reached out and slapped a switch on the panel just seconds before the ship plunged into the whirlpool of light and vanished. The swirl twisted for a moment more and then began to slowly draw in on itself. Another few minutes, and it, too, was gone. The star field reappeared and all was as it had been before.

* * * * *

Skal double checked the helm readings and then signaled the Zaccur that he was ready to proceed. While he waited for further instructions, he closed his eyes and quickly ran through the calming techniques that had served him so well the past several days. After a minute, his breathing slowed and his heart rate steadied. He opened his eyes and checked the readings once more.

The only thing he should be feeling was excitement. He kept telling himself that, but he couldn't shake the fear and dread that had clutched at his heart since the briefing by Lord Tinik.

He had been told very little; only what Lord Tinik had felt he needed to know. His orders were simple enough. He was to pilot the shuttle to a predetermined point and wait for the scientists to activate the strange device he had seen them working on. That was supposed to open some sort of gateway to the gods-only-knew-where. He was to fly into the gateway, take a few sensor readings and then return through the opposite gate.

It hadn't been very difficult for Skal to get more information from one of the scientist. Men of science loved to talk of their work, especially when they feel they are making great discoveries. A young scientist named Socoh had been more than eager to share his knowledge of the project with an attentive listener.

According to Socoh, the device was alien in nature. It had been discovered on a routine scavenging mission on a dead world at the far edge of explored space. It had taken the best minds in the Empire years to discover a way to activate the device and years still to agree on a purpose for it.

It was believed that it opened a gateway to another part of the universe, in much the same way that a wormhole worked. All attempts to determine where the gate led had so far failed. Probes had been launched but once they entered the gateway, all contact with them had been lost. Remote controls had failed to return the probes.

That was when it had been suggested that a manned shuttle would be more reliable than a probe. A pilot would be able to manually control the return. Skal had the good fortune to be selected for that honor. If he successfully returned with the information, he was sure to be honored beyond his wildest dreams. There would certainly be a promotion in his future.

But Skal was no fool. Had there been a decent chance of success, Commander Baruch or even Lord Tinik himself would be piloting the Kulve into the gateway instead of trusting the mission to a underling.

Skal laughed bitterly as he checked the board for the signal to proceed. A good Romulan should be proud to give his life in such a noble pursuit. He had always thought of himself as a good Romulan. He had always been loyal to his commander, the Praetor, the Empire. He had always carried out his orders without question, just as he was doing now. But he did not want to die. Did that make him a coward? Was he less than noble?

What would his family think of him now if they could see the way his hands shook as he secured the safety harness about him? They would hang their heads in shame, of that he was certain. Honor and glory were all that mattered to his father. How would he react when he was told that his son had died in so noble an experiment? Proud, perhaps, Skal thought with a rueful smile.

The flashing signal drew Skal's attention to the control panel. It was time to proceed. He glanced at the field of stars as the gateway began to open. When, at last, the swirl of blue light stabilized, he reached a shaky hand for the switch that would send the small shuttle into its grasp. With a deep bracing breath, he threw the switch and closed his eyes as the Kulve sprang forward.

On the bridge of the Zaccur, Commander Baruch watched the opening of the gate in rapt silence. It was a beautiful, but slightly terrifying, sight. He fixed his gaze briefly on Lord Tinik as the scientist adjusted the controls on the device. The silence on the bridge was audible. Every eye was on the large screen as the Kulve made its way toward the center of the gateway.

Lord Tinik turned to smile at the Commander. "This is a proud day in Romulan history, Commander. You will be able to tell your grandchildren you were a witness to it."

He turned back to the screen just as the shuttle plunged into the swirl of color and vanished. The whirlpool of light convulsed several times and collapsed, fading quickly to the original field of stars.

Commander Baruch leaped to his feet. "What happened?" he demanded.

Lord Tinik stared in horror at the place where the gate had been just seconds before. The Commander's shout brought back his presence of mind and he snapped around to the device. For several long minutes he twisted, turned, and punched at every dial, button, and switch on the alien hardware. The other scientists crowded around him, their hushed whispers filling the bridge.

Finally, Lord Tinik looked up. His face was composed, but his eyes betrayed his emotions. "The gateway has collapsed. I can't reopen it. The device is completely dead."

The bridge erupted into noise as the scientist all began to speak at once, demanding to see the device. Commander Baruch had to shout to be heard over the din. "What about the Kulve? What happened to Skal?"

Tinik raised his hands helplessly. "If he made it through to the other side, he could be anywhere. If the gate collapsed while he was still inside, he could have been crushed. Either way there is nothing we can do for him."

Commander Baruch sank back into his command chair. For a long minute he said nothing, listening to the babble of the scientist. Finally, he turned to his communications officer.

"Inform the Praetor that the experiment was unsuccessful. Lord Tinik's report will follow. Then, notify Skal's family that he was lost in the line of duty. Tell them that he died with honor, for the Praetor."

---

Chapter 2

"What's the ETA on the Orinoco?" Commander Sisko asked stepping through the door of his office into Ops.

Lieutenant. Dax consulted her computer before answering. "Four hours and twelve minutes."

Sisko nodded in acknowledgment. "Not a moment too soon. Remind me to never let Major Kira leave the station again."

Dax smiled. There had been a half-dozen small crises since Kira and Bashir had left for Diferl III and Sisko had been force to deal with the Bajoran provisional government directly. Dax had a feeling that the Commander would be quite a bit more appreciative of Major Kira's role as liaison between the Federation and Bajor from now on.

"When they arrive, tell them I'll take their reports in the morning. If anyone needs me--" he paused with a slightly wicked grin, "tell them I died."

"In other words, you don't want to be disturbed," laughed Dax. "Big plans?"

"You might say that. Jake and I are going to play in the World Series."

"Baseball?"

"Of course. What else? And this time it's my turn for a game winning homerun." He entered the turbo lift, ignoring Dax's laughter. It was his turn, he reasoned, and he intended to get that homerun even if it meant restarting the program a hundred times.

* * * * *

Sisko stepped into the on deck circle and swung the bat a few times to loosen up. He pulled at the collar of the uniform. Sweat had turned it into a clammy vise. He briefly considered having the computer adjust the temperature in the ball park but discarded the idea as quickly as it formed. The summer heat and humidity were as much a part of the game as hot dogs and peanuts.

Sisko turned his attention to Jake, who was just stepping into the batter's box. The boy took an experimental swing and then dropped into his stance, shifting the bulk of his weight onto his right leg. The pitcher shook his head twice at the catcher's signals before nodding and stepping into his windup.

Jake braced himself and lifted the bat to begin his swing. As the ball sailed toward him, he made the split-second decision to hold up and watched it drop into the catcher's mitt.

"Good eye, Jake," Sisko called as the umpire announced a ball. "That was low and outside. Wait for a good one."

Jake nodded to his father and stepped back into the box. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for the pitcher and catcher to agree on a pitch. Once again the ball sailed by as he stood and watched.

Two balls and no strikes. He was ahead in the count. That was good. At least he wasn't swinging at everything that came over the plate this time. If he could just be patient enough, the right pitch would come. He liked them just a little high and on the outside edge of the plate.

The ball came toward him again, and he barely had time to duck backward to avoid being hit. The crowd booed the pitcher as Jake stepped out of the box to regain his composure.

"Don't let it shake you, Jake," Sisko shouted over the noise of the crowd. "You're ahead of him. The count's three and oh. Don't swing unless it's perfect."

Jake nodded once again and turned back to the box. Don't swing, don't swing, he repeated to himself. The pitcher took longer than usual to decide on a pitch. Finally, he stepped into his delivery and hurled the ball toward the plate. Jake watched it until it was almost half-way to him before deciding this was his pitch. He lifted the bat and stepped forward with his left foot, putting every ounce of strength he could muster into his swing.

A painful jolt ran up both arms as bat and ball connected with a loud crack. Jake stood and watched the ball soar toward the left field wall until the roar from the crowd reminded him he was supposed to be running. He caught a glimpse of his father as he headed toward first base. Sisko was watching the ball sail over the wall with a mixture of surprise and pride. It made Jake feel good to know his father was proud of him. Heck, he was proud of himself!

The whole team was waiting to congratulate him when he crossed home plate. They lifted him onto their shoulders and carried him toward the home team dugout. The roar of the crowd was deafening.

Sisko stood back and let Jake bask in the glory of the moment. The joy on the boy's face deeply pleased the Commander. Jake had been practicing hard for that hit. He deserved to enjoy it for a little while.

Finally, Jake broke free of the crowd and made his way to his father. "I did it, Dad! I hit the game winning homerun!"

"You certainly did. But I thought it was my turn." Sisko smiled to let his son know he was only teasing, although he was a little disappointed. "Computer, end program."

The baseball field and surrounding stands of wildly cheering fans disappeared. The silence that followed was as overwhelming as the din of the crowd had been.

"That was a great hit, Jake," Sisko said, leading the way out into the corridor. "You did everything just right. You stepped into the swing, you kept the bat level, you kept your eye on the ball all the way in. I think maybe it's time that we move the outfield back to regulation size."

"If we do that I won't hit homers anymore," Jake complained.

"Yes, you will," his father assured him. "It will just take a little more work. Come on, let's get a shower and I'll take you anywhere you want for supper to celebrate."

Sisko emerged from the shower and began dressing. He was almost finished when Jake called through the closed door, "Dad?"

"I'll be out in a minute," Sisko answered.

"Dad, Lieutenant. Dax is calling for you. She says it's important."

Sisko frowned at his reflection in the mirror. Dax wouldn't have disturbed him unless it was an emergency. He quickly pulled his shirt over his head and opened the door. "Go ahead, Dax," he said hitting a switch on the computer.

"Benjamin, we have received a distress signal from the Orinoco. I've attempted to contact them with no success so far."

Sisko's frown deepened. "Keep trying. I'll be right there." He glanced apologetically at Jake. "I'll have to take a rain check on that celebration, son."

"That's all right, Dad. I understand."

He smiled at the boy. Of course he understood. He was much more mature than Sisko wanted to admit. "I'll make it up to you, Jake." He headed for the door. "Don't stay up too late. Tomorrow is a school day."

Dax looked up as the Commander stepped from the turbo lift. Even from across the room he could see the concern in her eyes.

"Still no response," she informed him. "It was an automatic distress signal and it only repeated once before it was cut off."

"Were you able to pinpoint its location?" Sisko stepped up behind her station, peering over her shoulder at the signal.

"I was able to get an approximate location before it was cut off. It corresponds with their last reported position."

Sisko drummed his fingers on the console. A dozen possibilities came immediately to mind--none of them good. "Let's get someone out there to check it out," he decided.

Dax moved to comply with the order but was stopped by an alarm from her board. "Benjamin, look at this." She indicated the small screen that was now flashing a second distress signal.

Sisko studied the message in confusion. "The Orinoco?"

"It appears to be, but it's impossible. There's no way they could have moved this far in ten minutes, even at maximum warp." Dax sounded as confused as Sisko felt. She entered a command and the original signal replayed simultaneously. "The two signals match. Both are from the automatic distress beacon and both are on the Orinoco's frequency."

"Could the second signal be an echo of the first one?"

"I don't see how." Dax frowned in thought. "The distance is too great."

"What about a wormhole?"

"That's a possibility, considering the instability of most wormholes. If it was a quantum fluctuation there will be elevated neutrino levels in the area. We should check for that as soon as possible, before they dissipate."

Sisko nodded. "I think we should take a little trip out there. Have Chief O'Brien ready the Rio Grande and meet us in the launching bay in ten minutes."

---

Chapter 3

The silence that followed the crash was almost as deafening as the crash itself. For several long minutes Doctor Bashir lay still, fighting the darkness that gnawed at the edges of his mind. As soon as he had it under control, he began to take inventory of his pain to determine if any of it was serious.

Nothing was broken and there were no serious lacerations. He had hit his head pretty hard on something but he couldn't remember what. It didn't seem to be serious but it would be necessary to check a scanner to be sure.

He released the safety harness and slowly climbed to his feet. As he moved around, the memory of the last few minutes before the crash filtered back into his mind in bits and pieces. He remembered the systems failure and Major Kira fighting to maintain control of the runabout.

Kira... Bashir glanced around quickly. The Bajoran was still strapped into the pilot's seat. She was beginning to stir as she regained consciousness.

"Lay still until I check for injuries," the doctor ordered. He hurried into the rear of the ship and began throwing aside loose debris in an attempt to locate his medical kit. After several long minutes, he found it.

Returning to Kira's side, he dropped to his knees and removed the tricorder from the kit. He hit the switch to activate it and waited for it to light up. It didn't.

Kira caught the look of concern on his face as he hit the switch again. "What's wrong?"

"There's no power." He checked the power level indicator. "It's completely drained. I don't understand. It was fully charged this morning."

"That's the same thing that happened to the engines when we hit that...whatever it was." Kira unbuckled her safety harness and started to climb to her feet.

"Wait a minute," Bashir commanded. "You might have injuries. I'll have to rely on a visual check. Do you have pain anywhere?"

Kira flexed her arms and legs and felt nothing but a little soreness. "I don't think so," she began. As she raised forward in the seat she felt a flash of pain in her left side. She wasn't quick enough to suppress the cry that escaped her lips.

"Where does it hurt?" Bashir demanded.

"My ribs, here." She clasped her right hand over the area, trying to relieve the pain.

Bashir gently removed her hand and explored the area with his own. After a minute, he announced, "I don't think any of the ribs are broken, although the area is badly bruised. You'll have to take it easy, though, in case there is a crack that I missed. Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"Just some soreness." She leaned back in the seat and looked up at him. "What about you? Your head is bleeding."

Bashir reached up and touched the lump on his forehead. His fingers came away sticky and wet with blood. "It's superficial, although I'll probably have a bruise to rival your's."

He looked at the window. So much dirt and debris had settled there, he could make out very little of the landscape beyond. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

Kira shook her head. "The minute we hit that thing we lost all sensors. It must have slung us a good distance from the point of impact, though."

"How can you tell?"

"We were light years from the closest star system." Kira winced and gritted her teeth against a stab of pain that met her efforts to rise.

Bashir helped her to her feet. "Take it easy," he cautioned. "At least until we are sure nothing's broken."

Kira ignored his warning and leaned over the command console, punching in vain at the controls. "Everything is out. Whatever that thing was, it drained the energy from every system on board."

"Including the portable instruments." Bashir was rummaging through the medical kit. He tried one device after another. Nothing would activate.

Kira gave up on the controls and hurried into the rear of the runabout. Jerking open a locker, she pulled out one of the phasers and checked the charge. "Drained," she said to Bashir, who had followed her.

She pulled out the others, one at a time, checking each as she went. "Two are at minimum charge. The rest are completely drained."

Bashir took the phaser she held out to him. "I wonder why these two were left with a little power."

"I heard Sisko once say not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I think that means just be grateful. Don't use that unless absolutely necessary. We need to save what little power there is for an emergency."

She headed towards the hatch. "I wish we had some way to test the atmosphere but I guess as much as has leaked in here, we can assume it's safe. She leaned into the hatch, trying to force it open.

"Didn't I tell you to take it easy?" Bashir gently pulled her out of the way and took her place.

It wasn't easy work but he finally managed to budge the door and after another strong shove, he had it open far enough for the two of them to squeeze through.

It was a good meter drop from the hatch to the ground. Bashir jumped the short distance and turned to help Kira. She bit her bottom lip as the jolt aggravated the pain in her side.

"Well, it doesn't look too hostile," Bashir pointed out hopefully.

"Neither does a Garanian Bolite at first glance," Kira answered cynically, but to herself she had to admit that he was right. The small clearing in which they stood was beautiful.

The only signs that it had been disturbed since the beginning of time was the deep furrow cut by the runabout. Behind them, majestic mountains rose to meet the sky. Low clouds shrouded the tops.

Below the clearing in which they stood, barely visible through the tops of the trees, was a vast valley; beyond that, more mountains.

"It's a miracle we were able to make this clearing," Kira observed, "considering we were flying blind without our sensors. If we had hit those trees instead--" She left the sentence unfinished.

"What do we do now?" Bashir asked.

Kira walked over to a small boulder and sat down, leaning on her right arm to ease the strain on her left side. "If we were able to get the distress signal off before the systems went dead, we just have to wait until someone comes to rescue us."

Bashir nodded, reluctant to mention that the systems had failed just as he had activated the distress beacon. There was a good chance that the signal had never gotten off.

"Judging by the position of the sun I would guess we don't have much time before dark." Kira glanced around at the immediate surroundings. "We should be prepared to stay at least one night. It could take them that long to track us."

"I don't think we'd be too comfortable in the runabout," Bashir said glancing back at the battered ship. It had settled at an angle, not quite on its side but close enough to make sleeping inside unappealing.

"Well, I'd rather not camp out here in the open. Let's see what's down there." She pointed to a grove of trees on the downhill side of the clearing. "If there's water close by it will most likely be down there." She led the way toward the trees.

They hadn't gone far before they heard the sound of running water. A few more yards and they could see the stream. Kira knelt beside it and cupped her hand.

"Wait a minute," Bashir grabbed her arm, stopping her. "We don't know if it's safe. It could be teeming with parasites."

"I wasn't going to drink it," she said with a scowl. "I'm aware of the necessity for boiling untested water."

Bashir nodded sheepishly. Of course Kira knew the procedure. He sat back on his heels and watched as the Bajoran splashed the cold water over her face and dried herself on the sleeve of her uniform.

"Go ahead," she encouraged the doctor. "It's cold and it feels good."

Bashir took a handful of the cool liquid and washed the sweat and dirt from his face. He gently cleaned the dry blood from the wound on his forehead.

Kira stood up, still favoring her side. "I suppose the first thing we should do is gather some wood for a fire."

Finding wood was no problem. There was plenty of deadfall in the area. When they had a good size pile, they returned to the ship to see what could be salvaged. Bashir placed a large flat stone under the hatch to use for a step.

It didn't take them long to gather what little was useful. There were enough emergency rations for a couple of weeks. They also recovered the thermo-blankets and field jackets, in case the temperature dropped after dark.

Kira surveyed the small pile of goods on the ground outside the runabout. "That should be enough for tonight. We can come back tomorrow."

They carried the supplies down to the stream and chose a patch of ground that was level and reasonably free of stones to set up their small camp.

"I'm not much of a camper," Bashir admitted as they moved the pile of wood closer.

Kira laughed. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Don't worry. I got a lot of practice at this sort of thing when I was with the Resistance. Back up and watch an expert." She gathered a pile of dry leaves and crushed tree bark. It took only a few minutes for her to coax a thin tendril of smoke from the kindling. As the sparks caught and spread, she added more branches. Before long they had a roaring fire.

"A skill like that could come in handy," Bashir said as they settled down a short distance from the flames.

Kira popped the top on the container holding the food rations and tossed one of the packages to him. "It's not that difficult. If we have time, I'll show you."

They chewed on the hard strips of food in silence. Each was loathe to put into words what they were both thinking. They very well could have plenty of time. Depending on how far the anomaly had thrown them, it could take a while for anyone to find them. They had no way to aid in the search from this end. The communications system was completely dead and there was no other way to send out a beacon.

Kira suddenly had a thought. "Stay here," she told Bashir.

She headed for the edge of trees opposite the stream. After a minute, his communicator badge chirped and her voice came to him, clear and strong. He acknowledged the call and she returned to the camp.

"At least these still work," she said, dropping back down beside the fire. "Not only will that help us while we're here, but it will make it easier for Sisko to locate us from orbit."

That was the one piece of good news they'd had since crashing. It was enough to encourage them as they settled down in their blankets to sleep.

Bashir lay awake for a long time listening to the strange sounds coming from the darkness around the camp. Insects in the trees sang a lonely song and somewhere overhead he heard the screech of a winged creature as it flew by. After a few minutes he noticed that Kira's breathing had steadied and deepened. At least one of them had no trouble sleeping. She had probably learned during the Cardassian occupation to sleep in worse circumstances.

Finally, he gave up the effort and crawled from beneath the blankets. The fire was beginning to die down so he added a few more branches. The night air was becoming chilly. He scooted closer to the fire, stretching out his hands toward it. He found some comfort in its presence but at the same time wondered if it was a good idea. If there were inhabitants in the area they would be sure to see it and perhaps investigate.

A rustle behind him made him jump. Turning toward it, his apprehension turned to embarrassment. Kira sat down beside him, trying to suppress the amusement on her face.

"You're just a little jumpy, aren't you?"

Bashir had to smile in spite of his discomfort. "A little," he admitted. "I was just wondering about the fire. Won't it alert anyone in the area of our presence?"

"Maybe," she conceded, "but I think we have to be more concerned with the native wildlife at the moment. Most class M planets have some kind of carnivorous lifeform and the fire is our best protection against it." She picked up a nearby stick and poked it into the fire. "Besides, if there are inhabitants in the area they already know we're here. There's no way anyone could have missed our crash."

Bashir stared into the fire for a few minutes. He felt like a fool for not thinking of that himself. He took small comfort in the fact that Kira chose not to point that out.

"Come on," she said, rising. "We're going to need plenty of sleep if we want to be alert when we're picked up tomorrow." There was no harm in being optimistic.

But there was no rescue the next day, or the next. They spent the two days close to the crashed runabout. By nightfall of the second day, they were beginning to worry. They built a fire and huddled close, trying to draw some comfort from the flames. Even Kira's optimism had faded.

Close by were the few useful items they had salvaged from the ship. Several large deck platings had been scavenged and pieced together to form a crude shelter. It was barely large enough to accommodate the two of them and their gear but it had already proven useful in a brief but heavy downpour earlier that day.

Kira threw a couple of sticks on the fire and watched the sparks climb skyward. "I don't understand it. Even if our signal didn't get out, they should have tracked us down by now."

Bashir nodded but didn't answer. They had both repeated the same sentiments in different words several times over the past two days.

Kira pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I think we need to start making plans. The emergency rations should last a couple of weeks but we should be prepared to provide for ourselves. I've noticed several small rodent-like creatures around the stream and in the rocks. We can set snares for them."

Bashir wasn't thrilled with the idea of eating rats but it was better than starving "I'm sure that some of the vegetation is edible but we have no way of knowing which ones."

"We may have to take our best guess. We can't survive for very long on rats alone."

The doctor nodded again. After a minute he asked, "Is it possible that anomaly didn't just throw us across the sector but actually transported us to a different sector?"

Kira sighed deeply. "I've been entertaining similar ideas myself. It would certainly explain why no one has shown up yet."

"If that's true then they may never find us," Bashir said miserably. "We could be on the far side of the universe for all we know."

Kira made no effort to reassure him. There was no point. Suddenly something that had been nagging at the back of her mind clicked. She jumped to her feet and spun around to face the doctor.

"What is it?" Something in her expression alarmed him. "Kira, what's wrong?"

She brought both hands up to cover her mouth. The blanket dropped to the ground, the chill forgotten for the moment. "It can't be!" she finally forced out.

Bashir took a step toward her. He grabbed her arms and forced her to look up at him. Horror shone bright in her eyes.

"It's not where that thing threw us. It's when!" she exclaimed.

Suddenly, she began to shake. Bashir reached for the blanket but he suspected it wasn't the night chill she was reacting to. "I don't follow you, Major."

Kira clutched the blanket tightly around her shoulders and sank heavily to the ground. For a minute she said nothing. When she did speak her voice was very low and thick with emotion. "About eight months ago, we received a message in Ops that had us baffled. It was a distress signal from the Orinoco." She paused to see if he was catching on to her train of thought. The confusion on his face said he didn't. "Bashir, it was a distress signal from the Orinoco! But theOrinocowas in the docking bay. It had been for a week or more."

"You think that--thing--slung us back in time?"

"I don't know, but it's a possibility. The signal came from the Lor-Y System. There was a Vulcan ship nearby that checked it out but they didn't find anything except a mysterious radiation anomaly. I suppose Sisko informed Starfleet but it was forgotten right after that."

For a long moment Bashir stared at her as if she had suddenly grown a third eye. Then, "If that's true, we can't expect rescue for another eight months--if even then."

Kira nodded miserably. "At least we know that the signal made it out." She paused, then added hopefully, "Maybe part of the signal got off before we entered that thing. If so, Dax or Sisko will be able to piece it all together."

"Even if they do figure it out and come straight here, it will still be months before we see them."

They stared at each other in stunned silence. The implications were mind-boggling. Eight months! How could they hope to survive like this for eight months? What would they do for food, shelter? They had no weapons for hunting or protection.

Bashir suddenly jumped to his feet and headed off into the darkness beyond the camp. Kira made no move to stop him. She understood the emotions that drove him to go.

She was still sitting there, staring miserably into the fire, an hour later when he returned. Turning, she watched as he shook out his blankets and climbed into their crude shelter without a word.

Kira was a little disappointed. She needed to talk There were plans that had to be made and discussed. Sighing deeply, she tossed a few more logs on the fire and headed for the shelter. They could discuss it tomorrow. They appeared to have plenty of time.

* * * * *

"Commander, we're coming up on the Orinoco's last known coordinates," Chief O'Brien reported. The Rio Grande dropped out of warp and slowed to a stop.

"I'm picking up their warp signature," Dax said. "It stops at exactly the same coordinates as the first distress signal."

Commander Sisko leaned forward over her shoulder. "Are you picking up elevated neutrino levels?"

Dax continued to study the readings on the runabout's monitor. The frown lines on her forehead deepened. "No, I'm not, and I was sure that we would. It's the only logical explanation."

Her attention was drawn to a new reading. "This is strange." She turned to O'Brien. "Are you picking up a radiation fluctuation in the area?"

O'Brien adjusted his sensors. "I've got it. That is odd. I've never seen anything like this."

"I have," Dax said.

Sisko turned to her with a look that demanded an explanation.

"Readings just like this were reported by the Wyst about eight months ago."

"I remember," Sisko said. "They were investigating a distress signal from the--" He broke off as he realized what he was about to say.

"From the Orinoco," Dax finished.

The Commander thought for a moment. "Where did the second signal originate?"

Dax requested the information from the computer. "The Lor-Y system," she finally reported.

"Find out if that's the same location as the signal the Wyst investigated."

Dax entered the command and waited for the computer's response. It didn't take long. "You were right. It was from the Lor-Y system."

O'Brien broke in. "But how . . . " He trailed off, unsure what to ask.

"I don't know how, but there has to be a connection." Sisko drummed his fingers on the back of Dax's chair. "Two distress signals from the same ship in the same location but months apart. That can't be a coincidence."

"And two identical radiation anomalies at two different locations," Dax pointed out.

"I'm willing to bet that the same anomaly is present in the Lor-Y system right now."

"There's one way to find out," O'Brien suggested.

"Dax, contact the station and tell them we're going to be a little bit late. Chief, set a course for the Lor-Y system, maximum speed."

---

Chapter 4

The morning sun began to top the mountain behind the clearing. Kira crawled from the shelter and stretched the stiffness from her back, careful not to aggravate the soreness in her left side. Bashir was already up. A quick glance around the camp didn't reveal the doctor, but showed evidence that he had been busy. The fire had been stirred back to life and fresh branches had been piled beside it, ready to feed the flames.

Kira sat close to the fire and waited for the warmth to chase the morning chill from her bones. What she would give for a strong cup of coffee! And a hot meal. She eyed the container of rations forlornly. No way could she face that cardboard food this early in the morning.

Before long Bashir returned with water from the stream. They had converted a small storage crate into a bucket. Kira watched as he wordlessly retrieved a circuit housing from the pile of scavenged goods and dipped it into the bucket of water. He placed it on the coals of the fire and disappeared again into the woods.

When he returned this time he carried a handful of leaves. Sitting down across from Kira, he began to tear the leaves into quarters. By the time he had finished the water was boiling. He dropped the torn leaves into the water and returned to the pile of goods, retrieving two cups from the emergency supplies. Pouring some of the hot liquid into each cup, he handed one to Kira and sat down with the other.

She eyed the liquid suspiciously. It smelled vaguely like mint. First watching Bashir take a sip, she tentatively sipped at her own. It wasn't bad.

Bashir took another sip and finally smiled. "Almost like a real cup of tea," he declared. "I figured we had to start experimenting sooner or later."

