BEACON FOR THE FLEET

Months ago when LS and I were just in the planning stages of this story, my husband went to an album release party for a friend's band. My husband had co-written one of the songs on the album. He got the CD and it was the first time he had heard the finished track. I didn't know anything about the song and he didn't know anything about the story I was writing.

The title for track 4 on the CD case jumped out at me right away and I had to smile when he told me that track 4 was the song he had co-written. I teared up when I heard the lyrics. It's Shara's song. All through this journey of writing her story and mirroring it to her niece, Dalla's story, this song has been like a compass point. I'm so happy to finally share it with you now. ~ DK

Been through the roughest waters

Thrown miles off course, by my want to wander

Been thought too far gone

Mist in my eyes salt on my tongue

Left the rest. Lost my bearings.

Stained and cracked and worn past caring

Should be a wreck on the ocean floor

But your love broke through washed me up on the shore.

Like a west wind, northern star

Lost ship with her share of battle scars

Love's light brought me back from the deep

Let this testimony be a beacon for the fleet

…

Seventeen! Shara picked up the birthday card off the floor. It had fallen out of the book she had been reading to her daughter before bed. It wasn't easy for the one and a half year old to understand that the gifts and cards hadn't been for her. Dalla must have given it to her to hold and Lana claimed it as her own.

Shara smiled down at the little girl who had finally given in to sleep in her crib. Then she looked up at the painting hanging on the wall. When she was seventeen years old Shara had been desperate to have a baby so she could hang up that painting in her child's nursery.

Seventeen years ago she had run away up north with that painting thinking that she would never have any children at all. Now she had five of them and her oldest was off on a voyage with friends.

She looked into Kason's room next and as she had expected Emoth, her second oldest, was still busy on his datapad. She knocked on the wall to get his attention. "Five more minutes. Then you need to shut it off."

He grunted in annoyance but dutifully said, "Aye, Momma."

"Oh and if you're on with Cade," she remembered before she moved on, "let him know it's about time for lights out as well."

"I will."

"Good night, Love." She'd cut him a little slack tonight, with Kason away. Her eldest would likely be up till all hours on the ship but Wyman had promised her there would be plenty of adult supervision on the journey.

Marlon surely wouldn't be keeping Cade to any sort of schedule tonight. She'd heard her brother-in-law yelling in his office a while ago. No doubt he was arguing with Hugo about the trade embargo with Iziz.

Just then Shara heard a comm chime and she poked her head around her husband's office doorway to see him shut the unit off. "Aren't you going to get that?"

"It's just Marl. I'll comm him back in a bit." He sat back in his chair and cupped the back of his head in his laced fingers. "I want to figure out this schedule first."

Shara crossed the room to stand behind him and began to rub his shoulders. "You're worried about giving Cornel and Arkon equal time."

"Arkon is so eager." He smiled and then the expression turned down. "But Cornel has a birthday coming up. How is he going to be eight already? You don't think it's too soon to make him Midshipman?"

She ceased her massage and came around to look at him, sitting on the edge of his desk. "I do. You know he'll never be comfortable with command."

Jamos's jaw tightened with frustration.

"He's good at so many other things. He loves working with his hands, building." Shara sighed. "Maybe we could talk to the Flint masons when he gets a little older or the Harkon shipwrights. For now…" She took her husband's hand in hers. "Have you seen his drawings? Maybe concentrate on navigation. He might enjoy copying your charts."

"Aye, you're right." His slightly guilty smile returned and he kissed her hand.

"And there's nothing to say you can't bring both of them on the same voyage. Those two are inseparable."

Jamos grinned. "Even more than Double Trouble. Alright. That helps. Thank you, my Love. I'll finish up here and then maybe…" He left the phrase hanging suggestively.

Shara laughed, kissed her husband and then rose to continue on her nighttime rounds. "Don't forget to comm back your brother."

"Aye, aye, M'lady."

Her next stop was the little boys' room. Shara turned down the volume of the audio story they'd been listening to about the stuffed lothcat who was brought to life because he was loved by the little boy. She gently removed a comic book from Cornel's hands, laid it on the shelf, and tucked his blankets around him.

She gazed for a while at five-year-old Arkon who had his arms wrapped tightly around his purple mythosaur. It made her smile how much he still loved the thing. The Harkons had given it to him when he was born, a running joke since Shara had told them so long ago that she couldn't stand the holo and would never let her children watch it. Salt gods forbid that thing should come to life!

Little Ephraim had had one just like it, she remembered. Little Ephraim who was all grown up and married now.

…

There were few people who had ever seen Talia Bralykburn in anything but her fishing leathers or officers' uniform but no one could deny how beautiful she looked in her wedding gown. Her little seven-year-old half-sisters and her new sisters-in-law looked lovely too, but the bride outshown them all.

The look on Ephraim Harkon's face as his bride walked down the boardwalk to where he stood waiting at the Harkon Hall salt formation, was priceless.

After the ceremony Miranda Harkon grabbed both Dalla and Thias Blackwell's hands and dragged them to the front. "They're going to toss the net!"

Dalla complained, "Just because we're unmarried doesn't mean we have to go up."

