Chapter 9: First Step, Last Step
The traveler and Sarah darted through the crowded street like a pair of swifts through a forest. They dodged nimbly as the traveler navigated the ever-shifting maze of people, livestock, grocer stands, and carriages. Passersby gave startled exclamations or other sounds of surprise as they flew past. The white walls and terra cotta roofs of the buildings went by in a blur. The main plaza lay straight ahead with the royal palace looming grand in the background.
"Wait! Slow down!" shouted Sarah as they entered the plaza, a flock of chickens flapping away with squawks of protest.
"Just a bit further!" said the traveler as they ran into the crowd.
The plaza was brimming with people and activity, all drawn out by the warm day. A large two-tiered fountain graced the plaza's center, several horses drinking at its edge while a group of young girls tossed in copper coins for wishes. Several merchant stands were set up with people gathered around them. Women carried baskets with their purchases stowed securely inside. Two men carrying a string of fish on a pole walked through while a man herded sheep towards a side street. A group of young children chased a ball across the ground, nearly running into a group of noblewomen dressed in fine gowns.
The traveler came to a stop at the fountain's edge. "Quick break!"
It hopped onto the fountain's rim, surveying its surroundings as Sarah caught her breath. The crowd was even denser here than in the streets. It was difficult to see through the walls of people without a vantage point.
The traveler had a love-hate feeling about the crowd. It was ideal for losing any pursuers, slowing the inexperienced and large bodied while hiding the pursued. The merchant stands could become impromptu hiding spots if needed and the noise would hide their voices. On the other hand, it would also hide their pursuers visually and audibly. They could just as easily sneak up on them as they could lose them. The best thing to do now was disappear, and fast.
The traveler scanned its surroundings. There was a plethora of buildings bordering the plaza, but they were built so close together there was nowhere to hide between them. Several streets emptied into the plaza, but those were just as crowded as the one they left. Normally the traveler would run through the crowd and use the people and its speed to its advantage, but it had Sarah to worry about. She was unused to this level of exertion, as her perspiring face and heaving breaths attested. No doubt the snugly fitted dress was not helping. They could also draw attention if they went bumping people out of the way.
"You!"
The traveler looked back the way they came. A wine-stained and raging-red Richard was running towards them, followed by his two bodyguards. The bald one had the start of a black eye, likely from his boss for tripping onto him.
The traveler cursed silently. It expected its antics at the tavern to buy time, but not for that time to be so short. Now that Richard spotted it, getting away would be that much harder. It needed to throw them off its trail with all haste.
It turned back to the buildings, looking for anything that might work as an escape route. Its scrutiny was rewarded when it saw a narrow alley between a bakery and a butcher's shop. A horse-drawn buggy was parked in front, its sleepy driver waiting for a passenger. A stack of crates twenty feet high blocked the middle of it, but the other side of the alley emptied into another street. There were no visible routes around unless one circumvented the block.
"Break's over!" said the traveler as it grabbed Sarah's hand. It started to go when it felt a heavy resistance from her. It looked back to see Sarah bent over and gasping for air, her face flushed as sweat dripped off her nose.
"I…can't…" panted Sarah, clutching at her side. Her face was screwed up in discomfort as she drew fast breaths. "Can't…breathe…"
The traveler looked back to the street. Richard and his men were running straight for them, knocking people rudely out of the way. The man looked ready to make good on skinning the traveler alive, watching it with an expression that could make a bear turn tail.
The traveler's lip curled in a half-snarl. The time for subtlety was over. It grabbed Sarah's other wrist, pulling her arms around its neck so she was riding piggyback.
"What are you doing?" asked Sarah.
The traveler crouched low. "Just hang on!"
With a lunge the traveler took off at a full sprint, which was far faster than any normal human's speed. Sarah gave a startled yelp as they flew for the alley, heads well below the crowd as the traveler leaned into the run. People whipped past them as the traveler sprinted, barely having time to notice the human blur that zipped by. For anyone quick enough to catch a glimpse of them it must have appeared that Sarah was flying with how her hair flapped behind and her feet floated over the ground.
The traveler slipped past a pair of shepherds, startling their sheep as it darted around the buggy for the alley. They were greeted by a tall wall of crates easily three times the traveler's height.
"It's a dead end!" exclaimed Sarah.
"Not for me!" said the traveler as it ran straight for the crates.
Sarah's eyes flew wide open. "Hood, what are you–!?"
Just before they hit the crates the traveler crouched and jumped straight up. Instead of a weighted hop they shot into the air as though launched. Sarah gave a shriek of excitement and no small amount of surprise as they rose over the top of the wall of crates, suspended in midair for a moment as she flipped over the traveler's head before they began their descent on the other side. The traveler landed with the grace of a cat, knees bending low to absorb the impact as it caught Sarah in its arms.
"Anything hurt?" asked the traveler.
"I-I don't…no," stuttered Sarah.
"Good. Keep it that way!"
The traveler quickly deposited Sarah on her feet and drew its bokken. It thrust between the crates at chest level, giving a sharp twist as it shimmied the sword side to side. The crates separated enough that it could look through to the opposite side.
"How did you…?" breathed Sarah in amazement, gawking at the stack of crates they had just cleared. "We were just…and then you…and I…we…?"
The traveler pressed a finger to its covered lips. "Shhh!"
