Chapter 6

Tivon was excited to stand on hard ground in less than an hour finally. He was even more excited to spend more time with Elias. He quite enjoyed his company, feeling safe around him.

He is still a murderer, you can't trust him. Tivon wanted to trust him. Oh, how he wanted to tell him everything, but he knew it would be safer if he didn't.

»Morning!«

Tivon didn't notice when Elias entered, being too occupied with his thoughts. Just be careful, he thought to himself.

»Ready to go?« Said Elias with a big, excited smile.

Tivon opened his mouth to say yes when a thought crossed his mind. He looked down at his clothes. He's been wearing the same clothes since he left the kingdom. A rush of embarrassment rushed through his body.

»Don't worry.« said Elias as if were reading his thoughts. He threw him a pile of clothes and a coat. He winked, »I got you covered.«

And then Elias just stood there, watching Tivon. For a couple of minutes, they just stood there watching each other.

Tivon blushed. »Umm. Can you umm turn around just so I can-.« He said awkwardly.

This time Tivon was surprised to see a slight blush on Elias' face. »Oh, sorry.«

He turned around and patiently waited for Tivon to dress up.

Elias forgot how long he'd been standing there. A voice in his head was telling him to look. He brushed that thought away, yet after a few seconds, he still peeked over his shoulder.

Tivon was facing away from him, his back bare white and untouched by the sun. The smoothness of his skin interrupted a big, unusual scar starting at Tivon's right hip, across his back to his left shoulder and continuing up on his neck and head. Elias only now noticed his back was slightly crooked. What the hell happened to that kid?

When Tivon put on a shirt, Elias quickly turned away, turning red.

As Tivon tucked a white shirt under his dark beige trousers, Elias put down his mask, and rushed to the stairs, trying to hide his distress. »Let's go.«

Tivon put on his coat and grabbed his bag, happy to finally leave the cell. When he came out into the light, Elias stopped him and chained one of his hands to his.

»Just for now. When we're alone I'll unchain you.« he explained.

Tivon nodded in approval, and they headed towards the land. As they were walking off the ship, Pit watched them with an abhorred face. Tivon tried to ignore his eyes on him and stepped closer to Elias.

As they stepped on the ground, Tivon could still feel the waving and rocking of his body. »What island is this?«

»This is Dalelry.«

»I never heard of this island.«

They walked through a small harbour and entered a small-scale marketplace.

»It's because not many sailors want to come here.« He took two apples from a stand and threw one to Tivon. He removed his mask. »This is our island. Kinda like our second home.« He bit into an apple and continued walking.

Tivon was curious. »So it's okay for you to not wear your mask here?«

»Yeah. There are not many local people living here. The only ones who do still live here know me. Some of the crew members have homes and families here.«

They entered an overgrown tropical forest that was spreading wide and open around the small village. Tivon observed nature and noted every flower and animal around him. »What about you?«

Elias stopped. Tivon thought he made a mistake asking that question. He just wanted to reprimand himself, when Elias turned to him and unchained his hand.

"I don't have a family," he said, a bit sorrowful, but then he quickly smiled. "But I have a home."

They were standing before a big rock wall, covered in vines and greenery. Elias moved the densely grown flower vines, revealing a hidden passageway. He moved his hand in a welcoming way for Tivon to go in first.

Tivon looked through the tunnel. From where he was standing, he couldn't see the end. He took a breath and stepped in. Elias followed right behind him, dropping the vines behind them, making the passage even darker. Tivon moved forward, careful of his step. Eventually, the light from the other side shone its way in. When they came to the end of the tunnel, Tivon lost his breath.

He found himself standing in a lagoon, surrounded by a towering sheer rock face covered in lush greenery. At the top of the cliff, a waterfall cascaded into a crystal-clear turquoise lake, which then flowed into a river meandering through a dense forest. Although the sea was not visible from this spot, Tivon reasoned that the river likely flowed into the ocean.

Tivon was speechless. He had never seen such a breathtaking place. At home, he had the privilege to have so many different books with thousands of illustrations, but never did any of them show such a graceful marvellous place.

