"Innocence" - Part I
[Vathax Mountains, Betazed]
Okalan sighed in exasperation. She was up to something again. Looking out over the clear mountain lake where a few participants of the family picnic were enjoying themselves immensely by the sound of it, he already knew he would not find her there. No, she was … closing his eyes for a moment, he sought out a very distinct mind, which right now was vibrating with happy excitement and the usual mischievous tinge to it … up there. Trying to peer through the dense jungle foliage the young man noticed some cliffs lined with Versina crystals and overgrown with flowering Toyar. Of course.
Looking back towards the group of Betazoids - plus one Vulcan, strangely beautiful in Betazoid attire - still seated in the shade of an enormous tree, he heard some of the amiable voices engaged in a friendly argument. “Now dear, you know Uttaberries don’t agree with your ….” “If you hadn’t eaten all the Oskoids your wife would…” “The argument is illogical, since the berries are all that is left…”
Chuckling to himself, Okalan Enaren of Betazed’s Fourth House wondered not for the first time how a lady from an alien planet so unlike this lush and lively world could move so gracefully amongst people who, by her standards, were the complete opposite of the spectrum. Wildly emotional and happily so, all the while ignoring all sense of Vulcan decency and privacy by casually tossing thoughts and emotions at their friends and fully expecting to receive the same in return. Still, if T’Sora wasn’t Vulcan, he’d swear she was loving every minute of it…
Returning his thoughts to a more immediate concern, Okalan sent a silent question towards Rel Tyrax, who was still attempting to regain possession of the disputed bowl, spilling some of the sweet Uttaberries in the process. The older Betazoid’s mind immediately focused on him, and the esteemed Lady Yulana Enaren, Ambassador Extraordinaire to the Federation, used the distraction to settle the dispute once and for all by snatching the bowl with a speed that would have put a Wanoni Tracehound to shame. Daring her old friend Rel to defy her with a look that clearly spelled “diplomatic incident”, Yulana graciously offered the hard-won berries to her favorite Vulcan.
Rel indicated his unconditional surrender to the forces that be by throwing up his hands and smiling gently, then nodded in Okalan’s direction. ‘Go ahead - and if you find some more berries, don’t hesitate to…’ ‘Oh, first you spill them, then you make my grandson bring more?’ ‘Since he’s going to find my wayward daughter anyways….’ The young man decided to ignore the amusement that erupted from the group - they were clearly thinking he had some type of ulterior motive for looking after his childhood friend - and made off towards the cliffs.
Pushing aside another tall fern, Okalan finally emerged at a small clearing. Which was just as well, because two more steps and he would have ended up in one of the small lakes that dotted this part of the mountains. Plucking some obnoxious burrs from his shirt, he scanned the cliffs overlooking the water.
‘Kara? Where are you?
“Up here, Lan!” his friends cheerful voice answered through a rustling of leaves. He followed the sound and found her - oh Four Deities, have mercy!- balancing on a branch near the top of the cliffs, reaching for an outcropping in the rock. Before he could shout a warning, her muscles tensed and she jumped, more crashing than landing on the frighteningly narrow ledge. Undeterred by the sound of pebbles falling away, she continued to climb towards the peak, pausing only briefly to wave reassuringly at Okalan who stood transfixed about 25 meters below.
Unable to utter a sound ‘if she falls, there’s no way … why is she…where are her ..’ , the young Betazoid saw Sakarra reach her destination, and found the answer to his questions when his frantic eyes caught a glimpse of the heap of clothes, carelessly flung into the soft grass.
“’Kara, NO!” he yelled, when he finally figured out what she had planned all along - but as usual, she didn’t listen. Okalan felt his mouth go dry as he watched the figure atop the cliff take in the splendid view “I can see grandma’s house from here!” and then, with a happy laugh, leap out into the air, arms spread wide like a bird taking flight.