It peered back through the newly formed gap. Several tense moments passed as the traveler watched people walk by behind the buggy. Then Richard and his henchmen rushed into view, skidding to a stop in the blocked alley. The traveler shrunk away, pressing its back against the crates. It grabbed Sarah's wrist and pulled her next to it, putting a finger to its lips again. She tried to calm her breathing as their pursuer's footsteps approached.
"Where are they!?" shouted Richard furiously.
"They aren't here, boss!" said the bald man. Sarah's eyes widened as she realized how close they were.
SLAP!
"Ow!"
"I can see that, you dunce!" seethed Richard. "So where are they?"
"I…uh, I don't know!"
"Clearly!" Richard growled.
"Maybe they jumped over?" suggested the bearded man.
SMACK!
"Ow!"
"Oh, sure! That dog took Sarah and jumped over the crates while carrying her, and then landed on the other side without injury!" snapped Richard angrily. "While were at it, let's also say he sprouted wings and flew over!"
More sounds of slapping and exclamations from the giants. "You're both useless!"
"Sorry, boss," apologized both men in unison.
The traveler could hear Richard draw his rapier as he gave a shout of enraged frustration. Suddenly the blade erupted straight between Sarah and the traveler's faces, sending splinters flying outward. The traveler threw its hand over Sarah's mouth, barely catching her startled yelp.
"Idiots! What do I pay you for!?" The rapier retreated into the crate, followed by the sound of a sheathing blade and boots walking away. "Let's go! He might have gotten away this time, but I'll find him sooner or later! He can't hide forever!"
"What about Sarah?" asked the bald man.
"Forget the wench! It's that masked miscreant I want! No one makes a fool out of me and gets away with it!"
"You think she got him to attack us for her?" asked the bearded man.
Richard scoffed. "Sarah's too spineless and broke to do anything that brash. She knows what I'd do if she did. That little outburst of hers was the boldest the mouse has been yet, but I put her back in her place. She'll think twice before trying a stunt like that again."
Sarah started shaking again. At least this time it was from anger and not misery.
"This masked man was some halfwit trying to play hero," continued Richard. "And clearly not from around here. If he was, he'd know to stay out of my way, and what happens to people who don't."
"That's right, boss," said the bearded man. "There's no one in Seahaven better with a sword than you."
The traveler could practically sense Richard's smirk as the bald man added, "More like the whole Alliance."
The traveler gripped its bokken tighter. So its hunch about Richard had been right. No wonder he pierced that crate so easily. It was now glad it had not started a sword duel in the tavern, much less in the streets. An experienced swordsman with a loose temper was as much a danger to the traveler as he was to bystanders.
Three sets of footsteps retreated towards the buggy, followed by a single set boarding it. Another heavier pair started to get on, causing the leaf springs of the buggy to groan under the weight.
"No," said Richard sharply. "You two stay here and keep searching. I have business to attend to. I want that mongrel brought before me on his knees begging for mercy by sundown!"
The noise of metal bending back told that one of the goons had gotten off the buggy.
"The Avitas estate, and make it fast!" ordered Richard. There was the sound of reins snapping and then the unmistakable clatter of wheels over stone as the buggy pulled away. The traveler looked back through the crack to see the two giants walk back into the crowd, the buggy and Richard now gone from sight.
The traveler removed its hand from Sarah's mouth and leaned back against the crates, releasing a breath it had been holding.
"Are they gone?" asked Sarah.
"Yeah, they're gone," it said. Sarah let out a long sigh of relief, placing a hand over her racing heart. The traveler shook its head, chuckling lightly. "Well, that was exciting! Who're the giants?"
"Jack and Bill," said Sarah. "Jack's the bald one."
"Hired muscle?"
Sarah nodded. "They're Richard's personal guard, and perfect for it. Big, strong, mean, and too dumb to question orders."
The traveler stood up, slipping the bokken back through its belt. "Come on, let's get out of here before they do find us." It shifted its pack to a more comfortable position before extending a hand to Sarah. "Are you all right?"
Sarah hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to accept the traveler's hand. She barely knew this stranger, yet not five minutes ago it had given her a piece of gold worth more than her weekly earnings and made an enemy of one of the most powerful men in Seahaven on her behalf. She did not even know what it looked like.
But there was something in its voice and presence that made her want to trust it. Something in the sureness with which it held her wrist in the tavern and its hold of her as they ran that told her it was someone she could rely on. Her intuition told her this was a person that would not do wrong by her, which lately was something it had not told her often.
"I think so," she said as she took the traveler's hand. Its hold was firm but gentle as it pulled her to her feet.
"That's gonna be one nasty bruise," said the traveler as it looked over her cheek.
Sarah covered the darkening mark with her hand. "I'll be okay. And…thank you. For what you did back there, I mean."
The traveler shrugged. "Just doing what needed doing. Someone had to stand up to that punk." It pulled the gold and the ring out from under its bandages and handed them to Sarah. "You dropped these."
Sarah palmed her pocket, realizing it was empty. "How did you–?"
"It fell out when he struck you. It actually gave me the opening I needed. As for the ring…well, diamonds are diamonds, even if they come from scum like him. It'll be worth something to someone."
Sarah stared at the yellow metals and glassy stone in her hand, shining brightly in the late morning sun. "Thank you."
She removed her headscarf, letting her wavy brunette hair fall free. She folded it around the gold and ring before tucking them deep into her apron pocket. "I need to find some way to repay you. Didn't you say you need someone to fill you in on something?"
"That's right. Like I said, I'm–."
