"Time travels as fastly as an arrow flies... The huge tree bears the..."
Well, just to say that I didn't see the time passing during this few months. I've totally forgotten to think about the new chapter of Ido's trip. In the time I'm writting, I just don't know how the story will turn. Well, Idolfreed just has to be in Spain during this part, so it won't be truly a pain... (in the way that there is no link with true History for the moment. Cuba's episode WILL be a pain.) How will he take a ship to join Cortés ? Mystery... In a few line, you'll learn that...
Disclaimer :gueee I just noticed that I skipped this part in mostly all my chapters. Shame on me... But I guess it's okay since all my beginnings have it. Anyway, humhum... "I do not own anything here but a few of imagination to make some Revo's characters move. Sound Horizon is the master of these wonderful puppets~" Just why this part is always so stereotyped ? Maybe I don't have enough imagination... (*think think*)
I do not own the spanish lyrics at the beginning. It's from "El Pescador" by Linda Vera. Originally I wanted to find a mariner song in spanish from the XVI-XVII but...
"Traveller on the Horizon... Who... Are... You..."
Chapter 4 : a orillas del mar
~ Va subiendo la corriente
~ por chinchorro y atarraya
~ la canoa de bareque
~ para llegar a la playa
~El pescador habla con la luna…
Idolfreed opened is mouth and yawned for a long time. So long that he felt his jaw crack.
-Teeehh... Painful...
But at least, for the first time since his departure, he slept well. Very well. It was a good sign. Maybe because he knew that it would soon be the end of the long nights sleeping on a bank.
-Herr Erhenberg ! We arrived. We are in the dock now.
Ido passed his head through the little wooden window and looked outside in awe. The carriage had managed to cross the North of Spain quickly thanks to the good weather, though coming across the Pireneos had been really hard.
He couldn't restrain himself and opened the door while the carriage was still advancing. He jumped and began running through the place, a huge smile sparkling on his face.
-Herr ! Wait ! You forgot your luggage !
He didn't care at the moment. All his fears and his dark mood had been totally blown away. He was facing the ocean. He was facing the huge magical kingdom of mermaids, of boats and liberty. It was enough for his heart to glitter. So much time had passed since the last time he had come in a place like this. All his childhood memories reached the surface of his thoughts. His father, fishing on the edge of the North Sea. The nights spent on the water, with the swell caressing gently the border of the boats. The pale full moon glittering on the surface of the numerous waving mirrors...
The beach was full of mariners totally busy. Some people were even setting up stalls to sell their fish.
After having detailed all the dock with a simple glance, Ido began to look at the other houses that were facing the sea, all around the coast. There were numerous inns and little spanish restaurants, indeed. The fact was that he was only searching for one of them... The young man searched through his coat pocket and took a paper out of it. It was the announcement that was the reason of all his trip until then. With its cryptic and strange writting :
GREAT MEETING AT HUELVA FOR HARD WORK
Searching good workers for several ship tradings
Military skills and strong motivation are needed
Meeting at the Huelva's inn "The Tree Anchor"
R.H.
Indeed, after all the time which had passed since his departure, Ido realised how silly it was of him to be so determined to go to Spain without even knowing the very nature of the work. But it had been a bad and yet good point of his behaviour since his birth.
-Curiosity. It can lead to an unfortunate destiny, as it can give us liberty and knowledge...
He actually thought about being optimistic, at the moment. Whoever was this R.H. who had written down this paper, Ido would take this job and would work hard as long as it would be necessary.
Searching for the Tree Anchor's inn through the long path of houses near the coasts, Ido was humming the melodies that he had heard through the dock, sung by the mariners. Next to him, his coachman had taken his place once more on his bank, driving the horses that were drawing the carriage out.
-Herr Erhenberg, I'll leave you there when you'll find your inn and your chambers...
-Does it mean that I'll have to give you my payment ?
The man looked at Ido, stunned, not knowing what to answer. Ido could not retain a clear laugher, as odd as the situation was.
-Well, don't be so afraid, I have what you have expected from me since our departure. You will be allowed to go back home... I won't come back to Germany until I finish my services there, thus it would be long for you to wait. I thank you for your loyal presence... Speaking of that, here we are...
