PART 3 - How Entil'Zha Sinclair Got the Scar
by Sunraven, Jan 1999

 

The screaming warrior was Jahlett. His body was flushed with fever, and he was obviously delusional. They had given his wounds, which were only superficial, first aid after they entered the cave.

"I think that the thing’s claws must have been poisoned." Jeffery said, the concern on his face matching that in Rulann’s.

"He has a great fever. And the wounds appear extremely swollen. What are we going to do, Entil’Zha? He is very sick." This came from Sara Kichener. No one, not even Rulann, thought badly of her for turning to Jeff.

"I think we should go get some water from the spring, boil it over the fire, moisten a cloth with it, and lay it on his wounds. The first aid kit includes an general anti-toxin, as well as antibiotics, which we should inject into him."

They scrambled to do his bidding, happy that someone with a lot of experience was telling them what to do. Even Rulann was happy about it, and partially relieved that some of the burden of command had been lifted off of her shoulders.

After day-break, Rulann looked at Jeff with uncertainty showing in her eyes.

"Sir, I …am not sure what we should do. To leave Jahlett here would be unconscionable. Yet to bring him along would put the rest of my team into even more danger. Please advise me." She didn’t look at him, but kept her eyes on her hands.

"Rulann, never be ashamed to ask for help privately from more experienced personnel under your command. That is the correct thing to do if you have someone like that working for you. In this case, fortunately, your choices are not all that grim." He smiled, and took her chin, pushing it up so that her eyes met his. "We can leave two volunteers with Jahlett. They should be able to sufficiently protect him if some animal should attack them. We will have them activate the homing beacons in their ranger pins, and once the rest of us get to the landing site, we will have the shuttle come and pick them up."

"But, Entil’Zha, he could die in that time. Is there no way to call the White Star now to come and pick him up? He needs medical treatment."

"I do have a comlink, Rulann, but think about the results of aborting the mission for Jahlett. He will view pulling him out as a failure on his part, and as desertion by his comrades. He will feel that he is dishonored, no matter what anyone tells him to the contrary. You or I would feel the same. It may break his spirit. On the other hand, if we leave the volunteers with him to last out the time until pick-up, and if he survives, he will be honored as the rest of you will be for passing the Ratha Hactchala. If he dies, then it will be knowing that his death had a meaning, and was with honor. Do you understand?"

"To be a leader is very difficult, Entil’Zha. I do understand you. I will ask for volunteers to stay with him until we can come for him."

As it turned out, all of the other rangers volunteered to stay, almost bringing tears to Jeff’s eyes. Rulann chose two of them, left them an extra first aid kit, and the rest of the group broke cover and started towards the pick-up point.

They made camp two more nights without much happening. On the fourth day, they were stumbling through some really deep dunes when Takor fell into a patch of quicksand. He started sinking quickly, his struggling causing him to sink faster.

"Takor! Stop struggling. That’s it, struggling only speeds up the sinking process. Good. Now expand you denn-bok. Good. Hold on to one end, and reach the other out to me. Good." Jeff leaned out over the quicksand, saying over his shoulder, "Rulann, grab my shirt to make sure I don’t fall in also. Sackett, hold onto Rulann’s shirt, make a chain. That’s it! Good. Now, Takor, I’ve..umph.. just about got it." His fingers folded over the end of the denn-bok. "Now PULL! All of you! Pull me and him out!" They did, and a very relieved Takor stood up, his body shaking, and said quietly, "Thank you, my brothers and sisters."

Unfortunately, the loud fuss that this incident had caused had brought some company to them. They turned at the sound of snuffling and growling. Surrounding them were about twenty shambling beasts who looked like a cross between a human Neanderthal and a Minbarian Rak-sha (dragon beast). They had short legs with large flapper feet that could move smoothly across the surface of the sand without sinking far into it. Their hands ended in five inch claws which gleamed greenishly in the sun. Their fangs were almost as long.

