The whole ship? No, two people on deck had not yet joined their comrades on their journey to the Dreamworld. These were two of the newcomers whom had temporarily joined the troupe; a lynx and a dragon. The Lynx, feeling a bit peckish, was chewing on an apple which she had taken from a nearby barrel. She held the apple's twin in one of her paws and she now offered it up to the dragon.
"Thank you, I am not really hungry."
"Suit yourself" Risha said.
Having finished the apple she threw the core overboard, into the vine-dark sea.
"Just think, "she said. "The Day after tomorow we'll arrive in Tiraliros."
"And not a day too soon" Merees muttered.
Risha moved closer to her girlfriend, putting a paw on her shoulder.
"You've been tense ever since we came aboard" she said. "And I think I know the reason why: Its because of that creep Isso, isn't it?" The Lynx practically spat when she uttered the ocelot's name.
Merees sighed.
"Risha, he frightens me. I know; someone like me being afraid of someone like him? Even I think its absurd."
The Dragon shook her head, her lips twisted into a self-mocking grin.
"I don't think its absurd" Risha said, with sincerity. "However, I don't think you'll need to worry about Isso. He wouldn't dare do anything to harm you while we're on the ship and once we get ashore, we don't have to have anything to do with him again. Besides, if he tries anything..."
Risha left the unspoken threat hanging, but she assumed a stance taught to her by her father and took a few jabs at the air.
..."He wouldn't know what hit him" she finished, placing a paw on her hip with a confident smirk on her face.
"My knight in shining armor" Merees said, giving Risha a peck on the cheek, her cool lips pressing against the younger woman's soft fur. "I'll be counting on you to have my back. Just like I hope you'll count on me to have yours."
"Of course" Risha said, returning the kiss in kind.
"And we both have to look after your brother. Speaking of, there's someone who has really been enjoying this voyage."
This was true, Leorin had taken to life aboard like a fish to water, performing each task that was given to him with unbridled enthusiasm. Now, he slept peacefully on deck; his sister having tucked him in for the night.
The Couple stood in silence for awhile, gazing out at the moonlit sea, their arms wrapped around each others waists, Risha resting her head on Merees' shoulder.
"Do you know what day it is?" Merees asked suddenly.
Risha hadn't really kept track of the days ever since they had fled Vinoli and so, she had to think for a few seconds, before she could give the answer.
"Why do you ask?" She wondered, curious as to where this could lead."Is there something special about this day? Can it be...?"
As if she had read Risha's mind, Meees nodded in confirmation.
"Happy Birthday!" Risha squealed excitedly, prompting a nearby crewman to tell her to pipe down. She hurriedly apologized and turned back to Merees, there was something she needed to ask.
"So, tell me" she said. "How old are you?"
"One-Hundred and Twenty" came the answer. "Well, I will be later today; I was born at noon."
Risha thought back to what she had learned about dragons at school. She knew that they aged at a different rate from most creatures and that by their standards, Merees was barely an adult. Still, it seemed almost unreal that the person standing next to her had been alive for more than a century.
She hadn't really thought about it before, but Risha suddenly became acutely aware that when she had grown old, with wrinkles around her eyes and gray fur, Merees' appearance would likely not have changed that much and what would happen then?
"Risha, what's the matter?"
The Princess' voice brought Risha back to reality. She looked down at her paws and noticed them trembling.
"Mer..." She began in a hoarse voice.
"Yes, love?"
"When I am old, will you still love me?"
Merees said nothing at first. Instead, she took a firm but gentle grip on Risha's shoulders and gazed into the lynx's eyes with a serious look on her face.
"Risha, he frightens me. I know; someone like me being afraid of someone like him? Even I think its absurd."
The Dragon shook her head, her lips twisted into a self-mocking grin.
"I don't think its absurd" Risha said, with sincerity. "However, I don't think you'll need to worry about Isso. He wouldn't dare do anything to harm you while we're on the ship and once we get ashore, we don't have to have anything to do with him again. Besides, if he tries anything..."
Risha left the unspoken threat hanging, but she assumed a stance taught to her by her father and took a few jabs at the air.
..."He wouldn't know what hit him" she finished, placing a paw on her hip with a confident smirk on her face.
"My knight in shining armor" Merees said, giving Risha a peck on the cheek, her cool lips pressing against the younger woman's soft fur. "I'll be counting on you to have my back. Just like I hope you'll count on me to have yours."
"Of course" Risha said, returning the kiss in kind.
"And we both have to look after your brother. Speaking of, there's someone who has really been enjoying this voyage."