Ido stopped, holding up the paper containing the announcement while looking at the facade in front of him. The brand was a wooden plate hung by chains, swaying in the marine wind. On it were engraved and painted the symbol of the inn : a long tree with branches like bows, fading out with a black anchor, the two of them forming a circle… The man stayed motionless during a few seconds, staring at the inn with a strange feeling. A strange presentiment. He has the chance to go back to Germany a last time... But he wouldn't, for sure. He had to work. And this work was in front of him...
-I will pay you when I'll be sure of the contract... You can wait here for the moment... Said he to the coachman.
-Ya, Herr Erhenberg...
Ido sighed, and with a decided face, he pushed the little wooden door of the inn.
He was stunned by the important number of customers sitting on the tables. A lot of them were singing along with a young woman dressed in red, standing on a chair and dancing slowly, her long curly black hair caressing her naked shoulders. She was the incarnation of sensuality, a black dove with a scarlet plumage, tempting, awakening desire in the eyes of the crowd of men staring at her with bocks of beer in their dirty hands. Ido, too occupied with his commission, didn't feel any kind of male attraction, though he noticed the beautiful and bright necklace she was wearing. A shining ruby that captured any kind of glance...
When the woman turned her cat eyes in his direction, Ido suddenly moved his head to stare at the counter where the barman was washing some plates and glasses.
As he sat on a chair at the counter, the man looked at him with a wide smile.
-Isn't she beautiful, Señor? She is the wonderfulest jewel of Spain, though we really don't know her origine. She appeared a few days ago and conquered all of our hearts. She surely bewitched us ha ha !
Ido retained a shiver. He didn't turn his face to observe the woman : he knew that she was staring at him insistantly. Anyway, he unfolded the paper where the advertisement for the work was written, and showed it to the barman, raising his voice to be understandable amongst all the people singing around him.
-I've found this paper where I live, and I am interested by this work, really. It says that we must talk to someone here. I suppose that it's you ? How can I get the job ?
The barman frowned and took the paper, reading it silently. Around them, the voices seemed to be lower and lower.
-Si, Señor, you did a good choice to adress me your request...
-So, you are this "R.H." ?
-Ah, of course not ! I received a letter a few weeks ago, with a heavy pack of tracts like this one. It was written that if I accepted to send them all around Europe, I would have a good payment in exchange. You see, by these times of crisis and wars, you must do your own arrangements... This mysterious guy has already sent me half of the final payment... It's quite...
-What kind of work is it ? Did he mention that ?
The man shoot his mouth, surprised by the sudden and harsh question. He took his cloth to wipe a plate slowly.
-Well... It's not something that I would...
-Stop being so long to answer !
Ido's impulse was hard to control. No, he didn't come here for nothing ! Was this work so unbearable ?
The barman sighed and leave his plate. Opening his eyes, he glanced at Idolfreed.
-If you accept this job, you will go to the New World by ship. The journey itself would take two months at least... Your job is to join the general Cortés in his expedition to discover the other side of the ocean. He already took a lot of our men, here in Spain, seven or eight years ago. So far, nobody had returned. Our wives continue to wait with apprehension. We don't know what is hidden across the Horizon... General Cortés needs a troup of soldiers to reinforce his military division. I let you think that it won't be a calm trip, Señor...
Ido was speechless. "That's why they needed men with military education..." he thought, with a bitter feeling.
So, there will be fights ? Maybe wars. And they already spent almost ten years on the New World's coast. Why wouldn't they stay here three or four years more ? This meant that he wouldn't return to his Sunbeam before a long, long, long time...
And the sacrifice was strong...
-Listening to your accent, I suppose that you are not our blood-brother, Señor...
-Sure... I'm german...
-Ah, Germany ! You are that far... You still have the option to go back home. If I was you, I...
Ido's eyes disappeared in the void during a few seconds.
Though he felt so insecure... Though he didn't want to go so far from Clara... Though he wanted to touch a clear and certain futur...
Something was pushing him. Pushing him forward. He could already smell the salt wind of the ocean. The fullness of liberty. Like a rising finger showing him the path in the darkness of his thoughts...
As it was saying "Komm mit mir... Komm mit mir..."...
-Ich werde kommen...
-Sorry ?
Ido opened his eyes wide. He had spoken loudly without noticing it. The barman was looking at him with a confused look on his face. Returning to reality, he answered :
-Ah, it's nothing... I'll go. I have to take this work no matter what.
