I've always found the scent of evergreens particularly pleasant, stimulating, as if a memory of them were buried in my cells someplace, as if the moun...ains were somehow part of a past I didn't remember, and I left my dreamworld when we reached the treeline in the Sierra. The temperature dropped to a comfortable level instantly as we passed from one layer of air to another. Mom was hunched over slightly, her attention fixed rigidly ahead, both hands gripping the steering wheel almost to the. "I've heard you had a job for me Ivy," Lillian said smoothing out the crease in her tight, dark grey outfit which only seemed to draw attention to her curves."Yes, and don't look so apprehensive about it. I know you've left the house, even though a good number of patrons still ask about you. This new job requires your new skills as a thief." Ivy said, sitting up on the bed and walking towards a cabinet.Lillian and Ivy had been friends since they both were little children. They were both. "We'll let them know it's done."We finished our lunch and chatted a bit before splitting up for our last class of the day. I got my algebra midterm back and was relieved to see a ninety five on the front page. I was glad that I was keeping up my marks despite playing a lot of hockey. I made my way back to the cafeteria after algebra but Steph must have gone home as we didn't have an assignment yet. I worked on my new algebra assignment and left the creative writing weekly one until I got home.. Once he was within comfortable range, he ordered the two ballistas fired. Both ballista crews must have been nervous from their first battle on a new ship, because neither one scored a direct hit, though both were successful in disabling their targets with their first shot.Two of the pirate ships were dead in the water and of no immediate concern, but the other two were now too close for the ballistas to be brought to bear. Neither pirate ship presently bearing down on us had a ram, since the.