To Yonder

I Want You Back
“Take me back to the place where I
Loved that girl for all time
Why must life just take away
Every good thing one at a time”
- The Kooks

“That is not good,” the widening of dull, brooding sapphire eyes, “That is definitely not good.”

Alistair surveyed the horizon and saw a terribly frightening swirl of gray mass looming in the not too far distance. He tried to predict its direction and mentally calculate how much time they had until his ship and the unknown, impending doom intercepted. He concluded, right in their direction and not nearly long enough to feel comfortable about it.

It had been quite some time since Alistair had seen a storm of that caliber and of course, he had been tucked away safely within the confines of the castle. Never had the young prince actually had to brave the elements. That was for… commoners.

Alistair’s poor Mother was probably having a heart attack right now. Two children both out in the world doing God knows what with God knows who. Yes. Definitely having a heart attack – the poor woman’s nerves….

His poor Father.

“My friend, that indeed, is not a pretty sight,” Cam stepped up to Alistair’s side and also surveyed the ominous clouds circulating in the distance. He procured a spyglass from inside his coat pocket and extended it, directing it towards the horizon, “It is already wrecking havoc. That is one powerful storm…”

Alistair looked in the other direction and saw Tanek’s ship off in the distance coasting the edge of the other horizon. They had a little bit more time until the storm would reach them. Alistair prayed they found somewhere to dock – not for the pirate’s sake, no, never, but for the safety of his beloved, favorite and only sister.

Cam seemed to be having similar thoughts except his were about their own wellbeing. It was unspoken but they both knew. If they didn’t act quickly they would soon find themselves floating to the bottom of the ocean. Drowning would be a particularly painful way to go. Not exactly a comforting thought, but definitely motivating. The gears began to turn in each of their heads working towards some kind of solution. Cam was the first one to speak up.

“We will be coming around the southern coast of Revaire. The new King and I happen to have some relations… mostly positive, I think. I am sure he would grant us permission to port and wait out the storm,” The Prince stopped to think for a moment reevaluating what he said. A strange look passed over him, “Surely he could not be so cruel…”

The two of them looked at one another with uncertainty. Could he…?

Alistair continued to look at Cam with a strange expression. He never would have guessed Dalmasca and Revaire were in relations with one another… let alone good ones at that. As far as Alistair knew, the Revaire royalty was quite questionable when it came to its ethics and somewhat isolationist in its practices. A fairly new bloodline had recently ascended to the throne after a long and grueling coup, which caused many reservations within other kingdoms. There was a certain, undeclared allegiance to the old… or at least to the regime that managed to keep things somewhat together.

The former line had sat on the throne for centuries; Alistair couldn’t fathom another family in power. The young prince had not yet met the new rulers and he couldn’t say he was particularly looking forward to it either. Something about Revaire had always put Alistair on edge although whether it was the leaders or the nation itself he did not know. From what Alistair could recall, the old ruler to be a fair man, maybe a little rough around the edges, but nevertheless equitable. Who would want to overthrow him?

Well, obviously someone…

Someone who had a reputation to be quite savage… could the new King be so cruel? Definitely. The King could deny the two princes and let them sink… nobody would have to know. A secret with one party dead is the best-kept secret around.

“It is good to have friends in high places… keep your friends close and keep you enemies closer… make sure everybody in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes when you are not looking…?” Cam rattled off trying to find the right anecdote before giving up. Alistair had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t even realized the other prince was still talking, “I spoke with one of the prophets from Nostradame. I fear we shall see some… less than noble activity from Revaire in the near future. Until then, I hope to keep the peace. There is no need for any more senseless violence within our realms…”

Cam looked a little spooked and his eyes held a glossy sheen. He paused for a moment before continuing his account of the new Revaire rule. “Forget the King,” Cam seemed to pale, “it is his son who is troublesome. I swear he could look into your eyes and freeze your soul. To think this is the man we will have to deal with in a few years time. I just hope the prophets are wrong. Perhaps we shall be lucky and may the pernicious prince be much friendlier than he look.”

Pernicious… that was probably the evilest thing Alistair had ever heard Cam say. Alistair couldn’t even recall a moment in time in which Cam had seemed truly irked – he was the quintessential prince, always cool, calm, and collected. Sure Cam hadn’t seemed overly excited about the possibility of pirates maybe even bordering slightly irate, but he was human, who wouldn’t be? And even so, since then he seemed to have mellowed out. When prompted directly about Tanek Cam had shrugged. A pirate was a pirate was a man. Cam admitted to hearing the name flit through the halls of the palace, but had never seen a picture. Even more, he hadn’t put much thought into the pirate that terrorized well, mostly Arcadian seas apparently.

Although the perfect prince was all about appearance and Alistair knew that just as well as Cam. Surely Cam had some kind of fire brewing within him, he was only a single man. And as for Revaire? The façade would trick most but Alistair knew very well that Cam didn’t believe any of the optimism spewing from his mouth. Revaire would be soon, but first the two had some other matters to tend to.

First Tanek and then Revaire. Priorities sorted.

