What Lies Beyond the Ocean

Chapter 5

"Erline,"
"Erline,"
"Erline!"
I quickly fluttered my eyelids open and stared at Alyard. His hair was messed up, and he had stubble slowly growing on his handsome face. I did not respond immediately because Alyard's beauty transfixed me. He looked like an angel from- oh what am I saying! There was no time for love.
Alyard snapped his right hand, trying to get my attention.
"You all right?"
I nodded and smiled slightly, just like the way he does. He smiled back.
"Well, we shall get back on the road to avoid, 'you-know-who.'"
I snickered a bit and sat up as he walked into the other side of the room, allowing me privacy to get dressed. I slipped on a beige gown and brown sleeves, which any other commoner would wear. I saw my reflection in an old mirror and saw that my hair looked like a rat's nest. I sighed and realized I didn't have time to mess with my mane. I quickly did a messy, horrible-looking braid, good enough to keep out of my face. I saw dirt on my face and washed it off with plain water. After I made sure I was at least "clean," I slipped on my boots. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tiny glass container that held a bit of perfume. I lifted it to my nose and smelled it, which smelled divine. It smelled like the daisies you would find on top of a vibrant, green hill in the springtime. I decided to pat a little on my wrists and neck, to smell decent, even though I looked like a peasant. I smoothed out my dress and looked at myself in the mirror. I scrutinized myself, from head to toe, and deeply analyze my face. The chin, eyes, everything aside from the nose, belonged to my father. I was the mere image of him, despite a few flaws. I zoomed back into reality and took notice of Alyard looking at me, concerned.
"What's wrong, Alyard?" I asked him as I turned around.
He glared off in space for a few moments but eventually came back to Earth.
"Oh," he stuttered awkwardly. "Nothing...." He played with his fingers nervously.
I came towards him and stroked his cheek with the back of my hand. "It's okay, you can tell me; I won't judge you."
He said that to me before, knowing that I can trust him. If he wants me to know that I can trust him, I want him to realize that he can trust me as well. He shook his head.
"It's really nothing,"
I stared into those mysterious brown eyes. I took my hand off his cheek and got back to business.
"I'm ready to get back on the road if you're ready."
"Yeah, I am ready."
"Good,"
He smiled and picked up his luggage along with mine. He didn't have to pick up my luggage, but I allowed him to do so anyway.
We exited the Inn and looked from all directions and angles to make sure Scott wasn't anywhere. Thunder rumbled like a giant's stomach would in the distance, and the sky was a severe grey. I glanced over at Alyard.
"Is it safe to travel in this weather?"
"Not really," he said, looking out for Scott. "But I would rather travel in this weather rather than-"
"Well, well," a deep, familiar voice broke off Alyard as a man who was tall and muscular came walking towards us. I couldn't see his face due to the darkness of the early morning, but I instantly knew it was, you guessed it, Scott.
"What do you want?" Alyard said, incensed and tense with anger, perhaps even a bit of fear.
"Oh, just to talk," retorted Scott.
Before either Alyard and I could respond, huge arms hold us both. I screamed and felt my heart flutter. Alyard shrieked in surprise, and huge knights held down both, the personal knights of Scott, that is.
"Knock Erline out, Mätero," Scott demanded. "And knock out this Albert or whatever his name is, Lionel."
I tried to escape, but it was too late. The whole world was gone in the blink of an eye.

Silence. Darkness. Silence. Darkness. That's all that was in the world for what seemed like forever. I came back from the dead and glanced around, observing the setting.  I was in a cell, by myself. No Alyard, Scott, the "Mätero" or "Lionel" men, just me, in a gelid, gravel, stone cell. I assumed I was in the dungeons of Géafra, the castle that is. I grunted as I got up, with bruises on me. I shivered, thinking of Alyard. Where was he? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Is he.... no... he couldn't be dead. But, could he? I trembled to my knees, shaking with trepidation. I rubbed my arms as tears came down my cheeks.
"Alyard..." I whispered to myself. "I-I-I love you..." I burst out into silent tears and felt worthless. If I would've just stayed back in Allience, at home with my mother, and not have the urge to run away to find my father in another country, Alyard would've been safe at home, mother probably wouldn't be woebegone, and I would be at home, not in this mess I've created. I hid my face in my palms, wanting things back to normal. What have I done?

