Moonlight Waves

Lives Saved and Lives Lost

  Captain Dax takes his seat on the other side of his desk in the Captain's Cabin and I sit down on a plush red seat across from him, Amadrya sitting down on the armrest. The rest of our group stands around the room awkwardly waiting, and I can feel all of their eyes on me.
  "Don't interrupt me, you hear?" Captain Dax says, leaning back in his chair. I nod my head and press my hands together so hard in my lap they begin to turn white.
  "Eight months into our trip we were coming back from Bouron when the winds stilled and the sea sat silent. For four weeks we sat drifting in the sea, waiting for the wind to return and rationing our food supply. By the end of the fourth week we could see storm clouds coming in from the southwest, we waited a couple more days and then the wind picked up. It was strong and was blowing us off course, we tried to steer The Moonlighter but the wind was too strong and it snapped our mast in two. After the winds, came the storm and it rained and tossed the waves something awful. When the storm finally subsided we were way farther northwest then we'd ever been and the ship was in need of major repairs. We fixed what we could out on sea and tried to find where the closest port was.
  "It was about the eighth day of making repairs when Callum spotted Miss Sigrún clinging to a piece of driftwood. We hauled her up and found that she'd been kidnapped by pirates from her home in Herrain and held for ransom, but little did the pirates know that Miss Sigrún's family were not particularly fond of paying money for her back. During the chaos of the  storm she had foolishly thrown herself overboard hoping that that would be her great escape."
   I look back at the girl standing by the doorway, her head down and looking down at her hands with a blush on her face. She's probably come to realize now how stupid of an idea her plan was.
  "Anyhow," Captain Dax continues, "we tried to limp our way back to Herrain, using what directions Miss Sigrún could give us, but it was slow going and the pirates caught up to us. We fought them off as best we could, Callum fighting as the best of us, but they won in the end and took Miss Sigrún once again along with Callum, they tried to sink The Moonlighter, but lucky for us she's a stubborn girl. So, we were left in the middle of the sea without my first mate and the girl he'd rescued. We begin our repairs again and we got The Moonlighter running pretty good again, she'd sail.
  "What happens next, Miss Sigrún could tell you better than I could."
  I turn in my seat to look at her and she steps forward out of the shadow of the doorway and takes a deep breath before plunging into her version of the story.
  "There was no chance of both us getting off The Widower and Cal new that." She says, and the way she calls Callum 'Cal' causes me to stiffen a little in my seat that she had this informality with him. "He devised a plan and I reluctantly agreed. I didn't want to leave him behind, I really didn't, but he wouldn't listen to me and I had to agree with his plan otherwise we'd both be lost causes.
  "He created a distraction and as they all struggled to get Cal, I took one of the rowboats and rowed as fast and as hard as I could back to The Moonlighter. We made port at Herrain, made repairs and took to the sea again searching for the pirates and Cal, but we didn't find him. We searched for days, but there was never any sign of them. Captain Dax finally decided to come back to Crescent Island, he said you deserved to know. Nereida, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have just left him like that, I should have tried to help him escape too, but I didn't and I'm sorry."
   I just stare at her. Why would Roman give up his own life for her?
   I know why. The answer is part of the reason I fell in love with him. But couldn't he have left it alone, just this once, let someone else be the white knight?
  "Why would he sacrifice himself for you?" I ask her.
"Nereida..." Captain Dax says softly, but more as a warning not to say anything harsh to Miss Sigrún.
   "I don't know," Sigrún answers, shaking her head. "I really wish he hadn't."
   I fall back into my seat and close my eyes, trying to ward off the pounding headache that's begun from all my crying.
  "Why don't we all go home for the night?" Captain Dax says, but I don't open my eyes or make any effort to move.
  "Do you have a place to stay, Miss Sigrún?" Amadrya asks.
  "No, I'm afraid I don't." She answers, "I can't go back to Herrain either, my family believes I've been defiled by the pirates and won't take me back into their home." 
   "You can come stay with my family if you'd like." Amadrya offers, "We have the room."
  "Thank you," Sigrún says, "I'd love to as long as it's all right with Nereida."
  If Roman thought Sigrún was worth sacrificing his life and freedom for, than I can't very well turn her out of doors.
  "It's all right." I whisper, and I force my eyes open, rising from my seat slowly. Everybody takes that as their cue to leave the cabin and they file out one after the other, but I'm stopped by the doorway by Captain Dax's hand on my shoulder.
  "I'm truly sorry, Nereida." He says, "Callum was a good man."
   "Is." I remind him, "Is a good man. He's not dead Captain, just a captive."
   "Of course." He answers, but I can see the doubt in his eyes.
   Everyone is waiting for me at the bottom of the gangplank as I make my descent towards them, trying my hardest not to collapse from exhaustion. Crying draws every ounce of energy out of you.
  I join the group and face Robby, Ian, and Charlie's somber faces. I grab Robby and Charlie's hands in mine and don't even bother to wipe away the tears that have started falling again, even though I start to feel embarrassed by them.
  "I'll see you guys tomorrow, right?" I ask them, my voice hoarse.
    "We'll come by your estate after lunch." Ian says.
"No," I answer them, "I'd rather come to your house."
   "Are you sure, Nereida?" Charlie asks, "Maybe you should wait a little while."
"Please." Is all I say in return and their resistance breaks down and they nod their consent.
   "I'll put the kettle on." Robby jokes half heartedly and squeezes my hand, before him and Charlie start to make their way through the much smaller crowd now.
  "Here," Ian says, drawing my attention back to him. He hands me Roman's duffel bag and I take it gently in my hands like it's a precious artifact. "You have more right to his stuff than I do."
  "Thanks." Is all I can manage, a sob lodging itself in my throat.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mermaid." He says, patting me on the shoulder. There's a feeling of pride that mixes with my grief at hearing the familiar nickname only they would call me. It'd been so long.
   Amadrya tugs on my arm and leads me towards the cobblestone path. "Want me to carry the bag for you?"
   "No, I'm fine." I tell her even though my arms are shaking. I hug the duffel bag to my chest afraid that this too will be ripped from my arms.
  "He'll come back." I find myself saying, "I'll find him and he'll come home. I know he's alive."
There's a glint in Amadrya eyes as she answers me, "Let me guess, the sea told you?"
   "Yes, my sister, it did."