Early Celta Thursday -- Cut Scene from Heart Fortune

I will be on the road racing a winter storm tomorrow, so here's a small cut scene that takes place in the airship as Glyssa and her Fam, Lepid, fly to the excavation site of the starship, Lugh's Spear.

*Adventure!* Lepid popped out of the basket, the lid falling to the floor of the cabin. The pilot flinched and the airship rolled alarmingly on its side. Glyssa swallowed a scream as she saw the ground far too close.

"Get. That. Animal. Secured," the pilot gritted out between her teeth.

Glyssa grabbed at Lepid – who'd hopped on top of the small upper shelf of the control panel – caught his bushy tail, and yanked him to her with Flair.

He yipped excitedly, his tail flapping across her face.

"Urgh. Hold on to me, Lepid, until we, uh–"

"Forever," the pilot said, righting the airship. "I don't want a fliggering loose animal in my control cabin on my fliggering instrument panel."

"Of course not," Glyssa soothed. She tucked Lepid into the seat by her side and gave him some clucker strips infused with an herbal calmer. He munched contentedly, settled down. "Lepid, you can watch the scenery outside."

*Clouds are pretty. Soft. Sky and stars are nice.*

"Uh huh." Glyssa turned to the pilot. "My deepest apologies. I haven't had the fox long enough to anticipate his actions." She felt herself flushing, waved a hand at the food hamper. "I have tubes of caff with cream, cocoa with white mousse and cocoa sprinkles, and hot and iced tea, if you'd like anything."

The pilot's jaw loosened a bit and her gaze slid toward Glyssa. "What kind of tea?"

Since Camellia ran two teahouses and Glyssa had learned about varieties and mixtures, she said, "Darjeeling Teahouse Prima Blend."

A pause, then the pilot said, "I'll take the tea." She sounded less truculent.

Glyssa opened the hamper with a Word, floated the large tea tube over to the pilot, unsealing the top.

After a few sips and a grunt of satisfaction from the woman, Glyssa said, "Camellia also packed several large meals for me for the trip, entrees from Darjeeling's Teahouse and Darjeeling's HouseHeart. I'd be glad to share."

That brought a hint of a smile to the pilot's face. "Sounds good. Sailing is smooth once we get out of the hills. We can eat then and later over the Bluegrass Plains."

"Great," Glyssa said.

Lepid burped. *What is that light in front of us?*

Glyssa relayed the question.

"Dawn, we're heading east," the pilot said and her movements slowed from efficient crispness to casual competence.

"Dawn. That must be a wonderful sight," Glyssa said.

Finally she got a real smile aimed at her. "Oh, it is."

"We'll all enjoy it, then," Glyssa replied and blessed Camellia for her tea and cooking and drank the cocoa herself and enjoyed flying into the sun and a sky lightening with streamers of pink and gold.

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A facebook friend has a birthday tomorrow, so I might be posting another segment.

Robin