Threads of Emerald

Ropes of Fate: Chapter 37

A banging on the door awoke Orion and I. The fact that the boat was no longer bobbing up and down told me we had made it safely to Selkie's Cove.

Setyn was clearly impatient as his second knock rang through the wood-panelled cabin, dust crumbling in my hair as I rose and shook Orion.

"Come on lovers, we're at Selkie's Cove. There's a fisherman shouting at me to get moving. Of course, I'll destroy his boat as I leave for the utter disrespect. But nevertheless, you need to get up!".

Orion laughed slightly as he rose, pulling me with him and grabbing both of our cloaks. He pulled his on first, and then tied the cloak around my neck and pulled my hood up, slinging the canvas bag over his shoulder the way the butcher would hang the carcass of some poor beast over their shoulder. I didn't miss how his fingers trailed the smooth column of my neck before he took one stride across the room and opened the bolted door.

"Setyn, always a pleasure", Orion grumbled under his breath as Setyn turned on his heel, huffing slightly as he led us to the deck.

Orion's hooded figure blocked the streaming sun slightly as we made it to the top deck. I couldn't resist looking around as the world slowly came into focus, my head slightly fuzzy from the deep sleep I'd fallen into.

Selkie's Cove was breathtaking. It was a small coastal inlet, the glistening waters sheltered slightly by the crumbling umber rocks forming a barrier that jutted out in a broken circle around the cove, a narrow entrance remaining for one ship to pass and dock at the shore.

The sun had left the highest peek, as if the horizon was pulling it on a thread and extinguishing its heat, turning golden, yellow rays to shards of citrine glass which set the lulling water afire. I could happily stand and watch the sunset. Orion and I must have slept for hours, early morning traded for early evening. I wondered why Orion was so tired, whether he'd awoken and left me to sleep alone. I was unconscious enough that even Commander Lowell's blows wouldn't break through the weighted blanket of sleep that had pushed me into sweet oblivion.

The sand looked like the white powder I would brush across my skin once I'd finished applying various cosmetics. I wanted to strip my black boots off and curl my toes into the delicious velvety sand.

I'd visited here for an evening once a few summers ago. Mother and father could only afford a small holiday once every few years. I'd always wanted to return to Selkie's Cove, to the flickering waves that crept up the shore line and doused the smooth sand with it's briny contents.

I could spy a few sandstone buildings standing a few feet from the shoreline. The small inn we had stayed at, the Norr-Inn, named after the vicious ancient sea creatures which were said to favour swimming in coves and dark caves.

Orion had began walking again as Setyn strode over to a deckhand and told him to go and help move the sails. I hadn't noticed the sails in the dingy light of dawn. But, in the bright streaming sunlight, I spied the symbol on the brown mast. An illustration of a compass, detailed in black and grey ink. The only thing missing from the symbol were the labels of north, west, south and east,

It was a beautiful symbol. It looked like two four-point stars, each point on one of the stars pointing straight in each direction and the other with four diagonal points, all contained in an intricately detailed circle.

"Are you coming Affra?", Orion's shoulders had tensed slightly as he stopped on the top step leading down to the wooden slats of the small pier which bobbed up and down.

I rushed forward towards him as more members of the crew began to come to the front of the ship. Setyn had clearly ordered them all there so they couldn't spy the King of the Amber Kingdom leaving the ship.