"It's not coffee but it sure beats what we've had so far. How did you find this?"

He set the cup on the ground in front of him. "I stepped on some of these leaves yesterday and noticed the mint odor. I didn't think about trying to make tea with it until this morning."

Kira took another sip of the hot liquid. "Now, if you could just conjure up some aulkreu eggs."

"Sorry, I have a rule--one miracle a day. If I show off too much you'll lose respect for me."

Kira laughed. For a minute neither of them spoke. When the silence became too long, she said, "We have to make plans." Bashir didn't answer so she continued, "The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that my theory is right. That thing we hit must have been some kind of portal through time and space. It's the only logical explanation."

"Isn't it possible that it only transported us across space?"

"Then why haven't we been rescued yet? And what about the signal we received in Ops almost a year ago?" She waited for him to argue with her reasoning, hoping that he could offer a logical explanation, but he remained silent. "It's not as bad as it could be." She tried to remain optimistic. It wasn't easy. "It could have sent us back a hundred years or a thousand years. At least we have a chance of rescue."

"Yeah. All we have to do is survive for the better part of a year and hope someone can figure out what happened to us." Bashir swallowed the bitterness that threatened to choke him. She was right; he knew it in his heart. As bad as their situation was, it could have been much worse. Why couldn't he just count his blessings?

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I didn't mean to snap. I know you're just trying to make the best of a bad situation." He picked up the cup and took a swallow. "At least we crashed on a planet with a breathable atmosphere and tolerable climate. It reminds me a little of some parts of Earth."

"There seems to be enough game to survive on, if we can figure out how to kill it. I can make snares to trap the smaller ones but we still are going to need a weapon."

"Do you think this world is inhabited?" They had seen no sign of life in the few days they had been here.

"It seems improbable that a world like this wouldn't have some native inhabitants. I've been trying to remember what the Vulcans' report of this system said. I just didn't pay it that much attention. They stayed in the area for several days studying the radiation anomaly. If the inhabitants were advanced enough for space travel, I'm sure we would know about it. We haven't even seen air craft of any kind, so I think we can assume that their level of technology is below that."

Bashir's attention seized on something she had said. "The Vulcan ship stayed in the system for several days?"

Kira caught his meaning. "That means they might still be here!"

"But we have no way to contact them," he said bitterly. "The systems on the runabout are all dead."

"If they are still in orbit, we can reach them with our communicators," Kira said hopefully. "I wish we had thought of it earlier. We may already be too late." She hit her communicator and began broadcasting a mayday. After a minute she stopped and listened for a response. Hearing none, she repeated the call.

She continued for half-an-hour with no luck. "Let's wait a little while and try again."

Bashir nodded. It was a slim chance but it was better than no chance at all. After a few minutes, he began transmitting on his own communicator.

They spent the morning taking turns broadcasting the mayday, each time with no response. By mid afternoon they were both hoarse and discouraged. By nightfall they gave up, turning in early. They huddled miserably in their blankets and tried to resign themselves to their fate.

* * * * *

A heavy mist descended in the night covering everything with a layer of moisture. The cold dampness of the morning did nothing to improve their mood. Their fire had died and proved difficult to rekindle with the moist wood. When at last they had it going, Bashir made more tea and they ate the last of the rations in silence.

Kira suddenly spoke, "We have to do something about our food situation. I'll show you how to make snares and set them. Maybe we'll get lucky."

Bashir nodded. "There may be fish in the stream. If we can salvage some wire from the runabout we should be able find a way to catch them. But no matter what we catch we are going to need a knife to kill and clean it."

Kira smiled mirthlessly. "If you were a Klingon you would have four or five hidden on you."

"If I were a Klingon I wouldn't need one. I would just eat the creatures without killing or cleaning them."

Kira tried to laugh but it didn't seem worth the effort. "I hate to do it, but I think our only choice is to use one of the phasers to try to fashion a couple of blades from one of the bulkheads on the runabout. It will probably drain what's left of the power but if I have to choose between a weak phaser and a knife, I'll take the knife."

Kira started the blade-making while Bashir began ripping lengths of wire from under the helm controls. It took the better part of an hour but Kira finally produced two reasonable-looking blades.

"Now, all we need is a couple of handles and we're in business. How's it coming?"

Bashir held up the project he had been working on. He had stripped the protective coating from the wire and attached the end to a long slender stick. At the other end of it he had bent the wire into a hook. "All I need is a big fat worm, or whatever this planet's equivalent of that is."

"You catch them and I'll clean them," Kira said holding up one of the blades. "How much wire is left?"

Bashir indicated the small pile lying on the ground between them. "We might be able to get a little more but this is all of the long stuff." He laughed. "I can't wait to see Chief O'Brien's face when he sees what we've done to his runabout."

Kira joined in the laughter, thinking about the inside of the ship. It looked like it had been ravaged by a horde of Ferengi. Everything of value had been removed. "He would have both our heads if he knew what we were doing."

Bashir suddenly sobered. "I hope we get the chance to find out." He picked up the make-shift pole. "Wish me luck."

Kira watched him disappear into the trees. He was taking this hard, and why shouldn't he? He had lived a comfortable life. He had never had to scrounge for food or shelter in a hostile environment, never had to watch his friends starve to death or die trying to steal food to feed their children. She had seen all that and more. She had faced tougher times than this and she had always come out on top.

Sighing deeply she picked up the blades. Considering everything, he was coping better than she would have thought. It wasn't his fault he had never had to face real problems. At least he was trying.

Kira went into the woods, searching for something to use for knife handles. It took a while but she finally found something acceptable. It was a piece of hardwood about a half-meter long that could be cut into two suitable lengths.

She returned to the camp and stirred the fire back to life. The morning chill had yet to lift even though it was close to the middle of the day. Bashir had not yet returned from the stream and she hoped that was a good sign.

Wrapping the end of the blade with a scrap of cloth, Kira began rubbing the edge against a stone to sharpen it into something useable. Before long she had a reasonably sharp edge--nothing a Klingon would be proud of, but suitable for now.

Once both blades suited her, she began to work on the wood, first cutting it in half, then paring it down to a comfortable thickness. She then cut a deep slot in one end of each piece for the blade to fit into. Setting the phaser to the tightest possible beam, she drilled two small holes through both the wood and the blade and used several pieces of the wire to secure the two.

When she finished, she held them out and surveyed them. They were crude and not very pretty, but hopefully they would serve their purpose.

Bashir had still not returned. Kira took the knives and headed for the stream. It took her a while to find him. He had wandered down stream to where the water had formed a deeper pool. From his vantage point on a rock ledge he could stretch the wire out midway into the pool. Beside him on the rock were two small scaled creatures that only vaguely resembled fish.

Bashir looked up at the sound of her approach. "I hope they taste better than they look. I think it's an amphibian of some sort." He pulled up the wire and checked the fat grub hooked on the end. "I hope we can survive on a diet of frogs and rats."

Kira waited until he lowered the wire into the pool again, then held up the knives for his inspection. "What do you think?"

He took one and turned it over in his hand. "I'm impressed. Is there no end to your talents, Major?"

"They may not be too strong. The wire was all I had to secure the blade to the handle and I don't know how much stress it will take."

Bashir handed her the pole and leaned back on his elbows. "Try it for a while. It's very relaxing."

"It must be therapeutic. It's done wonders for your frame of mind."

"The shock is beginning to wear off. I've decided to look at this as a vacation. I was planning to take leave soon anyhow."

Kira laughed. "I'll bet this isn't exactly what you had in mind. I see you as more of the Risa type or maybe Wrigley's Pleasure Planet."

Bashir threw her a look of mock hurt. "I'll have you know I've never been to either planet. But you're right about this not being what I had in mind." He turned his head away suddenly, looking upstream. "I was planning to try to see my father. It's been a while."

Kira caught something in his voice. "Trying to see him?"

"He's a busy man. He doesn't have a lot of free time."

"Even for his son?"

Bashir turned back to face her. "What's that supposed to mean? You have no idea how busy a diplomat's life is."

"No, I suppose I don't." There was a lot of anger in the doctor's words but Kira didn't think it was directed at her.

She turned her attention back to the fishing. It seemed a waste of time but Bashir had managed to catch two of the ugly creatures so she stuck with it. The silence drew longer, with neither of them anxious to break it. Finally, Kira could stand it no more. She opened her mouth to speak but Bashir held up his hand to silence her. He pointed across the stream. She had to look twice before she saw what had drawn his attention.

A small creature was clawing at the dirt under a bush. It resembled a large rat with wide stripes of brown and yellow. As they watched, it pulled something long and slender from the soil and began to chew at it anxiously.

Bashir rose suddenly, scaring off the creature. He jumped down from the rock and walked up stream to a point where the water was only a couple of meters across. Wading to the other side, he made his way through the brush to where the animal had been. After several minutes of digging he produced three more of the long slender roots.

Returning to the rock, he said, "Not the most scientific method, but it worked. At least we know they are not poisonous."

Kira pulled the wire from the water. The fat grub was gone. "Can I quit now?" She didn't wait for an answer but began winding the wire around the stick. They made their way back to camp and, true to her promise, Kira cleaned the creatures. They weren't really fish although they did have scales. They looked more like a cross between a frog and a lizard.

When she had finished cleaning them, she speared the strips of meat with sharp sticks and anchored them in the ground at an angle over the bed of glowing coals. Bashir had already washed the roots and suspended them over the fire. Before long the air filled with the odor of roasting meat.

"You know," said Kira, "if you forget what those creatures look like, you can actually work up an appetite for them."

Bashir grimaced in response but didn't answer. Kira found herself watching him from the corner of her eye. Was he still brooding over the conversation they had earlier? Or was it the thought of eating those ugly animals? Probably the latter, she decided.

He had no doubt been raised with the best of everything. Fine food, fine wine, important dignitaries for dining companions. This must be quite a step down for him.

There were plenty of times in her life when Kira would have been happy to have had food like this to eat. She had a feeling that before this adventure was over, Bashir would know what it was like to be hungry, perhaps for the first time in his privileged life. Maybe then he would learn to be a little more grateful for what he could get.

By the time the food was cooked Kira had worked up a little resentment to go with her appetite. The emotion surprised her with its familiarity. Resentment? Yes, she decided; that was exactly what she felt toward Bashir. The surprising thing was she had resented him for a long time.

She pondered the feeling. Why did she resent the doctor? She had a hunch that it went beyond his pampered upbringing. After a minute of thought she pinpointed the source: Garak! The Cardassian tailor on the station. She resented Bashir's casual friendship with the enemy she had fought against her whole life.

Pulling up one of the spears of meat, she settled back against a rock to eat it. To her surprise Bashir reached for the other stick and without hesitation bit into the steaming meat.

Taking a small bite of her own she was surprised to find that it wasn't bad. In fact, it was pretty good. The roots were less appetizing but they were edible.

Bashir finished the last of his fish and tossed the stick into the fire. Suddenly he broke the silence. "I think I owe you an apology--for my attitude earlier. I suppose I'm not as resigned to the situation as I thought."

When she did not respond, Bashir looked up. "Is something wrong, Major?"

Kira studied him for a long moment before answering. "I was just thinking about some of the problems you and I have had getting along in the past. It's ironic that it should be the two of us that ended up stranded here like this."

Bashir smiled grimly. "If I had to be marooned on a strange planet, I'm certainly glad that it is with someone that at least knows how to start a fire from scratch."

"I just meant, I'm sure you could think of others you would rather be here with. Like Dax," she hesitated, but now seemed like a good time to clear the air, "or Garak."

Bashir looked up sharply. "Garak?"

You started this, now spit it out, she told herself. "I think everyone has noticed that you have become close friends with the Cardassian."

"We have lunch together--"

"--on a regular basis," Kira interrupted.

"Yes," he admitted. "And I do consider him a friend, but we are not really close."

"You have to admit, Garak doesn't have many friends on the station and you're probably the closest one."

Bashir nodded, still confused by Kira's line of conversation. "Is there something wrong with that, Major?"

Kira frowned at the doctor. Could he really be as innocent as he acted? Surely he knew of her feelings for Cardassians.

"Of course not, Doctor," she said stiffly. "You are free to choose your own friends."

"But they shouldn't be Cardassians, is that what you're leading up to?"

Kira resumed eating without answering.

"Major, I understand how you feel about the Cardassians and you're certainly entitled to those feelings. But you have to understand that Garak is an outcast from his people. I don't believe that he is on the station of his own free will. Considering that the majority of the people around him are Bajoran, he really doesn't have a lot of choice when it comes to choosing friends. Besides, I find him fascinating."

Kira finished eating and tossed the stick on the fire, watching as the flames engulfed it. After a minute she said, "I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye on this subject, so maybe we should just change it."

Bashir picked up a nearby stick and poked it absently at the coals of the fire. Okay, change the subject. "I wonder what I'm doing right now...the other me, I mean."

Kira thought for a moment. "Let's see. If I remember correctly, when we received the distress signal in Ops you and Chief O'Brien had just left for T'Lani Three to begin work on eliminating their biological weapons."

Bashir nodded. "The Harvesters, I remember. How ironic. The Chief and I were stranded and believed dead at T'Lani Three."

"Dax and Sisko figured that one out," Kira pointed out hopefully. "They'll figure this one out, too."

"Of course they will," he replied without much conviction. He was silent for a minute. Then, "Time travel opens so many confusing lines of thought. What if we had been able to contact that Vulcan ship? What would have happened when we returned to the station?"

"I guess there would have been two of each of us. But then we could have warned ourselves about the anomaly and avoided it." She gazed thoughtfully into the fire. "I wonder if that would have caused this us to disappear?"

Bashir laughed nervously. "This is just too confusing. I suppose now we don't have to face that problem." He continued to poke at the fire.

After a minute Kira spoke, "I think I owe you an apology, too." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Earlier, I was assuming things about you that may or may not be true, but either way I have no right to judge you based on my perceptions."

The doctor nodded and returned his attention to the fire. It was beginning to die down so he added a few branches to build it up. After a minute, he said, "I suppose I am arrogant, although I prefer to call it positive self-concept, and I guess my life would seem privileged by your standards. But I would think you had learned by now that things are not always what they seem. A few advantages do not always guarantee a better life. Just don't assume too much, Major."

"All I know about you is what is in the Starfleet files," she pointed out. "Maybe if you told me more I wouldn't have to assume anything."

"It's not an interesting story. I traveled around a lot growing up because of my father's work in the diplomatic corp. As soon as I was old enough, I entered Starfleet Academy. I became a doctor and came to Deep Space Nine. That's it. End of story."

"Well, that's certainly cut and dry. Care to try the long version?"

"There's not any more."

"What a fascinating life you've had," she said sarcastically. After a minute she took a chance and added, "I gathered from what you said earlier by the stream that you and your father have had some problems."

Bashir glanced sharply at her. "My relationship with my father is not a subject for your entertainment." The words were spat out in sudden anger. After a minute, he added, "My father is one of the greatest diplomats in the Federation. His name is respected and trusted on more worlds than I can count. He gets along famously with everyone. If I do half of what that man has done in his life, I'll be doing all right."

"You certainly seem proud of his accomplishments."

"I have good reason to be."

"Is he proud of yours?"

Bashir didn't answer for a moment. When he did, the anger was gone from his voice, replaced by an emotion Kira couldn't identify. "I wouldn't know." He stood suddenly. "I think we'll need more firewood before dark." Without another word he disappeared into the forest.

Kira sighed deeply. They had plenty of wood. Evidently, she had touched a nerve but it certainly wasn't intentional.

Bashir had to walk a good distance to find wood but the walk did him good. The fresh, cold air cleared his mind and he tried to push the unpleasant thoughts away.

Why had he made that slip? He had gone to a great deal of trouble to keep certain parts of his past private. He wanted it kept that way. His relationship with his father was a painful subject and he knew Kira wouldn't understand. She was certain he had had a wonderful, rich life with everything he had wanted handed to him. She couldn't see that not all misery is caused by the absence of material comforts. In her life the struggle for survival had depended on the most basic of needs.

Bashir topped a rise and came to a stop. This was the farthest he had yet wandered from their camp. The ground before him dropped in a dizzying plummet. From where he stood he could see for kilometers. Huge mountains rose from behind the hills on the far side of the canyon below. Far off against a mountainside, he could see a rainstorm releasing its rage on the hills. Lightening flashed and after a few moments the gentle rumble of thunder reached his ears.

Bashir sank to the ground and watched until the storm played out, its anger spent. By this time, his anger, too, had faded and the pain of past memories was forgotten. Darkness was fast approaching. He set about gathering an arm load of wood and headed back the way he had come.

Kira was nowhere to be seen when he came into the camp. It was just as well, he decided. He probably owed her another apology and he didn't really feel up to it.

He was sorting through their supplies when she returned. He looked up but said nothing. She offered no comment either, simply walked over and took up a handful of the scavenged wire.

Bashir watched as she settled close to the fire and began to pull lengths of it from the tangle. When she had a neat stack, she chose three of the longest pieces and started braiding them together. The doctor's curiosity finally got the best of him and he asked, "Is there a purpose to that?"

She looked at him for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not to answer. "We don't have much rope, just the tethers on the environmental suits. This wire is fairly strong but none of the pieces are very long. I thought if we weave it into longer lengths it might come in handy at some point."

Bashir dropped down beside her and, helping himself to some of the wire, began mimicking her. They worked in silence for a few minutes. Then he said, "My father is a touchy subject with me but that is no excuse for my behavior."

Kira looked up for a moment then returned to her work. "Apology accepted. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "It's best kept private."

Kira continued weaving, working in another length of wire as one ran out. "Fathers are not always the easiest of people to get along with. My own died a long time ago but I still remember a few heated arguments we had."

For a long minute, Bashir said nothing. Then, "I've never had an argument with my father."

"You've got to be kidding. Everyone argues with their father at one time or another."

"Not me. It's impossible to argue with someone that's always right." Time to change the subject. "I've noticed that some of the trees are beginning to lose their leaves. On most planets that is a sign that winter is coming."

"I've noticed that, too. I don't think the mountains are a good place to try to ride out the winter. We have no way of knowing how severe it could get or how long it could last. Food will certainly be more difficult to find. I hate to leave this area, but I think it's time to consider it."

"Where would we go?"

"I don't know. Down from the mountains. We would have to find some kind of shelter, maybe a cave."

"Perhaps we should try to find a city, assuming that this world is inhabited."

Kira considered the suggestion. "This could be a planet of people with Cardassian or Klingon mentalities for all we know. But it couldn't be any riskier than trying to ride out the winter without food or shelter."

"I don't know how long we have but judging by the way the temperature has been dropping the past two weeks I think we should start making plans."

Kira continued braiding. "It's not going to be easy." She paused for a minute before continuing. "It may prove to be the hardest thing either of us has ever faced."

They talked long into the night, producing several lengths of the wire rope. By the time they turned in they had decided to spend two days gathering as much food as they could find before heading toward the setting sun, leaving behind the relative safety of their camp for a better chance of survival.

---

Chapter 5

Bashir jerked open his eyes. He stared into the darkness trying to identify the vague whispering of sound that had drawn him from the dreamless sleep. For a long moment he lay still, listening.

The insects continued their night-song in the trees overhead. From the stream he could hear the cricket-like chirping of another creature. These sounds he had long since grown accustomed to. Whatever had roused him did not belong. It was not one of the many normal sounds of the night.

Suddenly a soft voice whispered at his ear. He sat up and looked around but the shelter was empty save for Kira and himself and her steady breathing indicated she was still sleeping.

Had he imagined the voice? He slid from under the blanket and crawled out of the shelter. The fire had died to a bed of glowing embers but he made no move to stir it back to life. Overhead the double moons were almost full, bathing the camp with soft light.

There was nothing unusual that he could determine. The night sounds continued on, undisturbed. There was no one in the camp. There was no voice, he decided.

He sat down close to the glowing coals. There were still several hours before daylight but he was no longer sleepy. One more day and then they would leave this place. The idea both frightened and excited him. What would they find? Hopefully, a city where they could get help. What would they do if the people were hostile? Could they survive without help?

Come! He jerked around but no one was there. Come! The voice was calling him. Without a thought, he rose and stepped into the darkness of the trees. He walked on, unsure of where he was headed but knowing it was the right direction.

The moons lit his way almost as brightly as day. He trudged the path, vaguely recalling having been this way before. It was the night he had wandered so far in search of firewood.

Before long he came to the ledge that overlooked the dark canyon. He stood just back from the edge and waited. Nothing happened.

For ten minutes he stood there, not knowing what else to do. A misty fog rolled across the mountains around him but he felt no chill. He felt only a warm comfort--as though wrapped in a blanket.

"I'm here," he said, finally breaking the silence. There was no response. Louder, "What do you want?"

For a long minute, nothing. Then, Come across these mountains.

The voice was so soft he wasn't sure he had heard it. What was across these mountains? He wasn't sure what waited there but he suddenly knew they had to find out.

He waited on the ledge until the morning sun began to lighten the sky behind the mountains. The voice did not speak again. It did not need to. He had gotten the message.

Kira was stirring around the camp when he returned. "Where were you? I was beginning to worry."

He accepted the cup of tea she held out to him. Should he tell her about the voice? The answer came to him clearly. "I couldn't sleep so I took a walk." Now was not the time.

Kira looked at him strangely but didn't say anything. They ate their breakfast of roots and nuts in silence. They had discovered the nuts the day before as they searched for food that could be easily carried with them on their journey.

They had a good sized supply of both the roots and nuts, having spent the entire day gathering them. They would have to supplement their diet with whatever they could find on their way.

Today they planned to sort through the supplies from the runabout, deciding what of it they would be able to take. Kira finished the meager meal and retrieved one of the blankets from the shelter.

She cut the blanket in half with her knife, then cut two large circles from each folded half, giving her four circles altogether. Next, she cut the scraps into strips, tying the ends of some together to make them longer.

Working the first circle, she cut slits around the edge being careful not to come out to the end. When she finished, she threaded the strips through the slits. She drew them up, puckering the cloth together, making a bag to carry their supplies. She repeated the process for each of the other three circles.

By the end of the day they had narrowed down the list of what to take. They had to consider how much they could comfortably carry as well as what they might have a use for. It was difficult to leave behind so much when heading into the unknown.

In the end they included the wire ropes, extra clothing, field jackets, blankets, and the supply of food they had gathered. They debated adding the environmental suits but decided against them because of their bulk. They removed the belts from the suits, though, because of the tethers on them. They were surrounded by mountains and could figure on at least a little climbing.

As darkness approached, they began to gather the things they would not be taking and putting them in the runabout. They wanted to leave as little sign of their presence as possible. They dismantled the crude shelter, deciding to sleep in the open by the fire. At last everything was done and they fell, exhausted, into their blankets.

Bashir lay awake for a long time staring up at the stars. Why had he chosen not to mention the voice to Kira? He knew he should but something had stopped him.

Whose voice had he heard? Was it proof that the planet was inhabited or was it something else? Someone or something wanted them to travel across the mountains to the east. They were planning to move west when they left in the morning. Was the voice strong enough to change their plans? What could he offer as an explanation?

His mind was busy with the questions when his eyes finally closed. It was but an instant later when the voice brushed softly against his ear. He sat up suddenly, half expecting to find someone beside him.

"What's wrong?" Kira was staring worriedly at him from across the fire.

"Did you hear something?"

She shook her head slowly. "What did it sound like?"

The voice came again, closer this time. He strained to make out the words but could not. "There it is again. Did you hear it?" The look he gave Kira begged her to say she had. Was he loosing his mind?

"I didn't hear anything." After a minute, she added, "Maybe it was an animal headed for the stream."

"I suppose so."

It was no animal. Animals didn't speak whispers in your head.

"Are you all right, Julian?"

He forced a smile for Kira's benefit. "Of course." To prove it he laid back down and closed his eyes. After a minute she settled back under her blanket.

He waited for the voice until he fell asleep, but it did not return.

* * * * *

They rose before the sun the next morning, hoping to travel far before making camp at nightfall. Bashir struggled with the decision of what to tell Kira. He knew deep in his heart that they must travel east beyond the mountains. Something there was calling him.

They packed the last of their gear into the bags and strapped on the belts taken from the environmental suits. The fire had been extinguished and the ashes spread out to cool. Everything they could not take with them had been placed in the runabout. All that was left to do was seal the hatch.

Kira climbed into the opening of the ship and looked sadly at the exposed remains. Circuits and panels had been ripped apart and stripped of anything useful in their midst. It reminded her of a graveyard that had been desecrated.

It took both of them to force the hatch closed. When it was sealed, Kira picked up two of the bags and turned to the doctor. "Are you ready?"

He hesitated. He had to make her understand that they must go east. "Kira, I need to show you something first."

She looked at him, confused. "Is something wrong?"

"It's important."

Picking up the remaining bags and throwing them over his shoulder, he headed into the trees without waiting to see if she followed.

Kira stared after him for a minute. What was this all about? He had been acting strangely all morning. As he disappeared into the woods, she took off after him.

They walked wordlessly through the quiet, dark trees until Kira felt compelled to question her companion. She opened her mouth to speak and ran into the Bashir's back. He had stopped suddenly. Stepping around him, she saw that they stood on a high ridge from which the view was breathtaking. The morning light silhouetted the mountains in the distance, casting deep shadows on the canyon below.

She took in the view before saying, "It's beautiful, but I don't think you brought me all the way up here to see the view."

For a minute he said nothing. When he did, his tone was calm and measured. "We have to go there," he pointed to the tallest mountain, sitting half obscured behind a smaller one. He turned to face her. "I can't explain how, but I know that we have to go there."

She studied him for a moment, wondering if this was a joke. If it was, he had the perfect poker face. "We discussed this a couple of days ago and agreed to head west. Why didn't you say something then?"

He looked back to the mountain. "I didn't know then."

Kira grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "I think you should explain that remark. I don't care what direction we travel--one way is as good as another--but you have been acting strangely all morning. Come to think of it, you weren't yourself yesterday. Did something happen?"

Bashir let out a sigh and, dropping the bags, sat down. After a minute, Kira sank beside him.

"Something did happen, didn't it?" she said. "You have to tell me, Julian. Did you see something over there?"

Bashir shook his head. "I wish I had. That would be a whole lot easier to explain." He paused, reluctant to put it into words. "Something over there is calling me."

Kira tried to hide her amusement. It sounded so ridiculous. "Calling you?" Skepticism hung heavy in her words.

The doctor smiled in spite of his mood. "Here I am trying to convince myself that I'm not crazy and all you can do is laugh at me. I know how it sounds, but I keep hearing a voice calling me there. There's something out there, Kira."

"You heard a voice? When?"

"The first time was night before last. I followed it here and it spoke again. It wants us to cross these mountains."

"That's what you heard last night. Are you sure you weren't dreaming? I didn't hear anything."

Bashir looked toward the distant mountain. "It wasn't a dream."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Kira considered the options. It didn't make sense to head into the mountains with winter coming, but she had known Bajorans that heard the voice of the Prophets compelling them to do what seemed a bad idea at the time. Was this really so strange?

"Sure. What do we have to lose?" She stood up and shouldered her bags. "I'll even let you lead the way."

It took them several hours to reach the canyon floor below the ridge. Their progress was slowed by thick underbrush growing on the slope. When at last they emerged, they were forced to stop and rest briefly. The way would be easier now.

The canyon appeared to be only a day's travel in length but they both knew that distances could be deceiving. The hills beyond led into the mountain range, perhaps a week's travel from where they stood. But they had seen plenty of game sign and there was an abundance of seeds around them that appeared to be edible. At least starvation wouldn't be a problem in the immediate future.

They gathered what they could of the seeds before starting forth once again. Before long they came upon a faint trail made by some unknown creature. It made the going easier and they stuck to it as long as possible.

When it veered off to the south they picked up another and then another. The game trails became more abundant as they moved deeper into the canyon.

Twice they startled animals on the trails. Once it was a mammal the size of a small deer that raised up on its back legs to study them before bounding away through the trees.

Another time they came upon a creature crossing the trail before them. It was smaller but less intimidated. It snarled at them, revealing a double row of razor-sharp teeth. Backing slowly away, they skirted the trail for a short distance, letting the beast have his privacy.

