Chapter 54

TW// Mention of death, violence

»We can't just walk on The Young Marry!« Said Tivon as Cornelis was walking towards the ship, boarded in the harbor.

»Cornelis!« Screamed Tivon behind her. »They will recognize me.«

Cornelis only looked over her shoulder and moved her veil attached to the hat.

»Hide underneath it. They won't see.« She smiled.

Tivon rolled his eyes. From time to time he forgot that she was a witch. He ran to her and she hugged him over his shoulders with the veil, starting to whisper words Tivon didn't understand. Together they walked on the ship without anybody noticing them.

»How does this even work?«

»Shhhh. They can hear us.« Whispered Cornelis.

Tivon shut his mouth. They walked below deck into the storage room. Cornelis took out some dried flowers and put them into a circle. She placed her hat down, uncovering them.

»They will see us.« Panicked Tivon.

»They won't hear or see us if you stay in this circle.«

»I don't understand you.«

She smirked. »Nobody understands witches.«

She sat down and leaned against the wooden column. Tivon sat down across her, leaning on to the wall of the ship.

»Are you sure they are sailing towards Bradfordshire?«

Cornelis nodded.

Suddenly someone rushed down the stairs. At first it startled Tivon, but then he remembered that they can't see them.

He looked over the wooden column. Ivan! His heart jumped when he saw a familiar face.

»Your general.«

Tivon smiled and nodded, but the smile quickly faded away, when he saw Ivans face. He looked tired, not just tired. He looked like he was grieving over someone.

»He thinks I'm dead.«

He tried to stepped out of the circle, but Cornelis stopped him.

»Don't.«

»He needs to know I'm okay. He may do something-«

»I'll find that Elias.« Said Ivan to himself. Tivon looked at him. »He'll pay for killing him.«

»N-no it wasn't him.«

Cornelis had to hold him firmly for Tivon to not step outside of the circle.

»Tivon, you mustn't step out of the circle.«

»He'll kill him.« Cried Tivon.

»We'll stop him before he does.« She sat him down. »I promise.«

Tivon pushed her away and hugged his knees. Cornelis was looking at Ivan. Ivan started walking back up the stairs.

»He's not just grieving over you.« Said Cornelis quietly after a minute of silence.

»He lost his love in a battle.« Added Tivon.

»By the hand of Sabur.«

Tivon looked up. »What?«

Cornelis slowly nodded. »He was the one who killed him. And Ivan is still searching for his revenge.« She leaned back on the wooden column. »But he mustn't kill Sabur.« She added quietly.

She started humming the same song and Tivon noticed that she was fidgeting something in her hand. He recognized the symbol. It was the same symbol Elias and the rest of the crew of The Rose Sparrow had tattooed on their wrist.

»How come you have this? Elias has a tattoo of it.«

Cornelis frowned. »It's not just a tattoo. It's a curse.«

»A curse?«

Cornelis looked at him. »Yes, a curse. You see, Sabur was once a captain of a merchant ship. And one day he met a woman, a beautiful woman. And that woman found him beautiful. She fell in love with him in a moment. He hadn't always had those scars on him.« She looked down at the symbol and smiled. »She didn't want much from him, only to help her find the lost antes... Lost boys. Boys who had no home, no parents. She wasn't able to give him anything, but his love. He promised her he will find and help all antes. He promised her his love and he received it too.«

She clenched the symbol in her hand. »But he betrayed her. He became greedy. He started selling the boys and he stopped giving her the only thing she wanted from him. He stopped loving her. He broke his promise. And when the promise is broken the sea will judge you for it. It killed his whole crew, but let him live, giving him the curse. The curse to sail the sea and help the antes, without the help of anyone. But Sabur ignored that. From that day on he sold every boy he crossed path with, cursing his whole crew with it.«

She put the symbol in her pocket. »The one that kills Sabur, will have the same curse as he. That's why Ivan mustn't kill him.«

She leaned her head back and started humming the song. Tivon remembered the story, Elias told him, but it was not the same. Tivon realized it now that Sabur made it so that he was the victim. He looked at Cornelis. He saw a tear running down her cheek.

»You are the woman in the story.«

She nodded sadly, continuing to hum the song.

»And the song you're singing?«

»We all have something that reminds us of someone. It is either a painful or a nice memory.«

Tivon reached into his inner pocket where he had a wood carving of a bird that Elias gave him.

»And what is this song to you?« Asked Tivon.

»Both.«

Tivon could understand that. He could understand the pain she was feeling. He hugged his knees. The curse will fall on to the one who kills Sabur. Elias would kill him. Elias talked about killing him. Elias would kill him. He looked up to Cronelis.

