I got home shortly after dinner. When I came up the steps, Mom quickly came to give me a tight hug.
"Oh, I was so worried about you! Are you alright?" I nodded assuringly.
"I promise I'm okay. I just really needed alone time, but I cleared my head." I saw Mom visibly relax, and she cupped my cheek.
"Thank Te Fiti. Have some food and get some rest for me, okay?"
"Sounds good to me. Where's dad, by the way?"
"With your aunt helping her out with something. He'll be back later."
As I sat down with Mom, Grandma, and Aihe and ate my food, I thought about what Grandpa said, and how I knew he was right. But now, I guess it was a matter of waiting for the right time. How would the gods know? How would I know?
After dinner, I settled into bed, thinking of what Grandpa, and Eyarr said before I left. Everyone had essentially told me not to overthink it too much, especially Mom. I knew she wanted me to cherish the time I'd have while I was here, for however long that would be.
But I couldn't help but wonder how Eyarr was feeling. He should be fine, right? He's a tall, tough guy who's handled a lot on his own. Surely he'd be able to handle whatever was going on by himself.
As the days passed into weeks, any overthinking soon dissipated as I distracted myself with my old way of life. I usually hung out with Mom, Dad, and Grandma while Aihe did her chief stuff. Periodically she would ask me to assist her with some things. It was weird seeing her all grown up, but I was also incredibly proud and happy for her. Being an older sibling, especially having a larger age gap, I could remember more of Aihe growing up, and it was oddly satisfying to see her be an adult.
And the same could be said for my cousins. One of the twins, Amiri, was already married with a son of his own. His twin, Rua, however, hadn't been particularly focused on getting married; he preferred the sea. And Siale, their baby sister, was looking into finding someone to court. So the three of them had something going, and I was happy for them.
One day, Aihe asked if I wanted to tag along for a short voyage to a neighboring island. I happily accepted her offer, knowing it'd been so long since I'd sailed. But it also reminded me how much I missed Riptide and the feeling of being in the sky.
Rua joined us for this particular voyage, wanting to tag along for the fun of it. It would also be fun for me to see how well my skills were compared to his. Together, the three of us worked to check the rigging and sails to make sure everything was secure. I knew they knew it'd been a while since I sailed, so it was more of me testing my skills. I secured the halyard, making sure it was tight.
"Alright, we're set," I assured. I put the oar in place, rotating it to catch the current after we left shore. I could feel Aihe and Rua watching as I took the lead in directing the canoe. After Aihe told me which direction we were going, I readjusted the canoe, following the current and feeling where the wind was taking us.
I missed flying with Riptide, but I also just missed the feeling of the canoe swaying on the water. This was what I was raised on. It was invigorating, and I felt so alive.
"This is the happiest I've seen you since you came home!" Aihe shouted over the crashing of a wave against the canoe.
"I'm in my element! That's why! I will admit, though, I do miss flying!"
"Flying? Who needs flying when you've got the ocean?" Rua called out with a laugh.
"Oh, if you guys knew the feeling of flying, you wouldn't be saying that!" Gripping a rope, I leaned over the side of the canoe, balancing my feet on the side and stretching out my arm so my hand could skim the surface of the waves. I thought back to when Mom showed me how to do this particular move and how to hold onto the rope so I wouldn't fall into the water below.
"Flying is a whole new type of freedom. The weightlessness, the feeling of the wind ripping through your hair… it's beyond words!" I dipped my hand in the water, feeling the current with my fingers, wiggling them around. Looking below, I tried to imagine Riptide swimming under the canoe. His intense yellow eyes glowing through the rich blue waves.
"Laeli! Take a look at the sky!" Rua called to me from the deck. Pulled out of my daydream, I hoisted myself back up and spied an intense dark cloud growing above the horizon. In the distance, I spied lightning flashing as well.
"You guys ready for this?" I challenged. Sailing through a storm was a true test of navigation skills and challenged everything within you. I'd only sailed through one storm before my maiden voyage. And as we moved closer, I could feel the wind intensifying, whipping the sail around.
