Chapter 6

Tivon was excited to finally be on hard ground in about an hour. He was even more excited to spend time with Elias. He quite enjoyed his company. He felt safe around him.

He is still a murderer, you can't trust him. Tivon wanted to trust him, to tell him everything, but he knew it would be safer if he didn't.

»Morning!«

Tivon didn't noticed when Elias entered the shed. Just be careful, he thought to himself.

»Ready to go?« Said Elias with a big excited smile.

Tivon looked at his clothes. Since he left the kingdom, he wore the same clothes. A rush of embarrassment went through his body. He didn't even realize he was still wearing the same clothes.

»Don't worry.« He threw him a pile of clothes and his coat. »I got you covered.« He winked.

Then Elias just stood there, watching Tivon. For a couple of minutes they just stood there watching each other.

Tivon blushed. »Umm. Can you umm turn around.« He said awkwardly.

This time Elias blushed. »Oh, sorry.«

He turned around and patiently waited. Elias forgot how long he's been standing there. A voice in his head was telling him to look. He brushed that thought away, but he still peeked over his right shoulder.

Tivon was facing away from him, his back bare white and untouched by the sun. The smoothness of his back interrupted a big scar starting at Tivons right hip, across his back to his left shoulder and continued on his neck and head. His back was slightly crooked. What the hell happened to that kid? When Tivon put on a shirt, Elias quickly turned away, turning red.

As Tivon tucked a white shirt under his dark beige trousers, Elias put down his mask, rushed to the stairs and out of the shed, trying to hide his distress. »Let's go.«

Tivon put on his coat and grabbed his bag, happy to finally leave the cell. When he came out into the light, Elias stopped him and chained one of his hand to his.

»Just for now. When we're alone I'll unchain you.« he winked.

Tivon hated when he winked at him. He couldn't hide his bashfulness.

As they were walking off the ship, Pit watched them with an abhorred face. Tivon ignored him and stepped aside Elias.

»What island is this?« Asked Tivon as they stepped on the ground. Tivon still felt the waving of his body despite standing on hard ground.

»This is Dalelry.«

»I never heard of this island.«

They walked through a small harbour and entered a small-scale market place.

»It's because not many sailors want to come here.« He took two apples from a stand and threw one to Tivon. He removed his mask. »This is our island. Kinda like our second home.« He bit into an apple and continued walking.

Tivon was curious. »So it's okay for you to not wear a mask here.« They entered an overgrown tropical forest.

»Yeah. There is not many local people living here. The only ones who do live here know me. Some of the crew members have homes and families here.«

Tivon observed the nature and noted every flower around him. »What about you?«

Elias stopped. Tivon thought he made a mistake asking that question. He just wanted to reprimand himself, when Elias turned to him and unchained his hand.

»I don't have a family,« He smiled. »But I have a home.«

They were standing before a big rock wall. Elias moved the densely grown flower vines, revealing a hidden passageway. He moved his hand in a welcoming way for Tivon to go first. Tivon looked through the tunnel. From where he was standing, he couldn't see the end. He took a breath and stepped in. Elias followed him, dropping the vines behind them, making the passage even darker. Tivon carefully moved forward. Eventually the light from the other side shone its way in. When they came to the end of the tunnel, Tivon lost his breath.

He found himself standing in a lagoon surrounded by a big sheer rock overgrown with greenery. At the top of the stone wall, there was a waterfall falling into a crystal turquoise lake which ended in a river flowing through thick forest. You couldn't see the sea from it, but Tivon concluded that the river probably flows into the sea.

Tivon was speechless. He had never seen such a breathtaking place. At home he had the privilege to have so many different books with thousands of illustrations, but never did any of the books show such graceful marvelous place.

Elias passed by, giggling to himself. »Common. You hungry?«

Tivon was still looking around himself, trying to study and memorize every corner of the place. He looked at Elias and nodded.