Hours go by as I fell into a dreamless sleep. I woke up with a startle as an average height prison guard with dull cold green-blue eyes opened my cell door.
"Erline Wallensport, correct?"
"Y-y-yes," I sputtered.
"Casa Wallensport, your mother, is here to see you."
My heart stopped. My mother was here? Man, I'm really in huge trouble. The guard pushed in a small woman with relieved but disappointed green eyes.
"My little Erline," she said softly.
"Mother," I whispered.
There was a pause. "I'm glad you're alive, my little Erl. Now, I'm disappointed in you. But not as much as I am at myself..."
I glanced at her in surprise. I was perplexed.
"Erline Esmeralda Wallensport..." she said even more softly. "Please, hear me out..."
I nod slowly, still in discombobulation.
"I-I'm not your biological mother..." she began. "I'm a friend, or was, a very, very close friend with your father, who is or was in the war in Zalfa at the time he handed you over to me..." she choked back tears. "I don't know what or who your biological mother is, but she is from Férto, Zalfa, a small village, close to Mileno. Your father was from Férto, and you as well," Casa, not my mother, stroked my ratted hair. "I was as also from Férto, but your father gave you to me to raise as he went out into the war, he was a brave, noble knight, and I don't know what his fate was. He told me he was going to come back to you, his 'sweet, little, angel' after the war was fought or when his duty had been fulfilled. When he gave you to me, I was moving to Allience, or at least outside of Allience at the time. I never told you the truth because I was afraid something like this would happen, you would run away. But Erl," she held my face. "You're now 18 years old; you're close to being a fully developed adult. You're beautiful, smart, and driven. You're ready to find him, your real family. I'm so sorry for lying to you all of these years," the tears fell down her face quickly, and I wiped them away.

"Even though you did lie to me," I said, smiling. "You're the one who raised me; you're the reason why I am confident and driven. Thank you for everything, Casa. I know you're disappointed in me, but I am ready to find my family. I, however, was dumb enough to take off and ride away with a stranger. But that stranger is now a close friend of mine, and he's helping me out; he'll protect me. I will travel to Fréto with him and try to find my father and hopefully my biological mother as well, but know that you'll always be a mother to me." I hugged her tightly, with tears rolling down my cheeks as well.

"You're ready," Casa whispered in my ear, and she gingerly rubbed my back. Out of the blue, she was taken off of me. She cried in agony as the prison guard held her firmly.
"You've been in here too long. Head back and never return," he growled, darting those cold eyes between Casa and me. I looked up at Casa, crying for her. As she was being pushed out, she gave me a small, sad, but warm smile before leaving in a lethargic world.
At least 6 hours pass, and I was still all alone, in misery. I heard my cell door lock being picked. I looked up, heart palpitating. A small man with curly, blonde hair came in. I shrieked and scooted away.
"Shhh!" he said, eyebrows coming together. "I'm Feralo,  but I'm only here to help you,"
"How do I know you're not tricking me?"
"Just trust me!" he helped me to my feet and grasped my arm.
Feralo looked into my eyes. "I'm only 13, but I was prisoned because I was caught stealing bread for my family; I'm penniless."
"Well, I'm 18, and I was prisoned for no reason," I explained to him. "My name's Erline,"
"Erline?" he breathed.
"Yes, that's my name?"
"I overheard Prince Scott saying that you were going to be his Lady at the ball, which is next week!"
"What!?"
"Shhh! I will explain more later. Now, where's that prisoner with the brown hair and very brown eyes?"
"Alyard!"
"You know him?"
"He's my close friend,"
"Oh! Well, then he should trust you!"
We made our way to Alyard. I saw him lying on the cheap haystack they used as beds in the dungeons, and I saw his chest rise and fall. He was in a profound sleep. I was overjoyed to see he was all right, overall, and alive.
"He's asleep," Feralo sighed. "Wait- you wake him up!"
"I don't know how to pick a lock!"
"Oh, well, I will," Feralo bent down and picked the lock, allowing me to slip in Alyard's cell.
I heard Alyard breathing heavily as he slept. I quietly made my way towards him and shook him gently by his shoulder. He budged a little and rolled a bit to the side. 
"Alyard..."  He fluttered his eyes open. He gazed up at me. I helped him sit up.

"I'm glad you're okay, Alyard."
He darted his eyes around the cell with a bewildered look on his face.
"I'm glad to see you too, but what's going on?" his voice showed that his exhausted.
"We're going to get you out of here," I brushed his tangled brown hair.
"We?"
"I'll explain more later," I say as I helped Alyard to his feet.
I took his arm, and Feralo took the other, and off we went in an underground tunnel Feralo found under the dungeons. Feralo and I ran quickly, still supporting Alyard. Dirt fell in my eyes, along with dust, but we kept going because we were determined to gain freedom, and most importantly, respect.