6. Berne #2
As they walked down the side of the bowl into the valley, he could see the village proper in the distance.
The dome simulated a day/night cycle closer to the equator, and he loved coming home at different times of day to see the whole valley at once, but the early morning was a particularly magical time.
5 The sky was a wash of pink as it brightened from a dusky purple, and in the distance, lights flared to life inside the many homes.
On the far side of Sanctuary, the river flowed from underneath the mountains, splitting into many winding canals creating the town's waterways.
In areas not reached by the canals, footpaths and bridges crossed over the water connecting the small islands.
At any moment, the lunula would cease glowing as it sensed the illumination of the sun, transforming the river and the canals from gleaming streams of light to ordinary-seeming water.
In the center of it all, the largest island held a green space surrounded by shops and governmental buildings.
Trails of smoke from breakfast fires hung in the air the rounded thatched roofs atop houses dotting the many islands.
The council strictly regulated building styles when any new construction took place, ensuring the town remained true to the Lady's vision. 6
Berne wished Sirin were awake to see it; it would have been impossible for her to resist the magic of it.
Surely there could not be anywhere else in the world as beautiful.
His best friend, Torsten, had traveled extensively, and he claimed he'd seen nowhere as stunning.
For a moment, Berne debated waking Sirin so she might enjoy this as her first view of his home, but she really needed the rest. Her body wasn't used to the strain of having to heal on its own and doing so must be extremely taxing.
He'd be sure to bring her out at sunset, he decided.
As soon as they approached the town, Gunna dismissed Arndis with a wave and gave Berne a stern look. ''Take ‘er to your house and do not let ‘er out of your sight. We'll send for ‘er once the council is convened.''
Berne nodded and turned down the pathway toward his small house.
He skirted the edge of the village, spying curious eyes peeking at him from behind curtains.
He frowned, folks should know to mind their own business.
It was normal for anyone to be curious about outsiders, it didn't seem fair to have people peeping at her when she wasn't even conscious.
When he finally passed the last house and into the forest, Berne felt a heaviness lift from his chest. He often felt crowded while in town, but this time it seemed more intense.
Inside the boundary, the forest held both deciduous and coniferous trees, though this close to town it was mostly broad leaves.
He left the path to take a shortcut home, cutting through the woods.
He wanted to smell the forest floor as he disturbed it with his boots.
The scent of decomposing leaves and sun-warmed earth were comforting, and as he neared his cabin, sweet pine joined from the trees around his house.
As he approached his home a few minutes later, Berne wondered how it would look to Sirin's eyes.
He'd built the place himself a few years ago, modeling it after the houses of the rest of the village, with a few modifications.
While he'd built it with a second floor, he'd never installed the flooring for the upstairs.
For the time being, it allowed the sun to reach the main floor and he hadn't had the heart to complete it if it might never be occupied.
At the front of his home, a wide porch held his rocking chair and whittling supplies.
Someday, he hoped he could have a pet to sit by his side.
For now, it wouldn't be fair, being gone for weeks at a time as often as he was.
The thatching needed attention, he could see a few bits of moss he needed to rake down, but otherwise, it was a handsome house.
The whitewashing looked fresh, if a bit patchy, a side effect of having three-year-old laborers, which only made him love it more.
Berne climbed his steps and cracked open the door.
He gently unwrapped Sirin and placed her on his bed.
When he turned back to the room, he frowned.
He hadn't anticipated being gone so long and he certainly hadn't planned on having company.
He had no guest quarters, his plants were dying, and the place was a wreck.
Dishes were piled high in the basin and he had several projects lying about in various states of completion.
By the Lady's grace, he'd at least taken the trash out before he'd gone on patrol, though he was fairly certain most of his fruits and vegetables would be rotten at this point.
Suddenly he was self-conscious of the lack of walls in the space as he'd never seen a need, living on his own as he did.
The fireplace dominated the back wall of the cabin, with his easy chair and rug in front of it.
On the left side sat his large tub, positioned so he could enjoy the fire's warmth while he soaked.
On the right, a back door led outside to the privy.
Otherwise, it was sparsely furnished, his bed to the left wall, the kitchen and door to the cellar along the right, and his round table in the center.
Berne wasn't sure her lunula worked the same way as his, but if she healed up when she woke, she would likely be ravenous afterward.
He shrugged off some layers, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and dug through his cabinets and root cellar to see what he had on hand.
In the cellar, he found potatoes and carrots, an onion, and some salt beef; he could pull together a stew.
He poked his head out his back door and was pleased to see the bright red of a few late-season tomatoes peeking between the leaves of his raised beds.
The fact things weren't dead out there meant Cat and the twins had been by, at least often enough to water.
He snatched them up and returned inside to prep and check on Sirin.
She'd rolled onto her side, curled into herself, and tucked her hands under her cheek.
Adorable. This was a side of her he hadn't been able to observe during the time he tracked her, she'd always slept inside a tent.
Seeing her like that, curled up and peaceful on his bed, was beyond sexy.
What he felt seeing her was some sort of magical combination of relaxed and aroused, which he never would have thought possible.
He smiled and decided to chop everything at the table, so he could keep an eye on Sirin while she slept.
Berne had always enjoyed the slow, methodical nature of chopping food.
As he finished with each vegetable, he dumped them into his large cast iron pot and followed it with the salt beef, and spices.
He added some water from his pump and lit the stove.
It would take a while to cook, but he could always chop up some hard cheese if she woke hungry.
Stew set to simmer, he turned, hands on his hips, and looked at Sirin.
She was still covered in her own blood, and the last day's worth of dirt crusted her skin.
Surely she would want a bath. He filled his largest pot and set it on the stove to boil before carrying several buckets over to his large tub and filling it.
He lit his fire, pulled the tub closer, and dusted off the privacy screen that usually sat in the corner ignored.
Almost the second he had it set, he heard a soft tap at the door followed by his sister's voice. Catrin opened the door without waiting for his answer and gasped when she entered the room.
''Berne, what is going on? Everyone won't shut up about you having captured a—'' She lowered her voice as she studied Sirin with her wide blue eyes.
Catrin had white hair, like nearly everyone born in Sanctuary, that cascaded in curls down her back.
Cat was nearly a foot shorter than Berne, soft where he was solid, and quick where he was galumphing.
She suited her snow hare form as perfectly as he did his bear.