Chapter 25

TW// Blood, death

Tivon was ready to meet the fate that Aileana had for him. He was ready to either die or spent the rest of his days in this place. Elias said he wouldn't let me stay here. He heard clashing swords outside on the roof. Something must of happened, otherwise he would've come.

Tivon closed his eyes. I can't depend my whole life on him. I chose to leave the kingdom, I chose this life. I'm not gonna throw it away.

He opened his eyes and grabbed his pin and pulled it out. With a sudden swung he stabbed the sharp end of the pin in Aileanas neck. Tivon was careful to stab her directly where the carotid artery would be.

Aileana's eyes widened. »W-what?«

She could feel the bitter taste of blood in her mouth. »Y-you.« She grabbed the knife and right as she pressed it on Tivons neck, Tivon pulled out the pin from her neck, allowing dark blood to flew down her body, pouring like a river.

Aileana dropped the knife and covered her wound with both hands. It was too late. No pressure applied to the wound would help. She started choking on the blood that began pouring out of her mouth.

She looked down on Tivon, her eyes burning with anger. She grabbed her knife and swung it in the air. Tivon couldn't move, her heavy body was holding him still. She lurched it towards his head, but the knife fell out of her hand, slightly scratching Tivons cheek. Aileana's eyes rolled up and then her whole body fell down, lifelessly on Tivon.

Tivon didn't realized that he has been holding his breath all this time. He allowed himself to breath. I killed her. She's dead. I killed her. He started breathing hysterically. I killed a person. He tried to dig himself up from underneath the dead body. Panicking rose in him when he couldn't move her heavy body.

He heard banging on the window. He looked to his right to see Elias banging his elbow against the window, eventually breaking it. He didn't mind the broken glass over the window and on the ground. He quickly jumped in and ran to Tivon. He pushed the dead body off him and pulled him closer.

He was breathing heavily. »Are you okay?«

He looked him in the eyes. Tivon just slowly nodded, his body and mind in shock.

»We need to get out of here.«

Tivon nodded and stood up to get his bag with clothes.

He was relieved to be in his normal, familiar clothes once again. He put on mothers necklace and hid it under his shirt.

While he was changing, Elias bandaged his arm and took the necklace off Aileana. He turned to Tivon. »Let's go.«

Elias cleared the glass around the broken window and attached the rope around the windows frame. He helped Tivon on the window still and on the rope.

Tivon looked down. There was quite a long way down. He breathed in and out and grabbed the rope. He slowly but surely came down, Elias right behind him.

Elias signaled him to follow. They moved down the narrow dark streets, trying to avoid as much people as they could. In time they came to the harbour, where The Rose Sparrow was preparing to set sail. The sun was setting down coloring the dark architecture in shades of orange.

Elias moved his hand. »Quickly, before they leave without us.«

»Did you tell Sabur to prepare the ship to sail tonight?« Asked Tivon while they were walking towards the ship.

»Yes.«

»What if the plan wouldn't work?«

Elias helped him step up on the ship. »If you think I would leave without you... I wouldn't. I would stay.«

Tivon smiled.

»Let's get this to Sabur and then you can go rest.«

They headed to his cabin as the ship set sail. The cabin was dark as usual, only lit up by a lantern. Sabur sitting in his chair turned away.

»Do you have it?« Asked Sabur, unbothered to look at them.

Elias placed the heavy necklace on the table. »Hope it's really worth all the trouble we had to go through.«

Sabur turned around and took the necklace. He examined it carefully and only then did he look at them. Eliass arm was bloodied, his face bruised and the boy beside him, his skin was covered in blood, his look distant.

»You better didn't cause me more troubles.«

»Even if we did, you'll manage.« Said Elias.

Sabur frowned at him. He carefully put the necklace in his coat pocket. He then reached for his drawer and pulled out a big sack of money and placed it in front of them.

»For now. You get the rest later.«

Elias took the sack and turned to the door, Tivon following him. They both quickly went through the door, before Sabur could say anything.

Elias took a breath. »Finally done with that.« He looked at Tivon, who was still rather quiet and not really there. »There is water below deck. You can clean yourself there and then go to sleep. Sleep through the whole day if you need to.«

They both saw Pit on the Forecastle, arguing about something with Nick.

