by Tim Chaffey
“Probably because she thinks I’m a fool.”
Aterre shrugged. “Could be, but I doubt it.” He lowered his voice. “Speaking of Zara.”
“What about her?”
Aterre put his finger to his lips and shushed him. Then he gestured to the front of the house.
After a long pause, three soft knocks patted the door. “Noah?”
“Just a moment.” Noah jumped up.
Aterre grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Take a deep breath. Act natural.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly and let it out. Don’t make a fool of yourself, Noah. Taking another deep breath, he opened the door. Emzara stood with her arms in front of her carrying a small covered basket. Her outfit perfectly complemented her lithe figure. The bottom of her robe ended just above her ankles, which were wound about by the leather straps of her sandals. Her hair, no longer pulled back and tied behind her head as it had been at the beach, draped over her shoulders. A stray lock hung down the left side of her face. Standing in the doorway in the fading daylight, she had never looked so breathtaking. “Emzara. I didn’t expect to see you again tonight.”
Holding up the basket, she smiled and her eyes sparkled. “You said you missed our cooking, so I brought you some leftovers from tonight.”
“I’ll take that.” Aterre stepped between them and grabbed the basket. “Thanks, Zara.”
“You’re welcome. Just be sure to share it with Noah.”
“I won’t,” Aterre said over his shoulder.
“He probably won’t.” Noah wracked his brain for something worthwhile to say during the long pause that followed. Emzara looked expectantly at him, adding to his mounting frustration. Just say something. Tell her she looks nice. “You —”
“Adira already left for home. Did you want to watch the sunset with me? There’s still time.”
Noah fought to control his excitement; he did not want to overreact. “Sure, I’d be happy to.” His heart racing, he stepped outside and closed the door.
Emzara led him up a small hill between the shipyard and the beach. “It looks better up here,” she said. “The edge of the harbor doesn’t block the view.”
“Is this where you’d normally watch it?”
“Most of the time. Although, I think it’d be better on Superglider Cliff.” She pointed to the edge of the coastline. “That’s what we call it.”
“Have you seen a superglider up close?”
“Not yet, but I’d love to. I want to draw one for my collection.”
“You’re a very talented artist. Other than technical drawings, I can’t draw anything. But the Creator gave me the ability to make things out of wood.”
“That’s what my father says.” Emzara pushed aside a low branch and allowed him to pass by. “He said that you do a great job. Do you like working for him?”
“I do. It’s hard work, but when you love what you’re doing, it’s not really toilsome.”
“That’s what I think about art. I love watching the animals and drawing them. It takes time, but it’s so rewarding.” She pointed to the grassy outcrop ahead. “That’s it.”
After allowing her to pick out her spot, Noah sat about a cubit away. He stretched his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands, approximating her pose. The bay extended to the south, opening into the Great Sea. To the southwest, the sun hung just above the horizon, and immediately to its left, Superglider Cliff climbed above the edge of the water. The boat that he and Aterre had raced to lay in the water ahead of them.
“It’s perfect.” Noah said.
A slight breeze blew her hair across her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in. “It sure is.”
Noah watched her. It seemed impossible, yet she grew more beautiful each time he saw her.
With her eyes still closed, she asked, “So did you say that earlier?”
“Say what?” Noah asked, hoping she was not referring to Aterre’s embarrassing revelation.
She turned, fixed her gaze on him, and her lips curved slightly. “That you wished I would watch the sunset with you instead.”
Her dark eyes drew him in and he couldn’t pull away. Not that he wanted to. A spark of courage flashed inside of him. Maybe Aterre’s right. Maybe she really is interested in me. “Those weren’t my exact words.” The spark grew into a flame that filled his body, and in his mind, he crossed the point of no return. He would never get a better chance. He held her gaze. “I think I said that I’d love to be the one you watched sunsets with.”
Her lips spread into a wide smile and her eyes danced. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She moved her left hand and placed it on top of his.
Every fiber of his being sprang to life, and his whole body tingled at her touch. He turned his hand over and allowed her fingers to cross between his. Feeling as though he would burst from emotion if he continued looking at her, he turned his attention to the setting sun along with the bands of orange and pink that stretched across the southwestern sky.
Moments later, Emzara scooted closer and leaned her head against his shoulder.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Words were not needed for the moment.
When the sun was almost gone, Emzara tilted her head up at him. “You’re right. It is perfect here.”
Noah glanced down and their eyes met briefly. “It is now.”
“Sadly, I need to get home before it gets too dark or my father will be upset.”
“I understand.” He stood and helped Emzara to her feet.
Hand in hand, they walked down the hill and too soon they were back at the trail between Ara’s house and the beach. Noah walked her most of the way back to her home.
“Would you like to do this again tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Definitely.” Nodding, she pulled away slowly. “I’ll see you at work in the morning.”
“I can’t wait.”
She smiled and then turned, humming a tune as she went to the front door.
Noah walked back to his home with a lively bounce to his step. He forced himself to stop smiling and then went inside. He spotted Aterre at the counter scraping the last bit of salad out of Emzara’s bowl.
