The next morning Helen felt tired. They’d stayed up most of the night rowing, even though it was useless since they couldn’t see anything.
Helen rested her head against the railing of The Bowen, the winds had picked up so, for the time being, they could rest. Adalene had begun to feel better, the first wave of sickness getting better as she got used to the rocking of the boat.
She lifted her head barely and saw the rest of the crew asleep.
Luke was flat on his back, an arm over his eyes to block the sun. Richard was leaning over his oar, drooling in front of him. Peter had his back to the side of the boat, his head dangling to his right as his knees were pulled close to his chest. Alice’s back was facing Helen, an arm under her head as a makeshift pillow. Adalene was sitting up against the back of the boat, her head falling close to her chest, arms crossed. Even while she was asleep, Adalene still had the presence and air of a queen.
Helen then turned towards the horizon, her eyes opening and closing slowly, wishing sleep would claim her, but it didn’t. For some reason, she couldn’t fall asleep even though she was exhausted.
Feeling no other choice, Helen sat up straight and looked around them, hoping against hope that they could find something. Anything. Anything at all.
Then she found it. A dark line on the horizon.
An island.
“Land!” Helen shouted, smiling to herself. “Guys, I found land!”
Luke sat up straight, waking up confused. “What-I’m awake!” he shouted, hitting his head on the overhang of the ship. Luke rubbed his head and stood up.
Slowly, her other comrades woke up, rubbing their eyes and rolling their necks. They all stood at the bow of the ship and looked at what Helen saw.
Richard scoffed, laughing silently.
Peter whooped and lifted Alice in the air, spinning her around. Adalene stood idly by, smiling a little. Even Luke cracked up, his signature crooked smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Helen was glad to see Luke smile. He’d been so distant since what happened a few days ago.
Unlike her other friends, Helen still held out hope that Skylar was alive.
Helen then felt sad. Skylar had been so kind to her. When Skylar first freed Helen, her first concern was how much they’d been fed and how long they’d been in the Dueglesteiners’ possession. And then Skylar taught Helen a little what she knew about edible and inedible plants, something that would probably save Helen’s life one day.
Sklar had not only been the tough girl in their group, but she’d been a kind one as well. Helen had never had any siblings, but Skylar was the closest thing she had to a sister, along with Alice.
And Helen knew what it was like to not know if someone was living or dead. Her entire life she didn’t know who her parents were, or if they were even alive. Finding out her parents were the king and queen of Hilgaria was a big surprise, but she had just been glad to know they were alive.
Helen hoped Luke would hold out hope that Skylar was alive, even if she may not be.
Because if the world didn’t have hope, what was the point?
They eventually got onto the island and started to scout it out.
Richard, Luke, and Helen began to unload a few crates to make a makeshift camp, while Adalene, Alice, and Peter began to scout the island, seeing if there was any food source and if there were any people there.
Luke didn’t talk the entire time they were unloading the crates, and Richard seemed too awkward to start a conversation. Besides, Helen was still slightly mad at him and wanted him to know that he had to be nicer to people.
They finished unpacking, and without a word Luke walked off to the beach, shaking his head and sighing as he went.
“What’s he doing?” Richard asked, “It’s like he’s lost his purpose in life.” then Richard sighed, looking at the ground. “Although I’d probably act that way if I lost you, Helen,” he mumbled, his cheeks turning red. Helen blushed herself, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she realized what he was admitting.
“You mean…you’d miss me? Like really miss me?” Helen asked, not really knowing how to phrase it.
“I-I would,” Richard admitted, sitting on one of the crates with their food. “I-I don’t know, but…Helen, you’ve taught me things…things I’d probably never learn elsewhere.”
“Oh?” Helen asked, sitting on a nearby crate, picking at the hem of her dress, one she’d gotten from the palace in Hilgaria.
“Yeah,” Richard smiled, kicking the sand at his feet, “Like how to be nice to people, treat them better than you treat yourself, and well…to like people. To really like people. But I guess it’s not just liking, it’s loving people. Willing to risk your life for them, willing to give up everything, willing to…to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders for them! You’d do anything for them, and not just your friends, but…something more as well.”
Helen felt her cheeks get hot, and she looked at the sparkling waters of the sea. What had Richard just admitted? He was holding back something he’d wanted to say, only hinting at his true feelings.
“But I-I don’t know, maybe I’m just going crazy. It’s just…I feel…different around you, Helen, like this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me that I can be happy, that I can…care about someone other than myself. That I can worry about that person, and be willing to do anything for that person. I…I don’t know, I just…”
Helen then smiled, standing up and walking over to Richard. “I know,” she said, looking into his dark eyes. “I feel that way too.”
Richard stood, looking down at Helen in surprise. “Y-you do? ‘Cause I just-” before he could finish what he was saying, Helen stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, then stood back down on the ground, ignoring the obvious blush on her cheeks and the surprised look on Richard’s face.
“I know,” she said softly, then put her arms around his waist. He went stiff for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her too, and they just stood there, embracing each other.
Something had changed in Richard, something that made him softer, and more caring, and Helen loved it.
This was not the boy she first met, no, he had changed. This boy had learned to love and care for people, and she loved that about him.
She loved it...
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