Sail Away

With steady hands, Duncan guided Onoir, as she sailed through the calm

waters. The tiller man of the Gilliman clan’s ship already had taken to

rest, leaving the journey in the hands of the young Duncan. It had been 

more than half a day since they took sail from the docks of Vesper, and still many a day still lay before them.

From the beginning Gen and Mickhel were wary of this trek yet still they

listened to their uncle and held their concerns at bay. Upon the bow of 

the mighty ship their cousin Lyal stood guard waiting for anything to emerge from the blackness of the seas.

 

Gen looked to the bow and to his towering cousin, a statue clad in ore of the night. If not for the burning torches and the white of his cloak, he would be indistinguishable between the curtain of black. His eyes moved onto his brother Mickhel sitting in dead silence a wisp of light floating above his open palms as he delved deeper into trance.  He could see his uncle, sleeping soundly, his kilt loosened and blanketing his body.

 

A shiver went through Gen as a slight gust of wind blew over the ship. He stood from the deck, drew the length of fabric from his kilt, and slid it over his shoulders, cloaking him in his tartan. Gen looked again to Lyal, the unmoved guardian of the family, his hand readied on his father’s sword his shield leaning up against his body.

“Did he tell you why we are doing this?” Gen asked Duncan as he turned to stern of the ship.

“Pardon?” Duncan replied as he looked up from a laid out map.

“Why we are moving to Edinburgh, did he even say a word to you?”

“Nay, from what Mickhel has spoke he only has talked to Uncle Amish.”

“Then why are we leaving? We were surviving quite well back in Vesper.” 

Gen said as he sat across from Duncan.

“Best I can guess; some lass caught his eye. Care for a draught?” said

Duncan, reaching beneath his seat and drawing a jug he kept hidden.

Like Lyal Gen remained in silence, staring towards the bow of the ship and off into the distant night leaving Duncan to shrug his shoulders and take a large sip from the jug.