Yet, he still couldn’t pull his mind from it all. Alistair wondered about the motives fueling the new ruling faction in Revaire. Everyone knew the Nostradame prophets to be omniscient. Seldom were they ever wrong. What could they have possibly seen? His mind began to worry about the future almost completely forgetting the task at hand. When the Prince looked up he was quickly reminded, “First we must evade this storm, then rescue my sister and have you married, and finally, finally we shall worry about Revaire. Until then, let us dock on their land. I do not see any alternatives anyway.”

But then they would be indebted to Revaire… well, that wasn’t something they could take into account. It was do or die. Alistair nodded in agreement.

Cam called out the order. Almost instantaneously, the ship began to redirect. Alistair kept a steady eye on the ship in the distance as it began to get farther and father away. Even with it out of view, the Prince continued to eye the spot he had last seen the ship. They would have to find it once more once the storm blew over. Until then, he wished his sister luck and prayed for her safety hoping to be reunited soon.

With thoughts of possible threats from Revaire, his beloved sister, and the storm of the century off in the distance pushed to the back of his mind, Alistair refocused. He looked over to Cam and then towards the direction the ship now traveled. He was on an adventure.

This was an adventure.

And his life would never again be the same.

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“Land, ho!”

Tanek stood at the bow of the ship observing the approaching cove. His arms were firmly crossed over his chest and his lips were pressed in a firm line. It had been quite some time since he had last been anywhere near solid earth. He shuddered. He would rather stay away as long as humanly possible.

His land legs would never be ready.

From somewhere up in the sails flew down the Quartermaster like an angel sent from heaven. He landed firmly on both feet with a thump sticking the landing. The Captain threw Will a look over his shoulder that looked to be a strange mix of twisted amusement and immense disapproval. Will grinned at Tanek and in return was greeted with his best friend’s beautiful, inexpressive face. Of course this did absolutely nothing to rattle Will who still beamed as though he’d been graced by the presence of God.

He was the sun on this unfortunately dreary day.

“We’ve made it, finally!” Will looked up at the sky that seemed to darken with each passing second – his bright smile openly contradicting the foreboding clouds, “And it looks to be just in time. Lucky us, huh?”

Tanek didn’t answer.

The ship was being aligned to port, but the always impatient and hyperactive Will had something else in mind. He ran for the ship’s side and lunged toward one of the fraying ropes swinging over the ships side and dismounting onto the dock. The Quartermaster turned around and gave an overdramatic salute to Tanek before taking off in the other direction. Tanek guessed he was probably eager to go find himself a drink and a warm bed for the night… maybe even someone to warm said bed.

Definitely not a bad idea.

They were all in for a long night and there was no telling when the next time would be that they got a chance to set foot on land. Might as well take it all in when they had the chance. Life wasn’t about living with regrets no matter how big or small.

Within a few minutes the ship has been properly anchored. The men quickly departed following the Quartermaster’s lead. Tanek would place money that he could find his whole crew sitting in the tavern in about five minutes. Tanek sighed; he could use a drink too – something the color of amber, with a little burn, and would make him feel alive.

He was still standing at the front of the ship when the rain started to come down lightly – and so it began. He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there when he suddenly became aware of a presence behind him – strange since Will had already taken off, “Are you staying?”

Tanek turned around and was surprised to see Danielle. Never had she voluntarily approached him. In seconds a new kind of respect formed, “It is where I belong.”

She gave him a strange look but didn’t question it. If that’s what he wanted to believe than so be it, “Can I get you anything?”

Not anything she could possibly retrieve for him, “No… no, thank you.” He had been slightly caught off guard. Most of the time she did her best to stay as far away from him as humanly possible especially given the constraints of the ship and the surrounding ocean. Not once had she ever spoken to him directly on her own accord. Maybe it was the fact they weren’t going anywhere. She could take off running if need be… amusing. Besides, he would surely catch her if need be… that or send dear William to do his dirty work.

Forget that, they were on Revaire territory! Where could she possibly go? One step out of the comfort and safety of the pirate cove and she’d be running back in seconds begging for the fair and mighty Tanek to take her back in – and of course he would, no gentleman could leave a woman out to hang like that. What a complete and utter nuisance. Pirates weren’t the only beasts to walk the earth.

He was about to go back to ignoring her when he had a last minute thought, “Be careful out there, alright?”

He didn’t know what came over him but he suddenly felt an immense need to be protective. His crew was his brothers and family was important to Tanek. Whether by blood or by choice, he knew where his allegiance was. He didn’t know when exactly it had happened, but he was sure it included Danielle.

Tanek made a mental note to keep his hints of concern to a minimum. He didn’t need everyone thinking he worried… besides, that was all she was getting from him. The tender atmosphere made him uncomfortable.

It didn’t matter anyway. Just that statement had spoken volumes to Nelly. That was all he needed to say because she had heard all the words that were left unspoken – they spoke volumes. She shot him an appreciative look before making her way off the ship and running to find cover. The rain was beginning to come down harder. Even docked the ship started to rock back and forth with a little extra vigor.

