Hold of Sitak
Shival Flats
Shi'al Province, Na'nam

She rose slowly to wake, moving not at all and having no care to just yet. Instead she listened to the wind and the sound of sand being blown across the flats. Across the level ground all around her. Across even her bare skin, as she lay naked and bruised on the sitting stone.

Already she meditated somewhat, having allowed herself to flow from sleep along into the borderland between consciousness and the white expanse in her mind. But meditation would come much easier if she sat. And while the flat sitting stone was wide enough to lay upon, it was just exactly small enough that one could not stretch out completely across it. So comfort was something of a factor.

She rose slowly and languidly, and listened to the singing of the bruises and minor injuries she'd suffered as they raised their voices in protest. Even in that she supposed was to be found a beauty of sorts, and a comfort. So before she began her morning meditation, put off for too long already by circumstance and necessity, she endeavored first to channel her own energies to healing.

It had been their third pon'farr together and she remembered suddenly that their cycles had merged already. Indeed, her fever had come upon her before either of them was aware that his had as well. And they had shared the surprising revelation that the time had come upon them both at once that morning three days ago over breakfast.

At that memory panic threatened immediately, demanding an accounting of her children's location and well being. It had been three days, at least! But she suppressed it until she considered the question rationally, and so remembered her cousin T'Lon cared for them today, as she had before. Indeed, Soven and T'Kon were well and she could already begin to feel them again far out on the edges of her awareness.

Something warm moved across her katra and a hand slid with welcomed roughness up her back as she sat.

"If you are done abusing me, woman, I'm hungry."

And indeed, he was, she could sense. As was she. But that would wait a time longer. And he was being playful anyway, she knew.

"Return to sleep, ashayam. You need a little more rest. And I have not yet abused you to my satisfaction."

So he grunted and shifted around her as she sat, seeking a more comfortable position to lay in. And he slapped one hand lightly on her lower back.

"You are already pregnant. Show your adun some concern and fetch him something to eat."

"I will do my duty, of course, adun. And I think my fever will pass away as well, if I moved from this stone. So that is good, perhaps."

He considered that. Or pretended to. And her body rejoiced as his humor moved upon it.

"I suppose I could stand a little more abuse, if that is required of me."

"Indeed, my adun is strong, and I find that I am fortunate in having him."

He laughed then. Which was both a little troubling and immensely enjoyable. He continued to resist a more diligent meditation routine and so his emotions were always close to the surface. But perhaps there was no perfection to be had among men, so he remained acceptable.

As Satik sought and found a place of comfort at her side, he ignored his hunger and his need for a time, finding sleep again. And as he found it and drifted warmly on the sea of her katra, she sought peace in the white expanse of her mind with him beside her.

She contemplated many things. But indeed, all was sand and all irrelevant. So she contemplated the irrelevant as well. Most especially the beauty of sand blown upon the wind.

And as she sat upon the stone, not quite fully removed from existence, she became aware of an echo. A reflection on the sitting stone that supported her. Her daughter, T'Kon, who she had introduced to the practice of meditation several months ago and every other morning since. She had left her impression on the stone as well, if only barely. And she found that if she allowed it, if she drifted deeply enough but not so that all awareness was lost, she could touch it. And she could examine the impression in intimacy, drawing it close to her katra.

And so she found another there. The impression of her second daughter, V'Kil, who was yet to be born and who would not sit upon the stone for many years.

And her third, T'Nam. And her fourth, Seilla. And V'Sit, her fifth.

And drawing deeper into the stone, she found their daughters after them. And the daughters that proceeded from them.

And she found T'Via, who would come to the stone seeking comfort many years from now. Who had lost her bondmate to war and who would challenge the claim of the warlord who had killed him. And so was moved by her grief and drew her close to her as well, to comfort her.

And T'Hon, whose son, Surak, was too intelligent and wise for her to comprehend. And who feared greatly that she would not be able to guide him to becoming a man.

And T'Lea, whose adun had abused her terribly and for many years, until she had been driven to slay him in the garden where he had fallen drunk.

And Semil, whose bond had been broken by a selfish woman. And who had slain them both and come to the stone to take her own life as well.

And V'Wahn, upon whom the Bendii Syndrome had fallen far too early, well before her hundredth year, who had come to be healed.

And T'Mar, who'd been abused beyond measure in her youth, and could give herself to no man. And so, when her time came, had come to her to hold in comfort until her fever burned her away.

