Tales of Reaver 15

Dainara was sitting down on the lake’s shore. She was holding a parchment and an inked feather on her lap but she was looking thoughtfully at the lake instead of writing.
She knew exactly what to say in her letter, but since her conversation with Alastor she didn’t know what to do.

She wanted to be with Lucious, she wanted him to hug her and kiss her and take her away from Oakvale with him so that she didn’t have to marry a man she didn’t love, but she didn’t want to break Alastor’s heart.

Almost a week had passed since her conversation with Alastor and every day she had come to the lake but she hadn’t been able to write not even one line of her letter.

She knew that if she left now she would break Alastor’s heart…maybe she should wait for Lucious to come back and take advantage of this time to convince Alastor to cancel the wedding…but what if this time made Alastor want her even more? What if Lucious took so long to come back? What if he never came back…?

- I must write to him, he needs to come back, I need him- she thought.

She looked at the parchment and let the memories of Lucious fill her mind.

My love,
I’m not sure if this letter will ever reach you, and I know it’s dangerous that I write to you, but something horrible has happened and I need you by my side.
I know that you’re probably busy but please, try to come back to Oakvale as soon as you are able.
I love you…I hope you still feel the same way about me.
Dainara

She bent at the letter and put it inside an envelope.
She remembered that once he had mentioned the name of his ship, so she wrote on the envelope: To Lucious of The Intrepid.

- I’m sorry, Alastor.

She got up and headed back to Oakvale.

Now she had to find someone who was going to Witchwood Island to deliver the letter. She knew that no one really went there apart from some merchants, but she wouldn’t give up until she found someone willing to deliver it.

She approached the local courier.

- Good morning. Could you take this letter to Witchwood Island?

- I’m sorry, miss. We only take letters to Witchwood Island when we have enough of them to make it worth the trip and right now we have none- replied the courier.

- I could pay you handsomely- said Dainara.

The courier looked at her.

- Even if you could, you’d still have to wait three weeks. We have a lot of letters to deliver somewhere else.

- I can’t wait that long!- complained Dainara- Please, I’m a noble, I have a lot of gold.
The courier looked around and lowered his voice.

- Look, miss, I’d like to help you, really, but most of the letters we must deliver are from the mayor and if we don’t deliver them on time…well, there will be trouble. Since the robbery in his manor he’s more…impatient than usual.

Dainara felt so disappointed.

She walked around the streets until she reached the central square. It was full of life, stores everywhere, stalls where merchants sold beautiful jewelry, children playing and laughing…

She approached one of the merchants.

- Good morning, young lady. Do you want a golden necklace for your slender neck? A bracelet, perhaps? I have everything a beautiful girl like you needs to look elegant!

- Good morning, sir. Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Are you going to Witchwood Island anytime soon?

- Witchwood Island? Not a lot of merchants dare to go there. Way too dangerous and not a lot of sales.

- If I paid you, would you be willing to go? I need someone to deliver a letter for me.

The merchant frowned.

- Not even if you gave me all the gold on Albion I’d go there. I’d be dead as soon as I set foot on the Island!

Dainara felt really desperate. It seemed that no one would go there!

- And do you know anyone who would be willing to go to Witchwood Island?

- I could go- a voice said behind her.

She turned around and remained silent, unable to speak.

- Oh, this young man can help you, it seems- said the merchant happily- He definitely looks like the kind of man who would dare to go there.

Lucious stood there smirking and looking at Dainara’s surprised face.

- But, of course, first the young lady will have to tell me how she would pay me before I undertake such a dangerous task.

Dainara still looked at him, not believing her eyes.

- Miss, answer him, how would you pay the young man? - said the merchant.

- I…I don’t know.

- Oh, well, that’s not good. If I’m going to risk my life for you, I’m afraid some kind of payment is in order, don’t you agree, sir?

- Of course! - replied the merchant- She should give you a big amount of gold.

- No, I’m not interested in gold…hmm, let me think about it- Lucious remained thoughtful for a few seconds- Well, I overheard that you want to give a letter to someone in Witchwood Island…who is this person?

Dainara didn’t know what to reply.
Should she play along and pretend they didn’t know each other?
She looked at him and smiled.

- It is for a man I know. I believe he’s there now.

- A man? Is this man your boyfriend? - said Lucious crossing his arms.

- Well…yes, I think so.

- You think so? My dear girl, how can you not be sure of this? Hasn’t he showed you his feelings?

Dainara could feel her cheeks burning. She looked at the merchant, who had abandoned his stall and looked at her, waiting for her answer.

- Well…

- Hasn’t he told you how he feels about you? Hasn’t he kissed you? Hasn’t he given you his most reassured possession so that you remember him while he’s away?

Dainara looked at him and smiled.

- Yes, he has.

- Then, young lady, I think this man is really in love with you.

- Yes, I agree!- added the merchant.

- Well, since I consider love to be so important, I’ll do it for you. I only want a kiss as payment.

- A kiss? But the young lady has a boyfriend! - said the merchant.

- Oh, I’m sure her boyfriend won’t mind if she gives me a little kiss, what do you say, my dear?

- Well, I suppose he won’t. But let’s do it in private, we never know who can see us- replied Dainara.

- Yes, I agree, my lady- Lucious turned to the merchant- Sir, if you ever see her boyfriend, don’t tell him anything about this kiss, ok?

- But…

Before the merchant had time to finish his sentence, the couple had disappeared into the crowd.

They followed a path that led outside the town and entered an abandoned barn.

- I didn’t expect you to come back so soon. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I turned around and I saw you.

- Do you want me to leave again and take a bit longer to return? - he teased her.

- No! Of course not! It’s just that I thought that maybe…- she looked down.

- That maybe I wouldn’t come back at all?

- Well, I…

He raised her chin gently.

- I told you I’d come back to you and I always will. Never forget that.

- I’m sorry.

He approached her and they kissed passionately. They had been longing for that kiss for so long and it tasted sweeter than ever.

- I have missed you so much- he said.

- I have missed you too…and I needed you, that’s why I was going to send you a letter.

- How did you know that I was in Witchwood Island? - he was quite curious to know.

- I just guessed…The watched of the harbor told me that your ship had gone west so…I just figured that Witchwood Island was the most probable place for pirates.

- Well, you guessed right- he smiled.

- But…isn’t it a dangerous place to be? If something happened to you…

He held her hand.

- Nothing is dangerous for a pirate.

The memories of the Island came back to him. He had been about to die back there…He would have never seen Dainara again, he would have never held her hand or kissed her again…

- Are you alright? - asked Dainara- You got serious.

He smiled.

- Nothing…I was just wondering what your letter said.

He couldn’t tell her about his adventure in Witchwood Island, he didn’t want to worry her.

- Well, while you were away something terrible happened and I wanted to ask you to come back and take me away with you.

Lucious got alarmed.

- Something terrible? What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?

- No, no, it’s nothing like that. But…- she paused for a second- I learnt that my father betrothed me to a young noble when we were children.

- What?

- But I don’t love him! I love you! And I have told him that but he insists on marrying me! And now everyone is trying to convince me of how nice he is and that I should marry him! And last week I talked to him and he told me that he really loves me and that he won’t give me up without a fight!

- Calm down! Calm down! - he held both her hands.

- The wedding will take place in six months. You must take me with you. I must run away!