Whisper

by Christine Grey

  The Breken was harder to read. It was obvious that something was bothering the boy, but whatever it was had remained a mystery. Daniel turned to the quiet man sitting next to him and said, “William, Darius is troubled.”

  William glanced up at Darius and quickly confirmed Daniel’s assessment. His “brother” was indeed brooding, even more than was usual. William, a man of few words, nodded his agreement to Daniel.

  Daniel ran a hand through his thick hair. “Well, what do you think we should do? I don’t like to let things fester where they concern Darius. The boy gets himself so worked up, it’s best to get things out in the open as soon as possible.”

  William scrunched his forehead in thought and then smiled. “Best to let Dearra fix it,” he said.

  Daniel sighed in relief. William’s solution seemed so simple. Dearra would, of course, notice something was wrong, and would have Darius out of his mood in no time. They were a couple now, besides, and it was her responsibility to take care of the boy, much more so than it was Daniel’s, and that was all that mattered as far as he was concerned.

  Daniel and William shared a smug grin, and the two men set to work, whistling as they went.

  Carly looked up to catch the cool breeze coming in off the water as it blew her damp hair from her face. She noticed Darius first. The dark scowl on his face was hard to miss, and even harder to read. She searched for Dearra, wondering why she wasn’t buzzing around him in concern, and found her working, half-heartedly, trying to untangle the lines of a rigging that had twisted. Dearra wore a worried frown. The way her eyes flitted from her work to Darius’s moody face told her something was definitely wrong, but she hesitated to get involved, fearing she would just make things worse. Best to let them resolve things on their own. Brin would make sure they resolved any conflict quickly, Carly was sure of it. Thus assured, Carly set back to work, confident all would be well.

  ***

  Finally, it was time to be underway. Darius scanned the people who had gathered at the docks to say goodbye, looking for Reo and Royce. The child had promised to deliver the wolf to the docks and to see them off. When, at last, Darius saw Reo, it was Catherine who brought the animal forward. “Where’s Royce? The boy said he would be here,” Darius said gruffly as he strode from the ship to approach her.

  “I think it was just too hard for him to be here, with his father going away, and you, who have become like an uncle to him, and the wolf, who has become his closest companion. He’s just a little boy, Darius. Don’t think badly of him. I know I am his mother, but that doesn’t make my assessment any less true.”

  Of course Royce was upset. More than anything, the child longed to go to sea. Watching all of them set off on this adventure without him would probably be the hardest thing he had ever dealt with in all of his thirteen years.

  Darius felt embarrassed at having spoken to Catherine so rudely. He reached out to the woman, gripped her arm gently, and smiled. “You’re right, of course. When you see him, please tell him I will miss him, and I will hurry his father back to him.”

  “Thank you, Darius. I will tell him.”

  “I have plenty of reasons to hurry home without Darius’s assistance,” William said. He stepped forward, hugged his wife closely, and kissed her goodbye.

  Though she was normally a stoic woman, Catherine buried her face against her husband’s shoulder and wept.

  “Tell Royce, I love him, and I will bring him something back.”

  “The only thing we want you to bring back is Phillip and yourselves. Royce will have his chance at a grand adventure when he’s older. He’s sulking right now, but he’ll get over it.” Catherine used the apron she wore to dry her eyes.

  William nodded, and he and Darius went aboard to join the others.

  The ship pulled slowly away from the docks, and the people cheered and waved. They were going to get Phillip. Though only a handful of Maj were able to make the trip, all of Maj went with them. Every heart yearned for the return of the little boy who had been stolen from them.

  Hugh had been so busy giving last minute instructions to Rordan, he hadn’t noticed Darius’s tense state, or Dearra’s nervousness, and now that they were underway, he could think only of Pip and the rescue mission. Hugh stood at the bow and stared out to sea, his mind working and reworking every detail leading to that very moment.

