Chapter Fourteen

Carien’yth

Cara sat awake the next morning before getting up. She stared at the ceiling and thought about the night before.

They had gone to eat with Sanňa and Bäldassare. Sanňa was infatuated with Kade and talked to him more than Cara, and Cara herself, continued to chat with Bäldassare like what she had been doing for three days. Bäldassare had, on whim, and to Sanňa’s delight called for dancing, and so they went again.

Cara stared at the ceiling, she was feeling something she was sure, but what is it was she was unsure. Anxiety? Exhaustion? There was one that she refused to name, even in her mind. And she shook her thoughts out of her head, Kade along with them and got up.

Outside was bright and the heat had not yet piled up on them. She leaned against the little rail that was the extent of the balcony. This early in the morning, she could feel the breeze of the water even though they were far from it. She looked carefully at the water; there was a long Island to the left that she could barely see.

Schlange Island, they would go there first before heading onwards to Ytheron, it would be easier and less of a distance.

Cara took a deep breath; today was the day that they were leaving, one more dangerous step closer to their goal. She fancied she could see a ship on the horizon, thinking that perhaps it was Tryean, who had put out the day before.

A door opened behind her and she turned to see Ariella come into her room looking sleepy.

“How are you today?” Cara asked.

“Good,” Ariella replied and looked up to her, “you know, you’re not exactly what I expected either.”

Cara looked at her surprised, “what do you mean?”

“Well, Rjardín told me about you, I guess I didn’t expect you to be, well, so human,” Ariella answered.

Cara smiled, “I guess we shouldn’t expect anything from anything that we’ve never met before.”

Ariella gave a nod and stretched again.

“So,” Cara said with a smile, “how are you and Cameron?”

Ariella’s eyes popped open and she dropped her arms from the stretch.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Cara said, “you two have become good friends and you are with him a lot.”

Ariella crossed her arms, “that’s not what you were thinking.”

Cara just smiled and shrugged, she walked to wash her face and get dressed; glancing back at Ariella. She was staring out the open window, thinking.

Cara looked around the room when she was finished mentally checking to see that she had everything. But then it wasn’t like she had a lot of anything. BlackFox had her battle gown, but she was unsure when she would be able to wear it again while will Bäldassare.

Ariella appeared beside her, “are you ready?” she asked.

“I guess so.”

The two walked from the room, meeting Kade just outside and walked down to the dinning area. Queen Nyah was entertaining them one more time before they left.

Cameron, Sanňa and Bäldassare were already up at the front with Nyah chatting and eating a light breakfast.

Cara, Ariella and Kade went up and bowed before them, and then were called to seats. Cara this time sat beside Ariella and Sanňa, for Bäldassare wanted to talk to Kade about the journey, and Cameron, as usual sat on the farthest side of Ariella.

Sanňa talked a lot during the breakfast, constantly asking Cara questions, and she seemed almost very childish. Or maybe it was that Cara was older than her age. Sanňa talked about everything, but Cara only really listened when she talked about Bäldassare.

“He is really good you know,” Sanňa said, “very good, holding the place until my sister is found, and he’s like a father to me, after my own father died, he just seemed to fit in right away.”

It occurred to Cara that Bäldassare was turning out to be more cunning than she thought. Both Cameron and Sanňa were grateful to him, and neither were being controlled by magic, as far as Cara could tell. Which also reminded her that Helcobrek was nowhere to be found now, nor had she been with Bäldassare since Cara had been with him.

“So naturally when he didn’t come back when he said he would, I was really, really worried,” Sanňa explained helping herself to some eggs. “I would have been here much sooner if that witch hadn’t kept me back.”

Cara clued into the conversation just here for it seemed that Sanňa and her were on the same train of thought.

“I’m sorry who?” Cara asked.

“That witch, Helcobrek, I don’t know why Bäldassare keeps her around. I wish he would just stick her back in Kalerik, I mean that’s where she talking about,” Sanňa said with a sigh thinking about how great life would be without this woman.

“But eventually she let me sail here,” Sanňa added.

“When did leave?” Cara asked.

“Five days ago, it’s only a four day journey when you have a good boat, three on the King’s vassals because they are so fast.”

Cara thought for a moment, “are you sailing back on your own ship?”

“Oh no, I sent them off once I was here, I’ll be riding with you!” she grinned at Cara who returned it. “It has been so long since anyone at court was my own age!” Sanňa sighed, “I hope that you will stay at court while you try and set yourselves up in Ytheron.”

Cara smiled, “of course.”

Sanňa grinned, and something very knowing flashed across her face, betraying her conscious as something more than this girly person before Cara. But it happened so fast that Cara was almost unsure that it was there, but she gave hope to that it had been.

