The walk to Lake Aryn took them about half an hour. The farther they got from the city, which had no name that Byrin had ever heard, the clearer the air became. There came sounds of wildlife that Byrin hadn't ever heard here.
Lake Aryn was set far enough into the woods, that Byrin felt cut off from all reality. In the background, were blue mountains that had snow caps on them.
"This is beautiful," Byrin said. He was taken by the view as Miri quietly spread out a blanket, and then began to set out the food.
"Byrin, I'm sorry I sedated you," Miri said quietly as she sat and watched him. "I was worried about you, the way you were talking. You won't do us any good if you burn yourself out. But I should have handled it much differently, and I apologize."
Byrin looked down at her and smiled. "It's alright, Miri. Honestly." He sat down next to her and got comfortable on the blanket. "I should have been taking better care of myself. Besides, Marcus did warn me about the possibility of you sedating me if I didn't take care."
"Oh." Miri didn't know what to say to that. So she changed the subject and wwaived at the foo. "It's not much, but it's good food."
Byrin glanced at the sandwiches and fruits. They did look good. "What kind of meat is in the sandwiches?" he asked, taking one.
"It's roast beef." She had also saved a couple of her cinnamon buns for dessert, but she hadn't puled them out yet.
He took a bite. "It's good," he said around the mouthful. He swallowed. "Tell me about yourself, Miri.
Miri was struck with sudden shyness. "There's not much to tell. Not really. I like to help people, which is why I've ended up in charge of Marc's nurses. What else would you want to know?"
"Would you ever want to leave this planet? See Earth? Alpha Centauri? Y-Tritan?" He wasn't quite sure why he asked, but it came out before he could stop it.
"Sometimes. I'd like to see the planet we came from, walk the land where Christ walked. But I wouldn't want to stay; this is my home. I would be a stranger in a strange land."
"Aren't we all?" wondered Byrin quietly. "I was born in America, or what used to be America."
"I'm aware of Earth history. Before the plague struck, I spent a lot of time reading whatever literature Marcus could get for me. It used to be a beautiful world."
"So you've seen pictures too. Yes, it was. There are still a few parts that weren't touched by the bombs, though. It's not as bad as some of the propaganda would have you believe."
"Where have you been?" Miri asked.
"On Earth, or off?"
"Both."
"On Earth, I've been across the Atlantic Ocean to most of Europe, such as Italy and Spain. England. I've visited some islands...Hawaii, St. Thomas, Australia." He paused briefly as he remembered. "Germany. I've been to Germany. That was a hard country to visit. They've never recovered."
"Forgiveness can be a hard thing for some people." Miri commented. "I do not think many people who were sent into space as Exiles will ever truly forgive and trust anyone who tolerated the Nazi regime. But I don't think that they should suffer forever because of their sins. I must admit, I've always wanted to see the Fire Rings of Y-Tritan."
"So have I. I've been there, but I've never seen the Fire Rings." Something about the moment caught Byrin by surprise. He was sitting there, looking at her smiling at him. Her hair fell in careless waves framing her tired face, out of which her eyes twinkled with a happy light. The sun was shining down throuh the tree branches, giving the moment an ethereal touch. He leaned foward, touching her face with his hand. He meant to kiss her...
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