Charter: Valafar

Athena was really unapproachable like a stone wall, she wanted to have new wonderful acquaintances, but she didn't think it was necessary to approach a person and get to know him or her or make a friendly conversation, she knew where her comfort was and didn't want to prevent others from experiencing her usual state.

Since her childhood she was all by herself and didn't notice new possibilities around her, maybe that's why Athena was comfortable spending time with her only friend - the shadow, at school the girl always sat with someone, but she was always silent, answering people when they really needed something, she didn't show herself as an introvert and kept all her thoughts to herself, writing them down in a notebook which she always kept close to her heart.

But she sat alone in the school canteen, which gave her a calm and peaceful relationship with the food she ate. She observed how other people socialized, how they shook hands, how they made friends and what hobbies they enjoyed.

Not talkative, but observant, unflappable and with her own unique thoughts about her life as a child.

Athena was also all alone with her hobby, she would go into the back garden of her house and sit alone in front of a tree, always playing the flute without any outside observers, she could hear sparrows singing with her, voices of people passing somewhere in the distance, the very flow she was in made her inner flutter with happiness and peace.

She knew what she was doing, Orlanda also liked the way Athena played the flute so skilfully, so she entered her in a talent contest, the girl herself liked the idea and agreed to show her skill not only to nature but also to the public, her heart was beating faster until the evening when she was waiting for her turn in the backstage area and heard only a boy playing the violin beautifully, Athena could not take her eyes off the musical magic the boy was doing, she listened and admired until he fell silent and the whole hall gave him a standing ovation.

When she got on stage and the spotlight started to shine brightly on her, she saw the people watching her, it caused a big stupor, she saw her mum sitting in the front row, she was very happy, she could even see her wearing those white dragonfly hairpins.

When she put her shiny flute to her lips she froze as if all the air that was in her suddenly went out and she suddenly fell in front of all the people her mother ran on stage all in tears she called an ambulance they came very quickly the doctors said she had a nervous attack from strong nerves and she should lie in hospital for a few days.

Athena regained consciousness while Orlanda spoke to her husband and the father:

– It can't be, why won't the teenagers confess to the crime?!

– We're still looking, but hopefully we'll find them soon. But first, how is Athena?

She's fine, she's just nervous. – Orlanda's father hugged her in the corridor.

– Did our daughter know Amanda Tin and Marky Poole? – The father asked quietly.

– No, she was a year younger and they were in different sections…

It was at the hospital that Athena first heard of a case where two children she didn't know had disappeared but were never found, considered a truly unsolved case. After the incident at the talent contest, the girl put her flute aside and played it very rarely, she did not get the fondest memories, with an eternal unquenchable love for music, her heart stopped nourishing that quiet atmosphere and took the image of a bench where no one sits and plays that marvelous melody among sparrows and wind.

Already in high school she acquired a new hobby, a love for books, and when she learned that there was a closed book club in her school, which had not been run by anyone since Amanda Tin, she got the idea to become the official administrator, which she did, but whether she would be able to keep the post, who knows.....

NOW

Athena was so dreamy that she fell loudly to the floor, waking up the pirate who was sleeping so sweetly on the library sofa, opening his blue eyes to see the girl's clumsiness as she quickly got to her feet and began to wipe the dust from her robe as a result of the fall.

– What are you doing here? – he asked, lying on the couch.

– Oh! You're awake, I didn't want to wake you! – The girl was startled by the voice of the awakened Valafar.

– I'll ask you again, what are you doing here? – He put on his gold spectacles, which had fallen on his chest.

– You gave me this key, but I don't know what it's for. – Athena waved the silver key in front of the boy.

– Did I leave and forget to tell you that this key is for your bedroom? – He twirled his index finger around the weight.

– Why are you giving me a bedroom key? – She sat back down on the cushion on the floor.

– Because I want to, and when I want to, I can. And why aren't you leaving? – He crossed his arms on the couch and looked mischievously into Athena's eyes.

– I have questions for you. And I'm not leaving until I know them. – Athena puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest as well.

– I see you're not afraid of me, so ask. – He smiled, touching his reddish beard thoughtfully.

– Why are there no servants here? – Athena asked bluntly.

– Why would I need servants? I've lived at sea all my life, eating simple dishes from a pirate's table, I had no servants and I didn't need them then and I don't need them now. – He snorted selfishly.

– So you like living in a mess?

– HAHAHAHAHA! That's my thing! What are you talking about? I don't understand why there's aesthetic beauty in it.

– Well, I wouldn't say there's an 'aesthetic' to it, would you? – She looked around the dusty library.

– What do you find beautiful? – Valafar asked Athena casually.

– Do you really want to know? – She wondered.

– Valafar waved his head and rubbed his eyes with his sleepy right hand.