Cherish

Know this, Dear One: my love for you is true
And beneath the cherry trees, with strength I'll protect you

Come now to the cherry trees, where you will shed no tears
My arms will shield from every harm, tonight sleep with no fears

-1st and 2nd stanza of Cherry Trees, a duet for the violin and piano

Zane opened Cole's bedroom door and peeked in. Kai sat partially asleep on a chair beside the bed.

He came up behind Kai and set a hand on his shoulder.

Kai jolted upright with a gasp. He stuttered incoherently for a moment before coming to his senses.

"Easy, Kai," Zane said. "It's just me."

Kai relaxed slightly. He turned his bloodshot gaze to Cole, who was sleeping soundly. Peacefully. Unlike anyone else on this Host-cursed ship.

Zane pressed a glass of red wine into Kai's hands.

"Ah," Kai stood and leaned over the bed. "Good thinking, Zane. This would be good for his-"

Zane cut him off. "I didn't bring it for Cole," he said. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you told me last night that you were sorely in need of a glass of wine and twelve hours of sleep."

Kai resumed his seat. "I didn't say that I sorely needed it," he said. "I just said that I wanted it. Life- or the lack thereof- is getting in the way."

"You're going to kill yourself," Zane said. "It's not healthy to deprive your body of sleep for so long. Honestly, you look like you just escaped a prison camp..." He paused. "I guess that isn't far from the truth, is it?"

"Nope," Kai said as he gulped the wine. "But I'm okay, Zane. Cole shouldn't be left alone, and you're all busy elsewhere. I need to stay in here with him."

"No," Zane said. "You need sleep. Just one hour, please."

Kai hardly had the will to resist. He stood and set the half-empty glass down on his chair.

"Thank you," Zane said. He guided Kai to a corner and gave him a blanket.

Kai was asleep almost before his head hit the floor.

Nya stood at the kitchen counter with Besai, preparing fruits and dried fish for dinner. They were all afraid that there wouldn't be enough food to last until they made it to the mainland, so Zane had instructed the others to conserve. They would eat two meager meals a day. One in the morning and one in the evening.

"Nee-ah," Besai tapped Nya's shoulder timidly.

"Hmm?" Nya looked up from her cutting board of diced fruits that she was going to make into a salad.

Besai pointed with her knife to the meat on another counter.

"Are you done?" Nya asked.

Besai nodded.

"So..." Nya tried to read the former slave's expression. "You're wondering what to do next?"

Another nod.

"Okay. That's it, I think. You can go."

Besai looked lost. "Go?" she repeated.

"Yeah. Find Kai or something. It's been a couple hours, so maybe he finally woke up."

With a nod and a respectful bow, Besai scurried from the kitchen.

Nya turned back to her work with a bewildered shake of her head. She had learned the hard way this morning that Besai was overly servile. She seemed to think that because she had been rescued from slavery, she was required to serve them tirelessly. So being told that there was no work to do probably confused the poor girl.

It was easy for Nya to keep her mind occupied since there was so much to think about. Kai's rescue, Cole's death and resurrection, and Jay's words as he fought with the Overlord.

"These are my people!" Jay had said.

His people? What did it mean? Only John Keith had the right to be that presumptuous.

Unless...

Someone entered the room, humming an unfamiliar, peppy tune. Nya jumped and turned.

Jay stopped singing when he saw her. "I-I didn't think anyone was in here," he stuttered. "Sorry. I'll go check on-"

"No, wait." Nya dried her wet hands on her pants and took a deep breath. "I have a few questions for you." Now or never, Nya. Ask him.

Jay cast a fleeting glance to the door behind him. "Uh...shoot."

At the last second, Nya faltered. "H-how are you feeling?" she asked. "I noticed that you were limping a little earlier."

Ask him...

Jay looked relieved. "Oh. Well, I don't recall limping at all, but thanks for asking. To be honest, though, I'm really tired."

Ask him. Quit being a coward.

"O-okay," Nya crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "Do...do you remember what you said last night while the Overlord attacked us? Something about the slaves being yours?"

Jay scratched the back of his head. "Yes," he said reluctantly. "Yes, I remember that."

She leaned forward a bit. "What did you mean by that?"

Jay rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Nya..." He sighed. "I...I know I haven't always been honest with you."

Nya's heart skipped a beat. It can't be him. After all these years, this just... It's too easy.

"The truth is," Jay saw her reaction and stepped back. "I'm..." He coughed, making his face flush beet red. "I mean, I-I just got caught up in the moment, y'know? Those slaves aren't mine. I don't know where that came from, but...it was a lie. I'm sorry."

