Thanks for the reviews... here's another chapter, maybe not the most interesting of them all. But please R&R if you feel like it ;) Atrice

Part 21 - Going North

It was dark as always, when Erik woke up to the sound of his music box. He had, a very long time ago, installed a system with a clock in it. It was time to get up – but he lay there for awhile, feeling Lucille close to him, listening to the music.

"Masquerade… hide your face so the world will never find you…" he sang quietly to himself. He would never have to hide it again, at least not to Lucille. Eriks mind travelled back to that day, when she touched his face. She had understood, and he had cried in her arms. He never cried like that before, Lucille had truly made his emotions come to the surface.

Erik left Lucille after packing the blanket around her, and kissed her chin. She was tired, they had stayed up late. He had brought something to eat with him, from when he was gone, and they had dinner and talked. She seemed so calm, so happy. Erik knew his little lair of darkness so well, that he forgot to light any candles at all. He began to load the boat with a few things – a bag with lyrics for an opera, another bag of masks. Lucille couldn't see him, but the rest of the world still could… Finally he went back to get Lucille. Reminded of the Masquerade song, he chose a different melody for waking her up this morning:

"It's so quiet, my dear light. But it's time to get up now, for good. We are leaving very soon, just before the dawn takes place. I have missed you, while asleep… fondest kisses to my light in the dark…" he sang quietly, sitting next to her. He heard her move, and knew she was awake now. Erik moved down to find her face, to kiss her, and so he did. He felt her smile under the kiss.

"I didn't know that melody…" she whispered, while she slowly sat up.

"I have so many songs, I haven't been singing to you yet… but we have the rest of our lives for that. Come, we must leave." Erik took her hand and helped her up. She yawned and stretched in the darkness, while she stepped out of the bed. He led her to the boat, and put a cape around her as she sat down. It was still early and cold outside. Quietly they sailed over the water, and came to the bank on the other side. Erik put his bags over the shoulders, and together they walked up the many steps, until they finally reached the stables by the back entrance.

"You never told me, where we were going." Lucille finally broke the silence of the dawn, while Erik was busy saddling the horse. He pulled it forward – she waited by the entrance, feeling the fresh and cold air of the morning. Erik smiled to himself, she was very curious indeed.

"North… we're going north." He explained and she nodded. He had said they would leave the city and the country, and if they just went north and not to the east, they would reach England. Erik helped Lucille mount the horse, tied the bags together to lie over the back of the horse, and then he jumped up himself behind Lucille. Soon they had left the Operahouse behind them, and after that Paris. The land was quiet, only the sound of birds and the hooves of the horse could be heard. Lucille enjoyed sitting here, but was sad she couldn't see the country. It had been awhile, since she had been outside of Paris – and now she would never return.

"Lucille? We'll take a break now…" Erik carefully tried to awake Lucille, who had actually fallen asleep while they were riding. He had stopped the horse and looked out over the sea, so beautiful and big. The salty wind caressed his face, and he put both arms around Lucille and kissed her neck.

"Where are we?" she said with a tired voice.

"Feel it… what does it seem like to you?" he asked her, and she thought about how she loved being with Erik, he used words like see and look in a special way – so she wouldn't feel it was a bad thing she was blind. Lucille took a deep breath. It was very fresh, almost more fresh than that air by dawn. The sun was warm, and it was very windy where they were now. She could hear water and waves not so far away. The air also smelled a bit salty…

"Near the ocean?" Lucille then asked, and Erik jumped down and helped her down on the sand too.

"By the ocean, on the beach… we still have a few hours until we need move on, so I figured we could stay here and relax." He explained and she walked a bit away from him. The ocean… she had been there before, a long time ago. But she never felt it like she did now, Erik made her feel like she never felt before. Lucille felt the sand under her shoes, and suddenly had a strange thought.

Erik watched her as she stood there in the wind, alone but near him. Her golden glory of hair followed the wind, and the sun made it shine even brighter. He wondered if her parents knew, when they had her, that she would actually become her name? Erik smiled as he saw her sit down in the sand, and she took off her shoes without a second thought. He watched her walk through the sand, slowly – like she truly wanted to feel it – towards the place where sea touched land. And he couldn't help but laughing, when she let out a little happy scream; cold water streamed over her feet.