-Just... Why ! You could die ! You are so young, it's not what...
-Thank you, Herr. Really, I am moved by your attitude for me... I don't know why I want to go so much, in fact. It's just that... I am sure that I do have to go... I can't explain it. Just... Tell me when the ship will be ready.
The barman sighed a last time, sorry for this young boy whose mind was already far behind...
-For what I remember, the ship will take the ocean tomorrow afternoon. You came at the right moment... I offer you the night in a room here, since I don't even know if we will meet again... What a miserable era, Señor...
The barman searched in his pockets, mourning, and took a key out of his pants.
-The seventh room at your right, when you go up the stairs near the tables right there...
Ido took the key, feeling the distress in the pression of the man's hands. He went out of the inn a moment to say goodbye to his faithfull coachman, while taking his luggage and his sword out of the carriage.
-Don't rush yourself during your trip, said he while giving him his payment, and if you plan to return to Germany, and that you pass near my home, don't forget to speak to Clara. Tell her that I am alright, and that she will have to wait a little longer before we meet again...
-And if she asks me how many time ?
Ido's breath stopped a little. His coachman's eyes were as worried as the barman's. Putting one of his bag on his back, the young man answered :
-As long as she won't be a young and beautiful woman... A young and perfect girl. I want to see her as my dear daughter that took wisdom from her experience. My dear Sunbeam that will continue to light up my Horizon, warmer and warmer...
-Herr...
Ido headed back to the inn, smiling to reassure his comrade.
-We'll meet again, in another time too, Gauthier! In a brillant era...
The man disappeared from his sight as he locked the wooden door. The voices and the laughers of the customers surrounded him again. This time, they were also clapping their hands, and some of them, after having drunk beer over and over again, were dancing on the tables. The woman in red dress had disappeared though.
Feeling tired, Idolfreed didn't want to stay in this noisy place. He directly went up the stairs, and searched the seventh door at the right. His key in the hand, he inserted it in the keyhole and turned it... While a black gloved hand caressed his cheek...
-If you insert the key in the keyhole, you will find something really unique behind the door...
This voice... Was that of the red dressed woman...
-As someone said a no-so-long time ago...
She was smiling, eyes as black as the night, lips as crimson as blood. Skin as pale as snow...
Ido wanted to sigh. He was not in the mood for this kind of game... Though he never really intended to be one day in that sort of mood... But, seeing how much this woman was refined, he decided to reject her... In a more courteous way.
-I don't search for nothing more than a bed to sleep, madame...
With a sensual and ironical whisper, he added :
-To sleep... Alone...
At this words, the woman smiled with a resigned expression. Even so, she standed on her delicate feet, and caressed his lips with hers furtively, before capturing silently his breathing during a few seconds.
Ido, at this moment, had a strange feeling... Not just because this woman took him by surprise to kiss him without his permission. But also a feeling of being... Taken from inside his heart. Inside his mind. His body... As a puppet.
She broke the kiss, before whispering in his ear :
-I won't rob you, mon beau monsieur... You have a role to play... An important one... So, I won't rob you...
As furtively as a cat, she disappeared in the darkness of the hall.
Ido stayed a few minutes facing the door, not knowing what he was even doing here...
Finally, he entered the bedroom and locked himself in it... Throwing his luggage near the bed. Throwing even himself under the blanket. Without retiring his clothes...
The feeling of being captured disappeared slowly. The enchantment of a Lady...
The enchantment of the instinct. Beautiful flower dancing in the moonlight...
While so much images were flowing in his misted mind, the faces of Clara and Bettina smiled in front of him.
During this night, he just sank in the oblivion of calm dreams... Softly lit by a charming red smile and beautiful dark eyes...
*shivering*... I wanted "this woman" to appear, suddenly... While writting. It's so funny to let our imagination controling the writting, sometimes~
Note : Why the coachman is called "Gauthier" ? You would kill me if I said you that Gauthier is the french equivalent of Walter...
Like Bettina was an german equivalent of Elisabeth, and Clara was the equivalent of Claire, french name signifying "clear", like the light... Sorry, sorry, sorry x'D
Anyway... Next chapter, Ido leaves the spanish coasts !~ But it will be complete after a long, long time though... Holidays are coming and I'll go on a trip... In Ireland~ (*dream coming true*)
Bye bye !
