Brown.
Her eyes are a deep brown to rival her dark hair.
“You’re staring,” she says.
I quickly glance away. “Apologies.”
“No need to apologize. I’m Piper, by the way.”
“Piper.” It is such a human name.
Silence settles for several beats.
“Usually when someone offers you their name, it’s common practice to give yours in return.” Her grin takes the harshness out of her words.
“I am Katem.” Again, I fist my chest.
“What does that mean? That gesture?” She points with her chin.
“It is a sign of respect and honor.”
“While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m not really sure I’ve done anything worthy of it.”
“You have not done anything that deems you unworthy of it, have you?”
Piper is silent for several beats, as if she must think on it. “No, I don’t suppose I have.”
“Then it is an appropriate gesture.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” She steps over a large log that has broken off a nearby tree to block a portion of the barely tread path we take.
“Have you been on Tavikh long?” The last ship to arrive had been the previous warm season. It was the third ship to land here. Who knows how many more the humans will send?
“I came on the latest ship,” Piper replies.
That would have been the same one Iris was on. For a brief time, she lived in our village. Until she left to go live with the Krijese as Kala’s mate and Sorin’s nene. I had hoped perhaps she might be mykeeshla, but as always, it was not fated.
“Do you like it here?”
“It beats the bottom tier,” Piper says with a short laugh.
The shefira has explained this “bottom tier” to us. They are the largest group of people on Earth but are the ones who have nothing, while the humans who are part of the upper tier have everything and no wish to share. While I understand the dynamic, it makes no sense to me why everything is not shared equally amongst their people.
“I have heard many stories of this bottom tier. I am glad you were able to get away from there.” A branch hangs low over our path, and I push it out of the way.
“Thank you,” Piper says.
“My pleasure.”
Her cheeks darken in a pleasing way. We continue walking at a leisurely pace, pausing every so often at various flowering bushes so she can breathe in their fragrance.
“You enjoy the scent of the blooms?”Of course she does. Why else would she smell them so often?
Piper grins broadly. “Oh, yes. There’s really nothing like it back on Earth any longer. I love all the trees, flowers, bushes, and other plants. The various colors are incredible. They’re a far sight better than grimy buildings, dank and dirty water, and cracked pavement.”
Jodah is the best at crafting colored images on object surfaces, but despite his talent and hiskeeshla’sdescriptions, he has still not been able to provide realistic examples of what Earth looks like. At least not so we’re able to comprehend the vastness and despair that hangs heavy in the air, according to Abby anyway.
“It is wonderful that you are able to experience all these things.”
