Chapter nine

Aimek was alone in his workshop when Elie came by. He greeted the girl with a happy smile and was about to give her a hug but she swiftly slipped out from under his arms.

“Here, take this,” she said handing him a small leaf-wrapped bundle that smelled of something sweet and spicy.

“What’s this?” wondered Aimek.

“Candy. Just like the ones from your time. At least I hope so,” said Elie, cheerfully. “I gathered sweet roots and mixed them with the sweetest berries and herbs. Then I boiled their juice until all the water was gone and melted what was left in the clay cups on hot rocks,” she explained, clearly proud of herself. “Try them. You’ll see Rikter is not the only jack-of-all-trades around!”

Aimek took a bite. The taste was slightly sweet and fruity, with an unusual bitter note, but it definitely was caramel.

“Wow! Isn’t this magic!” he praised the girl. “They’re just like I remember them! May I have another one?”

“You can have only one per day, no more,” said Elie. “Sweet roots can be bad for you if you eat too much. Don’t worry, I’ll bring you more tomorrow.”

With this, she ran away before Aimek could object. He was alone in his little workshop again. The memories of the past filling his mind were as bitter and the dreams of the future were as sweet as the taste of the new world’s caramel.

Chapter ten

Preparing the supplies for the journey took them a week. Aimek noticed that working outdoors wasn’t so hard for him now, as if he got used to the cold, just like the natives. A day outside, knee-deep in cold water? Not a problem anymore! He couldn’t help being proud of that.

Rikter mostly kept to himself now. When he did ask something it was always a well-aimed question.

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“How did you end up in that ice shard, Aimek?”

“I fell through the ice,” Aimek shrugged, “and there was water…”

“You’d just drown this way,” Rikter interrupted the iceman, his hands defiantly crossed on his chest.

“I guess the purple moss the natives gave me had something to do with this, I have no other explanation… As soon as I fell in the cold water I lost consciousness. Everything went cold and dark. I don’t remember anything else”.

Rikter just gave Aimek a solemn nod, picked up his spear, and went looking for the seals to hunt.

Chapter eleven

The day of departure was close. It was the third time Aimek had ever seen the wandering ice clear the horizon. All he needed now to begin the journey was good weather. With the first sunny day the world will open before him and nothing will keep him on this cold shores then. There will be secrets to uncover, truth to find, questions to answer. Finally, he will learn the fate of the world he once knew.

...He woke up with a start, somebody was shaking him violently. Rikter. The night was pitch black. The stars shone bleakly through the open mouth of the cave.

“Get up, Aimek!” Rikter almost roared. Aimek had never seen him being so emotional before. “Elie’s in danger! We’ve got to help! Hurry!”

He had no time to wake up properly. He grabbed his spear and ran out of the cave in the light clothes he slept in. Rikter was ahead of him, somewhere in the dark. Ice and snow hurt Aimek’s bare feet as he ran but he didn’t care. He flew forward, mad with fear, without actually knowing where he was running to.

Rikter called him from the darkness ahead. Aimek caught up with him at the edge of the cliff, the one from which three years ago Elie saw the ice shard with a sleeping human inside.

“She’s down there! Help me get her up!” Rikter shouted pointing to the darkness-filled abyss below. “Hurry!”

“Where?!”

“Right here! Look!”

Aimek leaned over the edge, above the stormy sea that flooded the beach overnight. He couldn’t see anything. And even if he could, he would never be able to climb those rocky walls like the ones who played there as kids did.

Something was wrong, but the fear of losing his beloved didn’t allow Aimek to think clearly. He stepped on the slippery stones - or maybe someone pushed him, he wasn’t sure - and fell, right into the dark, cold waves that drain warmth and life from human body in minutes. His scream got lost in the roar of the sea.

Rikter sighed and crossed his hands on his chest as he raised his eyes to the sky.

“That purple moss of yours doesn’t grow here, Aimek,” he said sternly. “You should’ve died hundreds of years ago, by all laws of nature and justice. You had no right to meddle in our age’s fate, in my and Elie’s life!” He fell silent, his gaze fixed upon the constantly moving dark waves. The flame of triumph had suddenly died in this chest and now sadness, as cold as sea water, was filling it as swiftly. “I am sorry, my teacher, my friend. I did what I had to. You lingered too long among the living… I… I will keep my promise about the ships”.

With this, Rikter turned his back to the sea and walked away.