It didn't take very long for us to catch up with the storm. The wind gusts began to rip at our sails even more than earlier, and the waves grew, aggressively swaying the canoe.
"Aihe! Rua! Double-check the rigging and close the sail!" I shouted over the screaming wind. The temperature dropped, and soon hard raindrops pelted my skin. I quickly braided my hair back. Aihe and Rua also tied their hair up as we prepared to navigate our way out.
"We need to figure out how big this storm is! Rua! Measure the clouds from the horizon if you can!" Aihe called.
"On it!" While he did that, I ensured the oar was in place and kept my eye on the rigging closest to me. Aihe remained near the mast in case any ropes came loose, or the sail was busted. I knew Aihe was a little more strung up with storms while sailing; she and Dad shared the same anxiety. But I somehow wasn't stressed out about storms, or at least not for the most part. Mom attributed it to the fact that a heavy storm made landfall the day I was born, which was how I got my name. Though Mom and Dad would joke that since my name meant "cool breeze," the cool breeze that Mom felt while giving birth to me soon turned into intense gusts of wind, giving them the sign of the kind of woman I'd become.
I fondly recalled telling Eyarr the meaning behind my name and the story that went into naming me. He remarked he loved the thought process that went into naming me.
"Whenever I have children, I want to do the same. Listen to nature and see what she says." I had told him.
I kept the canoe stable as we made our way through the storm. And I had the feeling it would pass over us shortly, and we'd arrive at the neighboring island in no time. As we sailed, I couldn't help but remember my maiden voyage and how much fun it was.
Then, I randomly remembered a factor that made me feel weird.
I recalled a weird feeling of anticipation of some kind. I had told my crew that I felt something was going to happen or that we would encounter something odd. Neither of them felt the same, but they all trusted me anyway. And then we had just entered a storm much like this one, and I remembered the sound of an explosion that did not sound like thunder coming from the sky, which was followed by the electric, zapping sound of lightning; there was a flash of light, and the next thing I remembered, was Zephyr's face.
The explosion sound and flash of light… transported me somewhere else…
I racked my brain trying to think because it sounded familiar. It sounded like something out of a story.
What was it… What was it?
And then I realized.
The Bifröst.
The Bifröst… the magical bridge made of a rainbow of light that connected the world of people to the realm of Asgard, the home of the gods. I remembered both Hiccup and Eyarr describing it to me on separate occasions, and that the Bifröst was guarded by a God named Heimdall. It could only be 'activated' by him.
Does that mean…
The gods of Asgard took me to the North Sea on purpose.
It… couldn't be.
This meant that the gods intending for us to meet was true.
My realization did not mean I could just turn the canoe around. No, I had to finish this with my sister and cousin and figure this shit out when we got home. It would only be a few days.
I kept face when we finally arrived at the island, accepting the gifts given to us as a welcome. We gave the chief our gifts as well and exchanged pleasantries. Aihe and the other chief went to have a meeting with some elders and their priests. While they went off and did that, I stayed near the boat for the remainder of the day, checking for any damage and adjusting the rigging.
However, Rua could see that I had something on my mind.
"Yo, what's got you all strung up?" He noogied my head, ruffling up my hair. I groaned and undid my braid.
"Nothing, Rua." He glared at me in a weird, loving, cousin way, if you will.
"Come on, I'm way older than you, I know how you get when you have something on your mind." I shook my head.
"You know, I've had way too much of that said to me lately. "I know how you are," I spat out in frustration, "I know everyone knows me well. I don't need that reminder. But I'm tired of it."
"Whoa, jeez, relax. I'm sorry." I sighed, pursing my lips and squeezing my eyes shut in agitation.
"It's- It's fine. Just drop it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm still trying to figure it out." He sighed, knowing not to push it further. He did encourage me to enter the village with him so we could go to the fale we would have during our stay.
A few women came up to me, giving me a lei. One insisted on doing my hair. I was slightly baffled at it, but I accepted the offer and let them treat me.
"Why are you pampering me?" I had to ask.