The traveler's stomach growled loud enough for both to hear. It blushed underneath its shemagh as Sarah stifled her laughter. "I think you are what needs filling!"
The traveler scratched the back of its head in embarrassment. "Yeah…I never did get that pot roast."
Sarah smiled at the traveler. How was it Hood could have her holding her breath one moment, squealing in terror the next, and then turn right around and make her laugh? She was beginning to think she liked this stranger.
"I need to get food while I'm in town. Why don't you come with me?" she suggested. "I'll make you something at home to thank you, and we can talk on the way there."
"Well…if it's not any trouble," said the traveler.
"It's the least I can do to say thank you."
The traveler pulled up its hood, casting its face in shadow except for a faint reflection off its goggles. "Then it sounds good to me!"
The two walked into the street, disappearing amongst the throngs of people like grains of sand on the beach. Moments later Jack and Bill ran into the alley. They cursed their luck and ran back out into the street, heading in the opposite direction of their quarry.
"A bodyguard!?" exclaimed Melody. "That's your plan? To hire an armed babysitter?"
Ariel sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Melody paced angrily back and forth across her room. She could tell her daughter was trying to avoid clenching her hand so she would not damage William's gift, though her tight jaw more than made up for it. Needless to say, Melody had not taken the news as well as she had hoped. She took it a lot worse.
"It's not like that," said Ariel.
"It's like my childhood all over again, that's what it is!" snapped Melody, her anger evident in her voice. "You and dad keeping me in the dark while you make decisions about my life!"
"Melody, we're doing this for your safety," said Ariel, as though trying to pacify Melody with her voice alone. "This isn't just Morgana or Ursula we're talking about. There might be an entire group out there just like them, and not just in the sea. If Morgana wants revenge, then she's going to come after you again."
"How do you know?"
"Because that's who she is! You're the one who stopped her! You need someone to protect you!"
Melody wheeled on her mother. "I don't want looking after! I want Morgana dead! Then I'll be safe!"
"Melody!" exclaimed Ariel, taken aback by the viciousness in her daughter's words. Melody had wished ill things on people before. She herself would admit to having such thoughts a few times…okay, a few dozen times. But she never actually wanted someone dead. To hear Melody say it with such sincerity and anger was unsettling, if not disturbing.
Melody paced the length of her room before turning back to her mother. "Why can't I just go to Atlantica? I'll be safer with grandfather than stuck here! He's got the trident! All we have are swords, arrows, and cannons!"
"I told you already," explained Ariel, hoping to diffuse her daughter's foul mood before it got any worse. "Your grandfather isn't young anymore! And those were his words, not mine. And he's still king of Atlantica. He has to protect everyone there, lead the search, and keep the kingdom running all at the same time." She rose and approached Melody. "He wants to protect you as much as we do, but he can't devote all his time to one person. It's why he's sending your aunts and uncles to stay with us. He's worried he can't protect them any better with all this going on."
"And you and dad can?" Melody pushed past her mother, brushing aside her outstretched hand. "Just like you protected me the first time? Like you protected Will?"
Ariel flinched, Melody's words stinging like a physical blow. "Melody…"
Melody's hand started clenching tighter, indenting the sides of William's gift as she shouted, "Morgana is supposed to be dead! She was giving me nightmares for months! She got sharkanians into the party without anyone noticing! She killed William and almost got me too! Then she turned him into a talking corpse before some crazy fire show burned him up! Now you're telling me there's no trace of her or anyone she'd be working with, and you and dad think some mercenary with an oversized knife is the answer!? Against a sea witch!? How safe do you think that makes me feel!? Huh!?"
Melody was practically screaming now. Her face was flushed like a fire was burning inside her. Ariel had a fair idea where all this anger came from, and why she did not feel like restraining it. She was angry with everyone. Morgana for killing William. Her grandfather for refusing to take her in. Scuttle for suggesting the bodyguard idea in the first place. Her parents for going along with it. Even now she was likely angry at Ariel just for keeping so composed as she ranted.
"How is that going to protect me from anything!? What do you think a bodyguard could possibly do against Morgana!? She'll kill him in an instant! Even if we closed up the palace she'd…oh no. Don't tell me…!"
Ariel looked at her daughter pleadingly, wishing she could understand the concern she felt. "Melody, it's not–."
"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Melody. "I can't leave the palace either!?"
"Just for a little while! I promise!" said Ariel.
Melody clutched her necklace around her neck, backing away from Ariel. "Are you going to take this too!?"
Ariel shook her head. "No one is taking your necklace, Melody. Like I said, it'll only be for a little while."
"How long?"
Ariel paused, knowing Melody would not like this part either. "Until after the festival."
Melody's eyes widened, the clearest they had been in days. "But that's almost two months from now!"
"And hopefully we'll find someone to watch over you by then," said Ariel. "But until that happens it won't be safe for you to go out on your own."
"Oh sure," seethed Melody, voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Like it'll be any safer afterwards! Hey, why don't you put the sea wall back up while you're at it? Make two or three more just for kicks! I bet you and dad can get that started just fine! It'll be half my life all over again! My parents keeping me prisoner because they're scared! One big frightened family cowering behind a wall!"
Ariel felt her own temper starting to rise. "Melody, why are you being like this?"
"Why do you think!? Because you're putting me back in a cage!"
"We're not doing this because we want to! We're trying to protect you!"
