pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"The morning seemed to go by slower than usual. The entire time sitting through meetings and contracts Eric couldn't help but feel sort of anxious, and he felt the pull of the sea stronger than ever before.
Grim slowly trailed off in his reading the contract smiled fondly as he noticed Eric's eyes move to stare blankly out the window for the at least the eighth time this morning.
"Eric? Are you listening?"
Bright blue eyes snapped back as he sat up with a jerk. "Yes! Awake! I'm awake!"
"Alight. I think it's time for you to get some much needed fresh air."
He grinned sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks Grim that sounds great." He stood up with a stretch.
His eyes flicked to the window again as Grimsby stood up organizing the papers into a few piles. "It's almost ten. When should we expect you back from your walk?"
"You know me so well Grimsby. I'm going to take Max for a walk down by the shore. I'll try to be back before lunch"
After stopping by his room to get Max (the lazy dog was still in his bed in the corner when he had come up) he headed out through the servants back exit that deposited him away from the main stretch of beach and under the bridge instead. Leaning back on his favorite rock by the base of one of the bridge legs he pulled her flute out of his waistband as Max flopped down by his feet.
As he brought the flute up to his lips the tune that floated through his head now began floating lightly on the breeze. The waves crashed on the shore and gulls chirped and his eyes closed as he focused his fingers moved lightly across the keys. The simple tune had been easy enough for him to figure out and he let out a small sigh before playing it again.
The sun on his face, the salty breeze in his hair, everything was still, everything was normal but Eric's heart still ached. He sighed again opening his eyes pushing herself off the rock. Max stood up quickly and began barking and jumping around at his feet as she started to walk, swinging his flute wistfully in his hand.
"That voice. I can't get it out of my head." He knelt down next to Max, running a hand though his hair before petting the dog. "Where could she be? Think I'll ever find her?" Max's face was sad but his tail began to wag a little at his question and he barked a happy yes trying to cheer up his master. He laughed sadly, his petting turning into a playful noogie.
"Silly dog." He stood up and continued their walk down the beach Max following a little ways behind still sensing the sadness coming off of Eric as he fiddled with his flute. The beach was actually quiet long, the servant's bridge was on the other side of the cliff that the castle was perched on and it extended on even past there. It was a good fifteen minutes of casual strolling, a ways past the castle when Max suddenly stopped. His head perked up as he took a few deep sniff's raising one shaggy eyebrow. He bounded forwards running past Eric and then back again barking wildly.
"Max?"
The dog was in a frenzy bouncing up and down looking back and forth between Eric and the corner ahead. That smell, that smell! He knew that smell, it was strange the first time he had smelled it on the ship. The second time however it had been mixed with his master's scent and (being the smart dog he was) he knew this was what had been causing Eric so much distress over the past few days. But here it was again!
Max bounded off in a dead run leaving a confused Eric to chase after him.
"Max! Max!" he called after him trying to call him back as he ran around the corner.
Oh no, that dog! I hope he doesn't get himself all tangled up in kelp again.
He slid around the corner, looking around as he heard his barking.
"Max?"
"Quiet Max!" He leaned over as he ran up to him, trying to get ahold of the still bouncing excited dog. "What's gotten into you fella?" He avoided his hands and looked back, Eric following his gaze to...
"Oh…Oh I see." A girl, a beautiful girl sat wrapped up in some white cloth was sitting on one of the rocks on the shore. Max ran back over to her again while Eric was a little slower to follow.
"Are you ok miss?" As Eric got closer he realized that the girl was wrapped in what looked to be an old sail and some rope.
Oh Neptune.
He felt his self beginning to blush so he knelt down in front of the rock and ruffled Max's fur trying to get rid of some of the butterflies in his stomach. "I'm sorry if this knucklehead scared you. He's harmless really-" The beautiful red haired girl had leaned forward, bright blue eyes and a bright smile were now waaay too close to his face.
"You….uh, seem, very familiar…to me." He rubbed his chin and let some hope tinge his voice. "Have we met?"
