217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7zFcNdUHn
Adalene looked at the dark line of land in front of them. “Ve are in Thuron.” checking the compass again, she assured herself that this was Thuron. The compass pointed to the North, where the land was.
“Thuron?” Alice asked, fear rising in her voice. Adalene turned and saw Alice put a hand above her heart, close to her collarbone.
“Yes,” Adalene replied.
“What’s the matter, Alice?” Peter asked, “Isn’t Thuron your home?”
“It is…” Alice said, the fear still clear in her voice, “It’s just…” she sighed, “It’s time I tell you something.”
Everyone sat down, The Bowen slowly listing closer to Thuron, although it was slow.
“When Peter and I were taken by Boromir and the Dueglesteiners, Peter fought Boromir so he wouldn’t hurt me. He made Boromir promise not to torture me, to simply interrogate me.
But Boromir didn’t stay loyal to that promise. He he threatened me, and…” Alice stopped for a moment, turning away.
“And…what?” Luke asked gently.
“He…he marked me.”
Adalene held her chin, contemplating what Alice had said. She knew what she was talking about, and feared for her friend.
“What do you mean marked you?” Peter asked, anger at Boromir in his voice.
Alice sighed again. “Long ago, when the Thuron were still used as slaves, the owner would mark their slaves with either their name, initials, or logo. Boromir…” Alice moved her dress collar to the side a little, revealing a crudely carved BA on her collarbone, above her heart. The cut was beginning to scar, showing up white on her dark skin.
“Boromir marked me.”
“But…the Thuron are no longer slaves,” Ruby observed, “Why would it matter if he marked you?”
“Because now,” Alice said sadly, “If a Thuron person is marked, it means they have been “tainted” and “unclean”. If anyone sees my mark, I’ll be unwelcome. I’ll be disgraced and seen as unfit to be in Thuron. They will banish me and anyone I’m with.”
“Well they shouldn’t be able to see it as long as you keep it covered,” Richard said, touching the bandages on his face once again. “I think more people will be scared of me with these bandages on my face.”
“Or because you look like a Dueglesteiner,” Ruby muttered.
Richard’s face flushed. “It’s not my fault, okay? I don’t know why I look like them.”
They were getting closer to Thuron now, beginning to see small lines where the buildings were. Thuron was known for having its towering buildings, and gold mines under the ground.
Alice walked over to the bow of the ship, looking at her approaching homeland. Adalene walked up to her as well, leaning over the railing.
“Hey,” she said softly, “I am sorry zat I yelled at you before. I didn’t mean anything zat I said, I vas just…” Adalene sighed, running a hand through her hair.
“I forgive you,” Alice said quietly. “Believe me, I understand what it’s like to lose everything. I’ve just been so jealous lately. Of Peter finding his sister, of the attention he has on other people…it’s hard, I know.”
Adalene nodded, glad they could make peace. “So…” she said, indicating the stretch of land ahead of them, “Zis is your home.”
Alice nodded, her curly hair bouncing with each nod. “I haven’t been here in so long, I don’t know if I could leave. I’ve missed it so much…” she sighed, tears welling in her eyes. “So much has changed in these few weeks, and I still have no idea what we have in store.”
Adalene nodded, agreeing with her. “Change is a part of life. If you are not ready for it, you vill get so caught up in ze past you are not ready for ze future.”
“I know it’s just…I feel so guilty about everything that’s happened. I watched my entire life fall apart before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. And now I’ve done some things against my beliefs, and my people may disown me. Sometimes I wonder, is this all even worth it?”
“Ze untold story of ze hero is how much zey give up for ze victory of ze battle. Zey give up so much to vin for zeir people, and get no zank you in return.”
“That’s…really sad,” Alice said.
“It is sad but very true. Ze vorld just refuses to see it.”
Alice looked at the water below, contemplating it for a moment. “Then we’ll make them see.”
Adalene didn’t know what she meant by that, but was proud of her friend's hope. Hope was something Adalene hadn’t had in a long time, and she was glad to finally feel some hope.
…
They made it to Thuron within the hour, and Alice got increasingly more nervous but homesick at the same time.
Arriving at the port, where they were enthusiastically welcomed by very hospitable Thuron people.
Alice kept adjusting the cloak Ruby had given her, even though nobody could really see her mark. It was completely unnecessary, but made Alice feel better.
Adalene saw out of the corner of her eye Helen bend down and pick up something in the water.
“This is pretty,” she said to herself.
“Caeruleum,” Adalene said as she looked at the shiny blue material, “It’s not very rare but is used most often in jewelry.”
Helen smiled, and Adalene saw her run over to Richard, who was still embarrassed to walk in public with the bandages on his face. “Richard, look at this!” Helen said excitedly as she put the caeruleum in his hand.
“Pretty,” Richard said, and a small smile came to his face.
“You can have it,” Helen pushed Richard’s fingers over the gem, and Richard held it gratefully.
Adalene loved how gentle and kind he was around Helen, his usual harsh and argumentative attitude fading away as he spent time with Helen as her kind and carefree attitude seemed to rub off on him, turning him soft.
She couldn’t help but smile as Helen had to take two steps for each of Richard’s, hugging his arm as they made their way through the city.
They had begun to make their affections for each other more public, holding hands every so often or Helen’s usual peck on the cheek to Richard.
As Adalene looked over at Alice and Peter, she saw him guiding her, acting almost as her bodyguard. It was as if he was saying “Touch her and you’ll regret it.”
Peter protectively put an arm around Alice’s shoulder, but when she stiffened up he took his arm away, looking embarrassed and ashamed.
Adalene didn’t want to be in the way of their relationship, so she avoided talking to Peter as much as possible...
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