Harmindon's Finest

Chapter 32 - Families

•●•●•●•

The whole night long the storm raged against the shore, torrential rain mingling with the surging waves and their crash against the cliffs drowned out by the rolling thunder.

At first, I worried about Miarka, whose fear of storms once led to many consequences - but when I stole upstairs to the tiny guest room of the Fisherman's Inn, I realised I didn't need to. She'd evidently had a hard time falling asleep, because her pillows lay on the floor and the blankets wrapped tightly around her as she lay curled up, dead to the world.

I put my candle on a nearby chair for safety and tucked her up properly, arranging her into a more comfortable position by pulling the blankets up to her chin, propping her head carefully onto a pillow and gently stroking her hair out of her face so it spread all over the well-washed material.

In sleep, Miarka looked much younger than her age. Always, even as a little babe, she would have an angelic air about her. Long after her hair was out of the way I continued to run my hands along her face, perched carefully on the edge of the bed. I hummed softly to her - and she murmured something back, fingers twitching, as though she was singing along in her dreams. I watched her sleep for a long time, until my candle went out - it was oddly calming.

All of a sudden a particularly loud crash of thunder made even me jump, the lightning that followed lighting the room with an eerie blue glow for a fraction of a second. I glanced anxiously down - but still Miarka did not wake. She had slept very little recently, in her grief for Grandmother.

I sighed, and lay down beside her, eyes already shutting.

•●•●•●•

In the morning the storm had dissolved into the air and the sky was a delicate blue, a brisk wind still whipping my hair up, though nothing compared to the gale of last night. When I reached the end of the down and looked out to the bay, the sea was not calm exactly - it danced about merrily and waves crashed against the cliffs still - but a little squadron of fishing boats limped out without too much difficulty.

Malbeth made that face again when he saw me - eyes widening slightly and trying in vain to stem his amazement. It made me smile, and I rushed up to him, taking his hand.

"What's the plan for today?"

Malbeth tore his eyes from me with difficulty. "If you have no objection, I will take you to meet my mother and sisters."

"I have no objection, only -"

"What is it?"

I took hold of his arm properly and looked into his eyes, biting my lip. "We have to take Miarka with us," I said simply.

"Your sister? But of course - there is no way we can leave her behind," Malbeth said, evidently surprised I even felt the need to ask. "She will always have a home with us."

A weight the size of a Mûmak lifted from my shoulders, and my knees nearly buckled. To stay upright I flung my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his, having to stand almost on the very tips of my toes. Luckily the worn leather of my boots took the blow

"Oh, thank you, thank you, I love you! I will fetch her now! And I will get changed into something more suitable - I made Miarka and I some new clothes just for an occasion like this. Give me two minutes! Oh, I love you!" I laughed at Malbeth, still reeling from the kiss, and dashed off.

In actual fact Miarka was still asleep, but I was so elated I didn't care and burst into the room, dancing around and pulling our new dresses out of the saddlebags. They were a little creased from being packed in so tightly, but that couldn't be helped.