Moonlight Waves

Anchors Away

  It was so much harder to convince my parents to let me go than it was for Captain Dax to agree to search out the help of Captain Cutler.
   From my parents I heard a lot of, "It's too dangerous." And so many "What ifs....." scenarios. I stood my ground and told them I had to go, that I couldn't live out the rest of my life never knowing what became him. And if they really want me moping about their home for the rest of my life as an old maid then so be it. My mom seemed to consider this for a while and my father frowned at me.
  "Captain Dax has agreed to help and we will leave port on Friday." I tell them, "Please, if you truly love me than you'll let me go."
   "Young lady," Father says sternly, "Do not question our love for you, it's because we love you that we are concerned for your safety. But," He looks up at Mom, and she gives him a hesitant nod. "You'll never forgive us if we don't let you go, so you have our blessing."
  I rush forward and grasp them both in a hug, grateful that I won't have to disobey their wishes. "Thank you." I say, "Thank you."
   "All right, that's enough." Father says, "Now get off of me before you smother your old man."
  I release them both and look at Mom who still looks doubtful but she gives me a reassuring smile.
"Now the hard part will be telling your older sister that you're leaving for months on end." She says.
  "Oh, yeah." I agree. "I better go find her."
I find her in our guest room with Sigrún, messing with her hair trying out different braids.
"Hey there." Amadrya greets, "What do you think of this one?"
She turns Sigrún around to face me and shows me three braids on one side of her head pinned away from her face.
"Looks great." I tell her and Sigrún turns back to the mirror to examine Amadrya's work.
"You look better than you did this morning." Amadrya comments, "How was the Seaman's Cottage?"
"Great." I cross over to the bed and sink down on it and cross my legs, "Actually, there's something I've got to tell you though, Ama."
"Oh, yeah?" Amadrya says, sitting down on the bed and leaning against the headboard. Sigrún sits down next to me also and wraps an arm around the bedpost and with their expectant eyes watching me I almost chicken out from telling Amadrya.
"What's the Seaman's Cottage?" Sigrún asks, saving me for a couple more minutes.
"It's our little sailor boys' humble abode." Amadrya answers her. "They built it a long time ago when we were all just kids and it was sort of just a hang out at first but when the boys were old enough to leave the orphanage home, they moved out there and gave it it's fancy name."
"That's really cute." Sigrún comments.
"Yeah, I guess it is." Amadrya says, then changes the subject suddenly. "Nereida, Si is the governor's daughter back in Herrain."
"Was." Sigrún, or I guess, 'Si', corrects her. "I'm no longer his daughter. In fact, I kind of wish he'd disowned me a long time ago. I'm so much freer now."
"You don't really mean that, do you?" I ask her.
"Sadly, yes, I do." She answers, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "My father is a vile and temperamental man."
"Do you have any siblings?" Amadrya asks her.
Si seems to hesitate for a moment before answering, "I have three brothers. Only one that I'm really close with though, the others are merely a nuisance."
"All brothers?" Amadrya says, "I can't imagine not having my sister to back me up when I'm with the boys."
"You get used to being picked on and they only pick on me because they love me." Si answers.
"Do you miss your brothers then?" I ask her.
"Yes, very much. But I'm afraid I'll never be able to return to Herrain if I am to keep any dignity."
There's nothing to really say to that so I trace my finger along the pattern of the comforter, trying to muster the courage to tell my dear sister and closest friend what I'm about to do.
"I'm going to go searching for Roman." I blurt, "We're leaving Friday."
  "You're what!" Amadrya cries, sitting up on her knees. "Friday!"
  "I have to go. Please don't try and stop me." I say.
"You're crazy if you think I'm going to try and stop you, but how did Mom and Father ever agree?"Amadrya responds.
  "Luck and a lot of convincing." I shrug.
"If you'll have me," Si speaks up, "I'd like to go with you."
  "Well, I want to go too." Amadrya says, planting her hands on her hips.
"I would like for you to go," I tell her, "but your terrified of being on the open sea."
"I'd face my fears any day for you and Roman." She responds quietly but defiantly, her sincerity filling me to my core with love for her.
I reach forward and grasp her hands in mine. "Ama, you'd be terribly seasick the entire time."
"Ugggh," she complains, falling back on the bed. "You're really good at the convincing thing."
"I just want you to think everything through before you set sail on the sea for months." I say.
"I know, and I know I'll barely be comfortable for a week." She says, "How long will you and Robby be gone?"
"I'm not sure," I say, suppressing a small smile that she so openly asked about Robby as well. "It'll take three weeks to make it to Captain Cutler's Oasis and then two more weeks to make it to Layshman. Once we get there it'll all depend on when we can get The Widower's whereabouts."
"Captain Cutler?" Amadrya asks in disbelief, "As in the Captain Cutler who tried to kidnap you?"
"Yes, that Captain Cutler." I tell her, "Don't worry I already had this conversation with the boys and we know the danger of asking for their help, but we need them."
"Okay, well, I'm curious to hear how that plays out." Amadrya muses. She sits up again on the bed and grasps my hands once more. "When you get back you have to tell me everything and I mean absolutely every little detail. And I want you to tell me the stories, no one else, so please return in one piece."
"I'll try my hardest." I answer, and Amadrya pulls me into her arms and hugs me tight against her chest.
"So," Si says, hesitant to interrupt our show of sisterly affection. "can I go? I need to help set things right."
"You sure you're up for another long trip?" I ask her.
"Absolutely." She says quickly.
"All right, then, it's fine with me." I tell her, "Just double check with Captain Dax first, he's the Captain."
"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much." Amadrya says into my hair, squeezing me harder. She then looks up and pulls Si into our hug as well. "Promise me you'll both be careful."
"I promise." I say, navigating around a twist of arms and planting a kiss on my sister's cheek.

