“Maybe one day I’ll tell you about how I came to get this, Sill,” Adam winked.
“Why do you call me Sill, Adam?” Drusilla asked. Adam’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“I’m not really sure. It just fits you. Nicknames are nice though, they give you a sense of belonging,” Adam mused.
“Funny… A man once told me that Drusilla was the name that fit me,” Drusilla muttered.
“That seems to have a story with it,” Adam pointed out. Drusilla managed to smile, a genuine smile.
“It does. Maybe one I’ll tell you how I came about that name,” Drusilla taunted. Adam laughed. “How come Nathan hasn’t been given a nickname then?” Drusilla inquired. Adam looked at her, down at Nathan, and back at her.
“Do you think he’d let me give him one?” Adam inquired. Drusilla shook her head as they continued laughing again. It was the first time since leaving Luther that she felt that okay. For once she felt safe. For once Drusilla felt at home.
“So where will you go?” Luther inquired. Drusilla shrugged.
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t give a damn,” Drusilla sighed.
“See? That’s like a Free Strider,” Luther pointed out. He shook his head. “You’ve come a long way, kid.”
“Where did he go?” Drusilla inquired.
“My sister fosters children in Anikarra,” Luther explained. “Don’t go looking into him. You won’t move on if you keep looking back like that.” Drusilla looked at the ground.
“And if I never fully move on? Luther, I was in love. Malcolm will always have that part of me,” Drusilla argued.
“Look, false gold, that man is the Eknar’s right hand. He kills people for no reason other than some bitch or bastard telling him to. Our kind gets murdered by his kind,” Luther reminded her. “Come on, you should get some sleep. You’ve earned it.” He was gone by morning, off who knew where to do who knew what. That was the life of a Free Strider though, and Drusilla was just going to have to live with it.
As a person knowledgeable in healing, Breena often was called to help out the community. It was while she was gone that Malcolm first kissed Melody by the fire. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world,” Malcolm breathed. Melody studied him with a smile.
“That was rather bold, Malcolm Mace,” Melody cooed. Malcolm smiled.
“I could be a lot bolder if you let me, my lady,” Malcolm taunted. Melody bit her lip.
“I’ve never gone that far,” she warned. Malcolm wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her nose.
“I swear to you I’ll only go as far you want me. I will never push you. You are far too precious for that,” Malcolm assured.
“I said I had never done it, not that I wouldn’t,” Melody laughed, kissing him again.
“You’re such a beautiful vixen,” Malcolm hissed, letting her lead him to the bedroom.
Chapter 7:
It was night again, which Adam liked best. Night meant the stars poking through the sky. Night meant Nathan at his post looking more like a king than any Adam had ever met. Now night meant watching Drusilla as she slept leaning against a post. She’d only been on the ship three days, but it all seemed like an eternity. Adam was beyond overjoyed to have someone else there, a new person to get to know. He knew Nathan better than the back of his hand, like who he was thinking of as the captain walked down to bed. Adam was tired of trying to figure out Lu. He’d think he’d know her and then he’d realize how wrong he was.
Had Adam made a mistake? He, so foolishly in love, had jumped into a marriage with a woman that everyone he knew warned against. He should have listened. How long had it been since Lu called him to intimacy? Weeks? Months? It’d been winter, that much Adam knew. That was around the time that Nathan suggested this adventure. Was Nathan foolish for expecting revenge like this? No, Adam knew the deeper meaning. He knew what was really on Nathan’s mind, that true reason for being out as they were.
Adam turned, looking out at the sea. He began to hum the song his mother sang him as a baby. He loved that song more than anything, and couldn’t explain why. He just loved it. “It seems as if you never sleep, Adam,” a voice remarked behind him. Adam smiled, recognizing it as Drusilla’s. “What is it that you’re humming?” He turned to face the Free Strider as he considered his answer.
