CHAPTER 4
ELERI
When Eleri emerged from her sleeping quarters the next morning, Pyo was standing at the raised table in the dining area of the dwelling sipping a mug of something with a strong bitter scent.
“Ah, good morning, Eleri. Can I offer you some of Laurus’ finest gogursk? We import it all the way from Brasnia Prime.”
“I’m alright, thank you. Still recovering from the luxportal.
” She patted her stomach with an exaggerated wince.
It wasn’t a question of whether he knew about what had happened the night before.
Myla didn’t seem the type to keep things to herself.
However, Eleri was not about to go out of her way to bring up her graceless vomiting all over S’samph’s boots.
No doubt he was already aware of just how poorly the conversation had gone, courtesy of Myla’s snooping.
“Eat something small at least. Can’t put you to work on an empty stomach.”
Eleri stood across the table and reached for something that looked like a puck of grains.
There were more purple fruits on the table as well, but she wasn’t about to chance a repeat of last night’s performance.
She nibbled a corner of the puck and found it to be mostly dry but palatable with a flavor like synth ginger.
Pyo did his best to hide a chuckle as he pushed a bowl of something smooth and sweet smelling across the table. “I don’t know much about human eating habits, but most kyrot prefer tosa with jam.”
“Jam?” Eleri was surprised to hear a familiar human word for food all the way on the other side of the quadrant.
“I’ve been studying some Gaiese,” Pyo grinned. “Did I get it right?”
“You did,” she conceded and spread a small smear of jam on the tosa.
It did taste much better with the fruity tartness and was different enough from the berries she’d consumed the night before so as not to turn her stomach.
Still, she thought it wise to limit herself to a smaller portion.
The last thing she wanted was to vomit again.
Besides, if she kept getting herself sick, she’d be next to useless for her anticipated medical training.
Pyo seemed to have no such compunction about eating, and he filled his plate three times while she sat nibbling on her food.
“So, this morning I’ll show you the fields, and we’ll put you to work.
We’re at the end of our harvest season, so there’s lots to do.
Then I’ll give you a ride down to the clinic at sun high.
You probably won’t want to be outside then anyway. ”
Eleri nodded. She’d learned firsthand about the intensity of Cassiaq-IV’s suns. After gingerly finishing her food, she placed a tentative hand on her stomach. It seemed settled if still a bit uncomfortable.
“Ready to go?” Pyo asked.
“Should we wait for Myla?”
Pyo made a snorting sound. “Myla doesn’t work in the fields.
She does some of the paperwork in my office, or so she says.
Manages the accounts and things. She’ll be sleeping for a few hours more at least. She’s a city dweller at heart.
No amount of farm life has been able to get her interested in agriculture. ”
“Myla mentioned how much she missed the excitement of Brasnia Prime.”
“Oh, that I’m sure she did.” Pyo made a low trilling noise.
Eleri pressed the button on her bodysuit sleeve to activate the ineffective sunshield and followed Pyo outside.
It was early still, but the heat was almost suffocating.
Eleri wasn’t sure how much physical labor she’d be able to do in these temperatures, but she was determined to do what she could.
Keeping busy would also prevent her mind from wandering too much back to the events of the previous night.
“Hop on.” Pyo patted the passenger seat behind him on the levibike and Eleri scrambled up, clutching the handles on either side to steady herself before they even started moving.
Her weak stomach lurched as Pyo started the engine and they rumbled forward.
His style of driving was much less smooth than Minio’s had been the day before.
It took all her willpower not to lose her tiny morning meal to the churning blue dust below.
The last thing she needed was to puke on someone else.
Once the driving smoothed out, she took the opportunity to use one of her arms to protect her face from the clouds of particulates.
A short ride later brought them to an impressive span of green and yellow plants.
She noticed someone piloting a thresher through a field of the same floral smelling grain she’d seen the night before.
As they got closer, Eleri realized it was Minio dressed in a highly impractical outfit of dark leathery fabric.
He nodded a greeting when they got close enough.
Eleri didn’t trust herself to let go of the handlebars long enough to wave back.
She took a moment and a few deep breaths to find her feet after Pyo veered to a stop by the edge of the fields.
