Words within words Pt. 1[]
“We should be there in about six or so hours, if the weather stays nice that is” came the short and gruff reply from the helm of the Second Wind, fastest boat Miles could find at the time. With such short notice and the urgency of the letter, he had but a few hours to get prepared, but she was sturdy, well manned and clean enough for Miles’ tastes so she’d have to do. For now that is. He’d find a better, more extravagant craft for the trip back.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose brought little relief to the sharp, piercing headache he had received during the weeklong trip to the coast of the mainland, to the place he once called home; Tyore’Leah. But it was enough to keep him level-headed and calm. The letter he had received earlier that week raised a lot of old and long since buried memories and feelings Miles had hoped he could keep locked away and forgotten. He re-read the letter in his hand several times during the trip, trying to make heads or tails of its hidden meaning, there was always a hidden meaning with his family. But this seemed different somehow; it was written with haste and badly sealed. Miles even questioned its authenticity but the words contained in the letter nobody knew but he, his eldest sister Ezmiriah had gone missing and his father needed his help to find her. “Why do I even care anymore? They shouldn’t want anything from me, not after all this time. This makes no sense.” he muttered to himself as the boat hastily made its way through the sea with little effort.
As they slowly made their way around the coast passing small hamlets and fishing villages, Miles scanned the coastline carefully, not quite sure what he was looking for exactly. “There she is!” bellowed the lookout hanging from the side of the mast, repairing a tear sustained in a storm from the night earlier. “And about time” thought Miles as he followed the man’s gaze. As the ship slowed to a calmer pace, large and magnificent ivory towers and manors started rising into view from over the small hillside that segregated and protected the city from the forest that encompassed it. It looked just as it did all those decades ago when he left. The entire city was a pearl white metropolis consisting of dozens of spiraling towers and massive mansions and manors. The palace at the center of it all still stood as strong and majestic as it had for several thousand years now. The sight of it made Miles smirk, thinking back to his youth and all the times he’d visited the Princess’ chambers in the dead of night, and occasionally even the Queen’s.
The ship was nearing the harbor as Miles checked his pouches and gear hastily, even though he hated this place he couldn’t wait to have a look around again and re-explore all the places he had been missing from his youth. The memories, though mainly of contempt and hatred still contained a few of happiness and joy, those of friends and lovers, adventures and excitement. But those would have to wait, he had urgent business at hand and he needed to get a letter returned to his love Roia before he made his way to his family manor or she would start to worry, if she wasn’t already.