  Hugh’s son and daughter meant everything to him. When Phillip was taken, he felt as though his world had been torn in two. Though his duty as Lord of Maj was important to him, he would have gladly given it all up to have his child returned to him. There were days when the thought of Phillip alone in the Breken world made it almost too painful to breathe, but Dearra still remained, and he had to be strong for her. Hugh had vowed to always be there for his children, and they would never be alone if he had anything to say about it.

  The sun shone down brightly, and a steady breeze filled the sails. Men climbed the masts and unfurled more canvas to speed them on their way. Darius joined them aloft. He enjoyed the feeling of freedom he felt so high up in the rigging. Though his large frame prevented him from moving as easily and as nimbly as the smaller men around him, his experience on the trip to Maj was put to good use.

  Carly stood beside Dearra on the deck of the ship, leaned against the railing, and watched as their vessel sliced through the waves. Dearra was silent, which made Carly reconsider her plan to stay out of Dearra’s spat with Darius. Maybe she should say something. It couldn’t hurt to at least try to talk to Dearra about it, she decided.

  “I just love the feel of a ship beneath me, don’t you? The movement is exhilarating, like riding the wind.” Carly glanced at Dearra, who gave no response, but continued to stare off into the distance. “I think being at sea is so very calming. I can feel all of my worries rolling away from me, just like the waves roll from the side of the ship. Don’t you find it so, Dearra?”

  Again, she peeked at her friend, but Dearra held her mouth firmly closed, refusing to talk. Carly tried once more. “Truly, Dearra, the sea is like life, if you think about it, full of ups and downs. First we are up, so full of joy and happiness, and then we are down, sometimes into the very depths of sadness. Up…down…it’s really quite profound. Up…down…up…down.”

  Once more Carly turned to Dearra, hoping for a response, it was then that she noticed Dearra had turned the most fascinating shade of green. Carly realized too late that Dearra’s tight-lipped lack of response had been an effort to contain her breakfast.

  She was unsuccessful.

  “Oh, Dearra!” Carly said. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” She stroked Dearra’s back as she half leaned, half hung over the side of the ship. “Daniel!” Carly called out. “Daniel, come quickly! Dearra’s sick!”

  No one noticed Darius lose his grip high up in the sails. He fell no more than a few feet before he was able to catch himself on one of the many ropes that hung around him. He had heard Carly call out to Daniel, tried to locate Dearra, and had simply let go. Rather than pausing to consider how close he had come to falling to the deck below after gaining purchase, Darius continued his search for Dearra, his heart pounding. His pulse slowed when he found her and heard Daniel’s laughter drift up to him on the breeze.

  “Well, Dearra, haven’t quite found your sea legs I see,” Daniel said. He scooped Dearra into his arms while Carly hovered alongside them.

  “Shut up and let me die,” Dearra moaned.

  “Oh, come now. It’s not that bad. I’ll take you to your cabin, and Carly can tend to your angry stomach.”

  “You’re bringing Carly?” Dearra asked, opening one eye.

  “Of course, dearest,” Carly said.

  “Forget it, Daniel. I’m safer here.”

  Daniel laughed, ignored her protests, and carried Dearra to the cabin she and Carly would share.

  Darius breathed a sigh of relief, now that he was assured Dearra’s ailment was nothing more than sea sickness, and he carefully lowered himself to the relative safety of
the deck.

  Chapter 5

  Phillip

  Zusia brought me some bread yesterday. I haven’t been able to steal much for a while, and I was getting pretty hungry. She slipped into my room and handed me the bread. I had eaten almost all of it before they caught us.

  She should have left right after she gave me the bread, but she wanted to stay and talk. I told her that was just stupid, because we talk all of the time. She made such a big deal about it that I didn’t have the heart to argue with her. She reminds me a little of Dearra, so I knew it wouldn’t do me any good to fight with her. Anyway, after she makes this big deal about wanting to talk, she just sits there and watches me eat. I will never understand girls.

  I have to tell you, Father, the Breken are a strange people. They know we steal, and they seem completely fine with it, unless they catch us…then it’s a whole different story.

