Freeing Lilia

The memories of the water.

Chapter 30 – The memories of the water.

In the days that followed, neither Seren nor I, saw those serpentine eyes again.

The encounter had rankled Seren, leaving her perturbed that there was a creature out there that she was powerless against. I tried to stow it away – I had greater problems pressing down on my mind and unlike Seren, there were countless times in my past where I had been powerless. I didn't like the feeling, but I knew my limits even if I pushed them.

Or at least I thought I did.

Horse-back drew us along the main roads and to avoid being swamped by crowds, Aden kept his hood drawn and Seren stayed high in the skies. The scent of the sea cleansed the air, shadowing the horizon ahead of us. With the salt-water cleansing my lungs and the lull of Storm underneath the leather saddle, it felt as if I could breathe clearly. A full, cleansing breath.

Beryl had spoken of the sea's cleansing air.

The leather reins creaked under my tightening fists. That salt-air stung my eyes, but I could not look away. It consumed the horizon, a great stretch of tumultuous blue green. Where the sunlight hit it, the water glimmered like gems were floating on the surface of the water. It had felt terrifying, consuming when that jade-eyed creature had trapped us. The power had been unmistakable.

I soaked in the sight, awed at how the rising dawn melted against the water and swayed with those distant waves.

That was power.

"An uncaring, merciless power," Seren hung high in the azure sky, balancing on a breeze. "Beautiful."

I hid a smile. For Seren to call anything but herself, beautiful, was a feat.

Ash and Mariyl played a game with each other, each spying something in the distant and requesting the other to spot it too. Poor Red tried to join in, but The Sage gave him a swift slap on the back of the head, motioning to Mariyl's red cheeks and open smile. Even Ash, my dear brother, could not mask his obvious joy as he watched her laugh.

We all knew that her joy would fade as she drew closer to the water. She would hide it or try at least. The knowledge that she would be in pain unnerved me. It wasn't something that could be healed with a bandage, or a salve. Not even by hunting down those who had hurt her. It would be endured.

We passed through a small fishing village, dismounting and guiding our mounts along the cobblestone paths. There was a comfort in the ring of horses' shoes off stone; children rushed to jog alongside us, asking quiet, curious questions. It was Dara who answered, her voice warm and soft. They were enraptured by her, like a creature dropped straight from the pit of the moon. Beautiful. Ethereal; but not Lycan.

It was a beautiful, quaint place. Hanging from the wooden, sea-salt porches were chimes of shells and driftwood. They twinkled as we passed and children ran through the tiny alleys between the closely packed houses, barefooted and in muddied clothes. Aden bought two loaves of fresh bread from a small bakery, and we broke it up amongst each other, nibbling on the warm crusts. Ash drew Mariyl away when Dara sighed, wondering if there would be space to sit on the pier. Mariyl went without question, her smile small and warm but there was a deep sadness in her wide eyes.

We tied up our horses for a brief rest and sat on the pier. The villagers had given us curious looks but continued on with their day. It was Ailbrich who drew their attention the most, his presence ominous and almost awkward as he loomed over them.

I walked down to the edge of the pier and sat on the edge, hanging my legs over the water. There was onto the soft curve of my loaf left and I nibbled on it, letting the crumbs fall and float on the dark surface of the water.