02.04.2016
“At that size, all the fish in the Fist wouldn’t even register in his belly,” Brust said.
“Fortunately for us, a handful will really hit the spot,” Dalence replied.
“Right you are, little sister. And I suppose you’ll be heading out soon?”
Dalence looked to the sky and found the sun. It was edging lower now, and she might already be late for meeting Starhen.
“I think so. I’m meeting a colleague to hike back up with.”
They both stood and walked inside. Dalence readied supplies which she put into her pack and then slung over her shoulder. Brust moved to an upholstered chair and picked up a book sitting on a table nearby.
“Is it any good?” Dalence asked.
“Yeah. It’s not bad. This one’s a collection of stories from sailors. The sea is even more finicky than the lakes.”
“If you had whales, you’d be finicky too,” Dalence laughed. She walked over and hugged Brust from the side. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.
“Be safe and have fun,” Brust replied.
Dalence walked out the door, wound her way through the streets, and made her way to the rendezvous spot. She was actually the first to arrive, so she sat on a boulder and waited. Several minutes later, Starhen arrived.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I slept too long,” he explained.
“It’s not a problem at all. I was only a few minutes before you.” Dalence got up off the boulder and joined Starhen at his side. The sun ducked behind clouds that had come over the Knuckles. The day was still warm, and the land radiated additional warmth. As they climbed higher, they could look over their shoulder and see the sun-dappled land stretch out before them.
Both felt well-rested for the hike. Starhen ate a sandwich as they went along, because he’d not had a chance to eat before leaving home. Dusk was nearing to night when they arrived at the campsite. They’d passed a few people on the way up, and been overtaken by others. The camp filled up more and people set up their gear for the night and then passed the time.
A few stragglers loudly made their way up the last few hundred feet by calling out for someone to guide them, along with using the glow of the fires. Dalence laid out on a relatively flat piece of ground and looked to the stars. She located Mars, and looked for the telltale streak of the wolf. Nearby she could hear people chat about what they saw through the telescope as they took turns watching. Others were recapping last night’s events and making predictions about what tonight would bring.
Then, the wolf’s comet tail shown in the sky and Dalence got to her feet and walked to the larger telescope, her eyes fixed upward as she felt around with hands and feet. A hush went over the crowd as those with the telescopes told how the wolf darted back toward Mars, larger than ever. The rocky remains of the planet were only his size now, maybe less.