“I think that would be perfect.” He smiled, and it was like I was being bathed in the sun, warming me from the inside out.
“Um, I am going to go see what is left in the cupboards. I really am curious to know who lived here.” I say, feeling my face heat.
“Princess?” Ansil’s voice held a warning note. I turned to look at him, “Look out for mice and spiders.”
Not long after Ansil and I called a truce, we all gathered back in front of the fire that Ansil had built. He had gotten water from somewhere and had tea ready for us. “So, did anyone find anything to say who might have built this?”
“Nothing in the cupboards besides some old dishes, dust and cobwebs,” I said.
“I checked the back room, just an old bed and a cradle,” Ortheus said.
The three of us all looked to the back of the room and the loft space. “The only place we have not looked is up there. Ortheus, do you think you could lift me up there?” Ansil asked.
“I could, but I would not want you on those boards. You would end up falling through. Better to have Thea go up.”
Ansil glared at Ortheus, “I am not letting the Princess go up there where who knows what she could find.”
“Ansil, of all the things I could do on this trip, this might be the safest. I am the lightest of the three of us, so will be the least likely to fall through if the boards are rotten. Maybe the secret is up there, or a treasure.” I really wanted to be the one to go up there. It was the only space I hadn't seen. The pendant in my pocket was heavy, reminding me that I hadn't been honest with them. I could pretend to find it in the loft, but I wanted it to be my secret.
“Fine. But be careful. I do not want to explain to your father how you broke a bone or some other catastrophe.”
The three of us stood up and walked to the wall. It was about seven feet high, which for a Brownie was very high. Thankfully Ortheus was tall for a Brownie at almost five feet, so I should be able to just reach.
Ortheus stood with his back to the wall so he could lean on it. Ansil stood off to the side and squatted down, his hands out in front of him.
“Princess, let me help you up.” I stepped into Ansil’s hand, my hands on Ortheus’s shoulders. I was so close to him I could see the green flecks in his brown eyes, like little shards of gems. “Ready?”
I nodded my head and then Ansil lifted me up. I stepped off his hands and onto Ortheus’s shoulders. I could just reach the loft but couldn't pull myself up.
“I need more height. I can not get over.”
“Hold on tight, Thea.” Orpheus said as his hands grasped my ankles and slowly raised me higher. With his help I was able to get my upper body onto the loft floor.
“All right. You can let go.” I lay there for a minute getting my bearings. “The floor is not great up here. So, I am not going any further, nothing really up here. A mattress that looks like a mouse colony slept on it, a dresser and an empty shelf.”
“Darn, can you get to the dresser?” Ortheus called up.
“No, Princess. Do not risk it.” Ansil argued.
I ignored Ansil and looked at the floor between me and the dresser. I pulled myself fully into the loft. “I think if I stay near the edge and go slow, I should be okay.”
“Thea! Come back down.” Ansil yelled. I ignored him and slowly made my way over to the dresser on my hands and knees, testing each bit of floor with my hands before I went further. Finally, I made it across the space with only one minor mishap, my hand found a soft spot in the floor. Gingerly, I stood up and tried to pull the drawers open.
“They. Are. Stuck.” I called down as I pulled on the top drawer. Finally, it pulled free and I fell backward on my bottom.
“Thea! I’m coming up.” Ansil yelled. “Ortheus lift me up.”
“No Ansil, I am fine. I just lost my balance. You would fall through the floor.” I stood up and explored the drawer. “Nothing in the top drawer.”
There was nothing in the other two drawers either. I looked around and almost felt sorry for the family that lived here, though I didn't know their story. Just something about the place made me think that the story didn't have a happy ending.
I sat back down and got ready to crawl back to the edge when I looked under the dresser. In the very back against the wall was a small object I couldn’t make out. I reached as far back as I could, and grasped it, grimacing at the dirt and who knows what else now coated my arm and dress. In my hand was a small toy, carved from some unknown material. It looked like a woman riding on some kind of water creature.
“I am coming down now. I found a toy of some kind, nothing else.”
“Slide over the edge slowly. I will catch you.” Ortheus called up.
I did as he directed and once on the ground I showed them the toy.
“That is a Nereid!” Ansil said in a hushed voice. “The carvings of them are rare and made from shells they find in the sea. See here,” he pointed at some details on the woman, “these markings show her to be the sea nymph in charge of the tide. Each of the Nereids are responsible for caring for different aspects of their home sea. I would keep that in a safe spot. It is worth more than you can realize.”
Chapter 8
The storm died down some time during the night and the morning is filled with sun. Stepping out of the house, I looked back one more time, this house has a story to tell and I wish I was able to know what it was.
“If we go at a good hike, we should be at the keep by tonight.” Ansil said, hefting his bag onto his shoulders. For both Ansil and Ortheus, their weapons were the most important thing to bring. For me it was my royal seal and crown. I have other gowns at home that I could grab to take with me.
