It pained Leo to see the love of his life so bruised and battered. He’d not yet had the opportunity to check her wounds. Part of him didn’t want to, for he wasn’t sure it would do him any good to learn the extent of what Erebus had done to her. His heart was hurting already.
But he had her back. For now. Their only hope of saving her was to find help, and soon. If not, there was a very real chance that they could still lose her. And there was no way Leo was going to allow that after all he’d gone through to find her. He would not lose her. He just wouldn’t.
~
Caspian could feel the wind in his face the moment he stepped out onto the deck. It had been a stormy night, and he’d barely slept as their ship crashed through the waves and rain bucketed down from above. Caspian wasn’t the type to suffer from sea sickness, but he’d come close to it the night before. A week at sea and the previous night had been the worst yet.
Oscar had been on shift that night – they all took turns throughout the day and night keeping the ship running smoothly - so he’d spent his time talking with Muka and learning about Oscar’s time with them, training. It was interesting to hear about the young man Oscar had been before he’d known him. How determined he had been, how he’d fitted into the Mariadies lifestyle with great ease. It was a testament to his character, too. Oscar wasn’t one to pass judgement based on what others had told him. He wanted to make up his own mind, and in turn had grown to respect the Mariadies.
Caspian was starting to see why. Granted, he’d never given the Mariadies much thought in the past. They’d always been a tale, a legend, a story for around the campfire. He’d known that their race had still existed, but it had never crossed his mind that he would end up meeting them, let alone working with them and learning from them.
It was going to be a long voyage to the tip of Lastrala, where the fighting was the worst, last Caspian and Oscar heard. A lot could have changed since they had left, but that was still their plan. To aid in the battle where help was needed most. It was still a decent journey to the tip, however, and Caspian relished his chance to continue coming to know his new companions.
He enjoyed Muka’s company. She was easy to talk to, and had a great sense of humour, which helped with the storm that pounded the ship, setting them all on edge. She spent an hour singing to them all, encouraging those who knew the songs to join in. It had been a fun night in the end.
The part Caspian had enjoyed most was learning about the tattoos. Each tattoo represents something. The ones down their arms were for each year of life. They receive a new one on every birthday, and were often made up of images that best represented the past year. Muka’s last tattoo had been of a bird, representing her freedom from her illness. She explained how she’d started the year with bad news but had worked through it, coming out the other end defeating her sickness.
Other tattoos, like the ones on her legs, were symbols of skill, the more tattoos they had, the more respected they were. Lastly, the tattoos across their faces often represented rank. Not in the sense that they were higher up than others, but simply that they’d done something worthy of respect.
Caspian adored hearing of the Mariadies traditions and cultures. It only convinced him more that he’d love to train with them as Oscar had.
After the long night, though, it was Caspian’s turn to take over Oscar’s shift so he could catch some much required sleep. He was exhausted from the lack of his own sleep, but ready for another day at sea. The storm had passed, rolling on over the top of them, and the sun was beginning to shine through the break in the clouds.
‘You’re up early,’ Oscar said, jumping down from where he had been fixing the mast.
His hair was matted to his head, still damp, and his cloths didn’t look much better.
‘It’s nearly 7. My shift starts,’ Caspian responded.
‘Already?’
‘Yes, now stop trying to stall and go rest,’ Caspian replied with a laugh.
Oscar loved working. He hated when his shift ended. Caspian wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t like spending time alone with his thoughts or if it was simply the joy of being back with the Mariadies, but it was a nice look on him, the constant brightness in his smile.
‘All right, all right. I’ll be back by lunch time though.’
‘I’ll count on it,’ Caspian retorted.
Oscar laughed, chucking him the rope he’d been winding up before hurrying below deck to the sleeping quarters.
With everything that had been happening from working with Erine and talking to the Mariadies and then finally packing to set sail, the two of them hadn’t had that much time to talk. Caspian was beginning to miss it. Not that they always talked about interesting things, but it was just that easiness, that lightness between them that he’d come to enjoy and rely on. It helped to distract him from all his concerns.
Not only that, but getting to know Oscar had become exciting. Learning new things about him only made him realise more and more how much he admired his friend. How much he would miss him if they were separated. In addition, knowing Reya was usually on shift with him didn’t help much. Caspian could just imagine her flirting and giggling, putting her hand on his arm-
‘SHIP AHEAD!’ Someone shouted from the captain’s deck, and Caspian’s head shot up.
Humans weren’t allowed at sea during the war. Procedures had been set in place to keep them as safe as possible from the war. Which meant that whoever was heading for them either was looking for help, or for a fight.
Caspian found his feet moving without his command as he peered over the edge at the dark ship navigating towards them. He watched in awe. It had to be double their own ship’s size.
Then, he noticed something. Panels in the side of the ship were drawing backwards, and black cylinders were extending out from the holes. His heart began to race as he realised what they were.
‘THEY’RE ARMED!’ He bellowed just as the first volley of cannons went off.
He threw himself to the floor of the deck as did many around them. Hands covered his ears as he waited for the impact. Seconds turned into minutes and nothing happened.
He scrambled upright to see Mariadies running back and forth.