»We need to stop Elias.«

Cornelis stopped humming and looked at him.

»We need to prevent him from killing Sabur.«

Pit was fidgeting the knife in his hand as he saw one of the men wearing a mask waving at him to come closer. These useless jerks. He walked to him.

»What do ya need, don't ya see-«

The men pressed the knife to his kidney.

»You will accompany me across the board and you'll come with me below the deck.« Said the woman's voice.

»Who are y-ya?«

Rea leaned closer and whispered. »If you don't obey me, I'll stick that knife into your kidney. Now turn around and walk.«

Pit turned around and started walking. »Yer that woman.«

Rea pressed the knife closer. »Shhhh, just walk.«

He shut his mouth and walked over to their ship and down to where Elias was.

Elias looked up. »Rea?«

Rea pushed Pit against the wall and pinned his shirt up against the wall with the knife. She took the keys from him and removed her mask.

She looked him dead into his eyes. »If you move even an inch I won't hesitate to kill you.«

Rea turned to Elias. She came to him and unchained him. She quickly grabbed Eliass stuff and her bow behind the barrels and gave it to Elias.

»What are you doing Rea?«

»They're sailing towards the kingdom. They'll bring all the blame on you.« She looked him in the eyes. »Luana will kill The King and Queen and take the kingdom for herself, blaming you for their deaths.«

»W-what?«

As they were talking Pit slowly reached for the knife. He carefully pulled it out and quietly approached Rea from behind, holding the knife firmly in his hand.

Elias looked down. »But how could she even-« He looked up. »Rea look ou-«

But Rea had already grabbed her bow and arrow, turning to Pit, the arrow pointed straight to his head.

»Drop the knife or I will make a hole into your head.« She said coldly.

Pit dropped the knife.

»Good boy.« She smiled and pointed the arrow to his leg and let go. The arrow hit his leg and before Pit could scream, she covered his mouth.

»Shhhh. We don't want anyone here to know.« She leaned to his leg and snapped the arrow. »Now listen carefully. You will bring me the messenger bird and you won't tell anyone about it. If you do, next time I won't aim for your leg.«

Tears were running down his cheeks. He nodded and Rea released him. He quickly went up the stairs, trying to hide his limping leg.

Elias looked at Rea in shock. »What was that?«

»Negotiation.« Smiled Rea.

She came to him to help him.

Elias smiled. »Remind me to never negotiate with you... Ever.«

Rea laughed. »I will.« She took a piece of paper and started writing on it.

»Well, he deserves it. For everything he did to Tivon.«

»Tivon?« She looked at him. »What did he do to him?« Her look was suddenly serious.

»Too much.« Said Elias as he put on his swords and pistol.

»That low piece of shit.«

He suddenly ran down the stair, struggling to hold down the bird in his hands. Rea stood up and took it from him. »Thank you. Elias make sure he doesn't get anywhere.«

Elias stood up. Rea was glad that his face wasn't pale anymore and that he looked better than before. She rolled the piece of paper and put it on the bird. She then turned to Elias and handed him the bird.

»Hold that for a moment.«

Rea turned to Pit. His face turned white in an instant. »You will bring the bird outside and let it go. And if anybody sees you...« She just smiled. »Understood?«

Pit nodded scaredly.

»Oh, and one thing.« She punched him as hard as she could. »This is for everything you did to Tivon.«

She handed him the bird with a smile. He looked at her with terrified eyes and took the bird. He quickly disappeared before Rea could punch him again. Rea turned to Elias.

»Now we wait.«

Pit released the bird into the skies, looking at it as it flew away. His face was beginning to swell. He tried to hide his leg and the blood running down the leg. He was afraid someone might see it. He was afraid of Rea, but he was even more afraid of what they might do to him. Luana must not know.

Pit was standing by the railing. He saw Luana walk down the board to the ship. She didn't even notice Pit. She drank too much wine and she was heading straight to her cabin. Pit took that chance to ran to The Rose Sparrow. He burst into Saburs cabin without knocking.

Sabur turned around, fixing his angry eyes on him.

»Sir,« Said Pit with a panic. »That woman is working with Elias.«

»What?! They're working against me?«

»Yeah, and she forced me to let out the messenger bird to the kingdom. If it gets to them, they will be here in a day.«

Sabur hit the table. »I knew I couldn't trust her.«

»Should I tell-«

»No!« His voice echoed through the room. »We'll surprise them. Don't do anything yet.« He looked at Pit. »In the morning.«

Pit nodded and exited the room before Sabur would punish him too.

Little did they know that they have been talking about two different women.