Tales of the Caravan Read online

  Cookie's eyes began to glow. She ran toward a boulder, larger than Sarah, and kicked it off the cliff. The boulder flew off about a half mile toward the sea, and fell into the water with a great splash. Sarah's eyes were wide and glued to the ripples in the water, she could barely believe what she had seen. Cookie got on her knees and held Sarah's hands, her height still left them face to face.

  "Please, Sarah, take me with you," Cookie frowned. "I can’t stand being on this island anymore, I hate it. Please? I promise I won't let you down."

  Sarah was at a loss for words. Maybe it was because she grew up on the island her whole life, but Sarah was certain Cookie hadn't a clue how special she was. No way am I leaving her here, Sarah thought. She felt it in the pit of her heart…this was the moment her caravan would begin.

  "Yeah," Sarah blinked. "Sure...uh...welcome to the caravan?"

  Cookie's eyes went wide and bright, she edged forward and barraged Sarah's face with red kisses. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," she stood up on her feet and wiped her knees. "When do we leave, should I get my things now?"

  "Not yet," said Sarah. "Draguns sleep at night. We'll have to wait till the morning to buy one."

  "Oh," Cookie frowned and hung her head. "I didn't want to have to spend another night at the brothel."

  "You're a lover?" Sarah rose her eyebrows without thinking.

  "Yeah," Cookie's voice was low and her face pink. "I've been doing it for a few years, my dad forced me to when I was eighteen."

  "Your father's an ass."

  The words came flooding out of Sarah’s mouth, but she couldn't help it. She hated anyone who’d used others for malicious gain.

  "I know," Cookie nodded. "He left the island a year ago, so we don't speak," she took a deep breath and gave a bright smile. Her voice was much more cheerful. "I'm ready to start fresh though, start a new life and make a new family. Just you and me against the world, I'm not afraid!"

  Her spirit was infectious, there was no doubt about that. Sarah smiled and accepted her offer, she couldn't have asked for a better partner.

  "You're not going back to the brothel," said Sarah, she gazed at the moon once more and walked away from the sea. "We'll buy you some new clothes before we leave. Come on, you're staying with me tonight."

  Chapter 2: A Farewell to the Moon

  Cookie could barely hold it together. There were no dreams she remembered from that night. She woke up far too many times. Staring up at the wooden ceiling of Sarah's cabin, turning her head to peer out the window. Each time...that morning hue from the sun grew a little more. The night sky became purple, and then purple became pink.

  She wanted to leave so badly. She was tired of her life on the island. To have called herself a lover was like a sick joke. Cookie wanted to feel true love. Not just a proposal. She had gotten plenty of those, from sweaty men that she'd left breathless on her bed. Not just someone faithful. There were many men who had offered that too, but she remembered their pale voices and uninspired ambitions.

  That wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to want someone. She wanted to feel a love that could knock her off her feet. She had fallen countless times from disappointment and felt nothing but pain...what she would give to know what falling from love felt like. Her eyelids dropped and she fell under once more. When she woke again, a hot flash kissed her face. She cracked open her lids a bit, and finally saw what she had been waiting for. The morning sun had arrived.

  The sun shined brightly over the crescent shaped island. Rays of light reached through her open window, and tinted her face with orange from the dawn. Cookie smiled and rose from her feathered bed, her red painted toes pressed against the wooden boards. She walked slowly to the door and opened it, the creaks from the wood widened her eyes. Sarah could be sleeping, she shouted to herself.

  She left the door as it was and slid through the opening, the corner of the wall gently brushed her behind. She tiptoed down the short hallway and stepped into the living room. There was no furniture, just a chimney that stood on the side of the room. To her right was a glass wall that let the sunlight through. Beyond the glass she saw Sarah's wolf, Rocky. The grey wolf pressed his wet nose against the glass. He cried for her to open the door, and her heart gladly obliged.

  "Hey boy," she said in a soft voice, she slid the glass door and let Rocky in. He climbed up to reach her face, but he could barely reach her waist. She bent down and scratched the fur on his neck, his tail wagged wildly behind him. "Good boy. You want to leave too, don't you?"

  Rocky let his tongue hang freely, he then tilted his head up and howled.

  Sarah shot up from the floor and snapped her head around the room. "What? What? What's there?"

  Sarah had slept on the hard wood floor, with nothing but her red quilt to comfort her. She had offered her bed to Cookie last night, it was a gesture that brought the red head to tears. Cookie saw Sarah's tired look and gave her a nervous laugh. Rocky innocently walked up to his owner and rested over her lap.

  "Hey buddy," said Sarah, softly. She looked down and racked her fingers through the fur on Rocky's back. With a fist she rubbed her eyes and gave Cookie a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

  "I slept great," replied Cookie, her face almost as red as her hair. "And thanks for the bed, you didn't have to. I could have slept on the floor."

  "Yeah, but sometimes Rocky can work the door from outside," Sarah rose to her feet to stretch. "He might've mistaken you for a log, and I would've felt bad."