‘Hey, you all right?’ Oscar asked, appearing at his side.
Caspian nodded. ‘What happened?’
‘They missed. Not by much though. Next shot will hit. We have to fire at them first. Quick, help us load the cannons.’
Caspian followed Oscar as he raced down below deck and into the hull of the ship, a place he hadn’t been before. Mariadies were rushing about, pushing the cannons into place and loading them. Caspian helped Oscar ready another of the cannons, and along with the rest of the Mariadies, they took aim.
‘READY?’ Someone called.
Caspian had never worked a cannon before, so watching Oscar manoeuvre it, lighting the fuse and stepping back, led him to feel as though he were in a daze. When Oscar looked at him, Caspian realised he was telling him something.
‘-back! Get back!’ He roared at him.
Caspian jumped out of the way, hands flying to his ears again as the cannon exploded. Something slammed into the ship above, and cries rung out. Oscar was already loading the cannon for a second round.
‘Go check above,’ said Oscar as another Mariadie arrived, helping him with shifting the cannon back into place.
Caspian nodded and sprinted up the stairs. Smoke billowed out from part of the broadside of the ship, but it was high enough up that water wasn’t leaking through it. No one looked to be hurt, but Mariadies were pulling bows and arrows and taking aim for the ship. Caspian saw the enemy for the first time. It was a Wicked ship, that much was clear. A flag was visible flying from the mast with a gold W on it, the symbol of the Wicked. They had sustained worse damage than the Mariadie’s own ship, but they were still fighting.
A volley of arrows left their ship, and someone screeched for everyone to take cover. Caspian dove back below the deck just
as arrows thunked into the wooden floor above. He emerged a moment later carrying his own bow and arrow. Already the Mariadies had taken aim, and he joined them, knocking his arrow into place.
Eyes trained on the enemy, who were closing in on them, someone yelled at them to fire.
At that moment, in perfect unison, they let their arrows fly, and Caspian watched as they struck the enemy ship, many finding a place in an enemy Wicked. Then, before the enemy had the chance to recuperate, the next round of cannon fire was released, finding their mark in the hull of the ship.
Cheers erupted around them as they watched the ship begin to sink, the Wicked rushing about frantically attempting to save themselves. Caspian observed in complete awe of what they’d just done. What the Mariadies were clearly capable of.
They’d defeated the Wicked with ease.
For the first time, Caspian truly believed that they had a chance at winning the war.
~
Darkness swept across the plains as Stella stumbled about. She wasn’t sure which way was up, which was down, or where she was headed. All she knew was that she had to keep running. Nothing was visible about her. She was surrounded by an all-consuming blackness. But she still knew that she had to keep running.
Then, in an instant, strikes of read appeared above her. Read lines. Veins. She wasn’t sure what. All she knew was that the red would lead her home. And she had to make it home.
There was some part of her mind that seemed to register Leo’s voice above, though she couldn’t hear what he was saying. His tone was urgent. Worried. She wanted to find him so she could hold him and tell him it was going to be all right. She wished she could see him. Where was he?
The red expanded into a cloud of yellow and orange, and with it came a dull throbbing. She felt it throughout her body, but still she pushed on. She kept running. Kept searching. Kept living.
She was growing frantic as the blackness closed in once more, the colour disappearing, throwing her into darkness again. She couldn’t see Leo. Where was he?
And then, his voice again.
‘You’re safe, my love.’
Her heart sped up and she called out for him.
‘I can’t find you!’
‘It’s all going to be okay. You’re safe. He can’t hurt you anymore.’
‘Leo! Please, where are you!’
Stella could feel the tears dripping from her chin as she sobbed. All she wanted was to find Leo. The throbbing had grown into searing agony and yet she still pushed on.
‘Can you hear me darling? Please come back to us. Please,’ Leo’s voice broke.
‘I’m here! Please, where are you!’
She felt something within her then. A beat. Another beat. Another. The pain was hot, searing and she sobbed harder, pushing her feet to move faster. She had to reach him. She had to.
Stella threw her head back and screamed.
There was a jarring in her body and her eyes flew open. Blackness, turned to colour. The world around Stella was blurry, and the pain in her body was horrific. It was everywhere. Biting into her skin, seeping into her bones, screaming from within her soul. She couldn’t hear or see. What was going on?
‘Stella?’ Came Leo’s voice, and a darker shape materialised in her line of sight.
She tried to speak, but no words would leave her lips.
‘Shhh, it’s okay. Just rest. You’re safe now. The healers have fixed you up. They said it might be a few days before you’re able to sit up, but you’re going to make it. They saved your life,’ Leo said, brushing the hair back from her face.
She felt his love within the gesture, and slowly she allowed her eyes to close, knowing that he was there, and that she was safe.
Stella awoke what felt like moments later. Her vision was cleared mostly, and she could see her surroundings. Leo was asleep at her bedside, her hand clutched in his. They were in an Enchanted hospital room, and Stella was covered in woven, cream-coloured blankets. She was hooked up to multiple machines and she could hear their beeping as she awoke completely.
She shifted, and Leo sat up immediately.