“I have little need for sleep, Sill. I’d tell you why, but I’d rather not. Some things are better left unsaid. To answer your question, however, I’m humming an ancient song. It is from a time long ago when firebloods still had reign over Galdirr. That was long before the Brethren or any of that. King Gluther would have my head if he heard it now. Actually, anyone in Galdirr would probably have my head. All would be under the Eknar’s orders though. Whoever plays that role is in control. I hope they burn in the flames they’re killing,” Adam explained. Drusilla slowly nodded. Adam wanted the Eknar dead. Destroying the Brethren meant letting the firebloods win back what was rightfully theirs. Besides, the Eknar had ordered too much pain for Adam to just stand by. The Rodricks were only one part of the equation.
“Well what is your opinion on Free Striders? Do they follow under the Eknar?” Drusilla questioned almost playfully. Adam almost laughed. She was bold. He liked that. Most of the Brethren support was in the northern part of Galdirr. From what Adam knew, the Free Striders were almost all northerners. That included Drusilla, which matched her accent. It was the same as Lu’s, who grew up not too far from Anikarra.
“Well I suppose I have to be nice since you’re one. I believe them to be unique. I know very few, but you seem to be well enough. Otherwise I’d probably be dead by now,” Adam teased. They both laughed.
“I’m glad to know I’m well enough,” Drusilla cooed. “It was a Brethren who gave me my name. I didn’t realize what he was until after he was out of my life, but he said the name suited me.”
“I tend to agree with him,” Adam sighed. “He must have been important to you.”
“I loved him,” Drusilla confessed. “Do you know what it’s like to love a killer?” Adam winced.
“I only know what it feels like love someone who ended up being someone entirely different,” Adam explained. He reached out and touched her hand. “And I know how it hurts. You still love them though, if it’s real. You’ll love them until the both of you are dead.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Drusilla muttered, looking down.
“I had to almost force Nathan to sleep. He needs his rest. We’re heading into pirate territory now,” Adam remarked, changing the topic of conversation. Drusilla looked back up at him.
“What are you three if not Free Striders or pirates?” Drusilla inquired. Adam looked out at the water thinking. He had never really stopped to think about it before.
“I would have to say that we are a mix of both. We don’t answer to the king, but we don’t steal or fight like pirates. We aren’t territorial yet we wish, even in a small degree, to gain back the lands firebloods used to rule and rightfully own,” Adam mused. It was daring to suggest overthrowing the throne, but someone had to. Nathan and Adam both wanted to restore Galdirr, though they couldn’t say the same about Lu. She was always so quiet on the matter. It was eerie how quiet she’d get.
“So I guess you’re all patriots to some degree,” Drusilla remarked. Adam shrugged.
“Well Nathan and I are. I can’t say much for Lu. She doesn’t state any opinion, at least that I’m aware of. I’d be surprised if there’s any opinion she truly holds,” Adam pointed out. Drusilla raised an eyebrow.
“You should know that, seeing that you married her,” Drusilla argued.
“It isn’t quite that simple. I wish it was, but it’s not. I was young and foolish, looking for something and someone to call my own. I’m not from Galdirr. My father was though. He was run out by Gluther’s father, Nasher. I came here when I was sixteen. A few years later I met Lu. We were married around a year after that,” Adam explained.
“I see. Where are you from then
?” Drusilla inquired.
“I can’t say without giving out more information than I’d care to share. One day I’ll tell you, the day I tell you of this fancy ink,” Adam sighed, pulling up his sleeve. Drusilla looked down at his tattoo.
“Well what can you tell me about your past?” Drusilla asked. Adam thought for a moment.
“I can tell you that I am an only child. I can tell you that my past is just a memory, a legend to me. I can guess that you are the same way,” Adam mused. He studied her a moment. “What about you?”
“My mother was killed in front of me. I’m also an only child. I gave away my son after he was born,” Drusilla muttered. She didn’t even know why. The words came out before she could think.
“I’m… Wow,” Adam breathed. “No wonder you’ve chosen this life as a Free Strider.”
“Don’t pity me. I hate pity,” Drusilla growled. Adam smiled.