The girl's eyes noticeably brightened and she nodded her head vigorously.
She looks like the girl. My girl. It can't be! Oh gods. Yes!
"We have met?" He pushed Max out of the way as he jumped up in her face "I knew it!" He grabbed her hands. "You're the one – the one I've been looking for! What's your name!"
Her name, I must know. The name of the girl I've been dreaming of for so long.
"Ariel."
Her lips moved but no sound came out and she grabbed her throat looking almost as confused as Eric.
"What's wrong? What is it?"
The hand tapped her throat and Eric finally noticed a few light pink marks marring the perfect ivory column.
"You can't speak?" She shook her hand and a cute pout came to her face even as her eyes held an unbearable sadness.
"Oh…" Eric missed the expression as he looked down, ashamed that he had been so enthusiastic about this stranger. "Then…you couldn't be who I thought…"
Maybe Grimsby was right.
A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts as the girl mad some motions towards her throat. "What is it? You're hurt? No?"
She waved her hands no and tried again moving her hand in a wave.
"No, alright…You need help?"
She shook his hand again and began gesturing a bit more wildly adding her other hand throwing off her balance causing her to fall over.
Right into Eric's arms.
"Whoa, whoa careful, careful…easy…"
His arms slid easily around her waist pressing the girl's thing body to his own. The girl threw her arms around Eric's neck as she struggled to stand, Eric's strong frame supporting her until she got her feet under her and stood up.
Sea blue eyes inches away, one hand tangled in the hairs around the back of Eric's neck the other pulling lightly on the shoulder of his shirt. They were so close, Eric could just lean a little bit, close that distance and kiss her…
"Gee…" he breathed,
No! No I can't…I can't do that! She needs help first. But she's so beautiful…
"You must have really been through something."
The girl's eyes bored into his own and he felt his pulse ranging and his face started to grow warm.
"Don't worry, I'll help you." He put her arm around her and she gripped hehisr shoulder as Eric helped her to the castle. "Come on…come on you'll be okay."
Max barked running happily around Eric's feet. Today was going to be a good day./pre
Grim slowly trailed off in his reading the contract smiled fondly as he noticed Eric's eyes move to stare blankly out the window for the at least the eighth time this morning.
"Eric? Are you listening?"
Bright blue eyes snapped back as he sat up with a jerk. "Yes! Awake! I'm awake!"
"Alight. I think it's time for you to get some much needed fresh air."
He grinned sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks Grim that sounds great." He stood up with a stretch.
His eyes flicked to the window again as Grimsby stood up organizing the papers into a few piles. "It's almost ten. When should we expect you back from your walk?"
"You know me so well Grimsby. I'm going to take Max for a walk down by the shore. I'll try to be back before lunch"
After stopping by his room to get Max (the lazy dog was still in his bed in the corner when he had come up) he headed out through the servants back exit that deposited him away from the main stretch of beach and under the bridge instead. Leaning back on his favorite rock by the base of one of the bridge legs he pulled her flute out of his waistband as Max flopped down by his feet.
As he brought the flute up to his lips the tune that floated through his head now began floating lightly on the breeze. The waves crashed on the shore and gulls chirped and his eyes closed as he focused his fingers moved lightly across the keys. The simple tune had been easy enough for him to figure out and he let out a small sigh before playing it again.
The sun on his face, the salty breeze in his hair, everything was still, everything was normal but Eric's heart still ached. He sighed again opening his eyes pushing herself off the rock. Max stood up quickly and began barking and jumping around at his feet as she started to walk, swinging his flute wistfully in his hand.
"That voice. I can't get it out of my head." He knelt down next to Max, running a hand though his hair before petting the dog. "Where could she be? Think I'll ever find her?" Max's face was sad but his tail began to wag a little at his question and he barked a happy yes trying to cheer up his master. He laughed sadly, his petting turning into a playful noogie.
