Page 45 of Sway’s Peace (Delivery Service #2)

A soft whistle caught his ear and Sway turned forward again. Vweet was looking back at them as he stepped off the moving steps, his polite smile back in place.

“This way,” he whistled, gesturing forward.

“That way,” Sway repeated in Standard for the sake of the others.

Though this entire colony was apparently dedicated to the goal of finding and rescuing lost and abducted people, this building was clearly the headquarters of that effort.

People who worked here needed homes and food and amenities, and as such, living quarters and markets and restaurants and businesses cropped up around it creating the city of the Song, but this was where the actual purpose was carried out.

Here, at last, Sway saw the domini bodyguards.

They were all wearing camocloth, turning them and their skin the same off white as the stone.

To that end, they blended in very well. But Sway – and Tanin – spotted them immediately around the brightly colored farasie that otherwise filled the rooms that they passed.

It was a full-blown operation. There were a lot of holodisplays filled with information on planets, organizations, missing persons, rows and rows and rows of data.

Serious faced males with lowered crests and frowning females scowling at tablets.

There was a lot of movement, a lot of musical voices strained with tension, but no less beautiful for the new layer of disquiet.

Vweet took them through the halls, up to a lift that raised them to the highest office.

It was a wide, brightly lit room, part office, part garden.

One wall was only a massive display screen, with a great deal of information across it, including some of the things Sway saw below.

The screen was framed by large trees with large, bright green fronds.

Pink and yellow flowers were spilling out of pots placed randomly while, in the center, a shallow pond tinkled with delicate arches of water spraying over the surface, obscuring the shining, red scales of the fish swimming within.

The furthest window was huge, giving an unparalleled view over the entire Song as well as the glittering bay. From here, the musical sounds of the colony floated up like the softest of background music. It was idyllic, bright and beautiful.

And standing in front of the window, speaking a language Sway didn’t understand into a combot, stood a male just about his height with feathers as blue as his own.

But his tail was partially open, his crest halfway risen.

He stood with pride in a long skirt that completely covered his legs, the pattern a geometric grid of diamonds in a variety of yellow shades.

Sway hadn’t seen him in decades. So long, his face was merely a blurry memory. He couldn’t recall the sound of his voice, the way he moved, the way he smelled. Nothing.

Until he turned, hearing them approach, and smiled, and it all came rushing back.

The dizzying ache of it made it suddenly hard to breathe.

If it hadn’t been for the warmth of Grace’s hand in his, the way she gently pulled him forward, he might not have had the resolve to continue.

But she did, and he drew his strength from her as he kept his expression impassive, his usual, faint smile on his face.

Though it was hard to keep up as the male before him wrapped up his conversation.

Right. That was how his father looked. A bit older now, the delicate skin around his eyes heavier, but otherwise time had been kind to him.

That was how his father sounded. Like Vweet, there was an inherent musical tone to his voice, even as he was speaking in another language. His tone was a rich, humming tenor. So familiar, it hurt Sway to hear.

And he was smiling.

At Vweet.

Veesway ended his comm and spoke, in a whistle, to Vweet. “Thank you for bringing them. Any problems?”

Vweet lowered his head and crest to him respectfully before answering. “The crew has dispersed in the Song. All but the 108. He remains with these two. The gray one is their captain. Tanin. The lost one is Sway.”

Tanin’s name, in their language, was an abrupt and harsh shift from their musical whistles to a spoken voice. It was very obvious that they named him.

But then they said Sway’s name. They whistled it the proper way it was meant to be pronounced, and it was absolutely unrecognizable. Even to Sway. That was how his name was supposed to sound, but it was never how he had been addressed.

“And the females?” Veesway looked at them.

“They appear to be connected to the males.” Vweet came to his side and turned, the two of them looking at the group of five.

Sway softly translated what was being said to Tanin, though the others were listening in as well. It was important, for their safety, that Tanin know what was going on. Even if it was something as innocuous as introductions in another language.

Switching to Standard, Vweet said, “Guests, it is my honor to present the first of our Song. This is Veesway.”

He whistled his name. The proper way it was meant to be heard. A way that, Sway knew, none of his comrades would be able to replicate.

“That is Veesway,” he said, turning the delicate whistle into proper consonants and vowels, making it easier for them.

“You must be the lost one,” Veesway said, still whistling as he approaching with a broad smile, his crest rising as he came close.

Like Vweet, he put his hands on his shoulders.

“Welcome back to us. It is no easy task to keep yourself whole in this harsh cosmos. You should be proud for maintaining your dignity as a farasie this whole time. Thank you for returning and…” He paused, cocking his head as his black eyes moved over him. “Have we met before?”

Sway didn’t answer. His heart was clenching painfully in his chest. He didn’t know what to say. If he should just blurt the truth. If he should pretend to deny it. If he should say yes and see if Veesway could figure it out himself.

Grace squeezed his fingers. Very gently. Breaking him from his hesitancy. He looked at her and gave her a grateful smile.

“He’s greeting me,” he translated for her, because that was far easier to do. “Like the others did before.”

She chuckled. “They must all be very happy to see you.” Then, to his eternal gratitude, she did exactly as he asked.

