The Violet Rose

Chapter 13- Nova Island

     When I walked up the stairs to the main deck, I saw almost all of the crew up there. Was I the last to wake up? Even Olivia was on the main deck. I waved at her, and started walking towards her with a smile.

     "Good morning Olivia!"

     She smiled at me, and said, "Good morning Violet. We just made it to Nova Island, so you didn't miss much. We're just trying to get everything situated before we actually go on the island. I need to go into the marketplace for some groceries, and then i'll be back on the ship to start preparing dinner."

     I nodded, and looked around. I could see the Captain talking to First Mate, and a few other men from the crew. He was most likely giving them orders, so I shouldn't bother them. 

     I walked over to the side railing, and looked over it at the island. It looked a lot bigger than Paeonia Island. I couldn't see where the buildings stopped from the ship. Most buildings had at least two stories, and some had four stories. There must be a lot of people here. Near the beginning of the docs, there were long stretches of grass with pathways that led into the city. I noticed some yellow and purple flowers growing in the grass, and my excitement skyrocketed.

     I ran down the ramp of the ship before anyone else could. I quickly ran over, and sat down in front of the flowers. They were even more beautiful up close. This was the first time I was seeing flowers of different colors. I kept staring at the flowers, marveling at their beauty.

     Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. I looked behind me, and saw the Captain glaring down at me. Oh no. I just remembered rule number five: stay on the ship. I gulped.

     He was still glaring at me as he said, "You're supposed to stay on the ship. You ran off before everyone else to look at flowers? You're pretty much asking for trouble. You're lucky this is an island under my control, or else you might have been attacked, or kidnapped already. Get back to the ship, and stay there."

     My dreams almost shattered right then, and there, but Olivia overheard his statement and decided to help me. She walked up next to the Captain, and got his attention.

     "Hey Captain. Isn't your part of the deal to let her explore new islands in exchange for information? If you'll allow it, she could come with me to the market to buy groceries, and then we'll head back to the ship. I can watch over her, and keep her out of trouble."

     The Captain was silent for a moment, but then he sighed, and said, "Fine. Just stay out of trouble, and get back to the ship as soon as possible."

     Olivia looked shocked, but nodded. The Captain looked at me, still in front of the flowers, before turning around and walking away. Olivia turned towards me, and offered her hand to help me up. I took her hand, and stood up. As soon as I was back on my feet, I tackled her in a hug. She laughed, and returned the hug.

     I let go of her, and looked into her eyes as I said, "Thank you so much Olivia! That really means a lot to me how you did that."

     She smiled, and said, "It's fine. I just helped out a friend. Honestly, i'm surprised he said it was fine. I was sure he would've said no. Anyway, I could always use more help with groceries, and if you want, we can buy some flowers in the marketplace. Let's go."

     I nodded, and we started to walk into the city.