Aurora Borealis Bridge by Jane Lindskold

Author:Jane Lindskold [Lindskold, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Contemporary, General
ISBN: 9781982126025
Google: eHaCzgEACAAJ
Amazon: 1982126027
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2022-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

The company left early the next morning. Brunni cried when Grunwold gave her a farewell hug, brightened when he promised to bring her something pretty. Nefnet, Ranpeti, and Ohent seemed to have no regrets at being left behind. Teg wondered if Meg would have liked to join them. In some indefinable way, she seemed happier when they were at the Library.

However, Meg showed no tendency to linger when they went outside of the doors of the Library of the Sapphire Wind. The rickety ladder they’d used for their first several ascents and descents between the cleft into which the Library had dropped and what had been the main plaza had been replaced with two new, stronger ladders made from peeled saplings with the rungs lashed into place. Teg was reminded of the ladders used by the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest.

And for good reason. Here, as there, the ladders serve two purposes: making it easier to go between elevations, and making defense easier, because the ladders can be quickly removed.

Slicewind rested on the plaza pavement, near the statue of Dmen Qeres, the Library’s founder. As they approached the sky sailer, the eyes painted near the bow seemed to widen a bit, as if the ship had been drowsing, catlike, in the sun. Grunwold accepted a foothold from Kaj, then vaulted aboard and lowered a boarding ladder.

“All aboard for Zisurru University!” Heru squawked from where he was perched on the crow’s nest. “Batten down the hatches!”

“Not a great idea, you idiot xuxu,” Grunwold said affectionately, grunting a little as he hauled a bag of taga fruit, picked from a tree they’d come across when picking herbs. The fruit resembled grapefruit in size, Jackson Pollock’s art in color, and were sweet-tart, more like lime than grapefruit. Vereez loved taga fruit juice, which was doubtless why Grunwold was going to all this trouble.

Peg took charge. “Okay, me buckaroos. All three boys in the bow cabin. You won’t all be sleeping at the same time, so you can work out how to hot bunk it if you must. We mentors will keep the stern cabin. Vereez, you keep the little cabin near the mast.”

“I’d be happy to share with one of you ladies,” Vereez said almost too quickly, clearly asserting that her having the only single didn’t mean she wanted Kaj to come calling. “Or if I’m on duty, and someone wants some privacy, I’m fine with the space being used for that.”

Fleetingly, Teg considered suggesting that Xerak could bunk with Vereez, since he was uninterested in women and could chaperone as well, but decided against that; although Grunwold and Kaj were getting along well enough, it was probably not a great idea to push the relationship.

“Thank you for your offer, Vereez,” Meg said. “It’s not that I’m not very fond of all of you, but there are definitely times I would like to be alone.”

After that, there was a flurry of activity as fresh fruit, herbs, and fish gathered during their layover in the vicinity of the Library were stowed.

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