The men were hesitant to have anyone around their injured family, but I was considered a Healer. They didn’t fight when they saw it was Rose or me approaching them. Humans had a strange knack for healing it was believed. Rose and I knew we were naive about healing, we just cleaned the wounds thoroughly so the real Healers could do their job efficiently.


    The men took our cleaning and the Healer’s care. The beaded women from the camp that came in injured fought it a little. Most still had the undercurrent of belief that an honorable death was preferable to needing help with one’s healing. Strength was measured by personal ability and epting help meant defeat. All of us acting as Healers sought to dissuade them of such thoughts.


    “Live to fight another day,” I begged them over and over again as I washed the dirt from their wounds. “There is still much fighting to be done. If you survive today, you can fight more tomorrow.”This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The argument seemed to settle their upset to quiet grumbling. The beaded women took our help and rested. They would do what the little human said and live to fight another day. It was unprecedented, but so was the volume of this fight and I had made a good point.


    The true battle for healing started when the first women without beads was brought in. Therge woman and her Sisters had followed a crashing ship and fought the aliens when they disembarked. One woman had lost an entire wing, another was cut deeply down the middle, and the third had severe damage to her face and one eye.


    Thom and his Brothers had seen the women fight and destroy the aliens, despite their injuries. Our men could not stand to see such women die from the Racks thaty in wait around the fighting. Thom’s transport swooped in and loaded the women to bring them into the camp and safety.


    The hall we were in exploded in dissension as the females were brought in andid on warm bs. The men and women we were healing could not decide if this was the right thing to do. Despite their injuries they sat up and argued. Thom had endangered the camp some said. He was following The Great Harmonious Spirit, others called. The three women justy bleeding and looking around.


    I watched the women closest to me as her head bled profusely. Arge portion of her face appeared disfigured. I saw the metal sticking out from one eye and knew it needed prompt attention. Grabbing a pail and a fresh cloth, I approached her from her good side.


    “Ma’m, my name is Ciara and I am from Earth. I only wish to help you heal. If you will let me help, you will live to fight another day. The cannot lose good fighters when we can prevent it. Allow me to clean your wound,” I requested crawling up onto her b.


    The woman stared at me with her functional eye for a moment before agreeing.


    Quickly, but diligently, I cleaned the wound. The rest of the room didn’t matter as I did my job. Hopefully, they would have worked it out and a Healer wouldplete what I started. These women now knew where we were, so we might as well help them.


    Everyone must have agreed. Tyle’s young family had been left here to assist the Healers and provide protection inside. He and his Brothers came and ced a support under the wings of the unbeaded women. It made it easier for the women toy on their backs as we worked on them.


    The woman I was working on seemed surprised as the boys touched her to position her body. Tyle’s family wasn’t hesitant or fearful as they pushed the support beneath her wings. They instructed her how to move to help them and then moved on to their next chore. I could see the amazement in the woman’s face, but she stayed silent.


    A Healer I knew well appeared as I finished cleaning. He addressed the woman and exined what he would do. I knew this man. He was older and I’d found him to be quite particr, so I didn’t leave and stayed in case he needed my help. I thought he would be aggravated if he had to ask for itter.


    “Hold this, Ciara,” hemanded suddenly.


    I did as he asked and the woman stayed quiet beneath us.


    “Good,” he said, “now when I tell you, press here.”


    I found the activity nauseating as he fixed her face and then her eye. He removed the shrapnel with a variety of tools. Thankfully, my stomach minded itself and I didn’t vomit. I just made a point to think of something else as he reattached the muscles of her face back into their rightful ces. What was left of her skin, he pulled to cover most of the damage. Once he was done her face looked almost normal. He continued to work on the eye once the face was done.


    “Cousin, you may keep sight in this eye,” he said suddenly addressing the woman. “It may not have permanently damaged you. I am d they brought you here. I am Rhane, born in the T’ylene mountains. It is a pleasure to meet you.”


    The woman was quiet for a moment before she spoke.


    “Kana, from the T’yonin Mountains,” she said. “My Sisters are from there as well.”


    I was shocked the woman could converse as we worked on her eye, but I had forgotten how strong these people were. Bowing to pain would be dishonorable for anyone.


    “Beautiful mountains I have heard,” Rhane, the Healer, said starting to stitch the edge of the eye with nearly invisible thread, “I have never been so far myself. My Brother was born near there, but he was too young to remember the ce. We were raised by our male breeders here in this mountain. My Brother’s female breeder brings us tanka fruit when she visits. It is our favorite.”