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The soles of the Earthwalker's feet were a rich ochre, a shade lighter than the rest of her velvety red-brown skin. Idran noticed them a day after their small party started the Crossing.
Her homespun gown was a concession to her human companions. These People seldom wore more than brief loin cloths, and the occasional beaded collar which denoted their complex social ranks. Ever since First Contact, and their curious conversations with the Xen Team, they had adopted the robes. When asked for the reason for the change, they were surprised. Of course they would honour their guests by making them comfortable, and by sharing in their cultural modesty.
After that first encounter, the Xen Team appeared to have been assigned to a single Crew, and they never interacted with any other individuals. Every one of the seven members of their Crew quickly acquired Universal Standard, and thereafter only ever used it to communicate amongst themselves, as much as the Xen Team were able to ascertain.
"We camp here tonight, and leave at dawn."
'Here' was a barren crust of a salt pan in the burning heat of the Small Desert. The three member Xen Team were protected from the worst of the heat and any dehydration by their Smart Suits. The Earthwalker, exposed as she was to the ferocious heat, was relaxed and none the worse for their twelve hour trek across the sun-seared and wind-scoured land. She had only sipped sparingly from her water gourd, and had set a demanding pace that the Xen Team were challenged to match.
They pitched their tents and in the failing light lit a small camp fire. The Earthwalker ate a sparse meal of Travel Bread, as the Xen Team consumed their auto-heating space packs.
As had become the custom, over the three preceding nights of their journey, Charis, Idran and Girn questioned the Earthwalker about the practices and beliefs of the People. She had been open and forthright, sharing the nuances of mating, through to the intricate rites of death and interment. The host of Elemental Spirits had been discussed and compared to the ancient human pantheons, and governance and social structure explored.
"So how does one become an Earthwalker?"
There was a long pause, during which the Earthwalker sat, cross legged on the ground, eyes downcast, completely still.
"My apologies," Charis began, uncomfortably, "if it is secret knowledge, there is no need to answer. We mean no disrespect."
The Earthwalker remained, for a long moment in silence and immobility. Finally, raising her large alien eyes she stared at each of them in turn.
"Forgive me." Her voice was husky, and raw with emotion that did not match her calm face. "It is not forbidden."
"If it brings you pain to talk of it, we would rather remain ignorant." Idran's voice was gentle.
"Agreed," Girn and Charis chimed as one.
The Earthwalker took a deep breath.
"To know how an Earthwalker is made, you need to know why she exists." She stared, again, at each one of the Xen Team members in turn.
"In spite of our simplicity, our People are an ancient race. We roamed space and considered ourselves advanced, we ruled our sector of the Universe. But we were foolish. We abused our Planet. Just as we faced oblivion, She intervened.”
The Xen Team stirred. Up until this point, no mention had been made of a previous civilisation, and the preliminary surveying had gathered no evidence of any large scale industrialisation, let alone interplanetary travel.
“Our Planet began to convulse and, in natural disaster the Old World was destroyed. Whole cities were swallowed in sink holes, or destroyed by fire, ice or water. Billions perished, but millions more survived.”
She paused again. To the humans’ chagrin, a steady stream of tears had begun to flow down her cheeks, leaving tracks that shone in the flickering firelight.
“It took a mere ten revolutions around Sol to reduce the People to savagery. Our Mother stirred again, and She gave the People Her Earthwalkers. Only those places that admitted Her Rule under the guidance of an Earthwalker survived. Those that did not, perished in nature’s chaos and destruction. Each Village has an Earthwalker to hold the rule of the Mother, to keep Her laws and ensure Her People prosper. Earthwalkers are made, not born.”
Girn frowned, “Made?”
“The Mother will show you.”
With that, she stood and walked to her tent.
“Made? Initiation? Training? There has never been talk of an Earthwalker school.” Charis was thoughtful.
“I am more interested in the apocalypse scenario. Do you think there is any chance that any technology survived?” Idran rubbed his ungloved hands against the cold. “It is getting late, we need to turn in. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.”
Before the sun had risen, the small party had eaten breakfast and packed their tents. Quickly, the small white sun burned in the relentless blue-green sky.
They trekked across the baked earth until the sun reached its zenith.
The Earthwalker stopped in her tracks at the head of the small column, her arm held out, as if to restrain them.
“Pause!” her voice was loud and excited. “We need to stop here.”
They caught up to her and gathered around her as she pointed to a spinning column of sand in the hazy distance.
“Our Mother has spoken.”
Hunkering down on her haunches, she drew the others close to the ground.
“Watch. You are honoured beyond your comprehension.”
The twister snaked towards them across the desert. It gained momentum and bulk as it sucked up particles of golden brown sand.
The air howled as the finely focused column of dust and air drew to a halt a thousand paces away.
They watched as the tornado suddenly collapsed in on itself from the top of its funnel, leaving a heap of golden brown sand. The silence was as deafening as the roar of spinning air had been.
“Come.” The Earthwalker had risen and was striding towards the pile of sand. The Xen Team scrambled to follow.
The Earthwalkers tunic fluttered on the ground, as she stood in front of the mound with arms outstretched. They arrived just in time to hear her call “Sister, come forth, you are fondly received.”
The pile of sand shifted, and a slight, golden brown form emerged. The sand fell like water around her feet, the woman stepped into the embrace of the Earthwalker. The embrace lengthened, and with a sudden gust of wind, the Earthwalker dissolved into red-brown sand, and blew across the desert.