He held up the empty dish. “I’m really sorry. I ate everything. It was too good.”
Feigning anger, Noah crossed the floor and stood before Aterre, glaring at him. When he could no longer suppress his joy, he reached out and hugged Aterre tight. “Thank you!”
Aterre laughed and pushed himself free. “I guess that stupid grin on your face means I was right.”
“For the first time, I’m glad you were right and I was wrong.” Noah turned and put his hands on his head. “This is the best night ever.”
Chapter 20
A whole day together.” Emzara shifted her hand within Noah’s warm grasp and leaned slightly against him, enjoying the feel of his strong presence. “I’m so excited.”
Noah regarded her and a thrill coursed through him. He squeezed her fingers gently. “I’ve been looking forward to spending this much time with you.”
She grinned. “Me too.” She hung on to those words, making both of them a few syllables long. “So what’s the adventure for today?” She pointed at the full satchel that hung from Noah’s shoulder.
“Well —” Noah paused.
“Tell me.” Her eyes begged him as she rocked on her toes.
“I thought that since we have the time we should finally check out Superglider Cliff instead of just talking about it.” He held up the leather bag. “This is in case we get hungry.”
“Oh, how fun! We’ve never crossed the river for an outing before. Do you know the way?”
“Aterre’s been there before. He said it’s not far from Cada’s farm. I think we can find it. We have to go through your father’s land, and then past all the fruit trees.”
Emzara swung their joined hands and skipped a little in her excitement.
“Did you hear what happened to Fen at work two days ago?” Noah as
ked as they left the grassy knolls beyond the river and entered a lush tropical forest.
“No. Tell me.”
“After midmeal, Bakur sneaked away and retied Fen’s nuzzler in a hidden spot. And since Fen lives far away from the shipyard he certainly didn’t want to walk home.”
“Yeah. What happened?” Her eyes sparkled in merriment at the joke.
“After work, of course he couldn’t find her. He went to the marketplace, thinking his wife had taken the animal to load up supplies, but he came back just before dark, concerned that neither his wife nor the nuzzler were at the market.”
“Just before dark? What were you still doing at the shipyard?”
“Bakur and I were finishing up the stern.”
“You’re really getting the hang of things, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I love it. Time seems to whisk by whenever I’m working.” He looked at her as he had so often, and Emzara instinctively knew he was telling her she was beautiful. “And whenever I’m with you.”
A warm feeling spread over her and she spoke softly. “These moments go by too fast, but when I’m with you, there’s no other place I’d rather be.”
They were silent for a while, connecting with each other in spirit. As they picked their way through the uneven terrain, sounds of exotic birds and occasional flashes of brightly colored feathers added to their enjoyment. Soon the ground veered upward as they approached the rear of the cliffs.
“Ready for a bit of a climb?” Noah asked.
“Absolutely. Mind telling me the rest of what happened to Fen?” Following his lead, she started up the steep incline of the hillside.
“Oh, so he traveled all the way home, ready to give his wife a piece of his mind, only to discover that she didn’t have the nuzzler either. When he arrived at the shipyard yesterday, his animal was right where he usually ties her.”
Emzara laughed in delight.
“Fen eventually saw the humor in it, and Bakur was thrilled — for him, anyway. He even cracked a smile. However, I know that Fen is planning a way to pay him back. Bakur’s going to have to watch out.”
She laughed again, picturing the exchange between the two men that were like family to her. “Good thing they never did something like that to Pennik. He had an even longer travel each day than Fen does. And not nearly as good a sense of humor.”
Noah tilted his head and gave her a questioning look. “Whatever happened to him? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s gone.”
She sighed. “He always assumed that I was interested in him. And I guess I was a little at first, but it didn’t take long to see that he thought too highly of himself. Once you came along, I think he felt threatened.”
“By me?” Noah smirked. “He could have crushed me.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Emzara squeezed his upper arm. “He could tell that I was interested in someone else. In fact, I think everyone knew, except for you.”
Noah kissed her hand. “Well, I know now. So what happened with Pennik?”
“He heard me talking to Baba about you one morning, so he came to my office around midmeal. He told me flat out that I needed to stop talking about you because I was supposed to be with him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t agree.”
Emzara threw her hair back. “Me too. I told him that I wouldn’t marry him, and he stormed away. That was the last time I saw him.”
Noah paused before speaking. “So I should thank you for my apprenticeship then?”
“I can’t really take credit. I was annoyed with Pennik at the time, but it wasn’t my intention to hurt him. And I didn’t expect him to quit.”
Noah smiled to himself. His frustrating start in Iri Geshem had been well worth the trouble. “Be careful of that step there.” Noah pointed to a rocky area. She gathered up the hem of her dress and readjusted it, giving her knees freedom to make the climb up the hill. Noah reached his arm out to help her navigate and she grabbed it with her free hand, letting him pull her up. He pulled her close, steadying her, and she fell easily into his embrace. “Maybe we don’t need to go any farther.” His words were only partly in jest.