‘Stel?’ He whispered.
Stella could see his eyes were bloodshot and his face was dark and sullen. But there was a glimmer of hope, and Stella forced a smile onto her face.
‘Oh Stel,’ he murmured, and the relief flooded from him.
He leaned over, pulling her into a gentle hug.
‘How are you feeling? Do you want some water?’ Leo asked, pulling back enough to peer down lovingly at her.
Stella nodded, suddenly realising how dry her throat was.
She wasn’t in as much pain as she had been. There was a throbbing in her hand and it pained her to move too much, but she wasn’t in constant agony as she had been before.
Leo pressed the cup of water to her lips and tipped it back, allowing small gulps of the liquid to pass through her lips. The coolness spread across her mouth, and she felt instant relief.
‘What- what happened?’ She managed to croak when she’d had enough and he’d set the cup down.
He still sat on the bed beside her, gripping her good hand. Good hand. She remembered then what had happened to her other hand. She tried to lift it to see what had become of it, but the pain returned and she let it fall back to the mattress.
Leo saw the alarm in her face and his own expression saddened.
‘Please,’ Stella whispered.
Leo’s eyes fell to their entwined fingers.
‘We got to you just in time. The healers said if you were there much longer you wouldn’t have made it. We managed to rescue you from Erebus and hurried to the closest Enchanted Hospital we could find. They had to operate. The infection in your finger had spread,’ he paused, and Stella braced herself for the worst. ‘They saved your hand, but you lost the whole finger. It might take a while to regain movement in the rest of the hand though.’
Stella closed her eyes, feeling a sense of relief and dread flood her body. She’d been expecting the worst, so it was better than she’d thought, but still, as a healer who relied heavily on her hands, she knew it was going to take time and practice to grow accustomed to.
‘As for your other injuries, you had a few broken ribs and several external and internal bruising. There was some bleeding that they managed to fix, but I couldn’t understand all that healer mumbo jumbo so said you’d explain it to me when you woke up,’ he smiled down at her, but Stella could see the tears rimming his eyes. ‘Anyway, you’ve been out for about a week. They said you’ve been healing well. You can sit up tomorrow, maybe even be walking by the next day if you can manage it.’
Stella squeezed her husband’s hand, drawing his eyes back to hers.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured.
Leo shook his head. ‘It’s my fault. This is all my fault.’
‘No,’ Stella said firmly, pushing through the pain in her throat. ‘This is Erebus’s fault. You rescued all those people, didn’t you?’
Leo caught her determined gaze and nodded.
‘Then it was worth it. We saved hundreds from being converted or dying. Or even both. And I’m still alive too. As far as I’m concerned, we succeeded.’
Leo gathered her up in his arms and hugged her to him.
‘I love you. With all my heart,’ he said into her hair.
She wrapped her good hand around him and, feeling overwhelmed by all she had been through and the fact that she was still alive, she began to cry.
‘I love you too.’
Chapter Seven
Gather Them Home
‘Land! I see land!’ Grace called to Drew over the sound of the wind and the thunderous beating of the bird’s wings.
Drew peered across at his twin’s grinning face, relieved to know she’d returned somewhat to herself again. After four long weeks at sea, it look as if at last they were closing in on Lastrala. Grace had hated the ship. Not only had being couped up with over a hundred other people been difficult on her, but the constan
t sickness and little food had become almost unbearable. There were only so many trips the four of them could make a day. The birds needed their rest and food too.
‘Quick, let’s tell the others,’ Drew called back to her, and they nudged their birds into a turn and flew back to the ship.
Grace had taken to riding one of the birds most of the time, the other three boys alternating who rode the other. It had been another food run for them that morning, but it seemed they didn’t need the food after all. They would be back on land within a few hours, surely.
They’d been lucky in not meeting any forces while at sea. Or at least, they hadn’t run into any battles on their trip from Dante to Lastrala. That didn’t mean they weren’t occurring though. They’d just been cautious and carful. Most of that was thanks to Mitch’s navigating and knowledge, which came from his training in the force. But Grace took some of the credit too. She’d often head out early in the morning or late at night when there was little light to be seen, to scout for the best and safest routes.
They’d been close to entering one battle between three Wicked ships and four Enchanted ones, but Grace had hurried to inform them and they’d been able to manoeuvre around the area.
It had been a stressful few weeks, and Drew could recognise the liberation in Grace’s face as she grew aware of the fact that it was close to over. He couldn’t help but remain quiet in mentioning the fact that they were still entering a war zone or that the fight was far from over. He instead sat back and allowed her a moment of calmness and relief.
‘Land ahead!’ Grace called down to Mitch, who glanced up.
‘How far? I can’t see much through the fog,’ Mitch asked.
Their birds lowered so they could speak without shouting.
‘A few hours I’d say,’ Drew replied, giving his bird a strong ruffle of his feathers.
The birds had been working harder than any of them during their return trip home. They deserved much more than the pats they gave them. The bird cawed in recognition of Drew’s gesture, though, and he smiled across at Grace, who giggled. Her own bird was lapping up a worthy scratch on the back of its neck.
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