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

[ 27 ]

[ Savia ]

The humans were scrawny, but they were full of more energy than she would have thought. Vee and Auron traded blows, each of them throwing punches with surprising grace, as they rolled over the wood of the deck. Dark hair mixed with dark hair, and their golden eyes met with anger over their flashing limbs. Savia saw their coloring and thought they could have been siblings.

Immediately, a chant rose up among the crew. A rhythmic fight, fight, fight filled her ears and she wondered if that was a thing that each human was born knowing. She stepped toward the brawlers and reached down, careful not to get caught in the flurry.

Savia grabbed the cuff of Auron's tunic and pulled with supernatural strength. He shot away from Vee, dragged along the wood of the ship unceremoniously. Without an opponent to tangle him up, Vee stood and lifted his fists.

There was no satisfaction in her when she noticed the swelling around his right eye, or the split lip. Violence only ever made her sad, and the idea that Auron had instigated this violence in her name only made it worse.

Vee's eyes lit up with golden light, and he opened his mouth. Energy gathered around his chest, visible only to Savia's eyes, so bright that it almost blinded her. She reached out and grabbed hold of it. The power was so strong that it singed her fingertips as she twisted it and turned it on him. Vee let out a strangled noise of surprise.

Savia directed the flow of his energy and the swelling of his eye lessened. The cut on his lip stopped bleeding and sowed itself back together. When he was unharmed once more, Savia released his power. She knelt on the deck, one hand still firmly on Auron's collar. "I'm so sorry, Vee. I don't ever condone fighting, and I apologize on behalf of my companion. Please, I beg of you not to think poorly of him."

Auron grabbed at her wrist and tore himself away from her grasp. She could have held him, and they both knew it, but she would not keep him when he wanted to escape. She heard the rustle of cloth beside her as he moved, but she kept her head down.

When Vee spoke again, he sounded confused. "You...you are a healer?"

"Selene has blessed me with the ability to mend what has been broken, yes. I am sorry if I overstepped by harnessing the power you hold."

Eryn's voice cut through the air. "Vee." The chill of her tone had Savia peeking up from under the curtain of her hair. It was only then that she noticed the chanting of the crew had stopped and silence reigned.

Vee turned from Savia and grimaced.

"Oh good. It looks like you understand why I'm pissed at you." Eryn kept her voice low, but firm. "If you're going to have a problem with who I choose to invite onto my ship, then you might as well get off it now."

"But Eryn—"

She lifted a hand, palm out in a stopping motion. "I am the captain of this ship, Vee. You work under my command. If you don't trust me to make the right choices, then start swimming." The glare she leveled at him could have melted iron.

He hunched his shoulders and pouted at the deck of the ship. After a tense moment, he turned to face Savia. "I'm...sorry. I should not have jumped to conclusions." His words were slurred a little, and Savia noted his jaw was clenched. Vee might be willing to let her stay on board because he had no choice in the matter, but he wasn't happy about it.

Savia had dealt with worse attitudes. At least he had only been insulting her, and not physically attacking her. At least, until Auron had stepped in and escalated the situation. "I appreciate that, Vee. I hope we can work together well over the length of this journey."

Vee turned on his heel and stomped toward the door. Savia looked to Eryn and lifted an eyebrow. Her quiet inquisition made Eryn smile.

"He's just worried about the crew. Of course, he didn't tell me that before you came on board, because that would have been helpful. Still, don't go too hard on him. Like your Auron, Vee doesn't have any memories before a year ago."

Auron stiffened beside Savia.

"I see. That's unfortunate." Savia rose to her feet and clasped her hands in front of herself.

Eryn shrugged. "It happens. A lot, apparently." She winked at Auron and turned to start shouting at the crew. Something about sails and ropes that escaped Savia's knowledge.

The burly redhead named Sven came to them and smiled. "Welcome aboard. Sorry for the rough reception. I'll take you to the captain's quarters. She's had it adjusted for your use."

"We're staying in her room?" Surprise made her voice higher than usual.

Sven smiled. "Thanks for being worried about the cap, but the reality is there's nowhere else that's guaranteed to be sun-free. Or private." He gestured to the deck, which was full of the masts and sails that almost touched the wood. "Cap wanted you to have a little space to yourself. And I wouldn't argue about it with her. She'll get all kinds of stubborn and my life will get infinitely harder."

Savia couldn't disagree, so she smiled. "Then I shall have to thank her. Come, Auron." She turned to look at her friend, but his face was stony. If Vee had landed any hits, they weren't visible on his face.

They followed Sven to a cabin at the rear, or aft, of the ship. He opened a thick wooden door and showed them how to lock it from the inside so that no one could open the door. After a quick tour of the fairly simple room, Sven left them to themselves.

Auron dropped their packs onto the floor, beside the single bed. To the left of the room was a giant desk, made of a wood that gleamed in the light of a single lamp. Savia imagined the desk was usually covered in a mess of papers, but it was conspicuously clean at the moment.

To the right, the bed took up a full quarter of the small room, and there was a chest at the foot of it. Eryn obviously did not want them looking in it, if the giant lock on the front was any indication. The walls were papered with maps and scribbled out parchment in a variety of languages. It was truly the room of an adventurer.

Savia looked back to Auron and stepped to his side. "Are you hurt? Let me have a look."

He backed away from her. "Don't touch me."

"Auron?" Concern moved her closer to him.

"I said don't!" Auron turned away from her.

"What's wrong?"

"You apologized." His voice was soft, wounded.

"What? Of course I did. You punched him!" Indignation filled her words. "You can't just go around attacking people."

"He was talking bad about you! Everyone is always saying how much of a monster you are. I can't stand to hear you listen to them and just—just take it! You just stood there and let him talk like you were going to kill the crew. Like you don't have a heart or a conscience."

Sweet Auron. How hurt he must have been to listen to Vee's ignorant words. "Oh, Auron. I know you mean well, but there are a lot of reasons people feel the way they do towards me. You shouldn't take it personally." She reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him.

He shrugged her hand off and turned. Tears glistened in his eyes. "They don't know you. They have no right to speak about you like that. Don't let them be mean to you!"

"Auron, it's not as simple as that." She lifted her hands, a gesture of complacence.

Anger made his eyes flash and his face flushed. He shook his head, like he could get rid of reality if he just ignored it hard enough.

Savia stepped forward again. He moved away again. Auron wouldn't let her comfort him. "Why are you so worked up? Their words don't mean anything to me."

"I can't listen to it!" Auron roared at her. "I won't stand by and let them talk about you like that!" His chest heaved with ragged breaths.

She searched his face, unsure where this anger was coming from. He'd been mad at Usk, too, but nothing like this. This was a deep anger. "It's okay," Savia murmured.

"No! It's not okay. I'll fight them all for you, Zareb!"