“I don’t want to appear insensitive as that would go against my nature, but where is the staff?” the prince asked. “Is it at the very least in one piece?” He was now face-to-face with Braian.
“Not exactly.” He whispered, avoiding eye contact with the prince.
“What do you mean, not exactly?” The prince said as he took a step forward. The sudden movement caused the other man to crouch back into a fighting stance. “What happened?”
“There was a hole, a pretty good-sized one. The staff fell down this hole and it must have shattered on impact.” He explained.
“What?” the prince yelled.
“Did anyone ever tell you it wasn’t made out of real gold?” He said, pointing down to his boots that still had a golden dusting, “The wand itself was cheaply made, really.” Braian insisted.
Adriana grabbed the prince’s wrist as she watched him pull his arm back.
“Don’t you dare. I promised I wouldn’t hurt you.” She said.
“What does that have to do with me punching him?” Corbin asked.
“You hurt him and I have to maim you.” She explained. They watched each other for a moment before he reluctantly placed his arm by his side.
“You two have a secret handshake now too? Look, on the plus side, this didn’t break.” Braian pulled the emerald from his breast pocket. The prince reached out, trying to grab the gem from him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Taking what belongs to me.” Corbin said.
“I found it!” Braian said through his clenched teeth.
“It came off the staff. Therefore, it is mine.” The prince said.
“We stole the staff, therefore the staff was ours and that means this,” Braian held the stone above his head, “Is ours.”
Lunging forward the prince tackled him. Landing together on the ground each throwing punches at the other. Meanwhile, the emerald flew from Braian’s hand, landing a few feet from them.
Rolling her eyes. Adriana plucked the stone from the ground, “Okay, that’s enough you two.” Just as Braian was about to throw another punch, the prince pushed himself off him. “I don’t know you very well Prince Corbin, but I know for a fact that you Braian Larsen are way too old to be acting like such a child. Aaron will kick your ass for acting like this.” He looked down, his feet playing in the moist dirt.
“Yeah.” He whispered.
“This is what we will do. I’m going to take the emerald.” She said.
The boys looked at each other and then back at her. “That’s a horrible idea.” Braian said.
“Yeah,” Corbin agreed. “You don’t have any pockets in that getup.”
She studied the jewel. The idea came to her, and without pause, she placed the emerald into the empty prong settings of her necklace. “There.” She breathed. “It fits here.” There was an audible click of the gem as it slide into place.
“But the question is, can you remove it?” the prince asked.
Placing her pointer and thumbnail until the emerald, she tried to lift the jewel out of the setting. “Does not look like I can at the moment,” She stated. “Let’s get going.”
“We have only about a ten or fifteen minute walk.” Braian said. “This way.”
All Braian could think of was how he was going to tell her about their beloved father.
Chapter Six
Goodbye
The mid-day sun was lingering above the dusty city marketplace. Belleza’s marketplace was a large expanse of tents and wandering merchants.
“You sir look like you could use a pretty necklace for the wife at home.” one merchant yelled at Aaron as he walked past. He stopped and smiled at the man.
“I’m sorry, but I never married. No wife at home.” He nodded and kept walking. He had to meet with Virgo to pick up his order for Owen’s broadsword he had commissioned.
“Stop thief!” Aaron glanced over his shoulder. Spotting a little girl with long black hair running down the street, an apple in both of her tiny hands. He turned and walked towards the screaming vendor. He was shaking his fist; a knife in his hand gave Aaron the telltale sign that the vendor was not a welcoming fellow.
“I’m sorry. My daughter is a little mischievous one.” He said with a light chuckle as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his coin satchel. “Here, take this. Ten copper coins should be enough for the two apples, I assume.” He placed the coins on the vendor’s table. They clinked together as they made contact with the counter, “I will try to keep a better eye on her. Ever since her mother left, she’s been nothing but a handful.” He winked at the man before walking down the alleyway.
The merchant looked at the back of Aaron’s head as he slides the coins off his counter, “You better. Next time your little brat steals from me I take the payment out in your flesh!” He yelled, striking at the stale air of the market.
Aaron rolled his eyes, waving his hand at the man behind him. The alleyway was dirty. Not just dirty, it was filthy. Rats had been using it as a toilet, and the cats were using this as a way to capture the rats. The rat carcasses told the tale of a war that only the cats could win. He pushed a dead rat to the side with his boot.
“Are you in here?” He called. He walked farther into the alley. “I will not hurt you, darling. I just want to talk.”
As a trash bin fell over the little girl followed behind, toppling over onto her tiny face. When she looked up at him, a bloody cut forming on her chin. “What’s your name?” She whispered.
“Aaron, and what might yours be?” He knelt down and took her hands in his. Gently he helped pull her off the damp ground.
“Phoebe.” She said. Her clothes had been torn and covered in soot, but Aaron saw that the clothes were made of finest thread and the rarest of fabrics.
“Phoebe, where are your parents?” He asked.
“I ran away.” She said pushing away the stray hairs in her eyes.