  The lady who is responsible for me is beautiful. Her skin is dark brown, and her hair is black, and hangs in a thousand braids down her back. She wears jewels and beads wound into her hair that are prettier than any crown worn by any princess. Her eyes are the same black as her kinsmen, but they are large, and she rims them with coal to make them stand out even more. She is tall, really, really tall. As beautiful as she is, she is ten times as mean. She seems to wait for me to do something wrong so she will have the chance to punish me. Her favorite way to punish me is to punish someone else in my place.

  When I first came here, I made friends with a dog that roamed around the compound I stay in. One day, I snapped back at the mistress here. She was furious with me, and she turned to whip me, but the dog stood in front of me and growled at the lady, and she had him killed. When she saw my tears of grief over the loss of the dog, she seemed almost shocked by my reaction. Now she randomly chooses a slave to receive my beatings, I think as much to see my reaction as to punish me.

  So, anyway, when the lady came in and found Zusia sitting next to me as I ate the stolen bread, her face almost split with her smile of joy. She beat Zuzu really bad. When she was done, she left her just lying there at my feet. I felt like I was going to be sick, and I was so ashamed that I started to retch. Zuzu just pushed herself into a sitting position and told me that if I wasted the bread after all she had gone through to get it, she would never speak to me again.

  I got some water and a basin and one of the cleaner rags from the pallet where I sleep, and I washed her up as best I could. She never made a sound, but her tears slipped continuously down her face as I worked.

  I don’t know what made me do it, but I kissed her cheek.

  She smiled then, and it was like the sun had come out from behind a cloud. She started talking about what she would steal next and where she had gone wrong this time out. She was going on and on, and I couldn’t understand what had happened to change her mood so fast. I will never understand girls, I really won’t.

  Oh, and, Father–the name of the Breken mistress who beat Zuzu is Mili. I think I will have to kill her.

  Chapter 6

  Each day aboard the ship blended with the day before. Though Dearra was not as ill as she had been during the first few days, she still didn’t trust her stomach not to rebel at the very first opportunity. She ate small, bland meals, and sipped water almost continuously in order to fight off dehydration. She stayed below deck as much as possible. The pitch and roll of the ship seemed so much worse when she stood on deck watching the sea as it fretted and foamed.

  Carly spent more and more time on deck with the others, leaving Dearra to stew alone in her room, but today she perched herself on her bunk. She did not speak, but sat, arms crossed, staring at Dearra in irritation. She waited that way for quite some time, until the afternoon sun started to dip low on the horizon.

  “Carly, what do you want from me?” Dearra finally said, breaking the silence. “I told you there’s nothing to say. Darius and I just had a falling out. Everything will be fine. I just need to give him time.”

  Carly’s legs dangled over the side of her bed, her foot tapping in mid-air. Neither her expression nor her position changed, as she waited for a more thorough explanation.

  Dearra sighed low and long as she weighed her options. Carly had obviously come to the end of her patience. In truth, Dearra was pretty impressed. If the shoe had been on the other foot, Dearra doubted if she could have waited even a few hours to hear the truth, let alone the many days Carly had endured. Though it would probably feel good to get it off her chest, she didn’t look forward to the scolding she knew she was going to get. Dearra took a steady breath, and began. “Okay, Carly,” she said. “You win. I’ll talk.”

  Carly uncrossed her arms, braced her hands on the bunk, and leaned forward in expectation.

  “The short story is that I should have listened to you and Brin. And Darius too, I suppose. I went to his room to show him something, and when I got there I…well…I teased him. I was pretty wanton. I just couldn’t imagine anything bad coming from something that felt that good.”