Nya's arms went back to her sides, and she looked away. It was hard to hide her disappointment. "I understand," she said, forcing a laugh. "I mean, looking at Besai's face as the Overlord pulled her away from Kai and announced her 'crimes,' I almost wanted to claim them for myself, too."

"Yeah," Jay said again. "I've gotta go...check the bridge. I guess I'll be back when dinner's ready?" He darted off without another word.

Nya found that she had no heart to continue working. She had been so sure of her theory.

But she trusted that Jay would never lie to her. They had become so close. So close that-

She shook her head to clear it. No romance, she told herself. As soon as Father finds out that John's alive somewhere in our province, he'll hunt him down and we'll be married.

And besides. Jay is a thief. Father would never allow it.

Zane stared at Cole's sleeping face. He looked, quite literally, like a man returned from the dead. Any skin that wasn't bandaged was gray, and so pale that the veins on his face and arms appeared as an unnatural purplish-blue. Like a spider's web of ugly bruises.

He coughed frequently, so Zane had to stand by with a rag to catch whatever pinkish, frothy fluids came up with it. Zane winced whenever he heard these coughs. They sounded like an old, asthmatic cat trying to get rid of a hairball.

He heard the door open, and he turned to face the intruder. "Good evening, Besai," he whispered.

The tall, spindly woman tiptoed in, regarding the Northern nobleman with wide blue eyes. "Nee-ah ordered me to chom," she said. "Stay weeth Kai."

Zane nodded to the corner, where Kai was sleeping soundly. "He's right there. It'll probably be a few more hours until he wakes up, though. Here." He handed her Kai's half empty wine glass. "When he wakes up, make him finish it. He needs to unwind a little."

Besai nodded and set the glass on the floor next to Kai. She sat on her knees and smoothed her pants- an unnecessary habit since Nya had loaned her a pair of pants and a modest tunic to wear instead of the revealing dress. Though she was taller, she likely weighed less than half of what Nya did. It was hard to imagine the nightmares she had endured in her life to make her so malnourished.

"Are you all right?" Zane asked. "You look lost."

Besai turned to him and nodded. "Ees Kai all right, too?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Zane smiled. "He just needs rest."

Besai turned her attention back to Kai and stroked his hair. He laid stretched out on his side, with a thick quilt pulled up to his chin. All the creases on his face were relaxed. His aura was one of peace. It put a glimmer of a smile on her face.

"Do you like him?" Zane asked.

Besai hesitated. "...Like?"

"Affections?" Zane supplied. "Adore? Cherish?"

"Chereesh," Besai repeated. "Eet ees a...nice word." She went back to stroking Kai's bony cheek.

How did the Overlord manage to create such a good match? Zane wondered. They seem so perfect together. Although, I'm a little dubious about Cole and Hagar. They seem-

He stood abruptly, making Besai leap with fright. "Hagar!" he exclaimed. "We forgot Hagar!" In all of the action- first Overlord's appearance, then Cole's death, he had completely forgotten about Hagar, who was supposed to meet them at the clearing near the lake. How could he hav done such a thing?

Besai looked at Cole and shuddered. "Overlord weel kill her and baybee," she said.

"How do you know that?" A sickening mixture of guilt and horror crept into Zane's heart.

"He told me," she explained. "He said that Dark Knight broke too many rules. Whore and whelp would die een chamber that Dark Knight chose."

"And...Cole was forced to chose a chamber." Zane began to pace. "So they're probably already dead. And it's my fault." He reached for the door handle, then stopped himself. "What should I do?"

"Nuthing," Besai said. "Eef they are dead, you can do nuthing."

Zane turned his gaze to Cole. He would not sleep forever. And when he woke up, there would be nothing but bad news. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he dropped back into his chair. "On top of your parents and your sister, I add this to your pile." His head sank into his hands. "You will never forgive me."

Hagar followed Bird (that was what she called the cloaked woman with the large bird) diligently. The baby slowed her down considerably; she still hadn't healed from Chedva's delivery almost a week ago, and the baby needed to be fed every hour or so. To keep up with the milk demand, Hagar was forced to stay close to the river.

But Bird was surprisingly patient. She never complained- Hagar was beginning to think that she might be mute- and she walked at a slow pace, allowing Hagar to struggle along at her own speed.

Once, a scout had spotted them on the other side of the river. But before Hagar could blink, Bird's golden-brown bird had shot bright green lights from its eyes and scared it away. It was then that Hagar decided to trust Bird completely.

Finally, around dusk on the second night, they reached Cole's cave. Bird took Chedva from Hagar and leapt nimbly from rock to rock, then slid into the hole. Hagar followed at a more cautious pace, injured arm held close to her chest.