"I don't want protection!" shouted Melody. "I don't want anyone protecting me! Will did and look what happened to–!"
Melody cut herself off with a hand over her mouth. A spark of comprehension hit Ariel. She prayed to whatever gods ruled the seas that she was wrong, but deep down she knew she was not. It made everything too clear to be coincidence. She slowly approached Melody as though she were a wild animal, afraid one wrong move would cause her to attack or flee.
She looked into Melody's eyes. She could see a fire burning inside there, but not the fire this headstrong, adventurous young woman on the cusp of adulthood once possessed. Nor was it a twinkling sparkle of enthusiasm and kindness. It was a hateful, tortured inferno that demanded revenge. She had the eyes of someone hungering for vengeance, willing to draw blood if given the chance. They were the most terrifying eyes Ariel had ever seen, partly because of the rage they held, but mostly because they were Melody's. Ariel had never seen such eyes on her before, and it scared her to think Melody was capable of them.
"Melody…" Ariel stepped cautiously towards her. "Do you think Will died…because of you?"
For a drawn-out moment it appeared Melody would start ranting again. Then, like a brick house in an earthquake, Ariel saw the last of Melody's fortitude break. The nightmares, the loss of her beloved prince, the trauma of the attack, the days of grieving, and now her lost freedom had taken their toll. Her hope, her heart, and her ability to endure collapsed under the crushing weight of it all. Melody sunk to her knees in defeat, letting loose a long, drawn out cry somewhere between a scream and a wail. Her eyes clenched tight as every ounce of grief, remorse, guilt, anger, fear, and pain in her heart came free in one sorrowful release.
Ariel threw caution to the wind. She dashed over, falling to her knees as she threw her arms around Melody. The princess buried her head into her mother's shoulder, tears forming a dark wet stain against the light blue fabric as she sobbed uncontrollably. She trembled and heaved, unable to stop herself. She clutched Ariel's dress like a shipwreck survivor clinging to debris, afraid the tempest inside would drown her if she let go.
"I can't take it anymore!" sobbed Melody, her cries muffled against her mother's embrace as the tears ran freely. "I can't get him out of my head! I close my eyes and he's there looking at me! I keep seeing his face when he died! And I can't stop wishing it was me instead of him! If he hadn't come, if he hadn't asked me to dance, if he hadn't loved me, then he'd be…!"
Ariel squeezed Melody close, cutting off her words. She would not let her finish that horrible thought. "This isn't your fault!" she said firmly, fighting to keep her own voice steady. "None of this is! William would never blame you for what happened, and you know it! None of us would! So please don't blame yourself!"
Melody pulled back, looking up into her mother's face. Her puffy red eyes were devoid of that vengeful fire, quenched by the tears she shed. "I know! I know that he wouldn't, and I tell myself over and over it isn't my fault! It's Morgana's! She's the one who killed him! But I can't stop thinking about what his dad said because I know he's right! Will would still be alive if it wasn't for me!"
Melody dropped her head into Ariel's lap as the sobs wracked her body, chest heaving with each cry. "Why did it have to be him!? Why did he have to die!? Why!?"
The strength left Melody's hands as they slumped to the floor. The gift slipped out of her grip. The ribbon gave way and the lid came free. Melody did not see it, but out fell a beautifully crafted wooden box. It was just large enough to fit in her hand. The detail on it was as meticulous as it was exquisite. The wood rings were like ripples on a still lake. The varnished ash wood shone with a perfect gloss. It had been engraved with waves, fish, dolphins, turtles, and mermaids around the sides. The top bore a mermaid and a human girl framing a familiar line of engraved text.
Together we come forever to be
Under one sun, the land and the sea
Ariel was momentarily distracted from her daughter. She knew those words. She sang them on the day she took Melody to meet her aunts and grandfather for the first time. It had been a day for celebration and also lament, for it was also the day they first met Morgana. She taught Melody the words after the wall came down. William must have learned it from her.
Ariel picked up the box as Melody remained crying on her lap. She could tell there was something inside of it, as it was unusually heavy for such a small object. For a brief moment Ariel considered opening it, but quickly abandoned the temptation. It was not hers to open. Whatever William placed inside this box, he would have wanted Melody to be the first to see it. She quietly put the box back in its case and tied the lid back on.
Melody slowly rolled onto her side, head remaining on her mother's lap. Her eyes remained shut as she lay there, cries dwindling to whimpers and sniffles. Ariel took her daughter's hand and put the box back in it. Melody's fingers gently curled around the gift as she clutched it to her chest.
"I'll leave you alone," said Ariel as she started to get up.
Melody clutched her skirt tightly. "Please don't go. I don't…I don't want to be alone right now."
Ariel settled back onto the floor. "Okay. I'll stay as long as you want."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They remained like that for a while, the minutes slipping by without track as Ariel stroked her daughter's hair soothingly, humming to her. Melody's crying gradually faded away. Eventually the only sounds were her shuddering breaths, the wind blowing around the palace, and the distant calls of the gulls. The town bells began ringing again, signaling the day was half gone.
Melody looked up at Ariel. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I'm scared."
Ariel brushed a strand of hair behind Melody's ear. "Me too, sweetheart. Me too."
"This is your home?"
