Fractured Earth

Chapter 3

Ranal was already at the lake when she arrived, crouched down on the large rock that they often used as their vantage point, it being smooth enough to comfortably sit on and large enough to accommodate them both. He'd watched her walking along the beach-side trail, her silhouette blue-black in the light of Siyol, the First Sun. He could make out no more detail than the sway of her hips, the stride of her shapely legs, the occasional reaching of her hand to brush the wild, dark curls of her hair from her face.

The change had snuck up on him. She had been the twiggy little girl that had latched on to him when his mother lost her second child, his sister though he could not recall her, and had stayed by his side ever since. He had been with her all along as she grew and filled out into womanhood just as he stepped into the shoes of manhood, but only recently was he noticing so fully the change that had become her. Had her olive skin always been so radiant, the pinch of her waist so delicate? Had her dark brows always formed such elegant waves above her pale green eyes that were themselves so stunningly hypnotic?

She was lost in thought as she approached their spot and did not notice him until she was close enough for him to see the pout of her lips in the growing light of morning.

"Ranal," She blinked and paused momentarily, and then continued towards him across the sand.

"Leiph. How did it go? You didn't come to tell me last night."

"I'm sorry," She climbed up onto the rock and though he knew she didn't need any help, he took her wrist and guided her. As his fingers curled softly around her skin he realised she would likely complain and shirk him away - she didn't need his help to climb a petty rock, and hadn't asked for it, - but it was too late to pull back. To his surprise, she accepted his hand without so much as a quiet acknowledgement and even lingered her fingertips a moment in his palm before settling cross-legged at his side. "I was so tired. I had to tell Elder Iteldu everything and he kept me chatting until late."

"Ah," Ranal studied her profile as she stared out across the still waters to the horizon. She did look tired; faint dark circles beneath her eyes and her cheeks were not as flushed as usual. "It was the first time in a while that we had not seen each other in the evening," He noted.

She was quiet a moment before responding and in that space he noticed that her shoulder was brushing against his arm with every breath she took; a fleeting fraction of a touch, barely a touch at all, but enough to make his skin tingle.

"I suppose it was," She offered at length. "Yes, now that you mention it. I was too tired to even notice. Is that why you're here?"

"I can't always sneak up on you," His mouth twitched into a smile. "You'll get used to it and it won't be fun any more."

Oleipha laughed. "Well, it's a nice change. Ranal who lurks in the shadows to pounce on me unawares is Ranal the Boy; Ranal who waits patiently and greets me cordially is Ranal the Man."

So he thought her a man, he smiled to himself. And why not? His reflection in the glossy Siashim waters told him as much. Tall, strong, handsome.

"Don't think you're rid of Ranal the Boy yet," He chided her. "There's still plenty of fun to be had from sneaking up on you."

She glanced at him and smiled. "Well, it's nice that you are here, at least. Now I can fill you in."

"Yes! So how did it go? Did you ride on this velo?"

"No," Leiph chuckled. "It wasn't, uh... powered, I suppose is the right word? She had disabled it so that the children could climb safely all about. But that's not the exciting part," Oleipha waved her hands with the familiar enthusiasm Ranal had come to recognise about her. "Warden Isen is camped with a small team of Commensurate atop Mount Ogero."