»Follow me.«

They went towards the waterfall. »You think this place is cool. Watch this.« said Elias as he disappeared behind the waterfall. It seamed to Tivon like the waterfall swallowed him. He stepped forward to see where Elias went. He was kindly surprised to see another passage behind the waterfall. It was narrow at first and then it opened up into a big cave.

Elias was just lighting lanterns and the place lit up, illuminating a simple humble decorated cave. There was a mere bed, shelves cut into the rock, some barrels on the other side of a cave and blankets and clothes folded beside it. The cave was pleasantly cool.

»How did you find this place?« Asked Tivon after observing every corner of the cave.

Elias lit up the last lantern and took of his swords and coat. »I had a lot of time.« He looked at Tivon. »And I cannot just not explore the island. I can't stay still.«

»Does anybody else know about it?«

»Just you.« Tivon was surprised. I'm the only one beside him that know this place? »Do you want lenies or frones?« asked Elias.

Tivon knew what lenies were. They were big oval orange fruit, with a bitter taste, that left your tongue coarse. They were rear in his kingdom and he didn't like them very much. But frones, he never heard of them.

»What are frones?« Asked Tivon.

Elias threw him a big round purple fruit. »Peel it.«

Tivon peeled the purple skin of the fruit. It peeled off easily, uncovering a magenta berries combined together. Tivon took one of the berries and ate it. The little berry was sour at first, but when it fully melted it left a pleasant sweet aftertaste.

Elias came to him and took one of the berries. »They grow all around the island.« He threw it in his mouth and winked at Tivion, who blushed again. Elias smirked.

»What?« Asked Tivon.

»It's funny how easily I get you to blush.«

»I don't blush easily.« Said Tivon as he turned even redder.

Elias looked over his shoulder. »You're doing it again.«

Tivon frowned and looked away. Elias sat down, leaned on the wall and took a piece of wood he had been carving for the past couple of days.

»Where are you from?«

»W-what do you mean where I'm from?« Asked Tivon nervously.

Elias laughed. »I know for a fact that you're not a sailor. And you must be from somewhere.«

Tivon sat down. »Krens.«

Elias looked up from his carving. »Krens is big. Which part of Krens?«

Tivon hesitated for a moment, then said. »Yarrin.«

Tivon told part of a lie. He wasn't from Yarrin, but it was a town closest to Naydawin.

»That's near Naydawin.«

Tivon swallowed hard, almost chocking on a fron. »Yes. Do you know it?«

Elias continued carving. »I have never been there. I know it because mostly we steal from the kingdoms merchant ships.« He looked at Tivon. »The Rose Sparrow and the kingdom aren't good friends.«

Tivon smiled, relieved that he didn't know much about Naydawin. Or him.

Elias continued. »So if you are from Yarrin, how'd ya got stuck with us?«

»I ran away.« Tivon lowered his posture.

»Oh, a trouble maker. We like those.«

Tivon had to laugh at that. »Or an unhealthy environment.« He looked at Elias. Elias wasn't smiling, he looked worried. »Oh, it's nothing serious. I just needed some freedom.« Smiled Tivon nervously.

»You call 'getting captured by The Rose Sparrow' freedom?«

»For now it's better than being at home.«

»Yeah... For now. « Said Elias quietly.

An awkward silence rose in the cave. The only sound there was the water falling down and Elias's knife carving through the wood.

Tivon broke the silence. »And where are you from? Others have a Ritherhithe accent, but you don't have it.«

»Most of them are from Ritherhit. Not all, of course. And me,« He made his final cut for that day and put the knife on a belt on his thigh. »I don't know where I'm from. I have been with this crew since I was six.«

He stood up and took one of his swords. He started waving it around as he was saying. »If you're gonna stay with us,« He stopped, but quickly continued. »Well, you don't have any other choice but to stay with us. And if you stay with us you need to know how to fight.« He looked at Tivon. »And fortunately you have the greatest teacher standing right before you. We start tomorrow.«