Waterborne (Wanderlust 3)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Soren found himself enjoying the trip down the coast, despite the serious nature of their trip. It was hard not to feel optimistic as the Waterborne smoothly cut through the water. Every day was just a little easier than the one before, as he and Ara became more comfortable in their roles. The makeshift fishing line worked well and they were lucky in finding freshwater streams from the jungle.

Every day they sped along as quickly as the winds would allow, and every evening they settled down—on a beach if they were lucky, in the jungle if it looked safe enough, and sometimes simply on the boat. They ate their catch of the day, kept an eye out for more clams or familiar fruit, refilled their bottle with water whenever they could. They slept in each other's arms. Soren liked falling asleep to the sound of Ara's soft, rhythmic breathing.

They both worked to keep spirits high, to keep each other entertained as they worked. Ara told Tallenese myths and tried to teach Soren some of their more common Singings. Soren told Crelan tales and tried to teach Ara common shanties. They played with Journey by waving sticks for her to catch, or tossing her the bits of fish they didn't eat. They gazed at the stars, admired sunrises and sunsets.

And, they admired the jungle. After so long sailing the Danil River, the jungle wasn't very new, but it was still beautiful. Spotting animals was always exciting, whether they were colourful birds or swimming rodents, or even a large, tree-climbing snake. Sometimes the jungle trees gave away to towering rocks, or to reveal calm, reedy coves.

Soren lost track of the days, as one started to blend into the next.

One midmorning, they came across a wide river. Mountains lined either side, the same mountains they had been following for at least two days, which gave Soren pause. The map in the captain's quarters had shown an island off the eastern corner of Alvara. An island covered in mountains, beside a mountainous mainland. If this was that place, they were looking at the mouth of a strait, not a river.

"We should go this way," he said, unsure of why he felt so strongly that it was the right decision. It would save them some time, that was true, but there was a chance the ships had actually stopped on the island. Still, it felt right to take the strait.

"All right," Ara agreed readily. He hadn't once questioned Soren's decisions, and it didn't seem like he was ever going to. So far Soren had appreciated that. A more experienced sailor might have questioned or argued, and made Soren doubt himself. With Ara, he was free to follow his instincts.

He shifted the sails, letting the wind carry them into the strait. It grew narrower as the day progressed, the mountains closing in on either side. The water was clear and it some places Soren could see straight to the bottom, which made him even more confident that the strait was the right decision. Even the shallow-heeled Alvarian ships would struggle to make it along the strait undamaged. They would have had to spend time going around the island. Not enough time for the Waterborne to catch up, but any advantage would help the chase.

They found a nice little cove to spend the night in, and followed their usual routine nighttime routine. The next morning they awoke early and continued on their way.

The strait was beautiful, from the clear water to the towering mountains, but the best part of the trip was found on their second day. A waterfall tumbled down the face of a huge cliff, crashing into the salty water of the strait. Soren made a spontaneous, Tanden-like decision and started to pull up the sails.

Ara, seated at the till, looked confused. "What are you doing?"

Soren gestured at the waterfall. "We're going to take a break. For morale."

"Morale?" Ara repeated skeptically.

"Aye." He tied off the sails and pulled out the oars. After slotting them into place, he rowed closer to the waterfall. Close enough to feel the cool mist in the air. Close enough to stretch out and touch the falling water.