( Parting ; Sume ) Sea Allegiances

[Liel]

__________ One Hour Prior To A Pathway She owed him much more than he’d ever know. From Mura to Nyka, through the waters into Sunberth, Liel had been grateful for the Charoda’s presence. It was comforting, and for whatever reasons, he reminded her of home. In a way, the sea was mother to them both—Liel would miss Kyaluti, as well. It was morning, and she waited for Sume to slide off the boat, landing effortlessly in the water, still a bit away from the docks. She could see it now though, the shores of Sunberth. She looked over at Sume and smiled, and for the first time in quite a while, her eyes reflected sadness. They floated there, as in their first meeting—a mixture of pearl and jade, gold and turquoise—and she knew she’d miss her friend. All the things we are apt to do, in order to move along. Two ethereal creatures and a Seahorse—from the very start, Liel had been aware of what a funny little sight it would have been. She took his hand, then— Surprising herself, she gave him a hug. “I’ll miss you,” she said, heart-shaped face buried in Sume’s shoulder. She’d thank the sea for hiding her tears.

[Sume]

Sume soundlessly dove into the water. He was a Charoda, after all. With a mischievous, charming grin, Sume slowly discarded his impersonation. Liel would see a strange, amusing sight: a Human shipmate transforming into a Charoda. As he reached Liel, Sume’s grin widened. Yet his eyes were also sad, for he would indeed miss this pretty maiden that had become his little friend. He had grown quite fond of her. He knew Kyaluti had, also. She embraced him and he returned it, gently stroking her hair. Although Sume was younger, he viewed Liel as a little sister, and had half a mind to stay with her in Sunberth. She spoke of an Ethaefal, and while Sume was sure that the being would have enough power to protect her, he wondered if he had a heart to. Would Liel’s Ethaefal worry about her? Would he see her as family, the way Sume did? They had journeyed far together, and already, Sume considered her as very close. The questions ran through his mind. When Liel pulled away, Sume donned a brave smile for her sake. He squeezed her hands and chuckled as Kyaluti nuzzled her. “Careful he doesn’t nibble your hair,” Sume remarked good-naturedly. “I’ve seen you eyeing those locks for a while now, haven’t I, Kyaluti?” Was that a snort? Sume laughed and rubbed the Seahorse’s nose. “We’ll miss you terribly, Liel… Are you ready to go and find your Ethaefal?”

[Liel]

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ She nodded—then her face crumpled up and she hid it in her hands. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. But she couldn’t help it. Her body swayed with the currents, racked by soft sobs and finally, everything came crashing down with the prospect of never seeing her friends again. She had left home. She had left her mother and sisters and everything she ever knew and had pushed it into the back of her mind like a bad omen and now she was leaving Sume and Kyaluti, too. Who knew when she’d see them again? Who knew if they’d still be alive— Don’t think like that. The Ethaefal was uncertain—what if he hated her, disliked her, what if this really was all for nothing? She was banking the rest of her existence on a tall, beautiful void that perhaps would not even care. “Sume,” she said, reaching to wipe her tears before realizing she was still in the sea, “What if he doesn’t want me here?”

[Sume]

“Oh, little one.” Sume reached forward again to hold her as she cried. He tried to speak soothingly. Kyaluti was worried, and kept nuzzling him. Sume had to deal with two sad creatures today, not including himself! As Liel posed her question, Sume couldn’t contain the smile that plastered itself all over his features. “He gave you that paper that you keep so tightly sealed in that glass bottle, didn’t he? Perchance he didn’t want you here; then he’d certainly be a silly thing to give you his location!” Sume tried to maintain the cheer in his voice, but he could not help but feel a little down. Suddenly, his eyes sparked. “Come on,” he said, tugging Kyaluti’s reins and motioning for Liel to swim after him. They reached a little nook quite a ways from the main port. Tying Kyaluti underwater, Sume surfaced. The pair were hidden behind a small hill and several boulders and wayward trees. Sume surprised Liel by opening his palm and showing her some shells he had picked while swimming. He took out her cloak, wrapped it about her shoulders, and laughed. “I am going to make sure your Ethaefal at least notes that my little sister is well-dressed,” he said. He knew the Konti fabrics dried fast, and so he set to work placing the shells in her hair. “There!” he exclaimed, pleased. “Make sure that when you cover your head, you do not ruin this,” he warned, sounding much like a mother; he decided to capitulate to this, however, as they finally parted tearfully. “And stay safe! I promise you that we will meet again.”