“You’re not planning to go there, are you?!” Lilyth dropped the tray she had been carrying.

Edgar bent over to pick it up for her. “Of course I am.” he replied

Lilyth snatched the tray for him. “But why?” She looked positively mad with either fright or fury, Edgar couldn’t tell.

“I don’t understand why it has to be such an ordeal, Lilyth.” Edgar said, staring at her.

He turned and strode across the old dirt floor.

The room was suddenly cascaded with shadow.

“I’ve already agreed to lead the expedition.” Edgar murmured through the dark.

Lilyth glared at his shadowed face. “You’re so dull Edgar!” She hurled the tray at him.

“Lyth,” he cooed, catching the tray in midair, “I’m sorry, I can’t turn back. I’m doing it for the King.

Lilyth turned her back on him. She faced the curtain less window. “I don’t want you to disappear, Edgar.” She said quietly.

“Disappear?” Edgar said with a small laugh, “I don’t plan on it, dear.”

“You don’t understand!” Lilyth cried. “Remember the last man to journey to that dreadful place? What was his name? Christopher?”

Edgar thought for a moment. “Yes. He was called Christopher Columbus, if I remember correctly.”

“He never came back.” Lilyth whispered. “It was the same with that other man. Years and years and years ago. Amerigo Vaspucci! He never came back!”

Edgar stepped forward. “Lil…”

“No!” Lilyth bellowed. She rounded on him. “I don’t want to hear any excuses! None! This is not what mother and father would have wanted!”

She stared at him through her huge, watery brown eyes. Her long brown hair had come undone, it looked like a pack of long brown snakes. She clutched her ragged dress and wiped her eyes with it.

Edgar stood speechless for a moment. “Mother and father wanted what’s best for us.” He said. “And this is what’s best for us. Journeying to this… this New World. We could leave this place and live there, in that world.” Edgar seemed as if he were pleading. He stepped closer to Lilyth.

She merely stared at the ground, big salty tears streaming from her eyes.

“Please” Edgar whispered to her. “Come with me.”

She stood in deep thought for a moment, wiping tears from her eyes. She sighed. “Let me get my things.” She choked.

Edgar smiled and kissed the top of her silky head. “Thank you”

Edgar took a string from the pile and pulled back his long black hair.

Lilyth came behind him. “Here.” she said handing him his glasses. “Jonas wanted me to tell you that the ship is ready. He said we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready as well.”

“Right then.” Edgar said grabbing his bag. “Let’s go.”

Lilyth picked up her own bag. Edgar took her arm in his, and patted her hand. “Are you sure you’re ready to leave?” He asked her.

She sighed and nodded. “Yes”

He smiled at her and together, they left the old cabin and walked out into the sunny streets of their old English town.

“This is it.” Edgar beamed up at the massive ship, bobbing up and down in the blue harbor, sails rippling in the breeze. “Our ship, The Pendragon.”

“She’s beautiful.” Lilyth said quietly.

“Mr. Crow!” called a voice aboard the ship. “Everything is ready, Mr. Crow!”

“Alright Jonas!” Edgar called back, “We’ll be up in a moment!”

Edgar looked into Lilyths’ eyes. They had begun to fill with tears once more.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” He asked her softly. “Are you ready to leave England and probably never come back?”

Lilyth took a deep breath to keep herself form bursting into tears. “Y-yes.” She choked. “I’m ready.”

Edgar nodded and smiled. He took his sisters’ hand and lead her onto the strong wooden deck of the Pendragon.

They were greeted warmly by a young man with a crazy, excited look in his eyes.

“Mr. Crow!” He cried, stumbling toward them. His tattered clothing and messy brown hair flailed wildly in the wind.

Edgar laughed as the boy tripped over his own feet and fell flat onto his face.

“Hello, Jonas.” Edgar said, helping the boy up from the floor.

Jonas dusted himself off, and smiled at Lilyth. “Hi Lyth.” He beamed.

Lilyth smiled back. “Hi Jonas.”

“Are we ready to set sail?” Edgar asked Jonas.

Jonas nodded. “Yep. But I think I should tell you this now. We’re expecting a storm soon, so be prepared.”

“Right then.” Edgar glanced at each of the crew.

“The best crew in England.” Jonas stated proudly. “I found them myself.”

Edgar patted Jonas on the back. “I’m proud.” He said, impressed.

Lilyth glanced at the crew and winced. “Can we trust them?” She asked so only Edgar and Jonas could hear. “I mean, what if they decide to mutiny?”

Jonas made a face. “They’re being paid. Why wouldn’t they stay?”

“Don’t worry.” Edgar said, putting his arm around her. “Everything will be fine.”

“I hope you’re right, Edgar.” She shifted her bag on her shoulder.

“Here, I’ll take your bag, Lilyth.” Jonas help out his arms.

“Oh… no thanks.” She sighed.

“Well then,” Jonas said, “You folks will be sleeping in the Captains’ Quarters. You are the captain after all, Edgar.”

