Then, he asked a healer to speak.

This older man bowed to him, then to us. He had red-gold eyes that wavered from orange to black. Like Konomai's eyes. Are they related?

Komomai is Kono's bae, and Kono is Galarsmen's bae. So Galarsmen is his fae. Galarsmen's family is large, and many of his bae and sae chose to heal. But Galarsmen is the only master healer among people of Esta Faho.

When Kono's ba Nomo died in Sigan Mas, Wasa Mai asked all healers in all of Rahn Estar to choose one to be their master healer. He sent five to Ishah to train with Via, with five diplomats to keep them safe. This is how Galarsmen earned his title, ten years past.

Outside, animals made soft noises and their keepers petted them. No one seemed impatient, waiting there, not even the animals. They didn't have bridles and just followed their keepers around or maybe walked over to a flower or grass to munch. One bumped an unseen containment and bleated. Tried to get that flower from another angle. Glad they're protected! His keeper picked another flower and offered it to him and he ate that one. So cute!

Galarsmen was old, too, but had red hair that wasn't long. Like all Zheien, no beard or 5 o'clock shadow. Elshars don't have them, either. That keeper was Elshar, and he gently pulled his son over and a lady came, too.

Apparently he was talking about that flower the animal tried to eat, and what's different about the one he substituted. A pleasant convo, from the looks of it. I expected him to chew the boy out; I guess. The boy then went and carefully gathered some of the bad flowers. The other two did the same. They each waved 'em to their alt storage. Maybe they'll trade 'em someplace.

The old healer's red-gold eyes stayed dark and he looked exhausted. "My bae and sae, we are ready. My sisters and brothers, come, and let none of our Zheien walk!" His white robe's borders were a yellowish-green. Not a really loud color, but bright. It reminded me of some plants on Earth.

A bunch of white-robed healers came in. It was only Ishah or Zheien of other skin colors who had the border of their family colors. I expected more than one master healer! There weren't many healers for this many people who knew 'em. A few relatives hesitantly came in with a healer. All the yellow-skinned master healers went to other groups than our five. With all the returned slaves, yellow Zheien were the largest group. The next largest was green-skinned Zheien, and they went to the Ean ship on Alb Seer. Then came MarKuans, whom they expected to be the largest group, as in the great majority of liberated slaver facilities. But Elshar slavers want yellow-skinned Zheien most of all. Since herbs don't work predictably on 'em and they fear healers anyway, it's easier to break them. Pas taught me a lot I wish I'd known when I was on Farley's Team!

Then a group came to us. They carried two ladies. Then, stopped. Fa and Fae studied these ladies with a frown.

"Know you nae your Konolaina, Narisan?"

Fae gasped and hugged her. "O, you appear younger! I aged!"

"Nae fear. Pirad can help us, both of us."

Fa reached for the other one. "Then, Naisa, is you?"

"Eae, Kon, Pirad woke us from Burial Chambers! Are you painful? Was it a difficult mission?"

He sobbed. "I had nae harms, but for missing you, Love! See our bae, Farleikon! He is a well bae, dear one!"

She stroked his face and frowned at the sweat-powder, but it drifted away. "Farleikon, named for my fa Farihah, Le for my mea Lemara, Ikon for Kon's fae Ikon. And, you appear as all of them, but especially dear Ikon, who lead our colony here! I was our historian, and remember all. How I wish I saw your growing! I wish you to know all of our pleasant people, Bae!"

Galarsmen rushed over to her. "You must nae remind him of sorrows! Come. As I warned you when you came to us, these people can nae bear much. I insist that you nae bring but one relative at a time. See how he shakes, because diplomats think nothing of meeting hundreds in a day, but he can nae bear but you and nae for long."

She hugged Farley, and he clung to her! "Then I will nae! Is he very unwell, then? How he shakes!"

"He has great fear of this new world. We must all accustom—"

"Accustom! There are nae poisons, progs prevent harm from animals that come on trader's ships, and nae—dangers! Pirad showed me progs that prevent a slaver from even reaching for an arm, or speaking harms!" Her blond hair waved in the slight breeze, and tiny decorations made sounds like wind chimes.

"Our artisans laughed when my healer brought me to this new city. They see nae harms, and happily create artworks near traders, and nae speaks even one insult! I saw many Mashai who left in disgust when they could nae make fun of one who made lopsided pots! Why, one sat by him and asked many questions of him, and his healer, and made plans to bring his bahie here!" Her red-gold eyes shone with tears as she wiped tears from all their faces and mixed them where Farley could see. They didn't go darker.

My husband didn't sweat as much, so I did it, and he got just a shade yellower. I have a lot to learn!

Galarsmen's eyes went a bit lighter red-gold, but still dark. "Lady, Elshars are stronger than we. I can nae explain a master healer's lifetime of learning. Accept it, all of you must stay in these healer chambers of Rainbow, until I have less fears for your health. Perhaps you are spared unwell because you came from Par Vu to us."

Par Vu? Aren't they blue? She had yellow skin. But, that deep orange-yellow that healthy Elshar Zheien like Cevit Ion usually have. He lifted his new wife onto a dorna and she giggled. Got onto him with her. Healers put the rest of his family on a cael. Another Earthan and a Thordes, she had white robes, and he wore his diplomat's uniform. A healer spoke with him and he changed it for a colorful tunic and pants with a lot of colors. She admired it and he pointed to different colors and talked.