“No way. I’m enjoying this adventure. No complaints from me.” After a pause she softened her tone, “Although, I’m quite fond of being in your arms right here.”
He tightened his hold before letting go. “I think I can force myself to release you just long enough to make it to the top.”
She smiled, marveling that someone could come to mean so much to her in so short a time. Every time she saw him, her heart danced in pure joy, and she imagined that her existence before his arrival was simply that. Existence. With Noah near, she felt more alive than ever before, and did not want to know life without him again.
She had been nervous to invite him to watch the sunset with her for the first time, hoping that Aterre was not playing a cruel joke. But on the whole walk home from the beach that evening, she’d contemplated all the little moments between them, replaying each to get a better understanding of what they meant. What did it mean when he rapped a pattern on the doorway every time he had to pass by the building she worked in? Was that his way of flirting with her, or was he simply saying hello? And what about the time he offered to help her pull a splinter from her small hand and held it in his? Or the time when his foot tapped against hers and he didn’t move it away during the rest of midmeal? Was he even aware that that had happened?
After thinking things through, she decided that maybe they added up to more than just random occurrences. Asking him to watch a sunset wouldn’t be too much — if he said no, or if things didn’t go well, it wouldn’t make life around him awkward for too long. She could shrug it off and walk away as if she was used to randomly inviting people to watch sunsets with her. Emzara smiled to herself in the afternoon sunlight, glad she had taken that small, uncertain step.
Since then, seldom did a day go by where they did not have some time together, even if it was only a quick conversation at the shipyard. The more they talked, the more she pieced together an understanding of him. And the more this happened, the more she valued him. Notwithstanding his dark, handsome features, or his strong physique, she found herself also attracted to his way of thinking, to his sureness in decisions, and to the pride he always took in his work. She liked the strength he displayed while building, but more importantly the strength of his faith in the Creator. With him around, she felt both at peace as well as strangely astir. Somehow, in his presence as she was today, she just felt complete.
“Here we are.” Noah shouldered the satchel before helping her up the last step.
She looked at the expanse of grassy plain, broken only by a smattering of large rocks here and there. To their left in the distance, one of the cliffs jutted high overhead, and from it gushed a sparkling waterfall that crashed into a large pool. Another cascade fell to the sea from the opposite side of the pond. “It’s breathtaking up here.”
“Yes, you are.” The edge of Noah’s lips twitched upward.
Her cheeks warmed, and she pulled his hand toward her lips and kissed it. “I said this place is breathtaking.”
“I wasn’t disagreeing with you.”
“Come on, let’s get a closer look.” She tugged at his hand, and together they ran to the pool. “Look, a rainbow!”
Noah gave her a knowing smile. “We’ve seen several of them together, haven’t we?”
Emzara leaned her head on his shoulder and nodded, her cheek rubbing against the gathered fabric of his garment. “I like watching sunsets with you on clear days.” She wrapped her arm around him. “And on the days when it’s cloudy or rainy. Although I questioned your sanity a little bit the first time you invited me to see the sunset when it was pouring.”
Noah laughed. “But we got both a sunset and a rainbow at the same time.”
She remembered how pleasant the surprise was to them both when the dismal clouds suddenly burst apart to reveal a crimson sun along with the most brillian
tly colored arc tracing its way across the sky. “Best ever. Although this is already a close second and we just got here.” She settled on one of the large, smooth boulders that created the edge of the natural pool and reached up to Noah. “I’d like to draw this while we wait to see the supergliders. May I have the scroll I gave you and a drawing stick?”
Noah fumbled around the sack for a bit before handing her the two objects. He sat down next to her and inched a little closer, then scooted back, only to readjust and settle to where his knee was just a hair’s distance from hers. He sighed a little. “So I had a good talk with your father last night after we closed up shop.”
“Is that why he was so late to evenfeast?” She looked at him, but his gaze was on the water. He drummed his left hand fingers on the rocky surface. “What did you two discuss?”
“He told me that he’s been very pleased with my work, and also my, uh, well, he said he’s happy with my integrity too.”
“He’s told me how much he values you.”
“I’m glad. I really enjoy the work. And your father is a great teacher.”
“He says you’re quick to pick things up and already work like you’ve been there for years.”
“With all I’ve learned, sometimes it feels like I have been. But we didn’t focus on my past last night; we talked about my future.” Noah paused. “He told me that if I’m interested, within a few years he’d begin turning some of the management of the business over to me. But before that time, he’d continue to mentor and groom me.”
Emzara laid down her artwork to clasp her hands together in excitement. She leaned toward him earnestly. “What did you say?”
“I told him that there’s no place I’d rather be, but that I had one condition.”
Suddenly feeling nervous, she glanced away. “So you might leave?”
“Well, we worked it out that I’ll continue as his apprentice until he makes me his right hand man, and possibly someday, the future owner.” Noah suddenly turned his gaze to her and she caught the faint hint of a smile on his lips. “But I have to work for more than five years before we can really talk more about any of that.”