Water was plentiful in the canyon. They crossed four good sized streams and saw several more that were merely trickles.

As the evening approached they began looking for a suitable place to camp. They finally settled upon a place close to a small creek. The trees were close together providing a canopy over their heads. It was an adequate shelter.

Bashir kindled a small fire while Kira spread leaves and grasses for their beds. They ate a meager meal and crawled tiredly into their blankets.

When the morning came they were met by a dismal gray sky and the smell of rain. The sullen weather had its affect on their mood. Quietly they repacked their blankets and started off again.

---

Chapter 6

The rain held off until midday. They donned the field jackets against the downpour and continued on. By the middle of the afternoon, they had left the canyon and the rain behind. The way became more difficult slowing their progress.

They camped that night under the shelter of an outcropping of rock. The temperature had fallen during the day. Combined with the rain that had resumed around dark, it made for a miserable night of little sleep.

The rain continued well into the next day, forcing them to remain under the overhang. What little wood they could find was too wet to burn so they wrapped their blankets tightly about themselves in an effort to keep warm.

Kira spent the time teaching Bashir to make snares. When the rain finally stopped late in the afternoon, they set the traps with the hope of a hot meal by morning.

A good deal of searching before dark turned up enough dry wood for a small fire. They made tea and boiled the roots from their pack with some of the seeds they had gathered the day before.

By nightfall the sky had cleared and the stars were out. The largest of the moons was but a thin sliver of light, the smaller one a bit larger. The night was quiet around them...even the insects were too sullen to sing their night song.

They lay in their blankets for a long time, neither able to sleep. Finally, Kira spoke. "With luck we should be into the mountains in another three or four days."

Bashir nodded in the darkness, then realized she couldn't see him. "If the rain holds off." After a minute, he said "Do you think we'll ever be the same? I mean, when all of this is over, assuming that it ever is."

Kira thought for a moment. "Probably not. I don't think I'll ever look at things in quite the same way again. When I was fighting in the Resistance, I faced death many times. We all knew that we could be caught or killed at any time. We saw it happen to those around us, our families and friends. But it was an acceptable risk. We were fighting for our home, for our freedom. We had a cause to strengthen us and we had each other." She suppressed an exasperated sigh. "What cause do we have here? To survive? It's hard to draw strength from that. And, no offense, but I've never felt so alone in all my life."

Bashir chuckled. "I've never been told that by a woman before. But I understand. I sometimes think that we might be the only people on this whole world."

"Even considering the voice?" she teased.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I imagined it." He rolled over to face her, smiling. "You know, I've referred patients to counselors for less."

Kira laughed. After a minute she said, "On Bajor, some hear the Prophets speak in much the same way. No one calls them crazy."

Bashir was silent for a minute. "I can't see the Prophets or God, or whoever, calling me across the mountains."

"Stranger things have happened. But maybe there is a more logical explanation. The inhabitants of this world could be telepathic."

"That's possible. It certainly is more acceptable than going crazy."

It was a long time before sleep finally came to them and the sun was high by the time they awoke. Kira checked the snares but was disappointed to find them empty. They ate from their dwindling stores and set out on a faint game trail for the mountains.

They hadn't gone far when another of the deer-like animals started across the trail ahead of them. As they froze in position, the creature raised up on its hind legs, ears wide, studying the pair.

Kira slowly reached for the phaser on her belt, careful not to startle the creature. As it lowered to all four legs and gathered itself to leap away, she brought the weapon up and fired. The animal dropped, twitched a couple of times and lay still. It didn't take her long to dress out the best cuts from the carcass. Bashir watched in amazement. She had obviously had much practice at such things.

Kira caught his look and said, "A necessary skill on Bajor. Sometimes, the only food we had was what we could kill ourselves." She wiped the knife on the grass and returned it to her belt. "I hate to use what little power is left in the phaser but we have to eat."

They divided the meat between the packs and continued on. The evening was far along when they stopped and made camp. The roasted meat satisfied them better than anything had in a while.

They started early the next morning. At the middle of the day they stopped and cooked the last of the meat, afraid to save any more for fear it would spoil.

That night they set out more snares. This time they had better luck, catching a small creature that provided an adequate breakfast.

For two days more they traveled, gathering food as they went. On the eighth day from the day they had left the crash site, they reached the mountains.

They continued on, doggedly putting the distance behind them. Each night they rolled out their blankets and slept, too exhausted to talk. Each morning they ate a meager meal, sometimes with meat, more often without. They both had lost weight in the weeks since the crash.

Seeds, nuts, and berries became easier to find as they moved further into the mountains. Game was plentiful but they had trouble bringing it down. The snares were occasionally successful, but they were reluctant to use the weakening phaser on the larger game unless forced to.

Water was not a problem. There were numerous creeks and streams trickling over rocks. Rain was more frequent here than in the canyon, keeping the streams full. On some days the rain fell too hard to travel. Shelter from the weather became easier to find as they went. There were many rock overhangs and small caves in the mountainsides.

Two weeks into the journey, they made a startling discovery. They were searching for a suitable place to bed down for the night when they found the remains of an old campfire. They stood for several minutes staring at the long dead ashes.

Kira was the first to speak. "I don't know whether to be relieved or nervous."

"I think we can be both." Bashir dropped his packs and stooped to poke through the dead coals.

Kira wandered around the small area, hoping to find some evidence of what type of people had camped here. Away from the fire, in the edge of the trees, she found a crude shelter built from woven branches and lined with leaves and grasses for a bed. The shelter was large enough for only two or three people.

She returned to the fire ring. Bashir was gathering dry branches and building a new fire away from the remains of the old one.

"There is a shelter behind that wall of trees," she said pointing behind her. "It looks like it's been a while since anyone has used it."

"I couldn't find any tracks in the area, so we know it was built before the last rain."

He crushed a handful of bark from a nearby dead tree and added it to a few splinters of pitch they had gathered from an old stump. It had proven to be highly flammable, making their fire building much easier. It took only a few minutes for him to coax a spark onto the pile. Blowing gently on the spark, he soon had a flame.

Kira watched with amusement. There were no wasted movements in his work. He was fast becoming an expert. They had both learned a lot.

Kira had resorted to using the phaser earlier in the day so they had fresh meat for supper. The weapon's power was low. Soon it would be useless.

"They may not be far away," Bashir said suddenly. "It might be a good idea to move a little more carefully."

Kira nodded agreement. "At least until we know if they are hostile."

They continued to eat in silence. For days they had searched for signs that someone else might inhabit this world and, now that they had found it, they didn't know whether to be happy or afraid.

Their success in finding food the past two weeks had given them a small sense of security, but neither of them was foolish enough to believe it would be so easy once winter descended on them. If they had more time to prepare, they might be able to store enough nuts and seeds to make it. But already the wind was turning colder with each passing day.

Bashir was awake long into the night thinking about the people that had slept where he now lay. What manner of people were they? Would they welcome them to their world or would they be afraid and suspicious of two aliens? Did they even look vaguely human?

He suddenly wished very much to hear the voice again. It had not spoken since they had left the crash site. He wanted to know that whoever had called him here had not abandoned them to a strange people. He wanted to know that he had not imagined it...that it was real.

But the voice did not come again. He waited, but it did not return. At last he gave up and, closing his eyes, slept.

* * * * *

They continued deeper into the mountains. Each day was a mirror of the one before. They fished, they gathered food, they slept and they rose each morning to continue their journey. Twice more they found evidence of others' passing. Once it was another abandoned camp. Another time it was a few smudged tracks in the trail.

They were more careful now, choosing their camps with an eye to cover, making their fires smaller. They did not want to be discovered until they had a chance to observe the inhabitants from a distance.

As darkness approached they found shelter beneath the roots of a fallen tree. In the shallow hollow they built a small fire and ate a meatless meal in tired silence. They sat by the fire, reluctant to leave its warmth even for the relative comfort of their blankets. Bashir looked up to speak to Kira...and froze.

In the shadows not six meters from the Bajoran's back, crouched a massive, snarling beast. It was a good meter and a half from nose to tail, with huge muscles rippling beneath its leathery golden skin. It's sharp teeth were bared and great drops of saliva dripped from them as a growl began to rumble deep in its throat.

Kira started to turn at the sound, but Bashir stopped her with a hand on her arm. Very quietly, he whispered, "Get ready to drop."

He saw the shoulder muscles of the beast bunch as it prepared to spring. Shouting to Kira to duck, he reached into the fire and grabbed up a flaming stick. As the creature leaped, he swung the fire with both hands at its head and felt an impact that jarred him to the soles of his feet.

Kira dropped to the ground at the same instant. She rolled to her knees, putting the fire between her and the snarling animal. Pulling the phaser from her belt, she raised it and tried to aim for its head.

Before she could get off a shot, it dropped into a crouch and lunged again, this time at Bashir. Quickly, she squeezed off a shot and breathed an audible sigh of relief when it fell to the ground just short of its goal.

She stood for a full minute staring at the twitching carcass. It was a savage-looking animal. There was no doubt it could have easily killed them both if Bashir had not seen it before its attack. She glanced up at the doctor. He, too, was staring at the beast. The stick blazed at his feet.

"You've burned your hand!" she exclaimed.

He looked at his hand in surprise. It was charred and blistered. The smell of burnt flesh tinged the air.

"It happened so fast I didn't notice."

He moved away from the carcass and sat down to examine the wound. It was beginning to throb. They had nothing to treat it with so he satisfied himself with cleaning the bits of burned wood from it and wrapping it loosely with a scrap of cloth torn from their extra clothing.

Kira cut some of the meat from the dead animal, not wanting to waste it. She removed what was left, dragging it deep into the forest to lessen the chances of another predator following the scent into their camp.

"How's your hand?" she asked sitting down.

"Painful," Bashir said truthfully. "Next time, remind me to grab the end that's not burning."

"Sure thing." She threw a piece of the meat onto the fire. "That was too close. If you hadn't spotted him, he would be doing this to us right now."

"I guess it was inevitable that we'd run into something that saw us as dinner. It was going too easy." He adjusted the bandage on his hand. "What about the phaser?"

Kira retrieved it and glanced at the charge. "It's dead." She tossed it angrily into the darkness. "I hope we don't run into his brother."

"Maybe it's time we started standing guard at night," Bashir suggested. "I hate to think what would have happened if that thing had come on us while we were sleeping."

Kira shuttered involuntarily. "I think that's a good idea, not just because of that thing. Judging by the signs we're getting closer to civilization, so to speak. We should be prepared for the worst."

"I'll take first watch. You go on and get some sleep."

Kira made no move to leave. "I can go first. I know your hand must be hurting."

He flexed the fingers of his right hand. "It's not too bad. Besides, I learned to survive without sleep while pulling all-nighters in med-school."

Kira looked at him in mock surprise. "I thought the way you bragged that it came easily to you. Now I find out you really did have to study."

Bashir smiled charmingly at her. "Let me ask you a question, Major. Of all the accomplishments in your life, which ones are you most proud of?"

She thought for a long moment before answering. "The ones that I worked hardest for."

"Exactly." He paused briefly. "But I have to give credit where credit is due. If he had accepted me with no strings, I wouldn't have had to push myself so hard. Then, where would I be?"

"Your father?"

He nodded, stirring the fire with his good hand. "You should get some sleep, Major. I'll wake you in a few hours."

Kira hesitated, but she sensed he didn't want to talk about it. Sleep was slow coming. It seemed she had just closed her eyes when he shook her awake and crawled into his own blankets.

---

Chapter 7

After two days of climbing the path at last leveled out. By the third day the trail had become a narrow ledge. On one side a sheer wall rose for about a hundred meters. On the other was a drop of at least twice that...straight down

Kira took a tentative step forward and peered over the edge. Never before had she felt a fear of heights, but her stomach rolled suddenly and she reached out a bracing hand to the closest tree. Below the narrow ledge--far, far below--stretched a long and narrow canyon. The mountain on which they stood cast deep shadows across the canyon, giving it an ominous appearance.

Barely visible in the semi-darkness below, running parallel to the ledge, was a river. Dense trees lined the rapidly moving water on both sides. The trees grew thickly between the river and the ledge wall, obscuring the ground. On the far side, along the river, the trees were equally dense but thinned somewhat as the land stretched away, toward the far blue mountain.

"Maybe we should find another trail," Kira suggested eyeing the precipice.

"It's plenty wide enough," Bashir argued. Ahead of them, at its narrowest point, it was still about a meter across. "I don't think it would take more than half a day to cross and it would take at least a couple of days to skirt around it."

Kira looked doubtful but she said, "Let's at least use the tethers." Dropping her bags, she rummaged through them until she found the two packets they had taken from the environmental suits. Handing one to Bashir, she secured the other to her belt.

When the doctor had his own in place, he pulled the cord out about two meters and snapped the end to Kira's packet. Satisfied that everything was secure, he motioned for her to lead the way.

A couple of hours into the climb, the path suddenly narrowed to less than half a meter. They turned sideways and inched their way slowly forward for what seemed an eternity. At last the ledge widened. They stopped by mutual consent to catch their breath.

"I've got a great idea," Bashir panted. "Let's camp right here."

Kira laughed. The ledge where they rested was no more than two meters wide. "That will work great--unless one of us decides to sleepwalk."

They rested for a few more minutes. Finally, Kira rolled to her feet and picked up her bags. "We should be going. I think we can make it off of this ledge in another hour or so."

Bashir groaned in protest but climbed to his feet. When he had shouldered his bags, Kira started off again. She had gone no more than a dozen steps when she stepped on a loose rock. As the rock rolled from under her foot she lost her balance and fell toward the edge of the precipice.

Bashir jumped toward her, dropping his pack. He threw his body into hers, knocking her away from the edge and toward the wall but his momentum carried him over the rim. Panic seized at his heart as he grabbed out desperately. His fingertips caught on the edge, momentarily stopping his fall. He struggled to pull himself up, trying to find a niche with his feet to give himself additional purchase.

Kira screamed in horror and scrambled forward to grab at his hands. Just as she reached for him the rocky ledge crumbled under his fingers. She had only a second to brace herself before the tether snapped taut, the sudden stress almost pulling her over after him. She dug her hands and feet into the hard rock of the ledge as the weight on the cord pulled her slowly toward the rim. There was nothing on the path for her to hold onto for support.

Bashir clawed in vain at the sheer face of the wall. The few breaks in the rock were too small to get his fingers into. The new skin of his injured hand scraped away, leaving bloody smears on the rock.

"Julian!" Kira screamed frantically, afraid there would be no answer. She had to call out a second time before she heard his shaky response. "Can you climb up?"

Bashir tried to pull himself up the flimsy cord before answering, but it soon became slick with blood, making it impossible. "I can't get a grip on the rope."

By this time Kira had been dragged close enough to the edge to lean over it. She took in the situation in one quick glance and fear seized her.

Bashir felt his position slip and instantly realized Kira was being pulled forward. There was no way she could hold on much longer. Terror squeezed the breath from his lungs as he suddenly knew what he had to do.

He had to try twice before he could force the words from his mouth. "Kira, you have to release the tether."

Her face reflected her horror. "NO!" she screamed. "I can pull you up." Even as she said the words she knew they were a lie.

"Kira, listen to me! I'm pulling you over. If you don't release the tether we'll both die."

She shook her head frantically. "I can't do it."

Bashir knew she wouldn't. He reached down and pulled the knife from his belt.

Kira screamed as she realized what he was going to do. "Damn you, Bashir! You can't leave me alone. I can't make it alone."

"Yes, you can." He reached up with the knife, placing it against the cord. Fear thickened his words. "Listen to me. Keep heading east. There are people there that will help you. I can feel it. You only have to make it a few more months. Sisko and Dax will find you Believe that."

With that, he sliced the cord and fell. The tension on the rope suddenly released. Kira rolled away from the edge and squeezed her eyes tight, waiting for some sound--a scream, a thud, something--to reach her ears. Nothing came.

After an eternity, she opened her eyes and blinked up at the sky. Anger and pain gripped her heart. "Damn you, Bashir!" she cried. "Damn you!"

Her voice echoed off the rock wall stretching above her. A wave of grief washed over her, tightening her chest, choking in her throat.

She rolled to her knees, but couldn't find the strength to stand. Hot tears streamed from her eyes. "Damn you," she repeated softly. "I could have pulled you up." It wasn't true, she admitted to herself. He would have pulled her over with him, but that didn't make her feel any better.

She summoned all of her courage and crawled to the edge of the path. She forced herself to look over and was relieved that she couldn't see his body through the thick trees far below. She rolled back away from the lip and stared up into the clouds.

The minutes stretched into hours, still she did not move. The shadows lengthened as the sun began its descent. At last she climbed to her feet, suddenly aware that she had to leave the ledge before dark.

Gathering up the scattered bags, she rubbed at her red rimmed eyes and headed on. It was almost dark by the time the ledge once again became a trail. Before long she found a suitable campsite and built a small fire. It did nothing to remove the chill from her bones, nothing to comfort or cheer her.

She stared long into the flames, remembering the arguments they had had over the past two years. How could she have ever have thought him selfish? His last act had been one of the most unselfish she had ever witnessed.

She smiled miserably into the fire. He had wanted to be a hero. At last he had his wish. Her smile dissolved into tears. How could he do this to her? How could she face the next few months alone, totally and completely alone?

Keep heading east, he had said. Were there really people there that would help her? He had been so sure of it. What else could she do?

Sleep finally claimed her, giving way to nightmares of those last terrifying moments on the ledge. When morning came, she was no more rested than she had been before laying down.

She built a small fire and sat long before it, trying to draw some comfort from the flames. At last, she stomped out the coals and walked back to a point overlooking the valley.

In between the nightmares of the night, she had made the decision to try to find Bashir's body for a decent burial. It wouldn't be easy, but she owed him at least that much.

She wiped angrily at the stray tear that worked its way down her cheek. Dammit, Nerys. You've seen death before. This is no different. Maybe it wasn't, but that didn't make it any easier.

Be honest, she demanded of herself, are you grieving for him or for yourself? She considered the question. Maybe both, she conceded.

Kira looked down the valley in the direction she had traveled yesterday. Could she find her way to the bottom and then to the place where the accident had happened? She picked up her packs and started down a dim, steep trail. If she didn't at least try, she knew the nightmares would never stop.

It took a day-and-a-half of hard travel to reach the valley floor. She was exhausted but she pushed on, knowing she had to finish this for her own peace of mind.

Late in the afternoon, a soft rain began to fall. Kira took shelter beneath an overhang of rocks. In the back of the cavity she found the remains of a small animal's nest. Using the dry grasses and sticks for tender, she kindled a dismal fire.

The day had brought her no closer to the area of the accident. She was no longer sure she could even find the right place. The valley was almost completely surrounded by shear rock cliffs. It looked so different from this vantage point. How could she realistically expect to find the body in such a vast area?

She rolled out her blankets and climbed between them. She had to look as long as possible, she decided. He would do the same for her. A gust of wind blew the rain into the shelter, almost extinguishing the fire. Kira pulled the blankets tighter around her and tried to find the peace of sleep.

She was suddenly reminded of the few times Bashir had mentioned his father. What would the man think of his son now? Bashir had hinted that his father was too busy to pay much notice to his accomplishments. It was a damn shame, Kira thought, because in spite of anything else she might have believed of him, Bashir had been a brilliant doctor.

She rolled over and readjusted the blankets. When this was behind her, she decided angrily, she would just have to pay a visit to Mr. Important Diplomat. The man should know exactly what kind of man his son had been.

At daybreak, Kira resumed her search. The rain had stopped in the night, leaving the sky clear and blue. She walked for hours along the base of the cliff walls that stretched above the valley but saw nothing. By dark she was tired and discouraged.

She made a cold camp and turned in without bothering with a meal. The next morning brought with it a decision to resume the original journey. Winter couldn't be too distant and she had no idea how much farther she had to travel.

Kira studied the rock wall above her. She was deeply disappointed that she had been unable to find the place of the accident. Bashir deserved a burial. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought of what would inevitably happen to his body.

Pushing the images from her mind, she turned east and began walking. She walked long into the day, not stopping to eat until the sun was low in the sky. Her camp that night was cold and cheerless, a reflection of her mood.

---

Chapter 8

He awoke to a soft rain in his face. His throat and mouth were dry so he opened his mouth to let the water trickle slowly down his throat. The movement caused a stab of pain across his face.

He tried to reach up to touch the place that hurt but his arms were too heavy to lift. After three tries, he was able to open his eyes. It was dark. How long had he been laying here?

He shivered in the cold rain. Moving was out of the question. Pain emanated from every part of his body. How had he gotten here? He tried to concentrate, remember, but the pain was too great.

He had fallen; he remembered that, but not much else. The rain began to fall harder. He had to move, find shelter. At last he summoned the courage to try to roll over. The effort brought a wave of pain so great he cried out in agony.

Finally he gave up and fell back, exhausted. He would have to rest before trying again. Where he lay was soft, branches cushioned his broken body.

Broken? Concentrating around the pain in his head, he tried to inventory his injuries. One of his legs was broken, he was sure. Probably some ribs, also. His breath was strained and painful.

He managed finally to move one arm. Gingerly, he touched the right side of his face, where the pain was the strongest. The skin had been scraped away leaving raw flesh and bone exposed. There was a deeper laceration across his forehead that was bleeding still.

He dropped his arm heavily back to the ground. There were probably other lacerations. He had presumably lost blood--how much, he had no way of knowing in the dark.

Though reluctant to reignite the pain, he knew he needed to find shelter from the cold rain. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to roll onto his stomach. He grit his teeth hard against the agony that met his efforts and, at last, he managed to make it.

He lifted his head, closing his eyes briefly against the wave of dizziness that followed. After a minute it passed and he looked around. It was impossible to see more than outlines through the darkness and rain.

Choosing the closest outline, he began pulling himself toward it. One leg was useless, making progress painfully slow. Inch by inch, he dragged himself. He had made no more than a couple of meters when exhaustion forced him to stop and rest. Tears of pain and fatigue burned on his face.

After a few minutes, he tried again, almost making it before having to stop once more. One more try and he was there. He had reached what appeared to be a rock wall. Crawling as close to it as he could, he found limited shelter from the rain under a small overhang somewhere above him.

Whether he passed out or slept then, he did not know, but when he awoke, the rain had gone and the sun was high. His leg throbbed painfully. Glancing down, he saw that it was swollen. Something had to be done...but what?

A quick survey of the area revealed dense trees all around him. Somewhere he could hear the sound of running water. His mouth was dry and he longed desperately for a drink but knew he could never make the distance right now. Perhaps later, he promised himself.

First, he had to find a way to set the leg before it swelled any more. Close by were several long straight sticks. It took a few minutes but he managed to pull them to him. Taking a deep, bracing breath, he hooked his toe under a jut of rock and pulled. The bone slipped back into place with an almost audible pop and he fought to remain conscious.

When his head cleared, he took the branches and fashioned a crude splint, strapping it to his leg with his belt and the short length of cord attached to it. By the time he finished, his muscles were shaking from the strain. Every movement brought excruciating pain. Every breath had to be forced into his lungs through a hot blaze of agony.

For a long time he lay still, letting the sun warm his cold body. Would someone be coming to help him? He couldn't remember. He had a vague memory of someone that had been with him, but for some reason he didn't think anyone would be coming.

The side of his face was stiff with dried blood. He reached up to examine it with his fingertips and was sickened at what he found. The skin from his hairline to his jaw on the right side had been scraped away leaving a throbbing tangle of flesh. His fingers touched exposed bone on his cheek. He dropped his hand, afraid to explore more.

He slept again; for how long he did not know. The pain of his broken leg awoke him. It had swollen tight against the cloth of his pants.

He could not remain where he was. Of that, he was certain. He needed water, to drink and to wash his wounds. Making a hard decision, he rolled to his stomach and began pulling himself along the ground toward the sound of the running water.

It was a painfully slow process. He had to stop many times to rest, each time afraid he would not be able to continue. His hands soon became raw, leaving bloody smears on the path and still he forced himself on.

He had not gone far when he came across a crude knife. Was it his? He could not remember, but it didn't matter. He used it to split the cloth of his pants from just above the knee downward, relieving the pressure against his leg.

Darkness came and still he dragged himself on, thinking of nothing now but the water. At last, he reached the stream and pulled himself in, letting the cold water soak in and numb the pain.

* * * * *

Kira traveled two days before crossing a trail too wide and well worn to have been made by game. It veered to the south and she struggled briefly with the decision of which way to go. At last she chose the new trail. It widened as it went. Once, she passed a broken fragment of a clay pot, giving her hope that she would soon catch up with the travelers.

On the sixth night after the accident, she made a small camp by a fast running stream. Falling exhausted into her blankets, she was asleep within minutes.

The twin moons were high above her when she awoke. For a moment she lay perfectly still, unsure what had awaken her. Sitting up, she looked straight into the face of a man. She opened her mouth to cry out and he clamped his hand over it. She didn't struggle against the hand. It was pointless. He was easily twice her size. One thing she had learned during her years as a resistance fighter was when not to fight.

As soon as the man realized she was not fighting, he released the pressure on her mouth and backed away. By the fire, she saw another man. He spoke to his companion in a rapid, chopped language. Both retreated behind the fire and Kira had her first good look at them.

Neither was very old, not much more than teens, she guessed. Their skin was dark, their hair long and black. They were dressed in what looked to be animal skins sewn into clothing. In the darkness, they appeared human.

The two spoke amongst themselves for several minutes before turning their attention back to her. The older one spoke to her, apparently asking some question. She shook her head, hoping he would understand the meaning.

When he didn't respond, she said, "I don't understand what you are saying."

The man blinked and took a step back. The other looked equally startled. Kira looked from one to the other, confused.

Finally, one of the young men spoke again...in Federation standard! "How do you speak words of Resh?"

Kira stared at him. "I don't know what Resh is. This is a language known by my people."

"It is sacred words, spoken only by Sotai. How do you speak it?"

Kira didn't know what to say. What did he want to hear? "Where I come from, it is a common language, spoken by many."

They seemed to be considering her words. After a minute, the younger one said, "You are from where?"

"A very long way from here, across the sea." Not exactly a lie.

For a long moment they whispered among themselves, then they stepped forward. "You come with us."

Kira scrambled to her feet. "Where?"

They ignored the question. One stomped out the last embers of her fire while the other gathered her bags. She quickly rolled her blankets and handed them over to the young man who stuffed them into one of the packs.

They traveled through the remainder of the night, the young men stopping often to allow Kira to rest. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten when at last they reached a village of tents hidden in the trees. They led her through the center of the circle of tents to a large tent on the far side.

One of the young men entered, returning after a minute to motion her inside. She ducked through the opening and stepped inside cautiously. They had made no effort to remove her knife from her belt but she took small comfort in that. She was vastly outnumbered.

There was a small fire burning brightly in the center of the tent. Behind it sat another man. He motioned for her to sit and after only the slightest hesitation she did. The man was old, though not as old as her first impression. His skin was weathered and deeply lined, but his eyes shone brightly with strength.

"You speak sacred language of Resh Taw-Mar." It was not a question.

"It is my language, also."

He studied her for a long moment. Reaching up to touch his own nose, he pointed at hers. "You are sent from your people because of this?"

Why not? It was a logical excuse for her to be alone in their land. She nodded without speaking.

"Your people know of Resh and Prophecy?"

She had the feeling that he did not want her to say yes. "We have no knowledge of your Resh or the Prophecy."

The satisfied light in his eyes told her it was the answer he wanted to hear. He spoke to one of the young men that had brought her in then turned back to her. "Sotai do not send away because of burdens of birth. True Spirit teaches us to look to heart. You will stay here if you wish. Jozadak, my son, will take you to place for rest."

Kira stared at the old man for a moment unsure if she had heard correctly. "You are going to take me in?"

"Jozadak and Kirjath follow you for some days. They see you find food, make shelter, always going. They say you are brave. We make place for you here."

Kira followed Jozadak to a smaller tent. He led the way inside and stepped aside to reveal a bed of furs.

"You rest here for small while. I come back for you at later time." He set her bags down by the door and left.

