peeked out, a little miffed that she hadn’t even glanced at him. Shilastar was rummaging through the basket, inspecting the fresh portions of goods set in it, not even questioning their presence.
The two breakfasted on a hearty feast, which could have served as several meals. They didn’t say much while they ate. They both had much to mull over. The day was young and they had a great deal to do, but they still weren’t quite sure how to do it.
Shilastar tidied up after the meal, returning the emptied vessels to the basket, organizing the disorder in the room. Something on the floor caught her eye. Picking up a necklace, she scrutinized it, recognizing at once the tiny interlaced figure eights of the chain and the dark metal of the teardrop-shaped medallion at its center. “This is mine!” she burst out and whirled around to face Ty. “Where did you get this?”
Ty fished through his pockets before he responded. “Your father gave it to me.”
“When?” demanded Shilastar.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. Wait, wait! Don’t look at me that way, let me think.” Was it before we went to Ttuirre or before we went to the ruins? “Before we went to the ruins... He said you forgot it and you would need it.”
“I’ll be...” said Shilastar befuddled, placing the necklace around her neck without further comment. “Ty, what are we going to do?”
“Let me think, I had it before. Now what was I... ?” He stopped, realizing he was talking out loud.
“What did he mean not on Paliy?”
Ty lifted his eyebrows at her words. They sparked a return to his previous train of thought. “Exactly that,” returned Ty. “He said not on Paliy 4.”
“Oh, now you sound just like him.”
“Not quite,” chortled Ty, having some fun with Shilastar.
“Oo!”
“Whoa, settle down. Just a joke.” Ty launched into a guarded explanation of how planetary systems worked, unsure of the level of techno-jargon she could comprehend. “Paliy is a planetary system, consisting of twenty-two planets. Thus, Paliy 4 is but one of twenty-two.”
“And?” asked Shilastar when he finished.
“And, my dear Shilastar, it’s not just this little world we need to think about. There is a whole lot more out there .”
“What does that even mean?” Shilastar started to cry, stopped. “I’m so sorry, Ty. It’s just...”
“I’m sorry,” began Ty, “I didn’t mean for it to come out harshly.” Ty stopped talking, and wiped the tears from her face, “Maybe we should stay here for a day or two. You shall have your period of sorrow and then we can press on if you wish.”
Shilastar’s expression grew sadder still, “No, not just yet.”
“Then what do you propose we do?”
“I thought you knew?”
Ty had to think. “I’m not sure I can do it, I never have, I mean, one thing is for sure: We can’t take all this. We have to choose only what we need, nothing more.”
Both looked at the basket; and after salvaging what remained, they went to the duffel sack. Shilastar began to unfold its contents onto the bed, after she had tidied the sheets. The two sleeping covers she encountered first, as they had been the last thing they had extracted from the bag. Folding them neat and small, she placed the tiny squares on the bed. Two containers were also found, which they had emptied previously. She tucked the few miscellaneous items back into the small wrap.
Shilastar smiled when she untangled an umbrella from the far interior. “See,” she said showing it off to Ty, “a traveler always has to have one of these to keep away the chill of the rain.”
“Lest it take away your life,” reminded Ty with a smile.
“Ty, look,” she blurted excitedly, finding something odd. Ty grinned and placed it among
The two breakfasted on a hearty feast, which could have served as several meals. They didn’t say much while they ate. They both had much to mull over. The day was young and they had a great deal to do, but they still weren’t quite sure how to do it.
Shilastar tidied up after the meal, returning the emptied vessels to the basket, organizing the disorder in the room. Something on the floor caught her eye. Picking up a necklace, she scrutinized it, recognizing at once the tiny interlaced figure eights of the chain and the dark metal of the teardrop-shaped medallion at its center. “This is mine!” she burst out and whirled around to face Ty. “Where did you get this?”
Ty fished through his pockets before he responded. “Your father gave it to me.”
“When?” demanded Shilastar.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. Wait, wait! Don’t look at me that way, let me think.” Was it before we went to Ttuirre or before we went to the ruins? “Before we went to the ruins... He said you forgot it and you would need it.”
“I’ll be...” said Shilastar befuddled, placing the necklace around her neck without further comment. “Ty, what are we going to do?”
“Let me think, I had it before. Now what was I... ?” He stopped, realizing he was talking out loud.
“What did he mean not on Paliy?”
Ty lifted his eyebrows at her words. They sparked a return to his previous train of thought. “Exactly that,” returned Ty. “He said not on Paliy 4.”
“Oh, now you sound just like him.”
“Not quite,” chortled Ty, having some fun with Shilastar.
“Oo!”
“Whoa, settle down. Just a joke.” Ty launched into a guarded explanation of how planetary systems worked, unsure of the level of techno-jargon she could comprehend. “Paliy is a planetary system, consisting of twenty-two planets. Thus, Paliy 4 is but one of twenty-two.”
“And?” asked Shilastar when he finished.
“And, my dear Shilastar, it’s not just this little world we need to think about. There is a whole lot more out there .”
“What does that even mean?” Shilastar started to cry, stopped. “I’m so sorry, Ty. It’s just...”
“I’m sorry,” began Ty, “I didn’t mean for it to come out harshly.” Ty stopped talking, and wiped the tears from her face, “Maybe we should stay here for a day or two. You shall have your period of sorrow and then we can press on if you wish.”
Shilastar’s expression grew sadder still, “No, not just yet.”
“Then what do you propose we do?”
“I thought you knew?”
Ty had to think. “I’m not sure I can do it, I never have, I mean, one thing is for sure: We can’t take all this. We have to choose only what we need, nothing more.”
Both looked at the basket; and after salvaging what remained, they went to the duffel sack. Shilastar began to unfold its contents onto the bed, after she had tidied the sheets. The two sleeping covers she encountered first, as they had been the last thing they had extracted from the bag. Folding them neat and small, she placed the tiny squares on the bed. Two containers were also found, which they had emptied previously. She tucked the few miscellaneous items back into the small wrap.
Shilastar smiled when she untangled an umbrella from the far interior. “See,” she said showing it off to Ty, “a traveler always has to have one of these to keep away the chill of the rain.”
“Lest it take away your life,” reminded Ty with a smile.
“Ty, look,” she blurted excitedly, finding something odd. Ty grinned and placed it among
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