Schism: Part One of Triad by Catherine Asaro

Author:Catherine Asaro [Asaro, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci-Fi Romance
Publisher: TOR
Published: 2011-09-27T18:11:24+00:00

“It is the way always with women,” the Archer said good-naturedly. “The tall, handsome stranger comes into their midst and they vie for his attention.”

Shannon’s face was burning. Elarion couldn’t be serious. He twirled the purpleglass arrow Elarion had given him, turning it around and around in his hand as he looked up the line of Archers. Varielle was about seven riders ahead of him, riding alongside one of her friends.

“They confuse me,” Shannon admitted.

“Who?” Elarion closed his eyes and tilted his face to the sun, letting his lyrine pick the way.

“Women.”

“Ah.” Elarion looked at him. “So it has always been.”

It wasn’t the world’s most useful advice, but he suspected it was all he would get from the taciturn Elarion. Varielle remained a mystery. He had thought she liked him, but now that they no longer needed to ride the same lyrine, she often went with her friends, leaving him alone. Just when he thought she had forgotten him, she would seek out his company. But before he could find me courage to take matters further, she would go off again with her friends. She kept him off balance, off kilter. Maybe his initial impression of her interest had been wishful thinking. Why would a woman such as Varielle spend time with a boy? Although he hadn’t told her his age, he probably came across as young.

His height couldn’t hide the truth for long.

“Shannon, bannon,” voices chimed at his side. “Sing a song.”

He smiled as two small boys rode next to him, both on one lyrine, their small faces beaming, their wild gold hair tousled down their necks and around their ears, their upward-tilted eyes full of silver mischief.

“My greetings,” Shannon said.

“Sing the story about the night and dawn,” they chimed.

“It would be my pleasure.” Shannon had sung earlier for the adults as they rode, so his voice was warm and relaxed. He hummed a few notes, then let a ballad flow out of him, using his tenor range: Ralcon, god of night, Spreading stars wide, Spreading stars through the sky, The dark sky, Dark as his eyes, Dark as his hair, Dark as the night.

The charmed goddess rose, The goddess of light, The goddess of Dawn, Of luminous new Dawn.

Ralcon, god of the dark, Of fertile, sensual dark, He brings the Dawn, The pearly Dawn, But lives beyond her light.

While he sang, the boys made appreciative chimes with their voices, like music to accompany him. The melody sparkled among the trees. Other riders had pulled closer as Shannon sang, and now they added rills of approval. It made Shannon smile. He had spent many an hour with his father during his childhood learning to sing. He had so loved those days.

His good mood faded. Never again would his father sing with him.

He talked with the boys for a while, but eventually they rode off to explore the woods, away from adults, which apparently included him. Shannon wished he could go with them. He missed running through the Dalvador Plains.

“You are good with them,” Elarion said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.