by Renee Hart
When the first sails appeared on the horizon, Ulriq spent nearly an hour trying to convince himself that he’d simply imagined them. He ran back and forth along the shore changing the angle of his view until he was worn out. Casting himself to the ground, he leaned against a rock and stared out over the water until his eyes were blurred.
Finally, he fell asleep where he lay and dreamed that Nanuq had come down to the shore to wait with him. The great white bear talked to him of many things, but when he awoke, he remembered nothing that was said. He felt a great peace had somehow settled inside of him and all of his fears for the future were washed away.
Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he turned his gaze out over the waters. His heart leapt with joy to see a ship drawing nearer to the isle. He could make out some activity on the deck as they prepared to launch the longboats. He ran to tell the workmen at the lodge of the ship and they hurried with him to the landing place. The People from the village did not join with them in the greeting this time.
He clearly saw Iliana and her mother being helped into the first boat with her father but somehow he felt strangely shy and didn’t return her waves. His hand trembled at his side, but having suffered so much, the boy he had been no longer waited for her. Ulriq knew he had crossed over and left his childhood behind in the harsh winter. He sensed this would change things between him and Iliana. He only hoped the change would be for the better as his love caused his heart to beat strangely within him.
Watching the young woman climbing from the boat, he realized she too had grown up and left her childhood behind. He wondered at the world she’d left and what she’d had to face in the many months they’d been apart. He knew little of political unrest or the complexities of revolution. Turning to look at her parents, it was clear the winter hadn’t been kind to them either. Both of them looked worn and tired beyond the trials of their journey.
They came together shyly and acted for the moment almost as if they were strangers. Iliana’s father broke the tension between them by grabbing Ulriq and embracing him heartily as an old friend. Soon the four of them were laughing and talking as they tried to catch up with their news. Ulriq spoke proudly of the work done during the winter on the lodge as the men unloaded supplies from the ship.
Leaving his men to their tasks, Iliana’s father was anxious to see the lodge, so the four of them began the walk through the village. They fell silent as the family saw the empty huts and the hollow faces of the People watching them from their doorways. At first, they’d called out greetings, but their words were met with silence and downcast faces.
As they reached the end of the village, Ulriq saw tears in the eyes of Iliana and her mother. Her father quietly asked him what had happened over the winter. The explanation was beyond words and Ulriq simply shook his head. It was enough to see the empty faces to know the winter was very bad. They walked on without speaking.
Coming around the final outcropping of rock brought the lodge into view. Iliana gasped at the sight and Ulriq caught up her hand. The two of them began to run the final distance leaving her parents to follow. The workmen had wasted little time using every spare minute to carve intricate details around the main doorway and the windows. The entire structure was closely enjoined with the surrounding rock leaving the impression it was somehow a part of the isle.
The windows facing west over the strait sparkled in the sunlight. An air of peace blanketed the entire house, drawing them inside. Carved banisters graced the curving stairway inside the main entrance and the massive log walls muffled the sound of the ocean nearby into a quiet murmur. The four of them moved quietly from room to room trying to take it all in at once.
Even though Ulriq had spent the winter watching the workmen at their work, he felt as if he was seeing it all for the first time himself as he considered it through their eyes. This is a home worthy of a princess, he thought to himself.
Chapter Nine
Kat woke up the next morning with a start. The sun was shining through a small gap in the heavy drapes. Stretching herself in the soft sheets, she enjoyed the comfort of a real bed. The sturdy cot in her room left little room to turn over, let alone stretch. Her thoughts drifted back to the journal and the words of last night. She’d read until her yawning made them realize the late hour.
Just before she’d slipped into bed, she’d gone to the window and looked out over the strait. Much to her surprise, she saw lights bobbing up and down out on the water right in front of the lodge. As she watched, the lights suddenly disappeared from her view. She stared out at the darkness for half an hour before she’d decided she must have imagined it and went to bed.
As her stomach gave a groan, she realized that a wonderful aroma had wafted into the room while she’d slept. It was time to go in search of breakfast. Without thinking, she slipped out of bed and ran a quick brush through her hair.
Hurrying downstairs in her pajamas, she turned the corner to head for the kitchen and ran straight into a man carrying a heavy tote sack. Her momentum and his heavy load caused the two of them to stumble in surprise. He dropped the heavy sack with a crash, knocking a vase off a nearby table. She bounced off the wall and landed in a heap at his feet.
“Oh my,” Lana said as she ran from the kitchen to help Kat to her feet. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I think so,” Kat said a bit shakily as she eyed the stranger warily. “I didn’t realize there was anyone else here in the house with us.”
Suddenly aware that she was wearing her pajamas, her face turned red and she quickly turned to head back upstairs. The strange man was down on his knees picking up the broken pieces of the vase with his face turned away from her. Lana watched her retreat and then turned to help with the mess. The two of them worked quietly to set things back in order.
