38. Preparing the Ship
During this time, Keeta quickly decided not to use her time alone to mope about Nefin, but rather to begin implementing Angela's counsel to prepare the twins' ship for a long voyage. She knew that if she didn't soon, she would eventually regret it.
As she and Lightning were flying back toward the Isle, Keeta realized she might not have a better opportunity to learn about the types of supplies she would need to pack for a trip at sea than in the elven city Sílthrim. Though it wasn't an ocean port, it was built on the shore of Ardwen Lake, which was home to many elven watercraft.
Since Keeta was hundreds of miles from the actual ocean and didn't see any way of making a detour to go there in the time she had, she decided that Sílthrim was her nearest and best alternative, and so she stopped in the city. The only elves she really knew there were Nefin's grandparents, Nefan and Silvi.
All of the elves who witnessed Lightning's arrival were as rapturous as usual at the sight of a dragon landing in their city, though it was a far more common occurrence than it had been when Nefin's mother Maehrí had first come home for a visit. And the elves treated Keeta very respectfully, politely guiding her to Nefan and Silvi's dwelling upon Keeta's request, which was, of course, made with perfect use of the ancient language.
Nefin's grandparents received her warmly, wholly unaware of the dwarf girl's feelings for their eldest grandson or that her solitary visit had anything to do with a debacle in Ellesméra. Keeta simply told them she planned to learn more about what went into preparing a water-bound vessel for a long journey.
After dinner the first evening, she scryed Ajh using the small enchanted mirrors each of the Riders carried around on their persons so they could easily reach other members of their order.
As soon as Ajh appeared in front of his mirror, Keeta got right to the point. "Ajh," she began, "can you meet me in Sílthrim? You and Hanna?"
Ajh blinked at her, nonplussed. "Keeta, are you all right?" he finally managed to say.
"Of course I am!" she reassured. "Can't you see that? I'm in Sílthrim, staying with Nefin and Hanna's grandparents for a time. I decided to stop here to learn how I need to prepare the ship. And one of the most important aspects of that is going to be food provisions, which is your area of expertise. We need to put our heads together so I know exactly what you'll need packed, how much, and so forth. Hanna will also need very specific supplies for her healing arts, many of which are probably only available in Du Weldenvarden or an elven city. Can you both come? As soon as possible? I've decided I need to dedicate myself to this responsibility for as long as it takes until the ship is ready."
"I suppose we can come," Ajh said after considering her words. "I'll have to ask Hanna, of course. Nefin might not care for the idea of Hanna going off without him. Especially after you did."
"Hanna will be fine with you and Berry," Keeta replied. "I can't think of a better escort or guard than a Dragon Rider and his dragon." Keeta suddenly heard Hanna's lilting voice somewhere near Ajh.
Hanna asked, "You'll need to ask me about what, Ajh?"
Ajh told her what was going on and explained what he had meant. Then he handed the mirror over to Hanna.
The first words out of Hanna's mouth had nothing to do with Keeta's request. "Keeta! How are you? Nefin is worried sick!"
"Is he now?" Keeta calmly returned. "Interesting. Well, as I told Ajh, I'm perfectly fine. Your grandparents are delightful and have seen to it that my stay so far has been completely comfortable. Luxurious, even. I'm sure they would be thrilled to see you. If you can come, I would really appreciate it. Once I know what you need and how much, I can take it from there. I'll find out where to obtain it, the best ways to pack and transport it, and how to get it back to the Isle."
"I'll come," Hanna immediately promised. "It sounds fun." A shy smile graced her lovely face as she handed the mirror back to Ajh, and the droll grin on his face as it once again appeared before Keeta gave her more than enough insight to guess that Hanna and Ajh were looking forward to the thought of a trip alone together.
Keeta couldn't stop a smile of her own from creeping onto her face. Hanna and Ajh. Of course. It was perfect. They both knew so much about plants and all of their amazing benefits. Hanna was so timid and gentle, and Ajh was just as gentle, but also outgoing and charming.
Keeta forced herself to focus again on the topic at hand. "Well, is there any reason you wouldn't be able to leave right away?"
"Not that I can think of," Ajh said. "But we'll want to talk with the others first to let them know. It's actually looking like the group might split up in more ways than this. Rather than be apart again, Will and Lena want to fly together for Ilirea so Lena can help mother and father with all of the final details for this year's Games. Brom is planning on going back to the Isle so he can be there in time for his birthday, since Angela told him about receiving a special gift. I suppose that means Brin will go there as well. You know how they're getting these days."
Keeta nodded, and Ajh continued, "Where Brom goes, Zadí does. Which means—"
"Var will too," Keeta finished with an understanding laugh.
Ajh also laughed. "My words exactly. Nefin wants to stay here alone for a time. He and Gerik are busy working on their weapons at Rhunön's, but Gerik's is nearly finished now. They actually seem to be making friends with each other."