“No, I think I admire you,” Adam chuckled. “Nathan told me to have you wake him when you awoke. He wishes to see you. You have his fancy, Sill. Don’t abuse that. He can be ruthless at times, but only with just reason.” Drusilla stiffly nodded, turning to walk down the stairs once again. There was a rush in her heart, the feeling of something about to change. She came to Nathan’s door and took a deep breath before knocking.
“Come in,” Nathan replied, his voice distant and hesitant as though pondering something deeper than the depths of the sea below them. Nathan was stretching as he stood at the end of the bed. His shirt was hanging loosely around him, a bit of a wrinkled mess. His hair was a mess, the sheets on his bed a crumpled ball. It all suggested a rough time sleeping, something Drusilla could understand. Nathan yawned, looking over at his shoes sitting nicely and neatly before his wardrobe. “Ah, it’s you, Miss Free Strider. I see Adam has done what I asked. I hope you slept well,” Nathan welcomed. He seemed so tired, so worn down by something. Beneath those shining eyes was a man torn to shreds by his own thoughts and the tormenting of his own past. But Drusilla didn’t know that. It was hard for her to see in another what she only felt in herself.
“I slept well, thank you for asking. How did you sleep?” Drusilla replied politely as Nathan stepped forward. He studied her a moment before resting a hand on her arm. Drusilla’s heart began to race, her mind rushing trying to figure out what to do. She didn’t know how exactly to react. She wanted to be back up with Adam. No, she wanted something else. She was torn between staying, between running up, and between deciding to go and find Malcolm once and for all. Her body was frozen though, kept in place.
“You can stop the formality, Drusilla. I’m not one for it. I most likely never will be for that matter. I just wanted to let you know that I’m glad you accepted my offer. You’ve been better than I expected,” Nathan breathed in that heavy accent that meant freedom. Southern Galdirr represented the Galdirr that was: the one that sang and laughed, that accepted people no matter what. For years Drusilla had been cut off from that ideal, that notion of being free. Now here she was hearing it in a man’s voice. That was what he meant. . Freedom to speak one’s mind and to be one’s self, and patriotism, a loyalty to a time that was once peaceful and not chained to the hands of some unknown Eknar that crept behind a dead throne.
“I am pleased to hear you say so,” Drusilla breathed, her mouth going dry.
“You seemed to know of Malcolm when I mentioned his name. Can you explain why this is so?” Nathan inquired. Drusilla’s stomach clenched. No… No she wouldn’t, couldn’t… Even Luther had never inquired that far. He never pushed to know, and what he found out was simply through guessing and learning about the girl that killed her mother one stormy night and then fled. There was something more though. She couldn’t tell Nathan about the man she loved.
“I cannot. It would be better if I did not. You said I wouldn’t have to speak of my past, and I’d like to stick by that,” Drusilla answered. Nathan studied her, seeing the faint hint of tears in her eyes. He leaned forward as Drusilla’s eyes fluttered shut. His grip on her arm tightened as he pressed his lips against hers, catching Drusilla off guard. The captain and the Free Strider lingered where they were. Finally Nathan pulled back, looking down at the ground. It had just happened. It was a sudden movement, and then it was over.
It was that moment that Drusilla realized what she wanted. She craved that touch, that intimacy. It’d been so long that she was going cold and numb, and she longed for the warmth. There was none of that though. There was no sensation, no fireblood spark. There was only skin against skin, his chapped lips against hers. It wasn’t what Drusilla remembered a kiss to be. In the silence that seemed to last an eternity, there was only cold understanding that what had happened would not happen again.
Nathan had been 15 when he had his first kiss. He and Lillian had been exploring nearby the village in one of the ruins of Romarn. “The sun is bright and my heart is alive,” Lillian sighed dramatically. She bent over laughing. “Come now, Nathan, what’s on your mind.”
“I’m technically a prince and I’m stuck in this damn village,” Nathan mused, leaning against a tree. Lillian smiled, that spark in her eyes so bright, and she stepped forward towards him, grabbing his hand.