Kira glanced around suspiciously. She had learned long ago that when things seemed too good to be true, they generally were. The old man's offer of a safe haven seemed genuine, but it could be a trap.

You're over reacting, Nerys, she told herself. If they wanted to kill her they didn't have to go to all of this trouble. There had been plenty of opportunity already. They could have simply left her in the forest to accomplish that. She was under no illusion as how much longer she could have survived on her own. Stretching out on the soft furs, she was asleep in minutes, her fears momentarily forgotten.

---

Chapter 9

Sometime in the darkness he managed to crawl from the stream and pull together enough wood for a small fire. He was desperate for its warmth, but he passed out before coaxing a spark from it.

When he awakened, the sun was in his face. Its warmth did nothing to stop his shivering. Slowly, summoning all of his strength, he struggled to sit up. It took two tries but at last he sat against the broken remains of what must have once been a massive tree and surveyed his surroundings.

Before him ran a shallow stream. Beyond that a thick wall of trees. He turned his head back the way he had traveled--was it last night? A trail of blood marked his passage. It was a pitifully short distance but it had taken him hours to traverse it.

A wave of pain forced him to close his eyes momentarily. He remembered falling, that was all. Where had he fallen from? He opened his eyes and glanced upward. A rock wall stretched high above him. Surely he had not dropped from there! No one could have survived that!

His body screamed in agony. He tried to shift his position to ease the strain on his leg but was unable to summon the strength. Glancing down he saw that his leg had swollen to three times its normal size. He bit his lip against the pain and, taking up the knife, split the pants leg further and loosened the strap on the splint.

For a long time he did not try to move. At last the hollowness in his belly forced him to reconsider. Close by was a plant that he knew promised food. It took an eternity for him to crawl to it and several long minutes more to dig its root from the soil with his knife.

He rolled over on his back and chewed on the root, dirt and all. How had he known the root was there? He did not recall but it did not matter right now. When he felt better he would remember.

When he finished, he crawled to the stream and drank long. The sun was high in the sky but it did not warm him. The shivering grew more intense, seizing his body in spasms.

He stared up at the tree tops high above him. He was in bad shape, he knew. Would he survive? How could he hope to with no food, no shelter. Had he survived the fall only to die a slow death from starvation and his injuries?

He slept then, a fitful sleep, filled with faces he did not know, words he could not understand. Once he thought he felt a cool hand upon his head but he could not open his eyes. At last the dreams stopped, leaving him to a blissfully quiet sleep.

* * * * *

Kira was roused from her sleep by a girl of no more than fourteen. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, momentarily unsure of where she was. It all came back to her with a start.

"I am called Micha," the girl announced. "You are called what?"

"Kira," she answered taking in the girl's appearance. She was attractive, dark skinned and slender. Kira's eyes narrowed as she took in Micha's features. Her ears were slightly pointed--not as obviously as a Vulcan or Romulan's--but enough to make Kira wonder if there was a relationship.

Micha produced a tray. "I bring you food. You are hungry?"

Kira nodded. She was starved. "This certainly looks better than what I've been eating."

The tray held an assortment of fruit and a bowl of some kind of stew. She ate eagerly, for the food was good.

"Jozadak is my brother," Micha stated as if it were of importance. "He is one who finds you."

"I'm grateful to him. I haven't had an easy time."

"You are outcast my brother tells...because of your burden of birth."

"Yes," she stated simply. It galled her to speak of her nose ridges as a birth defect but it was the easiest explanation.

The girl studied the elaborate earring hanging from Kira's right ear. Kira continued to eat, trying to ignore the attention. Micha obviously had more questions but she was reluctant to ask them. She watched Kira eat for several minutes before her curiosity overcame her reluctance.

"It is true you came over mountains?"

Kira swallowed the last of the stew before answering. "Yes, it is true."

"That is land of Utwai. They are not like us. You are brave to travel in their land alone."

A shadow passed over Kira's face. "I was not alone at first."

The girl scooted closer. "This makes you sad?"

"Yes. I had a friend traveling with me, but there was a stupid accident a few days ago. He was killed."

Micha was silent for a moment. "He was warrior?"

Kira opened her mouth to deny it but she suddenly remembered how he had attacked the beast with nothing but a flaming stick, how he had endured all they had faced with few complaints, but most of all, how he had bravely given his life to save her.

"Yes," she said with conviction. "He was a great warrior. He died bravely."

Micha reached out to touch Kira's arm. "Hanani says when great warrior dies someone rises up to take his place."

The girl was obviously trying to comfort her. Kira was strangely touched. "Hanani? That is the old man I saw last night?"

Micha giggled. "No, he is Auka, my father. Hanani is Resh-child. She is--" she paused, struggling for a word. "I do not know what word is for it. She goes to Island-in-Clouds to get vision. She tells Sotai what is will of True Spirit. She tends sacred fire given from sun. She is from Resh-line."

"She is your spiritual leader, your priestess?"

"What you say, she is. If you stay with us, you will see. When cold time comes all Sotai come together at Akkun."

Kira considered the words of the child. She liked the girl but she understood little of what she said.

Micha rose suddenly and stepped outside the tent. When she returned, she had a small bundle. Unrolling it, she produced a dress of soft, gray skin. It was simple and undecorated but the girl was obviously proud of it.

"For you to wear. I made it, with only little help. I was saving it for Lene's joining but I wish you to wear it. I will make another, there is much time yet. These," she held up a pair of knee length boots of the same soft skin, "are Maai's. She will not miss them."

Kira took the dress from Micha and thanked her. What made this child so willing to reach out to a stranger? Why was she being so kind to her? For all these people knew she could be an enemy spy. Did they have enemies? Of course they did, she decided. Didn't everyone?

The girl left and Kira changed into the dress. It was a surprisingly good fit. Micha was as tall as Kira, though not yet filled out.

She put her clothes into her pack, first removing the communicator and concealing it in the top of her boot. She did not want to lose it. Then she removed the earring from her ear and placed it in the pack with her clothes. It had obviously interested Micha and it would be easier to avoid questions than to answer them.

Stepping out into the bright sunshine, she looked around for a familiar face. Micha was nowhere to be seen. A dozen or more people moved around the village, which turned out to be not much more than a large camp.

She walked slowly through the camp. Everyone seemed to be busy at one job or another, even the children. They glanced up at her with thinly veiled curiosity. She found Micha helping an older girl cut a slab of meat into thin strips which they then placed on a rack in the sun to dry. The girl appeared to be about four or five years older than Micha. She was attractive in a subtle, reserved way.

"Your dress fits me nicely, Micha," Kira said.

The girl looked up and broke into a pleasant smile. "It is because you are short."

Kira returned the smile. "My people are not as tall as the Sotai."

Micha motioned for Kira to sit next to her, then indicated the other girl. "Lene is my sister."

The girl smiled shyly and continued slicing the meat. Kira pulled her own knife from her belt and said, "Please, let me help you."

Micha and her sister looked at the knife with open amazement. The younger girl was the first to speak. "What animal has bone of this?"

Kira was confused for a minute before realizing that their own blades were made of bone. They had probably never seen metal before. That was why Micha had been so taken with her earring.

"It's not bone." She chose her words carefully. "It is made from a rock found deep in the ground where I come from. The rock melts over fire and my people make tools and weapons from it."

The girls seemed satisfied by the explanation but their curiosity was strong. Micha barely restrained herself from reaching out to touch the blade. After a moment's hesitation Kira held out the knife for their inspection. They fingered the blade carefully as though afraid of it.

"Your tribe is blessed by Spirit to have such marvels," Lene said timidly. She cut a slab of the meat and handed it to Kira.

Micha worked in silence but it was obvious she wanted to say something. Kira waited, knowing her curiosity would eventually win out.

Finally, the girl said, "To leave your people and your home, this must be hard thing for you."

"It was," Kira admitted. "But I hope to one day go back."

"But you are outcast," Micha reminded her.

Kira hesitated, unsure how to answer without sounding like a liar. "I was not forced to leave my people. I chose to leave because it was easier." She hated to lie to these people. "I plan to return one day to my village."

"Your friend was also outcast?" Lene asked. Micha had obviously told her sister of their conversation.

"No, he was a great healer. He heard of a village that had a sickness so he went to help. When he left I went with him. Our...boat crashed on your side of the sea and we had no way home."

Micha nodded in understanding. "A warrior and a healer. It is bad for such to die."

Kira was silent for a moment. It was also senseless. They had been so close to help. Go east, he had said. She wished he could have known how right he had been. Looking around the camp she was reminded of Bashir's sense of adventure. He would have liked it here.

Micha's voice broke through her thoughts. "My father has sent Jozadak to Akkun to tell Hanani of you. She maybe send for you to come there." She paused, adjusting the strips of meat on the rack. "I wish not. I would like to hear of your people. It would be good thing for me, I think, to learn of your land."

By nightfall, Kira was exhausted from trying to keep up with the work of the two women. They ate a meal around a central fire with others of the camp. She counted only thirty people, including the children, and wondered if that was all there were. Micha, Lene, and two younger girls shared the tent with her. Kira huddled in the fur blankets against the cold and dreamed of ancient warriors and great battles.

* * * * *

He was warm. It was the first thing he noticed. He struggled to open his eyes. It took him a minute to realize that the darkness was caused by something over his face. He clawed at it with the one hand he could move, panicking when it would not come loose. Gentle hands grasped his arm and pulled it back down to his side.

"You must lie still." The voice was female. Did he know it? He wasn't sure. "You are weak." That he knew.

"How did I get here?" All he could remember was the cold and the pain, but he knew he had been alone.

"You were found and brought here. You must rest now."

He felt the hands release his arm and then heard her footsteps retreating. He wanted to call her back, there were so many questions he had to ask. Later, he decided. Right now, he was too tired. Within minutes, he was asleep.

When he awoke again, the bandage had been removed from his eyes. He carefully opened them, squinting against the light. After a minute, he was able to focus on his surroundings. He was alone. Close by, a fire filled the small room with a welcome warmth. The bed he lay on was covered with soft furs and skins.

He made no effort to get up. Somehow he knew he would never make it. The side of his face felt stiff and tender. Reaching up he found it was covered with thick bandages, as were both of his hands. The movement of his arm caused a spasm of pain through his chest. It was wrapped so tightly with bandages that breathing was a struggle.

It was only a short while before someone pulled aside the covering on the door and entered the room. A young woman glanced over at the bed and smiled brightly when she saw he was awake.

She dropped to her knees beside him. "You are better, I think." It was her voice that he remembered from before. She reached up to gently touch his forehead. Her fingers were cool against his skin. "I will fetch healer."

He weakly reached for her arm to stop her. "Please, wait. Who are you? What is this place?"

She smiled at him. "I am called Hanani. This place is Akkun, village of Sotai."

"How did I come to be here?"

"You should wait until you are stronger to ask your questions," Hanani suggested.

He nodded weakly. Talking was painful and he was tired.

"You were hurt much badly. Gitiv think you would not live, but I knew you would." He had the feeling that she wanted to say more but instead she rose. "I will fetch healer."

Before long she returned, followed by an older woman who was almost as round as she was tall. "This is Gitiv," Hanani explained. "She is healer."

The old woman knelt beside his bed and studied his face with dark, serious eyes. "You are not so pale now," she announced at last. She began to gently remove the bandages from his face, smiling apologetically as pain flashed in his eyes.

The healer examined the wound carefully and applied a foul smelling salve before rewrapping it loosely. It seemed an eternity before the old woman finished with him. Every place she touched brought agonizing pain. He squeezed his eyes tight and bit his lip to keep from crying out.

When at last she finished, he breathed a painful sigh of relief. Hanani moved into his line of vision holding a bowl from which steam rose. "You must eat. It will help you to be stronger." She sat beside him and slowly spooned the hot liquid into his mouth. The broth was good and though he was hungry, he only managed a little before falling back, exhausted, on the bed.

Gitiv watched with interest. "You have seen death and returned. You are truly from heavens."

Hanani threw the woman a sharp look and shook her head slightly. She whispered something that he could not understand. Gitiv nodded and left the room.

"What did she mean?" he asked weakly.

"Later time, when you are stronger." Hanani set aside the bowl of broth. "Now you must rest." She pulled the furs tight under his chin and turned to leave.

"Hanani," he called after her. "I have to know something."

The young woman returned to his side and waited for him to continue.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them again, he looked up into her face. "Tell me who I am," he pleaded.

Hanani dropped to her knees and looked into his eyes. "You have no rememberings?"

"All I remember is falling. And then cold and pain. There is nothing before that."

"You have been much hurt. Your head is much injured. Perhaps when you are healed it will return."

"Tell me who I am," he asked again.

"I cannot say who you are. You are not of Sotai. Before you came here I saw you only in my visions." She paused. "Now is not time to explain. When you are stronger."

* * * * *

For several days he saw only Hanani and Gitiv, although he often heard voices beyond the door. On the third day he was able to sit up in bed with their help.

He spent much of the time sleeping, regaining his strength slowly. His sleep was haunted by images of people he could not remember. Faces and voices came to him in the night but faded quickly in the light of morning.

On the sixth day, Gitiv removed the bandages. "You will have much scars," she announced, "but you will heal."

Hanani stayed after the healer had left. "You are much better Gitiv thinks. The pain is better, also?"

"It is better," he assured her. "I am stronger now, too. I need for you to tell me things."

Hanani sat beside him. "You still have no rememberings?"

"Sometimes, when I sleep, I can almost remember, but when I awaken, I reach for it and it is gone."

"If I know what it was, I would tell you and take away shadows from your eyes. I know only what my visions have told me."

"You mentioned the visions before," he reminded her. "You promised to explain later. Now it is later and I need to know."

"You must know more than that. It is much long story."

He smiled at her. "I have nowhere to go and no way to get there if I did."

She laughed lightly, the sound like soft music. "It is story every Sotai learns from time of childhood. It is told around fires on cold nights by all our people. It is story of first Resh Taw-Mar. He come much, much years ago, in time of grandfathers before grandfathers."

She settled into the tale as if she had repeated it many times before.

"Sotai had a time of much hunger and suffering. Rains stop, hunters find no game, and many die. Sotai did pray much to True Spirit and He remembered us. He send Resh Taw-Mar from heavens to help us. He comes to us as stranger and teach us many new ways to make ground give food. He brings water from river to fields, makes seeds stronger to give better food, shows new ways to plant and harvest. If not for Resh, Sotai die."

Her mixture of past and present tense confused him but he listened to her words in silence until she paused. "You said he came from the heavens?"

"In great fire streak. Many see fire fall from sky and go to see. Resh was there. He was strange in much ways. He sees thoughts, he talk with your words. Like you, he have resh Taw-Mar."

"I thought Resh Taw-Mar was his name."

"It is what we call him. His true name is forgotten much time ago. Resh Taw-Mar is 'one of red-blood'. You are also resh Taw-Mar. You are one of Prophecy. I have seen it in vision before you are found."

He was confused. One of red-blood? What color was their blood?

"Resh stayed with us and joined to Sotai woman. He lead Sotai, teach us much things. When he died, his son became guide for Sotai. His son was also one of red-blood, also saw into minds. Visions start with son's son. For much years child of Resh-line became guide. When my father died in raid of Utwai, duty came to me to become guide.

"Only, for some years we do not have red-blood," she added sadly. "Visions continue in some, but we do not see into minds anymore. Resh Taw-Mar promised that one day other Resh would come to help us. We wait much years. Now you have come."

He considered her words for a long time after she had gone. It was true he had red blood. He had lost enough of it to make that obvious. For some reason he didn't think it should be anything special.

Was he part of their Prophecy? How could he help the Sotai when he couldn't even help himself? Until he knew who he was, he would be no use to anyone.

---

Chapter 10

"You do not make dress before?" Micha's voice betrayed her surprise. "I learned to make dress as small child."

Kira helped Micha smooth out the skin on the ground. The girl was showing her how to cut a dress from the skin. "I was busy learning other things."

Several women were working on other skins close by. The men were returning from the day's hunt in staggered groups. On the fire several haunches of meat roasted, filling the air with a mouth-watering aroma.

Micha took up her knife and began to cut the marked shape from the skin. "What things did you learn?"

Kira hesitated, not sure what to say. "I learned to fight, to kill, and to survive."

A couple of the young hunters moved closer, curious to hear her words.

"You were warrior?" Micha stopped her work and stared at her new friend. "Woman cannot be warrior."

"Where I come from, women, and even children, are forced to become warriors." She had the full attention of everyone within earshot. "Long ago, before I was born, my people were invaded by another tribe from far away. They took our homes and our land, destroying what they could not use themselves. They took great pleasure in making us suffer. We learned at an early age to fight these people. Eventually we drove them away and took back our land and our homes."

Micha looked at her in open amazement. From behind her a young man spoke. "Why did your people not leave to another land?"

"It was our home," Kira stated simply.

Lene looked at her in sadness. "It must have been hard life."

Kira answered without looking up. "Not if it is all you have ever known. Toughness comes easy if you learn it early."

The people slowly turned back to their work. As the last of the hunters returned, the skins were rolled tightly and put away. The meat was removed from the fire and served.

Kira sat with Micha and Lene. She was beginning to put back on the weight she had lost before coming to the camp. The food was always good and varied greatly from day to day. On this day they even had bread.

"Where do you get the grain to make the bread?" she asked, breaking off a piece.

"In cold times we go to Akkun. We take meat we have dried for cold time when there is no game and they give us food they grow. We are many bands but all Sotai. Lwauk, Rlin, Adin, and others, we are hunters and warriors of Sotai. This camp is Lwauk. We move with game and our warriors protect Sotai land from Utwai, Sallu, Pmu."

Micha was interrupted by a commotion on the far side of the camp. Jozadak had returned from Akkun and was talking excitedly to several of the men that had gathered around him.

"Has something happened?" Kira asked.

Lene quickly rose and went to listen. Micha stared worriedly after her. "I do not know."

They waited in silence until Lene returned, her face bright with excitement. She spoke to Micha in their language, momentarily forgetting Kira's presence. After a minute, she glanced apologetically at her. "Forgive me. My brother has brought us great word from Akkun. Resh Taw-Mar of Prophecy has come. With his own eyes he has seen this."

The information was of great importance, Kira could tell, but to her it meant nothing. She had heard Micha mention Resh before. The girl had called Hanani the Resh-child.

At Kira's confused look, Micha said, "Prophecy tells Resh Taw-Mar will come again from heavens to help Sotai as first Resh did much time ago. Hanani is from first Resh. She has visions of tomorrow and can call to minds."

A telepath? It was possible. She remembered the voice Bashir had heard. Could it have been Hanani calling them to this place? He would have been relieved to know he wasn't crazy, she thought sadly.

The Resh Taw-Mar must be some sort of religious figure. Every culture had some sort of prophecy--she should know. The Prophets were at the very center of her own beliefs. Whatever the Sotai's Prophecy was, she was glad it had come true. They were obviously very happy about it. "Will you be traveling to Akkun?"

Lene glanced to the group around Jozadak. "They will talk of it and decide. We go soon anyhow."

The camp sat around the fire until late waiting for a decision. Several Sotai had gone into Auka's tent some time ago and had not yet returned. Kira sat with the others. She did not understand their discussions but she wanted to know their decision. If they left she would be going with them.

At last the group emerged. Auka walked to the center of the ring and held his hands up for silence. He spoke for several long minutes. Kira tried to guess his words from the crowd's reaction. Most were obviously disappointed. When Auka finished, the people began to slowly leave the area. Micha led the way to their tent, waiting until they were inside before translating the old man's words.

"They have decided to wait." She was clearly not pleased with the decision. "My father believes cold time will be hard and long. He says we need much meat to survive and hunters must bring more." She suddenly brightened. "Hanani did not send for you to come. Soon enough it will be cold time and we will go."

* * * * *

After four straight days of rain, the sky cleared and the sun came out. Hanani drew back the door covering allowing the bright sunlight to enter the room. "You feel strong today?" She studied the Resh as he struggled to sit up.

He was glad to see her. She and the old healer were his only visitors, but it was more than that. He enjoyed her company.

"I bring you something." From behind her back she produced a crutch of long straight wood. It had been carefully worked from a single piece of smooth straight wood. The top had been padded with bits of fur for comfort. "Nethinim worked on this much days. He is much proud. Today, I think you are strong enough to stand."

With the help of Hanani and the crutch he managed to stand, swaying for a minute.

"That is from laying much. It will pass soon."

After a minute it did pass. He tucked the crutch under his arm and leaned his weight on it. It was a good fit and very comfortable. "I owe Nethinim one." He thought for a moment. "Do I know him?"

Hanani laughed lightly. "You have not met him yet, but not because he has not wished it so. He is much wanting to see you. Everyone is, but Gitiv says you are not strong yet enough."

She helped him balance as he took a shaky step. He managed two more before stumbling. Hanani caught him before he fell and helped him back to the bed.

"I guess I'm not as strong as I thought," he said. Just that little effort had brought a line of sweat to his forehead.

"You must build strength slowly. We can try at later time." She leaned the crutch in the corner within easy reach of the bed. "I will tell my brother you like his present."

"Nethinim is your brother? I would like to meet him."

"Gitiv says you cannot be troubled."

"Gitiv doesn't have to lay here and stare at the walls all day. I need someone to talk to or I'll go crazy. Please, let your brother come in...just for a little while."

As if on cue, a young boy of about twelve stuck his head through the open doorway. "I will keep Resh company, Hanani. I will talk with him."

Hanani threw him a sharp glance. "You were listening, little utan. Go away! I will talk to Gitiv first."

The boy's face fell.

"I am not afraid of Gitiv," the Resh said. "I would like for you to stay, Nethinim."

The boy tossed his sister a look of defiance and hurried into the room before she could stop him.

She threw her hands up in surrender. "You can only stay short time. Resh needs to rest. Do not talk him to tears."

When she had gone, the boy sat down on the edge of the furs. "You are much better, I think. You have color in your face now."

"I don't remember seeing you before."

"I saw you when you come here. You were in sleep of death. You looked much bad then. Gitiv tells you will not live." Nethinim smiled proudly. "But Hanani knows you will live. She sees it in much visions. You are Resh Taw-Mar."

He studied the boy. His face was bright and animated as he talked, his dark eyes full of expression. Unlike Gitiv and Hanani, he seemed eager to talk. "How long have I been here, Nethinim?"

Nethinim puckered his face in thought. "You were in sleep for much days when you first come here. Maybe you are here two cycles of days."

"And how many days are in a cycle?"

The boy turned a confused face to the Resh. "What do you know? Ten days are cycle. Little utans know that."

The Resh smiled tiredly. "I don't know much," he admitted.

The boy's face reddened. "I am sorry, Resh. I did not mean to be disrespectful." He paused. "It is true you cannot remember anything?"

A shadow fell over the Resh's eyes. "It is true."

Nethinim shook his head sadly. "Gitiv thinks maybe you will remember at later time, when you are better."

"I hope she is right. In the meantime, you will just have to fill me in on things I need to know, like how many days there are in a cycle."

The boy smiled broadly. "I will tell you of Sotai."

Before the boy could begin his tale, Hanani returned. "Can you not see Resh is tired? Go now and let him rest."

Nethinim did not argue. The Resh did look tired. As he turned to leave, the Resh called after him, "Will you come back tomorrow--to tell me the story?"

The boy nodded as Hanani pushed him out the door. She came back to stand over the bed. "You can eat something?"

He shook his head. "I'm not hungry right now, just a little tired."

"You sleep now. Gitiv will come later."

He did sleep, not even wakening when the healer came. Gitiv examined his wounds quietly and left him to rest.

The next day, with Nethinim's help, he managed to limp across the length of the room. The day after, Gitiv let him sit outside, saying the sun would be good for him.

Nethinim turned a large, sturdy basket up for him to prop his leg on, then sat beside him. He took his first look at the village.

It consisted of several dozen large stone lodges and at least that many smaller ones. They surrounded a large grassy common area. At the far end of the village was a structure at least three times larger than any of the other buildings. It was the Lodge of the Council, Nethinim informed him, where burned the sacred fire.

There weren't many Sotai about; most that he could see were very young children playing in the common area at the center of the village. He commented on the absence of people to Nethinim.

"It is harvest time in fields. Everyone is much busy now. Tomorrow I join them again. Today I stay with you."

Several of the children wandered near, curious about the Resh. He smiled at them. Only one had the courage to come close enough to talk. She was a pretty child, about six years old. Nethinim moved to shoo her away but he stopped him. She looked long at his injured leg before turning to ask him something in her own language.

Nethinim said something back to her. She looked ready to bolt, but she stood her ground and repeated in carefully pronounced words, "You fall down?"

He smiled at her, pleased when she smiled back. "Yes, I did. I suppose I wasn't watching where I put my feet."

The girl laughed. "I am called Ocie. You are called what?" she asked.

His smile faded and he looked at her for a minute, unsure what to say. He couldn't remember his name.

Nethinim noticed his discomfort and came to his rescue. "He is called Resh, little utan. Now go play."

The girl scampered off followed closely by the other children. They were anxious to hear of her encounter with the Resh.

"Everyone is excited to see you and also curious. Prophecy is come to us. We are much happy."

He considered the boy's words. Everyone was so sure he was their Resh...everyone except him. They were expecting a lot from him in fulfillment of the Prophecy. Could he be what they wanted?

"Nethinim, what if I am not the Resh?"

The boy looked at him as if he had said the sky was green. "You are Resh. Many have seen it, I have seen it." He considered for a moment. "Hanani says even if you have not resh Taw-Mar she knows you are sent from True Spirit. She says no one should survive such fall. She says death has rejected you. And," he smiled, "she sees you in her visions."

"She mentioned the visions before. Do you know what she saw in them?"

"She tells only Elders what she sees. To see visions she must go to Island-in-Clouds." He indicated the tall mountain rising behind the village. "It is where first Resh came from heavens. She stays much days there and sees much things but she tells only Elders--unless Sotai must know. Four cycles ago, she tells Sotai she sees Resh in her vision. She calls to him and says he will soon come to us. Then you come and you have resh Taw-Mar. You are Resh," he finished with authority.

If only he were as sure as the boy. Did he belong here? There was no way he could be sure where he belonged. He watched the children play. Occasionally one of them would stray over to stare at him, but would quickly scramble away when he spoke to them.

As the sun dropped lower in the sky, Sotai began to drift in from the fields. They were tired and dirty from their work but stared in open pleasure as they passed the bench where he sat. It made him uncomfortable. What did these people expect of him?

The next morning the boy went to the fields. Hanani explained that all available people were needed for the harvest. Two of the hunting bands would soon be coming in from the mountains to help.

Nethinim had told the story of the Sotai, taking great pride in the tale. The tribe was made up of this central village, Akkun, and eight wandering bands that served as hunters and protectors.

The roving bands provided meat for Akkun in exchange for grains and vegetables grown in the fields. In the winter, the bands came down from the mountains to stay in Akkun until the thaw. The warriors continued to provide protection from raiding bands of Utwai to the west and Pmu to the south.

The system had been developed by the first Resh and had served the Sotai well. Stores of food provided for all the Sotai in the cold months of winter but it also provided strong temptation for the surrounding tribes.

"With longing they look to our fields and stored grains," Nethinim had said.

It was easy to understand the envy of the Utwai and Pmu. The Sotai were a contented people. Seldom was a word spoken in anger or complaint. While adults and older children spent the days in the field, young children played in the village, supervised by old women who spent the day at one task or another.

This day, several of the old women had gathered around the Resh as he sat in the warm afternoon sun. Some were busy with basket making while others scraped at animal skins with flat-edged stones.

Hanani watched the Resh from a distance. His strength returned more with each day. He was able to walk short distances now with only the crutch for support.

She smiled to herself as he said something to the old women that made them laugh. She wished he could always be so relaxed. Often she saw the deeper shadows that haunted his eyes. It pained him that he had no past and her heart ached to see his pain.

She sighed and returned to grinding the grain. Soon he would accept his place here. She would then be able to talk to him of the Prophecy. What must be had been revealed to her in a vision and she had discussed it with the Elders. The Resh must know his destiny but now was not the time. He must grow stronger, then she would discuss it with him.

After a few minutes, her gaze returned to the Resh. She did not know this man. He had been among them only a short time. What manner of man was he? She believed he must be a great leader among his people. How could he be less? He was Resh. Death had rejected him when any other would have died.

