Kit found him first the next day; Nimah found him not long after. "Shika got us a ship," she said the second Solomon opened the door. "We'll have to man it ourselves, but it's something. Is Kit coming?" Kit nodded. "Good! We'll need all the help we can get. She's ready to depart right now if you're ready."
Was he?
Solomon had been so sure the previous day that he'd be ready; in fact, he'd wanted nothing more than to leave. But after a long afternoon and a near-sleepless night, Solomon now wanted nothing more than to run away. He'd had to kill and bleed and abandon people to get away the first time. Why would he want to go back?
Because he had to. He knew he had to. He had already abandoned his family once. Kasib was family now, and Solomon wasn't going to leave him to that fate.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he said. "Let's go." Before I change my mind and start running again.
They made their way to the docks—specifically the questionable, rickety docks were the poorer fishermen tethered. Solomon immediately felt nervous about the potential quality of the boat. He knew a thing or two about boat repairs, but he wasn't confident enough in his abilities to apply that knowledge in the middle of the damn ocean while sinking. He was relieved when he saw that their boat looked perfectly seaworthy, if a bit on the small side. That worked for their needs, though he was sure they'd be sick of each other by the end of it. At least when they had been travelling through the mountains, there had been plenty of open space they could move around in without separating completely. You could take a break from your travelling partners in peace. Out on the ocean, they would only have that boat.
Wonderful.
"Well," Eto Shika said from the boat, "we have our supplies and it seems that everyone is here...but before we go, there's one more thing we need to talk about."
Solomon sighed and started digging through his bag. He didn't have to ask. He knew. "How much?"
Eto Shika raised an eyebrow and gave her amount. It sounded right to Solomon; it's about what he would have asked. He'd already brought about half that amount in gold pieces, just in anticipation of being asked. He held out the bag. "You'll get the rest when we get back," he said sternly.
Eto Shika opened the bag, glanced inside to estimate how much there was, then looked up at Solomon. She almost looked impressed—almost. "All right, then. All aboard."
It wasn't until they had gotten onto the boat that he noticed Eto Rini struggling with a long coil of rope. "What's she doing here?" Solomon asked.
"She insisted on coming." Eto Shika rolled her eyes. "Something about how she wants to make sure I don't get into any trouble."
"You need looking after and you know it," Rini said. She gave up on the rope and put her hands on her hips, a stern look settling onto her face. It didn't quite look like it belonged there. "You're not going to listen to Nimah."
"You don't think I can manage her?" Nimah said. It sounded like she was only partially joking.
"No. She's completely insufferable and I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy."
"Mm-hmm," Eto Shika hummed as she started untying the ship. "I love you too, little sister."
The exchange was familiar in a way that made Solomon's heart ache. He could've had the same conversation with one of his siblings. If he hadn't known they were related, that would have been his proof. You only talked that way to siblings or friends so close that they might as well be siblings.
Solomon waited until he was sure that Rini and Eto Shika had their backs turned before signing to Kit, "Are you okay with this?"
Kit glanced at Rini, then back to Solomon. "I'm okay."
YOU ARE READING
On the Deep Waters
FantasiSooner or later, everyone has to face their past. Sometimes, you don't get a say in when. OR the sequel to The Raven and the Dragon, where Solomon Obote must face his dark and troubled past. Originally posted on singlequantumevent.com.