Free Tracking (Return of the Nine) by Viola Grace

Chapter One
     
     
    Ianka felt Vida’s call. Instead of the normal obsession that her sibling was broadcasting, pain had begun to radiate and her life had been in danger.
    Ianka had struck camp and headed back to what little civilisation Gaia could offer. Her sister was no longer on their world, but Ianka knew where to find her.
    She filled her pack and looked skyward. The new star in the sky contained her sister and she was going to get to her as quickly as she could. There was something very wrong and Vida needed her. She would find out why when she arrived. She had some walking to do.
    With plains and hills between her and the city, she had better get started on the hike.
    She set her senses to track Vida and was on her way.
     
    Five days later, she was stomping up the drive toward the Embassy of the Nine. Vida was no longer in danger, but she wanted Ianka. The call of her sister vibrated through Ianka with every step.
    She must have looked savage as she walked toward the gates. The guards took one look at her and released the gate to allow her entrance to the grounds. She nodded and kept plodding on.
    Daphne ran out of the building and came to a surprised halt. A greenish man was behind her, and he put a protective arm around her.
    Ianka nodded to Daphne and turned toward her husband. “Ambassador Apolan, I am Ianka Senior, and I believe my sister needs to discuss something with me. I need to get to the mother ship.”
    He nodded. “Of course. I will make the arrangements, but first, I believe we will offer you the hospitality of a bath and a change of clothing.”
    Amusement tinged her smile. “I will gratefully accept.”
    Relief flickered across his features and Daphne laughed. “Come this way, Ianka.”
    She followed the ambassador’s wife, her one-time friend. She hadn’t seen Daphne since before the Tokkel attack.
    Ianka had cut all ties with the Gaian colony when her sister Vida insisted on her obsession with finding their parents. There was no way to find them, and it had been impossible to get that through her sister’s head.
    Now, the pull to her sister had grown strong again and there was a certainty in what Ianka was doing. Vida needed her to do something and Vida was in the mother ship, so that is where she would go.
    When Daphne showed her to the guestroom, she sighed in admiration. Years of being on her own and wearing leather that she had tanned herself meant that she was a little more attuned to the scents of nature and her own aroma has ceased to be an issue. Being clean was a luxury, and it was something that she looked forward to.
    Daphne hesitated in the doorway. “Do you need help?”
    A little embarrassed, Ianka cleared her throat. “Is there any chance you could find me something to wear? I don’t think that these clothes are fit for company.”
    Daphne smiled. “I will put them on the bed while you are in the shower. Drop your clothing on the floor and they will be cleaned.”
    “Thanks. I apologize for the grime, but it has been a while since I have seen plumbing.”
    Ianka headed for the bathroom, dropping her pack inside. She closed the bathroom door and heard Daphne close the outer door. Ianka peeled off her fitted boots, undoing the laces with pride. They were her favourite creations. Her trousers hadn’t turned out quite right. Scraping the skins had been awkward. The top had been made to wrap in place and it slid softly from her shoulders to lie in a sad heap on the floor. Her breast wrap was more difficult, but when she was only dressed in her skin, she flexed her fingers and toes in anticipation.
    The plumbing had more options than she was used to, but once she had the water the right temperature, she stepped in and shuddered in delight.
    It took her quite a while to get her hair scrubbed to her satisfaction, but once it was clean, she attacked the rest of her body with enthusiasm. She normally soaked in a creek next to her small hut, but she hadn’t had time to stop for