Elias passed by, giggling. »Come on. You hungry?«

Tivon was still looking around, trying to study and memorize every corner of the place. He looked at Elias and nodded.

»Follow me.«

They went towards the waterfall. »You think this place is cool. Watch this.« said Elias as he disappeared behind the waterfall. It seemed to Tivon like the waterfall swallowed him. He stepped forward to see where Elias went. He was kindly surprised to see another passage behind the waterfall. It was narrow at first and then it opened up into a big cave.

The place lit up as Elias lighted the lanterns. It illuminated a simple humble decorated cave. There was a mere bed, shelves cut into the rock, some barrels on the other side of a cave and blankets and clothes folded beside it. The cave was pleasantly cool.

»How did you find this place?« Asked Tivon after observing every corner of the cave.

Elias lit up the last lantern and took off his swords and coat. »I had a lot of time.« He looked at Tivon. »And I cannot just not explore the island. I can't stay still.«

»Does anybody else know about it?«

»Just you.« Tivon was surprised. I'm the only one beside him that know of this place? »Do you want lenies or frones?« asked Elias.

Tivon knew what lenies were. They were big oval orange fruit, with a bitter taste, that left your tongue course. They were rear in his kingdom, and he didn't like them very much. But frones, he had never heard of them.

»What are frones?« asked Tivon.

Elias threw him a big round purple fruit. »Peel it.«

Tivon peeled the purple skin off the fruit, and it came away easily, revealing a cluster of magenta berries. He picked one of the berries and took a bite. At first, it was sour, but as it melted in his mouth, it gave way to a delightful, sweet aftertaste.

Elias came to him and took one of the berries. »They grow all around the island.« He threw it in his mouth and winked at Tivon, who blushed again. Elias smirked.

»W-what?« asked Tivon.

»It's funny how easily I get you to blush.«

»I don't blush easily.« said Tivon as he turned even redder.

Elias looked over his shoulder. »You're doing it again.«

Tivon frowned and looked away, hiding his face in the coat collar. Elias sat down, leaned on the wall and took a piece of wood he had been carving for the past couple of days.

»Where are you from?«

»W-what do you mean where I'm from?« asked Tivon nervously.

Elias laughed. »I know for a fact that you're not a sailor. And you must be from somewhere.«

Tivon sat down. »Krens.«

Elias looked up from his carving. »Krens is big. Which part of Krens?«

Tivon hesitated for a moment, then said. »Yarrin.«

Tivon told part of a lie. He wasn't from Yarrin, but it was a town closest to Naydawin.

»That's near Naydawin.«

Tivon swallowed hard, almost chocking on a fron. »Yes. Do you know it?«

Elias continued carving. »I have never been there. I know it because mostly we steal from the kingdom merchant ships.« He looked at Tivon. »The Rose Sparrow and the kingdom aren't, let's say on good tearms.«

Tivon smiled, relieved that he didn't know much about Naydawin. Or him.

Elias continued. »So if you are from Yarrin, how did you got stuck with us?«

Tivon lowered his posture. »I ran away.«

»Oh, a troublemaker. We like those.«

Tivon had to laugh at that. »Or I just wanted to escape from an unhealthy environment.« He looked at Elias. Elias wasn't smiling, he looked worried. »Oh, it's nothing serious. I just needed some freedom.«

»You call 'getting captured by The Rose Sparrow' freedom?«

»For now it's better than being at home.«

»Yeah... For now. « said Elias quietly.

An awkward silence fell inside the cave. The only sound there was, was the water falling and Elias' knife carving through the wood.

Tivon broke the chocking silence. »And where are you from? Others have a Ritherhithe accent, but you don't have it.«

»Most of them are from Ritherhit. Not all, of course. And me,« he made his final cut for that day and put the knife on a belt on his thigh. »I don't remember where I'm from. I have been with this crew since I was six.«

He stood up and took one of his swords. He started waving it around as he was saying. »So, if you're going to stay with us,« He stopped, but quickly continued. »Well, you don't have any other choice but to stay with us. And if you stay with us you need to know how to fight.« He looked at Tivon. »And fortunately, you have the greatest teacher standing right before you. We start tomorrow.«