Skyfall by Catherine Asaro

giant. Their path wound along the edge of a mountain, following a trail barely wide enough for the lyrine to go single file. Another cliff rose on their left. The iron ringbolts driven into it would allow travelers to string ropes along the way or continue their trek when the winds became tricky, but nothing protected them from the drop-off to the right, no rail, fields, or cables.
    Roca’s body ached from the long ride. Although her jumpsuit had kept her skin from being rubbed raw, the material was wearing thin. Another hour of this and her clothes would shred. Eldri had given her one of the furred jackets they all wore now, but the cold still made her shiver. She thought with longing of the temperature chip she had sent to Brad that would have regulated her clothes.
    Eldri wrapped her in his arms, the reins held loosely in his hands. His lyrine seemed to know the route without guidance. “Are you all right?” Eldri asked. He didn’t seem the least bothered by the ride.
    She shivered. “Is cold up here.”
    “Usually not this much.” He sighed. “I should apologize for our weather’s poor showing to my guest.”
    “Is not so ****” She had meant to say “terrible,” but it came out wrong. Her node supplied the pronunciation.
    “I don’t know that word.” He rubbed his cheek against her hair. “But I love how you say it.”
    Roca reminded herself to pull away. He had been persistent in his attentions during the trip. She told herself she didn’t want his lips against hers, his breath warm on her skin, his hands on her body…
    “No more,” Roca muttered, to herself rather than him. At least he helped distract her from the danger of their route. The pounding of her heart came as much from the drop-off at their side as from his sensual voice.
    “Why are you so cool?” He spoke near her ear. “You look like the suns but you act like ice.”
    “Do not do that.” The way his breath tickled her ear was driving her crazy.
    “I know a sun burns inside you,” Eldri murmured. “Let me be your second sun. We can orbit each other for a while.”
    She couldn’t help but smile. “Who is larger sun?”
    “Neither.” He nuzzled her hair. “We can be the same.”
    Roca sighed. “Is only dream.” She didn’t have the luxury of such dreams. She had too many duties.
    A shout came up ahead, followed by an exchange of calls in Eldri’s tongue. He lifted his head, his arms loosening around her.
    “What is it?” Roca asked.
    “A part of our path has collapsed.”
    Her shoulders hunched. “We stop?”
    “I am not sure.” He fell silent while they rode, listening as people called back to him. After a moment, he said, “I am sorry, Roca. Nothing like this has happened before.”
    “We go back to plains?”
    “I think not. It will be dark soon. Navigating this path then would be deadly.”
    She felt the blood drain from her face. “Then what we do?”
    “We cannot stay here. The lyrine must sleep, and if they do, they might step off the path. Also, the cold is more than usual. We haven’t protection enough for the coming night.”
    “Good gods,” Roca said. “Is terrible way to travel.”
    Eldri spoke patiently. “Perhaps your people can do it better. But this is the best we can do now.”
    Roca closed her mouth. He was right, it didn’t help for her to criticize their lack of technology.
    More shouts came back. The riders halted, their lyrine stamping on the path, breath curling up from their nostrils in the freezing air, making blue condensation. Roca had dealt with many cultures, but never anything like this. The situation was always controlled, with her staff setting up the meetings ahead of time.
    Eldri called forward, and the riders relayed his words to the front of the line. They soon began moving again.
    “They find new route?” Roca asked.
    “There isn’t any.” He cleared his throat. “We have decided to cross the break.”
    “You make bridge?”
    “No. We jump.”
    “ Jump?