Under a Starless Sky

“I’ve never seen a male baby that didn’t cry. Go get me that needle over there, I’ll fix this,” G’Ma said.

The look on the infants face caused laughter.

“No, mother,” Lanore said.

Lanore, Ceolla, Tell, and G’Ma looked down into the bassinet holding the twins. They were both relatively quiet. The girl had made a fuss when separated from his brother.

“That is the ugliest baby I have ever seen,” Tell said.

“You said it would look better in a day or so,” Ceolla said. “This is not better.”

“It reminds me of Eirwen,” Tell said.

“Are you sure you only slept with the Water People?” Tell asked.

“Yes,” Lanore said.

“I thought maybe this ghost woman you told me of was albino, but this is not that,” Tell said.

“Maybe the water people have this in them. Maybe the stories of being casted out on water in baskets are actually truth. Even they can’t stand this look,” Ceolla offered.

“We should kill it,” G’Ma said.

“We are not killing it,” Lanore said. “It suckles. It’s thriving.”

“You can’t leave it with your daughter like this,” G’Ma said.

“I don’t think this is catchy,” Lanore said.

“You must admit, this bond they have is strange,” Tell said. “They can’t stay together forever.”

“Maybe her soul divided into two babies,” Ceolla offered.

“Seriously?” Lanore asked her.

“This is your fault, Lanore,” G’Ma said. “You consult with ghosts, you get ghosts. I warned you about this Heart path. You have led us further from Sinter and now have brought evil into the world.”

“It is a baby, not evil,” Lanore said.

“It is a male. You don’t know what gifts it will bring!” G’Ma said.

“It’s so ugly, it’s not likely to have any opportunities to give gifts,” Ceolla said.

“That is certain,” Tell said. “I can’t see how allowing this to continue is kindness.”

G’Ma frowned, not wanting to agree with Tell. She left the room, angry.

“Worst case scenario, he offers nothing. He is a mouth to feed,” Ceolla said.

“In other words, just another man,” Lanore lamented.

“I could train it for the fights,” Tell said. “Hell, people would likely pay just to see him. And if he proves any good, well, people will want to fight the ghost.”

“I don’t like the games,” Lanore said.

“A man either brings gifts, or he fights,” Tell said. “There is no way this one will bring gifts. He will fight, or he will be a burden. If you get a reputation for being soft, you’ll have every beggar from Midelay inwards wanting to come here.”

Lanore picked up the girl. She could hold her. She could feed her. If she put her in her own basinet, she cried. She tried it again, just to prove a point. She put the daughter back in the basket with the boy.

“He has given me the gift of quiet,” Lanore said. “Surely that is something?”

“Do you think she’s protecting him?” Ceolla said.

“It’s a baby,” Tell said. “How much discernment do think it holds.”

“Don’t we all bring secrets into this world?” Ceolla said.

“We’ll stay the course,” Lanore said. “I have got enough milk for both.”

Tell laughed. “You got enough milk for half your village,” she said.

“We have honey,” Ceolla offered.

Tell was mad. “I was joking. She is not a goat,” she said.

“Goat milk is for goats. Human milk is for humans,” Ceolla said.

“You people are strange,” Tell said.

“And yet, you tarry,” Ceolla said.

“Well, now I’m guaranteed to be here at least three years,” Tell said.

“Why?” Lanore asked.

see how this fiasco turns out,” Tell

निर्मित

looks good on

comfortable could come

fell on Candace, who was teaching her younger sister letters. Candace marked on a slate with

“What?” Candace asked.

have asked you not to do that in front of

it for him to

“Dumb is not stupid,” Lanore said, for a millionth

won’t sit still and do lessons with me,” Candace said. “I mean, really, L’Ma,

desk, took Shen

“If you don’t stop coming in here, I

should,” G’Ma said. “Maybe they’ll beat some

her finger

Ceolla entered. “L’Ma.”

looked to

disturb you, but

back?”

people,” Ceolla said. “Three are in

to

“Their ship is not visible from the Light. I am

“I’ll be there directly,”

like a man of war. The pencil didn’t do it justice. Her vision had more depth, more colors. They were bright things in a dark place,

“You can’t see

know,” Lanore said. “But

guests,” Tell said, touching

out the main gates. Three women, holding bamboo staffs, and kneeling, heads bowed, per a custom as old as anyone

are the Master of this Light?” the

hold this Light. I hold the sanctity of this circle,” Lanore said. “You honor the path, so I

am Neva,” the one in center spoke. “These two are my apprentices, Cari, and Foam. We come from the Seaship,

no city ship,” Lanore

Neva said. “It may be visible in a week. Or perhaps a month. Unless the

beyond the horizon?” Lanore

find it and our supplies

have two apprentices

from whom I

but she, too, has two apprentices,”

“I wish to learn the way of the Heart Path,” Neva

old to be afraid of the dark,” Lanore said. “Besides, you said you

can still learn. You said two Master live here? Doesn’t it take three

three to raise a Light. Only

bowed. “Is there any condition

would be a

as good as ours, and if they keep the skill and teach it to their children, then their children might carry it further, and maybe in seven generations

“Impossible,” Sheen said.

her in the back of

come to stay with us, and they’re babies do as well as ours. The adults, not so much. I have the

a healer, too,”

“Torch Bearer, reveal

tapped her bamboo staff. The crystal held

staff, and the wood itself

of the flame,”

did not flinch. She didn’t even look at it. Tell broke protocol and entered the circle, catching the snake by the neck. She shook it out, as if to snap a whip and returned it to the form of a staff. She planted it in the ground and stepped up to Foam. They locked eyes like snakes

Lanore said. “Sister. I hold this

eyes holding on Foam. She slowly

this all you have to offer?” Lanore

soft blue. A soft turn of air inside the circle spun the ends of their dresses

hard, and if you will entertain art as something real, I would claim to be a seer. I am valuable to my people, because I always know where things are. I wish to learn the Heart Path. The only thing of value I have is my life. I will give this to you, live here among you for the

“Do you have

the flap of her pack and withdrew a book. She handed it to Lanore. Lanore examined the

this for a day,” Lanore

Neva bowed.

a decision before this time next year. Ceolla, chase the men out of the barracks

caught up to Lanore just as she stopped

none of your business, boy.” Lanore

in Indonesia,” Shen said. “Genetic adaption of enlarged spleen likely accounts for their unusual

“What?” Lanore asked.

“You can speak?” Tell

“It’s complete

understand us?” Tell

“Yes,” Shen said.

have you never spoken

have not had anything nice to

faster than he could keep up without trotting. ‘Finally, someone’s going to beat that boy,’ G’Ma was saying as he was led past her. The entered Lanore’s home. He balked at going into the study, but Lanore