“Well, you are very soiled. Little girls like you should not be so filthy. You should come with me back to my home. There you can clean up and put on something clean.” Aaron said. “I believe Owen’s old clothes might fit you. Maybe a little large for now.”
Phoebe shook her head. “My tutors said to never talk to strangers.
“Tutors?” He asked. The little girl nodded her head. “You are already talking to me. I am not a stranger anymore. What would make me less of a stranger?”
“You have other kids?” It was as if she had this question already prepared in her mind. It was her deal breaker.
“Yes, his name is Owen, and he is around your age, maybe a little older. We live here in the city, and it is just the two of us.” Aaron said as he held out his hand.
Phoebe looked at his hand before slipping hers into his palm. They walked back down the alley. Aaron looked down at her, her eyes held no fear. He thought, ‘She will be a great fighter.’
* * *
Owen peeked his head into what had been Aaron’s quarters. They had cleaned up his room and the stronger members of the crew had carried his body down into the cabin and placed him onto his bed. His room was still intact after the crash.
Phoebe was stitching together pieces of linen that would Aaron’s funeral shroud. Before a body went to the pyre, the body is cover head to toe in cloth. It was an Eskorgan tradition. Burning the bodies rids the world of their physical form. They do not need it in the beyond.
Aaron’s body laid on his bed, his hands folded over his stomach. They were once large and strong, but now they seemed deflated against his body.
He ran his rough hand over the top of her head, “What were you thinking about?” he whispered to her. She pulled her legs up to her chest, clasping her left hand over her mouth; trying to hold back the sobs for a brief moment.
Sliding her hand from her mouth, resting it over her heart, “I was thinking about the first time I met him. I can’t believe it was almost eleven years ago.” She r
ecalled, “I had just stolen apples from the market, because I hadn’t eaten in days, and he told the vendor I was his daughter. Before he had even met me. When he found me in a dirty little alleyway, he convinced me back to come back and live with you and him.”
“He brought you home and told me that I wasn’t the only kid anymore.” Owen laughed as he lowered himself next to her. “I remember just watching you as he showed you around our little hole in the wall. Then, he showed you where you would sleep, and I got so angry because it was my bed.”
“Yeah, but it turned out okay.” She laughed. “Just a year later he brought home Braian. The year after that Adriana came to live with us. Before we knew it, we had a full house. I heard Aaron say that when the house was filled with laughter, it felt like home.”
“Do you remember when he brought Braian home?” He asked.
“Like it was yesterday. He was fighting Aaron the whole way home. He wanted no one touching him. And when any of us got near him, he would try to throw a punch and yell at the top of his lungs.” Phoebe said. She smiled as the memory replayed in her mind.
“He was just afraid of everything. We couldn’t blame him for that.” He said.
“We can blame his rotten father for that.” Phoebe muttered. “What about Adriana?”
“What about her?” He asked.
“You remember when she came to live with us?” She smiled. “She was so quiet, so shy.”
“Fragile.” Owen added.
“Yes, fragile. Then she became the hellion that we all know and sometimes love.” She said.
“She only became a hellion because Aaron gave her that sword and told her, ‘Go on! Try to kill Owen with it.’ I’m glad she missed.” Owen said. The memory was not palatable to him.
“Don’t be so bitter about it,” Phoebe said. “Aaron told her to try it on, and you were the closest person to her. She felt comfortable sparing with you. Plus, you were the only one that would fight back.”
“I was not about to sit there and let her attempt to chop me in half.” He could not help stop the laughter that rolled out of his throat. “Those were the days.” They fell silent.
“You were his first child. The golden one. The one we were all compared too. How did you become the first of us?” She asked.
“Don’t know for sure. He told me that my mother died during childbirth. The nuns kept me at an orphanage. Aaron adopted me while he was there on business.” He explained, “Apparently it was a very big to do since Aaron did not have a wife or other children. The nuns weren’t sure they wanted such a small infant adopted out to an unmarried man, but he said he made it worth their trouble. I guess he donated money and supplies that were needed.”
“That’s sounds like Aaron.” She whispered. “He had such a big heart. Even when we would steal something, I knew he would also send the orphanage a part of the earnings. Sometimes a small amount, but something nonetheless.”
“I wonder if he ever sent your parents anything.” Owen wondered.
“My parents already have everything. There is nothing to give them.” She said resting her chin on her knee.
* * *
The hull of the airship leaned against a thick trunk of an elder tree. Its mast torn, leaving the airship crippled and unable to fly above the canopy.
“Could you not land any better than this?” Adriana said as she ran underneath the ship. She touched the tree trunk, memorizing the best way towards the ship.
“Like I could see where I was going!” Braian yelled. “Be thankful I didn’t land on the ground okay, or we might all be dead.”
“Wait a minute,” She grabbed Braian’s shoulder. “You said we ‘might all’ be dead. Who’s dead?” She asked.
“Right now might not be the best time to tell you.” Braian said. “Phoebe is better at these things than me. You should hear it from her.”
