Two Become One Once More
Posted on Thu Jan 14th, 2021 @ 3:39pm by Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Mission:
Healing of Minds
Location: Bajoran Village
Timeline: Current
Showered and fed, Remal skipped out on a final prayer session with the brothers and returned to his hut where he began gathering what little he brought. His personal clothes had been cleaned, pressed and folded and were sitting neatly on his bed for him. It was enough for him to question if they knew he was about to leave or if it was coincidence.
Either way he threw off the dressing the Brotherhood had provided, possibly for the last time in his life. Then took little time returning to his civilian garments. Outside the sun was setting, the light in the valley already growing darker by the minute. He knew the lamplighters would be around soon if they had not started already.
He lofted his bag upon his shoulder, bid farewell to the small uncomfortable bed and left the small hut in search of his love.
She had spent the better part of the day and previous night writing, her fingers and hands ached for relief yet her mind refused to quieten. There was too much to say, too much to feel and too much to empty before she could take a break. The soup was replaced at regular intervals, as was the tea, sustaining her body whilst the mind processed many things.
As the day wore on towards evening her head grew closer to the table, seemingly unable to hold up its own weight any longer. She refused to yield to it, propping it up on one hand whilst she wrote with the other. A stopgap measure to be sure but one she felt she needed to employ. To sleep would be to lose the experience in its rawness, to lose the interpretations her mind was drawing. Slowly it inched closer and closer to the polished but yet still rustic timber surface until gravity rose victorious and the soft noises of slumber could be heard.
Under the cover of twilight he crept along the laden path until he spotted the first of two lamplighters, "Brie. Nothing changes but remains the same." He whispered quietly to himself. "That means Swiss should be close by." After years of being a mischief making young boy, he had the routes and patterns memorized, tucked neatly away in the recesses of his mind.
Leaving the path, he darted into the thicker underbrush and trees in the direction of the temple. Barley had said she was in quiet contemplation which could only mean she was in contact with one of the Orbs. And by association probably in the chamber of prophetic texts.
The Brotherhood loved to have Orb experiences documented. As he slipped off into the darkness he marveled at how few and far between Orb experiences are. Not everyone in privy to the experience. Yet he and Rhenora had now had several between them. It was no wonder the Brotherhood took interest in them, they were a miracle to behold. Second only to the Emissary.
Someday he would have to ask why they were so special, but for now he heard a noise coming through the window. And there was a faint but recognizable scent on the air. One only he could know and recognize with ease. The sleeping odor of his bride.
He paused just outside the temple for a moment as movement inside alerted his senses. Then a female monk he called Love exited with an empty bowl of soup and a cup of something Remal suspected was tea. He had truly followed his 'Love' and found what he was looking for.
Once she was out of sight, he moved into the temple. It was empty, the sconces lit. The floor creaked under his weight as he snuck into the Chamber where his love had fallen asleep. She was gently snoring and a small puddle of saliva was forming on the desk beneath her. He walked up, smile on his face, and laid his gentle hands upon her back. "Hey you."
"Who what?" She startled, instantly awake and ready for action. Some traits remained with you for life no matter how technological and civilised your life had become. She looked around and blinked the fog from her tired mind. "Remal?" She whispered, not wanting to draw attention to the room.
He knelt down so the light could illuminate his features better. "They've really done a number on you haven't they?" He reached up and brushed the hair from her face to behind her ear. In the same motion he stopped at her ear long enough to feel her pagh. It was worn but still full of the fire he fell in love with.
"Nothing that seeing your face and hearing your voice can't remedy" she admitted, leaning into his touch. Was it really him or was he another figment of her somewhat traumatised mind? She opted for a more positive approach.
"I have missed you, so so much" she admitted, looking deeply into his eyes as though to gauge what the Brotherhood had inflicted on him over the last few days. She prayed things had been easier on him.
"And I have missed you. I take it the Brotherhood have put you through a wringer, testing you with lessons and such. Have you learned what you came here to learn?" He was generally concerned that with his epiphany and desire to leave would she feel the same or would she feel there was more to derive from the lessons and the Orb.
She considered his words, she had learnt lessons, or more the Brotherhood and by proxy the Prophets had been trying to teach her things by forcing experiences on her. Whilst she could admit that she had ‘learned’ a few things about herself, her overpowering need to control everything, her inability to just go on faith and the need to trust herself and the Prophets. Nothing like a few days of hard labour, little to no sleep and bad food to really make one reevaluate their life.
“ I have learned things, many things, but things that I already knew if that makes sense.” She replied, wondering if this was still part of a dream. Surely Remal wouldn’t be here if he was still with the Brotherhood. Unless he’d completed his learning and had come to find her.
“ Have you completed your tasks? Did you find your answers?” She asked.
"Call it an epiphany of sorts. I can't quite describe how I feel about it yet but I dont think ive been this sure about my faith, well in my whole life actually. Not only do I feel lighter but I feel free." He gripped her hands tightly, "My only worry is that we are aligned with one another or this has been all for nothing."
“ You are my everything. You come first, before duty, before the Prophets, before everything” Rhenora implored to him, knowing the Prophets wouldn’t be happy with it. Despite her recent reconnection with her faith, Remal was her rock, he kept her grounded, he kept her sane. The same couldn’t be said for the Prophets.
