Moonlight Waves

The Seaman's Cottage

When I walk through the front door I can tell by my parents expression that they've already heard all about it. They stand just off the entryway with their arms wrapped around each other and their concerned expressions follow me down the hall.
"Goodnight." I say, continuing on my way.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." My father calls to my back as I mount the stairs. And I can hear Amadrya's whispers as she explains Sigrún's presence and Mom rushing about to get things prepared for her stay.
When I make it to my bedroom I shut the door and lean against it before tossing the duffel bag onto my bed. I peel of my dirtied dress, leaving just my undergarments and make my way to my bathroom. I wet a rag in the water basin and run it along my face and arms trying to clean myself of the terrible truth of the last hours. I carelessly pull all the pins out of my hair before crawling under my comforters. I pull Roman's bag into my arms again and cradle it against me, burying my face in the material. Now would be the time to cry, when no one can see me and I could cry all night if I wished, but the tears obstinately refuse to fall. I push my face farther into the material of the duffel bag and it smells slightly like the sailor's quarters I know to be below deck on The Moonlighter, but more than that there is the smell of the salty sea and wood.
  Like water and trees.
That's what Roman always smelled like, he always had an earthy scent to him that mixed with the smells of the sea. The irony of him smelling like trees when he'd be gone to sea for months. It was so unexplainable and so impossible. It was Roman.
   No, it is Roman. He's not dead, I can feel it down to my very bones and no one can convince me otherwise. I will find him and I will save him even if I die trying. I have to at least try.

  I wake up earlier than I want to and my arm is aching. I slept so hard and didn't move the whole night that my arm hurts from laying on it. I role over and look at the clock: almost ten. I would've been happy to sleep until eleven. I roll out of my bed and ring for a maid, asking for a bath to be brought up for me.
  Once the tub has been filled, I sink down into it, submerging myself under the water and letting it clean my hair. When I finally draw myself out of the now cold water, I look through my clothes, trying to find one for today. The darker colors appeal to my mood more, but I remind myself I'm not in mourning and choose a gold and tan dress instead of the gray one I was eyeing. I replace the teardrop necklace back around my neck, fingering the carved glass water-droplet that Roman bought me from a merchant in Spain when he was on one of his trips.
The teardrop is a light blue at the top of its tip that merges into a dark blue color like that of the sea's depths before fading even further into a color like midnight blue at the rounded base of the teardrop. I've worn this necklace everyday since the day he gave to me. Never once has it lain forgotten on my vanity, I feel incomplete without it hanging around my neck.
  I feel better now in the morning light and refreshed at the idea of a new day. I start to form a plan in my head of what I want to do next while I towel dry my hair and put some oils in it so my natural wave will lay nicely. Not just a plan of what to do with my day, but how to get my Roman back. It's possible, I know it is.
I make my way to the kitchen to find our cook in the middle of preparing lunch.
"Your mother and father have gone into town already." Our cook, Poppy, informs me. "But she said they'd be back by lunch time."
"That's okay." I tell her, grabbing two fresh rolls and buttering them up. "I'm going out to the Seaman's Cottage in a few minutes."
The 'Seaman's Cottage' is really just a fancy name for the small cabin Robby, Ian, Charlie, and Roman all share out past town in the forested hills.
"So soon?" Poppy asks me. I finish my second roll and grab two more, I didn't realize how hungry I was.
"'So soon', what?" I ask her.
"Oh, nothing, darling." She says, turning back to her stove.
I go to grab one more roll for the road, but Poppy turns and smacks me on the hand with her wooden spoon. "You've had enough," she says, "those are to be served for lunch. If you want more, wait around until the entire meal is ready."
"All right, fine." I surrender, shaking out my hand. I turn to go out the back door, but as soon as she turns her back to me again, I rush back and grab another roll before dashing out the door to our barn.
"Thief!" Poppy calls after me, but doesn't put up a chase.
