her weakened leg.
After a couple of days, they had reached the top of the last band of hills. Tristan looked down, glittering in the distance and catching the sunlight was a large lake or sea stretching in either direction as far as the eye could see.
“Now that is something I had not thought of. A sea between us and the beacon.”
Aesia came up behind him and took his hand. “Maybe we can walk round it?”
Tristan sighed. “Maybe.”
They reached the shore late that afternoon. They sat down together and looked at the barrier before them. Tristan lay back in the soft, warm sand and cursed out loud, “Bugger!”
Aesia leaned on her elbow and looked down at him. As he looked back into her eyes, he noticed that they were no longer blue as the sky on a cloudless day. They were turning dark blue and had started to get green flecks in them.
“Your eyes are changing, there isn’t anything wrong is there?”
“Changing, how?”
“They are darker, with green flecks.”
She caught her breath. He felt surprise, disbelief and hope in her mind before she suddenly shut it off.
“What? - What was that?”
She hesitated for a moment before answering him, “It’s what happens to the females of my species once they were paired and mated.”
He sensed a half-truth and a frown passed his brow. “Are there any other changes?”
She shook her head and her long hair brushed his face. She squeezed him tight rolled over and pulled him towards her. Much later, Tristan walked over to the water’s edge and tasted it. No hint of salt, so it could be a small freshwater sea or a large lake. If it had been salty, he would at least have a clue as to what they faced. Aesia’s direction finder indicated the beacon was directly in front of them when they faced out over the water. He walked back to where she sat watching him.
“We have two choices, it seems to me,” Tristan said. “We either walk round, or I build a raft and sail across.”
She looked at him. “Which do you think will be quicker?”
“I really don’t know. There is no way of knowing without having an idea as to how big it is.” He checked the computer. He had estimated there unit of distance was just under a mile. “We are 350 miles from the beacon so assuming 30 miles a day then 12 days sailing maximum” He spoke half to himself.
“Tristan, what did you say”
“I was talking to my self sorry. If the maximum distance we have to travel is all on this lake it would take us around 12 days sailing”
“So which is easiest then?” she asked.
Tristan smiled. “Again, it depends how large it is. It will take me several days to build a boat, but if the shore runs back around us, we could be retracing our steps. If we try to walk round; then, of course, which way do we go, left or right?” He paused for a moment. “I think a raft gets my vote.”
Aesia looked doubtful, “Tristan, I have never been on raft, or a boat for that matter.”
Tristan looked out over the water. “Well, as you pilot small spacecraft I am sure you won’t be seasick, especially as it’s calm… for the moment anyway. “I will build a raft, and we can try it out. If you really find you don’t like it then we will walk. How’s that?”
Aesia nodded. “All right, that seems fine to me. Let’s start tomorrow. The sun is still warm, I am sure we can think of better things to do this afternoon!” She smiled shyly at him.
“You’re insatiable!” He smiled.
Aesia lay on the warm sand looking up at the stars, Tristan asleep next to her, exhausted after their lovemaking. She thought about what he had said to her. Her eyes were changing? She knew he had sensed her unreasonable surge of hope before she had locked it down. That is all she needed, her body playing tricks on her. Preparing itself for something that can never happen. A sigh shook her. “What a strange universe this is.”
The next morning Tristan started building a raft. He cut
After a couple of days, they had reached the top of the last band of hills. Tristan looked down, glittering in the distance and catching the sunlight was a large lake or sea stretching in either direction as far as the eye could see.
“Now that is something I had not thought of. A sea between us and the beacon.”
Aesia came up behind him and took his hand. “Maybe we can walk round it?”
Tristan sighed. “Maybe.”
They reached the shore late that afternoon. They sat down together and looked at the barrier before them. Tristan lay back in the soft, warm sand and cursed out loud, “Bugger!”
Aesia leaned on her elbow and looked down at him. As he looked back into her eyes, he noticed that they were no longer blue as the sky on a cloudless day. They were turning dark blue and had started to get green flecks in them.
“Your eyes are changing, there isn’t anything wrong is there?”
“Changing, how?”
“They are darker, with green flecks.”
She caught her breath. He felt surprise, disbelief and hope in her mind before she suddenly shut it off.
“What? - What was that?”
She hesitated for a moment before answering him, “It’s what happens to the females of my species once they were paired and mated.”
He sensed a half-truth and a frown passed his brow. “Are there any other changes?”
She shook her head and her long hair brushed his face. She squeezed him tight rolled over and pulled him towards her. Much later, Tristan walked over to the water’s edge and tasted it. No hint of salt, so it could be a small freshwater sea or a large lake. If it had been salty, he would at least have a clue as to what they faced. Aesia’s direction finder indicated the beacon was directly in front of them when they faced out over the water. He walked back to where she sat watching him.
“We have two choices, it seems to me,” Tristan said. “We either walk round, or I build a raft and sail across.”
She looked at him. “Which do you think will be quicker?”
“I really don’t know. There is no way of knowing without having an idea as to how big it is.” He checked the computer. He had estimated there unit of distance was just under a mile. “We are 350 miles from the beacon so assuming 30 miles a day then 12 days sailing maximum” He spoke half to himself.
“Tristan, what did you say”
“I was talking to my self sorry. If the maximum distance we have to travel is all on this lake it would take us around 12 days sailing”
“So which is easiest then?” she asked.
Tristan smiled. “Again, it depends how large it is. It will take me several days to build a boat, but if the shore runs back around us, we could be retracing our steps. If we try to walk round; then, of course, which way do we go, left or right?” He paused for a moment. “I think a raft gets my vote.”
Aesia looked doubtful, “Tristan, I have never been on raft, or a boat for that matter.”
Tristan looked out over the water. “Well, as you pilot small spacecraft I am sure you won’t be seasick, especially as it’s calm… for the moment anyway. “I will build a raft, and we can try it out. If you really find you don’t like it then we will walk. How’s that?”
Aesia nodded. “All right, that seems fine to me. Let’s start tomorrow. The sun is still warm, I am sure we can think of better things to do this afternoon!” She smiled shyly at him.
“You’re insatiable!” He smiled.
Aesia lay on the warm sand looking up at the stars, Tristan asleep next to her, exhausted after their lovemaking. She thought about what he had said to her. Her eyes were changing? She knew he had sensed her unreasonable surge of hope before she had locked it down. That is all she needed, her body playing tricks on her. Preparing itself for something that can never happen. A sigh shook her. “What a strange universe this is.”
The next morning Tristan started building a raft. He cut
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