Distant Shores 2: Waves Of Time

Questions But No Answers

Two months later....

You let out a frustrated sigh as you slam closed another one of the Admiral's journals. Every night you, Edward, Oliver, and Charlie have been looking though books, journals, and documents, trying to find any information on Magdalena, the compass, or the mysterious ruby you found. The eight week search is turning up nothing, and you're going to be arriving at Tiburon in two days.

You know it must be late; the candles are starting to dwindle down to wax puddles, you're feeling exhausted and everyone else is starting to fall asleep. Oliver, being the gentleman he is, gave his bed to Charlie, who is sleeping with the document she was reading still in her hands. Oliver is lying on one of the spare threadbare mattresses he brought up from below deck, with an open book next to him. The steady rise and fall of his chest lets you know that he's fallen asleep as well. Edward is lying on the other mattress. He's sleeping peacefully; there is a pile of journals on the floor next to him. Your heart melts as you look at him and your friends, knowing they're doing everything they can to help you stay in the past. It means more to you than you have words for. You've never felt this loved in your entire life. The 21st century doesn't have a family like this.

You yawn and decide it's time to call it for the night, when you see something that looks interesting. You get up from your chair at the desk and walk over to the shelf that has the mahogany box that Oliver has hidden the compass in. The box is behind a case that has a gleaming rapier with an emerald embedded into the handle. While the sword is stunning, it's what is lying underneath the case that has caught your attention.

There is a thick, leather bound book. It's brown in color so it blends well into the shelf. It looks dusty, almost like it hasn't been read in years. You gently lift the rapier case off of it, and set it to the floor. You retrieve the book, and put the case back on the shelf. You use the last bit of candle from the desk to look at the cover. Etched into the leather is the title, "Centuries of Legends- Secrets from the Nautical World." Okay, this looks promising.

You set the book on the desk to read tomorrow. Before you lay down, you approach Charlie and carefully pull the document out of her hands, before setting it down and covering her with the sheet. You gently drape a blanket over Oliver's slumbering frame, then make your way to the mattress Edward is sleeping on. You lie down next to him and press a kiss to his cheek, before whispering to him,

"I love you."

You fall asleep thinking about the compass, the ruby, and Magdalena. The answers are out there, you just have to find them.