Carrying Calypse

Chapter XXXIV

The rest of the voyage seemed to pass by either too slowly or so quickly that the days blended together, and Maxi could not remember how many days and nights they had been at sea. All she knew was that she was miserable. Even though the weather was pleasant and the ship only rocked gently, Maxi's sickness continued to linger.

She surmised that it was her anxious nerves rather than seasickness that was plaguing her. So any small hopes she had of her nausea subsiding were already crushed before they even reached Nornui. To make things worse her sleep was either all consuming and she slept for half a day, and often woke with a headache, or sleep was elusive and she restlessly tossed and turned.

There was also very little to do on board the ship that would effectively distract her and quell her spiraling thoughts. Maxi read all of her books that she brought with her, three times each, and she was certain she did not retain even half of what she read.

Ulyseon often kept her company and chatted with her most days. It seemed he as well was experiencing some loneliness. Ruth was taking advantage of the lack of responsibilities and stayed in his cabin to sleep or read most of the time. There were a few days of their voyage where Maxi did not even see him. Sir Ursuline spent the majority of his time on deck, from sunrise to near sunset, and was rather aloof if his comrades approached him. Sometimes though, he and Ulyseon would find an adequate space where they could spar when they felt restless from lack of training.

Occasionally when Maxi could not sleep or distract herself with her books, she would watch them spar if she happened to be nearby. For the first time in her life she found observing a sword fight to be entertaining, or rather helpful. It was a good distraction to help pass even a small amount of time.

Even when she did manage to distract herself or occupy her time, her thoughts of the children and Riftan were constantly running in the back of her mind. In the moments where she could not focus on anything else and her mind forced her to think of them, she wrote in her journal. Maxi jotted down ideas on what gifts to get them for their birthdays, and made plans for their celebrations so it would be one of the first things they did when she returned. She even wrote some more bedtime stories for the children, taking other adventures she and Riftan shared and adapted them to be suitable for young minds.

She was grateful for these small distractions to keep her inner turmoil and feelings of selfishness and motherly guilt at bay. But of course there were also moments when Maxi thought of her children and she could not write anything, and she just sobbed into her pillow until she fell asleep. Though it usually lead to a pounding headache, Maxi was also grateful for her lengthy slumbers. She often dreamed about the children. Seeing them in her sleep induced fantasies helped her to carry on.

After almost two weeks at sea, they finally arrived at Nornui's port during an early afternoon. Maxi was filled with both anxiety and anticipation as they docked and she could see the islands above in the distance. Crew members were bustling around her while she stood at the railing of the main deck with her bag in hand. A soft, chilly breeze blew by.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Ruth just further down the railing, also gazing out ahead. Maxi approached him. As she got closer she noticed he appeared troubled.

"Ruth, are you alright?"

He did not break his gaze from the horizon even though she stood right next to him now.

"I... I just never thought I would ever come back here," Ruth quietly answered in disbelief.

There were several emotions crossing Ruth's face as he stared out at the floating islands. Maxi studied him and saw something that looked akin to longing and remembrance, and both layered with apprehension. He wiped the expression from his face when he noticed her discerning eyes on him.