The traveler and Sarah stood at the sun-bleached wooden gate to a white walled three-story building with the characteristic terra cotta shingle roof of Seahaven homes. Behind them was a field of wheat belonging to the neighboring farm. The town was a full two miles away by the dirt road they now left, the late afternoon sun casting a long shadow from the house. The traveler was carrying its cloak like a makeshift bag over its shoulder, ends tied together to form a large pouch. A vast assortment of vegetables, fruits, breads, and a few packages of meat lay inside it. There was enough to feed a family of five for two weeks. A normal human would have extreme difficulty carrying such a load, but to the traveler it was a bulky but manageable burden.
They had been fortunate to not encounter Richard's goons or the man himself again. The bald Jack almost crossed paths with them once, but he was distracted by a group of pretty girls. As they went through town the traveler gave Sarah a watered-down version of its journey west, painting itself as a wanderer who traveled the continent and was now looking to end its roving days. If Sarah was suspicious, she gave no indication. Nor did she press for answers. In turn she told the traveler about Seahaven and the Alliance. As they went by store after store for food the traveler insisted on paying instead of letting Sarah use her gold nugget. The ring could be traded for gold later on. Despite her hesitancy it encouraged her to get as much as she needed. She now carried the traveler's pack and bokken, insisting it was the least she could do since it was carrying the heavier load.
"It needs a bit of work," said Sarah as they walked up the path. "But it's been a good home to us."
The building sat in the middle of a four-acre field of green grass. Though impressive in its size the house had obviously seen grander days. The two chimneys were missing bricks, much like the shingles of the roof. Boards covered what the traveler assumed were holes rain could come through. The white paint on the walls was cracked and peeling in places. Many of the windows were boarded over or covered with thick grime. The front door was splitting in spots, the simple iron handle clearly put on after a finer doorknob was removed. The sandstone path to the door was missing stones in many places, and many of those left were cracked. A spottily repaired wooden fence surrounded the property. The house was flanked on one side by an enormous oak tree that rose even with the roof. A pair of rope swings hung from a thick branch. A small clear pond lay next to it, the water's surface hidden by a blanket of leaves from the tree branches above it. On the other side of the house was a stone well, the top blocked by a large wooden cover. A flock of thin chickens clucked around the house, pecking at the grass for whatever food they could find. Behind the house was the edge of the Emerald Woods. Was it the traveler's imagination, or were there shapes moving between the trees?
"It's not that," said the traveler, sidestepping around a sizable rabbit hole. "This is luxury compared to a lot of places I've been. It's just so…big."
Sarah smiled as she opened the door. "I get that a lot. We need the space for the kids. Come in."
"That's a lot of kids," murmured the traveler.
The door swung in with a loud squeak, revealing a large room that took up the entire ground level. The walls, floor, and ceiling were brown boards, a good portion of which clearly needed replacing. Dingy light came in through the windows, casting the room in a dull luminescence. To the right was a simple kitchen with an iron stove, a water basin, a heavily scarred cutting table with a poorly repaired leg, and an assortment of knives, pots, pans, and other weathered cooking essentials. Cupboards took up most of the wall, while the remaining three sides of the room bore sconces for oil lanterns or candles. Patches of lighter wood on the walls told of decorations and paintings that had been removed. A pantry was in the back-right corner, the door long gone. A second door beside the pantry still had its doorknob, presumably leading outside. A small wood burning stove and a trio of heavily patched armchairs was to the traveler's left. A large dark green rug lay on the floor, its threads frayed and dirty. Further back was a long table lined with wooden benches and a high-backed chair at either end. At the far back of the room was a staircase leading to the second floor. Evening light streamed in through a round window in the back wall, creating a circle of light on the floor.
"You can put the food there," said Sarah, pointing to the cutting table. She set the traveler's things by the doorway before trotting over and opening the side door.
"I'm home! Dinner's starting soon!" she called out before closing it.
Immediately a sound of thunder came from above, like a stampede of rhinos down a dock. Bits of dust shook loose from the ceiling and the lamps danced on the walls as the noise moved towards the stairs. Several boards groaned in protest at the rough treatment from above.
"Uh…Sarah?" asked the traveler nervously as it put the food down. It backed towards the door, wanting to be close to an exit if the weakened ceiling lost its fight with gravity. "Mind if I ask exactly how many kids you have?"
"Thirty-three right now," she said nonchalantly as she scrubbed her hands in the basin. The din got louder as she retrieved a box of matches from one of the cupboards.
"Oh, that's al–THIRTY-THREE!?"
Right then a flood of young boys and girls charged down the staircase, the frame actually wobbling under their weight. The door behind the traveler began to squeak, giving it just enough time to turn around. The door flung open straight into its face, knocking it to the floor.
More children poured through the entryway and tripped over the traveler's feet, falling on top of it. Each successive child knocked more wind out of it and made it harder to breathe. The other children quickly formed a ring around the traveler, curious as to the identity of their guest.
"Hood! Are you alright!?" squealed Sarah as she rushed to the traveler's aid, carefully but firmly pushing the children aside.
The traveler grabbed its nose and gently wriggled it. Not broken, but it sure felt like it. The back of its head throbbed from hitting the floor, and it felt like a horse was sitting on its chest. It looked down to see children of various ages piled on its legs and torso. That explained the shapes in the forest.
"I think so..." groaned the traveler, lowering its head as it worked to get its breath back. "I'll let you know when I can feel my legs and face again."
"Mister?"
The traveler craned its neck to look behind it. A young girl no older than six was leaning over it. Her straight brown hair framed her face. A band of light freckles dotted her cheekbones underneath clear brown eyes. She wore a tattered white dress with multiple stitches from home repairs. She was looking at the traveler with a most curious expression. Behind her were more children with similar looks of puzzlement. Their ages ranged from young teenagers to toddlers.