This was true, Leorin had taken to life aboard like a fish to water, performing each task that was given to him with unbridled enthusiasm. Now, he slept peacefully on deck; his sister having tucked him in for the night.
The Couple stood in silence for awhile, gazing out at the moonlit sea, their arms wrapped around each others waists, Risha resting her head on Merees' shoulder.
"Do you know what day it is?" Merees asked suddenly.
Risha hadn't really kept track of the days ever since they had fled Vinoli and so, she had to think for a few seconds, before she could give the answer.
"Why do you ask?" She wondered, curious as to where this could lead."Is there something special about this day? Can it be...?"
As if she had read Risha's mind, Meees nodded in confirmation.
"Happy Birthday!" Risha squealed excitedly, prompting a nearby crewman to tell her to pipe down. She hurriedly apologized and turned back to Merees, there was something she needed to ask.
"So, tell me" she said. "How old are you?"
"One-Hundred and Twenty" came the answer. "Well, I will be later today; I was born at noon."
Risha thought back to what she had learned about dragons at school. She knew that they aged at a different rate from most creatures and that by their standards, Merees was barely an adult. Still, it seemed almost unreal that the person standing next to her had been alive for more than a century.
She hadn't really thought about it before, but Risha suddenly became acutely aware that when she had grown old, with wrinkles around her eyes and gray fur, Merees' appearance would likely not have changed that much and what would happen then?
"Risha, what's the matter?"
The Princess' voice brought Risha back to reality. She looked down at her paws and noticed them trembling.
"Mer..." She began in a hoarse voice.
"Yes, love?"
"When I am old, will you still love me?"
Merees said nothing at first. Instead, she took a firm but gentle grip on Risha's shoulders and gazed into the lynx's eyes with a serious look on her face.
"Risha, there's something you should know: I have been with other people before you, both boys and girls. None of my previous relationships ended well and when I look back, I think it was mostly because of me. That's not important though. What is important is this: Whether male or female, I never felt for any of them the same way I feel towards you. Risha: I love you and I will always love you, no matter what you look like or how old you become. So, stop worrying about stuff like that, OK?"
Risha looked at Merees, the dragoness had not said it, but the lynx realized from the look on her face that her feelings had been hurt. Suddenly, she felt ashamed.
"You are right" she said apologetically, ears drooping. "Deep down, I know you will always love me and I feel awful for doubting that in any way. Its just...I guess I'm a bit insecure: I've never had a girlfriend before and when I look at you...Well, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people think that you are out of my league."
"Why would you care about what other people think? Besides, they are wrong anyway. As far as I am concerned, you are definitely in my league."
With that, Merees pulled the lynx close and kissed her passionately on the mouth.
Risha looked at Merees, the dragoness had not said it, but the lynx realized from the look on her face that her feelings had been hurt. Suddenly, she felt ashamed.
"You are right" she said apologetically, ears drooping. "Deep down, I know you will always love me and I feel awful for doubting that in any way. Its just...I guess I'm a bit insecure: I've never had a girlfriend before and when I look at you...Well, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people think that you are out of my league."
"Why would you care about what other people think? Besides, they are wrong anyway. As far as I am concerned, you are definitely in my league."
With that, Merees pulled the lynx close and kissed her passionately on the mouth.
Risha felt her legs turn into jelly. She closed her eyes, not wanting to be conscious of anything except for the kiss. At that moment, the lynx-girl's entire World consisted of Merees' tongue filling her mouth.
Neither Risha nor Merees knew exactly how long the kiss lasted. All they knew was that their lungs had felt like they were about to burst and so, the two of them reluctantly separated and stood leaning against the rail, gathering their breath.
Risha was the first to regain the ability to speak.
"Wow" she said, shaking her head. "That was...."
"...Amazing" Merees finished the sentence. She smiled at her lover. "You are a very fast learner, Risha."
"With such a good teacher, how could I not be?" Risha smiled back.
Just then, the lynx-girl remembered something.
"Close your eyes" she said.
"Why?" Merees asked.
"Just do it and hold out your hand."
Wondering what Risha could be driving at, the Princess did as she had been asked. After a few seconds, she could hear Risha's voice again:
"You can look now."
Merees opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was that the ring finger on her right hand now had a ring around it.
"Risha" she began. "This is..."
"My father gave me this ring, before we left Vinoli. I want you to have it. As my first birthday gift to you."
Holding up her hand, Merees stared at the piece of jewelry adorning her finger.
"Risha" she began. "Its beautiful, but..."
"What is it?"
"Its a precious family heirloom, left to you by your father. Are you certain that you want me to have it?"
