Page 3 of Journey to the Elderoak
Ava followed, Casimir silent next to her, as they turned left and walked to the stern of the ship. Crew members nodded greetings as they passed, and they stopped before two doors framed by twin sets of stairs leading to the helm where Gisela now stood.
“Anchors aweigh!” she called out, preparing to set sail.
Raine pointed to the door on the left. “Captain’s quarters,” he said, then to the one on the right. “Royalty quarters.”
He stepped forward and turned the handle, entering with Ava and Casimir close behind. It wasn’t a large space, but it was opulent and cozy with a small wooden desk in the corner and a window on the back wall overlooking the ocean. The window was cracked open, the sea breeze swaying the ruby velvet curtains and cooling off the room. Off to the right was a large bed in an alcove against the wall with its own set of curtains for privacy.
Ava took it in and froze. “Umm…where are all the beds?”
Raine’s hand clamped down on her shoulder as he laughed under his breath. “It’s a ship. Not everyone gets their own fancy room. We must share. You’re lucky we get this. Most sleep below deck crammed together.”
Ava glanced at Casimir who looked almost as nervous as she was. “Raine and I will sleep on the floor,” he said, strolling around the room.
“Oh, I probably won’t be sleeping in here much.” Raine winked at Ava. “Gisela and I have a lot of catching up to do. On that note, I’ll see you two later.” He turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Ava walked to the set of open windows and leaned her elbows on the frame. Moments later Casimir appeared next to her. “Sorry. We should have warned you,” he said, his gaze fixed on the ocean.
“It’s okay.”
“I’d go sleep down with the rest of the crew, but Thorne ordered us to keep a close eye on you.”
She turned and looked at him. “What? You think I’m going to get myself into trouble?”
“No. But being at sea comes with its own dangers. We don’t know if Deidamia has any ships. If she learns we’re out here, she could send her army after us. If something happens in the middle of the night, someone needs to be close.”
“I guess that makes sense.” She sighed as the ship began to move. “What now?”
“We explore the rest of the ship, so you know where everything is, introduce you to more of the crew, and relax. We’ll resume training tomorrow.”
“We’re training on the ship?”
Casimir gave her a wolfish grin, his chestnut hair blowing in the wind, framing his golden eyes. “Oh yes. You don’t get a break, princess.”
2
Raucous laughter echoed through the small dining quarters below deck as Casimir sat on the long wooden bench for dinner. Surrounded by dark wood, the space was lit with oil lamps along the walls, no windows to allow in natural light.
They had to eat in shifts since the space only fit a dozen crew members, give or take. The two guards stationed outside the castle suite he shared with Ava, Pax and Zeph, had come along and now sat at the end of the table. Half a dozen crew members took up the rest of the space, drinking and singing songs.
They’d been at sea five days now, with another five to go if all went according to plan. Each morning, Casimir supervised Ava’s training. Being at sea didn’t mean they could stop their regimen and he’d gotten creative with her workout routine to ensure she continued to gain back her strength.
Raine hadn’t stayed the night in their room once, rekindling his past fling with Gisela, and Casimir slept on the floor without a word. He could tell Ava felt guilty about it but whenshe volunteered to trade places last night, he had refused. He would never let her sleep on the floor.
“So, how do you like being at sea?” Zeph asked Ava from across the table, her blue hair bright against her pale complexion.
“I love it,” Ava said from beside him. “The ocean is peaceful.”
“No issues with seasickness?”
Ava shook her head. “Not like this wimp.” She nudged Casimir with her elbow. He tried not to show how affected he was by just that little touch, clearing his throat.
“You get seasick, general?” Zeph asked.
“I have to take a daily tonic,” he grumbled, sipping his ale.
“Cas hates being at sea,” Raine blurted as he set his fork down. “We offered to send someone in his place, but he said, ‘wherever Ava goes, I go,’ or some bullshit,” he finished in his gruffest voice.
“What does that mean?” Pax said, looking in between Ava and Casimir, the orc’s dark eyes full of curiosity.
