Black Pearl

Chapter 36

It seemed that calling this excursion a vacation was a bit of an overstatement. Though I was not subjected to intense horseback riding or barely sleeping more than a few hours, there was always something to be done. And Leo either wanted me to take part in it or took part in it himself. While Archer instructed me through using a bow and arrow, Leo was farther down the beach, seeming to be wrestling with Archer's men.

I didn't last more than twenty minutes, my fingers hurt and my ego was bruised. My arrows hadn't even made it to the target, lodging themselves in the sand. Archer was kind and encouraging through all of, or I at least thought he was trying to be. He had a tendency to come off cold and disconnected, even when he was actively teaching me and each time he demonstrated his skills, I only felt worse about my own.

After a while, I gave up and sat on a log. The sun was warm, but the blonde woman still chose to seat herself near the fire, her hands extended to the heat. "I don't see why you want to train with them," she said. "In the years that I have known of Leo, he has always been a respected military captain. You'll never be safer than when you're with him."

My mouth turned down as I watched my husband brawl with another man. Occasionally, laughter could be heard or I could see them shaking each others hands or giving out tips. It was clear that this was all in good humor, but it was also clear that each person wanted to win and that Leo was victorious more often than not. 

"I just want to be able to walk down the street without fearing," I admitted. "Humans, they are..."

Willow nodded her head, understanding everything that I could not put into words. "Human men can be quite brutal, but I would be lying if I told you that werewolf men are any different. I have ruled over cities like Riverstead. Thankfully, we were able to get the crime down, but the unfortunate reality of all the realms right now is that women are treated as less than. The only power and dignity we have comes from our husbands or fathers. Trolls and fairies are no different."

"I'm sure that I would gain power if I was able to wield a blade against anyone who was foolish enough to attack me."

Willow grinned. "Then let your husband teach you everything he can about fighting. Clearly, he is not fond of other men getting too close and I found that finding common ground is a great way to start a relationship. After your coronation there will be no escaping each other after that."

I glanced at Leo again. The men had now opted to practicing with dull blades. And, even with his curly hair and the way that his laughter was caught in the wind, even with his wedding ring glinting in the light, he was agile and aggressive. If I could eventually shoot an arrow like Archer or tackle like Leo, then I would be feared. No unworthy man would even dare glance in my direction.

But, for the time being, I focused on Willow who was explaining to me how to make one of her signature blends of tea. She claimed it was a must have at her parties. I listened idly to her voice, allowing the sunrays to warm my skin when the ocean breeze swept in. I told her what little I knew about my upcoming coronation and she talked to me about hers, allowing me to mentally prepare for some things that might become expected of me. 

"I hate to interrupt," Leo murmured from behind me. I startled, not even hearing him approach. 

"You aren't interrupting anything," Willow assured with her beautiful smile.

"I was hoping I could steal my wife for a few minutes. I want to show her the forest nearby," he explained as he squeezed my shoulder gently. 

"Oh, yes of course!" Willow assured with rapid nods.

Lips were pressed to the top of my head as if it were the most casual thing in the world, but it caused my toes to curl within my sand-filled slippers. "Why don't you try out those breeches that you made? There are no other humans out here for miles."

I didn't have to be asked twice. I skittered off into the tent and reappeared with a massive twirl. The theatrics had been for Willow so she could see just how the breeches moved, mimicking a gown instead of pants. But, as the fabric spun around me, my eyes found Leo instead.

His gaze swept over me slowly, starting at my shoes and ending at my dark hair, whipped by the wind. One side of his mouth rose in a little half smile. And it only grew when Willow rushed at me, clapping her hands as she took in every detail.

Eventually, her excitement eased and she was able to restrain herself from asking me to make her an exact copy for the thousandth time. Leo immediately ushered me away to where Pirate was waiting, already saddled.

"Riding like this is going to feel a little different, but you might enjoy it more," Leo explained as he adjusted the irons for me. "I haven't tried sidesaddle, but I imagine that this is much easier."

It took me a moment to get centered after he boosted me up onto Pirate's back. My balance was off, so used to being perched instead of seated. I wobbled a little as we walked over the beach, listening to the waves crash beside us and Leo kept his horse near mine, always ready to offer tips on my hand position, my heels and my posture.

"So you believe that you are the daughter of a greek god?" Leo wondered, startling me.

I had been staring out at the ocean for so long that it took me a second to comprehend his words. "Uh, yes I suppose, though there have been stories of sirens from every region of the world. They all differ, but the concept is usually grim one way or another."

"You understand that, according to the myths, you are not the daughter of the water god."

I snorted, feeling my hands tighten on the reins. Pirate's ears flickered. "I haven't studied it in depth, but it doesn't matter. Things get skewed over time and lost in translation. Besides, we are sisters one way or another and some of us are powerful enough to be gods ourselves. If you're going to equate me to one of the other stories, ones where sirens are evil creatures, lost souls, trying to down innocent men, I won't hear it."

I was stunned when Leo released a hearty laugh into the ocean air. "Oh Em, if I ever found out that you drown someone, I would know that they were not innocent. Stories like that are told by sailors and are meant as a reference to the ocean."

"Why would they paint the ocean so poorly?" 

"Because sailors hate the ocean."

"That's absurd!" I argued, listening to the sea birds call to each other above. How could anyone hate the ocean? It was teeming with life and was filled with more colors than the world above. Each time you thought you had seen everything, you only needed to dive a little deeper to see a whole new world.

"Is it? The weather patterns are madness. Illness is everywhere out there. Food sources are limited. Pirates try to pillage every ship they see. And the water itself is ruthless and unforgiving."

At that I could only laugh. "So human."

It took about an hour of constant riding. For the most part it was a steady walk, but occasionally Leo spurred his horse into a trot or canter and loyal little Pirate was always willing to follow. Each change of pace came with new instructions that made it easier to bear or smoother to move through. 

I expected the most wonderous forest to appear before me. It didn't seem reasonable that Leo would pull me aside for anything that wasn't completely mind blowing, however that was not my first impression. The wooded area was impressively close to the waterline, as if the beach just gave up, but other than that it was utterly unremarkable.

"You brought me here for this?" I demanded.

As if he had been caught with a cookie, Leo immediately glanced away. The tips of his ears reddened. "You don't like it?"

"Well, it's fine, but it is just like all of the other forests we have traveled through," I explained. "Unless there is something that I'm not seeing."

"No...this is it." His head dipped down as he studied his reins as if they were the most incredible thing in the world. "I just wanted to spend some time with you, away from everyone else. It's time that I bond with my wife, isn't it?"

~~~Question of the Day~~~

What is one thing you spend money on but shouldn't?

I literally have zero need for fast food and though I don't buy it often, I still regret it every time I purchase it.