I walk into the barn and am welcomed by several friendly snorts from our horses. I walk straight to Nova, my horse's stall, and clench the warm roll between my teeth before proceeding to saddle her up. When Nova has all her necessary attire on, I lead her outside the barn and swing up onto her back. I finally pull the roll out from between my teeth and bite into it, relishing the warmness and flavor of it.
I urge Nova into a walk, but Amadrya comes flying out of the house and grabs onto Nova's bridle to stop me.
"You're already leaving?" She asks me, "Before Sigrún even wakes up?"
"She's still asleep?" I asks, surprised.
"Yes, she's exhausted."
"I'll be back later. I can't just sit around the house waiting for her to wake up."
"Are you jealous of her?" Amadrya raises an eyebrow.
"Yes, but only a little." I confess. "She seemed too comfortable calling Callum 'Cal'."
"That might be because every other sailor on The Moonlighter calls him 'Cal' also." Amadrya suggests.
"I hate when you're right." I inform her.
   "I'd think you'd be used to it by now." She says with a cheeky grin.
"And Roman is allowed to have friends." I continue, ignoring her teasing.
    "Yes, he is." Amadrya agrees.
"But it's not just that." I tell her.
"Then what else is it?"
"She was the last one to see Roman—alive."
"Oh." Amadrya says.
I clear my throat and bring the roll back up to my mouth to take another bite. "I better go." I say around a mouthful.
"Okay," She says, stepping away from Nova. "I'll see you later."
I nod my head at her before nudging Nova first into a trot and then into a lope, guiding her away from town and towards the hilly lane that will lead to the forest. Up, down, and over several hills before the land starts to level out a bit and the trees begin to grow thicker around us. I follow a thin dirt path that leads through the foliage of the tree-line and in the next couple minutes I spot the cabin and smoke billowing out of its chimney. I dismount Nova and tie her to the porch railing before knocking on the wood door.
   The windows and shutters are open, letting in fresh air even though it's pretty chilly out for the afternoon. The wood cabin is still in as good condition as when I last checked on it, the roof and walls still strong and nothing sagging or any noticeable holes. The flowers I tried and tried to get to grow along the dirt path still shriveled and dead. No matter what I did or who's advice I used, the flowers wouldn't grow—so I gave up.
Robby opens the door and extends his arm wide.
"Welcome to our humble abode." He says, closing the door behind me.
I'd been here quite a few times while they were away, keeping my promise to keep an eye on things. But now knowing that Roman didn't return to his home there's a new feeling I have towards his cabin. I can't help but search the room for his small touches of decor or a few of his belongings, and I look at everything he might of touched—having the strange longing to treasure every object his fingers might of encountered.
I sit down on the small, worn sofa and tuck my legs up under me, Robby sitting down next to me. Charlie is crouched over the fireplace in the middle of the room and Ian sits down across from me in a leather, cushioned seat that doesn't match the orange seat sitting next to it, or the grey sofa I'm sitting on. Behind Ian is a curtained doorway leading to the one bedroom where bunk beds line the walls.
The sofa is positioned beneath the window and to my left is the door and then a small table with six wooden chairs. The table is littered with dishes and ingredients and it looks like Charlie is still in the process of making lunch even though it's almost one o'clock now.
"How'd you sleep?" Ian asks me.
"Like a baby." Robby answers, before feigning ignorance. "Oh, you meant Nereida. Sorry."
Ian doesn't even bother to roll his eyes at Robby anymore and pulls a knot together in a piece of leather strap he's fiddling with.
"Like a baby too, actually." I tell them, "I didn't think I'd sleep that well."
"You probably won't sleep well tonight." Ian answers, "That's how these things work."
The smell coming from whatever Charlie is cooking makes my stomach growl and I'm not sure if anyone else heard it until Robby breaks into a grin.
"Are you hungry?" He asks, "I'm not sure I could tell."
I allow myself a small smile. "Very, but I ate five rolls already."
"Well, you are growing a girl." Robby responds.