Kat sat down on the bed to gather her wits. She hadn’t expected there to be anyone else at the lodge this weekend. It was a stupid assumption on her part as guests came and went without anyone’s knowledge in the village, as far as she knew. Shaking off her embarrassment, she hurried to get dressed. Checking her image in the mirror, she was startled by a knock at the door.
“Kat, can I come in,” Lana called.
“Of course,” Kat said as she opened the door.
“I’m sorry,” both women said at the same time and laughed.
“It’s nothing to be sorry about, my dear,” Lana said, “you couldn’t have known there was someone in the house besides us. Even I was surprised to find my son at home this morning. He comes and goes as he pleases without warning. I’ve gotten used to it.”
“So that was your son downstairs that I mowed down in the hallway?”
“Yes, and don’t worry. He’s none the worse for the wear. He was more concerned about you since you landed on the floor,” Lana laughed.
“No, I’m fine. I’ve taken worse tumbles playing games with my students.”
“Well, why don’t you come downstairs? Breakfast is ready and I can introduce you two properly,” Lana said taking Kat by the arm.
The two of them headed for the kitchen arm in arm. Kat was glad for the company as she felt unnaturally shy after their abrupt collision. Finding him at the table calmly buttering a scone brought a sense of relief to her. He appeared quite ordinary in the bright lights of the kitchen. Not at all like one would imagine a pirate to look like, Kat laughed to herself as she sat down.
“I always thought I was the biggest fan of my mother’s cooking, but I can see that I’ve been out matched,” the stranger said with a grin.
As the man turned to look at Kat, her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. His attempt at humor was lost on her as she found herself torn between his dark eyes and the ragged scar that marred the right side of his face. Running from his hairline to just below his ear, it was easy to imagine the slash of a sword in the hands of a pirate.
“Now you promised to be nice, Alexei,” Lana scolded. “Running over our guests in the hallway isn’t how you were raise
d, nor were you ever allowed to tease.”
Kat busied herself with sitting down at the table, giving herself time to gather her wits. As Lana attempted to make polite introductions, Alexei went back to buttering his scone. He mumbled something that passed for an acknowledgment and began eating without another word. His mother made a face at him and gave Kat a wan smile.
“I fear I’ve raised a barbarian,” she said as she watched her son. “Here, dear, have something to eat before my son finishes off the scones,” she laughed as she handed Kat the platter.
Kat spent the next few minutes filling her plate with scrambled eggs and hash browns, as her stomach urged her on. She couldn’t resist taking a bit of each before taking the next serving dish, much to the amusement of her hosts. Even Alexei had stopped eating to watch her performance. Feeling his eyes upon her, Kat looked up to find them both watching her with grins on their faces. Turning red to the roots of her hair, she froze in the middle of a large bite of her scone, leaving butter running down the side of her mouth to drip from her chin.
Gently, Alexei reached out with a napkin to catch it before it landed on her shirt.
“Slow down there, little one,” he said quietly, “I promise I won’t eat all of the scones.”
The sound of Lana pushing her chair back broke the moment as she assured them there were plenty of scones, and headed over to the stove to prove it. Kat couldn’t help but notice a slightly annoyed look on her face as she turned away. She wondered if the look was on her account or his, but Lana came back with her usual smile leaving Kat to think she’d misread the woman. She reminded herself this was only her second visit to Domiq and she really hadn’t gotten to know Lana yet.
Breakfast passed with Lana doing most of the talking as she related the story from her great-grandmother’s journal to her son. Alexei was clearly as interested in the tale as his mother and asked several questions. Like his mother, he spoke some Russian but never learned to read the language for himself. Kat was surprised when he asked her to continue the reading there at the kitchen table while he washed the breakfast dishes.
Lana gave her a wink as she said, “I must have done something right, eh?”
Kat was happy to oblige as she was just as intrigued with the tale as them.
***
Conditions in the village and the lack of furs and pelts for trading deeply concerned Iliana’s parents. Her father was forced to sail beyond the islands to the mainland to trade with the people there. Leaving his wife and daughter on the isle was a difficult decision, but as this was meant to be their new home, he felt it would be okay. He charged Ulriq with their care and sailed away. The three of them stood on the shore and watched until the sails disappeared from their sight. Without a word, they turned and headed to Domiq with heavy hearts.
The summer days passed pleasantly enough as Iliana’s mother left them to amuse themselves as she busied herself setting her new home in order. When they weren’t called upon to move some piece of furniture or admire her latest handiwork, they explored the caves and the isle from one end to the other.
Iliana took it upon herself to teach Ulriq how to read and write, though he had little interest. He was willing to do whatever she asked just to be with her. Each day they’d spend some time looking at the few books her father had brought along. The one that held their interest was an atlas with maps of the entire world. Seeing their tiny isle as a dot compared to the land Iliana called home was hard for Ulriq to comprehend. He’d never left his home, not even to visit the neighboring island within sight. She would trace out the path on the map to her faraway home over and over again until he could see it with his eyes closed. How that picture related to the reality of land and sea, he couldn’t even begin to understand.
