Ocean Smiles
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
“It was a most wonderful thing, to sail in the midst of these waters where all things were so new and strange,” he thought. “And I did not know that the sea could be so blue! And yet—and yet—I do believe that it is more beautiful than any other.”
He had no idea how this might have happened, but he knew it for truth as surely as he believed in his own existence. It was an experience like no other: an experience that no one who has never been there can possibly comprehend.
To have seen what he had seen and felt what he had felt, to have known what he had known—how could anyone doubt that such experiences must be unique? And if they were unique, then surely they were precious beyond price.
If every person on earth had had such an experience, then perhaps the world would not have grown so crowded. But now only he remained. Alone, isolated, and cut off from all others by time, space, distance, and circumstance.
How could he explain such things to anyone else? How could he express them to someone whose mind, unlike his, had never known such joy, or such sorrow? What could he say about those times when he had stood upon the deck of the ship, watching the ocean break against the cliffs below him, or when he had walked alone through the forest, listening to the song of the birds and feeling their warmth caress him? Or when he had slept under the stars, surrounded by the beauty of nature itself?
These moments he could not even share with himself; they existed within him, and he alone was aware of their meaning. Yet he longed to speak to someone. Even though he had tried to talk about it many times over the years, he had never managed to convey the true depth of his emotions.
Perhaps because he had spoken too soon after returning from his last voyage. His words had always seemed trite and inadequate. Perhaps he needed more time before he spoke again. More time to think, more time to understand what he wanted to say.
He had not intended to take the ship out at night. In fact, he had planned to stay aboard her until the morning, hoping she would give up her secrets once the sun rose and revealed all. Then he would have gone ashore. But something compelled him to leave her.
He could feel it. Something inside him, something deeper than reason or emotion, was pulling him away. It was almost as if the very wind itself was calling to him.
But why? Why should he go? The ship was his home, his shelter, his comfort. She was everything to him, and yet still he found himself wanting to leave her behind. That was odd indeed. Most men would gladly die for such a ship, and yet here he was planning to abandon her without a second glance. It made little sense.
Perhaps it was just a matter of time, he decided. He needed to spend some time alone. Time to think about the future. About his past. Maybe he needed time to sort out his feelings. After all, he had not been happy for quite some time.
There were several reasons for his unhappiness, but he was not sure which one was most important. Was it the loneliness? The isolation? Had he simply lost his way? Did he need to find his purpose in life again?
Or maybe, he told himself, he just needed to get away from people. For years he had been traveling the world, making friends wherever he went, telling stories and spreading tales of wonder, leaving the land of man to venture into the wilds.
Sometimes he stayed in one place for months. Sometimes he spent years at sea. Either way, he found himself constantly surrounded by crowds of strangers, each of whom sought to gain his favor. Some he liked, and some he did not, but either way, they all left him feeling drained, as if they had taken something essential from him.
When he returned to civilization, he felt different somehow. Empty. He didn’t really know how to put it into words, but he knew that being around large groups of people left him feeling hollow. He wasn’t certain if that emptiness came from the loss of friendship, or if it came from the knowledge that he could not give anything back.
No, that wasn’t entirely right. He knew that he gave back in small ways, in the form of tales, songs, and tales of wonder. But that was all he could offer. He could not offer companionship, friendship, or love. Those he could not give. They belonged to others. So instead he offered his stories. But that was hardly enough.
There was another factor involved as well. Another problem that had been troubling him for quite some time. One that he had been unable to resolve. Ever since he had come across the magic sword, he had wondered why the gods had chosen him to wield its power.
And ever since he had met the dragon, he had questioned whether or not it was truly the work of the gods. Could there be other forces at play? Other powers?
As the moon sank low in the sky, he realized that he had no answers. All he had was uncertainty. And yet, despite this uncertainty, he felt drawn toward the water’s edge. It pulled at his heartstrings like a fish hooked on a line.
He turned his attention to the sound of the waves breaking against the rocks and the distant cry of gulls flying overhead. A moment later he heard a faint splash, followed by an eerie silence. He looked down and saw nothing.
Then, suddenly, something glinted in the distance. As he watched, the object moved closer to shore. At first, he thought it was a boat, perhaps a fishing vessel. Then he noticed that it was larger than any fishing vessel he had seen in years.
The boat was also moving slowly, heading straight toward where he stood. He hesitated, wondering who might be aboard the strange craft. Perhaps someone seeking him out. Someone who wanted to speak with him.
He waited patiently as the boat approached. Finally, he could see what lay within: two figures huddled together in the prow of the boat. Both wore dark hooded cloaks. Their faces remained hidden beneath their cloaks. One figure was obviously male.
His head was covered with a hood similar to the one worn by his companion, while his cloak was tightly wrapped around him. The second figure seemed female. Her cloak was shorter and more flowing. She appeared to be carrying a sack over her shoulder.
The two figures moved steadily forward, seemingly oblivious to the cold. As they drew nearer, the stranger became aware of something else; a third figure sitting motionless at the stern. The figure was completely shrouded in black robes, and yet he could tell at once that the figure was not human.
Something about the eyes, he decided. Eyes that burned brightly, burning like coals in a hearth fire.
The cloaked figure in the bow called out to him. “Good evening.”
“Who are you?” replied the stranger, stepping carefully onto the rocky beach.
The cloaked figure turned and nodded at the woman seated behind him. “I am Lord Arutha of Eltabbar,” she said. “This is my husband, Prince Imriel de la Courcel.”
