Dragonsquire-Prologue

TO THOSE OF YOU WHO READ THIS BEFORE: YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THAT IT WAS TAKING FOREVER FOR ME TO ADD CHAPTERS AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I, MYSELF FORGOT WHERE I WAS GOING AND WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PACING SO . . . I'M STARTING OVER AND I PLAN ON GETTING THE PASING RIGHT AND HAVE IT FLOW A BIT MORE. ANY COMMENTS OR ADVISE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS!

Dragonsquire

Prologue

12-17-07


         
         The salt wind swept in off the sea, making her heart soar. She remembered the sea so well from her childhood in Lun Anaga. She had not seen the sea in ten years. She turned her summer blue eyes to Domenico, he was frowning and his eyes were sad. She knew he didn't understand, but he had grown up in the hills and she asked him how he would feel if he had to live for years without hills, then he had understood, slightly. The city of Lae'than was a port city but nothing like any built by humans, it didn't not stink of fish, cesspools, or offals, and there was no place for loose women. The ship that was to carry her across the Great Eastern Sea, into the Northern Ocean down into the Bay of Lunge and leave her at Lun Chodan was called 'Argenta Cygnai'. Domenico hadn't been happy about her returning home for a few months after so many years away, but she couldn't tell him why she had to return, that was something he wouldn't understand. Clinging to her husbands hands were their two daughters, Nona and Dominia.

         
         Nona was too young to really understand. Dominia understood but she wanted to appear strong. Tears came unbidden to Berliona's eyes, she knew she would give birth to their son on a foreign shore, she would die there, and she would never see her family again. Nona's pale blonde hair was caught in the wind, mingling with her sister's dark brown hair.


         
         "Milady," said a voice, Berliona turned it was Jotham, the captain of the 'Argenta Cygnai', "she is ready to sail, and we must leave soon if we wish to catch the tide."


         
         "I'll just be a moment, captain," Berliona said quietly, trying to hide her choked voice. Jotham nodded and returned to his ship. She turned her eyes back to her family, "Well, I guess this is goodbye for a time."


         
         Nona began to snuffle, but was trying to hide it. Berliona dropped down to a knee, and held out her arms. Nona flew to her with a cry of utter despair; she buried her head into her mother's chest, sobbing broken heartedly. Soon, however her sobbing subsided enough for her mother to release her.
         
         Berliona turned to Dominia. Her eldest daughter looked at her through pale eyes; anger at abandonment was shining through the tears. "Dominia," Berliona began, "I will return in a few months, before your baby brother is born." Minia turned her face away, staring out over the sea. Berliona knew she was not going to get anywhere with Dominia.
         
          She rose and looked up into her husband's face. She stared at his face trying to memorize every feature so she wouldn't forget what he looked like. His deep, dark blue eyes, longish, dark brown hair, pale skin, strong cheekbones, slightly pointed chin, strong nose, high forehead, and narrow face. She loved every inch of him, she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again, just thinking about that made her heart begin to crack. He eyes shined with his unshed tears, she knew how he felt, but she was sure she felt even worse. Then something inside of her broke and she hugged him, hard, as if she was trying to pull him into her heart so, they would always be together. He hugged her back, his cheek resting on top of her head. She began to cry, her tears soaking his white shirt. When he released her, she sniffed and wiped the tears away.


         
         "I'll miss you, my Beriyt," he choked out.


         
         "I'll miss you, too," she sniffed. Then she turned and climbed the plank to the ship's deck. When she looked over the rail back to them. She saw that Domenico has scooped Nona into his arms and she had her face buried in his neck, and Minia clung to his hand, tears now running down her pale cheeks. She felt the men moving about, setting the ship out of the harbor and she knew that Jotham was roaring orders to them, but she didn't hear him nor was she aware of the loud sounds. She imprinted the picture of her family into her mind so she would never forget them. When the shore faded out of sight, she went to the cabin that Jotham had shown to her earlier. It was small and tidy. She lay down on the bunk, letting the rolling of the sea to calm her.


         
         However, as she relaxed the words came back to her along with the vision. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to banish the pictures, but she couldn't and she turned her face to the wall, tears running down her face . . .



         
         . . . it was always the same. First, she saw herself standing on a beach waiting for Jotham's ship to come, she was very pregnant and she wanted the ship to come soon so she wouldn't have to give birth at sea. Then she saw herself holding a small, dark haired little boy. Then she saw images of herself playing with the boy, down by the sea. Then she saw the boy, who was now about six, kneeling before a grave an orange conch in his hands, sobbing . . .



         
         . . . how fervently she hoped that this was just a bad imagining born out of fear.