Fog of Shadows

Part 9

Outside the hospital cabin, Flinn could tell that Alisea was a little upset; though he wasn't completely sure why he had a gut feeling that it had something to do with him. "Is everything alright?" he asked as he gently placed a hand on her tens shoulder; she turned to him in response. "Not quite, what in all heaven were you fighting with Thomas? Why was he here? And lastly, why didn't you trust me with Willow?" she tried her best to keep her voice calm, but Flinn could tell she wanted to yell at him; to her credit, he would have yelled at himself too about Thomas, as for Willow, he wasn't so sure. "First of, I didn't mean to get into a fight and I have no idea why he was here in the first place, as for her, though, I thought it was better to listen to the doctor...after all, she might have gotten a heat-stroke and might not be all there right now."

"She seemed alright to me when we spoke" replied Alisea in Willow's defense, "sure she was a little odd and cryptic, but she didn't appear dangerous to me."

"What do you mean with she was cryptic?" asked Flinn, worried that his suspicions were correct and that the stranger was a danger. "She wouldn't really tell me why she tried to run away from her home." Lied Alisea, she had the idea that Willow left her home to start a new life and forget about her past, but telling Flinn now might just make him more uneasy about Willow's stay here. "I wonder why she wouldn't tell you, she seemed so fond of you, why do you think she was being 'cryptic'."

"Personally, I think she might have gotten hurt and just wasn't to move on or at the most she did something she isn't proud of and thinks she had to leave her home."

"Did she at least tell you where she was from?"

"She only mentioned it once, but I think it was something on the order of candle bay...candle shore...no...oh great..."

"You can't remember?"

"I had a tough time hearing her quiet voice." After a few seconds of replaying the conversation with Willow in her mind the name quickly came to her, "Candle Cove, she said she was From Candle Cove."

Flinn furrows his brows in frustration, "I have never heard of it, but if she got here via tree trunk, it can't be too far away." Alisea smiled at him and tried to change the subject, hoping to keep Willow's life as private to her as possible. "Anyway, do you think we should inform the principal about Thomas's percent's here?"

"I think it would be better, who knows what he and his friends are up to."

XXXXX

At the principal's office both Flinn and Alisea had to sit down to stomach the news as to why Thomas was back in their lives. "I can't believe that even the Bula Bula couldn't put up with them, I mean, I know there are filthy traitors, but I don't remember them being too bad at their jobs." Said Alisea as she was trying to figure out what those three could have done to warrant them being fired from what was essentially a slave-like job.

"From the information given to me, they weren't very good at being obedient servants. Since they can't return home without having redeemed themselves for legal reasons, I have agreed to let them stay here at the academy until such an opportunity shows itself." Replied the principal, he stroked his beard as he was pondering what to do with the 'new' guests when his thoughts got interrupted. "Can't you put them back in the kitchen?" asked Flinn, he certainly could care less where the traitors went, but he still cared for their lives.

The principal only smiled, "I thought of that, but I couldn't to the cook again, he was already upset to have them around him the last time; I don't think I could do that to him again." He thinks a little harder for a minute or two, "maybe I can convince the janitor to take them in, for now at least. Anyway, have the two of you had a chance to talk to our stranger from the beach?" At this, the two young captains looked at each other with worried expressions, "We know that the doctor wanted us to stay away from her, but..."

"I thought it would be better for her is there was someone there when she woke up; I thought she wouldn't panic and hurt herself or others." Interrupted Alisea because if they were going to get into trouble, she would take full responsibility; it was all her idea and she didn't think it was fair that he would get punished for helping her. "Don't worry I know the two of you had good intentions, but did you get anything out of her or was she unresponsive?"

"I couldn't get much out of her, she was either being cryptic on purpose or she isn't quite all there yet, but I could figure out where she came from and what her name was." Answered Alisea relieved that going against the doctor's advice wouldn't be followed with bad consequences. "Well?" the principal waited patiently, "Her name is Willow and that she came from Candle Cove." At this, the principal got excited at the mentioning of the name of where the girl was from.

"Candle Cove, did she really say that she came from Candle Cove?" the elderly man could hardly believe what he had just heard; he hadn't heard another person claim to be on that island for years. The two young captains, on the other hand, got a little uneasy at how excited their principal seemed to be at the mentioning of the location. "Y-yes, she claimed to be from that place, the problem is, we don't know where it is located." Stammered Alisea.

"Of course, you two probably haven't heard of it, that cove isn't even listed on any maps anymore." As quick as a young school-boy the elderly principal got up and rushed to his bookshelf full of maps and began to look around.

"Why wouldn't it be on a map?" Asked Flinn in confusion, he had heard of places that wouldn't be openly mentioned for their bad reputation of being filled with cheaters, crooks, drunkards and brothels, but he had never heard of a place being kept out of maps. "Too many people have died or have gone missing when trying to navigate through the thick fog that engulfs the entire cove; it's actually become very rare that anyone even is able to leave the place, the fog hides the rocks and other shipwrecks that could strand a traveling ships, which is the reason why it has been avoided and eventually left out of maps. Too many people went there and never came back." Was the principal's responds; he halted when he came across what he was looking for. He presented them with an old, faded and worn out map. It showed the location of several nearby islands that the modern maps, which were displayed around the room, did; the single key difference was that this map had one extra island. From the looks of it, the island appeared close enough to the island where the academy was that it could have easily been a one day trip and if this was said Candle Cove, would explain how quickly Willow got to the academy.

Just then Jacklyn entered the room, her face mirrored her frustration and she walked with brisk strides, "I might also have to purchase new equipment when I am on the mainland..." it was only then that she noticed the two young captains. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Oh it's alright, besides, I have heard some great news!" said the Principal as he handed the old map to Flinn before approaching his sister with a big, jolly smile. "The girl found this morning, she claims to be from Candle Cove!" at this Jacklyn was stunned, she had heard of people being able to travel to the island, but she had never heard of anyone being able to leave it. "Are you sure it is the same Candle Cove?"

"What other Candle Cover could there be within traveling distance? If Willow was able to leave that place, then that means..."

"Maybe she just got lucky, that doesn't mean we will be able to travel there and back in one piece, besides, she probably doesn't even remember us." She interrupted her brother, who by now had his hopes up and wouldn't be convinced of anything else.

"Who is she?" asked Alisea now interested; this was the one time that she had seen the principal and his sister having different opinions on the turn of events since the day she had met them both. Before Jacklyn was even able to utter a single word, her brother rushed over to his desk and pulled out a small photo from one of the desk's many draws, "It's a long story, but in short, our youngest brother Jonathan once moved to Candle Cove and married a local there; they had a little girl they named Janet, sadly my brother and his wife died of an illness and my sister and I were granted custody of little Janet, but because of the fog, we were unable to get her. I have been looking for a way to take her away from the island, but because of its infamous I couldn't get anyone to travel there and neither Jacklyn or I have the time to travel there ourselves since we have this academy to run."

"And now you think that because one young woman was able to leave the island that others will risk their lives to travel there?" Jacklyn knew she wouldn't be able to stop her brother from going out and looking for volunteers as soon as he could, but she could at least try to reach his common sense.

Alisea and Flinn looked at each other; they each knew what the other was thinking.