The Black Sky by Michael Dalton

Author:Michael Dalton [Dalton, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Published: 2020-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

The first hour the next morning was a long, low climb out of the bowl where the lake had formed. Then it began getting more rugged and rocky as we approached the ridge, where the river followed the base. And I soon realized we had a major challenge ahead. The river came pouring out of a crack in the ridge-line about half a mile away, forming a waterfall that was at least two hundred feet high. There was no way up without a lot of climbing gear that we didn’t have.

“Any ideas?”

“My idea of following the river was a bad one, my tsulygoi,” Eladra said. “I am sorry.”

I rubbed her shoulder.

“No. It’s gotten us this far.”

“Could there be another way around?” Narilora asked.

“Let’s go up to the base and have a look.”

It was rocky and very wet. The water fell into a small pool at the base, raising a cloud of mist that drifted down the river. This close to the ridge, I could see no way to climb up, even for Narilora. It was too sheer, too wet, and too high. And on the way over, I had seen nothing that looked like a feasible pathway up the ridge.

“Maybe we keep going,” I said. “There might be something.”

Crossing the river at the base presented no serious challenge, and we continued along the ridge away from the river. But we’d scarcely gone a hundred yards when Narilora pointed at something.

“Tsulygoi, look.”

Under a ledge, surrounded by fallen rock, was what looked like a cave. I was still dubious about caves on this world, but I walked over and checked it out anyway. The opening was oval, about six feet wide and eight feet high. It went in further in than I could see. I pulled out my crystal flashlight and turned it on, stepping into the darkness. There was a negotiable passageway that appeared to go up. But it was also wet, and a small trickle of water ran out between our feet.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“You guys decide. I’m okay with caves,” Eladra said. “Cunelo used to live in burrows.”

“I think we should check it out,” Narilora said. “I don’t mind the dark.”

“Okay. No telling how far it goes, but based on that little stream, it has to go up at least a little ways.”

I let Narilora take the lead but told her to go slow. The passageway twisted up and around for about fifty or sixty feet. In several places, water rained down on our heads. But the passage remained wide enough for us to make it through.

Then it opened into a larger chamber where the water had collected in a small pool. When I pointed the flashlight into the pool, I could see what looked like cave pearls, little concretions that had formed over time in the muck. I took a couple out and showed the girls.

“Crystals?” Eladra asked.

“Not quite, but still pretty cool.”

We had to wade through the pool to get past it, but it was only about two feet in the deepest spots.

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