When she slid into the cave- lit by a lantern that Bird held in her free hand- a wave of emotions swept over her. She wanted to curl up on the cot and sob until morning. She wanted to hug Chedva close and tell her tales of her daddy. About how strong he had been, and how much he had loved them both.

Had been. Had loved.

Hagar accepted her child from Bird and sank onto the cot, which had a dusty, rumpled blanket strewn across it. The last time Cole had been here, he must have left in a rush.

Chedva nuzzled into Hagar's breast and whined.

"Already?" Hagar whispered as she undid the ties on her filthy dress. Chedva latched on greedily. "Child, I just fed you thirty minutes ago."

Chedva, of course, ignored her mother and continued pleading.

Bird opened a crate and pulled out a clean glass. She filled it with water from the spring, then offered it to Hagar.

"Thank you," Hagar said. She drank quickly, then handed the glass back. Having someone beside her to attend to every need felt unnatural. Bird was there to hold Chedva when she needed to sit down and alleviate a cramp in her stitched lower regions. She was there to protect them from Overlords men. And most importantly, she was a companion. Granted, she never smiled, and her green eyes looked hard and weary, but she was better than nothing.

Bird handed Hagar a large black shirt. Cole's shirt, she realized as she held it to her nose and inhaled the familiar scent. It was a mixture of citrus, moist earth, and...something else that was hard to place. Perhaps it was a sharp fermented smell, like the wines that he so enjoyed. The smell of his breath.

This place...it brings back so many bittersweet memories.

The bird flew through the entrance and landed beside Hagar. It chirped inquisitively.

Hagar smiled and patted its head. After a minute the bird left her, flying onto the chair, and began to preen itself.

Hagar rocked back and forth and hummed as she watched Chedva struggle to eat. She was so tiny that her mouth hardly fit around her mother's nipple. She had to lap at it with her tongue, which caused her to swallow lots of air. That always left her gassy and cranky.

Bird rummaged through all of Cole's crates. After a few minutes, she found a box large enough to fit maybe two coconuts. She opened it. With a look of satisfaction, she crossed the cave and set it on the cot.

Hagar looked into the box and gasped softly. "Ya, Cole nanischi chrydom," she murmured as she pulled out an infant's outfit. It was an elegant blue dress with a matching set of leggings. It would fit Chedva perfectly. She looked back into the box and found a little boy's outfit. He must have gotten these on his last trip to Ninjago Island, intending to give one to her as a gift when the child was born.

This was too much. Hagar sniffed, then rubbed her eyes. Cole is strong, she told herself. There's no way that the Overlord's poison could kill him. No way... She closed her eyes and began to cry softly. He's not dead. Any minute now, he's going to come back. And we will be together again.

But there was no way that he was ever coming back. She had seen the Black Bounty leave the island. And she had asked Bird if Cole had been on the ship.

Bird had nodded curtly.

So that was that. He was probably a corpse on that ship. Zane, Kai, and those two other slaves were probably free now. She was happy for them, getting away from the nightmare that herself and Cole had called life.

Chedva finally pulled away and yawned. Eyelids drooped heavily over her blue-gray eyes. Hagar draped her over one shoulder and hummed a little lullaby. The one Cole had sung as he played his violin for her on that night just over nine months ago.

Between the banks, the river weaves
Running to the oceans fair
The trees retire, lay down their leaves,
Running to the oceans fair

A boat of twigs she builds for me
Running to the oceans fair
T'will sail to places we can't see
Running to the oceans fair

There were many other verses, but these were the ones that she remembered. It filled her heart with peace to think of his elegant violin playing slowly and elegantly to this song.

Bird continued to rummage through the boxes. She found one filled with books and flipped through a few pages. Raising a brow, she looked up at Hagar, then back down at the paper.

"What is it?" Hagar asked. "May I see? I am not the best reader, but Cole has been teaching me."

Hesitantly, Bird relinquished the book. Hagar found it difficult to hold the book and her child with only one good hand, so Bird took the child. Hagar nodded her thanks and read the pages aloud haltingly.

"I...raid...hurt..." She shook her head, unable to make much of it, since the handwriting was so swirly and difficult to discern. But then, it was also familiar.

Hagar read it carefully and tearfully. "Fear...turns to, umm...hope? I am conpuses... No, that's not right." She squinted. "Confused. Yes, the word is confused. I am confused about my feelings for...Hagar." There was her name. "I th...think I love her, but...there is somf...something..."

So this was his journal. The thought left a hollow feeling in her chest. After reading a bit more of the page, she realized that she had begun reading a special sort of song. What had Cole called those? Poems?