A sudden chill ran through him. That name. It sounded familiar. What did it mean? He knew he should have known immediately, but for some reason, it slipped past his memory. Yet he sensed that the name held importance. “I’m sorry,” he finally managed to reply. “My mind seems to have wandered off somewhere.”
Arutha laughed quietly. “I understand.”
“Is that your boat?” asked the stranger, pointing to the mysterious vessel moored offshore.
“It is. My brother has made me captain of the Royal Fleet, which includes our new ship, the Black Rose.”
The stranger smiled faintly. “We sail upon the same waters.”
“What do you mean?”
“I meant that I too sail upon the same waters. In a manner of speaking, we are kindred spirits.”
“You’re a wizard?”
Lord Arutha shook his head. “No. I am a prince of Tethyr, a land far away from here.”
“Are you from the east?”
“From the south,” he replied.
“And where are you going now?”
“Nowhere special.”
“So, then,” the man continued, “where are you headed?”
“I don’t know. Somewhere warm.”
“Why not go home? To the south, I mean. You can visit the great city of Eltabar.”
“I would love to, but I fear it will be difficult. For many reasons.”
“How so?”
“For one thing, my father died recently. The king.”
The stranger bowed his head sadly. “I am very sorry to hear that. Such news never brings joy.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Do you have brothers or sisters?”
“One sister.”
“Well, then, if you return to Eltabbar, I’m sure you’ll find that she has taken up the royal duties of the palace.”
“But there’s another problem. We’ve been attacked by monsters!”
The stranger’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Monsters? How dreadful! Do they live in the sea?”
“Yes, well… sort of.”
“In the sea? Monsters that live in the sea? Are these creatures truly dangerous?”
The stranger paused before replying. “They’re more dangerous than dragons, that’s for certain.”
The stranger glanced back toward the mysterious vessel moored offshore. “If you wish, I can help you.”
“Help me how?”
“To defeat them. If you’re willing to join me on board this boat, I can show you how.”
“Join you? On your boat?”
The man nodded.
“But I’m just an ordinary sailor. There’s nothing magical about me. I don’t even speak any magic words. I can’t use a sword. I’m not trained in fighting. And I don’t really have anything to offer except myself.”
The man smiled. “I believe that I can teach you those things. But first, why don’t we get inside, away from the wind and snow.”
***
The two strangers sat side-by-side at the table, each sipping wine from a fine crystal goblet. A fire crackled merrily nearby, warming their backs as they watched the flames dance across the hearthstones.
The young woman sitting opposite them looked around curiously, studying her surroundings with wide eyes. She seemed intrigued by everything she saw: the tapestries covering the walls, the paintings depicting scenes from history and legend, the carved wooden chests lining the walls, all the while listening intently to what her companion was telling her.
The stranger had introduced himself as ‘M’ and had offered to teach her the ways of the wizards—though he insisted that he wasn’t a wizard, only a sorcerer, a term used for anyone who worked magic. The woman appeared fascinated by this idea.
She was a beautiful girl, dressed in simple traveling clothes of white wool. Her dark hair was braided tightly into pigtails that hung down to her waist. She wore no jewelry save a pair of gold earrings hanging from her ears; they were studded with small diamonds and rubies and shone brightly against her pale skin.
The stranger had explained to her that the jewels were magical, though she’d been unable to comprehend this concept. He told her that the jewels were enchanted, imbued with spells of protection and healing, among others.
The stranger had also given her several other gifts: a set of silver rings that he said could make her invisible when worn, and a cloak woven from black silk that glowed in the light. The cloak was magically infused, the stranger had told her so that it would keep her warm and dry even during a stormy night.
He’d also given her some books to read, including the famous ‘Tale of the Dragon’s Eye,’ which contained stories of adventure and romance. After reading it, she found herself wishing that she had such adventures of her own.
At last, M finished explaining what it is that sorcerers do, and explained how he knew of the attack by the sea serpents.
“My name is M’Dren, by the way,” he said, offering his hand.
The girl took it, smiling shyly. “I’m Kalyss.”
“Kalyss,” he repeated softly.
“Where did you come from?” Kalyss asked suddenly.
“From Eltabar, in the north.”
“What kind of people are there?”
“Good people. Like you. They have great cities and wonderful harbors, where ships travel from one end of the world to the other.”
“Oh,” she replied, looking down, thinking about that fact. Then she turned back to him. “Did you see my parents? Were they aboard the ship that sank?”
M shook his head. “No. You weren’t born yet. It must have been your mother and father that went missing. I’m sorry.”
Kalyss didn’t respond right away, but after a moment, she began to cry quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks. M reached out, touching her shoulder gently.
“It’s alright,” he whispered soothingly, wiping the tears away with a gentle thumb. “There will be time enough to mourn later.”
After a moment, she stopped crying, sniffing loudly through her nose. “Thank you, M’,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome,” he answered.
And then, something occurred to her. “Are you going to teach me how to fight?”
He laughed lightly. “Well, I can teach you how to defend yourself, yes, if that’s what you mean. But I wouldn’t want you to think that’s all that sorcerers do. We study many different things.”
“Like what?”
“We learn about plants, animals, weather patterns, astronomy—”
“Astronomy!” she interrupted. “Is that really important?”
“Yes, very much so. When I learned to predict the weather, I saved my crew from a terrible storm. If I hadn’t been able to tell them when to sail, we’d have died on that cold ocean, and all our possessions would have been lost forever. There’s a lot more to being a sailor than just knowing how to steer a boat.”
Kalyss thought about that for a long moment, watching the flames dancing across the hearthstones. She considered what he had said, then nodded slowly.
“All right. So…what else should I know?”
The End