  The tall beauty laughed and reached between her breasts, showing Sarah a small scroll she had tucked inside her shirt.

  "I wanted to show you this earlier, but I forgot," said Cookie, passing the scroll over to Sarah. "It's a map that a guy gave me from the brothel. He's one of the members of the caravan board, maybe he can help us register with the empire. He told me that if I ever quit being a lover, I should find him."

  "Find him for what?" Asked Sarah, as she untied the string and opened the scroll.

  "To marry him, of course," Cookie’s body shivered at the thought. "Like I would ever! He's way too short for me, and I haven't even gotten to how small the rest of him is. Ha! Anyways, we should be celebrating. You don't have any wine here, do you?"

  Sarah tilted her head toward the kitchen, and sat down to read the map drawn on the scroll. The map looked clear enough, the yellow parchment had illustrations drawn neatly with black ink. Crescent Island was drawn on the bottom right corner, and a black X was drawn on the top right. The dotted arrow did not lead straight up, but instead curved upward to left and back toward the X. Sarah saw the man had drawn spiral circles between the two points, she knew them to be whirlpools.

  "Damn," she shook head after counting eight of them. "I didn't know so many whirlpools were near the island."

  "What's wrong with that?" Asked Cookie. She then sat next to Sarah, with a bottle and two wine glasses in her hands.

  "Whirlpools are where water dragons go to roost," replied Sarah, taking a glass of wine from Cookie. "They attack anyone that sails close to them. There isn't a caravan alive that's gone past one before."

  "Ha, that's funny," Cookie took a sip and pointed at the whirlpools. "He drew them like a heart!"

  Sarah took a sip of wine and gave Cookie a tired look. "Yeah…real funny."

  Cookie giggled nervously and touched her lap. She felt small grooves against her palm, and was reminded of how little she had. Her fingers pinched the grey pouch out her pocket a bit, 20S was written on it.

  "I barely got enough for a good lunch."

  "Don't worry, we'll take up a caravan job," said Sarah. "A big one, use those diamonds to get us started."

  "Or we can have a Royal represent us." Cookie pointed out.

  Royal representations were amazing for caravans. The Royals from the capital would fund caravans to work exclusively for them. Jobs from the Royals were legendary, rewarding diamonds in the thousands. Although, they would often involv
e the slaying of a dragon or two.

  "That's a stretch, though," replied Sarah. "I don't think those sexists at the capital will be doing us any favors.”

  "You got to have faith, love," said Cookie, edging toward Sarah and kissing the side of her face. "You never know what the sea could bring."

  Sarah smiled and together they finished the bottle of wine. She then left to her room and took a brown leather backpack. She had packed it with everything she thought would be useful. Maps, food, water, and a potions book with a case full of ingredients. Cookie waited outside Sarah’s cabin and watched her close the front door. She was shocked that Sarah didn't once look back.

  "Won't you miss it?" She asked, nodding toward the cabin.

  "Miss what, paying rent to a cheating drunk? No," replied Sarah, remembering her landlord’s diamonds were due tomorrow. “I don't care about this place. You need a family to call a place home, and I didn't have a mother or a father worth a damn. Now come on, I’d like to get a look at these draguns."

  She followed Sarah down a winding path toward the docks. The sun had fully risen off the horizon and the call of seagulls echoed overhead.

  "So, you never told me," said Cookie. "What's your Secreto?"

  "I don't have one." Replied Sarah.

  "But the gunner…?" Said Cookie, who looked perplexed.

  "I drank bull's blood before I showed up," Sarah showed her a vial of red liquid and pocketed it. The brew was one of Sarah's favorite potions to make. "It makes you freaky strong, but a bit aggressive too. It's probably why I couldn't keep my mouth shut last night, even with a gun to my face."

  They had just reached the bottom of the hill and stepped onto the cobblestone street. The town was particularly busy, with shoppers crowding the sidewalks. Cookie felt her heart pounding fast, just a mile ahead she could see the docks. The white flags from the masts of the ships towered high over the brick houses. Almost there, she thought.

  "Cookie!" Shouted a voice.

  To their left they saw the source, a young man in white uniform sprinting toward them.

  "Oh no." Cookie groaned.

  The tall beauty wore her hand like a mask and tried to hide behind Sarah…an impossible task.

  "You know that guy?" Asked Sarah.

  "Charlie," Cookie whispered, as he got close. "A cadet from the Imperial Fleet. He's obsessed with me, and he won't leave me alone. As if I would ever…!"

  "Hey…Cookie," Charlie was breathless. He bowed in front of them and held his knees, his lungs working hard to catch his breath. "I tried...looking for you...but you had already left."

  Sarah knew he was from the mainland. Like most who enlisted with the Imperial Fleet, Charlie had the same fancy accent as the Royals did.

  "I'm sorry, Charlie," Cookie leaned over Sarah's shoulder, so the two of them could be face to face. "I don't work there anymore."

  "Wait, did you two…?" Sarah pointed at her and Charlie.

  "No, nothing...like that." His blonde head still hung between his knees.