Ansil led us down the beach towards the path we had traveled yesterday. I looked out at the crashing waves and sawa head bobbing in the wave. “Ortheus, is that a Nokke?” I asked, pointing to where I had seen the head. But by the time Ortheus looked, it was gone.
“Thea, there is nothing there but waves.” He looked at me like I was seeing things.
“I swear there was someone in the waves. I saw her yesterday, too.”
“Her?” Ansil stopped walking to look at me. “Nokke are all men. You are sure it was a woman?”
“As sure as I am that I am a woman.”
The two men looked at each other, then Ansil turned back towards the trail. “Better reason to get a move on.”
“So, who did I see if it was not a Nokke?” I pushed, wanting an answer.
“I have no clue, considering neither of us saw it.” Ansil said, shutting me down.
“Since we will be walking, can you tell me more about the other Kingdoms and races I will meet?” I hated not knowing anything of the other Kingdoms. We didn’t even have books that tell their stories or anything.
“We could but would prefer to face your anger rather than your father’s. You know his rule on you learning of other races on your own.” Ansil looked at me over his shoulder.
“Stupid rule. You would think he would have learned by now that going in with some knowledge can prevent you from making some erroneous decisions. My last trip was a good example.” I muttered, tired of always being the last to know. If I ever have a say in changing anything in the Kingdom, that stupid rule might be it. Well that and the rule of who a royal family member may marry. No way will I marry just to make my father happy. For me, it will be true love or nothing.
“As much as we may not agree with the rule, it is your father’s rule and we must obey the King.” Ansil responded.
“Since you refuse to tell me anything about this world I live in, what can we talk about while we walk home?”
“Why not enjoy the silence, Princess? Maybe you will learn something.” Ansil glared over his shoulder at me.
I made a face at him and turned away to look at the scenery, my thoughts turning inwards. Once upon a time, a whole six months ago, I would have called Ansil my friend, but now it seems like a wall was built between us. His responses go
from lukewarm to bitter cold in a matter of minutes.
“Thea, have you heard from Jake at all?” Ortheus interrupted my thoughts.
I shook my head, “No, not since he returned to the human realm. I have not been back to the portal and we both know that he cannot return without one of us to access the portal.”
“I imagine you miss him. You two seemed close while he was here.” His voice changed slightly as he spoke. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he was jealous.
“I miss him like I miss my brothers. I know that I will always have a place at the portal, whichever side of it I am on. But for now, my home is here in the Bog.” I leave unsaid with those I love.
“Well, that is good.”
After that the conversation died and I walked in silence.
Chapter 9
Finally, we arrived back at the keep, tired and dirty. All I wanted is to take a bath and sleep in my own bed. But first, I had to talk with Da. I didn’t know if I should mention the cottage we had discovered or not.
“I am going to speak with my father. What time would you like to meet tomorrow?” I asked Ansil.
“I will go with you. I need to report what we found and that the Nokken never showed up,” he responded.
“I can report that to him just as easily as you can, Ansil.” Why did he insist on treating me like a child, doing things that I could do, telling me what to do?
“Thea, it is my job to protect you and tell the king of anything that is out of the ordinary.”
I looked at him and wanted to scream. My teeth clenched, I spat out, “No, it is your job to babysit me and make sure I am a good little Princess. It needs to stop. I will never be able to become what my father wants if you two keep treating me like I am incapable!”
“Well, Princess, maybe if you thought before you spoke and acted, we wouldn’t need to babysit you.” Ansil glared at me.
Taking a deep breath, I tamped down my anger. “Ansil, the last two days, did I do anything to make you think that I need you to hover and do things for me? Did I do anything rash or unsafe?”
Ansil was silent for a minute before he shook his head, “No, you did not.”
“Then let me report to my father and show him that I can be responsible.” I bit my lip as I waited for Ansil to respond and it seemed to take him forever to decide.
“All right. But I will go with you. If you give your father a thorough report, then I will tell him how well you behaved and suggest that he give you more responsibility.” He looked at me sternly before turning to start towards my father’s tent.
“Um, by thorough report, do I mention the house and what we found in it?” I asked, running to catch up.
“That would be the meaning of thorough.”
“Ansil, you want to leave first thing in the morning, right?” I asked, though I really wanted to find out about the cottage and the items we had found, I wanted to ask when I had time to really question Da.
“Yes.”
“Well, have you thought of what will happen if we tell Da about the cottage and Nereid carving? If he knows about them, then I will have to get him to talk. If he does not, then we will have to investigate before leaving the Bog. Either way, it will be at least another day or two till we leave.”
Ansil stopped walking. “You really do not want to tell your father what we found?”
I looked at him and debated what I was going to say. “It is not that I do not want to tell him, but that I want it to be the right time, when he is ready to talk, and we have the time it will take. The house and that statue, they remind me of some of the visions I have had. It is important, but I do not think it is something we need to discuss yet.”
“You have given this some thought. You are sure that this is the course you wish to take?”
“I believe that it is the best course. I need to get to the Fairy Kingdom and whatever story that cottage has to tell, it is one that can wait. It has waited this long.”
