Much Belated Celta Thursday: Excerpt from Heart Thief

I am working on the geography of Druida City that sits on the Varga Peninsula. First mention of Outside The City: Excerpt from Heart Thief (outside Northgate -- the north guardhouse of the city walls):

Ruis savored the myriad smells of the land outside the city, heavy with verdant growth dying in the autumn. The ground gently sloped down and was cleared of everything but fields fading from a brilliant green to green edged with brown.

With a new appreciation for life, his gaze scanned the undergrowth, bushes, and trees that marched across the land, blocking the sight of the Great Platte Ocean in the distance. Yet the scent of the sea drifted to him along with the fragrance of turning leaves.

He thanked the Lord and Lady that he lived. And he enjoyed every sensation — the green and purple and brown of the landscape before him, the distant sound of birds and other winged creatures, the touch of a freshening breeze drying the sweat from his skin, as well as the hum of the city that vibrated through the stone wall behind him. The wall that still carried the heat of the fall day.

Celta Thursday, Heart and Sword Cut

I am on retreat this week and I have a netbook with extremely limited space and amount of Celta stuff. Here is a cut bit from "Heart and Sword" in the collection, Hearts and Swords, this takes place on the starship Nuada's Sword on the voyage to Celta. Kelse (hero and Captain) is talking with the Bridge Crew:

"We will be landing the ship?" asked the Lieutenant.

Kelse blinked. "What other option is there? I don’t believe a space elevator can be built."

The young man glanced at his fellows, looked back at Kelse. "We could set the ship into long-term orbit and send people down."

"That would take some time, and fuel, and good piloting skills."

"We have more than one pilot of the dagger ships."

Celta Thursday - Original Cover of Heart Fire

Celta Thursday, original cover of Heart Fire that I fussed about (the landscape). I don't think I ever posted it because I didn't want people thinking there were great crevasses in the Varga plain. Most people I showed it to (my critique group) were: What landscape? What cathedral? What crevasses...