Damia's Children by Anne McCaffrey

particularly beautiful shade of azure, darkening slowly to the vivid depths of night. There was even a breeze, flowing down from the mountains, that was cold and redolent of the pungent vegetation that was welcoming Aurigaen spring. And, as ever, the faint acrid whiff that left a metallic aftertaste at the back of the throat.
    Laria would remember this scene, this moment, forever. She knew it, and sighed deeply.
    *   *   *
    Her sisters, Zara, Kaltia, and even five-year-old Morag, helped her pack while the ’Dinis watched.They didn’t have more to take home than a small pouch apiece, oddments that were valuable only to them: pieces of pretty rocks and sea-shells, beaded panels of unknown usage and uncut gemstones which were their particular favorites. When their fondness for jewels had been noticed, Afra had located a lapidary among the Aurigaen miners but, while the ’Dinis displayed keen interest in the process, they were not at all intrigued with the formality of cutting their gems. The ’Dinis on Earth had evidently cornered the market on pearls, nacre and other iridescent marine shells, items not available on Aurigae.
    Leaving Saki was the hardest part although Laria knew that Zara, who would inherit the amiable horse, adored her. She would be leaving Saki in the best possible hands. Zara’s pony would now pass to Morag who was just old enough to manage. But once Laria had accepted that necessity, she began to get excited about the adventure. For it would be one. She felt it from both her mother and father, including a touch or two of envy that she would be having an experience that they couldn’t. Thian was particularly strong in his envy aura but he’d only a year or so to wait before he could come, too, so Laria didn’t mind him. Rojer was the most unhappy because he hadn’t been part of the ’Dini exchange and he really, really wanted to be. Laria tried projecting soothing thoughts to him but he caught her at it and disappeared on one of his solitary hunts. Dismayed, she kept a light touch on him, but though Rojer might only be twelve now, he was clever and eluded her.
    Sometimes Laria felt like the ’Dinis, leaping about with excitement; at others, she wonderedjust what she was getting into. Whether or not the ’Dinis had had similar trepidations, she didn’t know but she received such supportive dreams from Tip and Huf, that gradually anticipation became wholly positive. She almost couldn’t bear the wait until the hour she was to depart.
    As several other ’Dini pairs were making the trip home, a large carrier was to be used. Almost too keyed up to contain herself, Laria hugged each of her siblings, her mother and father, and practically dove into the capsule.
    As he closed the hatch, her father winked in such a conspiratorial fashion that she was startled.
    Glad you stayed around to go by carrier, love,
he said.
You looked about ready to make the jump unaided.
She wriggled with her impatience and grinned radiantly back at him.
    She
had
felt that way.
I’ve got more sense than that, Dad!
    If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have considered sending you, Laria,
he replied in his droll fashion.
When in doubt, use that good common sense of yours, coonie, and you’ll be fine.
    Calling her ‘coonie’ was his especial endearment and a flood of prideful love enveloped her. She widened an already cheek-breaking smile and he completed the closure, slapping the roof of the carrier as the cargo handlers always did.
    Laria wiggled again, scrunching herself more comfortably onto the padding. Then she turned her head to be sure that the ’Dinis were all secure in their specially made hammocks.
    Ready?
her mother asked.
    Ready,
Laria answered, dying for the protocol of sending to be finished so she could GO!
    For all of her excitement and anticipation, she couldn’t help hanging on to the mind touch of her parents as they