“Because you’re not under her command,” I replied. “You don’t need a partner. Neither do I, for that matter.” I added that last bit with some heat, but if he was offended, his colors didn’t show it.
“I’m happy to be your partner, Iris,” he responded.
“Why?” I asked before I could hold it back.
He looked perplexed for a moment. “Iris, I don’t need to be ordered to spend time with you. I find you interesting and smart, and we’re already going to investigate that thing you saw out beyond the mountain, so why would I refuse a request that I would have volunteered for anyway?”
I did not understand this male. At all. My lips flattened. “I would have preferred it if you had refused.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” But he smiled when he said it, taking the edge off. “Come on. The evening light is perfect for seeing the valley properly.”
I followed him away from Sophie’s quarters and into the settlement proper. The D’tran moved through their routines with practiced ease, as the evening brought the time of rest and socialization to the people here. I could hear people calling greetings to each other in their melodic language. The smells of cooking food wafted on the air.
Baleck walked beside me, not too close but near enough that I was aware of his presence. His height, the breadth of his shoulders, the way his skin shifted colors as we passed different groups of D’tran.
“The settlement is organized in a circle,” he explained, gesturing to the layout. “The central area is for communal activities—eating, gathering, celebrations. Living quartersradiate outward. The guest quarters where you’re staying are on the eastern edge.”
I already knew this, as I’d mapped escape routes and defensive positions when I first arrived.
“That building there is the healing center,” he continued, pointing to a structure with curved doorways. “Erith runs it. She’s the one who set Mierva’s broken bone after our crash.”
We walked further. A group of children ran past, laughing and chasing each other. One of them called out to Baleck in D’tran, waving enthusiastically. He waved back, smiling. Did all Destrans smile this much?
“Popular with the kids,” I observed.
“They taught me a lot of the D’tran language. Not many adults had the time, but children absolutely adore teaching adults, and they’re not as afraid of people who look and act different. Also, they like anyone who sneaks them extra sweets.” He glanced at me. “Do you like children?”
“I don’t know any.” The truth came out before I could stop it. “Never spent time around them.”
He didn’t push, just nodded and kept walking. But I felt his attention on me, curious and gentle.
We reached the stone wall that surrounded the settlement. He led me to a section where the wall had built-in steps leading to the top. We climbed up, and suddenly I could see the entire valley spread before us.
It was beautiful in a harsh, post-apocalyptic way. Evidence of the storms that had ravaged this place was everywhere—broken rock formations, deep gouges in the earth, scattered debris. But green was returning. Plants pushed through the soil. Water flowed in the channels. Life persisted.
“This is why I stayed,” Baleck said quietly. He stood close enough that I could feel warmth radiating from his skin. “Notthe destruction, obviously. But the rebuilding. Being part of something new growing from something old.”
I looked at him. The fading sunlight caught the amber tones in his skin, made his eyes almost glow. He was staring out at the valley with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Hope, maybe. Or determination.
“You don’t miss being on your Sola?” I asked.
“Sometimes. But Solas are enclosed. Predictable. Here there’s sky. Land. Different scents every day, depending on what’s blooming or cooking or changing with the weather.” He turned to face me fully. “Don’t you ever want something different from what you’ve always known?”
The question hit closer than I liked. “My work is what I know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
He studied me for a moment, his skin shifting through thoughtful purples. Then he smiled, small and understanding. “Fair enough.”
We stood there as the sun sank lower, painting the sky in impossible colors. I should have felt exposed up there, vulnerable. Instead, I felt almost…peaceful. Which was ridiculous.
“How would you like to go about investigating that gleam you spotted?” Baleck asked eventually.
“Meet me tomorrow morning at 0600 at the storage supply outbuilding my people set up before they left,” I said.
“Six hundred hours tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll pack supplies for a full day. Water, food, basic emergency equipment.”