The Resh used many words that were strange to her, but she liked to hear him speak. She listened to him and tried to understand.

Among the Sotai, she was a guide to the Spirit's way. When she spoke to her people, all listened and heeded. Did this matter to him? What did he see when he looked at her? She had seen her reflection in the water's edge. She was beautiful, she knew. Did he see that also? Or were the women so different where he came from that he did not think so?

When he looked at her she saw only his pain and sadness. She wanted to see more. She wanted to see in his eyes what she felt in her heart. The terrible scars would always mark his face, but he was still pleasing to look at. There was no other among all the Sotai like him.

She watched him rise and limp across the common to where the children played. They skipped happily around his feet and, worried they would make him fall, she hurried to his side.

"You must be careful by Resh," she admonished them. She took his arm, glad for the excuse to touch him. "You should not walk too much today. You are still much weak."

He glanced down at her, a smile in his eyes. "The exercise is good for me. My leg grows stiff when I sit too long."

Hanani turned away from his gaze, afraid he would see what she knew was in her eyes.

"Walk with me, Hanani," he said.

She happily agreed, leading the way toward the river. They were halfway there before she realized she was still holding his arm. She hastily withdrew her hand. He glanced at her but said nothing. For some reason it annoyed her that he did not.

They arrived at the river and she showed the Resh to a log that had been placed in the shade of an old tree. The log had long ago been smoothed into a bench for sitting. When they were settled, she said, "This is where I come to have quiet for thinking. This seat was placed here by first Resh much years ago. It is said he came here when he was lonesome for his people."

He looked across the river. Beyond the shining water stood a thick grove of trees, their golden leaves bright in the sunlight. Occasionally, something splashed in the water. It was beautiful and peaceful.

"You are lonesome for your people?" Hanani watched him closely.

He thought for a minute. "I don't even know if I have people."

"When you were in death sleep, you spoke much things. Sometimes you called strange names."

"You did not tell me this before. What were the names? Do you remember any of the things I said?"

"Words that you spoke were strange. I do not know them. Names you spoke also were strange. Kira, Commander, Dax, and others I do not remember." She looked at him. "These mean anything to you? They are someone special to you maybe?"

"I don't know the names." He shook his sadly. "If there was someone special I would remember, wouldn't I?"

Hanani saw the lines of worry that appeared around his eyes. She longed to reach up and smooth them away but was afraid to touch him. This man was Resh. This she knew, but he was also a stranger to her people. Yet, he was not really a stranger to her. Had she not seen his face before--in her visions, yes, but also before that? She had seen him many times in her dreams.

Had she not called to him across the mountains and brought him here? She wanted to call to his mind again, to speak the words her mouth could not utter. Instead she turned away. Surely he could see the words in her eyes.

"Sometimes," he said, "in my dreams at night, I see faces that I think I should know. They seem very close. I can almost reach out to them but they move just beyond my fingertips. The faces are almost familiar but I don't think they are special. If there were someone, would I have left her to come here?"

They sat in silence until the shadows grew long, then slowly made their way back to the village. When they reached the lodge of the Resh, she turned to leave, but he stopped her.

"Hanani, I am a stranger to myself. I do not understand the thoughts of my own mind. Sometimes that scares me." He hesitated, as if he were unsure of what to say. "I have to know who I am before I can know anyone else."

Hanani smiled. "You have much time, Resh." Did he wish to know her? "You should rest now."

Her step was a little lighter as she walked away.

---

Chapter 11

Word of the fulfillment of the Prophecy spread to all the bands of the Sotai. Rlin, being the deepest in the mountains, was the last to learn of it.

Skal listened to the news with casual attention. The religious beliefs of these people were of little interest to him. In the two years he had been with the Sotai, he had worked hard to make a place for himself in their midst. He had earned a name among them as a mighty hunter and a brave warrior.

To be accepted was all he could hope for. To become one of them was not his wish. He was a Romulan and, although he believed they were possibly related to his race, they were not Romulans. Their simple language had been easy to master. He knew their sacred language but had chosen to feign ignorance.

The accident that had brought him here remained a mystery. He had no idea where he was and could not understand why the Zaccur had not tracked his emergency signal. After two years, he had little hope of rescue.

To make his place with the Sotai was acceptable. They were a brave and resourceful people but they had their weaknesses also--their belief in this Resh and the Prophecy most notable. It seemed nonsense to Skal, which is why he did not listen to their prattle about the Prophecy's fulfillment...until he heard the words 'red blood'.

It did not take him long to determine that the Resh of Prophecy was one of red blood from the heavens. A Human? He must know. If someone else had crashed here he might could use it to his advantage, perhaps even devising some way of escaping this world.

Skal thought long into the night. The band would be leaving the mountain for Akkun in a few more cycles. The Resh was badly injured and would be going nowhere for a long time. If their True Spirit was so powerful, couldn't He at least deliver their Resh in one piece?

Skal fell asleep at last, having made the decision to wait until the Rlin left the mountains to seek out this Resh and see for himself who he was.

* * * * *

The wind blowing down from the mountain was much colder. The people of Lwauk worked quickly to roll the last of the skin tents around their support poles. Kira fastened a long leather strap around the skins while Lene held them in place. As much as possible had been packed in the days before in preparation for the journey to Akkun. All that remained were the tents.

By daybreak, the small band was on their way. It would take a little more than one cycle of days, Kira had learned, to reach the village. The women and children carried bundles of belongings while the men pulled travois with the tents and carefully preserved food supplies.

As darkness approached, the group made camp. While they ate a cold meal of dried meat and fruit, Kira spoke to Micha. "Tell me about the Resh Taw-Mar and the Prophecy."

Micha eagerly launched into the tale, pleased to be able to share her knowledge. "It is story told around fires for much years by all Sotai. Much time ago, True Spirit heard cries of Sotai and had pity. He sent Resh Taw-Mar to teach Sotai new ways. If not for this teachings we would not have survived.

"Resh stayed with Sotai. He had sons. His gifts were in his sons and their sons. Resh promised that one day more would come from heavens with resh Taw-Mar. New Resh would help unite all tribes as one, bring peace to last. That is Prophecy."

Certainly an ambitious prophecy. "How is this new Resh supposed to bring peace?"

"Hanani has not told but only Elders. She has seen it in visions."

"Where did the first Resh come from?"

Micha looked at her in surprise. "From heavens. He come in fire from sky. Many see him come."

Fire from the sky? Could the girl be referring to the crash of a space craft? It seemed reasonable. But if that were true, where did the new Resh come from? Had there been another crash? It was possible; she and Bashir had crashed.

Kira jumped to her feet, dropping her food. Impossible, her mind screamed. He was dead! She had watched him die.

"Something is wrong?" Micha asked.

"I don't know," Kira said shakily. She spun around. "Where is Jozadak?"

The girl pointed to where her brother stood talking to Kirjath.

Kira ran to the young man's side. "Jozadak, I need to ask you something."

Something in her voice alerted the hunter. He took her arm and led her back a few steps from the camp.

Kira quickly continued. "You said you had seen the new Resh. Can you tell me what you saw?"

Jozadak glanced at Micha, who had followed them, a question in his dark eyes. The girl shrugged. "He was much sick," he explained. "He sleeps for much days without waking. Some say he will not survive but Hanani say he is one in her vision and will live."

"He was sick? Do you know what was wrong with him?"

"He was broke much. I hear some say he fall much way."

Kira gasped and sank slowly to the ground. He had been injured in a fall. The words echoed in her mind. It could not be Bashir. She had seen him fall. No one could survive a fall that great. But something inside screamed to her that it had to be him.

Micha dropped down beside her. "You are sick? You need help?"

The girl's concerned words brought Kira back to the present. "No," she said slowly. "My friend--the one who died--he fell over a ledge. He couldn't have survived, I'm sure of it."

"But now you doubt?" Jozadak said. "Your friend has resh taw-mar?"

Kira shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand the phrase."

"One of red-blood," Micha explained.

Kira's face drained of color. She did not have to answer. They could read it for themselves.

"Your friend, he is Resh." Micha stared at her in barely restrained astonishment.

"I have to be sure," Kira finally managed. "I have to see him."

"We go there. Soon you will see."

"No!" she shouted. "I need to travel faster. I have to know."

Jozadak studied the Bajoran for a minute. "I will speak to my father. Wait here."

The young hunter was gone a long time. At last he returned with Auka. The old man sat down next to Kira. "Jozadak tells you think Resh may be friend thought dead."

"I'm not sure. I don't know how it could be. The fall was so great. How could he survive? But I have to know for sure. I have to see for myself."

"Your friend have resh taw-mar?"

"Yes."

The old man studied her before saying, "You travel with Resh. He come from heavens?"

She hesitated only slightly. "Yes."

"You have resh taw-mar?"

Kira considered long, then chose her words carefully. "It is common among my people and his."

"You will show me?"

Kira hesitated. At last she held out her hand. The old man drew his knife and touched the point to her finger, drawing a drop of blood.

Micha let out a gasp of surprise. "You are Resh," she whispered.

Auka wiped away the blood and put away his knife. When he spoke again his voice was calm. "Jozadak will take you to Akkun. Rest tonight and leave with first light. True Spirit will guide your way."

* * * * *

Kira laid awake staring into the darkness for a long time. Sleep would not come. Closing her eyes, she tried to force her mind to shut down. With a sigh, she gave up and opened her eyes again.

How could it be true? Bashir was dead! Her mind spoke the words with conviction, but doubt began to slowly creep in. She had never found his body, but that in itself proved nothing. There could be a number of logical explanations for that. She could have gotten turned around in her search and have been searching the wrong area.

She shuddered involuntarily as she considered another possibility. Wild animals could have come across it before she could find it.

But what of the possibility her mind was just beginning to consider? Could Bashir have survived? "No!" she said aloud. It was impossible. This Resh must be someone else. Maybe there had been another crash. That made much more sense.

Her mind readily accepted that explanation. She wanted to believe he could be alive--she desperately wanted to believe it--but that would mean that he had been laying, hurt and alone, while she had given up on him and continued on her journey.

She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to her Prophets to take away the guilt that thought brought with it. She should have looked longer. She shouldn't have given up so easily. At least, if she had found his body, she could have buried him.

At last the thoughts slowed their whirlwind race through her head and she fell into a dream-ridden sleep.

She straightened up from her digging and surveyed the hole. It was already so deep she could not see over the rim. Not deep enough, she told herself. She lifted the shovel and continued with her work.

On and on she dug, the hole becoming unrealistically deeper with each stroke of the shovel. The shaft of light from the opening grew dimmer as she sank lower beneath the surface.

When at last she felt her tired muscles could take no more, she straightened, only to find herself on the rim of the hole. She stepped forward to gaze down into the darkness but she could not see the bottom. Why had she dug so deep a hole?

Suddenly she was aware of a voice crying out her name. The voice was very close but she couldn't find its source. She spun around, surveying the area, but she was alone.

The voice called out again, this time from below her position on the rim of the pit. Looking down, she was shock to see someone hanging there, a precarious hold on the crumbling edge. She dropped to her stomach in the dirt and reached for the hands. He was so close, yet the harder she reached for him, the farther away he seemed.

The man clawed desperately at the rim of the hole. Suddenly he looked up at her and she gasped in recognition. "Impossible!" she screamed. "You're dead!"

"Help me," he begged reaching toward her.

She flung her hand out desperately in an attempt to grasp his, but he seemed to move farther away. "I can't reach you!" She pushed forward with her feet, trying to move closer. "I can't!"

"Don't give up!" His voice was thick with emotion. "Please don't give up on me."

She swung out one more time and her fingernails scraped the back of his hand, drawing blood, but she could not hold on. He threw her one last look--a look she would never forget--and let go.

She screamed as she watched his body disappear into the darkness of the hole. She stared into the blackness, unable to move. At last, she stood and turned to go.

"That's it? You're just going to leave him to die?"

She looked around and saw a dark figure standing on the far side of the hole. The figure stepped forward, out of the shadows. She instantly recognized the man.

"Garak!" she gasped.

"You're just going to give up?" the Cardassian asked politely.

"He's dead!" she screamed at him. Couldn't he see that? "He's dead!"

"You are so sure of that?"

She looked down into the hole again. Something was different. What was it? She stared hard, trying to figure it out. As she watched, a thick, red liquid began to seep from the dirt walls. Bending down she touched the liquid. Blood! It ran in rivers down the walls, disappearing into the darkness below. The liquid quickly filled the hole, the line it drew on the walls inching higher and higher.

She studied the rising line of blood in confusion. There was something important about it. What was it? It was red, but why was that important?

She looked up at Garak, a half-formed question on her lips. Before she could ask it, his face began to melt, the features pooling and reforming. As they solidified again, she gasped and backed up a step. The features had become hers!

Kira jerked her eyes open and sat up with a start, gasping for air. The horror of the dream still squeezed at her heart. Her pulse slowed finally, and she looked around the small camp. She appeared to be the only one awake, though she knew there were guards just beyond the line of trees.

Wiping the sweat from her face, Kira laid back down and closed her eyes. What was the meaning of the strange dream? Was it just a twisted replay of the accident? Or was there some deeper meaning?

She shook her head angrily. There would be no sleep now, for certain.

* * * * *

"It is too soon," Gitiv argued. "You push yourself too much. You will hurt again your leg."

"I feel much better," the Resh said. "If I don't push myself I will never regain my strength."

Gitiv turned helplessly to Hanani. "Tell him no."

Hanani laughed. "You think to me he will listen? I think he will know if he pushes too far."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He set the crutch against the wall and took up the shorter walking cane he had asked Nethinim to make for him. "Come walk with me," he said to Hanani.

Harvest was finished and the weather had grown much colder. Already four bands of the hunters had arrived from the mountains. The village had grown crowded as tents were erected around the permanent dwellings.

Everyone they passed spoke to them. The attention made him uncomfortable, but he smiled to each in response.

Hanani watched him from the corner of her eye. He seemed contented here, sometimes even happy, but the shadows did not leave his eyes for long. He was healing well, and she told him so.

"I feel much stronger with each day. There must be something about the fresh air. I'm surprised that some of the wounds didn't get infected, considering the lack of antibiotics."

Hanani stopped and looked at him. He continued on, oblivious to the strangeness of his words. Sensing she was no longer beside him he turned back to face her. "What's wrong?"

"What you say. Your words are strange."

His gaze turned inward. Why had he said that? How did he know these words? "I don't know where that came from," he admitted at last. "I'm not sure I even know what I meant."

"Maybe you are remembering?"

"No," he shook his head sadly. "I still have the dreams but I can't pin them down. All I have are vague images of strange people and places." He laughed nervously. "Sometimes I even see monsters in my dreams, like the nightmares of a child."

Hanani took his arm and they started back the way they had come. "It would be awful if you do not remember? You have new rememberings and can make more."

For a short time he was silent, then, "It would not be so awful to make new memories, but I need to have back those of my own. I need to know who I am."

"You are Resh."

He looked down at her. "Are you so sure of that? Just because my blood is different, you have decided that I can help your people. I have a feeling that I am not special."

"Death has tasted you and spit you from its mouth. Even without resh Taw-Mar you would be special. True Spirit has saved you for His purpose."

"Your True Spirit has a strange way of saving someone. Why would he spare me from the fall and leave me like this?"

"Spirit's way is sometimes like day with much clouds. We cannot see sun, but it is still there."

He considered her words. They were strangely comforting, but the emptiness in his heart remained. He looked at Hanani. How could his heart be empty with a woman such as this beside him?

She wore a dress of white skin worked with bits of colored cord and small shells. Her long dark hair was woven with more of the cord and shells. She was very beautiful. She looked like the priestess she was.

Suddenly, she looked up at him and their eyes met. For a long minute the gaze held, then he looked away, worried by what he saw there.

"You are a priestess, leader of your people." He walked on for several steps before continuing. "I don't know what I am."

"What you are is more important than who you are?"

"You are a priestess," he repeated.

"And you are Resh. It matters not what you have left behind."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Gitiv was waiting for them when they arrived.

"If you hope to say 'I told you so,' you are out of luck," he said, dropping wearily to the bench. "I am tired but I feel fine."

The healer threw him an exasperated look and left them.

Hanani disappeared into a nearby dwelling. She returned after a minute with a small bundle wrapped in a skin. "These things, we find them with you. Maybe they will help you to know something."

He took the bundle from her and place it in his lap. For a minute he looked at it, then, holding his breath, he pulled back the covering. Inside were only two items and some clothing. He picked up the knife and examined it. It was not like the stone knives the Sotai used. "Metal," he said, running his finger lightly over the blade.

Hanani looked at him strangely but remained silent.

He tucked the knife into his belt and picked up the other item. It was a small piece of jewelry with a strange shape. It was made of a material similar to that of the knife blade but in a different color. He stared at the item for a long time.

Hanani watched the play of emotions across his face. Had it been a mistake to show him these things so soon? She had thought maybe it would help him remember something.

"I think maybe it is symbol of your tribe. You know it?"

He set it down and wrapped the skin back around the bundle without looking at the clothing. "No. It means nothing to me."

He sounded angry. Hanani took the pack and put it away. It had been a mistake. It had made him feel bad again. Soon she would have to tell him of the visions. She wanted him to feel better before then. It was important that he be happy here.

She returned to sit beside him but sensed he did not wish to talk. He quietly watched three nearby women as they scraped and pounded a large piece of hide with bone knives and stones.

The sound of running feet drew his attention. A young boy ran up to them and, with a quick glance at the Resh, began speaking rapidly to Hanani in their own language.

She listened intently until he finished, then turned to the Resh. "I have business. I will return in short time." She rose to leave.

He reached out to stop her. "Is something wrong?"

"It is only travelers come from Lwauk. I must go to meet them."

---

Chapter 12

Hanani stopped a short distance away, out of sight, to study the woman. She was strange in appearance, but she had been told that the woman had a burden of birth. She was young and attractive, despite the odd shape to her nose. Was it true she had come here with the Resh? There had been no visions of this one. Who was she to him?

Kira paced nervously while she waited. This was ridiculous, she reasoned. Why had Jozadak insisted on meeting with Hanani before entering the village? They had been traveling for days, and now that they had arrived, she was anxious to complete the journey.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps. A young woman approached. This must be Hanani. She was much younger than Kira had expected, hardly more than a teenager.

The girl went straight to the point. "I am told you have resh Taw-Mar, that you know Resh."

"It's true that I have red blood, but I'm not sure if this man is the same one that I traveled with. That is why I have come here. I need to see him."

"I have much questions to ask but we should see first if this is same man." Hanani lowered her eyes for a brief second. "You must know things first. Resh was much broken when he come here. In sleep of death he stayed for much days. All believe he will die, but he did not. Now he is better but not yet better enough." She paused. "Even if this is same man, Resh will not know you."

"Will not know me? You mean he has amnesia?"

"I do not know what is amnesia. Resh has no rememberings but of here."

Kira stood in stunned silence until the girl turned to walk away. Hanani led the way through the trees, skirting the village and coming up on the far side of a very large building. When they reached the edge of the woods, Hanani held up her hand to stop them.

She pointed to a dwelling not more than two dozen meters away. "There is Resh."

Kira stepped forward and looked to where Hanani pointed. She quickly clasped her hand over her mouth to stop the cry that was rising in her throat. She had felt sure it would be him, yet she was unprepared for the reality that he was alive.

He was sitting before a small stone lodge, his head against the wall, his eyes closed. She recognized him instantly, despite the deep scars from only partially healed wounds.

As she watched, a small child ran up to him and pulled on his arm, talking to him in animated tones. He laughed and let the girl pull him to his feet. With slow, limping steps he walked away with the child, holding her hand and leaning heavily on his cane.

Hanani waited until he was half-way across the common before leading the way from the cover of the trees. "He is your friend." It was not a question.

Kira blinked hard to hold back tears of relief. "I thought he was dead."

Hanani nodded in understanding. "He should not survive such fall, I think. He was spared for purpose."

She turned to Jozadak. "You are hungry, I think. Mijamil will see to you. Speak of this to no one yet."

The boy left and they entered the lodge. When they were seated, Hanani said, "Resh is much pained to have no rememberings. He speaks little of it but I see shadows in his eyes. I have wish for him to be happy here but hauntings will not leave him. If you speak to him, it maybe will help."

"It's possible, I suppose. He's the healer, the one with the knowledge of these things."

"Resh is healer of your people?"

"He is a great healer, respected by many for his skill."

Hanani nodded. "What are you called?"

"Kira."

"Resh spoke your name when he was in death sleep, and others, also." Hanani looked closely at her as she asked, "You are special with Resh?"

It took a minute for Kira to understand what she was asking. "No, not like you mean. He and I work together. We are friends."

Hanani visibly relaxed. She rose and gathered two wooden cups, filling them with water from a large clay jar in the corner. "Prophecy says Resh is come from heavens." She looked Kira in the eye. "You have traveled from heavens?"

Kira hesitated. What was the correct answer? She remembered briefly the Federation's Prime Directive and wondered how Sisko would apply it here. But she had already admitted as much to Auka.

Hanani spoke before she could reach a decision. "You do not have to say it. I have seen this thing in visions."

Hearing voices outside, they stood and turned toward the door. Bashir entered, followed closely by an older woman. The woman looked to Hanani. "Tell Resh not yet is his leg strong enough for so much walking."

He turned a charming smile to the woman. "Your healing powers are mighty, Gitiv. I am stronger than you give me credit for. Besides, Ocie had something important to show me."

In spite of his assurances, Kira noticed could see he was exhausted. He glanced at her as he sat down and stretched out his leg for Gitiv to examine. She saw no sign of recognition in his eyes.

This close she could see how badly he had been injured. It had been almost two months since the accident and still the wounds were barely healed. There were many scars on his face and hands.

"Gitiv is right, Resh. You push too hard to get well," Hanani said. She half turned to indicate Kira. "This one you know?"

He threw them both a surprised look. "Should I?" He struggled to his feet despite Gitiv's protest. "Do you know me?"

It was Hanani who answered. "She knows you. She traveled with you before you come here." She gently pushed Gitiv toward the door. "You have much to say to him," she said to Kira. "I will come back in short time." With that she and the healer left, pulling down the door covering to give them privacy.

Kira stared at him, unsure what to say. His strength gave out and he dropped back to the side of the bed. "You know me?" he repeated.

"Yes, I do." Kira sat next to him. "Do you remember anything?"

He glanced down at his scarred hands, but not before she saw the sorrow in his eyes. "I remember falling...and then cold and pain. Other than that, only this place."

"We were traveling together. When you fell, I thought you were dead."

"Part of me is," he whispered so softly she wondered if she had heard him correctly. Louder he said, "Tell me who I am."

"Your name is Julian Bashir. You are a Starfleet officer, a doctor from the station Deep Space Nine." She paused to see if the words meant anything to him. It was impossible to tell.

"You and I were returning from a mission when we were caught up in some kind of anomaly that brought us to this world. We crashed here about three months ago." She stopped for a minute. She felt he didn't understand all of what she was saying.

"You're saying we don't belong on this world."

"No, we don't. We are from different worlds far away from here. We work together, with others, Sisko, Dax, O'Brien." The names meant nothing to him, she could tell. "These people will come for us soon. They can help you, make you remember."

He sat silently, considering her words. His head was pounding, making it difficult to think. It was a fantastic story, yet part of him wanted to believe it. "If what you say is true, why does it take so long for these people to come for us?"

Kira hesitated. How much should she tell him? Would he even believe her if she told him the truth? "The anomaly we encountered sent us a long way from where we were. It will take a while for them to trace our path here."

"How can you be sure they will?"

"I know these people. They will find us."

He looked up suddenly. "I am very tired. I need to rest for a short while."

She nodded. "I understand. We can talk later."

He stopped her as she started out the door. "I don't know your name."

"Major Kira Nerys, but you always call me Kira."

After she had gone, he laid back in the bed and closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep and not have to think about what the woman had said, but sleep did not come. Her words ran through his mind, confusing him and making the headache worse. Another world...how could that be? Yet had he not felt an emptiness when he looked to the stars at night?

He feigned sleep when Hanani brought him food and again when Nethinim came to keep him company, as he did every night. Long into the night, he lay awake, the shadows cast by the fire his only companions, and they were little comfort.

Long before anyone in the village stirred in the gray light of morning, he was up. He sat outside and watched the stars fade as the sun worked its way up the eastern horizon.

Nethinim was surprised to see him when he emerged into the chill morning air. "You do not sleep good?"

He forced a smile for the boy. "I slept good," he lied. "I just woke up early."

Nethinim looked closely at the Resh. "You do not look so good. I should get Gitiv, I think."

"There's no sense disturbing her. I feel fine, really." That too was a lie. His head hurt like hell, but it hurt constantly and he was learning to ignore the pain.

Nethinim was unconvinced but he shrugged and sat down. "Last night I saw woman who is come with Jozadak from Lwauk."

He had no idea who Jozadak was but he was sure the boy referred to Kira.

Nethinim continued. "It is true she knows who you are?"

"Yes." He did not wish to talk of this but the boy was naturally curious and he owed Nethinim a lot. "She told me we traveled together to this place."

"She said what you are called?"

"Yes. She said my name is Julian Bashir."

Nethinim laughed. "You have two names? But it is good name. You feel better to know these things?"

Better? Not really. "It is better to know."

They were quiet for a time. People were beginning to stir around the village. He watched them as they set about their chores. Older children left to gather firewood. The women began preparations for the morning meal.

Nethinim glanced up to see Kira coming toward them. "I will return in short time. I must see to work now."

Kira watched him hurry away as she approached. "I get the impression that he left on my account." Her eyes narrowed in concern when Bashir looked up at her. "Are you all right, Julian?"

"Why? Don't I look all right?"

She sat down next to him. "To be honest, no. You look like hell. Do you need something?"

He shook his head but did not answer.

Kira waited a few minutes, then spoke again. "I imagine you have questions you would like to ask me."

He looked away. "Not right now. Maybe later."

The silence became awkward as it stretched out. Finally Kira felt compelled to say something. "It's very peaceful here. The people seem content."

He looked across the village, now crowded with busy people. "They have a good life here." He turned suddenly to face her. "Tell me, is life as good where we come from?"

Kira thought for a minute. "It's hard to compare...it's very different."

"Was I happy there?"

"Only you could answer that. Frankly, we were not that close. But I think you were. You enjoyed the challenge of your work. You had big plans for your future, for your career. You have already earned honors and respect from your peers for your skills."

"Is my work all that I have? What about friends, family?"

"Your family lives far away on other worlds. As for friends, you have them, yes, but I can't say if any of them are close."

He considered her answer. It was not much to look forward to going back to. Was his work so fulfilling that it could take the place of everything else? He looked over at Ocie and her friends playing close by. These people offered him more than that.

Ocie glanced up and saw him watching her. Breaking into a smile she ran over to him. "You want to walk, Resh? I help you." She reached for his hand.

He took the child's hand but did not rise. "Not right now, Ocie." When the girl's face fell, he quickly added, "I'll tell you what. If you come back when the sun is high over your head, I will walk with you. Now run play, little utan."

Her face brightened as she reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek before running off.

Kira watched the scene with amusement. It was obvious the girl was crazy about him. She had a feeling the sentiment went both ways.

Before she could comment, Gitiv walked up with Nethinim. "You are feeling not good?" she asked.

He shot the boy a dirty look. "I feel fine."

"You do not look like feeling fine. If you will not tell me, how can I help?"

Kira smiled. How many times must he have said that to his own patients?

The old woman's stare finally broke him. Reluctantly, he admitted, "It's just a little headache."

She looked into his eyes. "It is not so little, I think. How long does it hurt?"

"How long have I been here?" he responded.

Gitiv swatted at his arm good-naturedly. "Why you do not tell me this before?"

He caught the woman's hand and smiled charmingly at her. "And let you see your magic is less than perfect? The Spirit forbid!"

"Magic! Bah!" The healer jerked her hand away from his grip and tried to look angry, but she could not hide her smile. Turning to Nethinim, she said, "Help him to bed."

