[Child of the 7th Age]

Narika stood at the entrance to the tent, blankly staring off across the encampment. She was barely aware of the children darting back and forth, or the fact that their parents had already begun packing up their belongings and gathering the herds in preparation for the move of the camp that was supposed to take place later that day. Outwardly, everything looked normal. Surinen and Narayad had made it back to the clan the evening before. Although Narika hadn't had a chance to speak with either of them, she'd already heard the good news that their search for a well had met with success.

Her own deep concerns stemmed from something totally different. Ayar, her beloved mother and leader of the clan, a woman whose wisdom and mastery of shapes was undisputed, lay unexpectedly ill in her bed. Ayar had been restless throughout the evening, eating none of the food set before her, and had excused herself early to retire to bed. At first Narika had thought little of her mother's behavior or complaints: a good night's sleep would surely cure everything. But, in the middle of the night, her mother had awoken with a high fever and symptoms of pain in her neck, chest, and stomach. Narika had bathed Ayar's head and body with cool cloths and applied a compress soaked in a tincture of herbs directly to the back of her neck where she could see a small, inflamed puncture wound, apparently made by an insect.

Despite everything, her mother's fever had continued to rise. The poison that had come from the small sting seemed to be coursing slowly and inexorably through her body. Narika was an accomplished healer, yet her mother's illness did not look or act like others she had known. She could not think of anything that would cause these particular symptoms. After hours of tireless effort and trying different herbal remedies, Narika had finally seen her mother fall into a fitful sleep punctuated by moans and restless movement.

There could be no real rest for Narika until Ayar recovered. She loved her mother deeply. Even more than that, each clan member depended on Ayar in a direct and personal way that the citizens of Umbar, or even of Minas Tirth, would not have understood; the other maenwaith would find her mother's illness just as deeply troubling.

The young woman forced herself to concentrate on the situation at hand, despite the weariness of her body and the grey fog assaulting her mind. After many minutes of reflection, she finally made her decision. The camp would not move today, not even if Surinen and Narayad reported finding an ocean of water. They could not risk such a thing when Ayar was feeling so poorly. The goats and camels would simply have to make do with the few scrub plants that remained near their old watering spot. A move now might not only be risky for Ayar's personal health, but for the general safety of the clan, since this was the time when they were most vulnerable to attack by marauding outlaws and brigands.

Narika's mind spun in circles as she wished for the hundredth time that Ráma or Thorn had made it back to camp. Thorn would have the wisdom and the insight to know just what to do. And, while she herself usually agonized over decisions, making and remaking them a dozen times, her twin was exactly the opposite: forging ahead, without looking back or second guessing. Narika wearily wondered if that approach wouldn't be better in a situation like this.

Walking over to a cluster of maenwaith who were still lingering over breakfast, Narika gently explained that her mother was not feeling well, although she declined to elaborate further. She then approached one of the more trustworthy young lads and asked him to have the elders gather inside her tent, along with Surinen and Naravad, to discuss what must be done.

Narika could not fully explain or justify the sense of alarm and helplessness that was spreading through her mind. Although Ayar had been sick only a short time, Narika was acutely aware that this was an illness unfamiliar to her and, because of that, she could not predict what would happen. With difficulty, she came to a second decision. When the young man returned from his errand, she would ask him to fly across the desert to search out her sister and Thorn, urging them to come home as quickly as they could. Whatever business or problems might exist within Umbar, these now seemed small in comparison with the troubles that had come to perch within their own clan.