Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅ ◈ ⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

The salty aroma of the sea. The ripple of waves across the water as fish danced through, their silver backs gleaming as they raced toward the blue horizon. Ethelind found it all so beautiful—enchanting, even. She stood at the bow of the ship with her long red hair flying in the icy breeze of the oncoming winter, her hands caressing the smooth and well-made wooden bow. A figure of a siren hung on the bowsprit before her, painted in various shades of blue, green, and gold, and behind her more ships fanned out in a triangle shape. The scene was surreal, and Ethelind wanted it to last forever. She knew that in the next few days she could be dead, and she didn't want to think about that. She had turned one-and-twenty that day, and the reality of her young age hit her.

And I lost two years in a dungeon, she thought miserably.

"You didn't tell me that today you turned one-and-twenty," a voice said behind her, startling her. She turned to see Jax, his hands clasped behind him awkwardly.

"How—" He had caught her off-guard, something that rarely happened, and she tried to cover it up with her usual smirk. They had been sailing for two days now, and he had not spoken to her much.

"I asked around before we left and some record-keeper knew. Here, I got you something," Jax said, holding out a small wooden box.

Ethelind peered at it curiously, trying to contain her childish delight. "What is it?"

She was surprised by the slight flush on Jax's usually stoic face. "Just... a family heirloom. My sister gave it to me years ago—my family used to be blacksmiths, before we lost our fortune and became farmers," Jax said. "And if anyone is going to leave the West alive, it's you and—"

Ethelind leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, stunning him into silence to her amusement. Jax's purple eyes widened slightly before he shook his head to himself and bowed stiffly, leaving Ethelind alone at the prow with the small box in her hands.

She opened it to find a small dagger lying in it. With a small smile, she took it out and ran a finger down the intricate design. The hilt was made of nephrite jade and the metal was carved perfectly, an engraving of old runes adorning it above the hilt. Ethelind stared at it for a moment before sheathing it next to her infantry sword and pulling her shawl around her shoulders. She inferred that Jax's family had been well off before they became farmers, and talented at what they did, if the dagger was any indication.

It had been so long since anyone had brought her a gift, even her own parents. She would have wept with emotion if she had been a more sentimental woman. Instead, she focused on hiding the flush that wanted to creep across her cheeks. Jax had given her something that must have meant a lot to him, that had a lot of value, and she felt a warm feeling stir...

No, that was stupid. By Riella, she wasn't some lovesick, sentimental fool.

It was getting colder as the day wore on and she could tell that there was a possibility of snow, although the chance of ice was growing slimmer as the oars rowed them further away from the North. Overhead, the clouds were suspiciously dark, but she ignored them, her mood lifted by the gesture. Ethelind turned and walked inside, into the cabin she shared with the quiet man named Chege. Typical that Ethelind had to end up with him, of all people.

She put the empty wooden box on her bedside table and turned to Chege. He was poring over pages of illustrations that seemed to look a lot like diagrams, but he hid it when she tried to look closer.

"You work for Jax, right?" Ethelind asked Chege as she sat in her hammock. The boat was approaching rougher territory and had started to rock back and forth. Outside, the first of the rain had arrived, and she could see it through the porthole as it eagerly rushed to the sea.