Thias didn't look upset at all that the pretty girl who had always been his sister's best friend had singled him out. His grin rivaled some of those given by his Uncle Jamos. "Aww come on, Dal. It's a tradition."

Miranda batted her eyelashes at him and then pouted when the net fell instead over the heads of Dalla's patch-eyed first mate and his date for the occasion.

Dalla laughed. "So much for that tradition. What are the odds that he'll still be with her by salt and light?" She looked around but her brother and her friend hadn't stuck around to hear her.

"Come on, Thias." Miranda was dragging him towards the kennels. "I'll show you the norcogs."

"Aye!" He said eagerly and looked as though he would follow her to Dxun and back.

"Looks like someone's noticed your little brother had growth spurt." Shara sidled up to her niece and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Dalla smiled but her heart wasn't in it. "Sometimes wonder if she'd rather spend time with Thias than me." She forced a laugh.

"Maybe she's figured out if she lands Thias she gets you for a sister-in-law." It wouldn't be the first time someone had claimed those particular motives.

"Maybe." Dalla searched for an escape from the conversation. "Father is congratulating the bride and groom. I should be with him." She excused herself.

Shara sighed. Her niece had so much responsibility thrust on her at such a young age. Yet she handled it with a marvelous maturity. At sixteen Dalla should be able to enjoy her time with the other young people at the gathering, not carry the weight of the title of Lady of the North.

Well perhaps she was better off than Shara had been at that age, selling fruit and meeting Sanjay…

Shara let the chaos of the wedding reception drive those thoughts away. Her children were playing with the younger Flints and Kretash cousins. Off to the side, however were two little girls who weren't participating in the games.

Their father didn't seem to be paying much attention. He was focused on his elder daughter. Shara jumped at the opportunity.

"She's the one Papa says we're not supposed to talk to." The little blond girl whispered, stepping slightly in front of her dark haired twin protectively.

Shara pretended she hadn't heard and bent to speak to them. "You must be Kora and Kayla. My name is Shara. I was friends with your mother."

"You knew…" Kayla pushed her way forward with a smile. "Kor, she knew Momma."

"That's right." Shara swallowed back her emotion. "She was so happy about the two of you. There was nothing she wanted more than to be a mother."

"Talia told us." Kora was curious about this woman too, in spite of herself.

"I'm so glad she did. I've always wanted to meet you girls too. Suzelle and I… we always hoped that our children might grow up together and be friends." Shara looked back over her shoulder to where the other children were playing. "You know I'm sure they'd welcome you into their game. You don't have to stay over here by yourselves."

Kayla and Kora smiled at each other and then at Shara. They were on the verge of taking her advice when their father arrived on the scene.

"Now girls you wouldn't want to muss your pretty dresses. Why don't you go and say good-bye to your sister before she goes away on her honeymoon?" He kept his voice level but Shara could feel the anger radiating from the man.

"Aye Papa." The twins hurried to obey.

Hugo waited until they'd crossed the room before he began, low and dangerous. "How dare you even think about addressing my daughters, Witch."

"I was only…"

"Stay away from my family!"

"Hugo." Adria Harkon descended like an angel of mercy. "I just wanted to thank you for all your help in the planning of the event. I've had so many people tell me how beautiful everything turned out."

"Could have done without some of the names on the guest list," he mumbled. "Glad my Talia is happy. That's all that matters. Gotta get my other girls and get back to the Keep."

"You know you and the girls are welcome to stay as long as you like. We are family now." Adria reminded him.

Hugo grunted. It was about as close to a thank you as she might expect. "Got a holdfast to run and the frost will be comin' on soon. 'Scuse me, Lady Harkon." He threw Shara one last glare before he marched off.

"That man!" Shara watched him go. "All I ever wanted to do was be there for the girls when they lost their mother. She was my friend. She would have wanted…"

"We'll never know what she would have wanted," Adria said gently. "But he is their father and they have turned out alright."

"I'm glad he's at least let you look in on them now and then, Addy."

"I've tried to do what I can. Talia's been a remarkable big sister. They sure are going to miss her. Almost makes me feel bad for stealing her away to marry my son."

The two women were silent a while, watching the children play before Shara spoke up again. "I'm a little worried about Dalla."

"Dalla?" Adria turned to her. "She seems to be handling herself well. You've been a real blessing to her since we lost Lana."

"I don't know about that. My mother died when I was three. I don't know anything about raising a teenage girl let alone one who's destined to be Lady of the North."

"Even Lana had her worries about that, if I remember correctly, but Dalla comes by it honestly." Adria gestured toward the girl standing next to her father addressing the people of the north with equal grace and humor.

Shara sighed. "It's not that so much that I'm worried about. It's… she has her brothers and her cousins but there are very few other girls around her own age." she noticed Adria about to interject and continued. "I know she's grown up with Miranda. What I don't know is if the girls are as close as they once were. She mentioned to me a while ago if it might be Thias that Miranda really wants to see instead of her."