"I have never been more certain of anything in my life."
"Than I shall accept it, but I want you to know something."
"What's that?"
Merees reached out and, with her ringed hand, gently touched Risha's cheek.
"That the best birthday present is being with you."
"Aww, you make me blush."
"Don't worry though. I promise I'll get you something really nice for your birthday. Speaking of which, it hasn't already come and gone this year, has it?"
"No, there are still four months left....Hold on, what is that?"
"Where's what? What are you looking at?"
"Look!" Risha hissed, pointing out at the wine-dark sea. "There's something out there! Can't you see it?"
Merees looked in the direction Risha was pointing. At first, she saw nothing, but then her eyes began to make out a shape in the distance.
"Its probably just another ship" she said. "After all, we are hardly alone out here on the ocean."
"I think its heading towards us".
Indeed, the mysterious shape slowly and steadily drew closer to the theater-ship. Now, Merees too was getting worried.
"I'll go wake Eramus" she said.
Moments later, she returned with the troupe-leader in tow. The Latter was dressed in a morning-robe and carried a spyglass. Despite having been chased out of bed, he showed no signs of being tired.
"Very well" the old faun said. "Let's take a look at what we have here."
He brought the spyglass to his eyes.
"It is indeed a ship and its coming our way" he muttered and then suddenly, he cursed loudly and almost dropped the spyglass.
"What is it?" Risha and Merees both asked with one mouth.
"See for yourselves" Eramus said through clenched teeth.
He handed the spyglass to Risha, the lynx took it and brought it to her eye. Through the lens, she gazed at the approaching ship and the figures, dressed in colorful rags roaming its deck. Then she saw the flag and a fist closed over her heart.
It was a flag that the lynx-girl had previously only seen in books: It was black as night and on it, lit up by the moon, a white skull grinned maliciously.
Risha was the first to regain the ability to speak.
"Wow" she said, shaking her head. "That was...."
"...Amazing" Merees finished the sentence. She smiled at her lover. "You are a very fast learner, Risha."
"With such a good teacher, how could I not be?" Risha smiled back.
Just then, the lynx-girl remembered something.
"Close your eyes" she said.
"Why?" Merees asked.
"Just do it and hold out your hand."
Wondering what Risha could be driving at, the Princess did as she had been asked. After a few seconds, she could hear Risha's voice again:
"You can look now."
Merees opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was that the ring finger on her right hand now had a ring around it.
"Risha" she began. "This is..."
"My father gave me this ring, before we left Vinoli. I want you to have it. As my first birthday gift to you."
Holding up her hand, Merees stared at the piece of jewelry adorning her finger.
"Risha" she began. "Its beautiful, but..."
"What is it?"
"Its a precious family heirloom, left to you by your father. Are you certain that you want me to have it?"
"I have never been more certain of anything in my life."
"Than I shall accept it, but I want you to know something."
"What's that?"
Merees reached out and, with her ringed hand, gently touched Risha's cheek.
"That the best birthday present is being with you."
"Aww, you make me blush."
"Don't worry though. I promise I'll get you something really nice for your birthday. Speaking of which, it hasn't already come and gone this year, has it?"
"No, there are still four months left....Hold on, what is that?"
"Where's what? What are you looking at?"
"Look!" Risha hissed, pointing out at the wine-dark sea. "There's something out there! Can't you see it?"
Merees looked in the direction Risha was pointing. At first, she saw nothing, but then her eyes began to make out a shape in the distance.
"Its probably just another ship" she said. "After all, we are hardly alone out here on the ocean."
"I think its heading towards us".
Indeed, the mysterious shape slowly and steadily drew closer to the theater-ship. Now, Merees too was getting worried.
"I'll go wake Eramus" she said.
Moments later, she returned with the troupe-leader in tow. The Latter was dressed in a morning-robe and carried a spyglass. Despite having been chased out of bed, he showed no signs of being tired.
"Very well" the old faun said. "Let's take a look at what we have here."
He brought the spyglass to his eyes.
"It is indeed a ship and its coming our way" he muttered and then suddenly, he cursed loudly and almost dropped the spyglass.
"What is it?" Risha and Merees both asked with one mouth.
"See for yourselves" Eramus said through clenched teeth.
He handed the spyglass to Risha, the lynx took it and brought it to her eye. Through the lens, she gazed at the approaching ship and the figures, dressed in colorful rags roaming its deck. Then she saw the flag and a fist closed over her heart.
It was a flag that the lynx-girl had previously only seen in books: It was black as night and on it, lit up by the moon, a white skull grinned maliciously.
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