Keeta raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Ajh nodded knowingly. "Yes. It was a relief for us all after what happened. Nefin told everyone so Brin wouldn't have to make something up, and Gerik was . . . ah, how shall I say it, Hanna? Highly displeased might be an accurate way of putting it. Sorry, Keeta," Ajh then said, returning his attention to her. "That must have been hard."
Keeta shrugged. "Yep, but I'm already distracting myself with this new task. So that just leaves you and Hanna. And now you also have an important mission to embark upon." She laughed teasingly.
Ajh dipped his head, eyes twinkling merrily. "So it would appear."
"What about Gerik?" Keeta asked. "Since he's a dwarf, his dragon is surely big enough to fly with him now."
"Yes," Ajh confirmed. "They have been doing a lot of that. And Nefin was the one to step in after you left and continue Gerik's training. If I understand correctly, Gerik plans to travel to the Isle with Brom and the others long enough to finish the required first six months of training, which will proceed during their journey now that Arûna can be instructed in aerial techniques with her Rider. Then he will return home for his allowed visit before going back to the Isle this fall. I guess he had plans to travel to Ilirea for the Games before becoming a Dragon Rider, but that incident and all of the ensuing experiences have more than satisfied his adventuresome streak. He has never come right out and said it, but I think he's homesick. Most of us were lucky that we really didn't have to be away from our families to receive our initial Dragon Rider training."
"True," Keeta thoughtfully said. "That does sound like Gerik. He is a devoted son and brother. Thank you for sharing all of that, Ajh. I'm glad to hear that things are going well and that everyone has something to do or somewhere to go. Can you two be spared right away?"
"We'll find out, and I will let you know just as soon as we do," Ajh promised. "Until then."
Keeta acknowledged his words with a cheerful grin before ending her spell. She got right back to work on the long list she had already begun to make of things she was certain they would need to pack on the ship.
-:-:-
Ajh and Hanna arrived in Sílthrim only a few days later. Ajh explained to Keeta that the young Dragon Riders—with the exception of Nefin—had departed Ellesméra at the same time in the exact manner he had described during their recent scrying session. Will and Lena flew to Ilirea while Brom, Brin, Var, Zadí, and Gerik returned to the Isle of the Eldunarí.
They planned to hold the Human Choosing Ceremony right after the birthday succession, which consisted of Var, Will, and Lena on the same day, Ajh the day after, and Hanna the day after that. All of these birthdays happened right at the beginning of summer, so the group had about three months before they planned to meet up again in Ilirea.
Hanna's grandparents, Nefan and Silvi, were overjoyed to see their granddaughter and another Dragon Rider. With Ajh and Keeta's approval, their two dragons took Hanna and her grandparents on an overnight trip so Hanna could obtain healing supplies from a solitary elf her grandparents knew who lived in seclusion in the forest.
Ajh and Keeta remained behind to earnestly discuss food supplies they would need for a long voyage at sea. Ajh shared with Keeta all he had learned during his time in Ellesméra and also that he had already begun making preparations and gathering food.
Keeta glanced up from her sheaf of parchment, which contained her extensive and growing list. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but when I scryed you, it seemed to me like you and Hanna were both excited by the chance to fly here alone together."
Ajh grinned. "Yes, indeed," he confirmed. "She's so sweet. And unbelievably beautiful. But why is it that she and Nefin are so different from other elves? They are more stunning than any others I've ever met, but they don't seem to think the world revolves around them."
Keeta laughed. "That's a good way to put it. Some elves do seem rather condescending toward those without their natural advantages. Maybe Nefin and Hanna are the way they are because that's how Hanin and Maehrí are. And Nefan and Silvi, to a certain extent."
"That could be it," Ajh thoughtfully agreed. "Isn't it almost uncanny how closely Hanna and Nefin resemble their grandparents? Nefin has Nefan's same coloring—black hair, pale blue eyes—"
"But his skin is tanner," Keeta interrupted. Then she blushed, and Ajh laughed at her. "Thanks to his father, no doubt," she hastily added.
Ajh continued smiling. "And Hanna also has a feature from her father that sets her slightly apart from Silvi, though she has the same shimmering silver hair."
"What's that?" Keeta playfully asked.
"Her eyes," Ajh immediately responded. "Silvi's are a warm, light brown, but Hanna's are so dark brown that they almost look black, which is completely unexpected with her silver hair and fair skin. It's so amazing though. They're like some varieties of cocoa beans I've seen."
Keeta now laughed at him. "You're always comparing things to food, Ajh. But just so you know, you might not want to use that comparison as a complement to Hanna. It's not that romantic. Maybe only if you have made her some amazing chocolate frosting in tribute to her gorgeous eye color. But after she has had a chance to taste it. Then you could whisper in her ear, 'All I could think about while mashing these cocoa beans'—or whatever you do to them—'is your stunning eye color, sugar.'"