He touched his forehead to hers, held it there for a moment and whispered, “As are you.” They had managed to come to the same crossroads and had found a well made path that each were to walk together. They belonged to one another, walking this path together. As he backed away he asked, “What say we ditch this lollipop stand?”
"Gladly, what I wouldn't give for coffee, a good night's sleep, and shoes" she grumbled as she stood, her legs protesting from the abuse over the last few days.
"My things are back with the Brotherhood, we can contact the Liberty once I have my communicator" she offered.
He helped her to her feet and pulled her into a quick embrace. “If they're listening, otherwise we may have to take the stairs. And you don’t look like you could handle a trip down the stairs.” He looked at ther from top to bottom, they had really worn her down. They once told him, ‘to build yourself up, you must first be brought down.’
He took her by the hand, “Come, this way. We can pass through the main temple grounds undetected.”
"I trust you know where you're going" she followed him blindly, trusting he knew these places better than she did. At least bare feet didn't make much sound.
He led hear easily out of the document room, the smell of old texts still lingering feet beyond the doorway before sadly dissipating. They would pass across the grounds in front of the main temple area, then behind the sanctuary chamber where the Orb resided and the Brotherhood held their seances. He gathered her hut was one of the three guest huts on the Eastern side, nearest to the staircase and they would find her garments there.
As the lamplighters had already been to this side of the village, there would not be anyone out and about, save a stray monk who was finishing his daily chores, fishing or tending the moon flowers and such. Since the occupation there wasn’t much need for a standing guard.
She followed silently, masking the slightest sound in order to avoid detection. Hopefully her clothes and communicator would still be there. If not they would have to take the stairs back to the transport hub and walk the rest of the way. Not ideal.
Her clothing was retrieved and she took a moment to dress and slip her boots on, a blessing for her tortured bare feet. The communicator was affixed to her uniform and whilst they could have beamed out right there and then she felt as though there was one final piece of unfinished business. She wanted to ask the Prophets one question - why them? Why had they taken a shining to an ordinary Bajoran just trying to lead ordinary lives and do good in the universe?
“ Wait” She said quietly, putting a hand on Remal’s shoulder to halt his progress.
He paused, head on a swivel as though "the enemy were watching them. "What is it? What's wrong" when she didn't answer right away he turned and looked into her distant eyes. Her mind was elsewhere and he could sense it. "You need to go back don't you?"
She nodded, tears almost brimming in her eyes as she looked at her husband.
She was hurting and therefore nothing else mattered. He checked that the landscape behind them was clear then nodded, "Then we go back." They were not too far from the main temple but he felt time was of the essence. "Im glad you didn't wait until we were the bottom of the stairs." He said just to lighten the tone.
"So am I" she retorted, my legs wouldn't have made it. Let's just see the food has been less than appealing" she tucked in behind him before continuing “ I need to speak to the Prophets - I have questions only they can answer” the words were almost a statement. They would answer her questions or they would lose her faith forever. The last few days had been brutal in all aspects, any diety that inflicted that on their subjects was undeserving of such love and devotion.
"I'm not sure they even know what hasperat is. But you have to admit the cabbage and carrot stew is to die for." He jested. "The temple entrance is just up ahead."
"You got carrot and cabbage? I just sifted dirty water that tastes like your socks" she snorted, keeping her voice low.
"I wonder if they know Anna personally?" He sensed movement. "Shhh. I will scout ahead and let you know if the path is clear. Just don't leave me, okay?" He had her and he wasn't about to lose her, a mindset that was about to be tested.
She nodded and let him go forward, holding back until he signalled the coast was clear and ready.
The temple was, how you would say, gaudy, at least to Remal. It served of course as a shrine to the Orb, a so-called Tear of the Prophets. The space also served as a congregation hall where monks could gather and pray to the Prophets directly. Sconces lit well into the night, illuminated the shiny surfaces inlaid with gold and brass and the floor freshly cleaned. The ornate carved wood told a story over a thousand years in the making.
The large room was empty, the Orb on display in its wooden cask, in an area two steps higher as if on stage for all to witness. He listened for footsteps for a held breath. When there were none he turned and gave a light whistle like he would do in the resistance. On any other occasion here he would not be trying to sneak around, but he sensed the Brotherhood were trying to keep them there against their will.
Rhenora slipped forward, her footfalls silent on the stone underneath. Booted or not she still knew how to move without sound. She fell in behind him, pressing herself against the wall and waiting for his movement to continue.
He felt her slide in behind him and pointed at the Orb. "There it is. You sure you want to do this?" He asked with utmost concern for her mental and physical state. "I know you must be weary." He took her hand as encouragement.
"I won't be able to rest until we get this done. We can't move forward until we confront them" she whispered, determination evident in her voice. They could rest later, for now, they fight for what they believe in.
"Alright. You go, I will follow when I'm sure it's safe and make sure no one interferes" He gave an encouraging grin and a quick peck on the lips. "Show those Prophets who Kaylen Rhenora really is."
She smiled at his confidence, adding it to the own she had stashed deep inside. She was tired of being rebuked, of being played like a puppet. She turned and headed into the orb chamber, vanishing into the shadows.
TBC
