Friday Snippet #42

Here's another story from the work in progress currently known by the truly descriptive title: Short Story #1. *g* As it is a Short story, and not another lengthy novel, I am trying to keep it short (very hard for me, but so far so good). This scene comes right after the last entry. Enjoy.

“It’s too bad you left so early this morning.” Campion interrupted Adhara’s musings to comment. “I hear the Dauntless was coming in this afternoon, with Calla and her baby on board.”

"Really? She’s ready to travel already? Corvus must have been thrilled to be able to travel with them.”

“Who are Corvus and Calla?” Selene asked, looking as if she were enjoying herself listening to Adhara and Campion’s banter.

“Sorry, whenever we get together we tend to spend the first bit getting caught up on news about mutual friends and acquaintances. Calla is joining mum’s ship as First Officer.”

“And Corvus would be?” Campion smiled, teasing slightly.

“You don’t know Corvus? He’s the new First Officer on the Dauntless, and the father of Calla’s baby.”

“Are he and Calla a couple?” Selene looked like she was interested in spite of herself.

“Oh no, she just wanted a baby, and he was amenable.” Adhara smiled, thinking of the many adventures she’d been on with Corvus and Calla during their time at Winter Quarters. “I’ve known both Calla and Corvus my whole life. It’ll be good to see them again.”

“Isn’t this a lovely way to spend the morning?” Campion smiled, stretching so he was sitting tall in the saddle and then leaning back as his muscles relaxed. “Here I am riding this lovely mare, talking to two beautiful young ladies, looking at the early spring flowers, and still smelling the clean salty scent of the sea blowing gently out of the south.”

“South?” Selene whipped around, shock making her eyes wide and her face even paler than usual. “From the south, are you sure?”

“I can smell it too,” Adhara agreed, closing her eyes to focus on what her nose was telling her. “Yup, it’s from the south, I smell the sea, I smell cold, and something else. I’m not sure what.”

“That would be snow.” Selene shook her head, looking worried but also disgusted. “He must have known it was coming. Dammit. The only reason you would be able to smell the sea at this time of year is if there were a storm coming. A blizzard. When that much warm wet air comes north during winter, it hits the cold air coming down from the aurora zone, and we get snow.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing a little snow.” Campion replied complacently. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen any snow; we don’t get any down in Winter Quarters.”

“We need to hurry, there’s a way station that we can just reach if we go as fast as these nags can pull the wagon.” Selene began looking around, taking stock, Adhara could see the thoughts as they flew across her face. “It’s a good thing we started stocking the way stations with necessities, there should be enough supplies to last us, however long we’re shut in.”

“Whoa there, you seem to think this will be a big storm?” Campion started thinking as well. “Do I need to go back and warn them? They might not know it’s coming.”

“Oh, I’m betting they know. In fact, I’m betting that not long after you left, they closed the gates to make sure no one left and got caught in it.” Selene looked around again, examining the terrain for landmarks, “You can’t go back, you’d never make it in time. You need to come with us to the way station. We’re not talking a little snow. We’re talking feet of snow. The question isn’t if we will be snowed in the way station, but for how long.”