Triton's Destiny

Part Seventeen

Clutching a shiny green bottle close to his chest, Tristan made his way along the narrow path through the cliffs to the cave where he'd found Maki before. The note he'd written was simple, but he hoped it conveyed his eagerness to see the triton again: Dear Maki, I'm ready to talk whenever you are. Please come see me at the lighthouse at your earliest convenience. I'll be waiting for you. Tristan.

He had no idea how long it would take for Maki to see the bottle, but he had a hunch that the triton was coming to the cave at least daily to check. Still, it could be a while, so Tristan made sure his bottle was nice and clean to reflect as much light as possible, sealed well to preserve his message, and wrapped with knotted rope to protect it from getting broken. He didn't want anything to prevent Maki from getting the note. Tristan wanted to see him as soon as possible.

"Hello?" he called tentatively once he reached the cave, not wanting to startle Maki if he was there or intrude on his privacy. "Maki?" When all he heard was the gentle lapping of water, he poked his head inside, seeing the cave empty.

Heaving a sigh that was half relieved and half disappointed, Tristan brought his bottle inside. The tide was still receding from its high point, so much of the rocky interior was wet. He stepped carefully, avoiding the slick edge of the dropoff as best he could, maneuvering around to the farthest part he could reach. Sitting down on the ledge, he grabbed the length of rope from his pocket and wrapped it tightly around a rocky protrusion, securing the other end to the bottle and dropping it in the water. When sunlight caught the glass and made it sparkle below the surface, Tristan smiled. That should grab Maki's attention.

He sat for a few minutes, just in case the triton showed up right away, then sighed once more–this time in complete disappointment–and pushed himself to his feet. Wiping his hands on his damp pants, he cast one more longing look at the water and then left the cave, following the path back out to the beach. The sun was warm on his skin when he emerged from the cliffs and he stopped to look out to sea, wondering what Maki was doing and how he spent his days underwater. Tristan was so curious and had a ton of questions that he couldn't wait to ask him. He hoped it wouldn't take very long for Maki to see his note.

A couple of hours later, as Tristan sat out on the seaside patio sketching, he caught sight of a familiar tricorn hat with a white feather coming down the beach toward him. He grinned widely, setting aside his drawing and rising to meet his guest. He could barely contain his excitement at seeing Maki after several days of missing him.

"Hi, Tristan." Maki held out the bottle and coiled rope in his hands. "This was perfect. I saw it right away. You should keep it, though. For next time."

"Maki..." Tristan's fingers brushed Maki's as he took the bottle back. Hastily setting it aside, he took Maki's hand and twined their fingers together. "I missed you."

Color rose high on Maki's cheeks and he bit his lip on a bashful smile. "I missed you too." His gaze flicked to Tristan's sketchbook and he tilted his head as he looked back into Tristan's eyes. "All done for today?"

Tristan nodded. "I started early this morning so I could be here if you came to visit. I can spend all afternoon with you." His cheeks warmed as he realized how needy that sounded. "I mean... If you want."

The smile that lit up Maki's entire being also melted Tristan's heart. "I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of the day." Keeping custody of Tristan's hand, Maki led him across the patio to sit on a bench together. "I brought something for you."

"What?" Tristan shook his head, utterly bewildered. "You didn't have to. I don't... I... I didn't know..."

With a soft laugh, Maki touched the feather on his hat. "You gave me this." His smile widened. "And your friendship, which is a better gift than any I've ever received."