Eclipses (v1.0) by Unknown Author

Author:Unknown Author
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Sunrise was eclipsed. All the mountainside and valley was awash with Hunted Moon’s eerie light. Fragile ice crystals shattered beneath the wheels of the car as Aram steered past the houses at the edge of the village toward the rail terminal. Red-tile rooftops on the downslope alongside the road looked pearly pink, and the conifers looked like giant limes. Even the blue-hued planks of the rail terminal paled beneath frost that had grown like fairy fern during the night.

Beside him in the car, Erik glanced up, gray eyes alert beneath uncombed blond curls that were at least partially covered by his hat. His youngest son had been the only one awake when Aram had gotten up this morning. Aram had made a big breakfast for the two of them to share, for early had been very early, the latest Aram could bear to be in his bed, alone for the last time this year. Breakfast had taken up some of the time, and the drive, deliberately slower than was entirely necessary, even considering the slickness of the road because of the heavy coat of rime, had filled in some of the waiting. Yet they were early, and Erik knew it. He knew all the railcar schedules by heart and even seemed to have an uncanny sense for knowing when unscheduled runs might pass through the area. It always seemed odd to Aram that this child alone among his offspring could not remember his multiplication tables.

Aram stopped the car, having meticulously maneuvered it next to a charging cable he did not need. Aram released the door latch; his son did likewise and scrambled out of the car. Erik’s breath went white in the out-of-doors. The car doors slammed shut, and then there was only the sound of Erik’s running up the frosted path to the rail terminal.

Inside, dawn travelers were huddled over the air vents, warming themselves in convection currents, all bleak and silent. Their cheerlessness seemed to subdue Erik for a while, for he stood by his father, staring. Migrants, Aram guessed, quite done with the nut-gathering in the valley and moving on north to the sugartree farms and seasonal contracts.

Then Hunted Moon moved on, and sunlight glittered on the frost of the east windows. Erik left his father’s side to step over to the south windows, where he melted the frost with the heat of his hand.

“It’s coming,” Erik said.

Aram peered over his son’s shoulder.

Aram wore a heavy feather-wool sweater, naturally blue in color, nearly gray, a shade he knew Beth liked. His trousers and boots were brown, neat, sturdy, but not fashionable according to recent trends toward bright colors. Erik, however, was wearing a shiny berry-red coverall trimmed with bark-textured leather belt and matching boots and cap, a combination Aram had seen on most of the children Erik’s age that lived in the vicinity of Calib’s Dam. Even Alexi, though older than Erik, had such attire, though he did not wear it as often, preferring clothing like Aram’s, comfortable and serviceable.

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