"Why do you have funny glasses?" asked the girl.
"Uh…sensitive eyes?" answered the traveler.
"What have I told you all about barging through the door like that!?" scolded Sarah as she began extricating children from the traveler. "Jenni, give him some room, dear! All of you, get off our guest before you suffocate him!"
"What guest?" called a gruff male voice. Heavy footsteps started towards the stairs from above, accompanied by what the traveler thought sounded like a cane.
"His name's Hood, dad," said Sarah as the traveler got to its feet. The children backed away, intimidated by the masked face and dark glasses. Jenni quickly ran behind Sarah's legs, peering out shyly from the safety of the young woman's dress. "He helped me at work today, so I promised him dinner as thanks."
"You promised him what!?" exclaimed the man.
"It's fine! We brought plenty for everyone!"
"That's what you said last time, and we barely had enough! Who's this Hood anyway?"
An elderly man came down the stairs one cautious step at a time. He was tall at a hair over six feet, but the way his white shirt hung loose on his frame spoke of hunger and possibly some underlying illness. Brown suspenders that had been sewn back together several times held up his patched brown pants. His black shoes were scuffed and faded. The right one had a hole in the front through which his big toe poked out. His face was heavily wrinkled and weathered from years in the sun, and his hands bore many thin white scars. He had scraggly silver hair trimmed short, although the scruffiness of his beard and eyebrows made it seem the hair had moved from one place to another. His legs quivered as he walked, causing him to lean heavily on a rough wooden cane for support.
His dark eyes fixed on the traveler, looking it over from head to toe. "Who are you?"
"Name's Horatio Oleander Octavius Drosselmeyer," answered the traveler. The same dumbfounded look John had earlier resurfaced on the man's face. "Just Hood's fine."
"And what did you help my daughter with exactly?" the man asked as he reached the bottom step.
"Some dirt bag called Richard."
The man froze mid step. "Richard!?"
"I went to your daughter's workplace looking for food and some information about Seahaven," continued the traveler. "What I found was that 'man' trying to force your daughter to marry him. He got rough with her, she bit him, and he hit her. Twice."
The old man's beard prickled as he looked to his daughter. "Sarah?" The young woman would not turn to look at him. He quickly hobbled over to her. "Sarah, look at me."
Slowly Sarah turned to face him. It was still faint, but the dark precursors of a bruise were forming on her swollen cheek. The cane shook as the man trembled with anger. "He did this to you?"
"That, and made her crawl on the floor like a dog," said the traveler. "He threatened to take your house if she didn't. Since no one had the guts to step in, I did."
The man turned to face the traveler. "What did you do?"
"Gave him and his cronies what they had coming. I got her outta there and sent Richard on a wild goose chase. He's probably still out with his goons looking for me."
The old man's cane was shaking all over now, most likely with anger. Whatever fury was building disappeared when he looked at the food on the table. "Sarah, where did you get all this?"
"Hood bought it for us."
The elderly man turned back to the traveler. "You bought all this?"
"Yep. And gave Sarah something for her time today–and I mean that in an honorable way!" clarified the traveler hastily. "I'm a stranger in Seahaven, and your daughter was kind enough to fill me in about this place."
Sarah produced the folded headscarf from her apron. The old man's eyes went wide as she unfolded it on the table, revealing the nugget and the ring. The children let out a collective "ooh" of interest and amazement.
"Shiny!" said one of them excitedly. The rest murmured in agreement.
The old man pinched the gold between his fingers and held it up, studying how it glinted in the light. He placed it on the table and pushed down hard with his thumb. The metal gave slightly under his weight. It was real. He needed no test to know the diamond was real as well.
The old man turned to the traveler, trying to discern what was behind those black goggles. "You said your name's Hood?"
"That's right."
"Tell me something, Hood. Why would you do all of this? We're strangers to you, so why go out of your way for us? What's in it for you?"
The traveler looked at Sarah and then the children. It looked like they were wearing the only set of clothing they owned. There was thin starvation to their faces like Sarah and her father. Their hair was greasy from infrequent bathing, and some had no shoes. Their eyes were hungry and pleading. The traveler had seen those eyes before, but that was half a world away.
"Because not doing what's right when you have the chance is worse than doing nothing at all," said the traveler, nostalgically touching the fire pendant through its tunic.
"Who told you that?" asked Sarah.
The traveler looked at its bokken propped up by the door. "My father."
The old man looked at the gold, then Sarah's bruised face, then back at the food, and then at the children. Their attention was torn between their cautious curiosity about the traveler and their amazement at the gold and bounty of food before them. The hunger was visible on their faces as they smacked and licked their lips. He walked over to the traveler, standing tall and proud despite his age.
"Hood…I don't know two licks about you. I don't think that's your real name either. And you know what? I honestly don't give two shakes of a rudder. You stood up to Richard, and you've put more food in our home than we've had in a very long time. Any man willing to do that for a stranger…" He offered his hand to the traveler. "Is more than welcome at our table."
The traveler looked at the old man's hand. When was the last time someone extended a hand to it in friendship instead of holding a knife or gun?
Oh, right. It was back then…
The traveler sat across from her in the rose garden. It was one of those rare sunny days. The red of the rose petals was richer in the warm light, as was the shine from her blonde hair. The birds were singing in the trees, white and blue butterflies flitting about between flowers.