  Dearra glanced up at her friend, trying to gauge her reaction, but Carly only sat stone-faced, waiting for Dearra to continue. “I don’t know how it happened, but one thing led to another, and we ended up on his bed, kissing. I really wasn’t worried until I realized I was pinned beneath him, and I couldn’t move. I told him to stop, but…”

  Carly couldn’t contain herself any longer, so she sprang off her bed and went to Dearra, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. “Oh, no! He…he…” The thought was so hideous, she couldn’t bring herself to even think of the word, let alone say it.

  “No!” Dearra cried out, allaying her friend’s fears. “Brin stopped him in time, but it was close. If Brin hadn’t been there, I’m afraid it would have turned out very differently.”

  Carly fumed. “I’m telling Daniel. That…that…Breken, should be strung up from the highest beam. How could he?”

  Dearra’s mouth dropped open at Carly’s surprising response. “Carly, how can you say that? I am the one to blame. I went to his room. I teased and tempted him, and ignored him when he tried to caution me. I worked him up to a state where he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions. He was beyond reason.”

  “Hah! What a load of—

  “Listen to me, Dearra. He is responsible for his own actions. Plus, he is the man! I don’t care if you parade around naked, he needs to control himself!”

  Dearra shook her head. “Please, Carly, don’t tell Daniel. He will be so angry. This really is my fault, no matter what you may think. Darius and I just need to work this out.”

  “Humph!”

  “Please, Carly. Promise me you won’t tell.”

  Carly lay down on her bunk and stared at the ceiling without responding.

  An hour later, Carly rose from the bed. “Are you coming to dinner tonight, Dearra?”

  “Not tonight. I think I’d better just eat in here again.”

  “Whatever you think is best, dearest,” Carly said. She patted Dearra’s shoulder gently as she slipped from the room.

  Carly had barely taken three steps when she was yanked, roughly, into another cabin. She recognized the hands that held her close in the dark room and she felt no panic.

  “The two of you have been locked in there for hours! What did she say? Did you get the story or not?”

  “I missed you too, Daniel,” Carly said, barely able to suppress her irritation.

  Daniel took a moment to replay his actions, wrapped a bear-like arm around Carly, and nuzzled his bearded chin into her soft hair. “I’m sorry, Carly. We’ve all been on edge lately, and I guess I just got a little over anxious. Forgive me?” he said, planting fleeting kisses on her eyes and the tip of her nose.

  “See? This is the problem right here. You…you…men, can’t control yourselves.”

  “What?” Daniel took a step away from her and lit one of the small oil lamps secured to the wall. Now that he could better see his angry dove, he felt a moment’s hesitation. He had
assumed that whatever had happened between Dearra and Darius had been a minor falling out, one that might be easily mended, but the look on Carly’s face said it was worse than they had anticipated. He listened as she relayed Dearra’s story to him. “Unbelievable! No control at all! I can’t believe it!” he said when she had finished.

  “I quite agree. What are we going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. I must say, I am surprised to see you so upset about this. I would have thought you would be more sympathetic.”

  “Not a chance! I have never been so angry. There has to be some sort of punishment for this type of behavior.”

  “I feel the same way. This is not something to be taken lightly. What do you think we should do to her?”

  “First off…Wait, what do you mean her?”

  “What do you mean, what do I mean? Dearra was out of line. You can’t just play games like that with a man. We have our limits. While I agree that it’s a bad situation all the way around, if Darius had…well, if he had crossed that line, I would have had to kill him. Dearra would have had no one but herself to blame if it had come to that. After all, a man can only take so much. Fortunately, for all of us, everything turned out all right.”

  “Tell me, Daniel, do you find it difficult to speak with both feet shoved so firmly into your mouth?”

  “Carly, surely you must agree that—”

  “Agree what? That men are beasts? Certainly. That you can’t control yourselves enough to be trusted, even around women you claim to love? Obviously. That you are a bunch of overgrown children who see, want, and take? Yes, Daniel. I certainly agree with that.”

  “Carly, that’s not what I meant, and you know it.” His own patience was starting to wear a little thin at Carly’s twisting of his words. “You need to see reason. Dearra was warned. The fact that she almost got bit should be no surprise.”