But he held Jirris, Cevit Ion's brother, in his purple arms and he anxiously looked around, eyes black. He's gray. His dark curls dripped sweat. A Thordes healer lifted an old Thordes up, and a middle-aged Thordes got up there, too, with a smile. And a couple of other Thordes got up there, too. Caeln are very strong, and wide enough to carry a crowd. They have six legs, bigger around than a camel's.

Other people got on various animals, held by their healers.

An Elshar brought a cael to us and Galarsmen directed healers to put us up there. Konolaina went first, and let a healer lift her, then Fae and—I gotta call her Meae, not Konolaina. Later, I'll want to ask her a lot of history questions. And Naisa is Mea, and Fa is Konaris. How I'd ever remember all of these names without Farley—Konomai reached for me, but Galarsmen stopped him. Waved an Ishah healer to us, who did the lifting. And they carried another man to us.

Konomai gasped. "Fa! O!" He eagerly held him.

"Bae, I missed you so much! I—" He trembled, then fainted.

Konomai looked sad and just hugged him. Took five bis tia. He didn't come from the ship. Nomo's lips quivered. His black curls waved in the breeze. I enjoyed the scents of the flowers. The cael smelled sweet and spicy, not like I expected his brown fur to smell! He bent his broad head and nibbled at Nomo's hair. That made his eyes lighten up, but they were blue.

They put me in our leiwege and Farley in my arms, and he fell asleep. They pressed Fa and Mea's leiwege close so they could keep their hands on his blond curls. Did the same with Fae and Meae's on our other side. All of 'em fell asleep.

Three Ishah healers piled on, too, and waved up bowls of ea fae. One took Nomo and slathered it on him with a very worried expression.

I expected 'em to walk around some, but we went to the yellow building and they put us all in the yellow mud. It felt like the white mud in Rainbow, but the yellow color took some getting used to, for me. I grabbed handfuls and bathed Farley's head with it. He startled awake.

Galarsmen held a handful of dripping mud up to his nose. "You used much ea fae, but this is better, my son. Nae fear it. All muds, here, and in our home, are same." His red-gold eyes went to medium lightness.

He gave a tentative sniff, then breathed in. "O, is well ea fae! I nae ever saw yellow! To bathe in muds in our home, Ella, is to poison oneself, there, on Elshar Zheiea, and even K'hasa Zha! I had to be ever careful only to bathe in our fountains, and nae on windy days, ever."

Galarsmen sighed, and it rumbled on me. "If only I knew our fountains were unwell! Elshars oft shook off their garments near them and we had gradual poisonings. How grateful I am that nae Elshars of Par Vu may trade here!" His eyes wavered again.

"Brother, all may trade here, but progs watch all for signs of unwell behavior." An Ishah walked beside us. "Why carry you, umar seg? He is na needed here—"

"Nae needed! Know you how many wake with terrors, and nearly die?" Those eyes went black!

"We have better herbs for this! Pirad can remove the terror from memories without harsh herbs such! Did you see him, Brother?"

Galarsmen paled. "I had nae time! So many needed me today—"

"How was your sleep before today?"

"Sleep? How can anyone sleep when people are dying? I took nes, as I did every night this week, so I could—"

The healer gasped and waved for vek ea and gave it!

All of Galarsmen's healers gasped. "You must nae give a master healer—"

"How many of you are master? Wish you to lose him? I am a clone of Via Of Ishah. Will you argue with me? I have all of his memories!"

They all bowed, even the ones in leiwege! Most were.

"I know you love Galarsmen, and I love him, that he saved his colony with his methods. But, know you, I will change much of what you know. We have progs to prevent the use of umar seg. You are trained to use him too oft, and all of you have unwells of memory because—"

"But, umar seg removes poisons! We must use him oft—"

"Guides of Ishah state that more than once in a year is unwell! Did you study when you became healers? All in Healer Colony Service must—"

"We know of them, but who has time to study? Our healers' chambers stay filled, and we can nae even sleep long for slaver attacks. We must watch our diplomats, for their sleep is unwell—"

"Then, I must teach you of unwells of sleep. See this prog. I alter him to run on all of Esta Faho. When one is exhausted, he must have well sleep. My enneads will stay by all of you. All of you have much exhaustion, and I nae ever saw this but in Rahn Estar. I ask of Wasa Mai. See, he comes to me!"

Wasa Mai stepped out of a portal in a white tunic. Rubbed an eye. But, he looked at the prog. Laughed. "Ah, I wished for rest for my poor people, and now they shall have him! Eae, Via, run this. My people, nae be frightened. I have an army of healers and diplomats to sit on your beds and watch, and even they will have rest from this prog when needed.

"He brings another diplomat if yours must sleep, and if one sleeps before he can bring one, the prog brings one before it works. All of these know of our plight and volunteered to help us. Many are students in Sigan Mas from worlds such as Siar, that suffered attacks as we did. Siar is here in Alb and runs progs similar.

"So does all of Ea~. The Alb Council approves as we speak, and I concur. Run it, Via, and any prog you feel necessary. I wish nae to lose even one to overwork! Now is time of healing for us, all of us of Elshar Zheiea, and King Challet also approves. Run him on me, and I sleep by Galar."