"Hey, can you promise me something?" she asked.
"Depends on what I'd be promising," replied the traveler.
She held up her hand, pinky extended for the traveler to take. "Promise we'll be friends? Forever?"
The traveler stared at her hand. "You…you want to be my friend? Really?"
She smiled widely. "Why wouldn't I?"
The traveler kept staring at her hand. Then it smiled back at her, interlacing their pinkies together. "Then it's a promise! We'll always be friends, no matter what!"
She grinned lopsidedly at the traveler. "No matter what!"
The traveler pushed the memory away. It took the man's hand in a firm grip. "And I'll gladly sit at it, mister…uh, Sarah's father."
"Just call me Isaac, son," he said, a tired smile playing at the corners of his bearded mouth.
The tension left the room. Several of the children stepped closer, curious about their guest, and the rest soon clustered around it.
"I might as well introduce you since everyone's here," said Sarah. She walked up behind the children and began pointing as she named them, Jenni remaining hidden behind her the entire time. "George, Aliya, Jessica, Catherine, Katie, Taylor, Aaron, Robert, Cassandra, Mary, Jonathan, Benny, Anna, Max, Zoey..." She paused to take a breath. "Hector, William, Jackson, Victor, Rachel, Raphael, Misty, Rebecca, Morgan, Theresa, Samantha, Sophia, Zachary, Nora, Elise, Fredrick, and Alice."
The little brown-haired girl peeked out from behind Sarah's legs, a single brown eye watching the traveler
"And this is Jennifer, but we call her Jenni," said Sarah. "Kids, this is Hood. He's a traveler from abroad. He's really brave and kind, so I want you all to be extra polite to him."
"Hi," said the traveler, giving a small wave to them.
Sensing no danger the children swarmed around it, bombarding it with questions faster than it could formulate answers.
"Did you really beat up Richard? You must be strong!"
"Where are you from? Did you move here?"
"Why're you wearing a curtain on your face?"
"Why's your name Hood?"
"Does your dad have a curtain too?"
"Are you married?"
"Do you wear glasses because you have eye problems?"
"What's your favorite color?"
"Do you have teeth?"
"I, uh…well…" The traveler swallowed nervously, unsure how it could get a word in amidst the chattering. "Sarah, a little help here!"
Sarah clapped her hands loudly, pulling the children's attention away. "All right! I know you're excited to meet him, but there will be time for questions later. Hood's had a long trip and I'm sure he'd like to eat. So everyone needs to help with dinner."
The children let out a collective "aw" of disappointment.
"No, not 'aw.' You all know what to do. It's soup tonight and we'll have lots to go around, so hop to it!"
Sarah clapped her hands again. The children dispersed to their respective tasks like well trained soldiers. A fire-line quickly formed between the cupboards and the dining table as bowls, candles, utensils, and cups were passed down. Three of the older boys grabbed a trio of buckets beside the stove and ran outside for water. More went to the food and began unpacking it as Sarah dictated where it went, setting aside the ingredients she would need.
The traveler was amazed by the efficiency they operated with. Each child seemed to have a specific task assigned to him or her. They were running every which way in a well-organized scramble, dodging and weaving through each other as though they had done this a thousand times before. Ant colonies were less structured. Within minutes the table was set, there were three buckets filled with water, and more than half the food was put away.
"Just a hunch, Isaac," said the traveler, stepping back as the curly redhead Mary raced by with an onion in hand. "Not all of these are your grandkids?"
"None of them, actually," answered Isaac. "They're orphans."
He and the traveler watched two boys take down a large cast iron pot from a wall hook. The pot was more than half their height. They strained to lift it between the two of them until a pair of girls rushed over to help. The four puffed their cheeks in exertion as they moved it to the stove and began pouring the water in.
The traveler looked back to the room. The atmosphere had suddenly adopted a more somber tone. "All of them?"
Isaac nodded. "All of them, and from all over the Alliance. Did Sarah tell you about the strange things that have been going on?"
"She didn't mention it."
"Well, there weren't so many of them a few years ago. Orphans, I mean. But with all these spooks going on there's been more of them." He pointed to Jenni as Sarah gave her pieces of chopped onion for the pot. "See Jenni there? She's from Vorhaven. Bandits raided her home and killed her family. She was smart enough to stay hidden till they left. It was weeks before she'd speak to anyone. And Raphael–he's the taller one next to her–he lost his father when their ship went down last year. One of three survivors. He says some type of sea monster attacked them, but I'm betting they hit a reef. Ben and his sister Sophia escaped from slavers. They took their mother and father as well. Still haven't been able to find them."
Isaac shook his head. "There's a lot of sad stories in this place, but somehow they all keep smiling. All thirty-three of them."
The traveler watched the children put away the last of the food. It felt empathetic towards them. It would be thirty-four orphans if the traveler counted itself. At least these children had somewhere to go other than the streets, and someone willing to care for them. The traveler had not been so fortunate.
"Why aren't they in their home kingdoms?" asked the traveler.
"A lot of places in the Alliance don't have orphanages," answered Sarah as she lit the stove, blowing gently to fan the flames.
"Why not?"
"Because that's how rare orphans are around here. At least, they used to be. The old orphanage here closed down almost twenty years ago, so mom and dad opened this one on their own to ensure they had a place to go. Four years ago, we had less than six here."
