Empress of the Sea

Chapter Thirteen

It was not long after the laughter over Hendric's tale had subsided that the captain stood, his large form casting a shadow over the remnants of the picnic. The men had scrambled to their feet and were cleaning up even before Captain Arion opened his mouth to say they would move on.

Elesa assisted however she could, and soon they were off again. The captain led the way with Mury sticking close to his side, and Elesa found herself in step with Hendric a few paces behind the captain. Elesa shivered and told herself it was the cool of the forest after the warmth of the sun.

As they walked through the trees, the sound of rushing water grew louder until Elesa could see that they had reached the hill, though from the ground it looked more like a mountain. Before she knew it, they were standing in front of a spring, water rushing down the mountainside in floods to create the sound she had been hearing since their arrival at the cliff.

The water was clear like that of the pond, and as Elesa walked closer she thought she saw something in the shimmering surface. After a moment, it became clearer, and she barely held back a gasp. On the surface of the water, she saw the silver-haired woman's face. It was a clear image with eyes as piercing as they had been in life.

Elesa blinked, but the image did not go away. She blinked several times, but the face only looked clearer and the gaze staring back at her made her head hurt as it had in the clearing the day before. Elesa took a step back before realizing that the captain was speaking, and she quickly focused her attention on him.

Captain Arion was again talking of his plans for the island. "Do you not see now," he was saying, "what a great asset this island could be to the emperor?"

"It could be," Elesa agreed slowly, her hesitance obvious, "but I would need more information to make an educated decision."

The captain looked at her for a long moment, his mouth twitching. "Of course."

He was ever polite, but his tone was indulgent, amused even. It made Elesa bristle, straightening her shoulders and preparing to defend her right to have an opinion on the matter, especially an educated one.

But she also knew that there was no way to argue with Captain Arion. She would need to convince him of her worth in a different way. Turning away from both him and the spring, not wishing to see that face again, she saw a small animal sitting a few paces away.

Instantly, Elesa forgot her worries. The thing was little and gray, covered in fur. Its nose twitched as it stared back at the emperor's daughter. Elesa took one step forward, but Hendric held up his hand.

"They don't like people," he said quietly as he crouched down.

He pulled something from his pocket and held it out toward the animal. Elesa watched and noticed that Hendric didn't move a hair's breadth as he waited, the piece of leftover fruit hanging from his fingers. Elesa held her breath as the animal took two steps forward. It waited a moment, nose twitching again, and then it scampered forward, grabbed the food in its tiny teeth, and turned its tail, fleeing up a tree.

Hendric chuckled as he straightened, wiping his fingers on the edge of his vest. "They might not like people, but they like food. Nuts and fruits especially."

"Have you touched one?" Elesa asked curiously, scanning the trees for more of the animals, but they kept themselves hidden.

The sailor shook his head. "If I try, they run from me."

The captain now chose to break into the conversation with a condescending clearing of his throat. "Pesky beasts, if you ask me," he remarked. "Once the trees come down, I'm sure they'll be gone as well. It'll be a favor to the men who have to live here and till the land. I'm sure the animals would try to eat the crops."