Page 69 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Julietta and Triston were already aboard, waving. Selenia’s sharp eyes instantly noticed their mating marks; Triston’s gleamed with the image of a twilight moon, and Julietta’s was a seashell. Selenia smiled slightly, dreaming of the day when she’d have her own.

York rowed the canoe over to the side of the ship, and Triston threw down a large rope ladder. Grayden scampered up the ladder quickly, then turned to help Renya up. Her center of gravity seemed to be throwing her off balance. Selenia wanted to tease her, but she knew it was the result of her pregnancy.

Sion gestured, and Selenia quickly climbed up the ladder, ignoring her brother's hand and hoisting herself up and over the ship's railing. Finally, Sion poked his head up over the railing and crawled aboard.

Selenia looked around the ship. She had expected there to be an entire crew on board, but there was no one except for Triston at the helm.

“Are you planning on captaining this vessel?” she asked.

“I'm as good a sailor as any in our army,” he replied, looking at her squarely. “And I refuse to endanger any more lives than we have to. This endeavor was not my choice, but if we are going to do it, the responsibility falls solely on us.”

“Are we all here?” Grayden asked.

Julietta spoke up. “Yes. We'll pick up Renya's...family from the island just off the main shore.”

The last of their supplies were loaded onto the ship, and Selenia watched as Triston adjusted the sails. He barked orders at Phillippe, Grayden and Sion, and between the four men, they were pulling out of the bay in no time. Selenia gave a silent farewell nod towards the shoreline, wondering how long it would be until she stepped on solid land again.

The ship careened out of the bay, soon leaving it behind. A few mauve-colored dolphins jumped along in the wake of the ship, and Selenia couldn't help but stare. She had never seen any sea creatures before, unless they were destined for her plate. Even then, she'd only had seafood a few times. She was transfixed, watching over the railing as the dolphins crested.

Sion came up behind her. “It's amazing, isn't it?” He put his arms around her waist, hugging her to him.

“It is certainly different from the Snow Lands,” she agreed. The turquoise waters shone with the light from the sun, and she felt her cheeks warm under the rays. She'd foolishly forgotten her hat, but her complexion no longer concerned her. It didn't matter.

Sion loved her the way she was.

She watched as the waves trembled in the wake of the ship, and was amazed at how the land got tinier and tinier until she could no longer see the shore. She had a quick moment of panic when she looked around, with nothing but the sea surrounding her, but a quick squeeze from Sion helped to calm her rapid breathing. She adjusted quickly to the rocking of the boat, the calmness of the water.

Renya, however, was not faring so well. She spent more time hanging off the side of the boat, spilling the contents of her stomach into the sea. Selenia felt awful for her. Grayden was there, patting her back and murmuring comforting words, but her skin was pale and her eyes were hollow before they'd even made it an hour into their journey.

Phillippe and Esmeralda were on completely opposite sides of the ship, hardly glancing at one another. Selenia wasn't sure what her brother had done, but whatever it was, Esmeralda didn't seem to be in a forgiving mood.

And then there were Triston and Julietta. Triston stood at the helm, unwavering in his duty, and Julietta was beside him, whispering in his ear. Whatever she said seemed to please him, because he would smile briefly, and then tug her under his arm.

It was a happy sight, and Selenia was glad for her friend. Now if only she could do something for Phillippe and Esmeralda...

After another hour, something dark caught the corner of her eye on the horizon. “What's that?” she asked, pointing.

“That's where we are heading. It's the Tidal Cay, the island that the others are on,” Triston said, pulling out a spyglass. “Yes, I can see the dragons.”

Sion gave a shiver next to her, and she held in her soft laughter, not wanting to mock him over his fear of the giant beasts.

As the island came closer, Selenia marveled at the tropical trees and the serene beach. The colors were so vibrant compared to the muted whites of the Snow Lands. It made her realize how much of their world she hadn't seen, but it also made her terribly homesick for her own lands.

The ship slowed and Triston began shouting more orders at the other men as they glided into the small bay of the island. There was a tiny dock at the far end, but Selenia didn't see how they could get close enough without running aground. But just as she started to fret, the boat stopped and the men dropped the anchor. She peered towards the dock and could make out the figures of Renya's parents and Agatha, along with the dragons.

Cressida clamored up and sat in the dragon that she usually rode, and Cyrus joined her. Agatha hoisted herself up on Beauty, and then they took to the sky, heading over to the ship.

“I think I'm going to go below deck and check on the supplies. Can I bring you anything?” Sion looked anywhere but at the approaching dragons.

“No, I'm fine,” she said, squeezing his fingers before he headed down the narrow stairs.

Selenia moved closer to Renya, who pushed her hair back from her face and tried to quickly hide any evidence of her discomfort. Selenia wondered if she wanted to impress her father with her strength, or downplay any weakness that her mother might notice.

“Are you okay, Renya?”

She looked at Selenia, and then gave her a small smile. “I'll be fine. I've never been seasick before, but I'm guessing that with the baby, it's made me more prone to it.”

“Don't worry, Little Fawn,” Grayden said, joining them both as they watched the dragons circle the ship, looking for a place to land. “I'll take good care of you tonight.”

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