With the Music Inside
Two ----
I look around the small deck that night. The stars watching we droogs over head. The trills of smaller still waves lapping at the side of the ship. There was little time that it was simply us droogs on a ship where we could sleep deep and know that one would wake another for trouble, if the trouble its self didn't. Because when alone, there was always a song on my mind, one that would pester me out of sleep to sing or play with the oceans copies.
These droogs have been my life as long as I could remember.
Atlas had been my life as long as I could sing.
"What's it saying, Blue?" His voice was soft against the harsh whispers of the sea. I look to the cabin door where Atlas stood. I pull the piccolo away from my lips a little and then return it and continue with the nonscripted song listening to the ways of the ocean. Atlas walks over, a grin on his lips, and leans onto the side next to me. "Well?" I stop playing, but not listening and look at him placing the piccolo in my lap.
"It's storming in the west. About four days there said." He nods and his grin grows a little.
"Thank you Blue."
"And," he looks at me. The words fall in the throat. Atlas has eyes that could kill. "And there's a ship on the… to the north. I imagine that it's the one that was passing the island when we took up sails." He nods and looks to the north.
"Will… it cause problems?" I look at the water as it sloshed against the side.
"They only spoke of… an oddly made crew. Thief and a mercenary. Only one pirate in the five man crew." He looks at me and lifts an eyebrow. Then he smiles and puts his fingers through my stringy hair.
"Can you watch them for us? Maybe we droogs can benefit from these men."
"A woman." My voice was barely a piano to even my ears, so close as they sit. He looked confused but knew not to ask what I had said. I would repeat it if it was of importance. "A woman, is abroad as well, Atlas." It rose to a forte and slowly fell again. I looked at the waves in their dance and bit at my lip. I was sometimes ashamed of this solo monotone voice I possessed. It was not one that the music favored so. If others would understand, I would speak through my music, but music can be misinterpreted. On the sea there is no time to waste on misinterpretation. Atlas' face fell to a shallow hole and he pulled my head to his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I could never understand why Atlas was only so careful to understand me. Never Gloria the seer or Anex. Only me.
"Stand strong in this time Blue, and you won't have to stand so strong in the time that will come later." His lightly kiss the top of my head and rests his chin on it. "You're just fine how you are, Song." My words will always be weak but my song will always be strong Atlas, for that you can place a bet. And I can only hope for the day that my song and my words are one. That day I can tell you what I need to.