Breakfast ended quickly and there was a great upheaval of commotion and chaos filled the court. Standing beside Sanňa, Cara could see that she almost enjoyed the mayhem and even helped it along a little bit.

By mid-morning they were ready to leave and the train set out, coming back only once to retrieve something that had been forgotten.

They reached the porttown at midday, and the sun was high, roasting them all to death. Kade helped Cara down as they stopped for a lunch break.

Like the very first time Cara had eaten with Bäldassare they all lounged about in a group and ate a cold lunch. Sanňa chatted her way through this meal as well and Cara grew to like her carefree way of talking and for once there was no seriousness in the conversations.

They even had a conversation about which soldier was cuter then the others. Cara hadn’t had a conversation like this before. She had friends at home, but they were more like acquaintances, she couldn’t remember ever giggling over boys like she was with Sanňa.

They set off again all to soon and Cara rode with Sanňa laughing more in that small space of time then she had since she had came to the world in her book.

When they came to the ship she made almost an unconscious effort to look for Kip, though she was sure that he wouldn’t be one of the ones there to greet them.

Sanňa and Cara settled themselves in the same cabin after a debate with Bäldassare who thought that the girls needed their space. The two shot him down almost immediately.

They talked as they set up the room, Ariella was right next to them in a room with two of Sanňa’s ladies in waiting. Only one other cabin was set aside for the other girls and BlackFox that Sanňa had and that was the extent of the gender on board.

Which of course gave a great amount of selection for Cara and Sanňa.

They were called for dinner, after spending most of their time on deck, getting in the way and watching the sailor’s pull out of the dock and set out to sea. The dinner was of seafood which Cara and Sanňa giggled over they were in such a great mood.

They stood on deck again afterwards, watching the land reseed from them in the sunset, when Sanňa was called away by Bäldassare. She took Cara hand with a squeeze.

“We will have all night to talk, alright?” she said with a grin, “I am glad to have met you.”

“I am glad to have meet you as well,” Cara replied and Sanňa scampered off passed Kade in the process.

“You seem to have made a good friend,” he said coming over to her.

Cara shrugged, “we seem to get along. But it’s not like I’m going to be around forever.”

Kade nodded and stood with Cara leaning on the rail.

Ariella appeared soon afterwards, now that everyone was calming down, the hard part done with.

“Cara I have to talk to you,” Ariella said.

“Okay,” Cara said and Ariella glanced at Kade. He gave one nod, said goodnight and left without any further prompting.

“What is it?” Cara asked, wondering why Ariella had sent Kade away.

“I have to tell you something about Bäldassare and yourself.”

Cara frowned a little confused, “okay, go ahead.”

“Have you ever wondered why some of your kind are magnificent authors, and others are not?” Ariella asked.

“They have talent and skill,” Cara answered.

“True, they are important factors but not why,” she answered, “Think, where do authors get there ideas and why are they never the same?”

Cara was silent for a moment.

“I don’t know where they get their ideas from.”

“They get them from their stories.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Cara said, suddenly annoyed with Ariella.

“It doesn’t have to, it is either way. The authors have at one point in time stepped into the world they are writing about, usually before they write them. Authors do not own their stories, Stories own their authors. Every story written dives into a world that exists but your world passes them off as just fantasies that are not real.”

Cara watched her carefully the pale blue eyes watched her; this was a very interesting view on stories, but Cara wanted to get to the point.

“But I’m also a Storier,” Cara said, “the Lady Helen said that, and Others.”

“Yes, a Storier is those writer’s that delve into different worlds like this one,” Ariella said, “but you know the differences between the two. But some Storiers are stronger than others.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Cara asked.

“Your connection to this story and world is deeper than anyone else’s.”

“Go on.”

“Sixteen years ago out Princess Carien’yth, eldest daughter of Neareüs was taken from us. No on knew where, no one knew how and she has never been found.”

“Wait, who’s Carien’yth? Kade asked me about that, the Lady Helen had mentioned it. I don’t remember ever making Sanňa an older sister,” Cara interrupted.

“Of course you don’t,” Ariella said practically, “Carien’yth was taken from us. Born again of a human in your world fifteen years ago.”

Cara was beginning to become very impatient.

“Can you tell me something about Bäldassare or not?” Cara asked.

“A person can only go into a world if they have already been there, which explains why very few people manage it. Haven’t you ever wondered how Bäldassare managed to pluck you from your world to this one?”

“All the time,” Cara answered, “But-” she stopped suddenly, eyes wide shocked.

“I knew you were a bright girl,” Ariella murmured.

“Are you trying to tell me that-?”

“That you are Princess Carien’yth finally brought back to us after sixteen years of being missing? Yes, you are Carien’yth, heir of Lerien’yth.”