»I'll make sure he's busy up here, so you can sleep in peace.«

Tivon quietly nodded. He looked up and smiled at Elias. »Thank you.« He glanced at his hand. »Is your hand going to be okay?«

»Don't worry about me right now.« He smiled. »Worry about your sleep.«

Tivon nodded and headed below deck to the barrel full of fresh water. He took a bucket that was sitting beside it and filled it up. He hid himself in a dark corner and removed his shirt. He took a cloth and started cleaning the dried blood off him. Tivon tried not to think about it. He tried to forget her face.

He glanced at his reflection in the water. There was blood over his face and hair. You killed her. He cleaned the cloth in clean water and started cleaning the blood on his face. He tried to tell himself that she was a bad person, that he was just protecting himself. She is still a human being. You're a murderer.

He pushed away the bucket and put on a shirt. Stop thinking about it. He entered the room where all the crews hammocks were. He slowly moved to his net and laid down. Try not to think about it and sleep. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing by listening to the sound of the sea. Even though he could still see Aileana's face, feeling her heavy body on him, his weariness gave in and he fell asleep.

Tivon thought that Elias was joking when he said he could sleep through the whole day. He didn't even know he was capable of sleeping for so long. He got woken up by the crew gathering in the room for dinner. Tivon quietly sneaked passed them and went on deck.

It was on deck when Tivon realized he slept through the whole night and day. It was afternoon, about an hour away from the sunset. He breathed the fresh salty air. He missed it.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Elias leaning against the railing, looking at the open sea. His black braided hair flowing in the wind and where the light touched it, Tivon could see a dash of blue in it. Tivon approached him.

»Good afternoon.« Said Tivon.

Elias turned around and smiled. »Did you manage to get enough of sleep?«

»I think I got enough for the whole week.« Laughed Tivon and leaned on the railing beside Elias. »How is your arm?«

»Had to stitch it, but it's healing pretty well.« His eyes were fixed on the sea.

Tivon sighed. »I'm so glad I'm not at The Jade Paradise anymore.«

And then a thought crossed his mind. The contract. He forgot it. He suddenly looked at Elias, his eyes filled with terror.

»The contract. I forgot to take it.« He imagined Elias to start panicking, but he just smiled. »Why are you smiling? She has my-«

Elias put his finger on his lips and reached for his pocket. He pulled out Tivons contract. Tivons face shined. »When did you?«

»The night before, I snuck in through the window.« He ripped the paper in million pieces and threw them in the sea. »And I also left a little surprise for Luana.«

»What kind of surprise?«

»I poured some highly flammable liquid around her table. When she'll light up her cigarette it will catch fire. It might burn down the whole place.« He looked at Tivons worried expression. »Don't worry the boys will have time to escape, but it will destroy their contracts. It's the least I can do to help them.«

»You helped them a lot.« Tivon smiled.

Elias laughed. »It's weird. I don't remember the last time I did something good.«

»I've seen you do a lot of good things.«

Elias looked at him with a smirk. »What good things do you have in mind?«

Tivon blushed. »N-not those.« He slightly punched his hand.

»Au! Be careful. It's still healing.« Cried Elias.

»S-sorry.« Apologized Tivon. Elias smiled and ruffled his hair.

They've laughed and looked back at the sea. Tivon came closer to him and asked quietly. »Did you know The Rose Sparrow were selling boys to The Green Woman?«

Elias body tightened. »No. I didn't. I thought about it when you first told me. They probably did it before I joined them.« He sighed. »When they attacked my village, the other boys were probably the last ones sold to slavery.«

»But you weren't.« Finished Tivon. He looked at him. Elias eyelids were loose, his lips cornered.

»They didn't sell me into slavery, but they made me a murderer.«

Tivon looked down at the waves crashing on the side of the ship. He understood him now. He knew that Elias had to kill countless people and that Tivon killed one, but for some reason he could understand.

Elias snapped back and looked at Tivon with a smile. »Can I show you something?«

»Sure?«

He moved towards main mast and looked up. »Up there.«

Tivon looked up. The mast must have been at least 30 meters high. Tivon looked at Elias, a bit scared of what he might want to show him.

Elias offered him his hand. »Do you trust me?«

He did. After everything they've got through together, he trusted him. And with that trust Tivon grabbed his hand.