And V'Nim. And Kalila, and Se'ow…

V'Mas, T'Won, Senom, Sove, T'Mia…

And T'Pol, who explored the stars with a new people, and had explored too far and too eagerly, even within herself.

And she comforted and healed them all, giving them what wisdom she could and teaching them that all was sand. And that it was for beauty alone that sand existed and was blown upon the wind.

"What is that you perceive, T'Kau?" Satik asked, having been roused and troubled by what moved upon her katra.

"The future, adun." T'Kau said. "And it is good."

But Satik was gone.

And she was alone.

For it had been many years since he was slain in the battle of Mt. Seleya. And many years after that since T'Kau herself had passed away, sitting upon this stone, contemplating the sand.

And so T'Pol grieved somewhat at all that had been lost. And for the wounded women who had come before her. And for herself. Even as she acknowledged the beauty and strength that had come to be as a result of it.

And so all was sand, and was good, in the end.

When the time came, T'Pol began to emerge from her meditation. But T'Kau was there with her before she returned to existence. And her touch continue to heal and comfort her, so that she was moved with gratitude.

But she did not thank her. Or speak to her at all. For they knew one another then and there was nothing unsaid already between them. So they acknowledged beauty and the logic of healing together, for a time, before T'Pol returned to the universe.

…and found that the flare of Alam'ak had been blocked from sight and from sense. By a tent that had been erected around the stone and around herself.

And around the sleeping Human beside her, who had come, apparently, to rest there in her absence.

So she considered him for a time. Wondering how he had come to be there, when she left him grieving on Earth only a few days ago. But knowing, of course, why he had come.

Simply because it had been required of him.

And probably to express his outrage and bitterness that she'd abandoned him.

Yet again.

So she considered him for a time before deciding whether to wake him.

His skin was red and angry, on his neck and on his hands. Where he'd allowed Alam'ak to touch it too much. His beige excursion uniform was dirtied and torn, his shoulder exposed where it had been ripped away. And he had burned there, too, as a result.

His left boot had lost its heel at some point, she noticed. And it was odd how she was moved so illogically to go and find it.

But she remained, of course, noting the supplies that had been strewn without regard on the sand beside the stone. Most of them empty water bottles, she saw. And a few empty vials of triox as well. And so, judging from the condition of his skin and the lack of moisture she detected there, he was dehydrated. Not so much to be life-threatening just yet, but enough that he should not linger here much longer.

And…he was wounded. A gash across his forearm. A defensive wound, poorly tended but at least bandaged. She imaged that the le-matya he'd encountered at some point had come at him from the side, as he was unfamiliar with the wildlife on Vulcan and had failed to detect its approach.

So she determined that she should examine him then. To ensure his health had not deteriorated further than she could discern by sight alone. To tend to his wounds and escort him to safety.

And she reached out her hand to touch him, placing it firmly on his shoulder.

"I'm awake." He rasped. "I'm just really tired."

"I know." She said. "Rest for a moment."

"Had a hell of a time getting here, you know." He said. With some bitterness.

"I can imagine." She said. "I should not have left you."

He sighed. Fatigued already, even with the small effort of speaking.

And as they sat in silence, she rested her hand on his shoulder. And so felt the dark thing move across him to confront her.

"I'm tired, T'Pol." He said. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"I know." She said, comforting him.

And they were silent for while. Until his bitterness resided somewhat.

"How did you convince V'Sai to tell you were I was?" She asked.

He laughed then, if weakly. "I didn't. She wouldn't tell me a damned thing. They wouldn't even talk to me, none of them. They just stared at me."

"Then how did you find me?"

"I have no idea, T'Pol." He sighed, tiredly. "I just grabbed some things and started walking. They gave me some supplies, at least. When I hollered about it enough."

T'Pol nodded.

And smoothed the torn sleeve at the shoulder of his uniform, until it fell somewhat more properly into place. Before returning her hand to rest upon him again.

"You need water, Trip. You're dehydrated." She said.

"Too tired." He said.

She nodded lightly then and spoke.

"I'll help you, ashayam."

And so she did. And they left that place soon after.

Returning to their duties, to their healing and to the struggles that awaited them. But together, at least, at last, so there was nothing they could not overcome.

And two years later on, when her time came upon her, there was no fear. She burned for him instead, proudly and beautifully, drawing him into her flame. Until it was quenched and all the universe beyond the two of them returned to sand. And when she brought life forth out of that union, they named their daughter T'Kau.

That child would never come to sit upon the stone in the Shival Flats. Because her mother taught her well what it was to be T'Kau.

Thanks for sharing this with me, folks.

- Mary