“Why don’t you go put our bags away, Lilyth. I’ll handle the ship and you can rest, okay?” Edgar rubbed her arm.

She nodded and walked away.

Jonas stared after her. “ Is she okay?” He asked.

Edgar sighed. “She’s so afraid of leaving. But there’s no way I’m leaving her behind.”

He turned on his heel and ambled toward the steerage, his long black coat billowing out behind him.

“Raise the anchor!“ he bellowed. “Lower the sails and let’s ditch this rock!”

Lilyth blinked. The Captains’ Quarter was much bigger than she had expected.

She imagined a small room crammed with a few beds and a wardrobe. She had been on a ship before, but that was only on the ‘tween deck, and she had slept there when she was only eight.

The thought of sleeping in this huge luxurious room comforted her. She set her bag and Edgars’ down on the hard oak table and opened the wardrobe.

Relived to see that it was empty, she began to fill it with her clothes, leaving a few shelves for Edgar.

Her bag was now only half full. The rest were things like books (which she placed on the table), paper, ink, and a quill, (she placed those beside the books) and lastly, an old letter that her parents had given her for her tenth birthday, nine years ago in 1474, a year before they died.

She sighed and smoothed down the letter and smiled at the memory of her parents.

Edgars’ long black hair whipped and flailed madly in the wind of the storm.

He stood near the steerage watching his crew work through the hammering rain. The black sky wept upon them all, creating a hellish anger only the ocean could vent.

He glanced at Jonas who was struggling at the wheel, pushing with all his strength against the wind.

“Edgar!” he cried, “Help!” The wheel began to slip from his pull.

Edgar cursed and grabbed the wheel. “Push with me!” He bellowed.

Together, the two pushed the wheel to the right. Their triumph was broken as a giant wave of water crashed into the ship. The crew was thrashed around like old rag dolls.

Jonas stumbled backwards and fell over. Edgar righted himself and continued to turn the wheel.

This grueling routine continued on brutally until the storm began to slow and weaken and gradually, come to an end.

Jonas stood up weakly. He rung out his soaked clothing and smiled up at Edgar who leaned tiredly against the wheel.

“Told you there would be a storm.” Jonas said patting Edgar on the back.

“My first storm at sea.” Edgar replied.

Jonas looked shocked. “Really? You handled it like a professional!”

Edgar shrugged. “Here, you take the wheel. I’m going to go check on Lilyth.”

Jonas saluted him with a grin, “Yes sir!”

Edgar jumped down from the steerage and walked across the deck.

Lilyth stood leaning against the mass with her arms crossed. “Still think this is a good idea?” She asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Best idea I’ve had in years” Edgar replied.

Lilyth motioned to the crew who seemed to have decreased. They had gotten right back to work.

“Another storm like this, and there won’t be a crew at all. It’ll just blow right over and kill us all.”

She walked off, leaving Edgar all alone under the mass of the Pendragon. Torn sails hung above him, a bright milky moon above them, and a long way beyond that, a new world that probably didn’t even exist.

Edgar sighed. “Perhaps she’s right.” He whispered.

“No point in swabbin’ the deck now, eh cap’n?” A crew member said with a smile.

Edgar looked around at the deck, soaked with slat water from he sea. The long deep depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

“No I guess not.” Edgar said to him, “So go prepare dinner instead.”

Nearly a year and a half filled with poorly prepared meals, and little sleep drove most of the crew mad.

Mutiny would usually be the best solution. But in this case, here would they go?

“I’d rather sink to the bottom of Davey Jones’ Locker than suffer another day on this ship.” Edgar overheard one crew member say one day.

He never sunk. He fell sick like the rest of the crew.

Edgar sat back helplessly and watched as his crew decreased to a mere dozen hands.

He thought he himself would rather sink to the ocean floor until he heard Jonas’s high pitched cry of

“LAND!”

Edgar, like the rest of the crew, peered out over the horizon, and sure enough there it was, The New World.

“Still think this was a bad idea?” Edgar said to Lilyth, who threw her arms around him.

“We made it!” she cried.

Edgar took Lilyths’ hand and leapt from the ship as soon as they hit land.

Some hands kissed the earth below them, some fell to their knees and cried in triumph, some fainted.

Jonas embraced Edgar and Lilyth. “The New World.” Jonas whispered, “For all we know this could be the gates of heaven. And you led us to them, Edgar.”

Edgar grinned and ruffled Jonas’ hair. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” He said.

Jonas laughed. “I know.”

The three let go of each other, Tears of joy in their eyes.

They turned away from the ocean. And to their surprise, they were greeted by a group of men. Their skin the color of their own, apparel much like theirs.

“One man smiled broadly. “So,” he said, “How was that new world of yours, Mr. Crow?”

Edgar stared at him, mad with confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Isn’t this the new world?”

The man laughed. “Are you mad? You’re home now. Back in England!”