The night was calm, a soft breeze carrying the smell of the ocean across the rocky ground. Emilia Brine lay hovering in the gulf between waking and dreaming, her tangled, dirty mass of hair resting on her brother’s arm as he lay deeply asleep. The soft crackling of the fire was the only sound other than their gentle breathing, the swamp that lay a stone’s throw to their south as eerily silent as it had ever been. A sudden kick to the back of her head sent her bolting upright, scattering the stones of the rocky ground, tearing a few new holes in her clothes as she wrenched to her feet. Her young face twisted into a mask of anger as she glowered, already swearing terrible vengeance on the perpetrator, swears that died as she saw that her younger sister, Havi, was caught in the thrall of a nightmare. Emilia’s frown softened into a gentle, concerned smile as she ran her webbed fingers through Havi’s rough hair, the corners of her eyes pinching in the strange happiness of being able to help one you love. Emilia’s voice carried softly through the silent night as she began to sing
“Do not fear, the cloudy night
Though it hides, the stars
Do not fear, the crashing waves
Though they twist, and turn
Do not fear, sweet child
Do not fear.”
Havi settled back into the embrace of sweeter dreams. Her breathing slow and even as she snuggled further into Emilia’s embrace. Emilia hummed the simple song as she supported her sister with one arm, while the other ran gently through Havi’s hair. “You’re lucky I love you as much as I do sis,” Emilia whispered “Or I would have dumped you in the ocean for that kick.” Havi just smiled, the whispers no doubt becoming far more comforting through the filter of her dream. Emilia sighed gently, looking over the horrible state of their camp. She knew, despite Vikkar’s attempts to hide it, that things were bad. The last of their food was lying in the single Mantuke skin pack in between the place they slept and the fire, enough for a single day if they were careful. Their water was running dangerously low as well, and Vikkar had nearly gotten his hands shredded when he tried to refill them in the clear waters of the swamp. Their boat was ruined, the bottom completely shredded by the rocks that hid just beneath the sand of the island’s beaches. And the only people they could turn to for help were the Mantis that arrived on the island shortly after they did, but none of the three spoke their language, and their small few attempts at communication were just short of hostile. Emilia sighed, but not in hopelessness, in frustration. She trusted her brother, he had been taking care of her and her sister since they were born and experience had made him pretty good at it by her standards. He would save them somehow, she knew this as surely as she knew the sun rose and the sea was green.
But it never hurt to ask for help. So as Emilia held her sister, she offered a short prayer to the Great Mother. A short wordless prayer, more a thrust of intention than anything tangible, that asked simply for any help that could be found. A gentle breeze rose, as if in answer, bringing the comforting scent of the ocean and stirring the crackling flames as Emilia was carried into the gentle embrace of her own dreams.
Emilia was awoken as the sun rose over the horizon, painting the sky in gentle hues as it drove out the dark. A great clamor was rising in the swamp. The sounds of crashing trees and the screaming of beasts that Emilia had never seen, and never wanted to, rose like a clarion call to war. The permanent mist that enshrouded the swamp made it impossible to tell what was happening, but whatever it was could not be good. Vikkar and Havi were awake now as well, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Emilia swiftly began to gather their supplies, slinging the food pack and their waterskins over her back and taking the ax they used to cut firewood in her free hand, ready to begin running at a moments notice. Vikkar wrapped Havi in the blanket they shared, using it as a kind of sling to hold the girl against his back, revealing the horrible burns that covered his legs from foot to thigh as he did. The crashing was growing closer. As the trio watched a multitude of shadowy shapes, just visible within the mist, began to skitter along the edge; clear in their intent to move out of the way of whatever approached. One of these shapes, one of the horrible eight legged demons that Emilia had seen briefly when Vikkar had tried to collect the water, fell and began screaming in the awful clarion that had awoken Emilia as it was shredded by the fish below.
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And then all was still. The crashing stopped as suddenly as it had started. Replacing it was the sound of their hearts beating. And the sound of their breaths drawing air. A soft padding came then. Then a shuffling as if of bare feet on loose earth. Then the soft plop of those feet hitting the water. Emilia’s fingers tightened on the ax. She heard the soft whisper of steel being freed from leather. She knew Vikkar had drawn his dagger. Then a figure appeared in the mist. For a moment, the barest instant, it looked to her a legion of beasts of all shapes. Then she blinked and it was a man.
A big jolly looking man wearing a simple robe that Emilia could swear was made of bark by the pattern of it, but flowed like cloth surely enough. An odd man to her eyes, he looked almost like a Riddari, but his fingers had no webbing, and his neck had no gills. Very strange indeed. The man waved at them, his face lit up by a friendly smile. Then he began walking in their direction, his bare feet seemingly unbothered by the rough and rocky ground. Emilia kept her ax at the ready, suspecting some demonic witchery to be afoot. But as she saw the man’s eyes she felt herself relax, if only a little. His eyes were old, older than the rest of him for sure, and they were kind. She didn’t put the axe down however.
“Hello!” The man bellowed “Sorry if I’ve disturbed you.” The man drew up to them, easily standing at twice Emilia’s height. “My name is Lupin O’Hara, I do hope I haven’t caused you any distress.” The man, Lupin held out one large hand to her brother.
“You nearly had us jumping out of our skin, but no harm done.” Vikkar placed his hand inside Lupin’s, the latter dwarfing his own. Emilia watched Vikkar squint as he looked at Lupin’s face, the bright morning sun reflecting rather harshly off the man’s bald head. Emilia also saw that Vikkar still held the dagger pressed against his leg, ready to be used if it had to be.
“Believe me I would have been quieter if I could, but circumstances did not allow for subtlety.” Lupin looked them all over, his eyes noticeably lingering on the holes in their clothes and their sandals that were nearly worn down by sea water and travel. “Dear me. I mean no offense when I say that you all are looking a bit worse for wear. Are you all in need of some assistance?”
Emilia saw her brother taking his moment to think through his response. Normally she’d be willing to wait for him, and she’d trust whatever he decided. But the memory of her small prayer the night before, and the honest care she saw in the man’s eyes made her as certain as an 11 year old girl can be, that Lupin, whatever he may be, could be trusted. “We could use some help,” Emilia said, letting her grip on the ax loosen until it swung listless at her side, “We’ve got little food and water, we can’t find any of either except in the swamp you came from, the only other people on the island are Mantis, and we don’t speak the language.”
“Well that doesn’t sound too hard to fix. If you all show me the way to town I’ll translate for you, see if we can’t work something out.” Lupin grinned down at her with a twinkle in his eye. “And if we can’t I’ll get you all something to eat and drink, and we can figure it all out again from there.” He turned to Vikkar now and offered.
“We’d be in your debt sir.” Vikkar said, nodding as he put his knife away and shifted Havi’s blanket on his shoulders.
“Non-sense, I’m always more than happy to help. Comes with the territory, and I’m all the happier for it.” Lupin waved Vikkar’s thanks away before rubbing his chin as if trying to remember something he’d forgotten. Then he slapped the top of his thigh in realization, “Oh dear, I apologize for my lack of manners, I never asked for your names.”
“No need for an apology, it was us who failed to offer them. I’m Vikkar, this little one is Havi Brine and that little one is Emilia Brine.” Vikkar offered, Emilia offering a smile and a wave when she was introduced. Havi was still acting wary and hiding behind Vikkar’s shoulder, but that was hardly anything new. “And what territory would it be exactly that makes you so willing to help us? Out of curiosity.”
“Well, I’m a Wizard dear boy.” Lupin laughed.