Indomitable

t.e.n

The pathway leading to Captain Rismak's estate was winding, and somewhat narrow. Tall pine trees towered over them, casting down their shadows and blocking out most of the sun. They'd shed their pine needles, littering them on the natural path and allowing them to mix in with the dirt.

Remi sighed happily, lifting her face up to embrace the shade and coolness of air. She stepped around anywhere that the sun had managed to wiggle through  the canopy of the trees and create a sunny patch, and began humming a tune to herself.

Servants had taken their horses from them and promised to lead them back to the Goldridge estate. There was a good chance that if they kept the horses on Captain Rismak's estate, his sirens would get to them and have a midnight snack when they turned their backs. They were better off on foot at this point, and were nearly there. Besides, it felt great to stretch her legs.

In a swift burst of movement, Killure had picked her up and placed her a few feet ahead. She glanced at him inquisitively, and he simply shrugged. "You weren't looking ahead of yourself, and would have tripped on those roots."

Remi turned around, walking backwards now. Sure enough, a messy gnarl of roots were protruding from the ground, right where she had just been walking.

"Thanks," she looked up at him and smiled. He quickly looked away, creasing his brows in a frown.

She couldn't help but admire how his skin seemed so healthy and radiant, almost glowing, whether he was basking in the rays of the sun or being blanketed by the cool touch of shade.

All of a sudden, Remi noticed the absence of footsteps behind them. Only the sailer ambled slowly behind, while Bliss and Blue were both gone.

"Blue? Bliss?" she called, confused. All she could see were trees, trees, and more trees. And between them was dense greenery consisting of mosses, shrubs, and bushes.

No answer.

Remi was just about to ask Lars if he'd seen where the twins went, but Killure sniffed the air with another idea in mind.

"There," Killure nodded at a large spread of moss a ways behind them, leading her over to where the two siblings were both curled up on the soft moss, fast asleep.

Remi shook her head and laughed. Those two had always been able to fall asleep in an instant, and they've never been able to resist a comfy place to nap. Or uncomfy. To them, a nap was a nap.

Blue peeled one eye open. "Did we fall asleep?"

"You did," Remi confirmed with a breathless laugh, slumping down onto the grass beside her cousins and gently rubbing their backs. Bliss was snoring lightly, her cropped strawberry blonde hair falling across her eyes. "C'mon, we have to go."

Sighing dramatically, as though being disturbed from his slumber was a terrible crime, Blue stood up, swooping down and picking up his still-sleeping sister.

The pathway stretched on for a few more miles before slowly opening into the wide, circular clearing that Remi so vividly remembered.

It had been years, but she recognized the estate instantly.

A large, oval-shaped lake sat in the centre of the impossibly large clearing, and the lake stretched so far across the horizon that Remi could hardly see from the shore closest to her to the other side.

Killure tugged at Remi's sleeve. "Is that really a . . ."

She followed his gaze to the middle of the lake, where Captain Rismak lived. "A ship, yes. He lives in a ship here whenever he's not at sea."