   When I'm finally able to extract myself from Amadrya and make it back to my room, it's late, but I still want to get things packed tonight.
  I pull out my own red duffel bag and start shoving the necessities into the bottom—packing all the toiletries I know I'll need for month long journeys. I pick out the more practical dresses and roll them up, putting the one pair of trousers and tunic I own on top.
  Roman's clothes I had sent to be cleaned from his duffel bag are laid out neatly on my bed, and I choose two outfits and put them in my bag. He'll need another change of clothes when he re-boards The Moonlighter.
I lay Roman's duffel bag on the floor and begin to go through it, looking to see if there is something he might want. I pull out a large knife, a couple bandanas, a few toiletries, and a small box the length of the large knife. I lay everything out around me neatly on the floor and open the box.
   In it is letters from me to Roman tied with a leather strap and more letters from Roman to me, that he hadn't sent yet. Under the letters is the small portrait painting my Mom had painted of me for Roman for our four year courting anniversary—for him to take with him on the seas. Beside the portrait is a beautiful ring strung on a simple string.
I pull it out of the box and gasp.
Before Roman left, rumors were spreading that he was going to buy me a wedding ring abroad and when he returned finally propose. But I had brushed the rumors off because Roman was brushing them off too. And the towns people talk so much you never really know what's fact based and what's not.
But this silver and sapphire blue ring confirms everything.
   The band is made of silver and tiny swirls loop around each other, intertwining and lacing together like vines around a branch. And set at the top is three small sapphire blue gems with the silver loops encircling them. It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen, so intricate and precisely made.
I cradle it in my hands and press it to my chest. Trying to hold onto this amazing feeling of being wanted, of being loved. But the feeling fades too soon as my brain reminds me where Roman is, making the fantasy I was building up in my mind collapse around me.
I carefully place the ring back in the box and close the lid. Sliding the box in with my other belongings in my duffel bag, I quickly pick everything up and take only the knife, leaving everything else behind.
"Soon," I send a silent message to Roman as I climb into bed. "We're coming for you."