A flicker, a flame
Feelings untold
Spoken through silence
A small hand to hold

This blazing fire
From embers restored
A broken heart mended
By a small hand to hold

Hagar's breath hitched, and she sniffed. "I love you too," she said. "Ay, Cole micha poshiki. I love you so much."

Kai awakened with a jolt, expecting to see the stone ceiling of his prison. It was time to start another day of torture.

Wood ceiling.

Kai stared, confused for a moment before remembering that he was on the Black Bounty.

"Thirteen hours," Zane said from his spot on the chair.

"What?" Kai yawned and sat upright.

"You slept for over thirteen hours," Zane explained. "It's a little after four in the morning. How do you feel?"

Besai offered Kai his half empty cup of wine. He took it gratefully. "Better, I guess," he said.

"Finish that drink. Besai can get you a fresh one after you're done."

Kai leaned against the wall and gestured for Besai to come closer. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long," he said, sipping the tepid, bittersweet liquid. "You said that you would wake me up after an hour."

"I said nothing of the sort." Zane smiled. "I asked you to sleep for an hour. I never said you had to wake up."

Kai hit his head against the wall and rolled his eyes. "And you've just been taking care of Cole for all the time that I've been lazy? It's not right."

"Jay took a turn for a few hours," Zane said. He stood and crossed to the door. "I'll sleep now, and you can watch Cole."

It was then that Kai noticed the dark bags under Zane's eyes. Why did that android have to be so selfless? It made Kai feel even more guilty.

"Have a pleasant morning," Zane said as he left the room. "Save me some breakfast."

"Yeah." Kai got to his feet sluggishly and went to Cole's cot. "Come and help, Besai." He reached for a glass of water on the floor and instructed Besai to lift Cole's head. Together, they managed to get a few mouthfuls down his throat. He still had a fever, and he was hardly sweating anymore. He was dangerously dehydrated.

After making sure that he was breathing okay- and that his heart was still beating- Kai sat down.

"Take off shirt," Besai instructed. She held up a vial of oil. "I need to wash mark."

After checking to make sure that no one was passing in the hall outside the door, Kai unbuttoned his shirt and threw it to the floor. The tattoo hardly hurt anymore. He only felt pain when he tried to pick at the scabs.

Besai unscrewed the vial and poured a few drops into her palm. "Hold steel." She gently ran her hand across his ring-shaped scab, coating it in the pungent, bitter oil. He wrinkled his nose. Oregano. Why couldn't she use orange or lemon? This brown ointment made his skin hurt wherever she touched him. And it would leave a stain, too...

"Kai?" Besai said softly.

"Yeah?"

"What is chereesh?"

"Cherish?" Kai thought for a moment. "Well, I guess it means tenderness. Fondness. To 'cherish' is to love someone, or something. Why do you ask?"

Besai looked thoughtful as she pulled away and washed her oily fingers with a damp rag. She reached into her bag and grabbed a few more oils. After mixing them in her hand, she applied them to his face.

Kai took a deep, relaxing breath and sat back, allowing her to work. It smelled similar to the concoction she had made in the healing room last night. Peppermint and coconut.

"I...chereesh you," Besai said.

Kai's eyes flew open. "What?" he asked, surprised.

Besai blushed. "I obeyed Overlord and hurt you. But you steel were kind. You took me back and made me free. You are kind, and you...you care for me. So I chereesh you." Hesitantly, she leaned in and kissed his forehead. It was one of her funny quirks, copying whatever Kai did to her. If he patted her shoulder, she would find an opportunity to do it to him later. He had kissed her forehead last night, so she was returning the favor.

Kai cupped her face in both his hands, fighting to keep his passionate emotions under control. "I cherish you, too," he said quietly.

Besai's eyes began to tear up. She put her hands behind his neck and held him there.

"Besai," Kai said. "Are you scared?"

Besai nodded. "Yes. But I...I trust you."

Trust. She trusted him. Those words...it made Kai want to cry. The prostitute whose entire world had been filled with darkness and fear was saying that she trusted a man. And not just any man, but him, of all people.

Kai knew that his father would disapprove of her. He was a nobleman, and she was the lowest of the low. No man in his right mind would ever treat her kind with such tenderness.

But Kai did not care. Tradition could go dig its grave for all he cared. Besai cherished him. She trusted him.

Kai leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. He loved her. And there was nothing Father could ever do to change that.

Besai shuddered, then bravely returned his gentle kiss.

She pulled away first, trembling and terrified. "Kai..." She was crying. "I...I..."

Kai pulled her head into his chest. "I'll keep you safe," he said. "I won't betray your trust. I promise."

Besai climbed onto his lap and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Kai," she sobbed. "Thank you."

No, Kai would have said if he weren't so busy trying to fight his tears. Thank you, Besai.