Sea Of Seagulls: A Pirate and Fae Tale

Chapter 27

Shaye pounded at the barrier the wall back to reality. She could not block out the sounds of Turner crying out to her. She kept hearing the same message over and over. You could have saved me. She felt the tug of someone trying to pull her out but she couldn't escape. She was lost in her nightmare. Shaye waited hoping someone would save her. Someone could pull her out, and she could move on, so they found the wyrdkey. Shaye waited knowing she would wake up the next day. Everything would be ok and she could forget this nightmare. Forget Turner in her head. She turned back towards Turner. His throat still slit. His body slowly decayed. Shaye turned away, not being able to see her love dying all over again.

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Noelle sat with her mother. They could hear Jack and Theodosia in the next room mumbling about Shaye. Noelle was disappointed. She thought her friends would be more supportive. Noelle didn't understand why they didn't trust Ansel. She had left yes but they already knew that. Noelle looked at Ansel. She sat next to Noelle. She fumbled with her sword anxiously.

"What was my father like?" Noelle asked.

"He was a good man. He loved you dearly."

"Did he die or leave us?" Noelle adjusted in her seat ready for the worst.

"He died. Your father loved us. A plague took him before you were born."

"When did you meet Theodosia and Shaye?"

"I was in Rosamel taking care of wolf pups I found. Theodosia was traveling and came into the barn not knowing I was there. We attended a ball together in Orynth and that is when I met Shaye. They usually aren't like this. Yes, they bicker but I don't understand why they dislike you."

"It's ok. We can go home and you won't have to worry about their opinions."

Noelle stood up, she looked at her mother.

"Why would I not worry about their opinions? They are still my friends. They aren't perfect but they have helped me find you."

"I just thought since they couldn't be supportive, they didn't care about you," Ansel mumbled.

Noelle thought about both sides. Did Theodosia and Shaye not support her? They had helped her so far until now. Noelle thought about the things Theodosia and Shaye said. Should she not trust Ansel. But they knew what happened in the past. Noelle fought with herself trying to decide which side to believe.

"Why did you all decide to travel together?"

"Theodosia and Shaye are looking for the Wyrdkeys. Rolfe told them someone here had it. We decided to team up and ride here together."

Ansel looked shocked. Like something surprised her. She looked startled.

"Are you ok?" Noelle questioned.

"Yeah no, I'm fine," Ansel replied, smiling as if nothing happened.

Strange Noelle thought. She decided not to dig any deeper. Enough had happened that day already.

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Theodosia woke up and realized she fell asleep in her chair. It might have been the first time she had not woken up tied to the chair. She gazed over at Jack's chair. He wasn't there. Theodosia decided she would go find him. Nothing bad had happened or someone would have woken her.

Theodosia didn't speak as she passed Ansel and Noelle. She could deal with them another time. She walked up the steps out of the building. She could hear clunking noises outback. She turned the corner to see him. He had been training using a wooden stick. Probably safer than training with a real sword. She remembered all the injuries from training with real blades and knives cutting her all the time. Her deepest scar ran down her spine.

"You're holding it wrong," Theodosia informed him as she walked towards him.

"Why don't you show me the right way then?"

Theodosia grinned as she pulled out her sword. Maybe she could teach him a thing or two. He might be useful in a fight then. She twisted the sword showing off. She might as well have fun while showing him.

She held the pommel in her right hand, blade pointed downward. She gripped her left hand higher up.

"You don't put your hands right on top of each other, you can't control your range of motion that way," Theodosia explained.

"With your hands further apart on the hilt, you can control where your sword is going."

He tried it pretending his wooden stick was a sword. He swung it around a few times.

"Your form is still off," Theodosia commented.

"I guess you will have to teach me," Jack smirked as he made his way into the building.

"She still isn't any better?"

"No. She is still burning hot, her eyes still frozen open," Theodosia reported.

"Do you think she is ever going to come back?" Theodosia asked, losing hope.

"She has to. She wouldn't leave you like that," Jack responded.

"But what I -," Theodosia started.

"Ok, no more buts. No more ifs. You are coming with me."

Theodosia didn't want to leave. She looked at Shaye just laying there. What would Shaye want? Theodosia thought about the question. Shaye would want them to move on. She would want her to find the wyrdkey. Theodosia wasn't leaving her. Even if Shaye had wished for them to go and leave her, Theodosia ignored the thought. It wouldn't hurt to go for a short time. Maybe she did need to take a break.

Jack grabbed Theodosia's hand and pulled her away from the room. A little fun wouldn't hurt Shaye.

Jack dragged Theodosia out the door. But not before she grabbed two swords.

"Just in case," she told him.

The village was lit up. Theodosia took a moment to forget her problems. Forget the mission. She had been so wrapped up in the wyrd key and Ansel that she forgot that life was still going on around her. Jack pulled her into stores and bought them food. Theodosia enjoyed the meal and the company. She would never admit it though. Theodosia was glad Jack paid because if he hadn't she would have left without giving them a single coin. Jack even bought a large bottle of rum. Theodosia knew that she should not have drunk the whole thing but who was going to stop her. Noelle and Shaye weren't there and Jack couldn't tell her no. She wouldn't listen if he did.

He just watched her as she drank the bottle. Little by little. He stared in disbelief as the whole container became empty.

"We should head back," Jack suggested.

"No. We barely had any fun," Theodosia wined.

"We were here for 4 hours, Theodosia. You are just too drunk to remember any of it," Jack helped her walk towards the building.

"Please tell me I didn't waste a ton of money on you just for you to forget it all," Jack mumbled under your breath, laughter dancing in his voice.

"You know you won't regret it," Theodosia laughed as she spoke.

"And why is that," Jack remarked.

"Because you like me," Theodosia giggled.

Theodosia could hear him chuckle a bit but nothing more. She still laughed as the world went black.