Bashir started to protest but changed his mind when he saw her face. He let the boy help him to his feet, swaying as a wave of dizziness hit him. Kira grabbed his arm to help steady him. It took both of them to help him into the lodge and to bed.

Gitiv dropped something into a cup and added water. Stirring it, she held it for him and made him drink. After a few minutes, he began to grow sleepy, at last closing his eyes.

Gitiv motioned Kira and Nethinim from the room. Once they were outside, she said, "Resh will sleep now for much time. It will help for him to sleep. He is much stubborn. Pushes too much to get better." She turned to Nethinim. "You stay close by and watch Resh. I will return in short time later." With that she walked off.

Nethinim stuck his head inside and, satisfied that the Resh was sleeping, sat down by the door. After a minute Kira joined him.

"I get the feeling that you don't much like me," she said.

He looked at her for a long moment. "I do not know you to like or not like you." He paused, then, "I think I am afraid you will take Resh away."

She realized the boy wanted to be reassured. "I can't promise we will not leave one day, but that day will not be soon." It was the best she could do. "You like him, don't you?"

Nethinim's face lit up. "He does not treat me like utan like does Hanani. We spend much time talking. He listens to my talk like it is important."

Kira knew how important that could be to a boy his age. "I haven't seen Hanani this morning."

"She has left for Island-in-Clouds. That is where she gets visions. She will be gone for some days, I think." He lifted his head proudly. "While she is gone, it is me who must tend sacred fire."

After a while Kira wandered off to find some place she could help with the work. Nethinim took his responsibility very seriously, staying at his post most of the day. Twice Kira went back to check on Bashir but both times he was sleeping. By nightfall he had still not awakened and she was beginning to worry.

"It is only rasht," Gitiv assured her. "It is used for pain and sleep."

Kira gathered it was some form of narcotic. Not for the first time she wished for the medicines and technology of the station, but as best she could figure they still had several months before they could begin looking for rescue.

---

Chapter 13

Gitiv gave Bashir more of the rasht in the night and again the next day. It was three days before he was able to get out of bed and sit outside again.

Kira watched him from where she worked with Micha on baskets. The Lwauk band had arrived the day before and pitched their tents. Kira was glad to have the familiar faces around her once again. The people here had treated her well enough but she had the feeling that they resented her presence. Perhaps, like Nethinim, they were afraid she would take away their Resh. She mentioned this to Micha.

The girl nodded. "It is possible some think this way. To them you are stranger. They do not know you as we do. In time this will be better, I think."

Micha pulled a handful of grasses and reeds from the pile and poked them into a clay jar filled with water and charcoal from the fire. It would dye the grasses black. There was a jar filled with crushed berries and water for red and another filled with tree bark and water for yellow.

Kira worked a flat reed through the stiff sides of the basket in her lap. She stopped the weaving for a minute and watched Bashir playing with Ocie. The child had a handful of brightly colored stones trying to teach him a game that involved tossing them into the air.

He was having difficulty achieving the desired results causing fits of laughter in the child. Kira suspected he was deliberately missing the stones.

"He makes Ocie much happy," Micha observed. "You worry for him?"

"Yes, I am worried."

"You should not. He looks good for one thought dead not much long ago."

Kira had to laugh at the observation. "I'm sure you're right. But it's not just that. He's so different." She stared at him for a moment. "He's like a stranger."

Micha nodded. "This, too, will be better, I think, in more time."

No matter what the problem, the girl always tried to comfort her. Kira was touched by the girl's genuine compassion. They had become very close. It would be hard to say good-bye when the time came.

She glanced over at Bashir and Ocie, still playing their game. The same thoughts must be going through his mind, she realized. He had made a number of friends in the village. With no memory of anyone else, it must seem all he had.

* * * * *

Bashir limped across the common in slow halting steps. Today his leg was stiff and painful but he forced himself to continue. He wanted to be strong again, to walk without the damned cane.

He walked toward the river, his mood as gray as the sky. He longed to talk to Hanani. She had a way of making him feel better. But she had not yet returned from her journey to the mountain.

It worried him how much he missed her. Shaking his head angrily, he sat on the bench beneath the tree and stretched out his leg. He could not let himself feel these emotions for her. She was a priestess and he had no idea what or who he was.

Kira said he was a doctor, a healer. What was that to a priestess? Hanani called him Resh, but he had his doubts about that. What did that leave him?

He massaged his leg as he thought. It had begun to ache as the days became colder. A rustle of movement behind him drew his attention. Turning, he saw Kira standing at the edge of the path.

"Do you feel up to some company?" She sat next to him without waiting for an answer. "It's beautiful here."

"And peaceful. Hanani tells me the first Resh used to come here to think."

"Is that why you came here?"

He gazed across the still water. Was that why he was here? "I suppose it is."

"There must be many things you would like to ask me. Is there a reason why you haven't?"

He considered the question. "I think I'm afraid of what you will tell me, that the words will mean nothing to me."

Kira nodded. "I understand, I think. Maybe it would be better to wait."

"How soon will your friends come for us?"

"They're your friends, too, Julian," she said with a frown. "It's hard to say because the months and seasons are different here, but I think it will be another four or five months." She hesitated, then continued. "Julian, do you remember much about the fall?"

He absently rubbed at his leg again as he thought about it. "I don't think so. All I really remember is afterward. There was pain and it was very cold; I think it was raining. Sometimes I dream about it, that I'm falling again, and I see a hand reach down for me but when I reach for it, it vanishes. A couple of times I've had a vague impression that someone was with me." He looked up at her. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"We were crossing a narrow ledge and I stumbled, almost going over myself. You fell trying to saving me. We were tethered together and your weight on the rope was pulling me over, so you cut it. I thought you were dead.

"I had worked hard my whole life learning to depend on no one. I was just discovering that it was all right to need help sometimes. I was very angry at you for dying and leaving me alone like that."

She stopped and looked deep into his eyes. "Julian, what you did was very brave."

He looked away from her gaze. For some reason the words upset him.

"I'm trying to say thanks, Julian."

He turned back to her suddenly and smiled. "You're welcome, Major Kira Nerys. Just don't ask me to walk any more ledges for a while."

She laughed, relieved at his sudden change in mood. "Nethinim tells me Hanani has gone in search of visions." She couldn't help noticing how his eyes lit up at the mention of her name.

"I think she is looking for how you fit into their perception of the Prophecy."

"I get the feeling that most of these people wish I had remained lost."

"Don't blame them, Kira. The Sotai are good people. They saved my life and have made me feel welcome here. It's just that they have waited for a long time for their Prophecy to come true and now they think it has. They see you as a threat to that. After a while they will accept you as they have me. You'll see."

"What do you think about their Prophecy?"

"I think they are going to be disappointed. I don't see how I can help them when I cannot even help myself."

"You don't think you are the Resh?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't know." He gazed out over the still water for a long moment. "They believe I am and I guess that is all that matters."

* * * * *

The day Hanani returned, he was walking with Ocie. She fell into step beside them. "Nethinim tells me you are much sick while I am gone. You are better?"

He smiled at her, glad she had returned. "I'm sure Nethinim greatly exaggerated. It was only a headache."

"Resh was sleeping three days and he could not walk with me," Ocie piped up.

He gave her a look of mock hurt. "Whose side are you on, utan?" She burst into laughter as he stuck out his bottom lip in a copy of her pout. After a minute, he joined her.

Hanani watched the two with a pleased smile. He seemed very relaxed and happy. Maybe the visions were wrong. She dismissed the thoughts as quickly as they came. The visions were never wrong.

Bashir stumbled into her, breaking her thoughts. She took his arm to steady him.

"Sorry," he said. "Sometimes these stones conspire to make me fall. But I fooled them this time." He glanced down at Ocie. "They didn't know I have two pretty girls to hold me up."

The child broke into giggles. Hanani held onto his arm, reluctant to let go even though he no longer needed the support. They reached the edge of the village and stopped to let him rest.

The wind had grown very cold in the past weeks. The snow would be coming soon, Hanani thought. It would be a hard winter the signs said, but they were prepared. They had much food and wood stored against the cold days. They were well prepared.

Hanani pulled the Resh's cloak tighter around him. He was still weak and could not afford to get sick. She looked up to see him smiling down at her. It made her heart stop for a minute.

"You are worse than a mother," he said with a laugh.

They started back. Not many people stirred in the village. Most were doing what work they could inside, away from the wind. Hanani looked at the many tents and lodges. The village had swelled to four times its previous size as the bands had come down from the mountains. All were here but the Rlin band and she was told they would arrive in two days.

"You should run home now, Ocie," Bashir said suddenly. "It is getting much colder. Hanani will see that I make it home safely."

The child was clearly disappointed, but she did not argue. Bashir bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

They continued down the street. "I think she is jealous of you," he commented. "She told me this morning she intends to be joined with me when she grows up."

Hanani laughed. "She expects you to wait?"

"I think she does. Who knows, if I don't get a better offer between now and then, I just might take her up on it."

The look he gave her was enough to quicken her pulse. She looked at the ground to hide the fire she knew was in her eyes. A cycle ago this would have made her very happy. Now all she could think about was the vision.

She looked up, surprised and disappointed to see they had reached his lodge. Voices came to them through the heavy skin hanging over the door opening. Entering, they saw Nethinim, Micha and Kira sitting on the floor beside the fire. The two teenagers were trying to teach Kira a game that involved pegs on a carefully carved stick and several small round stones.

Kira threw her hands up in frustration. "I give up. I'll never catch on. There are too many rules."

"Don't feel too badly," Bashir said sitting on the side of the bed. "Nethinim has been trying for two months to teach me the rules of chkin and I haven't figured it out yet."

Hanani sat beside Bashir and sighed contentedly. She wanted to hold the feeling forever. For tonight, she would forget the vision and enjoy what happiness she could find.

* * * * *

"We will need more reeds, I think." Micha looked at the rapidly dwindling pile in the center of their small circle.

Kira reached for another reed without looking up from her work. "There are plenty in your tent," she said with a smile. "Why don't you run get some?"

Micha made a face at the Bajoran. "Why do you not go and get them? I have no need for soaking me."

A freezing rain had started in the night, forcing everyone to keep busy inside. They had come to Bashir's lodge to keep him company, and, at his insistence, were now teaching him to weave baskets.

"You are much younger," Kira retorted. "You should go."

"Oh, and now you are Elder." The girl threw a reed at her friend.

Nethinim stuck his head into the room, bringing a wicked smile to Micha's lips. "He can go!"

Everyone burst into laughter at the confused look on the boy's face. He stepped inside and shook the rain from the skin draped over his shoulders. Ignoring the women, he turned to Bashir. "I think you have bad influence on Ocie. Little utan is much crazy in her head."

Bashir's smile faded. "Is something wrong with Ocie?"

"She sneaks away from her mother to gather stones from path between lodges. I found her when she is soaked and cold from rain. She is much in trouble with her mother."

"What in the world was she doing gathering stones in this weather?" Kira asked.

"She tells that Resh say stones try to make him fall, so she gets rid of stones."

"Is she all right?" Bashir asked, his concern apparent.

Nethinim laughed. "Ocie is only crazy. She is wet and in much trouble but not hurt." The boy sat down, noticing for the first time what they were doing. "To make baskets is work for women."

"For women and for men climbing the walls from boredom. All I've done for many cycles is sleep and sit. I need to be busy."

Nethinim nodded in understanding. "Rlin will come this day I think. They are last of Sotai to come. Hanani is then to have meeting with Elders of all bands."

"Is something going on?" Kira asked.

He grew thoughtful. "I think Hanani saw vision that troubles her. She is strange often since returning from Island-in-Clouds. Sometimes visions must be talked with Elders and decisions must happen."

"She hasn't mentioned seeing a vision," said Bashir.

"Some visions are only for Elders to know."

Kira looked across at the boy. "The gift of visions is hereditary, isn't it?" At the boy's confused look, she explained. "It is passed from parents to children in your family?"

"My father had visions, and his mother."

"Do you have the visions?"

"Hanani says I will get them when I am older, but I do not think it is so. Some do not. Gifts of Resh fade in so much time." He took the partially worked basket from Bashir's hands. "Put away woman's work, Resh, and we will try again at chkin."

* * * * *

The Rlin band approached Akkun as the rain once again began to fall softly through the trees. They had resumed their journey as soon the morning rain had slowed to a stop and they continued on now despite its return, the village being only a short distance away.

Skal shifted his burden to a more comfortable position. The band had traveled for almost two cycles of days, giving him much time to think about what he would find in Akkun.

He was convinced the Resh must be the survivor of a crash, just as he was. He was more convinced that this Resh could help him find a way off of this world, voluntarily or not.

If he could determine where the man's ship had crashed perhaps he could use something from the wreckage to power the drained systems of his own ship. Failing that, he might could find a way to repair the communications system of the man's ship.

He stepped over a fallen tree in the path, pulling his cloak tighter about him. Smiling to himself, he planned his approach to the Resh. Being very close in appearance to the Sotai, he doubted he would be recognized. Especially since the Resh would not be expecting to see a Romulan here.

Skal would simply observe for a while. There was no hurry. Spring was a long way off and movement in the mountains in winter was not wise. No, he would watch and wait. Perhaps he could learn the location of the crash without the Resh ever learning who he was.

* * * * *

"I have seen it, in the fires of vision." Hanani spoke loudly to silence the murmur of voices in the Lodge of the Council.

The Elders were distressed by her words. She had known they would be; she herself was distressed. But the visions could not be denied.

"The Resh and his friend will leave the Sotai when the days are once again warm and long. They will return to heavens."

"What of Prophecy?" Auka asked from across the fire.

"Prophecy will be fulfilled. I have seen a way to assure it." She paused and forced the sadness from her voice. The Sotai looked to her for guidance. She could not show weakness before them. "Resh will unite all tribes as one, he will bring a lasting peace to our land, but not in way we have always believed. True Spirit has revealed to me what must be done. Now, we must make plans."

* * * * *

Bashir waited for Ocie until the sun was well into the sky. The child met him here every morning to help him walk. He no longer needed her assistance, but enjoyed her company too much to let her know.

The sun was bright and warm in spite of the chill in the wind. It was probably one of the last few nice days left before winter set in. He waited for a short while before deciding that Ocie was not coming. It was only a short walk to the dwelling Ocie shared with her family. The girl's mother met him at the door. She answered his inquiry about the child with a worried glance back into the room.

"This day Ocie will have to keep in bed, I think. She does not feel much good. But you she will want to see."

She led the way to the girl's bedside. Bashir sat on the edge of the bed. Ocie looked up and tried to force a smile for him.

"You feel bad, little utan?"

She nodded.

Placing his hand gently on her forehead, he turned to her mother. "Has Gitiv seen her yet?"

"I do not call her. She has only cold sickness from getting wet, I think."

"She's burning up with fever. I think you should send for the healer."

The woman nodded and hurried from the room. He sat with the girl until Gitiv arrived. After a quick examination, the healer mixed a cup of rasht and helped Ocie drink it. She had a great deal of trouble swallowing it.

"She will sleep now. It is best for her. When she wakes, I think she will be better."

But Ocie was not better. For two days Gitiv administered the rasht and other remedies, and still she worsened. Her fever did not break and she labored for every breath.

At last, Kira went in search of Bashir, finding him walking. She fell into step beside him. "How is Ocie?"

He took several steps before answering. "She is worse. Gitiv has not said so but I think she is worried Ocie will not recover."

Kira hesitated, unsure if this was the right thing to do. "You can help Ocie," she said at last.

He stopped and looked at her.

"You are a doctor," she continued. "You know what to do; you simply can't remember."

He stared at her for a long time. The pain she saw in his eyes made her doubt the wisdom of her words but she returned the stare with forced assurance.

Finally, he looked away. "Don't you think if I could help her, I would?"

"Of course. But I don't think you know you can help her." She grabbed his arm and forced him around to look at her. "All I'm saying is try. Just examine her and see if anything comes back to you. What do you have to lose?"

Hanani and Gitiv were with the girl when they arrived. She was awake and fighting a coughing fit. Bashir went to Ocie's side and took her hand until the spell passed.

Kira drew the two women aside and quietly explained what they were attempting to do.

"Maybe it can help," Hanani said.

Gitiv nodded her agreement. "There is no more for me to do, I think. My medicines have no help for her."

Bashir gently touched the child's forehead, speaking to her in hushed tones. When she did not answer, he turned to Gitiv. "Tell me about her symptoms."

Gitiv shook her head. "I do not know what is this word."

"I need to know what's wrong with her. I know she has a fever and a cough. What else is wrong? Where does she have pain?"

The old woman moved up beside him. "Here and here, she has pain." She indicated the girl's chest and abdomen. "There is pain when she swallows, also, and trouble breathing."

He leaned over Ocie and placed his ear against her chest. After a minute, he turned back to Gitiv. "Is it a productive cough?" He quickly amended, "Is she coughing up anything?"

"Yes, but I give her ghage root to stop cough. It helps, I think."

He chewed his bottom lip as he thought. Kira watched him from across the room. He was obviously struggling to remember. It was strange to see him so unsure of himself, especially when it came to medicine.

Finally, he rose and, without a word, left the lodge. Hanani moved to follow him, but Kira stopped her. "He needs some time. He'll be all right."

Hanani looked at her uncertainly. She wanted to go after him. She wanted him to need her. But she knew in her heart Kira was right. She went to Ocie's side and waited.

Darkness came and still Bashir did not return. Hanani, at last, searched for him. He was seated by the river, staring quietly across the still water. She sat down wordlessly beside him. For several long minutes neither of them spoke.

Finally, Bashir turned to face her. "The answer is right here," he said tapping his temple. "It's right here, locked behind a door, but I can't find the right key to open it."

Hanani didn't understand his words but she understood the pain in his eyes. "Maybe you try too hard. Maybe if you do not think so much and just do what feels right, you will find answer."

Bashir looked deep into her eyes for several seconds before answering. "What if I am wrong?"

"Gitiv can find no help for Ocie in her roots and powders. Same sickness has come to Sotai before. Much times sick die. Ocie, I think, will die. What you do for her may be only hope she has. If you do not try and she dies, it will make your pain much more."

Bashir smiled in spite of himself. "You always know what to say." He took her hand and stood up. "Let's go see what we can do."

Gitiv and Kira were with Ocie when they entered the lodge. Bashir crossed to the girl's bedside and repeated his earlier examination.

Finally, he rose and turned to the women. He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, Kira noticed some of the old confidence there.

"I'm not sure, but I think she has mycoplasma pneumonia. It's an inflammation in the lungs and it's contagious. It probably started as a mycoplasma infection in her throat or bronchial tubes."

He turned to Ocie's mother. "You should send your other children to stay with someone else for a while. Then put some water on the fire to boil and keep adding to it as it boils down. The moisture in the air will help her to breath easier."

Turning to Gitiv, he said, "She needs to expel the lung secretions. Don't give her anything else to stop the cough. Let's prop her up a little and see if that helps her."

He thought for another minute. "Let's also try hot compresses on her chest to relieve the pain."

Gitiv hesitated only a second then set about following his orders. Hanani waited until he looked at her, then asked, "There is something I can do?"

He shook his head, then changed his mind. "Would you see if you can find Nethinim and get him to set up my bed in here? I want to stay close by for a few days."

When she had gone, he turned to Kira. "What if I am wrong? I'm not certain if I even understand everything I said."

"Could it be any worse than not trying at all? She wasn't getting better with the treatments she was getting. I have confidence in you and obviously these people do, too. Look at how they followed your orders without question."

He watched as Gitiv propped Ocie up with rolled up blankets. "I hope you're right."

---

Chapter 14

Skal watched the Bajoran woman cross the common and enter a tent. He had never seen a Bajoran before but he was certain this was one. Could she be the Resh? No, they had definitely referred to the Resh in male terms. She must have crashed here with the man. It was the only explanation.

It was no problem, he assured himself. There was no reason to change his plans. All he had to do for now was watch and listen.

His band had arrived in Akkun five days ago and he had yet to see the Resh. Had something happened to him? He shook his head. He would have heard. News of the Resh traveled fast.

No, he was here somewhere. He would simply wait...and if he didn't appear eventually, he could always learn what he needed to know from the Bajoran.

* * * * *

Three days after he changed Ocie's treatments, Bashir began to notice a change. The added humidity from the boiling water made it easier for the girl to breath. She was sleeping sounder as a result.

He had not left her side for more than a few minutes since moving in here. Gitiv urged him to go back to his own lodge and rest but he ignored her advice.

He watched as Ocie slept. She was so tiny and fragile. A wave of guilt hit him...not for the first time. It was his fault she had gotten sick. She had been out in the cold rain because of him.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped.

"I do not mean to startle you, Resh." Hanani spoke softly so as not to disturb the child. Ocie's mother had gone to see to her other children. "She is any better?"

He forced a tired smile. "I think I can see a little improvement. It's really too soon to tell. If my diagnosis is correct, it will take a very long time for her to recover completely."

She did not understand all of his words but the meaning seemed clear. "You look tired. You should rest."

"I will, later." He grimaced, turning his head away from her to hide the look.

"You are all right?"

"Just the same damned headache. I think I will lay down for a few minutes. Could you sit with Ocie for a little while?"

He stretched out on the bed he had set up nearby. Hanani watched until he fell asleep, then moved to his side. Only when he slept did the tension leave his face. She lightly traced the line of the deep scar on his forehead down the right side of his face to his jaw.

She longed desperately to lean down and kiss him but was afraid it would awaken him. Why did she have to feel as she did? She turned away and saw that Kira stood in the door opening, watching her. How much had she seen?

"How is Ocie?" Kira asked. She did not mention the scene.

"Resh says she is some better, but it is soon to know."

Kira walked over to Bashir's cot. "How is he?"

"He is much tired and I think he still has pain sometimes." Hanani looked at him and smiled. "He is wise healer."

"He's the best I've ever seen." Kira paused, choosing her words carefully. "He has earned a great deal of respect for his skill. He has worked hard to make a place for himself there."

Hanani studied her for a long time before answering. "You will be leaving this place soon."

Kira stared at her. How could she know? Had Bashir spoken of it?

Hanani continued. "You fear I will stop him from leaving with you."

"I fear that he will not want to leave. I know that you love him, and I think he loves you." She noticed the flash of pain in the girl's eyes.

"He will not stay. When time comes, he will go."

Kira didn't ask how she knew, but she hoped Hanani was right.

* * * * *

The next day brought the first snow of the season and the first sign of Ocie's recovery. The child's fever broke. She continued to improve each day. Before long, she was feeling enough better to want out of the bed. Only Bashir could convince her of the need to wait until she was stronger.

He moved back to his own lodge but still spent his days keeping her company. They played games and told stories and he even helped her make a doll from scraps of fur and strips of leather.

At the end of two cycles he let her get out of the bed to play quietly beside the fire. Gitiv had been impressed by the recovery and said so.

Bashir shook off the praise. "I don't think I really did much. It was Ocie's strength that made the difference."

He trudged through the deep snow that lined the path. Most of the time, now, he walked without the cane, although he still limped. Entering his lodge, he noticed someone had built up the fire. The room was bright and warm, in stark contrast to the cold night air. The fire pit had been cleaned out and a new fire built. He assumed Nethinim had been here.

Limping across the room to the jug of water, he noticed a flash of red on the floor next to the fire. He bent down and touched the color. It was a small amount of red sand. Nethinim must have tracked it in when he built the fire. But he didn't remember seeing red sand anywhere around the village.

Hanani stuck her head in the opening of the door. "You are busy, Resh?"

"Never too busy for you." He smiled at her as he stood up.

"I think you may be hungry." She produced a steaming bowl of stew from behind her back. "You could eat?"

"You read my mind," he laughed. "I'm starving."

He lowered himself awkwardly to the floor by the fire and accepted the bowl from her. "I just left Ocie. You wouldn't know she had ever been sick."

"Because of you. Kira tells me you are great healer in your home, much skilled."

He ate several bites before answering. "She tells me that, too."

"You do not believe her? Even after you helped Ocie?"

"I don't know what to think anymore. I still have the dreams but they are no closer now than they were in the beginning. I'm like a stranger to myself. She tells me about things that were important to me before but they mean nothing now. I can't help but wonder if they even should." He was quiet for a minute. "I'm happy here. I feel as though I belong."

"But you do not, I think. You still have shadows in your eyes. You cannot be happy until you know these things forgotten."

He smiled at her tiredly. "You are a wise woman, Hanani." The stew had an unusual aftertaste but he was too tired and hungry to pay much attention. Setting the empty bowl aside, he noticed Hanani was watching him closely.

Suddenly he was very sleepy. The warmth of the room was lulling him to sleep, he reasoned. He attempted to get up but his legs would not respond.

Through a haze of sleep he thought he heard voices but he couldn't understand their words. It almost sounded like chanting. As he lost awareness, Hanani's voice seemed to whisper in his mind. She was sorry for something but he couldn't make sense of what she was saying. A strange dream.

The sun was high in the sky when he awoke. He lay long in bed, trying to shake a strange feeling of disorientation. When he did rise, he was surprised at how tired he still was.

Hanani met him at Ocie's door. "You are well, Resh?" she asked without meeting his gaze.

"Just a little tired. I have to apologize for falling asleep last night. I suppose I was more tired than I realized."

She turned away, pretending to study a group of Sotai in the distance. "It is good for you to rest."

Ocie brightened when he entered the room. She was playing by the fire with the doll they had made together. "I can walk with Resh today?"

"Today there is much snow," Hanani answered. "Too much for walking."

Bashir sat beside the girl. "You should not go out into the snow just yet, little utan. Just because you are feeling better does not mean you are completely well. Do you have any pain today?"

"None at all." Her bottom lip jutted out in a classic pout. "I want to go out."

"Not yet. I tell you what, how about if we let some of your friends come and play with you here? You can show them your doll."

The pout was immediately replaced by a bright smile.

Bashir turned to the child's mother. "I think she is well enough to have a little company as long as she does not get too tired. She should wait another cycle before going out and then only if the sun is warm." To Ocie, he added, "Promise me you will keep warm and won't overdo it."

The girl flung her arms around his neck and kissed him before he left.

The temporary warm spell lasted for several more days, erasing all traces of snow from the valley. The Sotai took advantage of the break in weather to add to their stores of food.

Kira worked beside a group of women cleaning game brought in by the Sotai hunters. They were discussing the joining between Lene and Kirjath. Kira's attention was drawn to a hunter that deposited several large birds for the women to dress. She watched him walk away, into the woods beyond the village. When he reached the edge of trees he turned and looked back at the group before continuing on. She turned to Micha, who worked silently beside her.

"Do you know that man that just brought these birds?"

Micha looked up but the man had already disappeared. "I did not notice him. What was his look?"

Kira hesitated. "I'm not sure. There was nothing really different in the way he looked, but something about him seemed strange."

"You will show him to me if you see him again?"

Kira nodded and pushed it from her mind as she took up one of the birds and began to pull feathers from it.

Later that afternoon she saw the man again but Micha was nowhere to be found. That night a fine, misty rain began to fall. It increased in intensity throughout the night until it became a steady downpour. By dawn, the rain had changed over to a heavy snow. The snow fell throughout the day, driving the Sotai inside once again.

For four straight days the snow fell. The sun did not return for another five. Kira continued to watch for the man but did not see him again until the snow began to melt.

"He is of Rlin band. His name I do not know," Micha said in response to her query.

"There is something about him that seems out of place."

"I can ask of him," the girl offered.

It took her only a short while to come back with the information. "He is called Skal. He is said to be great hunter and warrior. In much battles with Utwai and Pmu he is brave fighter."

"He seems different from the others of his band." She didn't point out that his ears were more obviously pointed, his skin lighter. She was in no position to sound judgmental.

"He is not born Sotai. He came to Lwauk some years ago, I think."

That could explain it. The appearance of the other tribes on this world could be vastly different for all she knew.

---

Chapter 15

The winter was long and cold. When at last the days began to warm, the bands started to talk of returning to their summer encampments. Already the bands that roamed the plains beyond the fields prepared to depart. The mountain passes would be impassable for at least two more cycles. Then the remaining bands would prepare to leave.

Kira thought of Micha with sadness. She would not be returning with the girl. If all went well, she would not see Micha again once the Lwauk band departed.