“And look at me. Strange things have happened, and we all end up here. Maybe we’re just meant to be here,” Lillian remarked. Nathan smiled at her.
“You are always so wise,” Nathan sighed. He leaned forward and it happened slowly. The two watched each other cautiously, slowly leaning in until they lightly kissed.
“That was bold,” Lillian muttered. “I shouldn’t… We… I’m sorry.” Nathan laughed.
“No, you’re fine. That was… That was more than fine,” Nathan assured, pulling her in once more.
The silence was broken with Adam bursting in. “Nathan, there’s pirates on the horizon,” Adam warned breathlessly. With that he left, and Nathan stiffly moved to grab his shoes. Drusilla was bewildered. Pirates were actually not a thought on her mind as something she would encounter.
“Don’t speak a word of this to anyone,” Nathan growled, storming out of the room. Drusilla sighed.
“Wasn’t thinking of it,” Drusilla muttered, shaking her head. She followed him out to the dull breaking of the morning sky. Unlike the other sunrises she’d seen, this one was dull, as dull as her heart felt. Still, there was a new fear. On the edges of the horizon not too far from them were two ships both near twice the size of Nathan’s. The pirates had come.
Chapter 8:
Malcolm was sitting on the top deck. There were only a few Brethren on ship, but it was enough to by with. “The Eknar is furious. This girl will not die,” Malcolm’s servant sighed.
“Thus we ride to their destination,” Malcolm reminded him. Did he want to go there? Not on his life. He had a building foreboding sense of what was to come. He couldn’t describe it.
“Master, why do you care so much for this boy?” the servant inquired.
“That is out of turn,” Malcolm growled. He sighed. “I’ll be fair. I have always tried to better the lives of children around me.”
Malcolm had been away for a week. He missed Melody more than anything. He was depressed, guilt ridden, and forcing himself to Anikarra to be knighted. Damn, he was given such a wonderful life but at what cost? He sighed. He’d miss her sweet scent, and the way she smiled at him. Would she ever smile again? Did she even get away? It was a vicious pang in his chest to consider. He had made such a mistake, though which was worse? Killing Breena or falling in love with Melody? It didn’t matter. Either way he was in the position he was in, and he’d be trying to make amends until the day he died.
Drusilla aided Adam and Lu in dropping the anchor. It was more busy work. There was a tension hanging thick in the air. Closing her eyes, Drusilla pulled her jacket tight. She couldn’t face Nathan’s glare at the moment. She wanted to be back at Lokko, to say no and not yes. She wanted the confusion around her to just stop. It was too late though, Drusilla realized as she let out
a deep sigh. She couldn’t go back and she could only go forward. The Free Strider would just have to make a mental note to say yes to strangers who wanted an adventure in the future.
The other ships positioned themselves so that The Night’s Flame was stuck between them. Planks of wood fell as bridges. Pirates began to walk over, led by a man who looked to be in his forties. His hair was graying beneath his black hat, though his beard and mustache were still black. His sharp eyes studied each of them. He had a bottle of rum in one hand, and his heavy coat was pulled back exposing a well cared for sword. Adam’s own was in his hand, pointing at the ground. The captain took a deep swig of his rum, staring at Nathan and his crew. There was something familiar to him, something Drusilla couldn’t quite place.
“The name’s Captain Blackwright, Herto Blackwright,” the man introduced in a heavy Northern Galdirrian accent. North? That didn’t make sense to Drusilla. Few northerners were ever pirates, not that Drusilla knew of. Herto’s turquoise eyes met Drusilla, narrowing as he studied her. “You would be in my territory, young sailors. However, I happen not to be in a killing mood. You girl, Miss Blonde, I want to talk to you,” Herto barked. Everything in his dialect seemed to point towards Drusilla’ s home town. Was he also from there? Was that why he seemed familiar? Drusilla tried to shake the thought, looking over at Nathan for assurance.
The Flames of Arathia Page 5