"Silly dog." He stood up and continued their walk down the beach Max following a little ways behind still sensing the sadness coming off of Eric as he fiddled with his flute. The beach was actually quiet long, the servant's bridge was on the other side of the cliff that the castle was perched on and it extended on even past there. It was a good fifteen minutes of casual strolling, a ways past the castle when Max suddenly stopped. His head perked up as he took a few deep sniff's raising one shaggy eyebrow. He bounded forwards running past Eric and then back again barking wildly.
"Max?"
The dog was in a frenzy bouncing up and down looking back and forth between Eric and the corner ahead. That smell, that smell! He knew that smell, it was strange the first time he had smelled it on the ship. The second time however it had been mixed with his master's scent and (being the smart dog he was) he knew this was what had been causing Eric so much distress over the past few days. But here it was again!
Max bounded off in a dead run leaving a confused Eric to chase after him.
"Max! Max!" he called after him trying to call him back as he ran around the corner.
Oh no, that dog! I hope he doesn't get himself all tangled up in kelp again.
He slid around the corner, looking around as he heard his barking.
"Max?"
"Quiet Max!" He leaned over as he ran up to him, trying to get ahold of the still bouncing excited dog. "What's gotten into you fella?" He avoided his hands and looked back, Eric following his gaze to...
"Oh…Oh I see." A girl, a beautiful girl sat wrapped up in some white cloth was sitting on one of the rocks on the shore. Max ran back over to her again while Eric was a little slower to follow.
"Are you ok miss?" As Eric got closer he realized that the girl was wrapped in what looked to be an old sail and some rope.
Oh Neptune.
He felt his self beginning to blush so he knelt down in front of the rock and ruffled Max's fur trying to get rid of some of the butterflies in his stomach. "I'm sorry if this knucklehead scared you. He's harmless really-" The beautiful red haired girl had leaned forward, bright blue eyes and a bright smile were now waaay too close to his face.
"You….uh, seem, very familiar…to me." He rubbed his chin and let some hope tinge his voice. "Have we met?"
The girl's eyes noticeably brightened and she nodded her head vigorously.
She looks like the girl. My girl. It can't be! Oh gods. Yes!
"We have met?" He pushed Max out of the way as he jumped up in her face "I knew it!" He grabbed her hands. "You're the one – the one I've been looking for! What's your name!"
Her name, I must know. The name of the girl I've been dreaming of for so long.
"Ariel."
Her lips moved but no sound came out and she grabbed her throat looking almost as confused as Eric.
"What's wrong? What is it?"
The hand tapped her throat and Eric finally noticed a few light pink marks marring the perfect ivory column.
"You can't speak?" She shook her hand and a cute pout came to her face even as her eyes held an unbearable sadness.
"Oh…" Eric missed the expression as he looked down, ashamed that he had been so enthusiastic about this stranger. "Then…you couldn't be who I thought…"
Maybe Grimsby was right.
A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts as the girl mad some motions towards her throat. "What is it? You're hurt? No?"
She waved her hands no and tried again moving her hand in a wave.
"No, alright…You need help?"
She shook his hand again and began gesturing a bit more wildly adding her other hand throwing off her balance causing her to fall over.
Right into Eric's arms.
"Whoa, whoa careful, careful…easy…"
His arms slid easily around her waist pressing the girl's thing body to his own. The girl threw her arms around Eric's neck as she struggled to stand, Eric's strong frame supporting her until she got her feet under her and stood up.
Sea blue eyes inches away, one hand tangled in the hairs around the back of Eric's neck the other pulling lightly on the shoulder of his shirt. They were so close, Eric could just lean a little bit, close that distance and kiss her…
"Gee…" he breathed,
No! No I can't…I can't do that! She needs help first. But she's so beautiful…
"You must have really been through something."
The girl's eyes bored into his own and he felt his pulse ranging and his face started to grow warm.
"Don't worry, I'll help you." He put her arm around her and she gripped hehisr shoulder as Eric helped her to the castle. "Come on…come on you'll be okay."
Max barked running happily around Eric's feet. Today was going to be a good day./pre