Chapter 22

Two weeks after our flight, all of us gathered for our evening meal. Scheherazade had shown us a larger cafeteria with four food replicators for the times we wanted to eat together. Once the newcomers’ training began in earnest, these opportunities would be few and far between. The last of the hunters sat down with a sigh, and Nilyn grinned from her place at the center of the table.

“Come now, it isn’t that hard, is it,” she teased.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Draen growled back. “You aren’t being tortured with mathematics just because some machine says you have a talent.”

“In all fairness,” Scheherazade put in, “our young hunter earned the highest score for mathematics ability that I have in my database.”

Draen just shook his head and went back to his meal. He had been, not surprisingly, the most reluctant among the hunters to move ahead with the training. Once he started, though, he was one of the most eager students, despite his litany of complaints.

The others had a range of aptitudes; most were geared toward piloting and driving, and there were four solid medical sciences candidates among them. Everyone received weapons and small unit tactics training, regardless of their specialty. The training schedule was ramping up from merely rigorous to difficult.

“I know we’ve all been busy,” Pel said at length, “but where are we on bringing in more people?”

Vall looked at her. “We needed them yesterday if we want to do something about ending the war, but we don’t know how to get them?”

“Scheherazade,” I looked up, “not counting us, how many people would we need to man the vehicles and facilities we have?”

“One thousand three hundred and five,” the AI responded.

Ket let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of people to find and train.”

Lirimaer lifted her hand. “The good news is all of us are qualified to do something. We didn’t fail the aptitude tests. That means that, if we choose from those trained in some craft or skill.”

“What if we asked our whole village to move here,” I said. “The older folk would benefit from the medical technology, and the children would learn from the beginning. Everyone else should be able to find something, and we’d have families along with us adults.”

“Well, mostly adults,” Vall snarked.

I smiled as the laughter circled the table. “Thank you, my love. Back to my point, we can fly in forty people at once using both transports.”

“Why our village,” Yanah, one of the female half-elves, asked. “There are several settlements near ours, and we know many of their hunters and elders.”

“I think,” Nilyn replied, “we best know our own, and, more importantly, they know us. In my case, that isn’t always a good thing,” she grinned at the nods and knowing looks that circled the table, “but I think your families would be inclined to listen to you.”

“We need to bring out the dangers around the dying magic in this realm,” Vall said. “It doesn’t affect me, but it will those with elven blood, and,” she looked at Nilyn, “magical folk like dragons.”

“If we don’t reestablish the gates to the other magical realms, then I will die at some point,” Nilyn confirmed, “and the elves with me.”

Ket set his cup down. “Scheherazade, for how long can we feed two thousand adults and children with the stocks on hand?”

“Using average consumption rates, four hundred and ten days,” the AI replied.

“A little more than a year,” Lirimaer said thoughtfully. “That isn’t a lot of time to train a fighting force.”

“We could bring in more food,” Vall suggested.

“We could, yes,” Lirimaer agreed. “We don’t know enough about what passes outside these walls, especially in the north, to make a plan of attack. That, to me, is the first thing to do. We,” she indicated the hunters with a sweep of her hand, “are all experienced in learning who is in a place, friend or enemy.”

Vall spoke up. “So, that is what we do first, yes? I am no war leader, and Orn is a healer and a technical person. Lirimaer, you are the most experienced of the hunters, so I think you should lead this effort.”

“I agree,” Nilyn said. “In fact, I believe our village elders would be an asset, too.”

“I will do my best,” Lirimaer replied with a smile. “I have been learning about the different machines, uh, vehicles, we have in the hangar. Most of them can fly, and some can carry other vehicles that go on the ground. Some have the ability to be harder to see or hear, though it costs them their strength, energy, to use those abilities.”

“We need to first learn to operate the vehicles to carry out our plan to explore the lands around us. In the meantime, we can move as many people as will come from our village, and begin training them.” Lirimaer lifted a hand. “I would expect that few would want to stay behind, but some may.”

“So, when do we go to speak with them,” I asked.

Lirimaer looked at Nilyn. “A week? That will give us time enough to make ready for them.”

“Nilyn nodded. “I think so.”

Vall and I helped to prepare for the new arrivals by ensuring that their quarters (another new work Scheherazade taught me) and training facilities were properly equipped. She and I continued our studies, and we also received weapons training and simulator training in the transports and smaller vehicles called “flyers”.

Two days before we were to leave, I awakened to hear Vall vomiting into the toilet. Alarmed, I got up and padded to the door. “Vall?”

“I’m fine, elf.” She stood leaning over the bowl, her hand braced on the wall behind it. “My stomach is upset.”

“You should go to the infirmary.”

She sighed and looked at me. “And if I don’t, you won’t leave me alone about it. Right?”

I shrugged. “I love you.”

“Fine.” Vall stepped over to the basin and rinsed her mouth. “Can I at least get dressed?”

I took the coward’s path and didn’t risk goading her. “Yes. I will bring your clothes.” I stepped around the corner, collected her clothing from the night before, and took them to her. “I’ll go get dressed, too.”

Vall muttered something in Orcish to my retreating back. I looked up from fastening my shoes when she appeared. “Come on, before I have to puke again.”

We walked into the infirmary to find one of the beds lighted and ready for us. “Good morning, Scheherazade,” I said.

“Good morning, Ornthalas. Vall, please lie down, and we can begin your examination.” Vall complied, and the equipment around the bed hummed softly as it considered the patient. Three minutes later, the arms retracted. “Vall, you are perfectly healthy.”

“Then why am I sick?”

“You are pregnant.”

“What? How?” Vall looked at me in alarm.

“You and Ornthalas have apparently not been using contraceptives, which are available to anyone who wants them. In any case, your child is healthy, but it is too soon to determine its gender.”

I stepped over to Vall and took her hand. “We’re going to have a baby, Vall.”

She stared back at me – and then burst into tears. I gathered her into my arms and held her as she cried on my shoulder. “I love you, Vall, and I will love our child, all of our children.”

Vall cried and sniffled for a few minutes, and then she raised her head to look at me. “All of this is your fault, you know.”

I grinned. “I will take full responsibility if it will make you feel better.”

She glared at me with narrowed eyes and lowered brows. “I will keep that in mind, elf.”

I looked up at the visual pickup. “Can she still fly like this?”

“Of course. Her pregnancy will be little hindrance for the next six months. After that, Vall, you will need to curtail some of your more physically demanding activities.”

The door opened, and we turned to see Pel, Ket, and Nilyn come through with huge smiles. “You’re pregnant!?” Pel squealed.

Vall whirled to glare at Scheherazade’s pickup. “You told them?”

“They are your friends, so yes.”

Vall opened her mouth, only to be smothered in a hug as Pel stood on her toes to embrace her abdomen. “Oof! Take it easy on the baby factory!”

“She did throw up this morning,” I said helpfully.

“This is wonderful, Vall,” Pel said brightly. “We are both pregnant together.”

Vall’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t tell me?”

“We found out last night, during my routine exam.”

“It must be something in the water,” Nilyn said with a smile. “Congratulations to the four of you. Of course, that means no combat operations for any of you.”