Freedom's Horizon: Spirit of Belize (WLW)

Part One: Chapter Two

The Departure

Ines surveyed the area wherein she was being led, finding makeshift huts, tree hammocks and Caribbean natives staring back at her with curiosity. The island wasn't large, but definitely big enough for a community like theirs. In fact, from the small amount of people she could see, Ines deduced the island could house many more within the jungle nearby and she immediately longed to be one of those most likely living within the lush greenery far and away from prying eyes. It was lovely and she imagined herself living off the land or perhaps even fishing off of the coast some mornings with a long winded sigh.

If only she'd been able to escape the woman with whom she was walking, but her strength was quickly dwindling when running away on the beach and she found it hard to keep up with her even now. The woman leading her past the others in the vicinity smiled and waved at those passing her by as they greeted her with even more enthusiasm. They wore tattered clothing that had seen better days, but with such boldness Ines was sure their state didn't matter. Actually, that possibility even gave her an inkling of hope, regardless of however disparaging it would be once it was gone.

She swiveled her head and watched all of the excited faces coming toward them. The woman leading her along, glanced back over her shoulder and said something in a language Ines had never heard, leading the children in the area to giggle. One of the girls touched Ines' arm, playing with the ruffles of her shawl as she beamed up at her. As much as she tried to fight it, Ines couldn't help but softly grin back and she spotted a boy close to them staring at her with wide eyes. He stopped the woman holding her bindings and tugged her down by her vest so that he might whisper in her ear, making Ines entirely too curious as to what he was saying.

Finally pulling back, the woman laughed at whatever had left the small boy's mouth and he frowned, then ran to Colel who was walking behind them. Many of the children hugged her and once finished with her greetings, she lifted the boy into her arms and took him with her to a hut larger than the rest. A man who was on the boat with them walked up behind her with a little girl's hand in his own, tapping Colel's shoulder. She turned around and he hugged her rather tightly, then pulled back. He kissed her and rubbed his nose along her ear as he spoke into it, cupping her left cheek. As he showed the most affection Ines had ever witnessed in a couple, the children with them giggled and they all tucked into the hut together.

A family? Her husband never said anything about there being families here...

The man quickly peeked back out of the hut and jogged to them, touching her captor's shoulder and pulling her attention from some indecipherable conversation she was having with one of the native boys. "Thank you, sister. The people here so desperately need this reprieve and we couldn't have done it without you. You know that, right, Gen?"

Through a furrowed brow, Ines glanced between this Gen woman and the man several times, finding absolutely nothing in common between the two other than their many scars. The man was covered with them, seemingly from heat to toe, and tanned darker than the woman could ever become. Gen was Caucasian, stood a great deal shorter than him and had olive skin covered in freckles begging for Ines' counting. As if picking up on her surveillance, Gen glanced at her and smirked, then took her dirk from her boot. She cut Ines' bindings and grasped her bicep, leading her past the man who spoke with an odd accent she hadn't ever heard.

"So this is the admiral's wife." As he walked beside them, he turned himself around, traipsing backward and glancing along her face. "Now that I get a good view of her, she's quite the looker, 'ey?"

"Yes, Felipe. Regardless, we cannot stay to see what may transpire. Our family is awaiting our arrival in Sicilia."

"Yes, but..." Gen turned toward him and tilted her head to the side. "Colel will be coming with us after all. She must lay low and what better way to do so than with us venturing elsewhere?"