ESCAPE

The Island

After a week of sailing the women saw land. Asteria had directed them to the island and Natia had used her gifts to follow them. The journey had been long and hard. Andy had attacked some of the women to escape and jump overboard. They hadn't been able to find her body. Not many people mourned, but there was still a heavy silence about Tess.

On the night of the full moon they had laid Tess to rest. They made a float out of some scrap pieces of wood and decorated it with things they had found on the ship one of the women was able to use her gifts to grow flowers from a pile of dirt so they could be placed in her hair. Several elemental women made light orbs to float around her body. A water elemental helped lower her body from the boat and released it to the ocean. Asteria's ancestors gave get a song to sing as her body floated away and everyone joined in. When the last note of the song rang out the lights died and they could no longer see Tess's body. A sense of peace filled Asteria, but she could still feel the empty space on the ship where Tess should have been.

When they got to land everyone's fatigue from the journey melted away. They jumped into the water and walked to shore. The water was warm and the island was lush. The feeling of the sand under Asteria's feet sent shockwaves to her core. She was home. This was where she belonged. One by one each of the women walked onto the island and each one's face lit up like the sun. They were all home. They were all free. The island welcomed them like daughters. Asteria knew she would have to go back to save the other women, but today she was home. There was no danger here and even though she was gone, Tess's spirit was here. Ageus stepped behind her and smiled.

"I can feel it." He said, "I'm welcome here."

Asteria smiled at him, "Of course you are. You're people belong here too."

"It's not over." He said

"It's is today." Asteria answered

She looked out towards the island and watched the women playing on the beach. A few wild horses approached them and the animal women talked to them. They were free.