There was the normal chatter from the crew during the evening meal. I sat at the end pushing my food around not registering what was being discussed at the moment; answering with "Mhm's" and "of course". All I could think about was Adelhaide still knocked out cold in my room. What if she wakes up in a strange place? I want to be there when she does, though she looks so beautiful when she sleeps.
I also can't help but thinking how this scheme of hers is actually working so far. I didn't think she would make it on the boat in the first place, she never ceases to amaze me; this small eastern belle.
Finally I pushed back my chair and told the crew that I had a migraine and needed to bed early. I walked slowly wondering if she was awake yet, but when I opened the door there she was still lying there. I took the chair from the desk, sat it beside the bed, and willed her eyes to open. What if she doesn't wake up at all?
As I sit there waiting I take in everything in my room. There was a covered bookshelf on the left wall to my right; and beside me a desk covered in papers and quills. The bed in front of me is positioned in the farthest corner from the door with my chest of my belongings tied to the end. This is not the room you would imagine for a prince, but I guess I like to keep things simple. My brothers on the other hand would have had golden tapestries all around the room, artifacts that show off their richness; but I see no point in this, for no one will see it anyways.
I reached under the bed for one of my knives, a small curved blade called a glako. The handle is made of fine ebony inlayed with ivory symbols. The symbols are from the old language of Akiviri, so the translation has long been lost. I found it while hunting one winter with my childhood friend, Tanta. It was late and the river quickens in the dark, but we had to cross it. Tanta got the other side safely, but I was taken down but a larger piece of drift wood. I was hit unexpectedly and fell backwards into the cold water. Before I could think a full thought I was being carried down the river. Frantically I tried to find something to grab hold of, but everything was coated with ice and my fingers were to numb to cling to the rocks. Then I was falling, falling into what I didn't know. I don't remember what happened next, just that I woke up on the bank of the river with the strange glanko in my hands and a fading memory of a tavern covered in ivory ruins.
I never went anywhere without the glanko, for the possibility that someone could steal it, or the slightest chance that I may find someone who knows what it's meaning is.
I stood and started to jab the blade into my invisible opponent, slashing and stabbing the air. I let the glanko become one with me and let my imagination invent the hardest opponent to face, curiosity. I swung the blade, moving in almost a one person dance. The handle of the glanko started to warm, and there was a faint light engulfing it. I gasped and moved to let go of the blade but my hands would not obey. I felt as if I was not controlling my movements and the blade swung me around till I was pointing at the bed, where a small frame was huddled in the corner with fear in her eyes.
I felt a tug in the back of my mind, calling me, telling me to open my eyes. Finally I obeyed the call. Slowly, my eyes began to open taking a minute to focus. Everything seemed so bright. No. Something moving around was bright. Quickly I sprang up and backed to the edge of the bed that I had been lying on. An unknown fear swelling inside my chest as I watched a dancing snow tiger covered in brilliant golden light. It was so terrifyingly beautiful. No matter what I did I couldn't bring myself to look away. I don't know what's going on, I thought I would be on Kieji's ship, maybe I didn't make it and I died. Surely death wouldn't be watching a dancing snow tiger.
At first the Tiger didn't seem to notice my presence, but in a single moment it spun and its huge eyes started into mine. Fear over took me and I let out a small gasp. I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to look away from this beast. Shaking I tore my gaze away and buried my head in my knees.
"You’re either dead or going to die" I thought to myself, "better look death in the face." With my own words giving me courage I really looked into the eyes of the tiger, taking them inside of mine. In that moment the fear was gone, replaced with a calm feeling I could not place.
"Adelhaide?" The voice was in my head and it sounded very familiar. "It's alright, I would never hurt you."
"Kieji?" I said in astonishment.
Starring back at me through the tigers mountain eyes; not the tigers eyes, Kieji's eyes.
Without thinking I slid off of the bed and stood facing those enormous eyes, no fear inside of me. I reached up and cupped the tiger’s soft fur in my hands and smiled up at him. In that moment the tiger started to melt away, being replaced with Kieji, his face resting in my small hands.
