With Orlan sailing the boat during the night and Bren during the day they covered a lot of ground quickly.
On the second day, they could take off their cloaks and enjoy the warmer climates that came with the Island of Rolezal and the seas surrounding it.
Iasa, having lived in the heat her entire life, found the unstoppable excitement Bren and Eboni were exuberating both strange and dull. She therefore spent her time in the cargo hold lighting the torches over and over again.
Eboni had placed herself on the bow of the small ship, eager to take in the sunshine and warmth she had been deprived of her whole life- as well as keeping Bren company as he sailed, following the co-ordinates Orlan had laid out for him that morning.
Bren was whistling an old prayer song. Eboni appreciated the fact that he had kept her mind busy and silences short.
After she had emerged onto the deck the afternoon on the day they had fled- puffy eyes from crying and unable to sleep any longer- Bren had made sure to keep her mind occupied so she had little time to think about home and the Brothers and Sisters they had left behind.
She started singing along to his whistling, the soft melodic prayer filling her with hope and comfort.
"I know that song!" Exclaimed Iasa as she came onto the deck "-But we sing it a little differently in Rolezal- exchange the words prayer for hair and fails for nails and you have my version!" she laughed ignoring the frown that Bren wore and Eboni's glare, moving to the stern so she could watch the waves.
Bren caught her eye and sighed shaking his head. Smiling sadly, she turned back to watch the open waters for a sign of land- or danger. Though she hadn't said it out loud, it was a possibility that they hadn't evaded the Dark Ones and that they were in fact hot on their tales. Taking another look around, she relaxed as she saw nothing but water and sky.
Absentmindedly she drew out a little energy and built a glowing sculpture in front of her. After an hour or so she felt eyes on her back.
Both Orlan and Iasa were sat on the deck watching her intently and the sculpture intently, as was Bren who gave her a small smirk.
"How do you have so much control?" Iasa mumbled, annoyed.
"Deep meditation and patience allows me to control it like it's an extra limb." She replied, turning back to the sculpture, she spun a glowing thread of energy from her fingertips until it created an exact replica of a rose. Closing her eyes, she continued-.
"The meditation allows me to visualise my power inside my body. When I close my eyes, I see white ribbons running throughout- I call these my power pathways. Meditation also allows me to visualise clearly what I wish to do with the power- like building this rose for example. Patience means I can practice more, I find getting angry or frustrated uses more energy and therefore more power." She smiled opening her eyes. Orlan was sat staring back and forth between her and the rose. Iasa just sat scowling.
"Practice, Princess, is the only way to improve- if you like we can meditate together later."
"Great!" she exclaimed "Maybe I can find my very own ribbons!" sarcasm dripped from her mouth.
Before Eboni could respond Iasa stood up and flounced her way back down below deck.
After a moments silence Orlan too stood up, only instead of going back below. Deck, he relieved Bren of the captain's wheel.
"Go and eat, I can steer for an hour."
Nodding Bren disappeared below deck, but not before sending her another reassuring smile. She looked up to the clear sky, the suns now merged into one signalling the middle of the day. They would reach Rolezal this time tomorrow, the prospect of new land exiting and terrifying at the same time.
"She's never felt inferior before." Orlan said breaking her from her thoughts.
"Sorry?" Eboni replied, a little shocked that Orlan had talked to her directly, usually he would watch from a-far and only talk to Iasa and Bren, not that she minded, she had nothing she needed to say to him either.
"Princess Iasa. She feels inferior to you, because you have such easy control over your powers. That's why she is not being- particularly pleasant- to you." He met her gaze, his steel grey eyes bringing no comfort with his words.
She took a moment to take in her travel companion. His rugged complexion and dark scarred skin aged him considerably, but his defined muscles strong shoulders and soldiers posture gave him a sense of skill and authority. If she had to guess she'd say he was in his early 30's. There was no ring on his finger signifying that he was tied to another- but that was normal for serving soldiers of Rolezal she'd learnt.
"Can she be taught?" Eboni asked, masking her visual assessment of him as deep contemplation.