"Well, you are the visiting chief's elder sister. And we did hear the story of your journey in the north. We figured we should treat you with some extra hospitality." One of the women, Mareva, explained as she combed my hair.
I was still a bit taken aback, but I was still grateful and appreciative of their kindness. I spent a few more hours with them, allowing them to give me fresh new clothes for our journey home. After bidding them farewell and expressing a few more formalities, I met with my sister and cousin at our fale.
Aihe was notably excited to see it. And Rua had a big grin on his face.
"Well, both of you are in excellent moods. I assume the meeting went well?" I asked. Aihe nodded excitedly.
"I did tell you the purpose behind this trip, right?" She questioned. I could hear her fighting back a squeal of delight. I just waited for her to tell me.
"Just spill it!"
"Okay, okay; so before you came home, Mom and Dad were talking to the chief's father about possibly being able to arrange a marriage for me," I raised an eyebrow. Aihe and I were never interested in arranged marriages growing up, so this was a bit out of character for her. But I bit my tongue and let her finish explaining.
"And so, this trip was about meeting with the chief, his father, and his sister! And his sister and I have begun the process of getting married!" I was stunned. Not about Aihe marrying a woman, but the fact that she was actually ready for marriage.
"Oh, gods. Aihe! I'm incredibly happy for you! I just didn't expect this to come up so fast!"
"I know I never seemed like the type to get married so soon… but I guess I just needed to wait for the right person, you know?" I grinned ear to ear.
"I'm really happy for you. What's her name?"
"Heilani." I could see the glimmer in my sister's eyes saying her new fiancee's name. Even though I didn't initially have the trip's details, I was genuinely happy to know the purpose as long as my sister was happy and found the right person, that was all that mattered to me.
We spent a few more days allowing Aihe to get to know her fiancée better, and I finally got to meet her. And based on pure vibes, I already knew they were an excellent match.
The next step was to bring Heilani to Motunui with us, where the other half of the wedding preparations would begin. And then Heilani's family would come for the ceremony. It was very exciting, yet surreal, to think about. But I couldn't help but think about the possibility I may not have the chance to see my sister get married. I couldn't explain it but felt it would be my reality.
I safely sailed us home with no storms to hinder us. I allowed Aihe and Heilani to do their thing as Mom and Dad assisted Heilani to life on Motunui.
It all felt like it was happening so fast, watching my sister mature and step into her role as a leader and now as a wife. And as happy as I was for her, I couldn't help but feel my own sort of longing for that kind of fulfillment, too.
I spent a day with Grandma a week or so after returning from Heilani's island. I knew she was becoming frailer and frailer by the day and didn't have much time left. So I was desperate to spend whatever time I could with her.
We sat together on the trunk of a fallen palm, which lay across a solid patch of lava stone. Together we watch the reef before us, listening to the waves and the wind rustling through the bushes.
"Gramma, I want to tell you something."
"Mm?"
"Before I went with Aihe to meet her fiancée, I went to the cave of ancestors to cool my mind for a bit, and Grandpa Lawai'a came to visit me."
"Did he?" I nodded.
"Yeah…"
"What did you two talk about?" I relayed what she needed to know to her. I heard her hum softly as I explained what Grandpa had told me.
"Seems like you're just reiterating what you already know."
"I am?" She sighed, closing her eyes before facing me.
"Laeli, listen to me. I know you're stubborn sometimes, just like your mother and grandfather. But I think you should really accept the facts of what you know to be true. You're meant to be with him. You're meant to be there. Your future is there, with him. I know you've missed being here, and I know you've missed us so much. But you know that family is forever; nothing can change that. But now it's time you focus on your own happiness. Go after him."
"You mean that?" I asked, stunned.
"I do. And I know your parents and sister feel the same. And whatever it takes to help you get back, we will help. Even if it takes a little magic." I snorted a little bit.
"I appreciate it, I really do. I guess it still hasn't sunk in yet. That everyone wants this for me."
"But Laeli, is this what you want for yourself?" I thought about it for a moment. Everything I helped him with, everything we faced together. It was worth it to see him happy. And I wanted a fulfilled life with him.
"Yes, it is."