Savia's Heart [Sequel to Bastian's Song] [HIATUS]

[ 23 ]

[ Auron ]

Warm wind ruffled his hair as he followed Savia out into the summer night. Soon, the autumn would turn the nights colder, but here on the coast it would never be too cold for a nighttime stroll. Auron wondered if that was why Savia had chosen the village of Huw to settle in. In front of him, the two women walked side-by-side, as different in appearance as two women could be.

Savia was tall, lean, and dark. Her skin kept the light of the stars for itself, and her auburn hair looked more brown in the night. As she walked, she kept her arms behind her, hands clasped together at the small of her back. Savia matched her stride to Eryn's as they moved.

Eryn, on the other hand, was short even for a woman. Her skin was tanned by the sun, but still pale enough that it reflected the moonlight back into the sky. The golden curls around her face bounced with each step she took, every bit as animated as the woman they belonged to. Where Savia was lean and graceful, Eryn was all curves and confidence.

In his mind's eye, the two women looked like autumn and summer, both of them beautiful in their own ways, and oddly complementary to one another.

For some reason he couldn't explain, Auron was also incredibly uncomfortable with the current scenario. He tried to pin the feeling down, to find the source of the pressure in his chest, and he could not. Whatever the cause for his discomfort, it was outside of his understanding. Auron frowned.

As they neared the ocean, his feeling of unease grew, and his breathing became more shallow. The water rose up in his vision, vast and deep, like a monster waiting to swallow him whole. Cold spread through his body, and he wiped his suddenly clammy hands against his pants.

Eryn stepped into the water as confidently as she had walked over the land. The waves greeted her, swirling around her ankles, and she laughed. "C'mon you two! Time is against us. Into the dinghy you go."

Savia lifted her skirt and climbed gracefully into the boat. She made it look so easy, but Auron did not know if he would be able to replicate her movement. He could not remember ever having been in a boat, though Savia had guessed he might have been a sailor before he'd washed ashore. Auron stopped at the water's edge, listening to the roar of the water in front of him. It sounded like the breathing of Death, steady and foreboding, and entirely inhuman.

Eryn called again. "Hey, handsome, you have to get into the boat before we can leave."

He shook his head, trying to hide the tremble in his hands by pressing them tightly against his sides. "Won't you need help to push it out into the water?" Auron hoped she wouldn't hear the fear in his voice.

Savia looked at Eryn, and the small blonde made a noise of amusement that was not quite a laugh. "Not really, but you can help if you like." The blonde gestured him to her side. "C'mon then. Let's get this boat away from the shore."

Auron took a deep breath and stepped into the ocean. Cold spread up his legs as the water soaked his pants. For a moment, he could feel the chill like it was a claw against his skin. He stumbled forward, his hands grabbing onto the edge of the dinghy with white-knuckled intensity. Eryn didn't give him time to dwell or recover. She shouted and he felt her shove against the wood. He moved instinctively, helping her with all the strength he could muster.

The sea flowed up and around his waist, lifting and falling with a rhythm he couldn't understand. Savia gripped his wrists. She had no trouble pulling him over the lip and into the bottom of the dinghy. A moment later, Eryn joined them in the belly of the little boat, whistling. As the captain gripped the oars and rowed with a fluid movement born of habit, Savia ran her fingers through Auron's hair. Her touch grounded him, and he found it easier to breathe.

"Aren't the stars lovely, Auron?" Savia smiled down at him as she spoke.

He looked up. The stars sparkled like jewels against the velvet backdrop of the night sky, but they felt distant to him. The pearly glow of the moon caught his gaze, distracting him from the cold wetness of his clothes. In that silvery light was a goddess who was also far out of his reach, nestled in the cradle of the Heavens, yet he did not feel far from her. Savia spoke so fondly of her, telling him all the stories he must have known once and forgotten, that he felt he knew her.

Auron sat up, pulling away from Savia's gentle touch, and smiled at his friend. "Thanks, but I'm okay now."

"And why wouldn't you be?" Eryn asked from where she rowed.

He looked over to her. "I don't like the ocean."

She frowned. "Why not?"

Irritation gave him a bit of snark when he spoke. "I don't have to explain myself to you, you know."

Eryn only laughed. "I know, but as someone who loves the ocean dearly, I'm curious. If you wouldn't mind telling me, I'd love to listen. But if you'd rather not, I won't pry."

The irritation faded and Auron realized he was afraid she would judge him for being afraid. He gripped the bottom of his tunic and lifted his chin as he spoke. "The only memories I have from before Savia found me are of fire searing my skin." Auron reached up and touched the left side of his face. The scars were ridiculously smooth to the touch, but the damaged skin would never look normal again. "And also of the waves, crashing over my head and filling my lungs. Anytime I see deep water...I feel like I'm going to drown. It's terrifying."

Eryn's face was a picture of concern. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Auron. The ocean is many things, and anyone who lives or works on it knows how scary it can be. You're very brave to come with us on this trip."

Relief sent warmth through him, warding away some of the chill of the water that still drenched his pants. Auron smiled. "I would do anything to help Savia. She's my dearest friend."

"Then she's lucky." Eryn smiled back at him.

"No." He turned back to look at Savia. "I am."

Savia's smile was warmer than the sun. If only it could clear the darkness he felt hanging over them.