Rulann shouted, "Fighting stance, triangle formation, Entil’Zha, in the middle." When he hesitated, she shouted even louder, "MOVE!" And he did. But right as he moved, one of the creatures jumped for him, incredibly fast for its size. One of those wicked claws ripped his left cheekbone to the bone, but before it could do any more damage, Rulann jumped screaming at it, her denn-bok flying faster than the eye could follow. The rest of the creatures jumped at her, and the other rangers move to back up their leader and the now scrambling up Entil’Zha.

They managed to beat off the beasts, who left as quickly as they arrived, their numbers greatly diminished. But it was too late for Rulann. One of them had managed to tear her throat open, and she was quickly bleeding to death.

"No!" Jeff screamed as he ran to her, oblivious to his own pain. He threw himself down beside her, and pulled her torn body into his arms.

"Why did you do that, Rulann? It would have been better if it had killed me." Tears ran down and mixed with the blood on Jeff’s cheek.

Her strength almost gone, the Minbari managed a smile and said, "It was as it should be, Entil’Zha. We live for the One, We …die for the One, Entil’Zha veni." Then the spirit left her body to go to the sea of stars, and Jeff cried silently, refusing to let go of the body for some time afterward.

Finally, Sackett reached over and took Rulann’s body from Ranger One. "We must see to her burial, sir, and to your wound. We don’t want those things to return here with reinforcements, and we need to find shelter as well."

Jeff looked up at the young human. "This is wrong. She should not have died for me. It is not right that this happened."

The blond young man looked at his Entil’Zha, his own blue eyes tearing. "If not for you, then for what, Entil’Zha? You are our leader. Without you, the Anla-shok would not be what it is. It would be, somehow, diminished in some way. There was very great honor in what Rulann did, the sacrifice she made. She will live in our songs, our memories, and our hearts for as long as the Anla-shok exists. We all die. It is best to die defending the things we love and honor, rather than to cling to life just because it is life."

He then allowed them to treat his wound. He would have a nasty scar, but somehow he felt that was appropriate.

* * * * * * *

An hour later, they stood around the stone cairn they had erected around the body of the slain Ranger.

Jeff stood up to his full height, though inside he felt bent over with the weight of years. He had seen so many die, so young. He looked at each of the surviving faces, many with tears in their eyes. His children, coming together to mourn the loss of one of them.

Finally, his beautiful voice broke the stillness, "There is no greater love than the love of one who will give up her life for a friend. Rulann’s spirit has gone to the sea, to be reborn into the next generation of her people. But a piece of her will remain forever with each of us in the silent place in our souls where we honor those who have gone into the dark before us. Her sacrifice will be honored, and her brave heart remembered by me, until the day I go into the dark to join her."

"We therefore commend this brave one’s body to the earth of this place that killed her. She was the greatest of us, and when our time comes to serve, let us all hope that we will walk into the darkness with a quarter as much courage as she showed today." He then bowed his head for a moment of silence.

Breaking the silence, young voices pierced the dark curtain around Jeff’s soul, as they said in unison, "We live for the One, We die for the One, Entil’Zha veni!"

* * * * * * *

Several days later, Durhan made a com call.

"Ah, Shakiri," The lack of honorific made the other man’s face redden in affront. "I just wanted to inform you that our Entil’Zha has just returned from his Ratha Hactchala. They did well, only one fatality. That was better than your trial, wasn’t it Shakiri? Didn’t three people die during your Ratha Hactchala? No, wait a minute. That was Neroon’s, not yours. You didn’t go on one, did you? You must forgive an old man’s mistake of memory. Anyway, I thought you would like to know. Till another day, Shakiri."

"That was not vedy nice, my fwiend." Jeff’s voice was muffled a bit because of the swelling of his left side of his face.

Durhan turned to him, smiled a big smile, and said. "No, I suppose it wasn’t. But it was very satisfying, Entil’Zha, very satisfying."

 

The End



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