"What happened?" was all he could say as the strength was pulled away from him.
*********************************************************************************
I also can't help but thinking how this scheme of hers is actually working so far. I didn't think she would make it on the boat in the first place, she never ceases to amaze me; this small eastern belle.
Finally I pushed back my chair and told the crew that I had a migraine and needed to bed early. I walked slowly wondering if she was awake yet, but when I opened the door there she was still lying there. I took the chair from the desk, sat it beside the bed, and willed her eyes to open. What if she doesn't wake up at all?
As I sit there waiting I take in everything in my room. There was a covered bookshelf on the left wall to my right; and beside me a desk covered in papers and quills. The bed in front of me is positioned in the farthest corner from the door with my chest of my belongings tied to the end. This is not the room you would imagine for a prince, but I guess I like to keep things simple. My brothers on the other hand would have had golden tapestries all around the room, artifacts that show off their richness; but I see no point in this, for no one will see it anyways.
I reached under the bed for one of my knives, a small curved blade called a glako. The handle is made of fine ebony inlayed with ivory symbols. The symbols are from the old language of Akiviri, so the translation has long been lost. I found it while hunting one winter with my childhood friend, Tanta. It was late and the river quickens in the dark, but we had to cross it. Tanta got the other side safely, but I was taken down but a larger piece of drift wood. I was hit unexpectedly and fell backwards into the cold water. Before I could think a full thought I was being carried down the river. Frantically I tried to find something to grab hold of, but everything was coated with ice and my fingers were to numb to cling to the rocks. Then I was falling, falling into what I didn't know. I don't remember what happened next, just that I woke up on the bank of the river with the strange glanko in my hands and a fading memory of a tavern covered in ivory ruins.
I never went anywhere without the glanko, for the possibility that someone could steal it, or the slightest chance that I may find someone who knows what it's meaning is.
I stood and started to jab the blade into my invisible opponent, slashing and stabbing the air. I let the glanko become one with me and let my imagination invent the hardest opponent to face, curiosity. I swung the blade, moving in almost a one person dance. The handle of the glanko started to warm, and there was a faint light engulfing it. I gasped and moved to let go of the blade but my hands would not obey. I felt as if I was not controlling my movements and the blade swung me around till I was pointing at the bed, where a small frame was huddled in the corner with fear in her eyes.
I felt a tug in the back of my mind, calling me, telling me to open my eyes. Finally I obeyed the call. Slowly, my eyes began to open taking a minute to focus. Everything seemed so bright. No. Something moving around was bright. Quickly I sprang up and backed to the edge of the bed that I had been lying on. An unknown fear swelling inside my chest as I watched a dancing snow tiger covered in brilliant golden light. It was so terrifyingly beautiful. No matter what I did I couldn't bring myself to look away. I don't know what's going on, I thought I would be on Kieji's ship, maybe I didn't make it and I died. Surely death wouldn't be watching a dancing snow tiger.
At first the Tiger didn't seem to notice my presence, but in a single moment it spun and its huge eyes started into mine. Fear over took me and I let out a small gasp. I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to look away from this beast. Shaking I tore my gaze away and buried my head in my knees.
"You’re either dead or going to die" I thought to myself, "better look death in the face." With my own words giving me courage I really looked into the eyes of the tiger, taking them inside of mine. In that moment the fear was gone, replaced with a calm feeling I could not place.
"Adelhaide?" The voice was in my head and it sounded very familiar. "It's alright, I would never hurt you."
"Kieji?" I said in astonishment.
Starring back at me through the tigers mountain eyes; not the tigers eyes, Kieji's eyes.
Without thinking I slid off of the bed and stood facing those enormous eyes, no fear inside of me. I reached up and cupped the tiger’s soft fur in my hands and smiled up at him. In that moment the tiger started to melt away, being replaced with Kieji, his face resting in my small hands.
"What happened?" was all he could say as the strength was pulled away from him.
*********************************************************************************
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