Two new short stories- "A Lifeboat" and "First Love." One about Helmut and the other about Chris.
A Lifeboat
It had proved easy enough to slip the keys Elenor had left behind out from under Agnes� watch. Worrying about her teacher made her mind stray and as I am not one to let an opportunity pass me by I took advantage of this. (Sometimes I wish I didn�t make decisions so easily. I often regret them later.)
With the keys in hand I strode purposefully. I had one chance to do this right. There was nothing for me here. There was nothing for me in Kooluk. The only thing remaining in my life was the man awaiting my arrival several decks below.
As I headed down through the various decks to my destination I tried hard to keep a smile from flitting across my face or my enthusiasm from lightening my step. I had to remain silent and serious. I could not give myself away.
Perhaps Flare had her suspicions when I nodded politely to her as we passed on thee stairway, but she did not voice them or attempt to stop me. She merely greeted me cheerfully in reply as we continued on our own separate ways. It was her usual, �Hello!� But something about it made me suspect she was onto me. Did my hand, tightly clutching the keys, nearly betray me? Maybe I was just paranoid. I had good reason to be nervous. (Perhaps I don�t try hard enough. More discipline is necessary.)
My father barely looked up as I approached my destination at last. He knew that good fortune alone could not save him: just action. Whether or not the necessary steps were taken was all in my hands. He appeared morose and deep in thought. That changed immediately as the keys appeared. I dangled them in front of the bars enticingly. His entire countenance brightened. �Good work, Helmut,� he encouraged me gruffly, in as a close as he could come to a whisper.
I looked over my shoulder before I began to try the keys, one at a time. No one could see me. I would doom us both. The first key was much too large-obviously not a match. The second was bent the wrong way. The third key looked right, but did not produce the correct result. The fourth try did it. The heavy lock clicked open. A knowing look passed between my father and I as I swung the door open. We headed as swiftly and secretively as we could to where the lifeboats waited. The attention of the rest of the crew was directed to the final battle and its outcome. I already knew the only possible outcome. This was not to be Kooluk�s victory.
I lowered a lifeboat into the water and took up the oars. In the fading sunlight I could see how tired and worn my father looked. The war had taken a bit of his strength out of him. Here lay my responsibility- to look after my father. Duty, however, did not keep me from taking one last glance at The Swift as the waves carried our tiny craft further away.
*************
It was several hours before he was missed. More before his father�s escape was noted as well.
Koji dashed to the edge of the ship and leaned over the rail, �Lady Kika!� he exclaimed, �We�re missing one of the lifeboats!�
First Love
The sun was shining, warm and bright, and the breeze was wonderful, filled with the sweet scent of spring flowers. It was a perfect day. ...At least it felt like one to Chris Lightfellow. No day was as lovely as this one- at least no day she could recall. What was this giddy feeling that lifted her heart away on silvery wings? She could not name it. She was only ten-years-old, but she knew that when she looked at Captain Galahad, her face felt warm, and everything around her became a little more special.
"Chris, will you give it all a good polish?" he asked, gesturing to his suit of armor from the comfort of his favorite chair, a few dispatches lying in his lap.
"Yes, Sir!" she chirped happily in reply, setting herself intently on the task before her. Galahad watched peacefully over his cup of green tea. She was an excellent worker, dedicated in all way to any task that he set before her. She certainly had potential. She might become a knight as great as her father someday. Galahad had vowed to Wyatt's departed spirit that he would watch over her and do the best he could to encourage her. ...As for romantic feelings of love, of these he was totally unaware.
She glanced over at the knight, in a momentary distraction from her work. She had made that tea specially for the man she served. The blend of leaves she had used was said to be a potent love charm. (At least the chambermaids told her so.) Chris was not entirely sure it would work at all, but she could always harbor a little hope. Captain Galahad seemed to be enjoying his tea at least. He always drank tea in the morning with just one sugar cube and a piece of toast with butter. Chris closed her eyes and savoring the peaceful moment thought to herself, "Saint Loa, look after us."
