Homeland

Chapter 3

(A/N: I've attached an image of a drawing I did of the locket)

"No way." Sam said flatly. She was pacing outside the old lady's shop with Tom and Henry watching. After being told that the locket had been sold to a wealthy Englishman Sam had stormed out of the shop fuming. Now Henry had just suggested that they went to England to get it back.
"But why not? England isn't that far away is it?" Henry complained.
"No, only hundreds of miles north and weeks journey across the sea! And what would we do when we're there, huh? Just ask around? 'Excuse me, have you seen a man with a sapphire locket?' We'd look like thieves!" Sam dropped to her knees in despair.
Tom crouched next to her and draped his arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head, "We'll work something out."
Madam Amata came outside then, saying "Samantha-"
"I TRUSTED YOU!" Sam screeched, rising to her feet again, "I trusted you." She said again, firmly.
"Sam come on, cut Amata some slack; she can't just tell someone "no". You knew the risks of leaving the locket in a shop." Tom said carefully.
"Yeah, and I came all this way to sell it in this particular shop because my mother and I trusted the shopkeeper." Sam glared.
"Young lady calm yourself down," Madam Amata raised her voice slightly. "It just so happens that I also know the man I sold the locket to, and have alliances with people other than your family. I can give you the address of him but I cannot say whether you'll be able to buy the locket back or not."
"That would be fine, thank you," Tom put in before Sam could, "the address of the man who now owns the locket, that is."
Sam glared around at everyone like an angry cat, then reluctantly nodded. She leaned back against the wall and sighed.
"What now then?" She said to no one in particular.
"We're gonna go home and tell mom what's happened, right?" Henry piped up.
"Yeah that seems like a good plan," Tom agreed. He looked to Sam, gently asking her silently with his eyes.
She pushed herself forwards and nodded again subduedly, "Alright."

***

By the time the trio had settled in Madam Amata's spare room to stay the night, the sky was black. Pinpricks of stars studded the heavens as if someone had sprinkled glitter up there.
Sam stared out of the window wishing there was another way. England. Why England? Why not somewhere in this continent? But her thoughts always circled back to the same thing; if they wanted the locket that badly, they had to travel to England.
"Sam," Tom's voice brought her back to the room, "you really should get some sleep."
He was right, of course. Sam slipped under the covers in between her little brother and her husband. Tom kissed her goodnight and she fell into a fitful sleep.

*

The nightmare started as just a dream like they usually do. Sam was on a ship travelling to England, and the Atlantic was deep blue on her starboard side. The sun was trying to shine through the clouds, so overall it seemed a pleasant day.
Then a tall man with a huge black moustache and a pointed nose came along. His top hat covered his eyes with shadow and he was wearing a white navy uniform in pristine condition.
From his breast-pocket he drew a golden chain that cascaded around his fingers as if it wanted to escape. Sam thought it was going to be a pocket watch, but to her horror it was her sapphire locket.
The man cackled at her shocked expression and ran off across the deck. Sam, of course, followed, but as soon he reached the port side of the ship the man began to climb the rigging, all the while gloating that he had what she wanted. His accent was strongly British.
Sam reached the crow's nest seconds after him; seconds that cost her to be shut out from it. He leaned out from the crow's nest, the locket slipping through his fingers.
"You want it?" He sneered,"then here it is."
Sam couldn't control herself. Her dream self stretched out to grasp the locket, just as he swept it out of her reach, and with his free hand, he pushed off the rigging. And she fell.

*

Tom woke to Sam sitting up sharply beside him. He forced his eyes open and sat up too.
Sam was holding her head in her hands, her dark hair falling around her face. Even in the weak light, Tom could see the curve of her cheekbones and she was beautiful to him. He was taken back to the night they'd spent under the stars on the desert floor, the first time they had travelled here. At the time, he'd wanted to tell her so badly how pretty she looked, he'd let it slip too easily.
"Sam?" He ventured, carefully.
She turned to look at him, her brown eyes full of fear. "I - I had a nightmare.." She recounted the dream to him, and he put one arm around her.
"I didn't realise how scared I actually am..." She said when she'd finished. By this point, her eyes were glistening with tears.
Tom reached out a thumb to brush away a stray tear. "It'll be okay," he promised.
"Tom...I'm scared." Sam admitted.
"I know. But listen, I'm always here. I won't let anyone hurt you." He kissed her cheek, provoking a slight smile. "Now come on. Sleep. You clearly need it."
She smiled properly then, which warmed Tom's heart. He laced his fingers with hers and watched her until she fell asleep again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aw cute what should their ship name be? Comment if you have any ideas.

So yeah I finally updated lol. I know I keep saying this but I'm gonna TRY to update more often.

Please vote and add this to your library/reading lists, thanks for reading!

~ @FaerieLightss