Free Souls- chapter 9

Chapter nine: The blue of the sea



Lilith and Keeo got a cabin together, small and quite comfortable, but actually never got to spend some time together until they both overcame the sea-sickness. As expected, her first day on the next ship turned out to be awful and signed by nausea and bad mood, and although it lasted few time, it made her feel tired for days. Keeo turned out to be even less fortunate: he passed the first three days almost always locked in the toilet, saddened and frustrated.
Lilith often heard him cursing in a couple of different languages, words he shouldn't have known at his age but probably heard in the inns he’d worked in. The girl tried to cheer him up and offered some help, and didn’t get angry when receiving irritated answers back, understanding his pain.

Waiting for the boy to feel better, the half drow spent some time outside, breathing the salty air of the sea, dancing and singing hoping to make some other money, asking for information and chatting around. The people of the crew, distrustful at first, slowly got to know Lilith and her honest character, and despite their lack of useful news, they managed to be a good company in that journey.
The girl rarely had any friends or people to stay with, and was used to pay a of attention to other people’s habits and gestures, to examine and observe attitudes  to understand them. She learned to distinguish the nervous and frustrated acting from anxious ones, as well as she learned to judge if someone’s smile was sincere or false. She learned it all to survive from enemies and loneliness both.
She got to see that most of the people in there were bored merchants, a few travelers were tourists and people moving from coast to coast to look for fortunes or hunt down wanted men. Thanks to all the audience she found between drunk and bored men on the ship, she gathered up some golds and silvers- but still, no one she could consider as companion in her travel to find Loa and Ilu.
Keeo’s offer to stay with her struck her thoughts about the travel. She actually had to find some companions along the way, didn’t she? How was she supposed to fight against the dragon, if needed?
Or what if Ilu had been taken away to someone else on purpose, maybe a dangerous wizard or a fierce warrior?
She was all alone for now, and needed someone she could trust. Although Loa the Third was also looking for her adopted child, she felt she couldn’t rely on him too much: her dreams, often filled with her old self’s memories, reminded he’d always been inconstant and fickle, somewhat touchy and vain. For what she knew at that time, Keeo was more trustworthy than the Third, and such thoughts often gave her doubts about his intentions.

On the fourth day since when they departed, Keeo finally managed to get out of the cabin and take a look around. Lilith told him about the people she talked with, their information, and her plans. <<I’ll most likely look for some news once we’ve arrived; I think I’ll have more possibilities to find something there>> she declared, looking at him worried. <<I just hope everything will be fine- and you will be fine. Are you still sure you want to come along with me? How are you right now?>>
Keeo was laying against the wooden parapet, his face as pale as a tissue. He nodded weakly, then answered: <<Yes, yes, I’m sure. It’s just, ah…I’ve never been on a ship and thinking back now, I’d have gladly avoided the experience. Which reminds me, did I answer rudely back then?>>
The boy didn’t wait for Lilith’s answer, he immediately added: <<My apologies for being unkind to you>>.
<<Don’t worry, you don’t have to>> she giggled back, gazing at the sea, slowly returning to her thoughts…but before any new idea could pop up, the boy was talking again with an excited tone.
<<Don’t you accept my apologies? Accept them>> he insisted. As soon as Lilith nodded back, confused, he showed a satisfied expression and said: <<Very well. I could never expect seasickness was that bad. This waving is driving me insane>>.
Lilith smiled again slightly disoriented at his eloquence, then tried to know more of his new friend: <<So, you’ve never been on a ship, have you?>>
<<Oh, no>> he answered, looking down at the blue waves crashing against the sides of the ship. <<And if I may, I’d never thought I would. I can’t even swim, what will happen if it wrecks?>>
Now the girl stared at him shocked. <<Can’t you swim?>>
<<Why should I?>>
<<Because…>> she whispered back, suffocating a laughter. <<You…lived on an island?>>
<<Oh>> he winked embarrassed. <<That’s right. Well, too bad. The movement of the sea gives me nausea>> he immediately looked somewhere else: he examined the sails, the clouds, the people on the deck, then turned to look at Lilith who was, unlike him, still staring at the sea.
She gnashed her teeth for a fast moment, to tell him afterwards: <<The sea’s color makes me angry, instead>>. The boy looked at her with curiosity, and easily persuaded Lilith to continue: <<It reminds me of Fenrir, who’s looking for Loa and may be trying to murder him>>.
<<Do you mean Feyward Floh’l Olath, the Second?>> he asked all of a sudden, making her gasp. <<It’s Fenrir’s true name, he told it to me>>.
Lilith kept her breath for a moment, then walked away from the parapet furiously. <<He talked to you?!>> she yelled angrily. <<Oh, for the gods’ sake, tell me you’re not in business with him>>.
<<Why should I?>> he asked again, scared. <<He just talked to me, and told me he was also looking for that dragon and Loa. He showed me some magical tricks, so cool! Why does he want to kill Loa?>>
The girl stood in front of him, examining his expression carefully. Keeo looked sincere, but yet, why should the Second tell him his name? “To impress him” she answered herself, finding the attitude quite suitable to the wizard. “The name sounds drowish though. The last name is drowish, it’s Dark Follower. He can’t be a drow, I just—I don’t want to deal with another dark elf, mother’s been more than enough”.
Lilith let go an extremely deep sigh, then answered Keeo’s question at last: <<I don’t know the reason. We can say they don’t get along well>>.
<<Is that so>> he added thoughtful, looking at her directly in her amber eyes. He laid his back against the parapet, smiling. <<Which one do you prefer, out of the two?>>
<< What kind of question is this??>> she yelled again scowling, turning her back and walking away quickly. He immediately followed and caught up with her, hearing Lilith’s whispers and reasoning. She looked at him with an angry and suspicious expression for a few seconds, then calmed down. <<That’s a strange, rude question. Stop it>>.
<<Oh, so you’re in love with that bard>> Keeo replied back, then added, before she could get mad at him again: <<Have you been considering the possibility of hiring some people around here to accompany you? To be honest, I’m not that strong, you know>>.
Lilith shrugged. <<I’ve been thinking the same, but I haven’t started any conversations of this such yet. It’s not easy finding someone who looks reliable enough, and at least, not at first sight. We don’t all leap before thinking, as you did>> she added quickly, smiling.
The boy didn’t pay attention to her smile, though: he was looking around, and in the end, pointing at two people. <<What about those two? I like them. Go talk to them and hire their services>>.
<<As if we’re full of money>>.
<<Well I am>> he giggled. <<Come on, tell me your opinion about those>>.
Lilith shrugged again, and glanced at the two men Keeo was talking about: a well built, fierce warrior was looking at the sails, several feet far from them, accompanied by a big, muscular man in chains. They both looked around their forties, and although strong-looking, she wondered how she could involve them in her adventure. <<I don’t know>> she answered at last. <<I’ll study them, and try to have a talk tomorrow>>.


It continues in chapter 10