The Dust Navigator by Graeme Ing

Author:Graeme Ing [Ing, Graeme]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Graeme Ing

13

Pirates and Captains

And so life continued at the university for another moon-cycle. After her victory, it got noticeably easier for Lissa. Students she’d never interacted with greeted her at meal times or in the hallway. Even Master Gerare seemed to pick on her less, though she didn’t sit on her laurels. If anything, she studied harder.

She also found time to hang out with Myra. At first, she helped the girl with chart-making problems, but after that, they simply chatted about home. Myra had come to the university to learn a skill that could finally allow her family to move down out of the hills, and so her younger brothers wouldn’t have to work in the mines.

One day, they were sitting in Lissa’s room when Myra began to fidget in her chair.

“He still wants to see you, you know.”

Lissa sighed. “Faradan?”

Myra nodded nervously.

“Funny how he told you that and not me,” Lissa said, harsher than she’d intended.

“I think he’s afraid of you.”

Lissa laughed. “Good. Is he still seeing Carla?”

Myra shrugged. “I think he really wants to make it up to you.”

Lissa knew she should just tell him no and concentrate on her studies, but somehow, she couldn’t. Memories of their kiss and his hands gently gripping her waist kept coming to mind. Her studies were going well. Surely, she could see him and stay in control? But only as long as he wasn’t seeing Carla too. She blew out a breath.

“I’ll think about it.”

The class took lessons in the boats at least twice each eight-day. Sometimes her boat was captained by Gerare, other times by Palomar. On one occasion, Faradan stood in for Palomar, and she considered faking a sickness. For the entire trip, he tried to talk to her and complimented her seamanship so many times, it became embarrassing in front of the other boys, bordering on pathetic. She kept herself busy in the boat and treated him in a cold and professional manner. After that, he never captained the class’s boat again. She wondered if he’d gone back to Carla.

Four moon-cycles after arriving at the university, and into the start of winter, the first mail ship arrived.

When Lissa and Branda stepped outside onto the dock, a huge crowd buzzed with anticipation.

Snow fell silently, like powdered sweet-crystals sprinkled atop a cake, though it barely settled on the ground. Hidden by the overcast sky, both suns tried in vain to warm the morning.

“I want bake cakes today,” Branda said, and Lissa laughed, wondering if she too had been inspired by the snow.

Tartang stopped in front of the girls. “Expecting something? Letters, I mean?”

Lissa shrugged. “Not really.”

She prayed to Anjan for letters from either her mother or Oban checking on her progress. She missed the crotchety old navigator, though he’d likely forgotten about her.

“You?” she asked Tartang.

He nodded. “My father usually writes. He’s adamant I not embarrass him by failing.”

“You’ll pass,” she said. “No doubt about that.”

He beamed back at her. “High praise coming from you.”

It was no secret that all the boys believed her the best of all of them, though many of them would never admit it.

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