by MJ Schutte
Two of them immediately went forward and positioned themselves on either side of Lilian. With some hand signals and very few words, the one elf explained to Lilian that they were on lookout duty and that she could go rest.
She smiled a thank you at the elf and made her way towards the helm.
‘Jonathan, don’t you think the lookout should be higher up?’ she asked the prince.
‘Yes, it would help, but how do I get them higher? I can’t make them stand on each other’s shoulders permanently,’ Jonathan frowned.
Lilian looked up at the main mast behind the prince. He followed her gaze upwards, then snapped his fingers.
‘Brilliant! I will ask the elves to build a small platform at the top of the mast as a lookout point. Gene insisted we take some spare wood and tools, just incase we needed to do some repairs,’ he smiled.
‘I’ll tell Goralt,’ Lilian offered.
‘Thank you. I don’t think he likes taking orders from me,’ Jonathan replied.
Lilian went to speak to Goralt, explaining what they wanted. The elf immediately got to work building the lookout platform.
For the rest of the day Lilian and Angelina watched Goralt and another elf work on the platform and assisted with lookout duty. When darkness descended the woman went to the kitchen and prepared supper for the sailors.
After the evening meal everybody retired to their sleeping places, the excitement and physical labor of the day having exhausted them.
Goralt stayed at the helm while another elf was perched high up on the newly built lookout platform. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the small waves against the hull as Mendin’s first ship cleaved through the water on her maiden voyage.
Lilian opened her eyes. She was standing in an open field. Confused, she looked around her. In the distance she spotted a figure. Her eyes went wide, a big smile creeping across her face.
‘Brighton!’ she shouted as she ran towards her husband. For a moment she wondered why he was just standing there, but the thought left her mind instantly.
‘Brighton, I missed you!’ she laughed as she drew closer.
A frown creased her forehead as she noticed he was holding a bow.
She slowed down a little, wondering again why he was not coming towards her.
Slowly Brighton lifted the bow and took aim.
‘Brighton, what are you doing?’ Lilian screamed in panic as she skidded to a halt. She was no more than fifty paces away from him.
The only answer came from the snap of his bowstring as Brighton released the arrow.
Lilian dove to her right to avoid the deadly projectile, but the arrow curved in mid air and slammed into her chest.
Lilian’s eyes snapped open again. In the complete darkness she could not see anything, but the gentle rocking of the ship reminded her where she was.
She was sitting up in her bed, her hand on her chest.
‘Lilian, what’s wrong,’ Angelina asked sleepily.
‘Brighton never misses,’ Lilian whispered.
‘What?’ Angelina’s voice came out of the darkness.
‘Brighton never misses,’ Lilian repeated.
She heard Angelina fumble with some fire rocks, trying to get a candle going. After a few tries she gave up and reached for the window hatch. Soft moonlight streamed in through the small opening as Angelina pulled the hatch open.
It took a few moments for both women’s eyes to get used to the gloomy light. Angelina made her way to Lilian and sat down on the bed next to her.
‘What were you saying?’ she asked, still not fully awake.
Lilian was so deep in thought she did not hear the younger woman. Angelina placed her hand on Lilian’s shoulder and repeated the question.
‘Brighton never misses,’ Lilian repeated.
‘What do you mean? Did you have a dream?’ Angelina asked.
‘Yes, I had a dream. I thought it was a nightmare, but now I see the truth,’ Lilian whispered.
Angelina tried waiting for Lilian to speak, but her impatience got the better of her.
‘What did you dream?’
‘I dreamt that Brighton shot me with an arrow,’ Lilian replied.
The cobwebs of sleep were instantly driven from Angelina’s mind.
‘That sounds like a nightmare to me!’ she gasped.
‘No, it was not. Brighton did not miss. He shot me right here,’ Lilian said, tapping her finger on her chest.
‘How is that not a nightmare?’ Angelina exclaimed.
‘Brighton never misses. Even when he did not know about his talent and what he could do, his instinct always guided his arrows to their target. He has never missed a target!’ Lilian replied.
Angelina frowned, not understanding what Lilian was going on about.
‘Don’t you see? When I confronted him and the old wizard, he could easily have killed me, but he didn’t! He only grazed me with the arrow, giving me a chance to get away. The fact that Brighton’s arrow only grazed me distracted the old wizard long enough so I could use my magic to erect a barrier, protecting all of us against his onslaught,’ Lilian explained.
When Angelina did not speak immediately, Lilian continued.
‘Brighton may have lost his memories, but for some reason he chose not to kill me! This has to be a good sign! We are going to find him and set all of this right!’ she exclaimed happily.
Angelina, suddenly remembering the wound on Lilian’s shoulder, yanked her hand away.
‘I’m sorry…’ she stammered.
‘The wound is gone. Feel my shoulder,’ Lilian said as she pulled her nightgown away.
Angelina gently touched Lilian’s shoulder, running her fingers over the skin. There was no sign of a wound left, not even the tiniest of scars.
‘Let’s go outside for some fresh air. I can’t sleep now,’ Lilian suggested.
Hurriedly the women got dressed and stepped out into the cool sea air. The breeze made Angelina shiver, but Lilian seemed not to notice. She went right to the front of the ship and stood staring into the darkness.