"By they way, where is your mom?" asked the traveler as it took its bokken from an inquisitive young boy about to grab it. It stuck the bokken above the doorsill and hung its pack on a high coat peg, well out of reach of the younger ones. It removed its knives and put them with the bokken for safe measure.
"She died when I was seven," said Sarah. "She caught a bad fever and didn't pull through."
The traveler cringed. "Oh…I'm sorry."
Isaac shook his head. "Nothing to apologize for. We've all learned to move on. Sure, it was rough when she left us. But she wouldn't want Sarah and I mourning for the rest of our lives. Not when these little ones need looking after." He ruffled the hair of one of the boys. "You know, she would have liked you. A man who helps a total stranger and feeds her family without asking anything in return? You're a rare breed, Hood. A rarer breed than I'd like."
"You don't know the half of it," mumbled the traveler.
"What was that?"
"It's nothing. And thanks."
Isaac rolled his shoulders, earning several loud pops from his old joints. "Well, if you're looking for places to stay, you're welcome here until you have to leave."
The traveler shook its head. "I won't be traveling any more, but I can't stay here on your charity."
"Nonsense!" scoffed Isaac. "Charity's the least we can offer you!"
"No, really! I'm grateful for the offer, but you've got enough mouths to feed here and I'm not exactly a light eater! It wouldn't be right for me to mooch off you!"
"Well, if that's how you feel…" Isaac scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Sarah, is John still looking for a new bartender?"
"Yes, and I don't think he'll find one anytime soon," said Sarah as she cut into a trio of carrots. "He's already seen ten this week and didn't like any of them."
Isaac sighed. "I swear, that old cod is pickier than a fat trout in spring."
"If you need someone to fix this place up, I'm handy with tools," said the traveler. "Looks like you've got more than a few things around here that need it."
"That we do, and I'd be grateful for it! I'd do it myself, but..." He gestured to the cane for further explanation. "Tell you what, Hood. You give me three days a week fixing up the house, and I'll consider it room and board. And go see if John will give you that bartending job. Do that and we'll put the word out to keep Richard off your back."
"How are you gonna do that?" asked the traveler.
Isaac grinned knowingly, tapping the side of his nose. "There's more than a few people that'd love to watch Richard get what he's had coming, believe me! You just leave it to me and John!"
"John and I," corrected Sarah.
"Same thing!" said Isaac. "Either way, we'll have that jackal chasing his own tail till he's dizzy! So, how's that sound?"
The traveler stood stunned, taken back by the hospitality and sudden loyalty. These were strangers it was standing amongst. People it never met before in its life. Yet not ten minutes in their home and it had been invited to stay and pointed in the direction of work. And work that did not require a sword.
The traveler shook Isaac's hand. "Sounds like a deal to me."
A pair of small hands pulled at the traveler's leg. It looked to see Jenni staring up at it. She still looked wary, but her curiosity was stronger.
"Mister, are you really staying here?"
The traveler knelt so it was level with her. "Looks like it."
"Are you really a traveler?"
"I was. But I think I'm done traveling."
"How did you get here?"
"I came through the mountains."
The girl's eyes filled with wonder. "Did you see any wolves on your way here?"
"I did. You want to hear?"
Jenni nodded enthusiastically.
"Wolf stories are for babies!" said a boy carrying diced carrots to the soup pot.
"Hector! Shame on you!" scolded Sarah.
"Is that so?" The traveler shrugged as it stood up. "Then I guess you don't want to hear about giant desert worms. Or how I survived a week in a blizzard. Or about the time I met a real vampire. Or how I made a deal with a siren for one of her tears. Or how I kicked Richard's–."
Before the traveler could finish there were children clustered around it with big pleading eyes, begging it to tell them every detail. The remainder were scrambling to finish their tasks so they could come listen as well.
Sarah and Isaac laughed. "I think they want to hear after all," said the old fisherman.
The traveler looked to Sarah. "Well…if you don't mind."
Sarah waved at the traveler. "Go ahead. It'll be another hour before the soup's ready."
The traveler grinned under its shemagh. "Okay then…"
It looked around for a good place to sit, settling on the wood-burning stove. The rug provided plenty of room for its audience, and it had the feel of a stage. The traveler walked over with the children in tow and sat on the stove, the metal cool in the absence of a fire.
"So how do these stories start again?" it asked.
"ONCE UPON A TIME!" shouted the children in unison.
The traveler acted as though the force of their shout blew it off the stove, falling to the floor with arms and legs flailing. The children laughed in delight as it stumbled comically to its feet, brushing ash and dust off itself. "Right! Of course!"
It fetched its bokken from the door, wanting it for dramatic effect. Of course it would need to leave certain parts of the story out–namely any mention of magic–but it would still make for an entertaining tale.
The traveler looked to its young audience. It felt strange to have people be friendly and welcoming to it instead of running in fear or trying to take its head. There was genuine fascination in their eyes as they eagerly awaited the tale of its adventures. This was what the traveler had left the east for. A chance to start over, lead a new life, and leave the bloodstained past behind it.
And do penance for the wrongs it had committed.
"Once upon a time, but not too long ago..."
A/N: A trek of a hundred horizons has come to an end. But the journey is far from over. The traveler is being woven into Seahaven's fabric even now. But as one path rises into light, another descends into the dark, the promise of hope and security less and less certain. And the further one goes into darkness the smaller the light becomes. But never will it be extinguished.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)