Bashir had recovered almost completely. He still walked with a limp and Kira suspected he still suffered with the headaches. The wounds had healed but the scars were still visible.

On the day the plains bands left, the remaining Sotai began preparing the fields for spring planting. Kira and Bashir did what they could to help, working in the fields beside the others, though he was still weak and had to rest often.

Kira glanced at him from the corner of her eye as they walked the path back to the village. The sun had darkened his skin, making the white lines of his scars stand out in sharp contrast. His hands, once the soft, skilled hands of a surgeon, were now callused and hardened from the work of the fields.

She stepped closer to walk beside him. "You look beat."

He laughed wearily. "I feel beat."

"Do you think you might be doing too much too soon?"

"You must have been talking to Hanani." He glanced at her with a smile. "I have to start giving something back to these people. How can I sit in the sun each day while everyone else is working? Even the children do their share."

Kira hesitated. "You are really happy here, aren't you?"

He slowed his pace and frowned at her. "Why shouldn't I be? It's an ideal lifestyle and I've made some close friends."

Some closer than others, she thought but did not say.

"You have something to say?" he asked.

"Soon our friends will come for us." She let the comment hang in the air.

"They are your friends, not mine. To me, they are strangers."

"They have the technology to help you, Julian. They can fix your leg, remove your scars, even help you remember."

He took several steps before saying, "I'm not so sure I want to remember."

"You don't really mean that. I've noticed how uncomfortable you are around me and I know it's because I remind you of what you've lost. I saw you're agony when you were struggling to remember how to help Ocie."

"According to you I don't have a lot to go back for. You said yourself I don't have close friends or family, I have only my work. What kind of life is that? Was I so easily satisfied?"

He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Tell me, Kira, you said you and I weren't very close. Why is that?"

She struggled for a diplomatic answer. "We just didn't have a lot in common," she finally said.

"How would you describe me...I mean before?"

"My judgment was clouded by my own perceptions."

"You're not answering the question."

She took a deep breath. "I found you brash, arrogant, and slightly irritating--not to mention naive and immature." She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. "But that was before I got to know you. After we crashed here, we had a lot of time to talk. We learned a lot about each other. I found out I had greatly misjudged you based on my own rather narrow view of life. I think I resented you because you had--at least in my eyes--an easy life and I felt you knew nothing about true suffering." She smiled. "I think I got to know as much about myself as I did you."

He studied her for a moment before turning back toward the village. "I don't sound like a very likable person."

"You're wrong. I've found out in the last few months that I do like you and I think we have become good friends."

They walked on for several steps before Kira spoke again. "Julian, there is something that I have to tell you, even though I know you probably won't understand what I'm talking about.

"I had a dream not long ago that had me confused, but I think I understand it now. I know you don't remember, but back on the station you have a friend named Garak. He's a Cardassian."

She paused to gauge his reaction. There was none as far as she could tell. "The Cardassians and my people, the Bajorans, are enemies. I resented your friendship with Garak for obvious reasons.

"In the dream, I saw Garak. After a minute his face became mine. It didn't make sense to me at first, but now that I've had time to think about, I think I understand the symbolism.

"Garak is an outcast, exiled to the station to live among his enemies for reasons no one seems to know. Here, the Sotai took me in believing that I was an outcast. They never asked me where I was from or who my people were. They didn't even know if I was from their enemies, but they didn't judge me."

She stopped and looked at Bashir. "What I'm trying to say is I was wrong to judge your acceptance of Garak. I'm sorry." Kira could tell he did not understand what she was trying to tell him. "I just needed to get that off my chest for my own peace of mind."

They reached the village and parted. Kira followed Micha to their tent. What could be done if he decided to stay? Would Sisko or Dax be able to change his mind? They couldn't very well force him to leave, could they?

She turned and watched him limp across the common. No, they couldn't force him. Whatever decision he made had to be his own. She would just have to wait and see.

* * * * *

The next day no one went to the fields to work. Today was the joining ceremony for Lene and Kirjath. Kira helped with the preparations as best she could, though she understood little of what was going on.

The sacred fire in the Lodge of the Council was extinguished at daybreak. Shortly before the ceremony, a portion of the roof of the lodge was removed, exposing the pit to sunlight from above. Fresh branches were laid for a new fire but they were not lit. Kira watched as two women sprinkled what looked to her like red powder around the fire pit.

"It is sand from Island-in-Clouds," Micha explained. "It is only place where such sand is found. It is used in all sacred ceremonies as sign for Prophecy."

When the sun was high above, the Sotai gathered in the Lodge of the Council around the pit of the sacred fire. Lene and Kirjath stood before the pile of neatly stacked branches, holding hands. Both were dressed in clothing of a soft white skin adorned with bits of red cord and red shells.

Kira watched with interest as Hanani walked into the lodge to stand behind the pit. The priestess wore an unadorned dress of the same soft white skin. Her hair had been braided in a multitude of small braids, each one wrapped in red cord. She was unbelievably beautiful.

Kira glanced at Bashir, standing beside her. His love and pride were evident as he watched Hanani. Kira suppressed a sigh and turned back to the ceremony.

Several Sotai men moved forward to positions around the fire pit. Each carried a crude instrument of some sort. The instruments ranged from gourd rattles to bone flutes and wooden drums.

The men began a soft melody as eight Sotai girls, including Micha, stepped into the circle and began a graceful dance. The movements were slow and deliberate--as though telling a story--but Kira couldn't decipher the meaning.

The dance and music continued for a long while. Kira watched with interest. Both were very pleasant. The girls wore dresses of a soft blue. How they had dyed them, Kira couldn't guess. The dresses were adorned with cords strung with many shells. The shells made a soft clanging sound as the girls swayed and moved in time to the music.

Hanani waited until the dance had concluded, then turned to the couple and spoke a few words in Sotai. They repeated what she had said. She then turned her gaze to the crowd and spoke to them. The Sotai, as one, repeated her words, then began a soft chant.

Bashir drew in a sharp breath, catching Kira's attention. "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

He looked at her, confusion in his eyes. "I've heard this before, in a dream, I think." He shook his head and smiled at her. "I couldn't have. It must be my imagination."

As the crowd chanted, Hanani removed something from a pouch around her neck and handed it to Kirjath. The young man took the object and squatted next to the fire. Kira caught sight of the object as Kirjath held it up over his head and slowly lowered it to just a few inches over a small pile of dry leaves beside the branches of the fire. It appeared to be a round piece of polished glass. Suddenly the pile of leaves began to smoke and a flame leaped up to lick at the larger branches. Kirjath handed the glass back to Hanani and turned to Lene.

The chanting was replaced by cheers as the flames spread to the rest of the sacred fire. Kirjath reached for Lene, tenderly kissed her, and the ceremony was over.

Kira turned to speak to Bashir only to find him gone. Instead, she searched out Micha.

"It is fire glass," the girl explained in response to Kira's query. "It was first Resh's. It is used to bring sacred fire from sun. Old fire is put out and new fire is brought down from sun as sign of new beginnings."

Kira nodded in understanding. It must be a lens or prism of some sort. She would ask Hanani about it later. The priestess seemed to have disappeared for now.

* * * * *

Bashir found Hanani sitting beside the river. "I wondered where you had disappeared to."

She glanced around as he walked up beside her, and he noticed she had been crying.

He dropped awkwardly beside her because of the stiffness of his leg. Taking her chin in his hand, he turned her face toward him. "What has you so troubled?"

She forced a smile. "I think of many things. Some are sad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "There is little time left to us. We should talk of happy things."

He frowned. "What do you mean? We have plenty of time."

She turned her head before the sadness reached her eyes.

"Hanani, do you know something I don't?"

"You will be leaving soon. I have seen this."

"Seen this? You mean in your visions?"

She nodded. "You and Kira will leave Akkun soon and return to your home in heavens. I have seen it for myself."

"You're wrong, Hanani. It is true that soon others from the heavens will come for us. But only Kira will return. I have decided to remain here." He smiled. "I have much to stay for."

Hanani was silent for a long time. Finally she said, "You will go with Kira. Your place is there, in heavens. You do not belong with Sotai."

"Are you saying you don't want me to stay?"

She reached up and lightly kissed him. "I wish with all my heart for you to stay, but it is wrong. You cannot. This I have accepted."

"This I have not accepted. I, also, wish with all my heart to stay."

"It is not to be."

"What of the Prophecy?" He did not believe much in the Prophecy but he didn't mind taking advantage of her belief.

"Prophecy says Resh will bring peace to our land. This you have already started; it will continue when you are gone."

He stared at her, confused. "I don't understand."

"I cannot explain. You must trust me it is so. Think on my words, Resh. You will go. Your place is not with Sotai."

He put his arm around her and drew her close. "I will not go," he assured her.

She drew comfort from his touch but not his words. He would leave when the time came.

* * * * *

Skal stepped from the trees as Kira approached. She drew up upon seeing him. He had surprised her.

"I did not mean to startle you. I just wanted to ask you a few questions if you have some time."

Kira's eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course," she said suspiciously. Something about the man put her on guard.

Kira resumed walking, Skal falling into step beside her. "I am called Skal. I am not a Sotai, although I have lived among them for two years. I have heard their Prophecy and I find it very interesting. They tell me that you and the Resh came from the heavens. Is this true?"

Kira studied him for a moment before speaking. "You speak the sacred language very well to have only been among the Sotai for a couple of years."

"I have a gift for languages. I speak quite a few."

"It is strange that you speak it better than the Sotai, though, when it is from them that you have learned it."

The smile left Skal's face. "You are avoiding my question."

"We came from very far away."

"That is no answer."

"It's the only one I intend to give you until you explain yourself."

The two studied each other for several minutes. This Bajoran was crafty. What could he tell her? He needed information from her. "What is it you wish to know?" he finally asked.

"You can start with the truth. Where are you from?"

He considered the request. There was nothing to lose by telling her. What could she do? "You are not the only one to crash on this planet, Bajoran."

Kira gasped with realization. "You are a Romulan!"

"True, Bajoran. I have been stranded on this world for two years. At last I have hope of leaving here. I must know where your ship is."

"Our ship will be of little use to you. If it could have been repaired don't you think we would have done so already?"

"Perhaps between the two ships, your's and mine, I can get a communications system operational."

She shook her head. "We passed through a portal of some sort that completely drained all of our systems."

"How long have you been here?" The color had drained from the Romulan's face.

"I'm not sure. We crashed in late summer or early fall, I think. Why?"

"I have been here for two years, but I, also, passed through a gateway in space. My ship, too, was drained of all power."

"You think it was the same gateway?"

"But we did not pass through at the same time. It must have remained open until you came to it."

"Not necessarily." She hesitated to tell Skal what she knew, but he had been honest with her. "When we entered the gateway we were slung through time as well as space." She explained the distress signal to him, sympathizing with the pain she saw as the realization sank in.

He dropped down to the path, shaking his head. "It is no wonder that no one came looking for me."

"You know what caused the gateway, don't you?" Kira sat beside him.

He hesitated. What did it matter if this woman knew Romulan secrets? Who on this world would ever care? "Several years ago an ancient device was discovered on a dead world. It was studied by the best scientist in the Empire. They learned to activate it and discovered the gateway. They speculated it may have been an artificial wormhole, but all attempts to determine its destination failed. It was then decided to send a manned shuttle into the gateway."

"And you were 'volunteered'."

"You know Romulans well," Skal laughed bitterly. "The destination was evidently in your region of space."

"But how did we end up here?"

"Perhaps it was both ships entering the two gates at the same time that caused a malfunction of its intended purpose. I suppose we will never know." He looked at her. "Do you think your people will come?"

"I'm sure they will. I'm not certain exactly when, but I think it will be at least another month, maybe two. I'm sure they will return you to the Empire."

"By way of the Federation. It is widely known how the Federation tortures its prisoners."

"It's not true," insisted Kira. "I'm sure you would be interrogated about the device, but they don't use torture."

Skal looked unconvinced but did not argue. "What of their Resh? I have watched him. Is it true he has no memory?"

"It's true. He was badly injured in a fall. It left him with no memory."

"He will stay here I think. I have seen the way he looks at their priestess."

Kira stood up, ignoring the comment. She had noticed, also. "You will go with us when we leave?"

"I will think about it," he said, rising. "I have no wish to remain here but neither do I have a wish to be a Federation prisoner."

He turned and left her standing there, watching him. How much more complicated could it get? she asked herself.

---

Chapter 16

Most of the planting was finished when the announcement came that the mountain passes were open. The Lwauk band would be leaving in a few days. Kira received the news with sadness. She had grown very close to Micha.

They walked to the fields in silence. Micha was the first to speak."You will stay here with Resh?"

Kira nodded.

Micha took a few steps, then said, "You will be here when Lwauk return?"

Kira hesitated. Should she tell the truth? How would the Sotai react when they found out their Resh was leaving? If he even was leaving. She was beginning to have her doubts. "I can't promise I will be here when you return. I may have to leave."

"What of Resh? He will go, also?"

She lowered her eyes. "I don't know. I think he wants to remain here."

"If he is happy here, you should not be troubled by this." The girl smiled shyly. "I think he and Hanani wish to be joined."

Kira frowned. That was her impression, also. Why did it trouble her? If he was happy and wanted to stay here she should just accept it. If he remembered his past and could make the decision based on that, she could accept that. But he didn't know what he was giving up.

* * * * *

Hanani stood at the edge of the field and shielded her eyes against the sun. It took her a few minutes to find the Resh. There were many workers in the field. When he looked up she waved to him and he started toward her.

"Have you come to keep me company?" In spite of his smile, she saw that he was exhausted. The work was hard and, though he tried, it was obvious he was not used to such work.

"You are ready to stop for today? It is almost time anyway."

He glanced around the field. No one else appeared ready to stop. "It's still early. I would like to finish this row before I stop."

"Resh, you are tired. You are not yet ready for such work. Why do you push so hard?"

"I just want to do my share."

"You are only one expecting so much of you. Take short rest, at least."

He started to argue but instead shrugged his shoulders and followed her to the shade of a nearby tree.

"Sit, I will get you water."

He pulled off his shirt and used it to wipe the sweat and dirt from his face. Sitting down, he leaned back against the tree. Hanani returned and handed him the drink. When she sat beside him, he pulled her close.

"Tell me why you really came all the way out here."

She laughed. "To see you, of course. And to walk back with you."

He smiled and closed his eyes. Hanani sighed contentedly and laid her head on his chest. His heart beat strongly against her ear. After a few minutes she lifted her head and saw that he was sleeping. She backed up a little and smiled. So, he was not tired?

She watched him sleep. The scars on his chest, unlike the ones on his face, had faded. The weeks of hard work had hardened his muscles and deepened his coloring. He was very pleasing to look upon, she thought proudly.

The sun was low in the sky when he opened his eyes. She smiled and moved closer to him.

He put his arm around her and returned the smile. "I think you planned that."

"I did not make you sleep."

"You relax me too much."

"We should go back. All others have gone."

"Let's not leave just yet."

Hanani settled back next to him. She was glad to stay. She wanted every moment possible with him. Much too soon it would be over for them.

As the sun disappeared in the west, stars began to brighten in the east. They watched as more and more appeared.

"In old times," Hanani said softly, "before there came knowledge of True Spirit, Sotai prayed to gods of stars and moons."

"Many primitive cultures worship the sun and moon. I've even heard of some that offer human sacrifices to them in hope of favorable weather or good crops."

Hanani raised up and looked at him. "This you remember?"

Bashir thought. Where had he heard that? He couldn't remember, but he did know it. Were his memories coming back?

He shook his head. "It is just a vague impression of something I once knew. I don't think it is really a memory."

Hanani laid back against his shoulder. "Kira tells that your people have ways to bring back your rememberings."

For a long minute he was silent. "She tells me the same thing."

"You do not wish to remember?"

"Not if it means trading past memories for future ones."

"Could you not come back some day?"

He considered the question. It was one he had not considered before. "You seem determined that I am going to leave. I'm beginning to think you don't want me here."

"Your future is not with Sotai." She hesitated. She had never discussed her visions with anyone other than the Elders. "In visions I saw need of your people for you. You have place with them that is important."

"What did you see, Hanani?"

"I cannot explain. Visions are not sometimes clear in understanding, but you must return with Kira. It is right for you."

He was quiet for several minutes. "You could come with me."

Hanani looked up at him. "I cannot leave my people. I am of Resh-line. Sotai need me here."

He sat up and took her shoulders. "What about our needs, Hanani, yours and mine? Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave without saying anymore about it."

Tears spilled from her eyes as she looked at him. It would solve everything if she could make herself deny her love for him. Why couldn't she say the words?

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her to stop her trembling. "That's what I thought."

For a long while they sat in the darkness, drawing comfort from one another. At last Hanani drew back from his arms and stood. "We must return before others become worried of us," she said.

Reluctantly, they started up the path toward the village. They had taken no more than a few steps when Hanani suddenly froze. Before Bashir could react, she jerked hard on his arm throwing him off balance and to the ground. They rolled from the path into the darkness of the trees.

Hanani's hand pressed down on his as she whispered, "Do not make sound."

He bit back the half-formed question on his lips. For several long moments they lay on the cold ground in silence. Bashir turned to Hanani and was about to speak when suddenly he heard a whisper of sound nearby. Someone or something was moving on the path before them!

Hanani's grip on his arm tightened as they watched several shadows move away from the trees and up the path toward the village. It was impossible from their vantage point to determine how many there were.

Hanani waited until the last of the figures had gone before whispering, "It is Utwai."

Bashir strained to look up the trail after the figures. "Are you sure?" How could she tell in the darkness?

"It is Utwai. Of this I have no doubt. They come to attack."

"We have to warn the village." Bashir attempted to rise but Hanani pulled him back down.

"I have called to Elders with warning. They will be ready."

Bashir could hear the concern in her voice despite her words. "We have to do something." He thought for a moment before struggling to his feet. "You stay here."

Hanani was instantly on her feet beside him. Her voice was panicked as she grabbed his hand. "Sotai will be ready. There is no need for you to go."

"I can't stay here hiding in the trees while our friends are fighting for their lives." He pulled his knife from the scabbard she had made for him. "I need to know you are safe. Promise me you'll stay here."

He removed her hand from his and turned into the darkness of the trees, avoiding the path. He had gone no more than a few steps when he realized she was following him.

Turning back to speak to her, he was suddenly filled with a terror that threatened to paralyze him. Moving up swiftly behind Hanani was what he assumed to be a Utwai warrior. The man's hand was raised above his head and Bashir had a quick glimpse of a spear before he launched himself at Hanani. His momentum carried both of them crashing into the bushes.

From the corner of his eye, Bashir saw the spear pierce the ground where Hanani had stood just seconds before. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife as he rolled to his feet and sprang toward the man.

* * * * *

Kira huddled against the stone wall and waited. They had been warned just moments before by one of the Elders of an impending attack. The children had been ushered into the larger buildings while the warriors took up defensive positions around the village.

Kira peered into the dark line of trees trying to catch any sign of movement. How had they learned of the attack? Where had the warning come from?

Once again her thoughts turned to Bashir. Where was he? She had not seen him since early in the afternoon when he had walked off with Hanani. Had they returned to the village?

A slight movement at the edge of the trees sent a shiver of anticipation through her. Beside her she felt Jozadak tense as he prepared to leap into action. The young man had tried unsuccessfully to convince her to remain in safety with the other women. Kira had no intentions of holing up inside while a battle for survival raged out here. She was born and bred a fighter.

Suddenly, with a cry that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the Utwai were upon them and there was no time for anything but instinctive reaction.

A huge warrior lunged at her and she slashed upward with her knife. The light from the twin moons flashed on the metal blade, momentarily surprising the warrior and slowing his advance. Kira took advantage of his hesitation and stepped in closer, sinking the knife deep into his stomach and ripping hard upward. She pulled the blade free as the man sank to his knees and fell forward.

Quickly, she glanced toward Jozadak and saw the young man withdraw his own knife from one man's throat and turn to face another one. In that instant of inattention, Kira was grabbed from behind by powerful arms. She wrenched herself free and spun quickly around to face the attacker. He leapt at her, but she dropped to her knees and ducked under his reach.

His face in the moonlight was contorted with fury as he moved in again, his knife raised high. Kira rolled to her feet and side-stepped the thrust, feeling the cutting edge of the blade as it brushed her shoulder.

She held her knife low with her right hand and drove it up hard into the chest of the warrior as he tried to bring his own knife back around for another pass. She felt the blade hit home. The warrior fell atop her and she struggled to throw him off, retrieving her knife as she rolled free.

Around her the battle was hand to hand. Somewhere behind her she heard a scream...a long, agonizing scream that sent a shiver through her. One of the Sotai?

* * * * *

Bashir launched himself toward the warrior without thinking. He slashed upward with his knife and felt it graze the man's chest as he ducked under Bashir's attack and spun around.

The warrior pulled his own knife from his belt and lunged. Bashir shifted just in time to avoid the blade and swung with his left fist, catching the man in the wind as his momentum carried him past Bashir.

The blow sent the warrior to his knees, gasping for breath. Before he could recover, Bashir leaped toward him, swinging his knife around for the kill, but the warrior threw himself to the side, avoiding the blow.

Bashir hit the ground hard and rolled to his back just as the Utwai jumped atop him. The warrior grabbed his hair with one hand and jerked his head back painfully as the other hand swept down with the knife.

Bashir snatched his head hard to one side and the blade sank into the ground inches from his neck. At the same time, he swung his own blade upward and into the man's side between his ribs.

As he pulled the knife free, the man slashed downward again, slicing the length of Bashir's left arm deeply. He was momentarily stunned by the flash of pain that numbed his arm.

The warrior weakly stumbled to his feet and retreated a step, seeming to notice for the first time the wound in his side.

Bashir lunged from the ground toward the Utwai. His knife was held low and he brought it up hard, driving it to the hilt. For a brief moment their eyes met and then the warrior slid to his knees. He struggled to rise and then fell over to lay still.

Bashir stood over the body for several long minutes, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He turned and searched for Hanani. She was leaning against a tree staring down at a Utwai warrior who lay at her feet, a spear plunged deep into his chest.

"Are you all right?" he asked, pulling her close with his right arm. He noticed she was trembling.

She nodded without speaking.

"I don't think it's safe here," he said. "There could be more of them nearby. We've got to get to the village."

They had taken no more than a couple of steps when she noticed his arm. "You are hurt!" she exclaimed.

Bashir stopped and lightly fingered the wound. It was too dark to examine it but judging by the dark stain of blood it was deep.

"We don't have time to worry about it right now." He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him toward the village.

---

Chapter 17

Kira shifted her knife to her left hand and retrieved a fallen spear from the ground. She stumbled over a fallen body in the darkness and continued on. Was it a Sotai, someone she knew? She forced the thought from her mind. Such thoughts, she knew, were distracting and she couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

She dropped down behind a stack of firewood and surveyed the area before her. The Utwai had withdrawn after their initial attack but she couldn't believe it was over. They could simply be regrouping for another attack.

After a few minutes, she left the shelter of the wood pile and began working her way slowly toward the closest lodge. Halfway there, she was stopped by a soft moan. Dropping to her hands and knees, she crawled to a nearby body.

Rolling the man over, she was shocked to see it was Jozadak. The young warrior was barely conscious. A knife was buried to the hilt in his chest.

Muttering a quick apology to him, Kira grasped the handle and pulled it out. The dark green stain on his shirt front was growing at an alarming rate.

Kira swore under her breath. "Jozadak, can you hear me? I'm going to get help. Hang on."

She ran the short distance to the lodge, no longer caring if she was seen. As she reached the back wall, a dark figure stepped from the shadows and grabbed her arm. She started to swing around with her knife when she recognized the man.

"Auka," she said breathlessly. "Come quick! Jozadak is wounded!"

She turned and ran back to where she had left the warrior, not waiting to see if the old man followed. The Elder dropped to his son's side and put his ear to the boy's face, listening for his breath. After a minute, he straightened. The sadness in his face told her Jozadak was gone.

She sank back on her heels and looked around the village. There were several more bodies nearby. Were they Sotai or Utwai? In the darkness it was impossible to tell. Certainly the casualties were high on both sides.

Auka gently picked up the lifeless body of his son and headed for a nearby lodge. After a minute, Kira followed.

Inside the empty room, the Elder set Jozadak's body down and Kira covered it with a blanket. She turned to the old man, wanting to say something.

"I'm sorry, Auka. Jozadak was a great warrior." She remembered Micha's words to her when she had believed Bashir dead. "It is said that when a mighty warrior falls, another will rise up to take his place."

The Elder faced her and in the dim light she could see a faint smile tug at his lips. "You have been with us only small while, Kira, but you have learned our words well."

Auka walked to the door and looked out. All was still and quiet in the village. "Utwai have suffered much loss. They thought to come to us in surprise and were themselves surprised. I think they will not be coming back this night."

"How did you know they were going to attack?" Kira had moved up behind him.

"Hanani called to Elders with warning of Utwai coming." He stared out into the darkness. "She is there somewhere."

She detected the concern in his voice. Suddenly she remembered Bashir. Was he out there with Hanani?

"What about the Resh? Do you know if he is with Hanani?"

Auka shook his head slowly. "I do not know. It is possible they are safe in village by now. We must wait for morning light to search. We will wait here until it is certain Utwai are gone."

Kira sat against one of the walls and rested her head on her knees. How long was it until morning? She had lost track of time in the battle.

She felt a stab of pain as her thoughts returned to the young man lying dead beside her. It brought back a flood of memories from her not-so-distant past. The Cardassian occupation had left all Bajorans with bitter memories of death and destruction.

Micha would take her brother's death hard. She adored her older brother.

How many more of the Sotai had died in the battle? How many more would die before morning?

Kira sighed and closed her eyes. Her last thoughts as she nodded off were of Bashir and Hanani. Were they safe in the village? Or were they even now fighting for their very lives out there, alone, in the darkness?

* * * * *

Bashir's run slowed after a few minutes to a stumbling walk. A few minutes more and he was forced to stop altogether.

Hanani dropped beside him on the cold ground, her breathing almost as ragged as his. "You are all right, Resh?"

He returned his knife to its scabbard and gingerly touched the gash on his left arm. It was too dark to judge the severity of the wound but he assumed from his weakness that he had lost a lot of blood.

"I just need to rest for a few minutes." He wiped the blood from his right hand and reached for her.

"We should stay here," Hanani suggested. "We can do nothing to help Sotai."

Bashir hated the idea of hiding in the woods while their friends could be dying just a short distance away. But Hanani's words were logical. There was no way to move safely in the darkness. The Utwai could be hiding in the trees anywhere around them, waiting for them to move.

He sat back on his heels, his eyes alert for any movement in the darkness around them. "We'll wait here for a little while. I'll keep watch. You should get some rest, Hanani. It's a few hours yet until morning."

Hanani relieved Bashir after a couple of hours to let him rest. The stars were fading in the gray light of morning when he awoke. She moved closer to him. "You are much pale," she said softly. "You are all right?"

Bashir glanced at his arm in the dim light. The bleeding had stopped--or at least slowed--and the pain had settled to a dull ache. "It's not as bad as it looks," he assured her. "Have you seen anything?"

"All is much quiet. It is safe now to return to village, I think."

She led the way quietly through the trees, still avoiding the path. The sky grew lighter as the sun began to crest the eastern mountains. By the time they emerged from the forest, it was daylight.

Bashir was unprepared for the scene that greeted them. The bodies of the dead, Sotai and Utwai, had been gathered in the common. The numbers spoke of a long and deadly battle in the night.

Very few people were moving around in the village. Hanani spotted one of the Elders and hurried to him to ask of the battle. She accepted the news in silence, shaking her head sadly as the man listed the names of the dead. When he finished she turned and silently walked away. Bashir followed her at a distance. Hanani went to the sacred fire and knelt beside it.

Bashir stood a few steps back and watched her. She lifted her arms high over her head and spoke softly in her own language.

Two of the Elders moved up beside Bashir. After a few minutes, several more Sotai had joined them. Hanani continued the ritual, oblivious to the small crowd gathering around her.

She lowered her arms and spoke louder, the Sotai joining in the chant. When they had finished, she stood, still facing the fire. For a long time, no one moved or spoke.

