As we eat breakfast, I try the comm again. I get D'Rett on the second attempt, the connection clearer than yesterday.
"Goober. Status?"
"We're good. More than good. The cave is well-protected, and we've got plenty of rations. How's it looking up there?"
"The storm's beginning to weaken. L'Zaen's latest projections show it should break by late morning tomorrow. Can you hold out?"
"Absolutely. No issues here."
A brief pause. Then, Chelsea's voice in the background: "Ask him about A'Vanti! Are they okay? Tell him I need details?—"
Scuffling sounds, like D'Rett is physically shielding the comm. "Everyone here is safe and accounted for. We've been using the downtime to process data from the surveys. L'Zaen has made significant progress on the power grid analysis."
"Good. We'll be ready to fly back as soon as it's clear."
"Copy that. Maintain comm schedule. D'Rett out."
The connection cuts, and I pocket the comm.
"Late morning tomorrow," I tell A'Vanti.
"Then we have a full day." She's already pulling on her boots. "I want to explore the eastern passages. There may be more carvings."
We spend the morning like spelunking tourists. The eastern tunnels are narrower than the ones we explored yesterday, and in places we have to duck or turn sideways to squeeze through, which I don't love but endure because A'Vanti is so excited to discover more.
I carry the flashlights and the supplies and try not to bash my head on low-hanging stalactites. My role as pack mule in this endeavor is clear, and I'm content with it.
We discover another small chamber, this one featuring a shallow pool barely wide enough for two people, surrounded by formations that look like frozen waves of milk glass. The ceiling is low enough to touch and is covered in a dense carpet of tiny drenati crystals. Not the massive spires we found yesterday.These are small, barely longer than my thumbnail, packed so tightly together they form a glittering fuzz across the stone like iridescent shag carpet.
"It looks like stars," I say when I play my flashlight across the ceiling's surface.
A'Vanti leans against me, her head on my shoulder. "It does."
We stay there for a while, sitting in the dark, watching the crystal stars.
The afternoon settles into something lazy and unhurried. We return to the cascading pools and lounge again, taking our time in the warmest basin. A'Vanti teaches me a few Cerastean words.
"What's the word for beautiful?" I ask, caressing her shoulder.
She glances at me from beneath her lashes, almost looking shy. "Ilara."
"Ilara," I repeat, mangling the pronunciation badly enough to make her wince.
"No. Il-AH-ra. The emphasis is on the second syllable."
"Il-AH-ra."
"Better. But your vowels are too flat. Cerastean vowels resonate from the back of the throat."
I try again. It sounds like I'm gargling. A'Vanti presses her lips together in a valiant effort not to laugh, but her eyes are dancing.
"Perhaps we should start with something simpler," she suggests diplomatically.
"Probably wise." I pull her closer in the water. "What about mate? How do you say mate in Cerastean?"
"Fa'ren."
"Fa'ren." The word feels musical on my tongue, smoother than most Cerastean words I've attempted. "Did I get that one right?"
