From Embers

35 - Sea Sick or Love Sick?

Alanis handed a bowl to Twig before sitting down. "Drink this. The cook said it's what they give all the new recruits who aren't sea ready."

Taking a sniff, the fairy scrunched her nose. A foul smell hit her nose and she instantly regretted bringing the gloopy liquid anywhere near her nostrils. "Is this some secret plan to murder me? It would be a good place to hide the body. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in a place so deep not even mermaids dare to swim."

"Ye always were one for the dramatics." Alanis stroked Twig's hair. "It's an Old World formula, but all the kitchen hands swear by it. Even Jai-Jai's feeling better after drinkin' some. Of course, only after threatening the men to tell her everything that was put into it. That woman is very knowledgeable about her plants, let me tell ye. Once the cook told her the ingredient, she went off about how the Veratrum Album-somethin' or the white hellebore was a rare find. Turns out it's only grown a mountain range far East of our homeland."

"Her plant talk is boring on a good day, but right now it's making me want to stuff my ears with fairy dust."

Alanis laughed. "Oh, to the farthest corner of hell with her. We havenna need for any schoolin' here. Let's pretend we're on holiday, out tae search for that perfect beach tae build our tree-house on."

"Don't you mean our home safely on the ground?"

"Nah. What's the fun in tha'?" Alanis flicked Twig on the forehead. "Am goin' tae build it on the tippity top of those trees and on windy days it'll sway us tae sleep. Why don't ye shrink and take a nap on my shoulder while a finish up lunch. Me break's done and there cannae be any places for me tae hide from the cook."

The hellbore root concoction had settled Twig's stomach, and only when Alanis mentioned it did she realize how tired she was. "Can't we just stay like this?"

"A really have tae go. But, we have all the time in the world to be together." A crash from downstairs made the two girls sit up. The cook was screaming and Rhistel's manical laugh came up through the wooden planks making up the ship's top deck. Alanis kissed Twig's forehead and ran downstairs.

Twig couldn't move for a while. Even if she hadn't drunk that horrible potion, that kiss alone made her feel top of the world. She couldn't help the rise in her wings and blush on her cheeks. Thankful that Rhistel made a mess in time for Alanis to not see her embarassed face. The kiss wasn't anything special. Alanis had never been the type to shy away from public touching of those she was close with. But, deep down Twig always hoped that it meant something special because it was Twig she was kissing. Not her sister, or mother, or any other friend.

When three consecutive yawns pushed their way past her lips, Twig submitted to her body telling her it was time for a nap. I should have taken her up on that offer to sleep on her shoulder, thought Twig.

Later that evening, Twig was awoken to the sounds of crashing and stomping. Rubbing the sleep away from her eyes she spotted a cold plate of food at the foot of the bed on the floor and darkness outside the small window. Unrefined music played loudly and the sound of men singing, off key of course, came into her room with such a force that Twig was surprised the sound waves didn't break the entry way down.

Shivering, she wraped the first shawl in sight around her shoulders and went to face the merrymakers head on. In the dining hall she found the crew in an uproar. Some had instrument in hand, while the others banged their glasses together and danced on the tables. Twig grimaced at the bun she'd dropped onto the table from her plate at breakfast and had eaten away. The amount of germs that must be on those tables.

In the center of the room sat her friends. Alanis' cheeks were red and with every breath she breathed out heavily. Her hair that was usually braided flowed freely around her. It had grown so long that the ends touched her bottom. Not that Twig was looking there, no, she was only looking at the hair. So she tried to convince herself.