team, she was certain each of them was lost in thought about their discovery.
She remembered the last conversation she’d had with Karin, just before leaving the cave to return to camp. They had both been studying the murals, and Karin had called her over to look at something. Karin had shown her a few details she hadn’t noticed, such as a gloved hand on one of the humanoids, which had five fingers, and an image where the sole of a boot was showing.
“Amazing isn’t it?” Karin had said. “It would fit on us, don’t you think?” Maria had just nodded, and Karin had giggled. It was the first time she had heard the Swedish astronomer even close to laughing.
The cavern was large enough to hold several football fields, and murals adorned the walls throughout. Maria still hadn’t seen them all, even days after she’d first set foot in here. As they explored day after day, the entire community of Akhab went about their business, usually not even noticing the strange beings that had entered their home. Only those close by reacted to their presence. And when they did, they looked excited, pointing and chirping away in their strange squirrelly sounds. A few pointed at them, and then at the murals covering several of the walls nearby.
That had been when Maria had looked even more closely at the murals, wondering why the Akhab were so excited.
“Look at that,” she whispered.
“Do you notice the shapes?” Karin asked. “And look, the paintings seem to tell a story.”
Maria hadn’t thought of it that way before. She walked toward one of the murals. It depicted a scene in which the Akhab and the humanoids were building something, a large half-sphere of sorts, together. Both species seemed to handle some sort of tools, and there were structures, obviously the work of a technologically advanced species, that looked like construction machinery.
“This is…” Maria began, then spun around at Karin who was standing right behind her. “We need to learn their language. I mean, we can learn a lot just from studying the murals and the Akhab themselves more closely, but the only way to really understand is to be able to talk to them, ask questions, understand what they are saying to each other.”
Maria wished she had her mother’s aptitude for languages, but she’d have to make do. She ached to understand, and every little detail made her more curious, more eager to unravel the mysteries contained in this cave. But for now, before she could fully commit to the task of learning the Akhab language, she had responsibilities back at the Stronghold.
Thomas dunn
Thomas looked at Maria out of the corner of his eye as they were walking leisurely together through the small town. Thomas had spent the last few days back in the Stronghold for some sorely needed R&R, and Maria had arrived earlier today from her journey north. They had met on their way to supper and shared a meal of green deer stew. Maria had been unusually tight lipped, but he thought it could be because she was thinking the same as he. Everyone expected the war to flare up again this spring, and Thomas knew that although they had dealt Havelar’s troops some hard blows, they were in no position to beat them in the field. And he knew some people were hoping Havelar would return to the negotiating table. Thomas knew better. He had been too close to both Havelar and the people surrounding him. No, Havelar would strike, and soon. They might hold them back, but it meant the war would drag on, and likely into the next season.
As they passed one of the carpenters sharpening his axe while laughing at some joke told by another standing by, he let go of the thoughts of war and eyed Maria again. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but for some reason, he had a hard time finding the appropriate words. So it was Maria who broke the silence, instead.
“How long before you have to leave, Thomas?” He sighed. His last patrol in the foothills had taken almost three
She remembered the last conversation she’d had with Karin, just before leaving the cave to return to camp. They had both been studying the murals, and Karin had called her over to look at something. Karin had shown her a few details she hadn’t noticed, such as a gloved hand on one of the humanoids, which had five fingers, and an image where the sole of a boot was showing.
“Amazing isn’t it?” Karin had said. “It would fit on us, don’t you think?” Maria had just nodded, and Karin had giggled. It was the first time she had heard the Swedish astronomer even close to laughing.
The cavern was large enough to hold several football fields, and murals adorned the walls throughout. Maria still hadn’t seen them all, even days after she’d first set foot in here. As they explored day after day, the entire community of Akhab went about their business, usually not even noticing the strange beings that had entered their home. Only those close by reacted to their presence. And when they did, they looked excited, pointing and chirping away in their strange squirrelly sounds. A few pointed at them, and then at the murals covering several of the walls nearby.
That had been when Maria had looked even more closely at the murals, wondering why the Akhab were so excited.
“Look at that,” she whispered.
“Do you notice the shapes?” Karin asked. “And look, the paintings seem to tell a story.”
Maria hadn’t thought of it that way before. She walked toward one of the murals. It depicted a scene in which the Akhab and the humanoids were building something, a large half-sphere of sorts, together. Both species seemed to handle some sort of tools, and there were structures, obviously the work of a technologically advanced species, that looked like construction machinery.
“This is…” Maria began, then spun around at Karin who was standing right behind her. “We need to learn their language. I mean, we can learn a lot just from studying the murals and the Akhab themselves more closely, but the only way to really understand is to be able to talk to them, ask questions, understand what they are saying to each other.”
Maria wished she had her mother’s aptitude for languages, but she’d have to make do. She ached to understand, and every little detail made her more curious, more eager to unravel the mysteries contained in this cave. But for now, before she could fully commit to the task of learning the Akhab language, she had responsibilities back at the Stronghold.
Thomas dunn
Thomas looked at Maria out of the corner of his eye as they were walking leisurely together through the small town. Thomas had spent the last few days back in the Stronghold for some sorely needed R&R, and Maria had arrived earlier today from her journey north. They had met on their way to supper and shared a meal of green deer stew. Maria had been unusually tight lipped, but he thought it could be because she was thinking the same as he. Everyone expected the war to flare up again this spring, and Thomas knew that although they had dealt Havelar’s troops some hard blows, they were in no position to beat them in the field. And he knew some people were hoping Havelar would return to the negotiating table. Thomas knew better. He had been too close to both Havelar and the people surrounding him. No, Havelar would strike, and soon. They might hold them back, but it meant the war would drag on, and likely into the next season.
As they passed one of the carpenters sharpening his axe while laughing at some joke told by another standing by, he let go of the thoughts of war and eyed Maria again. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but for some reason, he had a hard time finding the appropriate words. So it was Maria who broke the silence, instead.
“How long before you have to leave, Thomas?” He sighed. His last patrol in the foothills had taken almost three
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