  "It never got that far." Cookie put a straight finger in front of Sarah's face, and slowly curved it down.

  Charlie didn't notice. He had just caught his breath, and stood up rubbing the back of his neck.

  "Sorry, my fellow cadets dragged me into the brothel," said Charlie. "When they called you over, I was nervous. I really didn't know what to do."

  "You didn't know what to do." Sarah repeated, she folded her arms and gave him a tired look.

  "I've never been with a woman, you see," his confession made Cookie's eyes widen. He turned his hazel gaze up toward her and smiled. "And I've never met a woman as beautiful as Cookie. I'm just glad I got to see you again. We set sail this afternoon, but...I wanted to give you something."

  He dug inside his cadet jacket and pulled out a gold pendant. The gold linked chain had beautiful markings etched over it, and the pedant had a crimson jewel that gleamed under the sun.

  "A red diamond." Said Cookie in awe.

  Red diamonds weren't earned through labor or caravan missions, they were given only by the elite Royals of the empire. Though the diamonds had no value in the market, they made for beautiful jewelry and were rumored to have magical properties.

  "It's an heirloom," Charlie beamed. "My grandmother was a maid to a Royal for many years, before she retired he gave her this. I want you to have it."

  Her blue eyes darted back and forth. She wanted to take it, but...

  "Charlie, I...I couldn't."

  "Mr. Williker told me about last night," he smirked at their stunned faces. "If you're leaving with this young woman, then take it. Consider it an endorsement from the Imperial Fleet."

  He held up the gold linked chain, the glare from the sun bounced off the diamond and blinded Sarah's eyes. He nodded for Cookie to lower her head. The pendant turned out to hang perfectly around her neck.

  "You're pretty smooth," said Sarah, giving Charlie a sly smile. "For a virgin."

  He smiled back and bowed his head. "Imagine when I finally find the right one," he looked at Cookie and gave her a wink. "Good luck, Cookie. I hope we meet again out there."

  She gazed at Charlie more closely, and noticed features she had missed before. Fine cheek bones, smooth skin, and a handsome white smile. Cookie happily stepped forward and kissed his forehead.

  "I hope so too, love." Sarah winked at the cadet and imitated his accent. "See ya, Charlie."

  Cookie followed Sarah to the dock, but she would never notice Charlie's lasting gaze. He was mesmerized by her body, and her long red braid that hypnotically swung behind her knees.

  It wasn't long before they stepped onto the dark oak boards, navigating through sea of people on the boardwalk. The docks were busy at this time of year, Cookie knew this well. In the mid-year was when caravans would sail back, and sell their goods to merchants off the mainland.

  Her freckled face peered over each shop they crossed. There were countless goods being sold, Cookie could barely believe her eyes. Small dragon eggs, fire pistols, treasure maps, and those were all from just one merchant!

  "Oh, Sarah look!" Cookie pressed her finger against the merchant's glass case, her eyes as wide as ever. "It's an oracle!"

  Sarah stood next to her and looked into the case. A stuffed teddy bear was inside, which had clearly seen better days. Its brown fur was matted and tangled. The left eye was a bronze diamond, and the right eye was replaced with a strange silver coin.

  "It looks terrible, Cookie." said Sarah, giving her caravan mate a dull look.

  "Right you are, Miss." Said the elderly merchant.

  His wooden stand mainly sold books, all of them stacked on the shelves behind him. He gave Sarah a kind smile, his hands folded comfortably inside his blue robes. He then stroked his grey beard with a wrinkled hand.

  "This oracle goes back nearly two centuries."

  "So what's wrong with it?" Asked Sarah, her suspicions were mounting. "Why isn't it moving?"

  Oracles were spirits of deceased caravan members, it was almost impossible to see a caravan without one. They provided great advice for the caravan leaders, like sailing the seas with a wise elder.

  "It's fallen asleep, I'm afraid," the merchant replied. "Old geezer hasn't moved in weeks, I've had a rough time selling it. He's a great navigator, that much is certain. Knows the Nine Seas like the back of his paw."

  He opened the glass case for Cookie, and she wasted no time snatching the bear up. She found it to be a bit heavy, like picking up a small infant. She barraged the bear with kisses and held it close to her chest.

  "How much?" Asked Sarah.

  "Normally twenty gold diamonds, but I'll be willing to part with him for ten," the merchant looked at Cookie and let out a raspy laugh. "I'll be happy knowing he's with good folk like you."

  The price seemed fair, and so Sarah paid the merchant his diamonds. They continued down the boardwalk toward the draguns. Cookie happily examined the oracle as
they went.

  She held up the teddy bear to her face and pouted her lips. "So, what's your name?"

  The oracle said nothing, and its body remained as stiff as a board.

  "The silent treatment, huh?" Sarah smirked and pinched the oracle's face. "Well buddy, you're going to have to talk to us eventually."

  A loud roar caused their ears to ring, the sound was quite familiar. Cookie looked up ahead and saw them. The draguns were docked by the end of the boardwalk. They were all chained to the dock, and happily eating the piles of silver fish in front of them.