"Chris," Galahad said suddenly, putting down his cup of tea, "That was especially good today. Could you make the same kind again tomorrow?"
The silver-haired girl smiled, "Yes, Captain."
Snowdrifts
"Did the inspectors ever recover your gloves?" Sasarai asked his strategist.
"Not yet," Albert grumbled, rubbing his bare hands together to warm them.
"I honestly can't believe that someone would steal your gloves like that," the bishop mused, "I mean, you only got up from the table for a moment..."
Albert did not reply immediately, but simply stared out at the sparkling snowdrifts that lay before them. They grew in size slowly, one snowflake at a time, the same way the overflowing feelings in his heart had grown.
"Those inspectors...didn't you present them with a medal last year?" the strategist spoke at last.
"I did," Sasarai responded blandly.
"You know," the red-haired man continued, "If you keep me warm, I won't notice that I'm missing my gloves..."
Sasarai smiled sweetly. HIs cheeks and nose were pink from the cold. "Oh Albert, just borrow mine."
Spaghetti
Annalee sat by herself at the table in the restaurant. Pico and Alberto had gone off to Radat to purchase some new strings for their instruments, leaving the young singer alone. She stirred her spaghetti with her fork sadly, twisting it into thick coils.
"You better eat that soon, or it'll get cold," a quiet female voice said to her.
The small brunette nearly jumped out of her seat. She turned around to see Karen standing behind her.
"May I sit down with you?" the dancer inquired politely, placing a hand on the back of the empty chair.
"Go ahead," Annalee replied, "I'm glad to have the company."
Karen looked at the plate of untouched spaghetti hungrily. Suddenly, her stomach growled. She blushed and looked down at the tablecloth.
"We can share, if you'd like," Annalee offered shyly.
"Thank you, I'd love to," Karen accepted.
The two girls began on the plate of spaghetti silently, smiling at each other when their eyes met. When they finally realized that they both had one end of the last piece on their forks, both girls blushed, but neither put it down.
Foreign Phrases
"Teach me something!" the blond boy demanded teasingly.
"Like what?" the strategist shot back, setting down his papers.
"I don't know," the boy shrugged, "Something useful."
At first he drew a complete blank, but as an idea popped into Albert's clever mind, his eyes brightened, "All right, Nikolai," he smiled, "I'll teach you how to say something in Harmonian."
"Okay, that'll be neat," the boy agreed, "It's the language of all the priests and scholars. I'd like that."
************
"ALBERT!" Sasarai yelled at the top of his lungs, "H-how could you?!" The red-haired strategist grinned at his superior and Sasarai's voice dropped suddenly to a whisper, "Nikolai didn't know what he was saying, right?"
Albert nodded.
The bishop's voice grew even quieter as he continued, "Do you, um, really want to...?"
The strategist simply nodded again.
Ashton's Love
She was beautiful. Ashton had first caught a glimpse of her softly curved shaped through the store's window as he passed casually by. He found himself unable to leave and was drawn into the shop by an invisible force that he could almost name...was this love, perhaps?
Her glossy sheen, her bright black rings, her silent patience as she stood, unmoving from her place. She was lovely. She was perfect. He was enthralled.
Rena approached Ashton from behind and tapped the drooling man on the shoulder, "Umm, Ashton, that's a barrel."
"I know," he replied.
The Wedding
The dress was soft and silky, it's lacy folds flowing around her like frosting on a cake. At least that was how she would have descirbed it. Her long blond hair hanging loose and a wreath of pink and white flowers atop her head, the bishop's assistant felt like a princess. It was a fabulous wedding, all she could have hoped for...
Except it was not her wedding.
She looked at Dios and his bride standing at the altar. They looked so happy together. If only it were here wedding...
An image of herself standing beside Dios came to her mind. "No! Not like that!" she chided her imagination sulkily, "Geez, can't I even have a decent fantasy?!"