‘Brighton, my love, I will find you. I promise,’ she whispered to herself.
Angelina and Lilian watched the sun rising to their right.
‘We’re still sailing due north,’ Angelina commented.
‘Yes, we are. I hope it’s the correct direction,’ Lilian replied.
Neither had gone back to bed after Lilian’s dream. They stayed on deck and kept watch with the elves.
‘Mistress!’ came the call from above.
Lilian looked up at the elf on the platform high above the deck.
He signaled to her that he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
‘They keep telling you that there is nothing to see,’ Angelina commented dryly.
‘Yes, they take lookout duty very seriously,’ Lilian giggled.
‘Good morning ladies,’ Jonathan greeted cheerfully from behind.
The women turned around and greeted him back.
‘I could not help but overhear your conversation. While I appreciate the elves taking their duties very seriously, there is a slight problem,’ he said.
‘What?’ Lilian frowned.
‘I struggle to understand their signals. If they are going to tell me what’s up ahead, they will need to speak like we do,’ Jonathan answered, watching Lilian’s reaction carefully.
Lilian thought about it for a few moments and then said, ‘Come, let’s go speak to Goralt.’
The three people made their way to Goralt, who was still at the helm.
‘Goralt, we have a request. We want all the elves to learn how to speak without using their hands so much,’ Lilian said.
Goralt turned his one hand up in a question gesture.
‘First, when they are up there on lookout duty, they need to relay to Jonathan what they see,’ she said as she pointed to the lookout position.
Goralt slowly nodded his head in understanding.
‘Second, we are going to a strange land
. I do not want to attract too much attention when we get there,’ Lilian continued.
Goralt thought for only a moment before he said, ‘Mistress correct is, elves will talk you like.’
He concentrated on keeping his hands still while he spoke.
Lilian smiled as she helped him, ‘It’s supposed to be “Mistress is correct. The elves will talk like you.”’
Goralt repeated after her.
‘Good! Angelina and I will teach you and the other elves,’ Lilian said cheerfully.
The days went by quickly. After a soldier very nearly found the black panther that shared Imlan’s sleeping place, he volunteered to handle all the supplies. The cook needed only tell Imlan what to bring and the big man would swiftly fetch the required food or water. This task kept him busy but also kept him away from the other soldiers, for which he was grateful. He preferred spending his free time alone or with the panther.
Twenty two days into their voyage, Imlan was lying on his makeshift bed with the panther next to him. Although it was night time, the moon provided ample light. Imlan did not feel like sleeping so instead he played with the panther’s ears. The panther seemed to enjoy this and playfully nipped at Brighton’s hand. The game got a bit rougher and the two of them ended up in a wrestling match. Although Imlan was very strong he still was no match for the panther. The animal eventually pinned him down, his rough tongue grating over Imlan’s face.
‘No, no!’ Brighton laughed as he tried to push the panther off him.
The panther rolled sideways and lay with his legs in the air, waiting for Imlan to scratch his belly. Imlan propped himself up on one elbow and said, ‘You’re full of mischief tonight.’
As soon as he said it, a single name popped into his head.
Lily.
The panther’s ears perked up, a soft growl coming from his throat.
‘What? All I said was that you’re full of mischief,’ Imlan smiled.
Again the panther’s ears perked up. He turned his head sideways and purred softly.
Imlan frowned. Lily popped into his head again as soon as he spoke.
‘Full of mischief,’ he repeated, watching the cat closely.
It was as if the cat knew what he was saying. The purring became a little louder and the panther shoved his head under Imlan’s hand.
‘Lily,’ Imlan said.
Again it looked like the panther understood what Imlan had said, or at the very least recognized the name.
Imlan wondered if he knew this panther in his previous life.
‘Well, your name can’t be Lily since you’re a boy, but why do you recognize the phrase full of mischief?’ Imlan asked the cat.
He was still speculating about it when he noticed the cat was fast asleep, the massive black head resting comfortably in his lap.
‘Perhaps you were Lily’s pet and she used to say you’re full of mischief,’ he said to the sleeping panther.
Imlan settled down to rest since he knew the cook would want some provisions brought to the kitchen before sunrise.
The last thoughts before sleep took control of his mind were Lily and Mischief.
Imlan stood watching her from behind, her beautiful long blond curls flowing softly in the breeze. Slowly, seductively, the woman turned her head, looking over her shoulder at him. Her deep blue eyes seemed to look into his soul.
‘Well, are you going to join me?’ she asked in a husky voice.
‘I…uh…someone should stand watch,’ Imlan stuttered.
The woman’s hand went up to her chest. Although Imlan could not see what she was doing he quickly realized her intentions when the dress slipped from her shoulders. She gathered her long hair and pulled it over her shoulder, exposing her naked back. Imlan caught a tiny glimpse of her breasts before she dropped her arm again. His breathing was fast and shallow, his heart racing. His eyes traveled down her bare back to her small bottom, and further down her shapely legs, all the way to her perfect ankles.
‘I’m going for a swim. Feel free to join me,’ the woman said over her shoulder.