Ajh laughed heartily. "Thanks for the warning, Keeta. We males are sometimes complete idiots." Then his jovial expression fell and he looked apologetic. "Sorry," he muttered. "I just realized what that might have made you think about."
"Don't worry, Ajh," Keeta dismissed. "I haven't been thinking about that too much." Which wasn't entirely true, but no reason to bother Ajh with it. "I know Nefin didn't want for it to happen."
Ajh seriously shook his head, insisting, "No, he didn't."
Before he could say more, Keeta changed the subject back. "What I've always been curious about is who you most resemble."
Ajh grinned. "Not my father, that's for sure. I'm told by those who knew him that I actually look remarkably like my namesake, my grandfather Ajihad."
"Really?" Keeta said. "How interesting. His reputation will always be formidable among the dwarves."
Ajh nodded proudly. "Yes, and I definitely got more of my mother's dark skin, thick wiry hair, and almond-shaped eyes. Lena is much more of a combination of our parents' features."
"Well," Keeta teasingly reassured, "you're very handsome, Ajh. And Hanna seems to agree. I guess your eyes are a lot like hers. Almost black. It's very striking."
"Why thank ya, milady," Ajh teased right back.
"So you and Hanna," Keeta mused. "How would you feel about that?"
Ajh shrugged, casually leaning back in his chair so it balanced on its two rear legs. "If anything like that ever happened, I can't see myself objecting. But we're still pretty young. I guess I'll be seventeen in a few more months, and she'll be sixteen the day after, which is about how old Will and Lena were when they knew they loved each other. We seem to have a lot of common interests, and her gentle timidity is so adorable that I can't help but love it. I don't feel like I deserve someone so perfectly beautiful, but if she was open to a friendship and romance, I think I would be. I mean, we're already friends. And we're the only two out of the ten of us who haven't already paired up, so to speak. Not that I'm implying anything about you . . . I just . . ."
Keeta laughed dismissively. "You don't need to be so apologetic and careful around me, Ajh. Everyone knows how I feel about Nefin and that I have for years. What happened was just an accident. And it turned out to be really good because if everything had gone perfectly that day in Ellesméra, I'm almost certain I wouldn't be here right now, planning how to pack the ship. If I don't get these things ready now, the time would eventually come when I would regret my procrastination. I don't want to let that happen."
Ajh shook his head to show that he also didn't want to lose the opportunity "So should we get back to work?" he suggested.
"Yes!" Keeta said. "I'm actually planning as if there will be twelve people. I just can't stand to think of someone not being there, so I'm pretending we all will be. And the extra two would be Will and Var, who eat enough to be two people."
Ajh laughed appreciatively. "I know what you mean! And I'm slightly worried about the constant demands of trying to keep everyone full all day, every day."
"We'll work together," Keeta promised. "Food prep is such an ongoing task that it wouldn't be fair to leave it all up to you all the time. You would never leave the galley in that case."
"Which actually isn't as torturous in my mind as it might be in some other people's, especially if Hanna occasionally keeps me company," Ajh replied. "But I would certainly welcome help at cleanup time."
"You'll get it. Which reminds me. That's another thing we'll need. Basins for washing, soap, scrub brushes, and so forth." She started scribbling on her list again, adding more and more items as they filled her brain. And so they continued on.
-:-:-
After over a week of careful discussion and planning with Ajh and Hanna, Keeta felt fairly confident that her list and plan were as exhaustive as they could be. She knew exactly what she needed of every type of supply to keep ten people alive—fed, clothed, clean, rested, and entertained—on land or sea for about a year.
Which meant the real work was only beginning. Ajh and Hanna stayed with her for several more weeks to do more preparing of their own. Some of the plant and food stuffs they needed were most readily available in Du Weldenvarden, so it made sense for them to work on it before leaving Sílthrim.
By the time they were ready to leave, they had depleted their funds and both dragons—Lightning and Berry—were heavily laden with supplies of every imaginable variety. Keeta knew she would have to go to the Isle to deliver these items as well as to obtain more money, for she would then need to return to Alagaёsia to continue her efforts of acquiring all of the goods they would need.
She spent most of her brief time at home on the ship with Var, mainly, though the others often accompanied them out of curiosity. Here she became better acquainted with the vessel that they all felt would carry them somewhere important in the not-so-distant future.
Their dragons always disdainfully regarded these planning sessions, with many comments along the lines of, And where do you expect me to be at this time? No one had a good answer to such questions, but they trustingly moved forward, somehow feeling the import of their decisions.
While home, Keeta also learned what had happened on Brom's birthday.
-:-:-:-