The sound the slap across his face made echoed into the woods, “Listen you little son of a bitch-”
“You know I didn’t know my mother. So, I’m just going to assume you meant my father.” He hissed. Adriana leaped towards him, pulling out her dagger.
Corbin had glanced over in time to see her lunge at him.
“Oh no you don’t!” Running over he grabbed the woman around her waist and directing her towards the opposite direction.
“If I can’t hurt him, then I’m not going to let you.” The prince said. She thrashed her small frame against him. “Gods, just tell her already.”
“Half the crew,” tears fell from his violet pools. “And Aaron.” His voice tight with unshed tears. A prayer passed his lips as he did not want his words to be real, but he knew she would find out, he wished that he could comfort her. “He’s gone.”
“No, you’re lying.” She said. Her voice was harsh, throat tightening made each word difficult to express. Collapsing to her knees, the weight of the world crashing around her.
“I wish I was,” He whispered. “I held his body in my arms as he died. I felt his spirit leave him.” Opening his hands, he could still see how his skin was still tinted red from the blood.
“No.” She whispered.
“I think she’s in shock.” Corbin said as he tried to lift her from the ground. She fought against him until her body went limp in his arms.
Braian held out his arms, “Here, I’ll take her so you can get up. If you look to the right, you can climb up the vines. Careful when you get to the hull. Ship is deteriorating faster than I thought. I will be right behind you. You think you can climb that?” He asked.
Leaning his head to the side, he cocked a grin towards the violet-eyed man, “Can I climb that?” He repeated. “Just watch as I climb that.”
He turned to face the wreckage, and instead of taking ahold of the tree or a nearby vine, he crouched down to the forest floor. A breath and he leaped from his position, his hands out above his head, grasping at the foliage ahead of him.
“What are you?” He asked, watching as the prince landed on a larger branch halfway to the carcass of the ship.
“I’m learning that myself right now.” He replied.
They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Without saying another word, he followed the man up the vine. Carefully carrying Adriana over his shoulder. It did not take long to reach the ship’s deck. He gently passed her over to the prince before climbing over the railing.
“Phoebe? Owen?” He called out.
“In here.” Phoebe’s voice rang from inside the ship.
Upon entering the ship’s cabin, they caught Phoebe and Owen coming out of Aaron’s room.
“Oh no, is she?” She asked her fingers trembling as they reached for the knots of hair that had gathered upon Adriana’s head.
“No. I have the bruises to prove it.” Braian said rubbing the spot on his face where her hand had met. “I told her about Aaron. She didn’t take it too well.”
“Please lay her down on the table.” Phoebe asked.
Corbin placed her body on the nearby table, “Do you have something soft for her head?” he asked.
“I have some leftover linen.” She waved the cloth in her hand before placing the linen on the table as a makeshift pillow.
Away from the table, he leaned against the doorframe. This was a side of the group, the prince had not seen yet. In the course of this adventure, he had seen them fight, willing to kill to get what they want. How they took care of hostages and how they handle their ship sinking below the clouds. Now he would witness how they handle this situation. How do they mourn an important member of their crew?
“I think it would be best if we waited until she returns to herself to begin the funeral pyre.” She said.
“What should we do afterwards?” Braian asked.
“Go home?” She suggested.
“Are we parting ways or am I tagging along?” Corbin asked. He watched as one by one they turned to look at him. The men glaring at hi
m, and the Elfan looking him over, contemplating the next move.
“We should keep him around.” She said, “If he goes back to Eskorgan he could tell his guards about us.”
“Trust me; I have no intention of telling anyone anything about this.” He said.
“We can’t be too careful.” Owen agreed. “Don’t worry your highness; you will be home soon enough.”
“What’s going on?” A groan escaped from Adriana’s mouth, interrupting the conversation.
Walking over to her, Phoebe looked into her pools of blue, pulling her sister into a tight embraced, “Aaron’s dead. There was no good option to save him. Do you understand that?”
Adriana nodded, “Yes.”
“Members of the crew have built a pyre in a clearing not far from here.” Owen said. “We need to carry him there.”
“Then we can send him home.” She mumbled. “Let’s get going.”
The brothers entered the cabin to retrieve their father’s body. Adriana followed behind them.
“No, let us carry him.” Owen said.
“He was a father to me too.” She insisted. The boys looked at each other and nodded. Owen taking hold of Aaron’s feet, Braian his head, and Adriana supported his round middle.
Phoebe touched the prince’s shoulder, turning his attention to her. “You are welcome to come with us for this ceremony, but if you wish you may go to one of our quarters and rest.”
Alone for the first time since he was shoved in that woman’s tiny room, before the crash. He made his way back to that bedroom, hoping it wasn’t too badly damaged.
“Sleep well, Aaron.” Corbin said before taking a deep breath. Quietly he sang the song his father had taught him when he was a boy.
Weary and tired you have grown
Close your eyes and your journey begins
May the golden doors open for you
Ancestors welcome you home
The time is now
Rest well traveler
Children of Destiny Page 6