"I do not know." He replied pensively "But for the sake of all that is holy, I hope she can."
Three hours passed by without any sign of Iasa. Bren had relieved Orlan of captain duty after eating and the two of them stood in a comfortable silence, occasionally commenting on what they were looking forward to when they docked in Rolezal.
The arrival of Iasa on deck was heard before seen. The stomping on the stairs broke the peaceful repetition of the waves splashing against the boat.
"Let's do this mediation thing." She demanded, crossing her arms while attempting to stare Eboni into submission. 'She feels inferior' Orlan's words rang through her mind.
Smiling encouragingly, she nodded "Of course- meditation- isn't a quick fix though, you'll need to work on it- are you prepared to do that?"
"Of course, What do you take me for?" Iasa scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Very well. Sit down please, your legs crossed, your palms on your knees." They both sat down opposite each other. Iasa followed her instructions without argument.
"Now, close your eyes." Eboni waited until Iasa had hers firmly shut before she closed her own.
"Now take a deep breath in. Hold. And release. Now again. Breathe in. Hold. And release." They took a few more deep breaths before Iasa began to get irritated.
"I know how to breathe!" She singed annoyed.
"This isn't just breathing. This is breathing in a way that lowers your heart rate and allows your mind to open, so you can sense your power pathways much more easily. Try again."
They sat in silence, Iasa matching her breathing rhythm to her own. After a minute, she felt the surge of power flowing through her body, after another she could visualise clearly the white ribbon pathways that held it all.
"Now, draw a small amount of energy into your mind."- giving her a moment before she continued.
"Tell me when you can feel it flowing through your mind."
"I can feel it."
"Concentrate hard on the energy, the power. Only think of the energy and the sound of my voice, allow it to fill your mind." Another five minutes of silence proceeded before a sharp intake of breath notified Eboni of Iasa's success.
"You will be able to feel the pathway in which the power is flowing through, take a deep breath and gently follow it, down your spine.
"I can see it, I can feel it!" Iasa exclaimed in hushed tones, scared of breaking the connection.
"Follow it wherever you feel like going." Eboni said, finishing her lesson. Opening her eyes, she watched the expressions that flickered across Iasa's face as she saw her power for the first time.
"I lost it!" she whimpered, her eyes flying open, her mouth twisting into an ugly frown.
"That's where the practice comes in. Once you can control the power within you, you will be able to manipulate it outside of you."
"It felt amazing. The power, the control." She grinned showing every perfect straight white teeth.
"What did yours look like?" Eboni asked, her curiosity peeking.
"Lava, red hot lava, flowing in a continuous circuit." Her eyes fluttered shut as she raised a hand to stifle a yawn.
"You will be tired after meditation for a while, until controlling your power becomes second nature. Go and sleep, we'll do this again tomorrow evening- if you'd like."
Iasa nodded sleepily, stumbling as she stood and descended the stairs.
"That went exceedingly well." Bren laughed behind her.
Standing she walked to his side, grinning, his eyes shining as he looked back.
"You should be proud Eboni, we're starting our journey- all be it in a different way and under different circumstances, but we're doing it." He grinned turning his vision back to the ocean ahead.
"Oh, the joy. We're running around the world trying to find three other people with powers. Then we must convince them to come with us, to reach an unknown destination all while being hunted by The Dark ones- the most feared and deadly beings in this world, who no one knows what they look like and who also want to kill us and claim the world for Darkness. So yes Bren, this is exactly what I had in mind when I dreamed of travelling."
Bren chuckled, wrapping her into a bear hug. "The sun is going to set in a few hours, why don't you go and get some sleep, we have a big day ahead of us."
"I can't sleep Bren." She whispered.
He held her closer "The only thing we can do for them now is to stop whatever evil is coming. Our Brothers and Sisters are strong- and they would not have gone down without a fight."
He gave her shoulders a quick squeeze "Try. Try and sleep." He whispered softly.
"I'll try." Standing on her toes she pecked his cheek with a soft kiss before heading to her pillow, praying she would not dream.