“What is she doing here? Is this why you’re late?” Minio directed the pointed questions to his brother-in-law.
“That’s my fault, I think,” Eleri volunteered to take responsibility. No doubt her slow eating that morning hadn’t kept Pyo to a normal schedule.
“We’re lucky to have another set of hands to help out around here. With you pulling your disappearing act all the time it’s a miracle we get anything done.” Pyo snorted and brushed past Minio.
“Yes well, I can’t imagine someone so small would be useful on a farm.” Minio examined her with a dismissive flick of his snout.
“Big words from you. You’re a male in his prime and somehow manage to be mostly useless.” Pyo dismounted. “I’ll be getting Eleri a basket. She’s about the right size for picking ywes berries.”
“I suppose. Well, it’s your farm, do whatever you like.” Minio didn’t seem convinced. “Do you need me to stay then? I was hoping to head to Indras for some personal business.”
“You’ll work and earn your keep same as the rest of us.” Pyo’s normally light tone darkened. “Don’t make me regret the kindness I offered you. I didn’t have to let you settle here even with your sister’s begging.”
“Wasn’t much of a kindness,” Minio scoffed. “Fine then, get her a basket. I’ll show the human how to keep herself busy.”
“Don’t think I’m not watching you, karano. Make yourself useful and stay out of trouble.” Pyo flicked his wings open once to their full length and then snapped them back together with alarming speed. The movement was enough to make Minio flinch and Eleri step back several paces.
“You’re lucky my sister isn’t here to hear you call me that.” Minio snapped his own wings open and shut, but the movement lacked the crisp, threatening quality of Pyo’s gesture. Pyo lifted his snout and made a shrill series of clicks. Minio retreated another step.
“And you’re lucky I’ve got patience for days.” Pyo moved toward the shed, diffusing the rising temperature of the interaction. “Show Eleri to the ywes berry bushes.”
Minio seemed ready to either retaliate or storm off, but instead he just stalked toward the far edge of the property and gestured for Eleri to follow him.
“He’s only twenty standard years older than me and he feels like he has the right to act like my sire.
” Minio spat out the complaint with vitriol.
“Imagine being treated like a useless pup at my age. I guess you and I are a sorry pair, aren’t we? ”
“I guess,” Eleri kept her voice soft, level.
It was a reflex at this point, developed after years of trying to make herself seem small and unthreatening.
She wasn’t sure how he’d respond to her interjection and wasn’t entirely sure why she’d been grouped alongside him. No one was treating her like a child.
“Well, I know you vomited all over that ravik S’samph’s boots last night. Can’t say I don’t think he deserved it, but it’s a rather inelegant way to behave.”
Eleri let the insult wash over her. It was hardly the worst she’d ever heard. “I was unwell from portal sickness. I wasn’t planning to vomit on him.”
“Don’t be so shocked,” Minio chuckled. “News travels fast in Laurus. One of the perils of living in a town this size. Besides, my sister isn’t one to keep a good story quiet for long. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to see his face. He’s usually such a stoic bastard.”
“Stars, that’s embarrassing.” She shouldn’t have been surprised, and she wasn’t really, but it didn’t quell the hot sting of shame crawling across her skin.
It had been less than a day in Laurus and already people were talking about her failed mating.
They strode past the tall waves of sweet-smelling grain.
The stalks were soft as they brushed along Eleri’s shoulder.
Even though she warred with shame and dismay at her encounters with S’samph, nothing could convince her this was worse than staying on Gaia.
“Well, you’re likely to find other males who are interested now that S’samph is no longer competition. I wouldn’t feel too embarrassed.” Minio made a clicking noise deep in his throat.
“I’d like to move on from it.” Eleri shrugged in an effort to keep the remains of her pride intact.
Minio wasn’t exactly a kind ear for conversation, and she’d rather make herself useful.
“What did Pyo want me to do?” Better to throw herself into work.
There was nothing she could do about waggling tongues.
Minio sized her up for a moment. “You’re too small to operate any of our heavy machinery, which means you’re really only suited for hand-held tasks.”
Instinctively Eleri held out her fingers and wiggled. “That seems easy enough.”