When her father returned with a ship laden with furs and pelts from the mainland, he found himself facing another decision. He needed to return to the motherland to fulfill his contracts and buy the supplies they’d need for the winter. With a plan in place to return for the winter, the question was whether or not he would bring his family with him or leave them once again. Deciding the risk was too great that he might not make the return trip in time before winter set in, he thought it best to take them with him.
Iliana was heartbroken to leave Ulriq behind again and pleaded with her father to allow Ulriq to come with them. It didn’t take much to convince her parents as they made preparations to leave and Ulriq found himself in the longboat heading away from home for the first time in his life. His mother was happy for him and his stepfather simply didn’t care. The choice for him was simple, he would go wherever Iliana bade him to go, without hesitation.
Chapter Ten
Kat struggled to make out the faded letters on the brittle pages of the journal. Time was doing its best to erase the history of this family right before their eyes, she thought. Reading slowly and carefully, the three of them were caught up and drawn back into a Russia that no longer existed.
Iliana wrote each day of the strange, new world she was sharing with her beloved Ulriq. Everything was new for him, the ship, the food, and the crowds of people everywhere they traveled. He quickly became overwhelmed with all of it and fell ill for several weeks. Iliana stayed at his side the entire time as she nursed him back to health.
Her parents questioned the wisdom of bringing him away from his home as they feared for his life. It wouldn’t do to go back to the isle to report his death to his parents. They would never be able to understand what had happened to him. The consequences might even cost them Domiq and their chance for a new life there on the isle. His recovery was cause for a great celebration.
Kat felt the relief in the room as she read of the party thrown in his honor. It almost made her laugh as they had the evidence on the wall upstairs of his recovery, yet Iliana’s worry had reached out from the past and caught them all in its grip. The power of her words transcended time for all of them.
The family began to make preparations to return to the isle and Iliana filled her journal with lists of things to take and other stuff to give away to friends or neighbors. It appeared the decision was made to make this their final move. Their house in Ayan was going to be transferred to a brother or a cousin, according to what Kat could make out.
A large gap in the daily entries caused her to pause in her reading.
“It appears that Iliana stopped writing for several weeks here,” Kat said looking up at the others. “This next entry records the arrest of her father. She doesn’t explain why. Her mother went to protest to the authorities and didn’t come home again. She believes they are dead.”
“Many of the aristocrats were caught up in a rebellion against the ruling classes during that time in the history of Russia,” Lana said sadly. “It’s a very dark time. Perhaps their deaths were related to that.”
“What does she write of next,” Alexei asked hovering over the journal. “Obviously she somehow manages to escape.”
“Maybe Kat would like to take a break,” Lana suggested. “She’s been reading for nearly an hour.”
“Actually, I could do with some fresh air,” Kat said. “I’d like to take a little walk outside and enjoy the sunlight.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Lana agreed, “but I insist that Alexei must come with you. There are….hazards outside for someone unfamiliar with the area. I think I’ll lay down for a short nap while you’re gone.”
Both Kat and Alexei looked at Lana, but she didn’t say anything more. They stood at the same time and headed for the door. Nearly colliding again, Alexei stopped short and bowed to her.
“After you,” he said gallantly as he waited for her to pass.
She made a face at him as she left the kitchen. He simply smiled.
***
Ulriq felt helpless in the face of their situation. The sudden arrest of Iliana’s father came just as they were getting ready to leave Ayan. He had no warning that his name was on the list of those to be rounded up by the authorities. Her mother w
ent to the officials trying to find his location and the charges brought against him. She was warned to stay away, but she went again the next day.
When she didn’t come home, Iliana went to talk to her uncle. He wouldn’t open the door to his niece and warned her to leave the city as fast as she could go. He was planning to leave that very night and wouldn’t be coming back. There was no room in his escape plan for Iliana and Ulriq. They were on their own.
Iliana tried to explain the danger to Ulriq, but he knew nothing of such things. The one part of the situation he did understand was that fathers sometimes died under strange circumstances. With this thought in mind, he knew it was up to him to protect his beloved and get her home to the isle. He knew they would have to travel a very long way up the coast before they could cross the ice. Without her father’s ship, it would take weeks to walk that far.
Together, they gathered all the supplies they could carry into a small cart pulled by a very large horse and waited until it was dark to leave. Some family portraits and her mother’s jewelry fit into a small chest at the very bottom of their stash. It was all she had left of her family and Ulriq didn’t protest when she packed her treasures. They filled the rest of the space with food and winter clothing, knowing there would be little chance to find anything along the way.
Once they got beyond the town and the few outlying houses, Ulriq felt his confidence grow that he could get them home. They were both strong and healthy and he was a hunter. At first, Iliana laughed as he strutted about taking charge of making fires and setting up their campsites, but soon she too felt confident in his care. She believed he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.