Lost

The Watcher

  A piercing gaze surveyed the sea, the waves lapping gently against the boat’s hull, slowly lulling its crew into an easy slumber. Letting them slip into an almost false sense of security in the dangerous open waters. The  transformation on board only obvious to her, a boat’s rowdy crew now silenced by the weary night, its earlier roaring fire now mere glowing embers. Everything was still, but a pair of eyes still watched and noticed. The slight change in the moon’s appearance, the subtle darkening in colour, the sky empty of stars and only the endless darkness was staring back at her.

A young girl on the prow, simply watching. She saw the real beauty of the quiet never-ending ocean, her eyes naturally scanning the incessant waters, her eyes focussed on the horizon. The line between the worlds, where the sky met the sea. She saw the real beauty of the moon on a cloudless night, the calming she felt seeing the reflection onto the sea’s waves. The touch of nature through a light breeze, as it brushed past, gently stroking her skin and playing softly with the pale wisps of her hair.

Glancing down at the water’s smooth surface, she sighed. Crystal blue eyes stared back at her, the rest of her face nearly translucent, her skin so pale she looked deathly. Heaving another sigh as she pulled a stray strand of her unruly hair aside. The girl breathed in the night, taking in the quiet and the plains of water around her. This was her home, her safe place. All through her life the sea had been hers, no one else’s; there to support her through emotional turmoil through its silent comfort, assuring her more than any persons meaningless words.

The girl didn’t remember her time on land, but it had happened. Once. Many years ago she’d been a land-walker, and she’d promised herself to never go back. Whenever they docked in port, she remained below deck, the mere sight of the non-moving ground making her sick to her stomach. The sea was her home. No one, not even the Captain who’d rescued her, knew where she was from; it was a mystery. She liked to pretend she was born from the water, with no parents, but simply part of nature. She had just as much right to be called a sailor as any of the brutish men on deck, probably more so.

Life at sea was rumoured to be serene, but never had she witnessed it apart from late nights like these. The noisy crew making was more than enough sound to disturb the peace. The moon was high, signalling it was near midnight; she glanced back at the main deck. Most of the crew had retired to their cabins, but some lay passed out around the dulled embers of an earlier fire, their alcohol glasses still in hand.

 Two burly men still sat, awake, talking quietly between each other, sneaking looks at her with disdain. Many new recruits aboard the ship were still doubtful of her, believing it a bad omen to have a woman aboard a ship. Fortunately for her, they had more worrying creatures to be afraid of, mainly pirates or deep sea creatures. And meeting sea creatures was always more dangerous than a measly girl pottering around the ship, at least she didn’t bring down ships like they did.

 However, it was different aboard the Irrgundr. In thirteen years, the crew had never come across a single drop of misfortune and all the time they’d been accompanied by the young girl. The ship was safe whilst she was awake and well, she didn’t sleep or eat much and was easy to care for. The ship was her life and she used hers to protect it.

Every night she stood innocently at the prow, often singing quiet songs in unknown languages. The girl was a mystery to all, including herself. She rarely spoke, only listened and responded with hand gestures.

Tonight she sang for herself and for her self-pity, never had anyone shown any affection or major attention to her. To the crew she was a walking good omen, to the captain she was a good way of making money and to strangers she was a lost child trying to find her way. None stopped, none cared, none worried. She was alone and was reminded every day.