It wasn’t until the rain pelted him to the extent that it was almost painful that he thought about retreating inside. When a whip of lightning flew across the sky accompanied with the crack of thunder he made his way towards the cabin. For once he didn’t want to be in his bedchambers. This ship was his and he was alone. He would appreciate it fully.

Once inside he came to realize just exactly how wet he really was. His white, cotton shirt was plastered to his body. He began to peel it from his skin and thought about taking it off altogether to go and change it. He then stopped and laid his shirt back down smoothing it out. He would have to walk back outside just to get to his room. He would just deal with it for now and maybe go light some candles. He doubted they’d give off much heat, but if he lit enough of them… besides, it was ghastly dark.

So long as he didn’t light the whole ship ablaze. What a surprise that would be to the crew once they returned. Besides, part of Tanek’s duty in staying behind was maintaining the ship and preventing such tragedies.

Now to make it a little bit warmer – Tanek didn’t need to die from the plague because he was too idiotic to dry off.

He gathered a candelabra and an oil lantern and walked over to one of the tables in the center of the room. He set up his lightning arrangement before tending to each item one-by-one. Once he was done, a warm glow was cast upon his face. There was something extremely peaceful about the situation.

The Captain reveled in the silence. Although like all things good, it didn’t last long. He looked into the fire and saw flashes of his life flicker before his very own eyes. He couldn’t take it. Who would have thought this would be his life? He closed his eyes trying to find solace but the images were even more vivid. He swept a frantic hand through his hair before cradling his face in his arms. He was just as chaotic as the storm raging on outside. Unpredictable… messy… unwanted… For someone so large he sometimes felt so insignificantly small.

Small and wet. Very wet. He didn’t know if he’d ever dry.

He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there – he had lost track of time after the first few minutes – and concluded it was about time he brave the storm and make his way to the comfort of his bed. At least then he could change out of his soaking clothing and spend the rest of his solitary night in comfort. Besides, he should probably take the chance to catch up on sleep while he had it. For once there was no Will to wake him up at every strange hour of the night.

Tanek took a few moments to savor the way the shadows created from the candles danced across the room before motioning to extinguish them. That’s when he noticed an angel in the corner of the room. How had he not noticed her sooner? He was losing it and the glow of the flames were creating even more disillusionment. The candlelight just accentuated her golden features and the contrasting shadows made her devilishly appealing.

He was in deep trouble.

She stood still watching him. Tanek couldn’t fully make her out from where he sat. Maybe he was hallucinating. He had been sitting wet in the dark for so long that it wasn’t entirely impossible that he had struck ill and was now suffering from the symptoms. He didn’t mind. He drank in her image. If this wasn’t real he wanted it to last forever.

But if it was real…

Suddenly, she was before him taking a seat right across from him. He stayed silent continuing to study her. He had thought he had been alone before, but sitting here with her now made him realize that he had never known such loneliness until this moment. It was like an invisible barrier had been built between them and nobody was making the first move to break it down. It was like an out of body experience.

Who was she and why had she been sent to him? Please let this be real.

He had been perfectly fine before her arrival. There was always room for improvement, but overall, he was generally pleased with himself and with his life. Then she came along and rearranged everything. A woman that he didn’t even know the name of!

Maybe she was alone too…

How had she managed to get under his skin? He didn’t know, but she’d managed to worm her way into his interior and now he couldn’t shake her. She was mysterious and beautiful and wonderful in all the right ways. When he wasn’t looking he had found his muse. His heart managed to skip a few beats and hit triple time all at once.

It was a feeling he never wanted to let go.

So how could he make that happen? He wanted to know everything about her and at this exact moment, he knew absolutely nothing. He decided to approach the situation in the most logical manner he could think of – something completely unpredictable when it came to Tanek. He was going to tell her about himself. He didn’t know how much or even where to start, but he was willing to share and break this silence.

Maybe he could share the burden, even just a little bit. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so alone.

He opened his mouth to start a stream of conscious before he finally came to his senses. That was when his mouth was suddenly preoccupied with something else. He wasn’t sure who had made the first move, but he suddenly found himself engaged in an intense lip lock. His senses were heightened and all coherent thoughts were cast from his mind. All he could focus on was the pounding of the rain outside and the way her lips felt pressed against his.

So much for having a heart-to-heart.

She withdrew from him and in response Tanek leaned in further. Where was she going? Involuntarily, his pirate instincts kicked in – take even when it doesn’t belong to you and use force when necessary – and his hand went around the back of her neck drawing her back into him. If he was drowning in her, it only be fair that she return the favor.

His heart was beating out of his chest. Maybe this was a heart-to-heart. He felt completely unlike himself and didn’t know how to act. Hopefully he wasn’t the only one being affected so deeply. This feeling, it couldn’t only be him.

Please…

It wasn’t long until things became frantic. He felt like he was suffocating and she was the only source of oxygen. All the repressed feelings had finally built up until the point of explosion – not seeing each other in the past few days had also played a part. Absence did make the heart grow fonder. And well, maybe the weather also had everyone going a little crazy as well.

Regardless, Tanek could not get enough of her. He was heading toward oblivion… drowning, and he was dragging her down with him.

At the very least then they would be alone together.
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