For the first time Imlan became aware that they were standing on a river bank. He also became aware of a sharp pain in his right hand. He looked down and saw his finger nails digging into his palm. Slowly he opened his hand and focused on controlling his breathing. When he looked up, the woman was already waist deep in the water. Slowly she turned around, keeping her arms folded across her chest.
‘Come join me, the water is lovely,’ she called to him as she dropped her hands.
Imlan could not move. He stared at the woman’s naked body, drinking in every detail of her silky smooth skin, the deep blue of her eyes, her full lips and her firm, perfect breasts.
Slowly she sank into the water, smiling seductively at him.
‘Uh…someone… I need to stand watch,’ he repeated, not able to think of anything else to say.
‘Mischief is here. He will guard us,’ she replied.
‘Mischief?’ Imlan whispered.
He looked around but could not see anybody else. Quickly his eyes snapped back to the naked woman in the water.
Although she was still right there, he could not see her face anymore. Instead, he only saw a cloud of black smoke where her head was supposed to be. He stepped a little closer, a deep frown creasing his forehead.
The smoke traveled down, covering her shoulders.
‘What’s going on? Who are you?’ he asked, but she did not answer.
The smoke traveled further down until he could not see the woman anymore, just a vague human form standing in the river.
A voice in Imlan’s mind suddenly screamed that he must save her. He stormed into the water and tried to grab the woman, but she had vanished. The black smoke slowly evaporated.
He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he looked straight into white eyes.
‘Mischief,’ he whispered.
He turned his head to look around. He was back at his sleeping place, the panther standing over him.
He looked into those milky eyes again and said, ‘Is your name Mischief?’
The cat’s ears perked up, soft purring coming from his throat.
Imlan sat up.
‘I just had the strangest dream,’ he said as he scratched his head.
Looking up at the sky, he noticed that it was almost dawn. He jumped up and hastily gathered the supplies he knew the cook would want. While he worked, he kept replaying the dream in his mind. What he found strangest of all was that he could no longer recall what the woman’s face looked like.
‘It’s not working!’ Al’taish shouted in frustration.
‘It is, but not exactly as fast as you want,’ Robyn said calmly.
They were back at the lookout spot on the hill. Robyn was seated on a small blanket while Al’taish stood in front of a berry bush. Both his hands were stretched out towards the bush, palms forward.
‘My arm still hurts and so do my ribs,’ he complained.
‘True, but you are able to use your arm. A break that bad does not normally heal this fast. What you’re doing is working. Now, stop whining like a little girl and focus. Take the energy from the bush and heal your body,’ Robyn instructed.
Al’taish gave her a dark look as he dropped his hands. He knew she was telling the truth but he was not going to admit it.
Robyn smiled sweetly at him, acting like she did not see the look he gave her.
While he still had a good deal of pain in his arm, it felt better with every passing day.
‘Al’taish, you only have a few days left and you are not in control of your gift yet,’ Robyn said slowly when she realized he was not going to draw any more energy from the bush.
‘I know, but what if I start a fire again, like I did yesterday?’ Al’taish sighed.
‘Then I will extinguish the fire, like I did yesterday,’ Robyn answered.
The previous day Al’taish was taking energy from a tree and attempted to channel it into his arm. He w
as trying too hard and ended up shooting pure energy bolts into the ground from his left hand, setting the grass alight.
‘I prefer my blades and manipulating people’s minds,’ Al’taish said as he sat down next to Robyn.
‘Yes, I know, but you might need your magic soon. Who knows what will be waiting for you when the daraghna takes you back to Ethona?’ Robyn argued.
‘I don’t want to go,’ Al’taish sighed.
‘You have to go and give the bracelet to Zaconis,’ Robyn said sternly.
‘I still don’t see how it can be the right thing to do,’ the young man replied.
‘Al’taish, we’ve been over this numerous times. You are not supposed to know everything I told you, and if you did not, you would have simply taken the bracelet to Zaconis without question. It is meant to happen this way and we can not interfere with the events that have to take place,’ Robyn reminded him.
‘Yes, I know,’ he sighed.
Chapter 15
Imlan stared wide eyed at the vast city in front of them as the ship crept into the harbor. There were people everywhere and buildings twice the height of the ship’s main mast. Earlier he heard one of the soldiers refer to this place as Celonis.
The helmsman expertly brought the ship in and Imlan felt only the slightest bump as the hull made contact with the wooden dock. Ropes were quickly tossed down to the waiting hands below and the ship was secured.
‘Welcome back, Father Zaconis!’ someone shouted.
Father waved a greeting at the man, turned to Alexi, spoke a few words and then quickly made his way off the ship.
‘Off load! Get those sails to the seamstresses and the barrels to the Provisions Master!’ Alexi shouted.
Imlan’s heart skipped a beat. If the other soldiers were to offload the barrels and sails, they would surely find the black panther.
He raced to the back of the ship, but it was too late. A few soldiers were already there.
‘I’ll do it!’ Imlan shouted, but the soldiers ignored him.
‘Imlan, I know you were unofficially in charge of the provisions while we were at sea, but now we’re home, so everybody has to help,’ Alexi said from behind.