‘Cliff diving into a lake she doesn’t even know‘, Okalan thought while racing around the water to the far side, where she should - where WAS she? He had heard the splashing of water, but now Sakarra was nowhere to be seen. No no NO this time she really got hurt…
“Oh goodness, COLD!” sounded a cheerful voice and Okalan felt his heart jump with both relief and joy. She was paddling towards the shore, and he slowly walked over to meet her. “’Kara, one of these days you’re going to give me a heart attack. One of these days you’re going to give yourself one. What were you THINKING…”
You’re such a worrier, Lan
Still grinning, the young woman pulled herself up onto one of the boulders lining the lake and started squeezing water out of her hair. Stop giving me reason to, then! Your body isn’t meant to handle this cold water, and as for your relative weight…
Vulcans aren’t exactly first class swimmers, I know. But I AM half Betazoid, Lan
“You know, sometimes I wish you were a little more Betazoid” he said scrambling up to the boulder “NO empath would have done what you did after sensing how scared I was!” “As I said, you’re a worrier” she turned to face her old friend, her expression softening when she saw the deep frown on his handsome features. “But I’m sorry I scared you. Friends?” She held out her hand to him and he grabbed it with a sigh, noting with relief that it was almost as warm as it was supposed to be. “Ever and always, ‘Kara. You know that!” and with a little mischief of his own he added “but if we had an audience right now, they’d probably suspect something… a little more”
She looked back at him with a blank expression, then burst out laughing as realization dawned. "Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind; The thief doth fear each bush an officer" Sakarra answered mockingly, poking Okalan’s shoulder. “Hm, Henry six?” he grinned back at her “and I plead not guilty on grounds of possibly complete insanity.” “Four, actually” Sakarra decided it might be a good idea after all to get back into her clothes, since a light breeze had started to rustle the leaves around them and she was starting to feel a bit chilly. “Insanity?” sliding off the boulder, she started walking back towards the patch of grass on the other side of the lake, her arm companionably wrapped around Okalan’s.
“Absolutely” he nodded, “as some of my friends and parts of both our families would not hesitate to point out” “Lan, not THAT subject again, please…” “Think of it like that, ‘Kara; as long as they believe - whatever they believe - there’s fewer admirers you have to fight off”
“Right….” Sakarra frowned. They had reached the spot where she had left her clothes and she started to pull the first layer of the dress over her head “You make it sound like… help me with this, will you?” Okalan couldn’t help but chuckle at the sound of Sakarra’s muffled voice and gently untangled her wet hair from the lacing. “Oh, better, thanks. You make it sound like half of Betazed’s eligible male population is standing in line at grandma’s door”
“Last I heard it was more like two third” he answered teasingly, quickly dodging the smack that was about to connect with the back of his head.
“Whatever you say, Okalan Enaren” she grumbled, adjusting the upper layer of her dress and brushing some grass off it. “But you MAY have noticed I do not exactly conform to Betazoid beauty ideals. I therefore submit you’re exaggerating as usual.” and in a softer voice she added “but I appreciate the badly hidden compliment I think you were trying to make me” “And you’re missing the point as usual, Sakarra Tyrax”
Okalan smiled at his friend, who was currently trying to put on her sandals while at the same time pulling a branch out of her dark curls - how that had gotten there, the Deities only knew - and pondered what she had said. True, she was rather lean and long-legged instead of curvy, and her skin had her mother’s copper-tone rather than the golden-bronze of a Betazoid who spends much time outdoors or the elegant ivory of one who doesn‘t. But he personally knew at least two young men who found precisely that her most endearing features. And several others who couldn’t care less what she looked like and were simply drawn to her vibrant, if sometimes unpredictable personality. He also knew that telling her any of those things would be pointless.
“Then enlighten me, please” she had finally managed to get into the footwear and stood up, vigorously shaking out her dress. “Huh?” “The point I supposedly missed!” “It’s the ears” he said with a grin “They’re just irresistible, you know?” and remembering Rel’s request he added “What do you say we find some more Uttaberries for the hungry bunch down there?” “Berries it is” she laughed “I think I saw some on the way up here” and with a leap she was off into the underbrush, waving for him to follow.
"O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright". Okalan thought, shaking his head slowly as he carefully navigated his way through the trees “That old earth writer must have known someone just like her. Wonder if he got into that much trouble for it, too….”