[STORY] --> Awaken - Part 29 - Solidarity In Silence

hypexals-spiral (62)in #story • 5 years ago

WELCOME TO "AWAKEN"

Part 29 - Solidarity In Silence

Thanks for Reading!

previously in

Part 28 - Sea's Horizon Quartet

...

Most of those who'd come to make purchases had already gone home which gave the docks a serene feeling. A light rain now fell from the sky and pattered its' song onto the ground in the area. Silgren waved to his friends, now aboard the ship, and shouted, “Safe travels!” Mayval returned just in time from dropping some supplies off at home and waved her goodbyes at the group. Merobaku was pleased to see her again, thanked her for the dress, and exchanged pleasantries over the excited caws from Kogg atop the ships main mast. The crew untethered the ship from the docks, raised the anchor and rigged the sails tight. Kogg looked on curiously while the rainstorm's breeze easily carried the trade vessel into the open waters and towards their shared destination of Verlys.

Orvus let out a sigh of relief that his friend Silgren had come through for him. The weight of the coins in the cloth pouch brought him calm as he stood at the ship's stern looking back at Algen. The old man felt reassured that his vision-like dream would turn out to be more important than any of them could have predicted, and smiled up at Kogg. While the ship was pushed further from shore, Merobaku felt more free than the winds and waters of the skies and seas, and for the first time in a very long time felt a connection with those she'd met. Kogg experienced his dreams coming true as the island disappeared into the distance of the watery horizon. He shook the beaded raindrops from his body and fluffed his feathers as a dull thunder rumbled in the distance.

Part 29 - Solidarity In Silence

For the remainder of the afternoon, the old man spent his time watching Kogg show off his aerial flight proficiency to the entertained delight of the ship's crew. Orvus and Merobaku had gone below deck for a tour of their sleeping quarters, the galley, and cargo hold. Silgren had briefed the Captain on Merobaku and he assured Silgren he'd see to it that the crew wouldn't be disrespectful. Navigating the ships corridors proved frustrating for Merobaku, so she returned to the deck and sat next to the old man. She'd joined him in watching Kogg fly intricate laps around the ship and smiled at Kogg's excessively obvious excitement. A moment later, Kogg landed on the deck to receive his praise in applause and neck scratches. When the crew had dispersed, and returned to their duties, Kogg walked over to the old man and hopped up onto the bench along the ship's forward starboard end. The old man had a small handful of berries ready to feed him and placed them down for Kogg to enjoy.

Kogg was exhausted, and in the moments of silence that followed, had fallen asleep. Merobaku glanced right, looking out at the sea, and asked the old man, “Do you think the people in Verlys will be able to help?” The old man sat forward, glanced briefly at her and then looked down at the deck, “If anyone can help us realize the potential of the stone, it'll be them...” The old man turned his glance same as hers, stood up, and looked longingly at the horizon. Merobaku stood up too, with intent to follow him, but the old man looked slightly left and spoke softly to her over his shoulder, “Right up until we found you... I was in doubt of my own wits.” Merobaku wanted to interject, but then he continued, “I had isolated myself for a long after Orvus had befriended me, and then one day while out gathering a snack for lunch, I met Kogg...” The old man turned left slightly, looked back at Merobaku and frowned a little, “His wing was burned, missing feathers... and he could barely walk without being in pain...” Merobaku leaned her stance forward, her eyes locked with his look of seriousness, “I nursed him back to health,” said the old man faintly while staring down at his right hand, “and when he was almost better, someone came by looking for him.”

Merobaku wondered why the old man seemed dismayed, but chose not to interrupt him as he spoke again, “Kogg's trusting nature drew me to him, but then this man...” The old man paused, and clenched his fist tightly with a wince on his face, “He tricked me into trusting him. I told him about Kogg, that he was nearly healed, and could be released soon...” Merobaku's expression changed from sympathetic to shocked, as if she could see where this story was heading, and then the old man looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “Once I'd led him to Kogg, so he could see for himself, he attacked me.” The old man vividly recalled the memory, “Kogg was alerted from his sleep, somehow managed to not be hit by a direct blast of fire, and clawed the eyes of the attacker.” Merobaku looked down at a sleeping Kogg on the bench, smiled a sad but loving smile at him, and redirected her eyes to the old man's heartfelt stare. “If it were not for Orvus, and the scrolls he'd given me...” said the old man with a wince, and tears in his eyes... “neither of us would've...” Merobaku stepped forward, interrupting his emotion-locked remembrance, and spoke with a stern quietness at the old man, “War is not always against an army, but is always to protect that which we love.” The old man suddenly seemed present and alert. His eyes dilated momentarily, and then were fixed on her. He blinked, and a single tear ripped it's way down his cheek. The old man cleared his throat, and in an emotionally weakened voice, said very softly to her, “Thank you.” Merobaku gave a nod of acknowledgement, knowing the old man didn't want to, nor need to continue the story to be understood. The old man made his way to the front of the ship and stared out at the ocean. Merobaku followed, caught up with him then placed her hand on his shoulder, and stared out in silent solidarity.

Source Image - Pixabay

Neither of them knew how much time had passed while they stood there, but Orvus brought them some dinner from the galley after the Great Light had fallen from sight. Kogg was still asleep on the bench when Orvus put the somewhat cold plates of food down for them, and made sure to set aside a bowl for Kogg nearby. Orvus could tell there was something that'd happened to change the mood, but felt he knew enough without being told, and went back downstairs. The sound of the door closing behind Orvus had slightly awoken Kogg, and then the smell of dinner pulled him away from his slumber. Kogg cawed sleepily at them both before stretching, then Merobaku and the old man approached, reached for their plates and started to eat. Kogg cawed happily after the first bite of his fried berry, corn, and fig omelette. The old man smiled at Kogg who returned another caw of enjoyment before digging back in for another hefty bite. Orvus returned soon after they'd finished eating with another crew member, and they'd brought oil lanterns to hang on metal hooks around the deck. After they were lit, the crew member took the dishes down below to be washed and Orvus joined Merobaku and the old man in silence. As they each stared ahead at the faint yet discernible guiding light at the port of town Verlys, night had fallen and the sounds of the ocean were all to be heard aboard the deck.