Tales of the Bloody Rift 1 Pirates and Politics

Bones in the Ocean

They stood by the edge of the water, the waves lapping up on shore as they stood around the canoe. It was spilling over with flowers, William Fernán's lifeless body resting in the bouquet. It was a sad day for them all as they laid their friend... family to rest. Desert Flower perhaps the most sad of all as she was saying goodbye to the man who she'd held so close in her heart. Tialha stood by her husband, their child, Landon, in her arms as he held her close, tears streaming down his cheeks, a few landing on her, now very real, crown. Wave stood close to the canoe with his mother, hugging her, comforting her as much as he knew he needed to be comforted himself. He held in his hand his father's necklace, the little reflective charm he always wore. Next to him stood Qinren, holding their child, Light of Dawn, in one arm, the other she used to stroke his back, trying to comfort him. Her hair was longer now, it fell just below the chest she'd developed through bearing their child. They'd been happily married for a few years at that point, living half of the time in Summerlow, the other half in Skelor. Almost every time they would come back to Skelor they brought Willy and Tony in tow, along with their wives, Wave's sisters of course. The four were on the other side of Flower, doing small gestures to comfort each other. It was odd seeing One Leg Willy be compassionate for once as he comforted Angel. Tony on the other hand was always like this, he wrapped Kai in his arms, stroking her hair as she cried.

Girah and Nerithae stood on the other side of Qinren with the two warforged. They had their arms around each other, leaning into one another. It had been a while since anyone had seen them, they of course visited the kingdom and the islands but as the current captain of the Bloody Rift, it wasn't always easy. Nerithae had divided the crew when she set out to sea again after five years of working as a part of the royal guard. Thomas, Jaxon, Heisalor, Jerry, Dewhareth, and of course Girah rejoined the crew when Nerithae took over. The rest decided to settle down. Tiahla and Sparrow of course, taking over the throne in Skelor together. Lawrence had decided to stay with them to work on the royal guard, as did Hammer and Peirce. Simmons stayed at the palace as well, working as a personal tailor to the royal family.

Hammer and Peirce held hands, their internal fans whirring from the heat, though she'd always wondered if their emotions had anything to do with it. Their faces were sad, though no tears ever fell, for them it was impossible. Simmons and Lawrence stood together near Tialha and Sparrow. They'd become closer friends since Nerithae left, without her there to keep them both company they leaned on each other more, especially with Tialha and Sparrow being busier with running the kingdom.

Heisalor and Jaxon stood to the side of them, hands interlocked, leaning on each other, their wedding bands glistening in the light. Jerry stood with them, Emit, who he'd married, had died the last year so he was alone in that sense. Thomas and Dewhareth were the most recently married of all of them; they stood on the other side of Jerry, Thomas holding her arm. She didn't show much emotion, but that was normal for her.

Everyone got a chance to give words to honor Willy's life and send him off if they had any before Sparrow and Lawrence approached the canoe. They pushed it out to sea. It floated out a ways before they lit the arrow to shoot the canoe. Hammer took the arrow wrapped in oiled cloth in his hand, holding it out to wave who lit it with flint and steel. He handed the now lit arrow to Pierce who placed it in his bow before shooting it. As the canoe caught on fire Lawrence began to sing, sending him off with a song as the rest joined in with the song they knew well, the song they used to send off the souls of all their fallen allies.

Oh, I bid farewell to the port and the land

And I paddle away from the long shore's white sands

To search for my long ago forgotten friends

To search for the place I hear all sailors end

As the souls of the dead fill the space of my mind

I'll search without sleeping 'til peace I can find

I fear not the weather, I fear not the sea

I remember the fallen, do they think of me?

When their bones in the ocean forever will be

Plot a course to the night to a place I once knew

To a place where my hope died along with my crew

So I swallow my grief and face life's final test

To find promise of peace and the solace of rest

As the songs of the dead fill the space of my ears

Their laughter like children, their beckoning cheers

My heart longs to join them, sing songs of the sea

I remember the fallen, do they think of me?

When their bones in the ocean forever will be

When at last before my ghostly shipmates I stand

I shed a small tear for my home upon land

Though their eyes speak of depths filled with struggle and strife

Their smiles below say I don't owe them my life

As the souls of the dead fill the space of my eyes

And my boat listed over and tried to capsize

I'm this far from drowning, this far from the sea

I remember the living, do they think of me?

When my bones in the ocean forever will be

Now that I'm staring down at the darkest abyss

I'm not sure what I want, but I don't think it's this

As my comrades call to stand fast and forge on

I make sail for the dawn 'til the darkness has gone

As the souls of the dead live for'er in my mind

As I live all the years that they left me behind

I'll stay on the shore but still gaze at the sea

I remember the fallen and they think of me

For our souls in the ocean together will be

I remember the fallen and they think of me

For our souls in the ocean together will be

*****I hope you all enjoyed the story! This is the end of this book but not the end of the full story. There are plans for 2 more books following this, they may take a while but the next book will revolve around Tialha's children as the main characters!*******