“All right, Princess. We will do this your way and I pray that you are right.”
We chatted amicably as we walked the rest of the way to the king’s tent. It almost felt like it did with Ansil on our last trip, a feeling of camaraderie between us.
Chapter 10
I stepped through the portal as the sun was just coming up over the horizon. Ansil had decided that he wanted to get an extra early start so that we could have the best options for ships. The Selkie Kingdom was nothing like the Bog. The portal opened into a courtyard with tall buildings on each side. An archway was set into one wall that spilled onto a stone path that ran alongside small rivers.
“Their houses are built on rivers? But how?” I asked, in awe as I took in the brightly colored structures, their walls a smooth stone-like material that was cool to the touch.
“These rivers are made by the Selkie. They dig the rivers, lining the sides and bottoms with rocks. Once the new part of the river is ready to be added to the old, they break the damn and it fills with ocean water,” Orpheus explained. “It is quite a feat for them to make an entire city with roads out of water.”
“How do you get around? I mean not all streets connect, do they? And I do not see bridges to get to the other side of the rivers.” This city is so unlike anything I have seen before, even in the human realm and there speeding moving houses. No that was not what they were, what word did Jake use? Cas? Cer? Cars? That was what he called them, cars.
“Thea, keep your voice down.” Ansil hissed. “Selkie are very proud of their abilities but they do not put them on display for all to see. Keep your eyes open as we walk to the shipyard and see if you can figure it out. Now let us walk quickly.”
I felt my cheeks heat at Ansil’s words, but I did as he said and followed him onto the path that was oddly empty.
“The Selkie are a special race,” Ortheus began. “They have an ability that is unique to them. You will rarely see them walking in the city, they prefer other means of transportation.” He pulled me to a stop suddenly and pointed into the water, whispering, “Look! But be quiet.”
The house across from us had an opening in the house’s foundation that gave the occupants access to the river. Just as I was about to ask what I was looking at I saw it, a large smooth, brown head peeking above the surface of the water. Black eyes bore into mine, white whiskers twitching as if smelling the air. It was only a moment, but I felt like he was reading every part of me. Then with a flip of his tail he disappeared under the water again.
“What was that?” I asked quietly, reverently. I had never seen such a beautiful creature before, or such warm brown eyes.
“That was a Selkie.” Ortheus smiled. “When they need to go anywhere, they shift into their seal form.”
“Each house has an underwater room that gives the occupants access to the water. They can shift there and then swim out into the river and go wherever they need.” Ansil explained. “Now we best hurry or we will miss the best ships and tide.”
He started walking so quickly that I almost had to run to keep up, but I didn’t really notice as I thought about the warm brown eyes I had seen. I shook my head trying to dislodge them from my memory. I had two handsome Brownies escorting me, so why did brown Selkie eyes pull at me?
“Stay with Ortheus while I find a ship.” Ansil’s voice broke me out of the hold the Selkie’s eyes had on me. “And do not talk to anyone.”
I glared at him, but nodded my head, still slightly distracted. Somehow, we had walked to the end of the path without me noticing. The harbor opened before us with stone roads jutting into the water in nice even lines, a boat on either side of each of the ten roads. I had never seen a boat before, and I could tell why Ansil wanted to get here early. Most of the boats looked to be in good shape, but a couple were older, the wood warped and cracking.
I watched Ansil walk up to the second largest ship. He was too far away for me to be able to make out what was being said, but when the ship master threw his head back and laughed while Ansil
balled his hands into fists, I knew it wasn’t good. Ship after ship had the same results until he reached the last ship.
This ship might have been the worst of all of them. Its wood was missing all its paint, and even from here I could see where planks had been nailed over holes, making messy patches. The sail was a dirty oatmeal color and looked to have seen better days.
“Please tell me he is not thinking we should go on that?” I asked Ortheus. Before he
could respond, Ansil waved us over. “You have got to be kidding me. You two think I get into precarious situations? That thing is a deathtrap waiting to happen.” I mumbled as I followed Ortheus to where Ansil was waiting. Up close, the ship looks even worse. The deck had holes in it as if someone took a pole and rammed it through the floor repeatedly. The sail is torn and fraying and what once might have been a covered place for the captain and passengers was just a shell with no roof.
But when I looked up to the captain, none of that mattered.
“You!” he exclaimed.
“You!” I whispered at the same time, looking deep into warm, brown eyes.
Chapter 11
“You know each other?” Ansil asked, looking back and forth between the Selkie and me.
“Come on board. We’ll talk as I prepare to leave. You wish to make the tide, right?” the Selkie said, herding us onto his boat as he looked up and down the busy wharf. “We don’t need the Wharf Master seeing you here. If he thinks I am leaving with passengers, he will demand a Nereid travel with us.”
Ansil followed the Selkie onto the boat, "Hurry Thea, he is right. We do not want a Nereid with us."
I did as he instructed, but curiosity got the better of me. "You mean like that statue we found? Why would it be bad if one came with us?"
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