She got in the way, stepping forward, putting herself between them and speaking to Veesway, using that same polite, chipper, customer service voice she’d initially had when they first met.

“Well met, Veesway. I’m Grace. That is, of course, Captain Tanin, and his mate Garnet.

And behind us is a friend of ours, Loyalty.

Thank you so much for welcoming us into your Song. ”

Veesway released Sway and, like Vweet, his expression settled from ecstatic delight at seeing him into one of calmer kindness.

“Well met, Grace,” he responded, finally speaking in Standard. “You and your crew are welcome here. So long as you keep to our rules, of course.”

“Oh, I’m not-”

“Thank you,” Tanin said, interjecting with casual authority before she could deny being part of their crew.

Sway was grateful for that. He was already having a hard enough time greeting these memories from his past. He didn’t think he could handle his present fragmenting at all, even just in distinction of their positions.

“We have your delivery ready. We just need to confirm payment, and I’ll return to get it.

Sway and the others will be staying in the meantime. ”

“Of course. He is most welcome.” Veesway gave him another smile. “I’ll have a room at an inn reserved for you.”

Sway’s expression didn’t change, but that offer didn’t sit right. It sounded like he was only speaking to Sway, not the others.

“Thank you, but no,” Tanin said, interjecting before Sway could decline. “I’ve already reserved rooms for my crew. We’ll be staying together.”

“Ah. I see. As you wish.” Veesway inclined his head. “My excitement got the better of me. It’s not always that we can say we managed to welcome a lost one home. I would love, Sway,” he whistled his name properly again, “to hear your story.”

“It’s not really one I like to think about,” Sway said simply.

Which wasn’t even a lie. He and the others had moved on, so why revisit their lives on Rik-Vane?

However, he didn’t have such an aversion to his own memories that he needed to avoid speaking of them.

That wasn’t why he tried to block them out.

It was, however, a convenient way to avoid divulging anything to these people.

Veesway’s face contorted with sad understanding.

“Naturally. Forgive me for asking. However, you simply must let us throw a celebration for you tonight. As I said, it’s not often we can successfully welcome a lost one back.

Let my people enjoy this moment. It comes too infrequently.

I know we did not help in your retrieval, but I know it would make them happy.

You could sing for us. I know we’d be delighted to have your voice join our Song. ”

Sway wasn’t sure he was comfortable with that idea. “Thank you. But I was taken a long time ago. I was still a child. I don’t really remember much of my culture. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to sing properly.”

“All the more reason!” Veesway held out his arms. “If you have forgotten your culture, we must do that much more to remind you. To re-teach you. It would be a great pleasure. Please.”

Sway didn’t want to. This meeting already was too much. Staring right into his father’s face, speaking directly to him, was overwhelming. His chest still hurt from the song of welcoming he’d been sung when he arrived. He didn’t think he could handle anymore.

But he nodded. Agreeing.

Veesway cocked his head. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a human gesture,” Sway said, giving Grace another look. Taking strength, again, from the way she smiled, stepping closer into his side. “It means yes.”

“This is a human, huh…” Veesway looked her over carefully.

And Sway had to, again, resist the urge to shove him back. To get him away from her.

Why was he feeling the urge to do violence now ? Veesway wasn’t going to hurt her. His expression certainly wasn’t lustful or amorous. If anything, he just seemed confused.

So, why was Sway threatened? Why was he suddenly protective over her? They weren’t going to hurt her. He already knew that. But still…

“Are you mated?” Vweet asked, smiling as he looked between them. “That would be exciting. Has there been a human-farasie mating yet?”

Sway’s jaw tightened. He didn’t know how to try mating her, but he didn’t want to admit as such. He didn’t want these males anywhere near her or this topic anymore.

But he apparently didn’t need to speak at all. Understanding crossed Veesway’s face and, switching back to whistles, he asked, “Do you not remember how to mate, lost one?”

Sway’s temper was a fire licking at the back of his throat. He had to work to remain calm as he responded, still speaking Standard, “I do not. Grace and I were going to try to figure how we might mate together.”

“We can teach you,” Veesway whistled, unbothered by the fact that they were talking to each other in two different languages. “You can re-learn. And the, er, small one can learn it for the first time. I’m sure we can try to teach her our ways.”

Sway didn’t want Grace to learn their ways. She was perfect the way she was.

“Sway.” Grace was pulling on his hand. “What is he saying?”

“He wants to teach me how farasie mate,” he said softly. It wasn’t really a secret, but it was something that he really only wanted to share with her.

She started to smile, but then bit her lips, stopping herself. “And you? Do you want to learn it from them?”

He hesitated but eventually nodded. Reluctant, but determined. Not because he wanted to, but because he probably should. That would be what a proper farasie would do, right? “They are my people. This is part of reclaiming my culture, isn’t it?”

“Right.” She smiled now, so bright and beautiful. It was a wonder the room didn’t sparkle. How was it that the more time he spent with her, the more precious she became?

Turning back to Veesway and Vweet, he nodded again. “Then, I’ll accept your offer. And… I look forward to the celebration tonight.”

Veesway smiled and responded, still whistling. “Wonderful. It will be a grand one. Our lost one, we are grateful to welcome you back amongst your own kind.”