Eehi The Surf Raider: Eehi Meets the Queen

Chapter Two

        It brings a smile to my face when I remember the day I saved the Queen. What? Did I not mention that I saved her life? Well, not only did I get to meet her, but I most certainly saved her life! She would have died of dehydration if I had not seen her standing at the edge of the Crystal Sea. I had been looking out in her direction wondering what the strange, dark figure was standing at the edge of the sea when a blinding light caught my eye.

        This light, it flashed from the figure then disappeared. Then, it flashed once more. I recognized this pattern of light since the Dousan had attempted it as a method of communication but found it too harsh on the eyes for close interaction and only worked when there was light to reflect from a polished surface. Though, it was still used to communicate great distances in the desert.

        This pattern, at the time, I thought made no sense. It was just glinting light, leading me to believe whoever it was standing out there all alone was not familiar with the communication style and therefore the flashing was not an attempt to reach me.

        I set my sail and readied to head west for the well. Something made me stop just before I disappeared below deck and look out at this creature one last time. As I caught sight of it, it seemed to fall, or drop to the ground. The light shimmered once more from it. The heavy hood it wore had fallen to its shoulders. It was a Gelfling! My eyes were not as sharp as they once had been but I knew the outline of a Gelfling well. And this Gelfling was in need of help.

        I sailed as fast as my vessel would carry me, but it still took me many minutes to reach the edge of the sea where the Gelfling had collapsed. I only hoped this Gelfling was alive enough to be saved and that I was not about to be burying the poor soul. My vessel groaned to a halt and I positioned her so that I could lower my bridge straight onto the land next to the Gelfling.

        When I reached the pile of heavy cloaks I turned the body over and inspected it for life. It was a girl Gelfling! I nearly fell back away from her at the shock. What was a girl doing at the edge of the sea, and in such clothing too? I placed my hand upon her chest. She still breathed! I sighed in relief and hefted her up onto my shoulder to carry her back onto my vessel. 

        I laid her on my small makeshift bed and force fed her some moisture. My hands shook nervously as I tried to remove some of her cloaks to allow her body to cool down in the shade below deck. I felt as if I was disrespecting her in some way by touching her when she was not awake to tell me otherwise. I needed to strip her down to lighter clothes or she would surely suffer overheating. The body has a set temperature it must maintain to live at and desert Gelflings have learned that when that temperature becomes too great the Gelfling can die from it as easily as having no moisture.

        I paced, fed her the last of my moisture, checked my course, and then paced some more. I waited what seemed an eternity for any sign that she may come out of this alive. Finally, she seemed to stir. Her fingers curled and twitched along with her eyelids. Her lashes fluttered quickly and she looked around in surprise.

        She tried to sit up, but I knew she needed to lie still a while longer. Her body was nearly depleted of moisture. Soon her limbs would ache for water and I had already given her all I had onboard. This ache, it was a pain I knew well, and not one I would wish on any Gelfling. I held her down hoping she would understand that I meant her no harm. I knew she was not Dousan, everything about her was not Dousan, and so I would have to speak to her to make her understand.

"Rest," I had uttered. The sound of my own voice was odd to me. It was rough and broken sounding. I had not used it in many years for you see what need had I of a voice when my hands communicated whatever I needed? Most often, I had no need to communicate because I was alone. I sailed with no other Gelfling, no companions. That was the way I liked it.

"But where am I? Is there water? I wish to have some water."

        She wished to have some water? What did she think this was a castle? Was that where she was from? She looked much pampered, so it must be.

"Soon," I rumbled out, my voice sounding a little clearer now.

        This seemed to pacify her for she lay back down and closed her eyes once more. I was not sure who she was or why she had come to the Crystal Sea, but I knew she was Gelfling and Gelflings did not just let other Gelflings die.

        I changed my course and headed for a small patch of spiny cacti that I had seen only the day before. With any hope there would still be some there that had not been taken over by the desert kaw. They liked to make nests among the patches since most desert creatures left the cacti alone. Spiny cacti were short plump plants that grew in small clusters on the surface of the Crystal Sea. The plant had many uses and was very well adapted to life in the desert.

        The plants even managed to survive the ever changing currents of the sea by seeming to float and move with the crystals. But, today I was only interested in them for the tiny amount of moisture they contained. That small amount would be enough to sustain the Gelfling girl until I could reach my home and gather some of the reserve water I kept for emergencies.