"Ah." Adria smiled and nodded. "My daughter has discovered the existence of boys. Well I suppose she's been crazy about them for years now. It's just all this wedding planning and preparation for Ephraim and Talia. Miranda has wanted to be a part of every detail. And she knows the marriage was arranged between the families. She may have even asked what families we were considering marrying her off to." She laid a hand on Shara's as if trying to reassure her. "Not that we would force any of our children into a marriage that they didn't agree to themselves. Talia and the twins have been friends since they were young. When Hugo brought up the idea of betrothal negotiations, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. You can understand how Hugo would want to keep things as official as possible."

"Aye." Shara nodded. "Your Miranda has chosen Thias from the pot of eligible bachelors and settled her attention on getting him before you and Glover choose someone for her."

"As if we would, and she's not even old enough to be thinking about such things anyway." Adria rolled her beautiful eyes. "If you've got any ideas for getting her to just be content hanging out with Dalla, I'm all ears."

"What if we arranged some time for them to spend just doing girl things?"

"Well the frost will be upon us soon…" Adria thought. "And then Miranda's birthday. Glove has had the shipwrights working on a new craft for her since she'll be old enough to captain it. I think it's a bit excessive but who am I to argue."

"How about a voyage to Blackhold? Maybe around the time of Dalla's birthday?" Shara suggested.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to show it off." Adria laughed. "Aye. We'll plan on it."

…

Miranda was coming! Shara had completely forgotten. That ought to perk Dalla up. She'd have to make sure that Dalla wasn't off sailing when her friend arrived. And it might not be a bad idea to have Thias out of the picture for a few days. Just so the girls can spend some uninterrupted time together.

She should have thought to send him on that voyage with Kason and the Flints. Oh well, it was too late for that now. Maybe it was time to have a little talk with her nephew about girls or at least remind Marlon to say something to him.

Lana would have known just what to say. How Shara wished she still had her sister-in-law around for the tough questions.

Lana would have had them all laughing with her story of Nolram asking her favorite color to break the ice. Then she would have led seamlessly into lesson of how important it was for a man to treat a girl right and for them to be friends, first and foremost. Lana had been an expert at teaching from her own experiences.

It reminded Shara of something that Suzelle had written in her last letter…

Shara kept the letter inside one of the sailor's valentine boxes that Jamos had given her. She rushed to it now and unfolded the well read pages of flimzy.

Sometimes I wonder how I'll ever be able to guide Talia into womanhood and I think it doesn't have has much to do with what I tell her as it does how I live my life. I pray that she'll learn from my mistakes so that she doesn't have to go through that pain herself.

You and I have both been through more than what some people could bear, but it has to have been for a purpose. It has made us stronger and now we both can let this testimony be a beacon for the fleet…

Aye. That was exactly it. Shara let the words from the past echo in her mind. Suzelle was right. These children didn't come with an instruction holo but she did have her own experiences as a guide. And she prayed as Suzelle had that this next generation, her children and her niece and nephews would sail smoother seas than she had. She would be there for them no matter what.

With that encouraging thought, Shara put away the old letter and brought herself back to the present. There were enough worries for today and there were dishes to wash.

…

She had only been at the sink for a few minutes when the door to she and Jamos' wing blew open. Her first thought was to chastise her husband about locking it. You can't very well lock a sailing ship, but he should remember after all this time the importance of guarding their family's privacy.

In the second it took her to turn her head however, Shara realized that she heard the lock disengage. Only a handful of people knew their door code, "Sophia": their family, Marlon, and his children…

Then the door shut and Dalla Blackwell rounded the corner into the kitchen, her eyes twin moons.

"Aunt Shara," Dalla choked out, her breathing all gulps and puffs, like she was drowning or trying to blow out a trick life day candle.

"Dalla?" Shara shook her hands out over the sink and turned around, the dishes forgotten. "Dalla, what's wrong? Is your father all right?"

Dalla nodded and Shara caught a glimpse of a Holodisk clutched in her hands. Jamos entered the kitchen and snatched it.

"Shara, will you try to calm her down?" he asked. "I'm going to see if we can get any answers from this."

Shara was a step ahead of him. She yanked out a chair at their table and plopped Dalla into it before seating herself in the other.

"Breathe," she ordered, wondering if she should put on tea or something. "Take a deep breath, and tell me what it is."

"Th-the king… Sanjay Rash…" Shara managed to get a name out of her niece in the same moment Jamos started swearing a blue streak from the other room.

She never expected for teaching from her own experiences to be quite so literal. Salt gods give her strength.

…

And there I leave you at the beginning again. If you've been with us all this time you know how things go on from there with Dalla's adventures and Shara is right there (as much as she can be) living those adventures along with her and doing whatever is in her power to help and guide.

A big huge thank you to everyone who has read and commented and sailed along this voyage with LS and I! She has a few more lines to tie off and then if you haven't already check out my story "Some Say I've Got Devil" which continues the adventures of the happenings in Iziz about 2 years after the events of the rebellion and siege.

While you're doing that LS and I will be deep in the planning for the sequel we will be co-writing about the further adventures of the Northern clans!

Also a little plug. The song "Beacon for the Fleet" can be found on Spotify and itunes on the EP Sacred by Jason Lee McKinney Band.