As if on cue Charlie hands me and Ian a plate of cooked asparagus and egg casserole. He goes back to the kitchen and grabs him and Robby a plate before making himself comfortable in the orange seat. I take a bite of the asparagus and let the flavor invade my senses before digging into the rest and eating much faster than is necessary.
"Charlie, I've missed your cooking." I praise him.
"Ah, it's nothing." He says, the tips of his ears turning pink at my compliment. I try to suppress my grin, the food making me happier than I've been all day.
  I slow down my bites and I suddenly start to feel anxious about telling them my plan. What if they won't want to help me? Won't want to endanger themselves again? I play with the little bit of casserole left on my plate with my fork before summoning my courage and looking up to meet each of their eyes.
  "I have a plan." I announce, and they all stop eating to share glances with each other.
   "Plan for what?" Robby asks me.
"Plan for looking for Roman." I say, "Will you guys help me?"
No one says anything for a second and Ian leans forward in his seat. "Nereida," he says slowly, "we'll always help you, no matter what you need. But I need you to seriously entertain the idea that Callum is dead. The pirates have no reason to keep him alive."
  I meet his gaze and try to show him how determined I am to do this, no matter if it leads me to the depths of the sea where they cast off his body. I need to know.
  "I did consider it." I tell him, "And I can feel him, Ian. I can feel it down to my core that he's alive. It's the same feeling and reassurance I felt about The Moonlighter not being lost at the sea. They all called me foolish, but I was right. And I won't give up on him. I'll do this with or without you, but I'd rather do it with you guys. I know he means just as much to you guys and I'm hoping that you won't give up on him either."
  "We're not giving up on him." Ian retorts and slouches back into his chair. Charlie is fiddling with his fork and Robby is looking past my shoulder out the window. I can see each of them sorting through their thoughts, but I know in the end they'll agree to help me. Because if the situation was reversed you could bet your buttons Roman would already be back out there looking for them.
  "Pirates are unpredictable." Robby voices, "They could've kept him alive for some reason."
  "He does practically have an entire map of the trade routes in his brain. That could be valuable to them." Charlie adds.
   "All right," Ian says, leaning his head in his hand. "What's your plan?"
   "Well," I start, "It would require Captain Dax and The Moonlighter, but we could go to Layshmen. Ask around about the ship The Widower and see if we can't get any whereabouts on her. It's a pirate port after all and there's not many of those left and pirates will talk freely if we offer them the right price. After we get a whereabouts we go searching for him ready for a fight."
   "That's not a plan," Ian sighs, "that's a vague outline of a plan."
  "But it's a good enough plan to get us started." Robby defends me.
  "Except that we're merchants porting at a pirate port, I don't think we'll be too kindly accepted. Especially with Captain Dax's military background—everything about him screams ex-military." Charlie says.
  "Then we'll act like we're pirates and marauders too. It can't be that hard. And Captain Dax will stay with The Moonlighter to make sure she stays safe." I suggest.
  "All right," Ian says, "say this works and we get their whereabouts, then what? We couldn't beat them the first time, what makes you think we'll beat them this time?"
  "I've thought about that," I tell them, cringing. Knowing that they're not going to like what I suggest next. "Remember Captain Cutler and her crew?"
  The outburst is exactly what I expected.
"Absolutely not!" Ian says.
  "You can't trust them!" Charlie Adds.
"Are you insane!" Robby yells over them.
   "But we need their help!" I yell back.
"You remember they tried to kidnap you right?" Robby says, "Oh, and they killed the old dock master."
    "Yes, I remember all that." I say, "But you've got to admit, they did it pretty efficiently and with skill."
  Ian groans, "You're serious about this."
"Yes, I am." I say defiantly, crossing my arms across my chest.
  "Do you have a death wish?" Robby asks me.
"No, but I'm just a tad bit desperate at the moment." I tell them.
"Fine, we'll see what Captain Dax says about this once you've convinced him to help." Ian says. "Are your parents going to let you do this?"
  "Well, I haven't exactly asked them yet, but I'm sure I can convince them." I say hopefully.