The following three days went in a blur until we reached the port village of Astrain. Little passed between Kaen in words. We ate together, traveled together and on those nights were it was just too damned cold we even slept together. I was forced to make due with him being present while I bathed, but he was always in sight and with his back turned. I told him if I ever caught him peeking then I would return to his village then and report it to Ragan personally. Kaen had taken that as a person blow and had been rather quiet since. It wasn't until we were on the ship that we both managed to converse as normally as possible with the other.
"This ship will reach the capital Asturia in how many days?" I leaned against the railing of the giant wooden ship and wondered if I would get sea sink.
"It will be a good 8 days… 10 if we run into bad weather. Is Hurin in a better place now?" I nodded despite our decision to remain on course to Palas. It was highly unlikely to be found out by Allen and seeing as this Dryden fellow was a constant in Asturia in his attempts to win the Princess of Asturia over, Millerna.
"So what do we do for eight days while stuck on this floating piece of wood?" Kaen moved over and touched the side of his head to mine, almost in an affectionate kind of way.
"We speak little aloud. This floating wood has ears and we have been being listened too since we boarded. It is a chance, a small chance, but a chance none the less that whoever is listening is, has been sent. We should try and rest as much as possible in the confines to the ship to avoid any trouble… come Hurin." Kaen took my hands and walked with him, head down to avoid gawking at the others one this deck of the ship.
Once inside the and inside our small room we sat and spoke in whispers almost too quiet for the other to hear.
"I must give this to you, Hurin." He shoved a pouch at me and motioned with his hands to hide it inside my shirt. I ended up having to tie it to the inside of my pant, but it sufficed.
"What is this?" He did not say out loud, but it was obvious when he flashed some different colored coins at me from his hand.
"Should ever we get parted…" He motioned again with his hands to say 'never out of sight'. "When we land ask for the easiest path to the 'dancing flower'. It is a brothel. You must ask for 'The merchant prince'. Do not fear any who would try and bother you. Simply tell them you are a gift for the merchant and they will leave. Even if he is not present, they will give you a room and send for him. More than likely before you even tell them your name… If asked you will tell them your name is Millerna. One way or another, Dryden will come." A sinking feeling dropped like a cold hunk of ice into my stomach then. There was too much planning. Too many 'if's'.
"Who are those men outside?" Again Kaen gave her the 'you know too much for one not from this place' look.
"I am not sure… but I am concerned. They look to be men from the city of Basram. But if that is true, then they would have had to have been sent almost the day you came from the Mystic Moon… Too soon. The odd thing is that it was the woman that eyed you so very carefully… like she could see your oddities with your very back turned and your mouth silenced."
"A woman… What did she look like?" Mother had only ever mentioning one woman before… it was one thing I remembered because it was the only girl she spoke about and it was right before father told mother to stop with the cards…
"She was 5"9 with hair tucked into her head gear. She was lean and fit as well, with a steel blade on her left side. I would guess from her looks though that she is of Friedan decent from her looks." His hand rose to my mouth and I kept quiet.
"I have food for this evening's meal." He motioned for me to get the door and I did so only because the voice on the other side of the door was of a child's.
"Thank you…" I took the tray and tried not to give the poor boy the evil eye. I failed and he walked away rather dejectedly." Kaen snickered at me as I slide the door shut.
"You do not have to suspect everyone on the ship, Hurin." He took the tray and took the water flask and drained half of it right away.
"… You're not very helpful Kaen… I'm going to give you a new name as well if you cannot call me by mine. Perhaps I will call you… baka-neko…" His head tilted with his confusion. "It means stupid cat." He laughed and worked again on his blade.
"That will work only for you. Everyone knows what I mean when I call you 'Hurin'. No one will get your joke, but you and I…" When I grinned he understood that was the entire point of calling him 'baka-neko'.
"Where you live… Is there a person who wishes to claim you?" I spit the water I had just swallowed in his face.
"W-What? What is with you people asking such questions? Does no one have privacy on this blasted…. Place…" I had almost said planet, but I managed to keep that to myself.
"Is such a question asked between two not private?" Again his head tilted. I could only imagine my hands around his neck or bashing his head in…
"Well, yes and no. Yes because it is between you and I. No, because I do not know you very well and that is a very… umm. You know what? No. It's just no." I shoved the tray away from me and slide the doo back open. "Follow me. Go ahead, but if I so much as see you on this ship I will jump ship and swim to the coast." I was impressed when he believed my empty-threat. I was also pissed off that I said it because he looked hurt. I am such an ass…
On the deck I sat apart from everyone else. I started at the one thing everyone else didn't gawk at and that was the stars. Without the light pollution that earth had the stars just came alive. They shone like no other place on earth would have seen them and it was the most beautiful thing I had seen since 'beaming up' to Gaia.
"Okasan… Otosan…" It finally hit me in full force. I could feel it the moment I looked at the stars. I wanted my mother and my father. I wanted my fake-friends and my bedroom with the music and pictures I hoarded. I wanted it all back. I didn't want to be chased by guys that looked like my father and look for a man that had told the world my mother was a curse. I wanted to go home.
.
.
.
.
From the room Keori had left a bright light shone. The pendant broke free from its pocket in the bag Kaen had been carrying around. It ate away at the fabric and shot out of the bag and vanished into the night sky unseen by all, but the woman and the man that stood outside the room from which the pendant had just flown.
.
.
.
.
"Meryl!" Van tore down the hallway and beckoned for his advisor to no avail. She was nowhere inside the confines of the palace so far and every servant had been woken to track her down. "Meryl!" He ran outside and slid to a stop as something crashed through the roof of the building containing the Escaflowne. "Escaflowne…" Van burst through the entrance and his breathe stopped in his chest as a very familiar pendant hung over top the heart of the Escaflowne.
.
And it was pulsing.
.
"Take me to the girl… I will bring her back myself." But the moment his hand touched the pendant it dropped to the ground; colorless and dead of all powers. "Dammit…" His hand picked the pendant up and he cursed for waiting behind protected walls while Hitomi's daughter ran across Gaia to god only knew where. As he stormed out of the building once again he passed his other advisors and informed them that Fanelia was theirs to protect in his absence.
"You will do as commanded and heavens forbid if I am forced to return early to rectify any issues that arise from my absence."
.
.
.
.
Back on the deck of the ship Kaen sat hunched with his back against the mast. He watched not only his Hurin, but every other person the ship. He ignored the two ransacking the room knowing fully well that they had nothing incriminating in the room or on them really. That he had missed the man was a curious thing because the scent he left behind reeked of liquor and wines…