Finally, Hanani turned and nodded to the closest Elder. The man picked up a nearby jar of water and extinguished the fire. Slowly the Sotai drifted away. Hanani returned to Bashir and took his hand. "We must find Gitiv and see to your wound." She led the way through the village in search of the healer.

Bashir waited until they had taken several steps before asking, "Why did you put out the sacred fire?"

"It is to honor dead. It is put out in all times of sadness for Sotai. We will wait for cycle of days to pass, then we will bring new fire from sun."

Hanani led the way into a large building, crowded with injured Sotai. A number of women moved around the room, tending the wounded.

Kira looked up as they entered the room, her relief at seeing the two evident until she caught sight of the blood on Bashir's clothing. She hurried across the room and helped him to a seat.

"What happened?" she asked as she tore the sleeve of his shirt open to reveal the injury.

Bashir looked around the crowded room. Wounded Sotai lined the floor. The less seriously injured sat along the walls. Looking back at Kira, he noticed the bandages on her shoulder, the bruises on her face. "The same thing that happened here, it looks like."

* * * * *

Long into the night Bashir lay awake. The day had been long and exhausting but his mind refused to shut down and surrender to sleep.

The Utwai had been followed to be certain they had left Sotai land. The dead had been buried, the injured treated.

Bashir rubbed his arm gingerly. He was beginning to wish he had accepted the rasht Gitiv had offered. The wound had been stitched with sinew and the pain had dulled to an aching throb, but it was still enough to keep him awake.

His thoughts returned to his conversation with Hanani earlier, before the madness of the battle. He considered her suggestion that he leave with Kira. Her words hung heavy in his heart. He wanted to deny them but he couldn't. His heart spoke one thing, his head another.

He could return, he decided. If he left, he would return. This he vowed as he finally drifted off to sleep. He would return.

* * * * *

The mountain bands prepared to leave. Most of the wounded had recovered enough to travel. The rest would stay in Akkun until they were able to join their bands.

Kira helped Micha and Lene gather the last of the family's possessions. Kira said her good-byes and thanks to the people that had taken her in when she had been alone. Lene tearfully hugged her and turned to follow her new husband.

Micha hung back after the others had gone. "You will not be here when I return, this I know. I will not see you any more after this day. You have been good friend to me. I will miss you much."

Kira took the girl's hand. "I will miss you much, also, Micha. In case I'm not here when you return, I want you to have this." She removed the knife from her belt and handed it Micha. "I won't need it where I'm going, and I know you like it."

Micha's eyes were bright with appreciation. "I will think of you each time I use it."

They hugged briefly and the girl scampered up the path after her people. Kira watched until she disappeared, then turned back to the village.

Skal was waiting for her when she arrived. Thick bandages on his chest were visible beneath his shirt. He had been severely wounded in the battle with the Utwai but had recovered amazingly fast. "I need to talk to you, Bajoran."

"I have a name, Skal." She was not in the mood for the Romulan at the moment.

Skal dipped his head. "I apologize, Kira. No offense was intended. May we talk?"

Kira led the way to a fallen tree and sat down. The Romulan sat beside her and looked at his hands.

"If I go back with you, what will be my fate?"

Kira hesitated. "I'm not really all that familiar with Federation procedure in a case like this. I imagine you would be taken to a nearby Federation starbase where you would be questioned. Eventually, you would be returned to Romulan space."

Skal considered her words. "The Rlin band will be leaving in a little while. I am undecided what to do but I will not be returning with them at this time."

After a minute, he continued. "For two years all I have thought about is leaving this world." He paused. "When I was wounded in the battle, the Elder of the Rlin pulled me to safety. He risked his life to save mine."

He looked Kira in the eye. "What do you know of the Empire, Kira?"

"Very little," she admitted.

"The reason I am here is because I was volunteered for the mission by my commanding officer. I was volunteered because I was expendable. My commander wanted the glory of the success but did not want to face the risk. So I was chosen.

"The Rlin Elder risked his life to save me. A Romulan commander would never even consider such action. The Sotai live by different rules than the Empire. Of the two, I think I prefer the Sotai way of life."

Kira nodded in understanding. "I think you have just made your decision."

Skal smiled. "I think I have. Perhaps I will be returning with the Rlin after all." He rose to leave.

"Skal," Kira stopped him, "I hope you will be happy here. I mean that."

"I think I already am." He turned to leave, but stopped as a thought hit him. "If you tell your people about me, will they make me leave?"

Kira thought about it. "I don't know. I have to tell them what you told me about the device. The Federation has to know what caused this accident."

"You could tell them that I was killed here," Skal suggested.

Kira smiled. "I could, I suppose."

He turned and walked away.

---

Chapter 18

"You were right, Benjamin," reported Lieutenant. Dax. "I'm picking up the same radiation readings that the Wyst reported here eight months ago."

"They also match the ones we found at theOrinoco's last position," O'Brien added.

Dax studied the readings. "It seems to be concentrated around the fourth planet in the system."

"If anyone has a theory, I'm listening." Commander Sisko leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

Dax turned in her seat to face him. "Evidence doesn't support a wormhole theory but something appears to have transported theOrinocoto this area."

"But what about the signal reported eight months ago?" O'Brien asked.

No one answered.

Sisko stood up. "Set a course for that planet, Chief. Let's see if we can find some answers."

* * * * *

Hanani stood paralyzed with fear. She had to force herself to move forward. This was one of the hardest things she had ever done but she knew in her heart she was right.

She stopped for a moment and thought. Was that her reason for doing this? Or was it her way of assuring he would someday return? She pushed herself to keep moving. It was the right thing to do, she told herself. Then why did she not discuss it first with the Elders?

She found Kira helping Nethinim carry seed to the fields. "I have need to talk to Kira, utan. Fetch someone to help you with seeds."

The boy hesitated only a second. Something in his sister's tone alerted him. He left without a backward glance.

"Is something wrong, Hanani?" Kira had caught her tone as well.

"There is something I must speak of with you. You will walk with me?"

Kira fell into step beside her and waited for her to speak. Finally, Hanani said, "Very soon, I know, you and Resh will leave here."

It should be soon, Kira thought. "Has Julian said anything to you? Do you know what he is planning to do?"

"He tells to me he will stay, but in my heart I know he will go."

"I understand it is hard for both of you, but his place is not here."

"This I know, but it is a knowing that brings much pain. I have told him he must go." She paused and looked at Kira. "You must know future of Sotai is first important to me."

"I understand that," Kira assured her.

"You must, so you can know why I have done this thing."

"Hanani, I think you should start at the beginning."

The girl indicated a place where they could sit. Once they were settled, she looked down at her hands and began. "Prophecy has promise of good future for all tribes, not just Sotai. Resh is of Prophecy but I know he cannot stay. I left to seek visions to tell what must be done. After much time of seeking, I received visions. They tell me what must be done. Now I must tell you."

Hanani lowered her eyes, not raising them again until she had finished the whole story. When she did she saw the horror on Kira's face. "You must not speak to Resh of this thing."

Kira had trouble finding her voice. "How can I keep this from him? He has to know."

"If you tell him he will not leave this place. That is what you want?"

"No, but--"

"He must leave here. He has important future with his people. I have seen this. He will be needed much. To know this thing and not stay will bring pain to him. To stay will bring pain to him. Both ways are wrong. He will only be haunted by such knowledge."

"Why did you tell me this?"

Hanani hesitated. "It is right for him to one day know. One day must be long day from now. You must wait for cycle of years to pass. It is important." She paused. "In my heart I think I tell you this so he will return one day. I want to know I will see him again."

Kira stared at her for a long time. Finally she stood up and walked a few steps away. "I understand what you're saying, but I don't know if I can keep a secret like this."

Hanani watched her for a minute. "Kira, I love him much. I would not make him pain if I could stop it. If you tell him this he will have much pain no matter if he goes or stays. If he stays he will not ever be all well. If he goes he will heal. That is most important."

She was right. Kira did not want to admit it, but Hanani was right. If she told him what the Sotai had done, he would never leave. And if he did, the knowledge would haunt him. Could she keep this to herself?

"Think of these things, Kira. Do not say now."

Hanani walked off leaving Kira to sort out her thoughts. She could only pray to the True Spirit that Kira would make the right decision.

* * * * *

Hanani walked to the edge of the field. There were fewer workers here since the bands had left for the mountains. It did not take her long to spot the Resh.

She stepped back into the line of trees and watched him as he worked. He had grown strong in muscle and health in the warm days of the planting season. The scars and the limp were the only indication of his injuries now, though he still favored the arm injured in the battle.

She did not know how much longer they would be here but she was certain it was only a matter of days. The planting was almost finished. There was much work for the Sotai to do in the long hot days ahead. This year, perhaps, they would bring more stones from the mountains to build additional lodges. Their number was growing with each year that passed.

Hanani sighed sadly and turned away. There was much work to do. There was no time for sorrow this day.

* * * * *

"Anything yet?" Commander Sisko sounded as impatient as he looked. He had been pacing in the small space behind the command console since they had established orbit around the planet.

"Not yet," O'Brien said calmly. He was just as impatient as the Commander but he was able to cover it with activity.

"Dax, what have you been able to get on the inhabitants?"

She indicated the monitor she had been studying. "There's not much I can add to this report from the Wyst. You can see that they are just beginning to move out of the stone age. The most concentrated area of population is on the southern continent."

O'Brien suddenly slapped the console in triumph. "I found the remains of the runabout! It apparently crashed on this continent." He indicated an area in the northern hemisphere.

"What about life signs?" Sisko leaned over his shoulder to see the readings.

"None around the runabout."

"Dax, how long has it been since theOrinocodisappeared?"

She checked the information. "Fourteen hours, thirty seven minutes."

"The terrain is mountainous in that area," O'Brien reported. "They couldn't have walked far."

Dax put into words what they were all thinking. "They may still be in the runabout."

Sisko drummed his fingers on the back of a chair. They couldn't chance using the communicators until they knew the situation. "Scan a twenty kilometer radius, Chief. Dax and I are going to beam down and check the wreckage. Let me know as soon as you find anything."

The two Starfleet officers materialized beside the crashed remains of the runabout a few minutes later. Sisko studied the area surrounding the ship while Dax activated her tricorder and began scanning.

"Well," Sisko observed, kneeling beside the remains of an old campfire, "at least we know they survived the crash."

Dax looked up, her forehead wrinkled in thought. "Benjamin, I'm getting some really strange readings."

Sisko walked back to her side. "What is it, old man?"

"This runabout has been here a lot longer than fourteen hours. There are signs of deterioration in several of the areas of the hull damaged by the crash; signs that should only show up after several months of exposure to the elements."

"Could there be something in the environment that would accelerate the deterioration?"

"If there is, it's not registering on my scan."

"Let's check inside." Sisko led the way up a make-shift step someone had placed by the hatch and forced the door open.

The inside of the runabout was in worse shape than the outside. Wiring had been stripped from every exposed circuit. Wall panels and deck plating had been removed in large sections and were now stacked neatly on the floor.

"Do you suppose they did all of this themselves?" Dax asked.

Sisko ran his hand over one of the panels that had two gaping holes burned in it. "A better question than that would be why?"

The beep of his communicator interrupted their inspection. "Go ahead, Chief."

"I've run the scan twice and I still can't locate either of them, Commander, but I did find something interesting. About twenty kilometers south of your location is a Romulan shuttle. It appears to have crashed also."

Sisko glanced at Dax as he asked, "Any life signs, Chief?"

"No, sir. Not within a twenty kilometer radius."

"I guess we should check it out. Beam us over there."

A quick inspection of the Romulan ship revealed no new clues. The ship showed even more signs of deterioration than the runabout. Dax speculated it had been there at least a couple of years, perhaps even longer.

Sisko took a last look around the shuttle. "Beam us up, Chief."

Dax slid into her seat as soon as they materialized. "Benjamin, I think we should widen the search area."

"You have a theory, old man?"

She turned to face Sisko. "It's not very pleasant," she warned.

"I'm listening."

"Look at what we have so far. TheOrinocoapparently sent a distress signal from this star system eight months ago. The same ship crashed on this planet supposedly only fourteen hours ago but shows signs of having been here for much longer than that."

O'Brien drew in a sharp breath. "You're saying that somehow theOrinocowas transported not only through space to this system but also through time?"

"It's the only logical explanation."

"That would mean Kira and Bashir have been stranded on this planet for eight months." Sisko was having trouble grasping that implication.

"There's only one way to know for sure," Dax said. "We have to find them."

"Initiate a search pattern in a widening circle across the continent."

It wasn't long before O'Brien announced, "I've located their communicators, Commander, but they aren't wearing them. The signal is coming from the middle of a small concentration of lifesigns...a small city or village."

Dax adjusted the sensors. "I've got them, Benjamin," she said with a smile of triumph. "Both of them. They are together but they are not alone."

"Which means we can't just beam them up. And since they aren't wearing their communicators we can't contact them."

"We can't very well beam down in the middle of a village," said O'Brien. "That doesn't leave us with a lot of options."

"I don't see what other choice we have," Sisko said. "Continue scanning until dark. If one of them hasn't moved off alone by then we'll have to go down and see what the situation is."

It was several hours before the continent reached nightfall. Still, neither Kira nor Bashir had gone far enough from the village to be safely transported from the surface.

Sisko stepped beside Dax and spoke to O'Brien. "Choose a spot far enough away from the village that we won't run into any unexpected company."

O'Brien entered the coordinates into the computer and turned back to the Commander. "I'm setting you down about a quarter kilometer to the south of the village. There are no life signs in the area."

Sisko nodded as the beam caught him. They materialized in almost total darkness. After a minute their eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight and they started off through the trees toward the village.

* * * * *

Kira rolled the stones, laughing as she removed her last peg from the stick. "That's three in a row, Nethinim."

The boy frowned and made a face. "I made much mistake teaching you chkin."

"You are just a sore loser," Bashir chided from across the room. He was splitting his attention between the game and Hanani, who was making something he had yet to identify.

"Show me what you have so far," he begged her.

She threw a mock scowl in his direction. "Four times you have said 'show me' and four times I tell you 'no'. Why you cannot take my answer? I will show you when it is finished."

He laughed and leaned over to kiss away the scowl. "You have a lot of nerve to call me stubborn, utan."

Kira watched them with a pang of sorrow. They were so happy. Once more Kira considered her decision to keep Hanani's secret. Was it the right thing to do? And for whom?

The girl's reasoning was impeccably logical. Kira could not argue with it no matter what her heart said. She smiled slightly as she wondered what the Federation's Prime Directive would make of this situation.

"You will play once more?" Nethinim asked.

Kira shook her head to clear away the thoughts. "I will beat you one more time, then I will have to turn in."

"This time you will not beat me, I think. I am ready for serious game now."

Kira kept her word and beat the boy one more time before saying good-night. She walked through the moonlight to the dwelling she had been given when the bands left. She was almost there when a rustle of movement at the edge of trees caught her attention. She watched for several minutes without seeing it again. Deciding it was an animal, she continued on. As she reached to pull back the hide door covering, she was startled by a voice at her ear.

"Don't be alarmed, Major."

She spun around, instantly recognizing the voice. "Commander!" Glancing behind him she added, "Dax! You really are here!"

"Where is Bashir?" Sisko asked. "If you can get him here without anyone seeing you, we can beam out of here."

Kira's enthusiasm quickly faded. "It's not that simple, Commander. We need to talk." She pulled back the covering and led the way into the darkened room. In moments, she had a fire going.

"If you or the doctor had been wearing your communicator this would have been a lot simpler." Sisko's eyes moved around the small room, taking in the details.

Kira reached under a folded blanket and pulled out her comm badge. "I intended to start carrying it, but I figured you wouldn't be here for at least another month."

"How long have you been here, Major?"

"About ten of this planet's months, which, I figure is about eight months in standard time. But surely you have figured that out by now."

"We were only just beginning to suspect that time travel might have played a part in your disappearance."

"Where is Julian? Is he all right?" Dax interrupted.

"Julian is fine. He's not far from here. But there are some problems." She spread a blanket on the floor beside the fire and indicated they should sit. "We've lived with the Sotai for a long time now. These people have been very good to us. We would not have survived if they had not taken us in."

"I understand," Sisko said. "You have made friends and you need time to say good-bye."

"It's more complicated than that." She paused, unsure what to say. "Not long after we crashed, there was an accident and Julian and I were separated. I thought he had been killed. He survived and was taken in here, but he was severely injured. He's still not completely recovered."

She stopped and looked Sisko in the eye. "Commander, he had a serious head injury. It left him with no memory."

"He has amnesia?" Dax asked worriedly.

"He doesn't remember anything before coming to this village."

They were silent for a moment. Sisko finally asked, "How does that complicate the situation?"

"I've told Julian what I could about who he is and where we come from, but this is the only life he remembers. He has gotten close to some of the Sotai and he's happy here."

"Are you saying he doesn't want to leave?" Sisko was incredulous.

"I'm not sure, but he might not."

"Staying here is not an option."

"Benjamin, you can't force him to leave if he doesn't want to go," Dax said.

"I can't let him make a decision like this with no knowledge of what he's giving up." Sisko rose. "I think it's time I talk to him, Major."

"It would be better to wait until morning, Commander." She hesitated. "He's not alone."

Sisko was obviously not pleased with the wait but he nodded. "Very well. I'll wait." He glanced around the room once more before turning back to Kira. "While we were searching for the two of you we found the remains of a Romulan shuttle. Do you know anything about that?"

Kira quickly explained about the device and the gateway that had brought them here. She carefully avoided mentioning the whereabouts of Skal, but the question was not to be evaded.

"What happened to the Romulan pilot?" Sisko asked.

Kira hesitated only slightly. "The Romulan that crashed on this planet is no longer alive." It wasn't exactly a lie, she reasoned.

Sisko's eyes narrowed at her choice of words. He studied her for several minutes before asking, "Is there something you are not telling us, Major?"

Kira met his gaze confidently. "I can truthfully say, Commander, there are no longer any Romulans on this planet."

Sisko studied her a minute longer. "Is it safe to return here or should we meet away from the village?"

"Wait here for a minute." Kira disappeared out the door, returning shortly with a bundle. Handing it to Sisko, she said, "If you wear these it will be safe to return here. The Sotai know there will be people coming for us."

Kira laid awake in the dark long after they had beamed away and was awake long before the sun began to light the sky. This was the day she had both dreaded and anticipated for months. This was the day she would finally be heading home, but it was also the day Julian would have to make perhaps the hardest decision of his life.

---

Chapter 19

Shortly after daybreak, Sisko and Dax beamed into Kira's lodge. She met them with amusement. The Commander appeared decidedly uncomfortable in the local clothing, whereas Dax looked completely at ease.

The Trill had released her hair from its customary ponytail at the back of her neck to fall loosely around her face. It effectively concealed the skin markings that were a trait of her race.

"I haven't told anyone yet that you have arrived. I may have to make a few explanations, but it won't be a problem." She paused. "I haven't seen Julian yet. I wouldn't expect a warm welcome if I were you."

She led the way from the dwelling into the village common. A number of people moved about the village preparing their morning meals. Soon they would be heading into the fields to work. Many raised their heads in open curiosity as the trio passed but said nothing.

After a minute, Kira stopped. "There he is."

Sisko looked where she pointed. Bashir was sitting with a young child on his lap, laughing at something she said. Even from this distance he could see the scars across the side of his face.

"He and Ocie are very close," Kira explained. "Julian saved her life several months ago. She adores him."

The doctor looked up suddenly and spotted them. The smile quickly faded from his face and he said something to the girl. She argued for a minute and then hopped down and ran off.

Bashir stood up and limped across the distance that separated them. "I guess I don't have to ask who you are. Kira described you both very accurately."

Dax suppressed a sigh of dismay. It was like looking into the face of a stranger.

Sisko cleared his throat. "We need to talk, Julian."

A young boy walked up beside Bashir and looked over the group. "Something is wrong, Resh?"

"No, Nethinim," Kira said. "It's all right. These are friends."

Bashir turned to the boy. "Go and fetch Hanani, Nethinim. Tell her I need to see her."

The boy hesitated briefly, then hurried off to find his sister.

The group had drawn a great deal of attention from the villagers. "Is there someplace more private we can go?" asked Sisko.

Bashir wordlessly led the way into his lodge. He removed the covering from the door to let in the sunlight and indicated they should sit.

"How come no one looks happy?" he asked. He turned to Kira. "Isn't this what we've been waiting for all these months?"

"It's what I've been waiting for, Julian. I'm not so sure you have."

He didn't answer for a minute. Then he turned to Sisko. "I suppose Kira has told you about me."

"She's told us you have no memory, if that's what you mean. She's also said that you may not want to return with us."

"He will return."

The group looked up as one. Hanani entered the room and walked to Bashir's side. "Resh will go," she repeated.

Bashir took her hand and pulled her down beside him. Sisko noticed how tightly he held on to her. Bashir looked into her eyes for a moment. "I will go," he said at last.

He looked at Sisko, the pain of his words obvious in his eyes. "How long do I have?"

"There's no hurry." Sisko stood. "I understand that you have things to attend to."

Nethinim stopped Kira as she, Dax and Sisko left the dwelling. "He will leave?"

Kira nodded. "He has to go, Nethinim. I know you can't understand that but it's right for him."

The boy turned dejectedly and walked away.

Sisko turned to Kira as she led the way through the village. "He already had his mind made up to leave."

"I think so. Hanani is convinced that he cannot remain with them. I suppose she finally got through to him."

"Hanani is the girl we just saw?" Dax asked. "She and Julian are close."

"They're in love." Kira paused. "She's the spiritual leader of the Sotai, a priestess of sorts. They're convinced that Bashir is the answer to a prophecy they have about a man coming from the stars to help them."

"If they believe that," Dax asked, "then why did she talk him into leaving?"

"She says she saw it in a vision. She knows that he belongs with his own people."

"She must be very brave," Dax observed.

"You have no idea," Kira whispered.

As they walked from the village to the edge of the river, Kira filled them in on the details of the Prophecy and all that had happened in the past months. When she finished they sat in silence for a short while.

Finally, Sisko said, "It's very peaceful here."

"They have an almost perfect life."

Dax tossed a small stone into the water. "I can sympathize with Julian's dilemma."

"This is the only life he remembers," Kira explained. "He has no idea what he's going back to."

"I'm sure that once he gets his memory back," Sisko said, "he'll be all right."

Kira wasn't convinced, but she said, "I hope you're right."

* * * * *

"I may not remember my past," Bashir said as he and Hanani walked through the trees, "but I know this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do."

Hanani took his hand and tried to force a smile. It would not come.

"I will return, Hanani, this I vow before your True Spirit." He stopped and took her face between his hands. "When I leave, I will leave a part of my heart here with you."

She reached up and kissed him lightly. Then, taking a small pouch on a leather cord from around her neck, she placed it around his own.

"What's this?" he asked.

"My heart. Take it with you. When you look on it you will remember our time."

He opened the pouch and removed a small charm. It was a circle of intricately woven strands of hair.

"It is thing you were impatient to see. My people once had superstition of charm made from hair. It is said to bind together two hearts while it is worn."

He put his arms around her and drew her close. "In that case, I will always wear it and when I look on it, I will remember who holds my heart in her hands."

At last, Hanani pulled reluctantly from the embrace. "Your friends wish to return to their home and you must yet say good-bye to Ocie."

They walked silently back to the village. His friends were waiting when they arrived. Bashir walked past where they were standing to where Ocie was playing with her friends.

"Do you want to walk with me, Ocie?"

The child's face brightened. Taking her hand he led the way down the path between the lodges. He waited until they were beyond everyone's hearing before he spoke.

"Ocie, I have to go away."

She looked up at him with troubled eyes. "Your friends come to take you away?"

"They are going to take me back to my village. Do you remember how we talked about my memories going away and not coming back?" He waited until the girl nodded before continuing. "My friends can help me find those memories. Ocie, I really need to find them. I cannot get well until I do."

When he glanced down at the child, he saw that she was she was trying hard not to cry. He stopped and bent down to pick her up. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"You will come back?" she whispered into his neck.

"I will come back, Ocie, I promise. I can't say when, but I will come back." He pulled her back to look into her face. "And you know what? When I do, I'll probably have to stand in line with all the young men to get a walk with you. I think I will be very jealous."

He set the girl down. "Take care of yourself, little utan. And no more gathering stones in the rain. Promise?"

She smiled up at him. "I promise."

"Good girl." He gave her one last hug and sent her back to play with her friends. Turning, he saw Nethinim waiting patiently nearby.

"I was about to come looking for you," he told the boy.

Nethinim looked down at the ground. "I do not know how to say good-bye to you."

"There is no easy way to say good-bye to friends. I'm learning that today."

"I would wish that I have something to give to you."

"You already have, Nethinim. When I came here, I didn't have anything. I had no friends, no family, not even memories. You became my friend, then you became my family. I don't know if I have a brother, but if I do, I'm sure he's no closer to me than you are." He started back toward the waiting group, Nethinim falling into step beside him. "Besides, I was hoping you would let me take the walking stick you carved."

The boy's face brightened. "I will fetch it, Resh." He ran off to get the stick.

Hanani met Bashir half-way back to the group. "All is well?"

"Not with my heart." He took her hand and laid something there, closing her fingers around it. "Don't open your hand just yet. I don't think Commander Sisko would approve of my leaving that with you. It's the symbol of my tribe that I had when you found me. Kira tells me that my people use it to call to one another. Keep it close to you and someday I will use it to call to you."

By the time they reached the group, Nethinim had returned with the walking stick. Bashir took the stick and hugged the boy briefly. He turned to Hanani, finding it difficult to control the tears.

Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "I love you."

She smiled up at him. "This I know. I will know it always." She took a step back. "You must go now." For a long moment she looked deeply into his eyes. Then, she turned and walked away, knowing it was the only way he would be able to go.

Hanani walked to the river and waited until she knew he had departed. She then returned to the village and knelt beside the sacred fire. After a long moment of silence, she extinguished the flames and reached out with her mind to touch his. She smiled through her tears as she felt the warmth of his thoughts reach back to her.

"I love you, also, Resh."

---

Chapter 20

Kira picked up the tray and worked her way carefully through the crowded replimat to where Dax waited for her. She dropped into the empty seat with an audible sigh of relief.

"You would think that after a month I would be used to crowds again."

Dax looked at her in amusement. "At least you aren't having to eat frogs and rats here. You know, there is one question that's really bothering me. On your next birthday, how old will you really be?"

Kira threw her napkin at her friend. "Thanks a lot, Jadzia. Every time I think I have this whole time travel thing worked out, you say something like that."

Dax laughed and took several bites of her lunch before continuing. "I went down this morning to check with Chief O'Brien on theOrinoco's repairs."

Kira looked up at her friend. "I can just imagine what he had to say. I ran in to him yesterday on the Promenade. I think he's taking what we did to theOrinocopersonally."

After a minute, Kira asked, "Have you heard anything from Julian?"

"Benjamin received a communique this morning from Starfleet headquarters. He'll be leaving Earth in a couple of days for two weeks on Canopus with his father. He should be back here by the end of the month."

"How is he?"

"According to the medical report, his recovery was complete. Considering what he went through, that is a miracle."

"I've learned to believe in miracles."

Dax set down her fork and looked at her friend. "Kira, is something wrong? You've seemed to have something on your mind for the past several weeks. Did something happen back there that you haven't told me?"

Kira studied the bite of food on the end of her fork. "I've told you everything I can." She looked up suddenly with a smile. "Ask me that question again in about a cycle of years. I just might have a different answer by then."

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EPILOGUE

Gitiv set the bundle in Hanani's arms and quietly slipped from the room.

Hanani pulled back the soft fur, revealing a tiny pink face. She stroked the face and spoke quietly.

"You will be a mighty leader, little Resh. You are come from Prophecy that Sotai and Utwai and Pmu and all tribes of this land can live in peace."

She kissed the utan tenderly on the forehead. "You will learn of your father, little Resh, who came to us from heavens just as first Resh did in time of our grandfather's grandfather. You will sing songs at the fires of cold times, songs of mighty healer and warrior who was your father."

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