Songbird

Chapter Sixteen - Sailing

Kal woke to sunlight streaming in through the round port on the outer bulkhead. His arm was still around Wren's waist, her leg entwined with his, breath puffing against his neck. Was this heaven? She stirred, blinking sleepily up at him, her smile as bright as any sunrise.

"Mm...morning."

"Good morning." He realised it then. "We didn't dream."

She shook her head. "I didn't try. I didn't want to interrupt this. Should I have?"

"No, I don't mind," he said. "I had just gotten used to it, I suppose."

It was strange to sleep in—Kal wondered how long the sun had been up. "Alright, I'm getting up."

She curled into a ball as he left the hammock. "But you're warm..."

"Little birds have to leave the nest sooner or later," he said. "At home we get up before sunrise every day."

She sat up in the hammock, rubbing her eyes. "Every day?"

"That's right." He took her hands and helped her stand as the ship rocked beneath them.

"Alright, I'll get dressed, then," she said.

He waited outside, and she pulled the shirt over her head, taking a moment to breathe in his scent that lingered on it. Finding a dry shift, she put it on along with a light linen dress. She didn't bother with shoes, following Kal's example.

When she joined him in the compartment outside, he was peering out of a port at the sparkling ocean without. She slipped between his body and the bulkhead, standing on tiptoe to share the view.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get a proper view."

He took her hand and they ascended the ladder to the deck, a warm breeze tousling their hair as the sun kissed their skin. There was open water in every direction, as far as they could see, the waves shimmering in the sun. Salt scented the air, and the ship creaked and groaned as it sliced through the water, spray shooting up from the bow. To starboard, the horizon was jagged with hills, and they could even see the walls of Bellhaven towering over the sea far behind them.

Wren's eyes were alight with wonder. "Isn't it beautiful, Kal?"

"It certainly is." Even from the beach, the ocean had been awe-inspiring, but to be surrounded by it like this was something else entirely. Even on the mightiest heights he had climbed, Kal had never felt so small.

"Good morning, my friends!" Hamid was at the helm above them.

They chorused a greeting and joined him on the raised aft deck that housed the wheel that steered the ship.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. "The motion of the ship tends to make people sick who aren't used to it."

Kal's stomach was feeling a bit queasy. "We slept fine."

"Where are you from, Hamid?" Wren asked. "I've never met anyone who looks like you."

"I come from the desert across the Middle Sea," he said. "An oasis city called Babil, with the most beautiful gardens you will ever behold."

"I've read about the desert," she said. "It seems like a harsh place to live."

He nodded. "The desert can be a cruel mistress, indeed. But there is beauty and bounty there, for those who know where to look."

"Ab!" The cry came from the crow's nest high overhead. "Reef ahead!"

Hamid turned the wheel and the ship followed suit, gracefully avoiding the area of danger.