Sky Child by T. M. Brenner Read Free Book Online Page B

room. It takes Jet and Flot longer to finish, and when they finally return, I have already hung up my clothes and changed into clean ones.
    I lie down on my bed of branches for a moment, trying to give my body some rest. I cannot lay there too long, or I will fall asleep and miss dinner. Worrying has been making my stomach hurt, and food is the only thing that I know will help.
    At night, almost everyone in the Crag goes to a large chamber and eats together. It is one of the few times where people seem happy. Part of that happiness comes from the beer we drink. Some of us drink too much, though. Sometimes a fight starts, which ends the happiness for everyone.
    The new ones are not allowed to drink beer, for it seems to make more problems for them than for the adults. Jet and Flot have not seen enough snows yet to drink beer, but I can. I choose not to, because beer makes you dumb, and dangerous, and I need my mind so that I can protect my brothers.
    Sometimes during the snows, when we don't have enough food, I will drink some. But I am very careful to only drink enough to survive, and definitely not enough to be too-full-of-drink. I also hate the taste. It reminds me of the smell of meat when it goes bad.
    Flot and Jet finish changing. I get up from my bed. Standing hurts, because I feel pain in my muscles from fighting the dragon and burying the dead. It has been a hard day, and not just for my body, but for my mind and my heart.
    I force myself to start walking toward the feast chamber, even though I am still as tired as the dead. Flot seems just as tired as I am, but for some reason Jet seems to be happy. Why would Jet be happy? People died today. Was the thought of dinner enough for him to be happy? It's not like we haven't had wolf before, and he has helped the hunt many, many times. Nothing has changed. Unless...
    I let Flot go ahead and walk slowly with Jet.
    "Jet, I have to ask you something," I say.
    "Okay," says Jet, sounding worried.
    "Is there a girl you like?" I ask.
    His face turns red at the question.
    "I have friends that are girls," says Jet.
    "No, I mean is there a girl you like ?"
    He looks away from me.
    "There is!" I say in surprise.
    Jet's face gets even more red.
    "Sam, can you not tell anyone about it please?"
    I stand there, smiling at him.
    "Sure. I can keep a secret. But who is it? Which girl do you like?" I ask.
    "Her name is Till. She is part of the harvest."
    "What is she like?"
    "Her hair is long and dark like the night. Her skin is soft, and her eyes are the color of the sky when there are no clouds," says Jet
    "When you speak of her, it sounds like you are in love."
    "Don't tease me!" says Jet.
    "I'm not, I am serious!" I say. "Does she know that you like her?"
    "I think so. I haven't told her, but she notices that I stare at her, and she smiles back."
    "That is definitely a good sign," I say. "Do you want to join with her?"
    Jet just turns and slugs my arm.
    "I'm not ready for that and you know it! I only started liking girls a few snows ago. I want to be more grown up, like you, before I join with anyone," says Jet.
    "That sounds like a very wise idea. Until then, you can still get to know her. Maybe she is very nice, but maybe she is not. Make sure that you really know someone before you join with them. Otherwise, your life could be very, very unhappy."
    "I know all that. I'm not dumb, you know."
    "I know that you're smart, Jet. I didn't mean anything. So when are you going to talk to her?" I ask.
    "I was thinking tonight. I mean, I just helped kill a dragon, and I'm already feeling pretty brave," says Jet.
    "Brave men often get the girls they like," I say, smiling.
    "When will you join with someone, Sam? You've seen enough snows now."
    I can feel my own face turn warm and red.
    "I don't know. There isn't really anyone I like, and definitely no one that I would want to join with," I say.
    "No one?"
    "Not really."
    "How come?"
    "I don't know. I just don't feel that way about anyone."
    "Well,