The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance #1) - Dianne Duvall Page 0,127
the same blue it was on Earth. She had expected that since the two planets possessed very similar atmospheres. What she had not expected was to see two planets where she would ordinarily only see a distant moon. Two planets that looked inhabitable with green continents and blue oceans.
“Planets,” she whispered with wonder.
“Those aren’t planets. They’re two of the moons we’ve terraformed.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Those are moons? That’s amazing!” Still adjusting to the brightness of the sun, she lowered her gaze and took in the rest of her new world.
The white beach sand stretched across and shook hands with the lush green grass on which the transport had landed. Straight ahead, the sand met dense forest. While the trees’ leaves were a familiar green, some sported bright yellow flowers, others vibrant purple. And the bark…
She stared. The smooth bark of some of the trees appeared to be painted with haphazard strokes of yellow, green, and blue. One even had splashes of red.
She looked up at Taelon. “You paint the tree bark?” Was it a cultural thing?
His grin widened. “No. That’s the natural color of the bark. It peels away in thick strips we use to make a variety of things. Jewelry. Colorful figurines. Games pieces. Toys for the few children we have. Baskets. Planters. We also extract the pigment from the bark to use as natural dyes for fabric.”
Coolest trees ever. To her right, Lisa found rolling hills carpeted with masses of flowers of multiple colors that gradually grew into more forest that led to snowcapped mountains.
“We’re fortunate,” Taelon murmured. “We’ve arrived during the season you would call spring, so everything is blooming and you can experience the full beauty of Lasara.”
In the center of the closest hill rested a large beige two-story home. The architecture differed from what she was accustomed to, nearly blending in with the tress, but the basic structure was familiar.
“What do you think?” Taelon asked.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “All of it.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I hoped you’d like it.”
A throat cleared somewhere in the distance. “Can we come out now?” a male called. “Father is having a srul of a time holding Mother back.”
“Language!” a woman snapped.
Taelon laughed. “Yes.”
Several adults stepped from a patch of forest down the beach.
Lisa looked up at Taelon and raised her brows.
“My family,” he said with a grin. “I asked them not to all converge upon you the moment we stepped off the ship so you could take a moment to see your new home.”
Anxiety returned with a vengeance as she watched them approach.
Three males she recognized as his brothers—Duras, Gefen, and Levik—strode toward them with broad grins. She had spoken with them many times over the ship’s comms and marveled anew at how much they resembled Taelon. Levik could practically pass as his twin.
A petite woman shouldered the brothers aside and hurried past them.
The brothers all laughed as they watched her.
Slender, with red hair and a lovely face very similar to Amiriska’s, the queen of Lasara looked young enough to pass for their sister if one discounted the hint of gray at her temples. She wore a long dress that featured short sleeves, hugged her slender torso, and flared into a long skirt that reached her ankles. But the long skirt didn’t slow her down a bit as she barreled toward them with impressive speed.
A muscular man with auburn hair that grayed at his temples jogged after her. “Adiransia, remember what Taelon said! Don’t frighten the poor girl!”
Taelon’s mother waved a hand in dismissal.
Lisa looked up at Taelon. “Let me take Abby.” His mother was probably eager to hold her son after being parted from him for so long.
“Actually, it would be better if Ari’k held her.” He passed the baby to the stoic Yona warrior.
“Why?”
“You’ll see.”
Moments later, his mother slammed into him full speed, nearly knocking him down.
Laughing, Taelon stumbled back a step before regaining his balance and hugging her. “It’s good to see you, too, Mother.”
She was small next to him, no more than five feet tall. “We nearly lost you.” Her voice was choked with tears. “Twice.”
Lisa expected her to cling to Taelon for quite a long time.
Instead, the queen released him, turned, and drew Lisa into an equally tight hug. “We nearly lost you, too. I’m so glad you all made it home safely.” There was no less emotion in her voice than when she’d spoken to her son.