Happily Never After: Chapter 7.

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Ahhh… the long-awaited Chapter seven. I'm sorry this took so long, but I've been really busy working on CRK stuff…I recently became obsessed and this was pushed far from my mind. Not to mention, exams, but those are over now so I have no excuse not to continue, eh?

Anyway. Just wanted to apologise, and give you this: A shiny new chapter, all fit for reading!

YAY!

:P

We were trudging to Sentron on foot. The flashes of colour out of the corner of my eyes were growing less and less, and I convinced myself that they had been nothing more than my tired eyes telling me there were colours where there were not.

When the sun shone directly overhead, the forest ended and a dirt path led to a port, where there was a cobblestone road leading to the city of Sentron.

"Finally," Marcus muttered. "We're taking a ship, I presume?" he asked, looking up at me. I nodded.

"We'll have to stow away, though."

"Oh, right…" Marcus shook an empty pocket. "Staying at the inn used up our last thirty bits…" I noticed, happily, that he had said 'our'.

I pointed to a strong-looking ship with a few crewmates milling around. "There should be enough room for us to stow away in there." We sat on a dock until the sun began to go down, and we heard orders to prepare to set sail.

"Hurry!" We snuck aboard and hid behind some barrels in the lower level. There was a point where one of the crew came down and snuck a drink from one of the barrels, but mostly the night was quiet.

Marcus settled himself into a comfortable position behind the barrel. "I hope he doesn't kill any innocent man."

I wished I could promise him that his father would take no innocents, but that would be a bald lie. He leaned into me and closed his eyes. "Good night Roland."

"Good night."

:P

The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake, cursing roughly.

Marcus and I were dragged by two burly, angry looking men, out to the deck where the captain glared down at us. "SO. Thought you could stow away on my ship, did you?"

Marcus' gears were already turning. "We're sorry, but we had to escape. The armies of Mocymme were sent out to destroy our city and my brother and I had to escape." I looked over at him when I heard him sniffle. A lone tear traveled a fast path off his cheek. It was all I could do not to smile.

The captain's look darkened further, and prodded me with a foot. "And what about you, what's your excuse?"

I looked to Marcus for help. He shook his head at me. "He's a mute, sir. Can't speak."

I shook my head, pointed at Marcus.

He added, "I speak for him."

"I'd feel turrible about tossin' two children off to the sharks, so you two can stay." He leaned closer. "But you're going to have to earn your board. You're gonna help Ezekiel with the sails. Sack of bones needs some help, what with his muscles rotting away."

We glanced around the crew and spotted an old man, who must have been Ezekiel, grinning a toothless grin at us.

"Dismissed!" the captain barked. The crew shuffled away and resumed their duties. We got up and waited for Ezekiel to show us what to do. He led us to the mast, where he began to shout out what needed to be done.

I leaned over to Marcus as we pulled a rope and muttered without moving my mouth, "Thank you. Now I cannot speak to anyone." He glared at me.

"What else was I supposed to do? I could not know what you were thinking." After a while, we were on a straight path to our destination. Marcus and I leaned on a rail, watching the moonlit waves shift back and forth.

Ezekiel wheezed up next to me. "We're headin' to some new land. Cap'n's got a map. Suppose' ta be inhabited by savages."

I looked at him in shock. He wheezed at me. I suppose it was the way he laughed.

"Then why are we going there?" Marcus inquired.

"He sez the new lan's fulla riches. Gold, silve', jewels…" Ezekiel grinned, showing off two humongus front teeth. I had seen him all day, and he hadn't had a single tooth in his mouth. Marcus seemed not to notice, so I kept silent.

Another crew member, a cabin boy, showed us where we would be sleeping. Two hammocks hung from the walls of a tiny cabin.

"It's not much, but the nets are comfortable enough."

I took the bottom hammock. The ocean swayed beneath us, and I was soon lulled to a haunted slumber.

:P

End Chapter.

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Hmmm….I still need to get a new mouse. Well, what did you think? I know, I know…you will understand in time… you'll see. Thanks for being patient.