Not Too Late

Detour Down Memory Lane

Yn's POV

I place the swords on my back and carry my bag in my hand. Floorboards creak with every step I make. As I walk into the throne room a familiar voice speaks to me. "Leaving so soon?" I sigh and turn around in defeat. "Judith.." "no go you leave all the time so why would this time be any different?" She holds a bottle to her lips. She's drunk. "Judith go to bed you're drunk" "why? Is it going to make you stay?" I stay silent and she drinks more. "You're not a warrior Yn you're a coward" "I'm a coward? You're the one who killed your own goddamn son Judith!" The lights go on and I look to the ground. "What are you two doing up this late?" "I was just leaving" I venture back out the throne room. I rush to the water be not looking back once.

*

I emerge from the woods and look at the small abandoned town. I slowly walk to the middle of it. Most of the homes are burnt to the ground and some have weeds and leaves covering them. I place my gear on the ground in plain sight before cleaning up the village I once called home.

*

The fire burns as I feed it wood. I place the fresh fish over the fire when I hear a twig snap. I shoot up and grab my swords. "You're not supposed to be here! This is my land and I would like it if you would leave please" A scrawny old man emerges from the trees and in plain sight. I lower my weapons and we both look at each other. "Name?" "I'm Floki" I smile spreads across my face. "Floki the boat builder" I bow. "It's an honor to to meet you in person" He smiles slightly and looks at the fire. "You got room for one more?" I nod excitedly then remember that I had dropped the fish. I rush back to see the fish is not too burnt.

Floki sits beside me as I serve him some fish. "You said this was your home?" I nod and take a bite of fish. "I was born here doesn't look much now Mr Floki-" "Please Floki is fine but how did you know who I was if you were born here?" I take another bite of fish before staring into the fire. "Terrible events happened to this town within the first years of my life that I wish to not go into detail with" I smile sadly into the flames. "But I know you because I have one of your boats" My head faces him with a bright smile on my face. "And I must say your boat skills are brilliant" "do you have one here with you?" "No someone took it back to the city I am staying at, at the moment. I steered a ten man boat here and I still have to go back"

I laugh slightly at how absurd it sounds. "May I stay the night ?" "Of course Floki I've dreamt of meeting you and I thought I never would" I grab a stick and start poking at the fire. I stare harder into the flames as the memories of everyone burning come to dance in the flames. I see my family die one by one before I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look to him and wipe away the tears that rolled down my cheeks. "This doesn't have to be a place of sadness, it could be a place of colour and happiness" "how could that be if I don't have anyone to be happy with?" "Be happy with me, in this moment"

I nod my head. "You're right" I grab a bottle of liquor from out of my bag and hand it to Floki. "Let's drink the night away" He smiles and takes it from my hands. And that is when the party started. We danced around the burning flames and drank the liquor dry. I collapse onto the ground and he sits beside me. I lay my head on his shoulder. "From what I remember there was no fighting only happiness and laughter. Once in a while we would feast. For no reason but because we wanted to. We never discriminated it didn't matter who you were as long as you had the same values" I sit up and look at him. "all of us just wanted to live no war no blood spilling. Nothing like that"

"I think you would have been better off here Floki, I think that this place would have done you some good if they didn't ruin everything" I stand up and find some balance. He stands up as well and holds my shoulders to stable me. "Five is the number I dread, the most" after those words slipped from my mouth everything went dark. Like I was being swept away in the wind.

***

I shoot up and look around to see the fire is out and the sun is shining down on me. I stand up and Floki comes up to me. "You okay? You fainted" I felt my head and then started rummaging through my bag before pulling out a book. "What's that for?" "I keep everything in here" I start flicking through all the pages before stopping on one. "I didn't faint I fell asleep" "while standing up?" "I can go days without sleep but every once in a while I need a proper rest. I didn't realize how late it was my body just took over" I try and laugh it off but Floki just looks at me. "that is no way to live" "And yet that was the life I was brought into"

I grab my bag and swords. "I must be off now, would you like to join me Floki? Or you could stay here and look after my home until I come back" "I might stay just until I figure out where to head next" I nod and place my items back in the boat. "Take care Floki I hope to meet again one day" "indeed we will" I sit down and start rowing back to Kiev.